FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2015
NE-10 Title Game Set for Saturday at 1 p.m.
PROGRAM | CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | ASM VIDEO | UNH VIDEO
MANSFIELD, Mass. – The Assumption Greyhounds and New Haven Chargers will battle in the 2015 Northeast-10 Football Championship Game at Assumption College's Multi-Sport Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. Fans can watch the game live on Northeast10.tv or follow @TheNortheast10 on Twitter for updates. For information regarding tickets for Saturday's title game, please click here.
Assumption (9-1) won the NE-10 Regular Season Championship after going 8-1 in conference play this season. The Greyhounds checked in at No. 23 in the country this week in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coaches' Poll. The Hounds enter the title game currently riding an eight-game winning streak, and they have not lost a game since Sept. 12, a 40-31 defeat to LIU Post in the first week of conference action.
New Haven (7-3, 7-2 NE-10) ended the regular season on a high note as well, cruising to four straight NE-10 victories to clinch a spot in the championship game. The Chargers joined the Greyhounds in the latest NCAA Regional Rankings, coming in at No. 9, while Assumption was No. 5. Ironically, the last loss for New Haven came against Assumption, 23-17, five weeks ago in Worcester, Mass.
SCOUTING REPORT
The Greyhounds have the highest scoring offense in the conference, putting up 40.3 points per game this season, which is 16th in the country. Assumption's offense is led by a strong ground game that features two of the top six leading rushers in the NE-10, Alex Shain and James Ward. Assumption is second to only New Haven in rushing yards this season, racking up 191.9 yards per game on the ground. The Hounds are also first in the NE-10 in red zone offense, scoring on 94 percent of their attempts inside the red zone.
One advantage that Assumption has had all season is a strong kicking game. Cole Tracy leads all of Division II with 18 made field goals this season, converting 90 percent of his attempts. Safety Jarrod Casey leads the Hounds on defense as a junior captain. Casey is third in the NE-10 in total tackles with 102, including 11 for a loss, and he is tied for the league lead with 54 solo stops. Also making plays in the secondary for the Hounds has been defensive back Charles Reid, who is tied for fifth in the conference with three interceptions.
Meanwhile, New Haven leads the Northeast-10 in a number of major categories, including rushing yards, scoring defense, total offense and run defense. Anchoring the Chargers' defense is linebacker Tyler Condit, the leading tackler in the NE-10. Condit has compiled 153 total tackles, which now stands as the NE-10 single-season record. His 153 takedowns are good for fourth in Division II, while his 104 solo tackles are the most in the nation, regardless of division.
Offensively for New Haven, running back Andre Anderson leads the way for the league's top rushing attack, which averages 223.3 yards per game. Anderson ran for 319 yards against Saint Anselm in the Chargers' last outing, the third most single game rushing yards of any Division II player this season. He has rushed for a league-leading 1,075 yards in 2015 and is fourth in the country with an average of 7.62 yards per carry.
Both teams similarly have had much success running the ball this fall. The conference's top two rushing attacks have combined for 4,152 yards and 49 touchdowns on the ground this season. New Haven's Anderson and Assumption's Shain are both currently tied for the league lead with 13 rushing touchdowns apiece. Also contributing to the ground game, the Greyhounds' Ward and the Chargers' Trevor Officer are both tied for ninth in the NE-10 with five rushing scores each as well.
The two squads have both had efficient quarterback play this season as well, as New Haven's Ajee Patterson and Assumption's Brendan Tobey have found a groove as their team's signal caller. Both quarterbacks are tops in the NE-10 in completion percentage with Patterson (59.7%) holding a slight edge over Tobey (59.5%). Patterson has thrown for 2,003 yards, third-most in the conference, while throwing 12 touchdown passes. Tobey, who missed one game early in the season, has thrown for 1,612 yards and 13 touchdowns. Both Patterson and Tobey have also scored four touchdowns apiece on the ground.
Assumption also has two wide receivers in the top 10 in the conference in receiving yards. Deonte Harris is third among NE-10 receivers in receptions (55), fourth in touchdowns (8) and ninth with 521 receiving yards, while Ashton Grant is fourth in the NE-10 with 53 catches for 674 yards to go along with six touchdowns. Additionally, Harris leads the conference with a pair of punt return touchdowns, while the freshman also returned a kickoff for a score this season.
New Haven has utilized a bevy of receivers in 2015, spreading the ball around evenly. Six Charger receivers have each caught 22 or more passes this season. Ty Headen leads the team with 36 catches for 410 yards and three touchdowns, while Henry Adegunle has also hauled in three touchdown catches. The Chargers have also used Anderson in the passing game, as he has made 23 catches for 286 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown reception in the season opener. Anderson also returned a kickoff 90 yards for a score in a win over LIU Post.
LAST MEETING
Assumption hosted New Haven on Oct. 9 under the lights at Multi-Sport Stadium, edging out the Chargers in a 23-17 battle. The Greyhounds jumped out to a 10-0 lead on a Tobey run and a Tracy 20-yard field goal to keep the Chargers scoreless at the half. New Haven then opened the second half with 10 unanswered points of its own, as Patterson hit Adegunle for a 28-yard score followed by a 43-yard field goal from Danny Stock.
Ward put the Hounds back on top with a 7-yard scamper to end the third quarter, and a 76-yard interception return touchdown by Bakari Blunt gave Assumption a 23-10 lead with 10:12 left in the fourth. Officer ran for a score from eight yards out to bring the Chargers within six, but the Greyhounds would hold on for the victory. Astonishingly, New Haven had 443 yards of total offense compared to 189 for Assumption. However, the Greyhounds forced three costly Charger turnovers.
NE-10 CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
New Haven makes its second appearance in the Northeast-10 Championship Game, winning the title back in 2012 over American International, 37-12. Prior to that season, there was no conference title game, and the regular season champion was awarded the NE-10 crown. The Chargers won the regular season title three seasons in a row (2010-2012) after joining the league in 2009. Assumption will make its first appearance in the NE-10 Championship after claiming the regular season title for the first time in program history.
ABOUT THE NORTHEAST-10
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,500 student-athletes.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
