MidValleySports.Com

(Mid Valley Sports is covering APU football and its inaugural season in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. This will include exposure to members of the conference and the many small schools they play across America from D-I to D-III. Some of the names will be very familiar.)

GNAC Standings

School	League	Overall	PF	PA
Humboldt State	2-0	3-0	121	57
Central Washington	2-0	2-1	84	77
Dixie State	2-0	2-1	57	49
Simon Fraser	0-2	1-2	100	111
Western Oregon	0-2	0-3	44	93
Azusa Pacific	0-2	0-3	42	107

Week Three

Central Washington 21 Western Oregon 14

Humboldt State 41 Simon Fraser 21

Dixie State 24 Azusa Pacific 22

Week Four

Azusa Pacific at Central Washington (12:30 PM)*

Humboldt State at Dixie State (6:PM)

Simon Fraser at Western Oregon (1:PM)

*Concerns over air quality in the Ellensburg area due to wildfires in the area have caused Central Washington University officials to move Saturday’s football game between Central Washington and Azusa Pacific to a 12:30 p.m. kickoff at Pop Keeney Stadium in Bothell, Wash., which is a suburb of Seattle.—From Joe Reinsch & APU Athletic Offices

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GNAC PLAYERS-OF-THE-WEEK

Offense –   Nick Ricciardulli, Humboldt State (RB, 5-8, 190, Jr., Poway, CA) rushed for a career-high 204 yards on 33 carries, averaging 6.2 yards to lead the Lumberjacks to a 41-21 home win against Simon Fraser and earn the Red Lion Offensive Player of the Week award.  Ricciardulli scored a touchdown and broke a long run of 48 yards to set up another. He also caught two passes for 18 yards as the ‘Jacks improved to 3-0.

Defense – Cedrique Chaney, Central Washington (DB, 6-0, 188, Fr., Kelso, WA) saved four potential Western Oregon touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 21-14 overtime win at Monmouth to earn Red Lion Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors.  Chaney had a GNAC-record tying three interceptions, two in the end zone and another at the Wildcat 11-yard line.  He also forced a fumble deep in CWU territory in the fourth quarter which was returned 56 yards by defensive back Kevin Puckett to set up a 34-yard, five-play drive which culminated with a nine-yard touchdown run by Johri Fogerson to tie the game with 4:13 remaining in regulation.  Chaney, who also had five tackles, got his first interception in the end zone on a third-and-goal play from the 10-yard line, on Western Oregon’s first drive of the game.   In the second quarter,  on a first-and-10 play from the 13, he earned another end zone interception to set up a CWU kneel down to end the first half.   In the third quarter, he intercepted a pass on a first-and-10  from the 36-yard line to end another WOU drive. His fourth-quarter forced fumble came after Western Oregon had drove to CWU to set up a potential game-clinching score.

Special Teams –   Cache Morgan, Dixie State (KR/DB, 5-11, 190, Sr., West Jordan, UT – Utah State) is the Red Lion Special Teams Player of the Week.  Morgan had three kickoff returns for 135 yards, including the second 100-yard return of his career to equal his own GNAC record.  He also had a five-yard interception return and a total of six tackles from his defensive back position as the Red Storm beat Azusa Pacific 24-22 to improve to 2-0 in GNAC play.

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Faces From Week Three & Other Places

Central Washington defensive back Deshawn Gaise, a Bishop Amat alum, is starting in the Wildcats secondary.

Colorado State University-Pueblo, which is ranked in the top of both D-2 polls, features Chris Warren (6-0 268) who played his high school football at Walnut where he was a first team all San Antonio League lineman in 2007. Warren is a fifth year senior.

Former Pasadena quarterback Tyron Crockom is a junior (redshirt) wide receiver for Missouri Western University. In three seasons at quarterback for PHS Crockom threw 51 touchdown passes and for 5,335 yards. This season he has 9 receptions and two touchdowns for the Griffons. In 2011 he caught 21 passes and had one touchdown.

Marcus Thompson, who played his prep football at Muir, is also at Missouri Western. Through three games for the Griffons in 2012, Thompson has four tackles and an interception.

The final area connection to Missouri Western is current Temple City HC Mike McFarland. When the Arcadia alumnus returned to the area in 2009 to lead Pasadena, he came from Missouri Western where he had been the Griffons tight ends coach.

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Fast Facts

The last time APU defeated Central Washington was on November 28, 1998. The Cougars won 35-28 in the second round of the NAIA playoffs and would go on to win the championship under then head coach Vic Shealy.

Central Washington has won both of the most recent match ups (2008 & 2009 by 30-point margins) and have never lost to the Cougars at home. They lead the all time series 4-1.

Dixie State’s Cache Morgan’s 100-yard kick off return for a touchdown against Azusa last week was the second 100-yard kick return of his college career.

With 307 yards APU’s Terrell Watson is currently third in the GNAC in rushing. Humboldt State’s Nick Ricciardulli is first with 471 yards.

Garey High School alum Kevin Puckett, of Central Washington, leads the GNAC with 28 tackles.

