Game 6 Football Preview
Marietta Pioneers (3-2, 2-2) at No. 1 Mount Union Purple Raiders (5-0, 4-0)
1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct 16
Mount Union Stadium • Alliance, Ohio

Oct. 14, 2004
MARIETTA, Ohio - The Marietta College football teams travels to Alliance Saturday (Oct. 16) to battle No. 1 Mount Union at 1:30 p.m.

Here is a look at both teams:

Mount Union College: Head coach Larry Kehres ’ squad has continued its regular season dominance in 2004. The Purple Raiders (5-0, 4-0 OAC) have won 99 consecutive regular season games and 89 straight OAC contests. The Raiders lead the OAC in scoring (46.4 ppg.) and defense (5.4 ppg.). The are also number one in total offense (459.6 ypg.) and team defense (173.4 ypg.). Senior quarterback Zac Bruney (Martins Ferry) runs the Raider offense. He has completed 75-of-117 passes for 1,111 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. His favorite receivers are junior Scott Casto (Uniontown/Green) (13 receptions for 229 yards) and senior Jason Cavell (Concord/Painesville Riverside) (13 receptions for 224 yards. Senior Jeff Strauch (Avon Lake) leads the running attack with 48 carries for 292 yards. The former Shoreman has also pulled in eight grabs for 69 yards. Senior Rick Ciccone (Coshocton) has also proved to be a dual weapon this season. He leads the team with 17 catches for 159 yards and has rushed for 254 yards on 60 carries. Senior middle linebacker Shaun Spisak (Sagamore Hills/Nordonia) leads the defense with 36 tackles, while junior defensive end Justen Stickley (Massillon/Jackson) and senior defensive end Johnny Josef (Mogadore) each have recorded six of the Raiders' league-high 30 sacks on the year.

Marietta College: The Pioneers' run through the gauntlet that is the OAC continues with their biggest challenge to date. Marietta enters the game with the OAC’s seventh ranked offense, averaging 15.6 points per game. The defense is allowing 20.4 points per game, the fifth best in the league. Chris Sidick (Cecil, PA/Canon McMillan) leads MC’s kick-return attack, which ranks best in the league in kickoff and second in punt returns. He averages 12.8 yards per punt and 30.9 yards per kickoff return. Steven Wagner (Harwick, PA/Fox Chapel ) paces the ground game for Marietta, which ranks third in the conference. The junior averages 108.6 yards per game with three touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Jason Vrable (South Park, PA) has completed 56-of-92 attempts for 567 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. He has also collected 43 yards and two more scores rushing. Mike Valiante (Wadsworth) leads the team with 16 receptions for 106 yards, while Sidick has amassed 12 catches for 156 yards since joining the offense two weeks ago. Defensively, Marietta is led by senior Thadd Sharrett (Circleville) with 46 and freshman Clay Ream (Burbank/Northwestern) with 38 tackles, respectively. Anthony Huffman (Lowell/Marietta) has collected five of Marietta’s 18 sacks, which is third best in the league. He and fellow freshmanBrian Hahn (Upper Sandusky) have also added 34 stops on defense. Senior Brett Munn (Newbury) has made 32 tackles, grabbed three interceptions, broke up three passes, block three kicks and had a 51-yard fumble recovery that he return for a score. Senior place kicker Bobby Lemasters (Winfield, WV) has converted 3-of-5 field goals on the year, while sophomore punter Jason Curry (Akron/Springfield) is averaging 35.9 yards per punt in 2004.

Series: Saturday marks the 43rd meeting between the Purple Raiders and the Pioneers on the gridiron. Mount Union leads the all-time series, dating back to 1933, 33-8-1. Marietta has lost 24 row to the seven time national champions.

Last meeting: Mount Union was the only team to shut out the Pioneers in 2003, winning 55-0. Bruney finished the day 27-of-39 for 382 yards and three touchdowns. Wagner collected 95 yards on the ground for Marietta and Vrable completed 3-fo-7 passes with one interception in a back-up role. Valiante pulled in a team-high five grabs for 40 yards in the loss.

About the coaches: Marietta’s Todd Glaser (UW-Eau Claire ‘93) is in his second season with the Pioneers, after guiding the team to a 2-8 mark last year. He has already surpassed last year’s win total with wins over Dubuque, Heidelberg and Otterbein. He is MC’s 26th coach and has a record of 5-10. Prior to joining Marietta, Glaser was the defensive coordinator at UW-Eau Claire for four seasons. Mount Union's Larry Kehres (Mount Union 1971) is in his 19th season with the Raiders. He has a record of 210-18-3 and has been named the AFCA DIII National Coach of the Year seven times.

Noteworthy: The last time the Raiders lost an OAC game was in 1994, when Baldwin-Wallace won 23-10. ...Mount Union's high-powered offense has outscored opponents 65-0 in the first quarter this season. ...Marietta last defeated the Raiders, 20-6, in 1977. ...Wagner is on pace to become just the 17th Marietta back to rush for 1,000 yards.

Great Coverage: Saturday’s football game is being broadcast live by WMRT - FM 88.3, Marietta College’s campus radio station. Their broadcast can also be heard live online at www.mariettaonline.com.

Next game: The Pioneers will travel to New Concord to battle Muskingum Saturday (Oct. 21) at 1:30 p.m. The Raiders will visit Ohio Northern the same day at 1:30 p.m.

Marietta’s probable starters:

Offense
QB      —            16            Jason Vrable
TB       —            20            Steven Wagner
FB       —            44            Corey Jacobs
WR     —            14            Jason Curry
WR     —            82            Mike Valiante
TE       —            80            Bryan Adams
LT       —            66            Gary Snyder
LG       —            60            Jack Simpson
C         —            64            Joe Brennan
RG      —            76            Lance Parrish
RT       —            79            Kellen Dunlap

Defense
DT       —            50          Pete Hashman
NT       —            98         Clay Ream
DT       —            94          Jeff Mast
OLB    —            41          Anthony Huffman
ILB      —            52          Brian Hahn
ILB      —            7            Eric Workman
OLB    —            39          Nate Brownrigg
CB      —            25          J. J. Wheeler
CB      —            2            Brett Munn
FS       —            3           Thadd Sharrett
SS       —            9            Anthony Banks