Winter 2014 gridironVol. 8 No. 1 The Newsletter of the Grove City College Wolverine Football Team Grove City wins CUP in 2013 season finale rove City finished scored 50 or more points on Senior quarterback Brian the 2013 season the road since a 63-6 win Pell (Streamwood, Ill./ Gwith a victory in at Bethany in 2004. The Wheaton Academy) sealed the 30th annual Mercer Wolverines improved to 21-9 the victory by scoring on Inside ... County Cup game, by in the 30-year history of the a 13-yard option scamper Ritchie’s season finale 2 pulling out a 50-44 overtime game, while it also marked around the left end in Help the team recruit! 2 win at Presidents’ Athletic the 100th meeting between overtime. Thiel squandered 2013 Bowl of the stars 3 Conference (PAC) rival the schools. The Wolverines their first possession in Thiel at Alumni Stadium. have won seven straight in overtime when senior free Wolverines on PAC Honor Roll 4 It’s the first time Grove City the series. safety Joe Diani (West see CUP on page 2 Quick Click ... n Sports www2.gcc.edu/sports

n Alumni & Friends www.alumni.gcc.edu GRIDIRON Editorial Staff Christopher Smith ’72 Head Coach Todd Gibson ’02 Assistant Coach Matthew Gregg ’08 Assistant Coach

Design Ross Wyszomierski Media Relations Specialist/Copywriter

Wolverine seniors with the Mercer County Cup, as well as Head Coach Chris Smith, Athletic Trainer Kay Mitchell Emigh, and Equipment Manager Larry Freeman. GRIDIRON is the official newsletter of the Grove City College Five earn Academic All-District; Gibbs All-American Wolverine Football Team. enior free safety receiver Anthony Ritchie CoSIDA Academic All- Joe Diani (West (Big Rock, Ill./Wheaton District and advanced to SLeechburg, Pa./ Academy), and sophomore the nationwide CoSIDA Leechburg), junior defensive lineman Ryan Academic All-America wingback Sam Ivan Hickey (Murrysville, ballot while Gibbs was (Whitehouse, Ohio/Toledo Pa./Franklin Regional) selected to the Academic Christian), senior wide all earned Capital One/ All-American First Team. see All-District on page 3 Ritchie lauded for season finale performance rove City College senior Anthony GRitchie earned weekly honors from the Eastern College Athletic Conference, the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, as well as the PAC Sports Network in recognition of his performance in the Wolverines week Senior wide receiver Anthony 10 victory at Thiel. Ritchie accounted for four total He accounted for four total in Grove City’s 50-44 overtime win over Thiel in the 30th touchdowns in Grove City’s 50-44 Mercer County Cup game. overtime win over Thiel in the 30th Mercer County Cup game. he caught a 22-yard pass from Pell out pass, run for a touchdown Three of Ritchie’s four scores came of the “Swinging Gate” formation. and catch a touchdown pass in the same in the second quarter of Saturday’s With the game tied at 37 in the game. DiDonato accomplished that feat game. He threw a 16-yard touchdown fourth quarter, and with a critical November 4, 2006 in a 40-33 win over pass to senior Pat Donoughe fourth down, Head Coach Chris Smith Case Western Reserve. on the first play of the quarter to give once again put the ball in Ritchie’s With his two touchdown catches Grove City a 14-7 lead. Moments later, hands. He raced 22 yards on an end Saturday, Ritchie tied Rick Sems’ Ritchie hauled in a 42-yard touchdown around to give the Wolverines a 44-37 school record of 17 career touchdown pass from senior quarterback Brian lead with 3:17 remaining. He finished catches. Sems caught 17 touchdowns Pell to put the Wolverines up 21-7. the day with six catches for 114 yards. from 1989 to 1992. Ritchie ranks third Ritchie then scored Grove City’s final He became the first Grove City player all-time in program history with 144 touchdown of the first half with when since Andrew DiDonato to throw a receptions and 1,801 receiving yards.

