United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Football - Bears Ready to Open Season vs. Merchant Marine

SECRETARIES' CUP

MERCHANT MARINE (0-1) at COAST GUARD (0-0)

Sept. 8th, 2:30 p.m., Cadet Memorial Field (New London, Conn.)

ON THE AIR: video webcast available CLICK HERE. There is also an audio broadcast at www.sportsjuice.com where you can email the broadcaster at cgbears2007@aol.com.

THE SERIES: Merchant Marine leads 24-11. The Mariners have won three straight and eight of the last nine meetings.

LAST MEETING: For the third straight year the Merchant Marine Academy beat archrival Coast Guard (21-7) to win the Secretaries’ Cup.

In the only scoring in the first half, Chuck Kleinschnitz threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Preston Morgan with 8:22 left in the second quarter as Merchant Marine led 7-0 at halftime.

Cameron Amigo scored his first touchdown of the season from eight yards out to give the Mariners a 14-0 lead with 8:27 left in the third quarter.

Coast Guard, which failed to move the ball past the 50-yard line for the opening 37 minutes of the game, finally showed some life offensively using a nine-play, 80-yard drive capped by a three-yard run by Josh Williams to narrow the deficit to 14-7.

Merchant Marine put the game on ice with a 16-play, 90 yard drive, capped by Kleinschnitz scoring on a quarterback sneak on fourth and goal from the one-yard line with 53 seconds left in the game.

Jake Miller had a career-day as a kick and punt returner for the Mariners as he returned eight punts for 175 yards, including a long of 54 yards. He also returned two kickoffs for 87 yards.

Kleinschnitz went 18-for-27 on the day with one passing and rushing touchdown and two interceptions.

Sophomore running back J.J. Watson sparkled in his first game of the season with a team-best 74 rushing yards on 12 carries for MMA. Garron Edgington had a game-high 14 tackles and a sack, the Mariner defense held junior quarterback Christian George and the Bears to 140 yards offense on the day.

George, making his first career start at quarterback, completed 7-of-16 passes for 49 yards and one interception, on the final play of the game. Lance Lynch led the rushing attack with a team-best 65 yards.

Freshman free safety Steve Arguelles had both of Coast Guard’s interceptions while adding eight tackles in hit first collegiate game. Sophomore linebacker Jack Gill led the Bears with 13 tackles, one for loss.

LAST WEEK: Merchant Marine opened the season with a 48-7 loss as Kean (N.J.) scored the final 38 points of the game. Kean had 482 yards of total offense including 327 on the ground while holding the Mariners to 163 yards of total offense. Merchant Marine struggled to run the ball as they carried 30 times for just 19 yards. This is the season opener for Coast Guard.

THE SECRETARIES’ CUP: This is the 27th meeting for the Secretaries’ Cup which was established in 1981. Merchant Marine holds a 17-9 edge in the annual meeting between the two rivals.

CGA WINS SUPERINTENDENT’S TROPHY: For the fourth straight season, Coast Guard won the Superintendent’s Trophy which was established in 2003 and goes to the Academy that wins the most athletic contests between Coast Guard and the Merchant Marine Academy each school year. The Bears beat the Mariners 7.5-4.5 last season to remain perfect in the four years of the trophy.

One point is awarded to the winning school after each athletic contest, giving all sports equal weight. Coast Guard will be presented with the Superintendent’s Trophy at halftime.

OFFENSIVE STRUGGLES VS. THE MARINERS: Coast Guard has dropped three straight and eight of the last nine games against Merchant Marine. The Bears have failed to score more than nine points in each of the last six games, Coast Guard has been outscored 103-37 in the last six Secretaries’ Cup games. The Bears only win in the last nine meetings was a 9-7 victory in New London to close out the 2003 season.

STREET & SMITH’S RANKS BEARS: Coast Guard is ranked 24th nationally in the Street & Smith’s Magazine Division III Preseason poll. The Bears were 8-1 in the regular season, before finishing 8-3 overall, and won the NEFC Bogan Division with a perfect 7-0 record to earn a berth in the ECAC North Atlantic Bowl.

BEARS WENT BOWLING: For the first time since the 1988 season and only the second time in school history, Coast Guard played in an ECAC Bowl game last season. The 1988 team won eight straight as they won the final seven regular season games and won the ECAC North Championship beating Plymouth State 28-19 for their eighth straight win.

SUCCESS IN LEAGUE PLAY: Coast Guard won all seven league games last season for the first time since the 1997 season when the Bears went a perfect 6-0 in the Freedom Football Conference and won their second straight league title. In 1997, Coast Guard also advanced to the NCAA Playoffs for the second straight season. Coast Guard was a combined 0-14 in league play as a member of the Liberty League in 2004 and 2005.

