FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, Sept. 26, 1998

PERCEVAL, FAY POWER WESLEYAN TO 55-28
OPENING-DAY WIN OVER MIDDLEBURY

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. --- Junior wide receiver Matt Perceval (Box Elder, S.D.) set an NCAA Division III record for TD catches in a game with seven as he paced Wesleyan to a 55-28 victory over Middlebury here this afternoon.

Ending the day with 12 catches for 231 yards, Perceval had first-half scores of 6, 2, 57, 6, 17 and 10 to provide Wesleyan with each of its six TDs en route to a 42-20 margin at intermission. He capped off the day with his longest scoring play of the game, going 64 yards with 6:01 left in the third quarter, bringing the Cardinals to a 49-28 cushion. A three-yard dart by Tom Themistocles in the final minute of the period closed out the scoring.

Wesleyan QB Jake Fay (Glastonbury, Conn.) completed 19 of 38 passes for 364 yards and the seven TDs, setting a Wesleyan individual record for TD tosses in a contest. The previous mark was five, which also had been the Wesleyan team record until today. The 55-point outpouring was the highest total by a Wesleyan team since downing Haverford 56-6 in 1939.

For his efforts, Perceval was named NESCAC offensive player of the week, ECAC New England Division III offensive player of the week and the college division Gold Helmet Award winner as the top performer among small college players in New England. In addition to his receiving yards, Perceval added 29 yards on two punt returns and 55 yards on three kickoff returns, giving him 315 all-purpose yards.

WESLEYAN 55, MIDDLEBURY 28

 
1st Quarter

• Wesleyan - Matt Perceval 6 pass from Jake Fay (Curt Younkin kick) 8:29

• Wesleyan - Matt Perceval 2 pass from Jake Fay (pass failed after fumbled snap) 2:04

• Middlebury - A.J. Husband 6 pass from Brian Coates (Scott Dudley kick) 0:38

2nd Quarter

• Wesleyan - Matt Perceval 57 pass from Jake Fay (Tom Themistocles rush) 12:47

• Wesleyan - Matt Perceval 6 pass from Jake Fay (Curt Younkin kick) 9:16

• Wesleyan - Matt Perceval 17 pass from Jake Fay (Curt Younkin kick) 5:38

• Middlebury - Von Craig 78 run (Scott Dudley kick) 5:13

• Middlebury - Bryan Sanchez 39 pass from Brian Coates (kick failed) 2:45

• Wesleyan - Matt Perceval 10 pass from Jake Fay (Curt Younkin kick) 1:54

3rd Quarter

• Middlebury - Zac Campbell 5 pass from Brian Coates (Brian Coates pass to A.J. Husband) 6:19

• Wesleyan - Matt Perceval 64 pass from Jake Fay (Curt Younkin kick) 6:01

• Wesleyan - Tom Themistocles 3 run (kick failed) 0:48

4th Quarter

• none

 

TEAM STATISTICS

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Middlebury - Von Craig, 6-109, 1 TD ; Bryan Sanchez, 7-48 ; Jeff Sengle, 9-28 ; Adam Pascal, 3-3 ; Tab Howard, 3-(-3), John Wenner,
2-(-12) ; Brian Coates, 7-(-54). Wesleyan - John Pascucci, 16-78 ; Tom Themistocles, 18-69, 1 TD ; Rahsaan Wareham, 1-6 ; Dale Hendricks, 2-4 ; Jake Fay, 3-4 ; Kevin Cornish, 1-(-6).

PASSING: Middlebury - Brian Coates, 29-17-1, 263 yards, 3 TDs ; John Wenner, 7-3-0, 24 yards ; A.J. Husband, 1-0-0, 0 yards. Wesleyan - Jake Fay, 38-19-3, 364 yards, 7 TDs ; Kevin Cornish, 1-1-0, 5 yards.

RECEIVING: Middlebury - A.J. Husband, 6-73, 1 TD ; Bryan Sanchez, 4-105, 1 TD ; Zac Campbell, 3-14 ; Adam Pascal, 2-48 ; Von Craig, 2-23
; John Goldsmith, 1-14 ; Brendon Creedon, 1-9 ; Jeff Sengle, 1-1. Wesleyan - Matt Perceval, 12-231, 7 TDs ; Nate Moore, 5-88 ; Henry Wasserman, 1-34 ; Tom Themistocles, 1-11 ; George Thompson, 1-5.

PUNTING: Middlebury - Zac Campbell, 8-237, 29.6 avg. ; Team, 1-15. Wesleyan - Mark Olshefskie, 4-165, 41.3 avg.

ATTENDANCE: 2,456