Lehigh showed resiliency until the end
11/25/2013 3:29:00 PM | Football
Resilient, determined and never out of a game. That's the way to describe the 2013 Lehigh football season.
The Mountain Hawks came back from second half deficits in each of their first four games to walk away victorious. Despite Saturday's season-ending loss to Lafayette, that togetherness was on display until the final seconds of the 2013 season. The Mountain Hawks struggled against their rivals, but stuck together and gave themselves a chance on a day they weren't playing their best.
The night before the 149th meeting of college football's most-played rivalry, head coach Andy Coen addressed his team.
"I told them that they're all champions," he said. "They just didn't have a trophy to symbolize it.
"After the game, I told them that they're still champions," Coen continued. "You don't have a trophy today because for these 60 minutes, you got outplayed. But for what they did during the year, it was a rewarding season."
By no means will the Mountain Hawks accept losing to their arch rival and with it, their third Patriot League Championship in the last four years. The loss was especially difficult for a senior class that posted a 39-9 record, won two Patriot League Championships and came so close to winning four.
"When you're with a bunch of guys as much as you are as a coach, you get so attached to them," said Coen. "These kids believed in what we're doing. They're special because they could have gone other places [at a time when the program was struggling]. You want to win games and you want to win championships, but you also want the kids to leave feeling great about their time here. I think we did that pretty well."
The team's resiliency was on display in so many facets this season, and it began with the seniors. Not only were there in-game comebacks when the team rallied together rather than falling apart, but there was also the loss of senior quarterback Brandon Bialkowski to a season-ending injury. To add insult to injury, the Mountain Hawks were blown out at Bucknell, and without their starting quarterback heading into the final three weeks, they were counted out (by most).
Instead, Lehigh did what it has been known for… sticking together. The Mountain Hawks beat league championship contenders Holy Cross and Colgate to set up their showdown against Lafayette for all the marbles. The winner would capture the league crown and represent the Patriot League in the FCS Playoffs.
It marked the third straight season Lehigh has played in a de facto Patriot League Championship Game, at Goodman Stadium, with the league title going to the winner. The Mountain Hawks beat Georgetown in 2011 and fell to Colgate last season.
On Saturday, Lafayette took control early and Lehigh could never fully respond.
"I don't like playing for championships and losing at home," said Coen. "I don't feel good about it."
In a time when Lehigh has to move forward, it's important to remember what the senior class has accomplished. There are several individual accolades, but they'll be remembered most for what they've done to help the team win. From a 4-7 record the year before they arrived, the Mountain Hawks went 10-3 in 2010 followed by marks of 11-2, 10-1 and 9-3. This senior class of 20 has helped change the direction of the program.
These seniors wouldn't go down without a fight. In the second quarter on Saturday, running back Keith Sherman had a highlight-reel 25-yard run, hurdling several tacklers to set up Lehigh's second touchdown of the afternoon (scored by classmate Lee Kurfis). Sherman ran with a determination about him that carried over to his team.
"The night before the game, we always have our player meetings and we tell the underclassmen to do it for the seniors because this could be our last game," said Sherman. "This game is bigger than ourselves. There are a bunch of people who watch Lehigh football and it brings joy to their hearts."
Sherman finished with 18 carries for 141 yards, his third straight 100-yard rushing game. He eclipsed 1,000 yards on Saturday and ended his career at the top of his game.
"We knew it would be a tough game," said Sherman. "We really wanted to be 4-0 against Lafayette. There were so many things going into the game."
A sign of a strong program is the ability to reload rather than rebuild. Whenever the Mountain Hawks lose a key player, someone else stands up. Lehigh has won nine or more games each of the last three seasons, with a different starting quarterback each year (and five including junior Matt McHale and freshman Nick Shafnisky, who started games in November).
Meanwhile, Kurfis not only replaced current Miami Dolphins wide receiver Ryan Spadola, but also broke his single-season receptions record. Kurfis made seven catches on Saturday to finish with 99 on the season.
On defense, senior safety Tyler Ward and cornerback Rickie Hill led the team with nine tackles apiece on Saturday. With Lafayette leading 21-7 early in the second quarter, Ward made a big open-field tackle on third-and-long. If he missed the tackle, Demetrius Dixon had open field in front of him to potentially scamper for a first down. Instead, the Leopards punted, and the Mountain Hawks pulled within 21-14 at the half.
There are endless examples of success by seniors. Punter Tim Divers averaged 45.8 yards on five punts, wide receiver Sergio Fernandez-Soto had a pair of catches and linebacker Nigel Muhammad finished with six tackles. Beyond the stats, this entire senior class made their mark on Saturday's game and most importantly, over their entire four-year careers.
The team's recent success began when this senior class was freshmen. They weren't the sole reason for the success, but a major part. In committing to Lehigh, they had faith in the coaching staff and where the program was headed. It has paid dividends.
