BOX SCORE

PHOTO GALLERY

by Mike Hustava
The Saint Vincent football team ended the 2011 season with a 23-15 loss to Lebanon Valley College on the road in the Eastern College Athletic Conference South-West Bowl.

Saint Vincent was driving with under two minutes remaining in the game but turned the ball over on downs and their potential game-tying drive came up short, sealing the win for the Dutchmen.
 
On the game's opening drive, it looked as if the Bearcats were forced into a three-and-out. However, Saint Vincent called a fake punt and Anthony Johnson took a direct snap 19-yards and set up the Bearcats in Lebanon Valley territory. The offense was unable to capitalize on the fresh set of downs though and was forced to punt.
 
In a physical, hard-hitting game, a defensive touchdown for Lebanon Valley turned out to be the difference in the contest. Leading 3-0 in the second quarter, Macke Hall jumped a screen pass from quarterback Aaron Smetanka and returned it 52 yards to put the hosts up 10-0.
 
With both defenses swarming to the football, the first offensive touchdown did not come until the final minute of the first half.  After struggling to move the ball, the Bearcats put together a seven play, 42-yard drive that ended with Smetanka finding Jairus Marlow for the six-yard score. The extra point attempt was blocked and the score remained 10-6 heading into the half.
 
Saint Vincent closed the gap to 10-9 on a 21-yard field goal by Morgan Porter on its first drive of the second half. The score was set-up by a 45-yard flea-flicker pass from Smetanka to Ricky Douglas that put the Bearcats deep in Dutchmen territory.
 
The defensive battle then continued, as neither team was able to find the end zone for the rest of the quarter.
 
Early in the fourth, Saint Vincent took the lead on an eight-yard run by Smetanka to put the Bearcats in front 15-10. The score capped a 10-play, 49-yard drive but the two-point conversion attempt failed with almost the entire fourth quarter remaining.
 
Lebanon Valley's offense took the lead right back on its next drive. They scored their first offensive touchdown when Ben Guiles scored on a five-yard rush to put the hosts up 16-15. Their two-point conversion attempt also was unsuccessful and the Dutchmen held a one-point lead with under 11 minutes left in regulation.
 
With four minutes remaining, the Bearcats forced Lebanon Valley to turn the ball over on downs inside the Saint Vincent 20-yard line. However, the Dutchmen defense forced Saint Vincent to turn the ball over on downs at its own four-yard line.
 
On the next play, Guiles scored his second touchdown of the game to extend the lead to 23-15 with 2:31 remaining.
 
On the ensuing kickoff, Terry Kernan returned the squib kick up to the Saint Vincent 42-yard line and gave the Bearcats good field position for a potential game-tying drive. Saint Vincent was able to move the ball into Lebanon Valley but an illegal chop-blocking penalty against the Bearcats made it first-and-25 for Saint Vincent. The offense was not able to dig themselves out of the unfavorable down and distance situation and the comeback attempt fell short as SVC turned the ball over on downs as time ran down.
 
The Bearcats' defense turned in another strong performance, limiting the Dutchmen to 253 yards of total offense, 71 of which came on Lebanon Valley's opening drive. Dan Wirkowski led the defense with 10 tackles and David Ribero added nine stops, 1.5 for a loss, and an interception.
 
Offensively, Smetanka finished the afternoon 17-of-26 for 221 yards and two scores. He also broke the single-season record for passing yards and eclipsed the 4,000-yard mark for his career.
 
Mike Kale led the Bearcats on the ground with 51 yards on 18 attempts. Douglas led all receivers in contest, hauling in eight passes for 141 yards. The junior also broke Tom Quirin's single season record for receptions and yardage.
 
Lebanon Valley defensive lineman Cory Homer was named the ECAC South-West Bowl Most Outstanding Player, registering 11 tackles, three sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss.
 
The Bearcats finished the season with a final overall record of 6-5.