HELP US RECRUIT! Do you know of a talented student athlete who would be a good fit for our football program? Please pass along his name to us so that we can include him in our recruiting process. We are looking for students who can make a difference on the field and in the classroom. The athlete must have strong board scores and at least a 3.0 GPA to be considered. Please forward this information to Coach Chris Smith, Box #3069, 100 Campus Drive, Grove City PA 16127, email [email protected], or contact by phone at 724-458-2126.

CUP (continued) Leechburg, Pa./Leechburg) intercepted a pass to senior tight end Pat Donoughe a 14-play, 69-yard drive. The drive stalled pass to end Thiel’s drive. (Summerhill, Pa./Forest Hills) on the first at the six, though, and freshman kicker Grove City trailed 37-30 midway play of the second quarter gave Grove Ryan Stewart (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) through the fourth quarter but tied City a 14-7 lead. booted a 24-yard field goal. the game with 8:04 left in regulation Grove City pushed its lead to 21-7 just Grove City finished the game with when senior wide receiver Khalil Ervin minutes into the game when Pell threw a 26 first downs and 439 yards of offense. (Malvern, Pa./Phoenixville) hauled in a 42-yard touchdown pass to Ritchie on an Maskrey ran for 117 yards and a 30-yard touchdown pass from freshman out-and-up route. The Wolverines took touchdown while Pell added 54 yards. wingback Zach Gazdacko (Uniontown, over at the Thiel 42 after senior linebacker Pell completed 13 of 23 passes for 192 Ohio/Lake) on a halfback option. Ben Manwaring (Lisle, N.Y./Whitney yards. Ritchie had six catches for 117 The Wolverines then surged ahead Point) recovered a fumble. yards while Ervin pulled in six balls for 44-37 with 3:17 left when senior wide Grove City reclaimed a 27-14 lead on 91 yards. receiver Anthony Ritchie (Big Rock, Ill./ its next possession by driving to the Thiel Manwaring had 12 tackles while Wheaton Academy) raced 22 yards to the 22. On fourth down, the Wolverines junior Robert Rollick end zone on a reverse. lined up in the “Swinging Gate” and after (Woodland, Pa./Saint Marys) recorded a Ritchie also caught two touchdown receiving the snap, Pell threw a 22-yard sack. passes and threw a touchdown pass touchdown pass to Ritchie. in the win. His 16-yard touchdown Grove City opened the second half with gridiron Page 2 All-District (continued) Gibbs was a four-year starter in The college’s Presidential Scholarship on the PAC Academic Honor Roll. Grove City’s defensive backfield, recipient has appeared on both the Ivan is a Presidential Scholarship and starting nine games this season. Gibbs Dean’s list as well as the PAC Academic Trustee Scholarship recipient. earned his second award after earning Honor Roll. This past summer, he The mechanical engineering major Second Team recognition last year. He spent 10 weeks working in genomic and four-year letter winner, Ritchie is the first Grove City football player research at the Mayo Clinic in led Grove City with 899 all-purpose to become a two-time Academic All- Rochester, Minn. yards, as well as 55 receptions for American. A four-year letterman and three-year 755 yards and five touchdowns. Gibbs started all four seasons in the starter at safety, Diani led the team Ritchie also served as the team’s punt secondary for the Wolverines. In 2013, with four interceptions, while also returner. Ritchie holds a 3.57 GPA in he started nine games at strong safety compiling 51 tackles in 2013. Diani mechanical engineering. He is a Dean’s and recorded 80 total tackles. He led owns a 3.67 GPA in mathematics, is a List student and has also been named to all Presidents’ Athletic Conference Dean’s List student, has been named to the conference Academic Honor Roll. defensive backs in total tackles and the conference’s Academic Honor Roll, Hickey started six games at defensive forced fumbles. Gibbs has ranked in is a Presidential Scholarship recipient tackle this year, before a season ending the top two tacklers for the Wolverine and has been inducted into the Kappa injury. He collected 15 total tackles, defense since his sophomore season. He Mu Epsilon math honorary. including three for a loss. Hickey was also selected to play in the Tazon Ivan was the starting wingback owns a 3.80 GPA while majoring in de Estrellas, but opted not to play due in the Wolverine backfield, and the mechanical engineering. He has been to injury. He also earned Academic third leading rusher in 2013. Ivan has named to both the Dean’s List and the All-District in 2011, 2012 and 2013. compiled a 3.77 GPA as a molecular PAC Academic Honor Roll. Gibbs has earned a 3.93 cumulative biology/pre-med major. He is a Dean’s GPA as a biology/pre-med major. List honoree and has also earned a spot