The Mountain Hawks weren't at the top of their game Saturday, but their resiliency gave them a chance.
"It got to the point [in the fourth quarter] when we needed one more stop," said Coen. "If we made one more stop, we would have gotten the ball back with seven minutes left with a chance to go down and tie the game.
"We've rallied around each other so many times in the past and I really felt we'd be able to do it again in the fourth quarter," he continued.
The Mountain Hawks were unable to come all the way back and as Coen put it "Lafayette clearly outplayed us from the get-go."
"It wasn't our best day of football to say the least," he said. "On a big stage like this, you'd like to play your best, but it doesn't always happen. I know it wasn't for a lack of effort, emotion or pride in the institution. It wasn't our day and Lafayette played well. That's why they won the game."
"At the end of the game, you tell the seniors you love them," Coen continued. "You tell the other guys to go back to work to make sure the next time you have an opportunity like this, you take advantage of it."
Coen and his staff will be hard at work preparing for the future.
"We've got finals coming up," he said. "Before you know it, it will be spring ball. But we need to address the roster and make sure we've got the types of players who can win championships."
One thing is for sure, this senior class helped build the foundation. The expectation is to play for championships, and that's what the Mountain Hawks have done. They've won two and lost two, and as only a good program would do, they will look to reload and compete for a third championship in five years in 2014.
Lehigh Football Class of 2014
#2 Sergio Fernandez-Soto – WR – Political Science
#4 Tim Divers – P – Accounting
#7 Jamil Robinson – DB – Earth and Environmental Science
#10 Brandon Bialkoswski – QB – Psychology
#16 Rickie Hill – DB – Earth and Environmental Science
#17 Courtney Jarvis – DB – Architecture
#20 Keith Sherman – RB – Sociology/Social Psychology
#23 Tyler Ward – DB – Political Science
#30 Cody Haupt – RB – Supply Chain Management
#36 Zach Hayden – RB – International Relations
#42 John Mahoney – OLB – Finance
#46 Kyle Lechner – LS – Finance
#48 Sean Farrell – RB - Finance
#54 Nigel Muhammad - LB – Behavioral Neuroscience
#66 Matt Lippincott – OL – Mechanical Engineering
#67 Ryan Kuntz – DL - History
#76 A.J. Hood – OL – Political Science
#79 Shane Rugg – OL – Civil Engineering
#80 Lee Kurfis – WR – Supply Chain Management
#98 Rickey Layton – DL – Business Information Systems
The Mountain Hawks came back from second half deficits in each of their first four games to walk away victorious. Despite Saturday's season-ending loss to Lafayette, that togetherness was on display until the final seconds of the 2013 season. The Mountain Hawks struggled against their rivals, but stuck together and gave themselves a chance on a day they weren't playing their best.
The night before the 149th meeting of college football's most-played rivalry, head coach Andy Coen addressed his team.
"I told them that they're all champions," he said. "They just didn't have a trophy to symbolize it.
"After the game, I told them that they're still champions," Coen continued. "You don't have a trophy today because for these 60 minutes, you got outplayed. But for what they did during the year, it was a rewarding season."
By no means will the Mountain Hawks accept losing to their arch rival and with it, their third Patriot League Championship in the last four years. The loss was especially difficult for a senior class that posted a 39-9 record, won two Patriot League Championships and came so close to winning four.
"When you're with a bunch of guys as much as you are as a coach, you get so attached to them," said Coen. "These kids believed in what we're doing. They're special because they could have gone other places [at a time when the program was struggling]. You want to win games and you want to win championships, but you also want the kids to leave feeling great about their time here. I think we did that pretty well."
The team's resiliency was on display in so many facets this season, and it began with the seniors. Not only were there in-game comebacks when the team rallied together rather than falling apart, but there was also the loss of senior quarterback Brandon Bialkowski to a season-ending injury. To add insult to injury, the Mountain Hawks were blown out at Bucknell, and without their starting quarterback heading into the final three weeks, they were counted out (by most).
Instead, Lehigh did what it has been known for… sticking together. The Mountain Hawks beat league championship contenders Holy Cross and Colgate to set up their showdown against Lafayette for all the marbles. The winner would capture the league crown and represent the Patriot League in the FCS Playoffs.
It marked the third straight season Lehigh has played in a de facto Patriot League Championship Game, at Goodman Stadium, with the league title going to the winner. The Mountain Hawks beat Georgetown in 2011 and fell to Colgate last season.
On Saturday, Lafayette took control early and Lehigh could never fully respond.
"I don't like playing for championships and losing at home," said Coen. "I don't feel good about it."
In a time when Lehigh has to move forward, it's important to remember what the senior class has accomplished. There are several individual accolades, but they'll be remembered most for what they've done to help the team win. From a 4-7 record the year before they arrived, the Mountain Hawks went 10-3 in 2010 followed by marks of 11-2, 10-1 and 9-3. This senior class of 20 has helped change the direction of the program.