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AFCA D-2 Coaches Poll 

RANK	SCHOOL (FIRST-PLACE VOTES)	RECORD	POINTS	PREVIOUS
1	Pittsburg State (29)	3-0	749	1
2	Minnesota-Duluth	3-0	717	2
3	Colorado St.-Pueblo	3-0	673	3
4	Grand Valley State	3-0	657	4
5	Winston-Salem State (1)	3-0	621	5
6	California (Pa.)	3-0	578	6
7	Missouri Western State	3-0	550	8
8	New Haven	3-0	545	7
9	Washburn	3-0	490	9
10	Humboldt State	3-0	458	11
11	Bloomsburg	3-0	454	12
12	Northwest Missouri State	2-1	391	13
13	Ouachita Baptist	2-0	350	15
14	Indiana (Pa.)	3-0	331	17
15	Midwestern St. (Texas)	1-1	307	16
16	Valdosta State	2-1	264	18
17	Ashland	3-0	248	22
18	Colorado School of Mines	3-0	176	23
19	Abilene Christian	2-1	170	20
20	Saginaw Valley State	2-1	146	10
21	Wayne St. (Mich.)	1-1	145	19
22	Minnesota State-Mankato	3-0	129	NR
23	West Alabama	2-1	110	24
24	Henderson State	3-0	97	NR
25	West Texas A&M	2-1	63	NR

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D-2 Football.com To 25 Rankings

RANK	SCHOOL	RECORD	PREVIOUS
1	Pittsburg State	3-0	1
2	Minnesota Duluth	3-0	2
3	Grand Valley	3-0	3
4	CSU-Pueblo	3-0	4
5	Missouri Western	3-0	5
6	California	3-0	6
7	Minnesota State	3-0	7
8	Winston-Salem	3-0	8
9	New Haven	3-0	10
10	Northwest Missouri	2-1	11
11	West Alabama	2-1	12
12	Bloomsburg	3-0	14
13	Washburn	3-0	15
14	Abilene Christian	2-1	16
15	Hillsdale	2-1	17
16	Midwestern State	1-1	18
17	West Texas A&M	2-1	19
18	Valdosta State	2-1	20
19	Humboldt State	3-0	21
20	Saginaw Valley	2-1	9
21	IUP	3-0	22
22	Central Missouri	2-1	24
23	Texas A&M-Kingsville	2-1	13
24	Ouachita Baptist	2-0	25
25	Ashland	3-0	NR

GAME RECAPS Week Three (Provided by Bob Guptill & the GNAC)

Central Washington 21, Western Oregon 14 (at Monmouth): Johri  Fogerson scored on a nine-yard run to tie the game with 4:13 left in regulation and then scored from 11 yards in overtime as Central Washington rallied from a 14-0 deficit to defeat Western Oregon 21-14.  . .Western Oregon led 14-0 until late in the third quarter on the strength of 56 and 11-yard touchdown passes from quarterback Cody VonAppen to Tyrell Williams in the first quarter and Kenneth Haynes in the third period. . .But CWU then drove 94 yards in six plays to cut its deficit to seven points with 41 seconds left in the third period on a five-yard pass from quarterback Ryan Robertson to wide receiver Robert Akeo-Orr.  The big play of the drive was a 30-yard pass to Tavoy Moore which took the ball to WOU’s 36-yard line. . .Then in the fourth quarter, CWU took advantage of a 56-yard fumble return by defensive back Kevin Puckett to set up a 34-yard, five-play drive for the tying touchdown. . .The game featured nine turnovers as CWU had three interceptions – all by Cedrique Chaney – and two fumble recoveries – and Western Oregon had four interceptions, two by Bryce Peila. . .Western Oregon had five possessions inside CWU’s 40 and the Wildcats had three inside WOU’s 40 which didn’t result in points. . .Western Oregon finished the game with a 459-390 advantage in total offense.  Haynes had 92 yards on 17 rushes, while VonAppen had 63 on 15 carries and Joe Harris had 53 on four rushes. . .Fogerson, who has scored six touchdowns in two games, rushed for 123 yards.  Robertson completed 24 of 37 for 220 yards.  . .Linebackers Riley Wall and Holman Faatili each had 11 tackles for the Wildcats.  Defensive lineman Gustave Benthin  had 10 tackles for the Wolves.

 

Humboldt State 41, Simon Fraser 21 (at Arcata): Nick Ricciardulli rushed for 204 yards and Humboldt State netted 579 yards in offense in defeating Simon Fraser before a crowd of 4,078 fans at the Redwood Bowl. . .Ricciardulli recorded the ninth 200-yard rushing game in GNAC history; the fifth by a Humboldt State player including four by former standout Lyndon Rowells. . .Ricciardulli, who now ranks sixth nationally averaging 157 yards per game, was a workhorse, toting the ball 33 times.  He was involved in 35 of HSU’s 77 offensive plays, also catching two passes for 18 yards.  His 222 all-purpose yards moved him into 17th place nationally with a 166.3 average. . .Quarterback Alex Rump completed 19 of 28 passes for 306 yards and three touchdowns.  He wasn’t intercepted for the third game in a row, extending his streak of passes without an interception to 73.  He is the only quarterback in the league without at least four interceptions, one reason why the ‘Jacks rank seventh nationally  in takeaways at plus 2.33. . .Victor Spencer had six receptions for 181 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter to extend a 27-21 lead to 13 points.  Late in the fourth quarter, HSU got a clinching touchdown on a 26-yard interception return from Kevin Cooper. . .Simon Fraser had 385 yards as quarterback Trey Wheeler completed 34 of 57 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns.  Wheeler, who leads the GNAC with a 69.8 completion percentage, was picked off four times, twice by Cooper who also had three other pass breakups. . .Two Simon Fraser receivers had double-figure reception totals – Lemar Durant (11-159) and Bobby Pospischil (10-73).  It was the second of the season for both, accounting for four of the six double-figure reception totals this fall in the GNAC. . .Defensive back Kyle Miller led the Clan with 12 tackles.  Linebacker JJ Evans had 10 tackles for Humboldt.