2009 Captains and Schedule Released
DOVER, Del. - Wesley College announced its 2009 team captains and schedule when the Wolverines held their annual spring picnic on Sunday at Uno Chicago Grill.
Senior Matt Ferguson (Dover, Del./Dover) and juniors Aaron Benson (Swarthmore, Pa./Strath Haven) and Shane McSweeny (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem) were elected as team captains by their teammates.
"Our team elected three great leaders," said Head Coach Mike Drass. "All of them lead by example both on and off the field. We expect great things from them in 2009."
Ferguson (No. 63), an offensive tackle, anchored a Wesley offensive line that paved the way for over 200 rush yards per game and finished in the top 25 in Division III in scoring offense. An All-ACFC selection in 2008 as a senior, he will return to the team as a graduate student in 2009.
McSweeny (No. 10) was named the ACFC Offensive Player of the Year award after completing over 67 percent of his passes for 2,003 yards and 18 touchdowns. The native of Bensalem, Pa. threw for three touchdowns in a game three times and had a breakout game at Frostburg State completing 14-of-17 for 289 yards and three touchdowns in Wesley's 38-6 victory. He finished second in Division III in pass efficiency at 181.2.
Benson (No. 3) was named an All-ACFC first team safety last season. He ranked second on the team with both 70 tackles and 8.0 tackles for loss. He made a career-high 14 tackles in the NCAA Second Round against Mary Hardin-Baylor and had multiple tackles for loss against both the Cru' and in a midseason win over Division I FCS Iona.
Wesley also unveiled its 2009 schedule, which features six home contests. The Wolverines play two 2008 NCAA playoff teams in Christopher Newport and LaGrange and two ECAC Champions in Delaware Valley and Salisbury. Two more opponents are NCAA Division II programs, both North Greenville (S.C.) and Ohio Dominican.
"We have upgraded our schedule by adding LaGrange, another South Region playoff team," noted Drass.
A three game road trip follows the season and home opener against Christopher Newport. The Wolverines will head south twice in those three contests, to South Carolina against North Greenville and to Georgia to face LaGrange.
"Conditioning will play a big part of how we start the season as we play games in Georgia and South Carolina in September," Drass observed.
Wesley will also face Atlantic Central Football Conference rivals Frostburg State, Apprentice and Salisbury, the last of which comes in the midst of a four game home stand to end the regular season.
The 10 opponents combined for a .519 win percentage in 2008.
The Wolverines will look to continue their streak of four consecutive ACFC Championships and four straight NCAA appearances. Wesley was 9-2 in 2008, advancing to the NCAA Second Round. The Wolverines 45 wins over the last four seasons ranks third in NCAA Division III Football.
Date |
Opponent (2008 W-L) |
Time |
| Sep. 5 | Chris. Newport (8-2) | 1:00 PM |
| Sep. 12 | at North Greenville (2-9) | 1:00 PM |
| Sep. 19 | at Delaware Valley (8-3) | 1:00 PM |
| Sep. 26 | at LaGrange (9-2) | 1:00 PM |
| Oct. 3 | Frostburg St. * (3-6) | 1:00 PM |
| Oct. 17 | at Apprentice School * (2-7) | 1:00 PM |
| Oct. 24 | Webber Int'l (3-8) | 1:00 PM |
| Oct. 31 | Salisbury * (9-2) | 1:00 PM |
| Nov. 7 | Lake Erie (3-8) | 1:00 PM |
| Nov. 14 | Ohio Dominican (7-3) | 1:00 PM |
Home games in bold. * denotes ACFC contest.