These seniors wouldn't go down without a fight. In the second quarter on Saturday, running back Keith Sherman had a highlight-reel 25-yard run, hurdling several tacklers to set up Lehigh's second touchdown of the afternoon (scored by classmate Lee Kurfis). Sherman ran with a determination about him that carried over to his team.
"The night before the game, we always have our player meetings and we tell the underclassmen to do it for the seniors because this could be our last game," said Sherman. "This game is bigger than ourselves. There are a bunch of people who watch Lehigh football and it brings joy to their hearts."
Sherman finished with 18 carries for 141 yards, his third straight 100-yard rushing game. He eclipsed 1,000 yards on Saturday and ended his career at the top of his game.
"We knew it would be a tough game," said Sherman. "We really wanted to be 4-0 against Lafayette. There were so many things going into the game."
A sign of a strong program is the ability to reload rather than rebuild. Whenever the Mountain Hawks lose a key player, someone else stands up. Lehigh has won nine or more games each of the last three seasons, with a different starting quarterback each year (and five including junior Matt McHale and freshman Nick Shafnisky, who started games in November).
Meanwhile, Kurfis not only replaced current Miami Dolphins wide receiver Ryan Spadola, but also broke his single-season receptions record. Kurfis made seven catches on Saturday to finish with 99 on the season.
On defense, senior safety Tyler Ward and cornerback Rickie Hill led the team with nine tackles apiece on Saturday. With Lafayette leading 21-7 early in the second quarter, Ward made a big open-field tackle on third-and-long. If he missed the tackle, Demetrius Dixon had open field in front of him to potentially scamper for a first down. Instead, the Leopards punted, and the Mountain Hawks pulled within 21-14 at the half.
There are endless examples of success by seniors. Punter Tim Divers averaged 45.8 yards on five punts, wide receiver Sergio Fernandez-Soto had a pair of catches and linebacker Nigel Muhammad finished with six tackles. Beyond the stats, this entire senior class made their mark on Saturday's game and most importantly, over their entire four-year careers.
The team's recent success began when this senior class was freshmen. They weren't the sole reason for the success, but a major part. In committing to Lehigh, they had faith in the coaching staff and where the program was headed. It has paid dividends.
The Mountain Hawks weren't at the top of their game Saturday, but their resiliency gave them a chance.
"It got to the point [in the fourth quarter] when we needed one more stop," said Coen. "If we made one more stop, we would have gotten the ball back with seven minutes left with a chance to go down and tie the game.
"We've rallied around each other so many times in the past and I really felt we'd be able to do it again in the fourth quarter," he continued.
The Mountain Hawks were unable to come all the way back and as Coen put it "Lafayette clearly outplayed us from the get-go."
"It wasn't our best day of football to say the least," he said. "On a big stage like this, you'd like to play your best, but it doesn't always happen. I know it wasn't for a lack of effort, emotion or pride in the institution. It wasn't our day and Lafayette played well. That's why they won the game."
"At the end of the game, you tell the seniors you love them," Coen continued. "You tell the other guys to go back to work to make sure the next time you have an opportunity like this, you take advantage of it."
Coen and his staff will be hard at work preparing for the future.
"We've got finals coming up," he said. "Before you know it, it will be spring ball. But we need to address the roster and make sure we've got the types of players who can win championships."
One thing is for sure, this senior class helped build the foundation. The expectation is to play for championships, and that's what the Mountain Hawks have done. They've won two and lost two, and as only a good program would do, they will look to reload and compete for a third championship in five years in 2014.
Lehigh Football Class of 2014
#2 Sergio Fernandez-Soto – WR – Political Science
#4 Tim Divers – P – Accounting
#7 Jamil Robinson – DB – Earth and Environmental Science
#10 Brandon Bialkoswski – QB – Psychology
#16 Rickie Hill – DB – Earth and Environmental Science
#17 Courtney Jarvis – DB – Architecture
#20 Keith Sherman – RB – Sociology/Social Psychology
#23 Tyler Ward – DB – Political Science
#30 Cody Haupt – RB – Supply Chain Management
#36 Zach Hayden – RB – International Relations
#42 John Mahoney – OLB – Finance
#46 Kyle Lechner – LS – Finance
#48 Sean Farrell – RB - Finance
#54 Nigel Muhammad - LB – Behavioral Neuroscience
#66 Matt Lippincott – OL – Mechanical Engineering
#67 Ryan Kuntz – DL - History
#76 A.J. Hood – OL – Political Science
#79 Shane Rugg – OL – Civil Engineering
#80 Lee Kurfis – WR – Supply Chain Management
#98 Rickey Layton – DL – Business Information Systems
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