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Friday, October 12, 2001

By Phil Axelrod, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Washington and Jefferson is used to playing pivotal games. Bethany isn't.

History is on W&J's side.

Bethany faces a daunting challenge when it plays at W&J at 2 p.m. tomorrow in a matchup of 5-0 teams that most likely will determine the champion of the Presidents' Athletic Conference.

Bethany hasn't been in a game of this magnitude since 1980, the last time the Bison started a season 5-0, the last time they won the PAC and the last time they participated in the NCAA Division III playoffs. And Bethany has lost 18 consecutive games against W&J, dating to 1982.

The last time both teams were undefeated coming into the game was 1997, with W&J winning, 51-0.

While Bethany has languished in the background of the PAC, W&J has hogged the headlines by winning or sharing 15 of the past 16 league championships. The Presidents, ranked fourth in Division III, reach the playoffs so frequently they almost consider it a part of their schedule.

"It's a big game, obviously, but we want to treat this like any other game," Bethany Coach Steve Campos said. "We didn't change our practice around or anything else because every game is big to us."

The two keys to Bethany's success have been the versatile performance of quarterback Jeremy Lacaria and a staunch defense that has given up only 17 points and posted two shutouts in a season for the first time since 1981.

Lacaria, a junior transfer from Geneva and a graduate of Peters Township, has completed 46 of 87 passes for 574 yards and seven touchdowns. At Geneva, he was the backup as a freshman and started the first six games last season before he was replaced.

Lacaria rushed for 139 yards and threw two touchdown passes in Bethany's 24-0 victory against Westminster last week.

"Jeremy's play was very gutsy," Campos said. "Just as he has all season, he did everything that was needed to win the game."

Bethany's defense will be tested by W&J's well-balanced attack that features quarterback Brian Dawson, a junior from Thomas Jefferson who has passed for 1,310 yards and 13 touchdowns. His favorite receiver is wideout Todd Fry (36 catches, 752 yards, 7 TDs). Tailback Joe Nichols leads the district in rushing with 587 yards.

"We are going to try to stop the running attack first," Campos said. "We are going to go in with our regular game plan and try to execute it as best we can."

In other games:

IUP (4-0, 2-0) at Shippensburg (4-2, 3-0), 1 p.m. A showdown between the only undefeated teams in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West. IUP has won 13 consecutive games against the Red Raiders, scoring 30 or more points in all but one game and 40 or more eight times ... IUP senior Aamir Dew, who has gained at least 100 yards in seven consecutive games, is the school's second all-time rusher with 2,924 yards ... IUP is ranked fifth in NCAA Division II.

Washington, Mo. (4-2) at Carnegie Mellon (4-0), 2 p.m. CMU averages 36.8 points and allows 12.2 ... The wing-T attack revolves around quarterback Eric Zimpfer (314 yards passing, 4 TDs, 133 yards rushing) and tailback Ricardo Clarke (379 yards rushing, 5 TDs) ... Washington's offense boasts quarterback Brian Tatom (793 yards passing, 5 TDs), wideout Jim Donley (31 catches, 344 yards, 2 TDs) and halfback Bobby Collins (633 yards rushing) ... Both teams are 1-0 in the University Athletic Association.

Robert Morris (1-3) at St. John's (1-3), 1:30 p.m. Robert Morris can't afford another loss in its quest for a sixth consecutive Northeast Conference championship ... RMC quarterback Tim Levcik, a 6-foot-6 senior from Ford City, holds school career records with 435 completions and 5,964 yards passing ... The Colonials were idle last week after ending a three-game losing streak with a 41-7 victory against St. Francis two weeks ago.

Gannon (3-1) at Walsh (4-2), noon Gannon is the top rushing team in NCAA Division II with 372.8 yards per game, led by quarterback Jason Cunningham's 140.5 per game. Tailback Kevin Cloherty, a junior from Franklin Regional, averages 109 per game.