From Left: Ben Manwaring (53), Pete Polesnak (65), Anthony Ritchie (84 ) and Ethan Martin (56) Wolverines represent both sides in 2013 Bowl of the Stars eniors Ben Manwaring, Anthony interception to flip the field for the playing football at University of Las SRitchie and Ethan Martin Americans. A trick play opened a Americas Pueblas. He played for represented the Wolverines as 16-0 lead for Team Stars and Stripes the CONADIEP against his former members of, and helped, Team Stars as a lateral pass was tossed to a wide Wolverine teammates. and Stripes to a 29-7 victory against a open Richie for a touchdown. Strong Three Grove City players team of Mexican college all-stars from offensive line play was seen on both participated in the Tazon de Estrellas CONADIEP, the national conference sides of the field as Ethan Martin predecessor, the Aztec Bowl. Brock of private schools, in Mexico at the helped guide the strong American McCullough played for the United 36,000-capacity Estadio Tecnológico offensive attack, while 2011 GCC States in 2000, while Aaron Margo on the Tec de Monterrey campus. alum Pete Polesnak played along the (2005), and Matt Gregg (2007) also Late in the second half, Ben line for the Mexican offense. Polesnak played in the Aztec Bowl. Manwaring came up with an is finishing his graduate work and gridiron Page 3 100 Campus Drive

Grove City, PA 16127

facebook.com/GroveCity instagram.com/GCC_Wolverines @GCC_Wolverines

Clinton, Ohio/Norton Clinton, Studies Communication Sr. MLB White Mitch

Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Harleysville, Business International Jr. OLB Skyrm Jason

Big Rock, Ill./Wheaton Academy Ill./Wheaton Rock, Big Engineering Mechanical Sr. WR Ritchie Anthony

Streamwood, Ill./Wheaton Academy Ill./Wheaton Streamwood, Studies Communication Sr. QB Pell Brian

Lisle, N.Y./Whitney Point N.Y./Whitney Lisle, History Sr. MLB Manwaring Ben

Education Special Jr. OL Kepple Zach Chicora, Pa./Karns City Pa./Karns Chicora,

Whitehouse, Ohio/Toledo Christian Ohio/Toledo Whitehouse, Biology Molecular Jr. RB Ivan Sam

Business International Fr. DB Hull Ned Jenkintown, Pa./Jenkintown Jenkintown,

Biology Molecular Sr. DB Gibbs Chris Akron, Ohio/Revere Akron,

West Leechburg, Pa./Leechburg Leechburg, West Mathematics Sr. DB Diani Joe

Berringer Brandon Engineering Electrical So. MLB Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler Pittsburgh,

HOMETOWN/HS MAJOR YEAR POSITON NAME

The following are representatives from the football team this season. season. this team football the from representatives are following The

on a 4.0 scale during their semester of competition. of semester their during scale 4.0 a on

The PAC Academic Honor Roll recognizes varsity student-athletes who have earned a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.6 or higher higher or 3.6 of (GPA) average grade-point a earned have who student-athletes varsity recognizes Roll Honor Academic PAC The

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2013 semester. 2013

total of 439 student-athletes were named to the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Academic Honor Roll for the Fall Fall the for Roll Honor Academic (PAC) Conference Athletic Presidents’ the to named were student-athletes 439 of total Wolverines named to PAC Honor Roll Honor PAC to named Wolverines