ARGUELLES NAMED PRESEASON TO ALL-AMERICA TEAM: Sophomore free safety Steve Arguelles, who tied a the single-season school record and was second nationally with 11 interceptions, was named to the Street & Smith’s Preseason All-America team. He is one of just two sophomores on the 26-player All-America team which also consists of 22 seniors and four juniors.

HARMS ON GILBURG WATCH LIST: Senior punter Jesse Harms was one of six seniors named to the Gilburg Award watch list. Since 2004, the Gilburg Award has been presented annually to the consensus All-America punter compiled from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), D3football.com and Associated Press Little All-America teams. It is named in honor of retired Franklin & Marshall football coach and former NCAA Division I and NFL punter, Tom Gilburg. Harms led the New England Football Conference (NEFC) and was fourth nationally with a 41.6 yard average in 2006. He was named to the D3football.com All-America third team for the second time last fall. He was the first-team All-Bogan Division punter, a member of the New England Football Writers Division II/II team and led all of New England, Divisions I, II and III, with his 41.6 yard average.

SCOUTING COAST GUARD: The 2006 Coast Guard Academy football team had a season to remember in its first season in the New England Football Conference (NEFC). The Bears tied a school-record by winning eight straight games, won the NEFC Bogan Division championship with a perfect 7-0 record and earned a postseason berth, a spot in the ECAC North Atlantic Bowl, for the first time since 1997 when the team earned a berth to the NCAA Playoffs. The Bears, who had not had a winning season since 1997, finished 8-1 during the regular season and finished 8-3 overall.

Coast Guard, ranked 24th nationally by Street & Smith’s in its preseason magazine this year, and head coach Bill George, in his ninth season, welcome back eight NEFC All-division selections from last year, four first-team selections (QB--Christian George, DB--Steve Arguelles, DL--John McDonald, P--Jesse Harms) and four-second team selections (OL--Charles England, OL--Nick Hartmann, OL--Justin Brooks, RB--Lance Lynch) led by Bogan Division Offensive Player of the Year senior quarterback Christian George and Bogan Division Defensive Rookie of the Year free safety Steve Arguelles, who has been named a preseason All-American by Street & Smith’s. Coast Guard returns 15 starters in all, seven on offense, six on defense and the punter and kicker.

The potent Coast Guard no-huddle offense will once again be led by George, who was the unanimous choice as NEFC Bogan Division Offensive Player of the Year honors despite missing the final four games with a broken foot. He was 71 of 133 for 922 yards with six touchdowns and eight interceptions. He was also the Bears leading rusher at the time of the injury with 615 yards and nine touchdowns. George, who was playing his first season as a collegiate quarterback, led the NEFC with 219.6 yards of total offense per game before his season came to and end.

The Bears return a veteran offensive line which will have four starters back including a trio of Bogan Division second team selections. Seniors Charles England (LT) and Nick Hartmann (LG) along with sophomore Justin Brooks (RT) were all second teams honorees last season. Senior Matt Krueger returns at center and the spot of right guard left by Bogan Division Offensive Lineman of the Year Ryan Sifflard is the only open spot this season.

The strength of the Coast Guard defense will be a very young secondary that features three sophomores that will start for the second straight season.

Arguelles, the unanimous choice as NEFC Bogan Division Defensive Rookie of the Year, tied the Coast Guard school record and was second nationally with 11 interceptions, earned numerous postseason honors including All-America third team honors by Football Gazette, All-America honorable mention by D3football.com (the only freshman of 100 players honored), ECAC Northwest Rookie of the Year, Bogan Division Defensive Rookie of the Year, first team Bogan Division and he was a member of the New England Football Writers Division II/III All-Star team. Arguelles (59 tackles, two for loss, four breakups, one fumble recovery) will again start at free safety while sophomore strong safety Keenan Prather (67 tackles, five for loss, five breakups, one interception) and sophomore cornerback Pat Bennett (57 tackles, eight breakups, two interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery) also return.

SCOUTING MERCHANT MARINE: The Mariners look to rebound from a 48-7 season opening loss at Kean (N.J.) on Friday night.

Sophomore quarterback Carlton Hobkirk completed 8-of-18 passes for 102 yards and one touchdown with a pair of interceptions, while freshman Derrick Ventre was 4-of-13 with two interceptions. Senior Cameron Amigo (10 carries) and freshman James Intorcia (seven carries) each had 19 yards rushing to lead led Merchant Marine. Senior Jon Spiropoulos had seven receptions for 65 yards to lead the Mariners.

On defense, senior linebacker Garron Edgington made a game-high 15 tackles, while sophomore Calder Kaatz added 11 tackles.

NEXT OPPONENT: Coast Guard travels to Plymouth State to take on the Panthers on Saturday, Sept. 15th at 1:30 for a New England Football Conference crossover game as Plymouth State competes in the NEFC Boyd Division. The Bears begin Bogan Division play the following week at home against Westfield State.