Today is the last day of the 2011 Division III football season … and this is the last round of senior profiles from the Muhlenberg football players, featuring the four senior captains.

Here are links to the previous profiles: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3

Chris Hartzell

Is there any particular play from your career that stands out to you? The biggest play that stands out to me was against Moravian my freshman year. We were down seven, and I was on the field for punt rush. I blocked the punt and ended up with the ball in my hands. I took it to the house to score my first collegiate touchdown. Interestingly, that was the same way I scored my first touchdown in high school.

How would you describe yourself as a player? I feel I have a good nose for the ball when the quarterback is passing. I’ve gotten a lot better over the years at reading receivers and quarterbacks. I work hard at getting better every day that I’m out on the field, and I love every moment of it.

What are your future plans? I plan to start off working at a financial group or bank to learn the ropes, but ultimately I would like to be a financial advisor running my own business.

You went to high school just a few miles away from Patrick McDonough; what’s it been like playing with a fellow Berks County native? It’s nice having Pat as a fellow Berks County native because I have someone to back me up when all the New Jersey players say we all live in the middle of nowhere and are a bunch of hicks, which is not true in our case. Pat is, without a doubt, the hardest-working player on our team and a great leader. He is not scared to share his opinion and makes everyone around him a better player, whether it’s by helping them with plays, lifting in the weight room or getting people to watch film. He is an animal on the field and the hardest hitter I’ve ever seen in person. I’m glad he came back for his seventh year of college so the team, and I, could get a chance to play with him for one more year.

Patrick McDonough

How much of an honor was it to be named the conference’s defensive player of the year and an All-American last season? It was a great honor being named defensive player of the year and an All-American. But a lot of it had to do with the help of my teammates and coaches on and off the field.

Why did you transfer to Muhlenberg? What made you decide to come back for your fifth year? I transferred to Muhlenberg because I was not enjoying playing football at VMI. I also wanted to play against two of my good friends from Wyomissing, Pa., Gregory Lord, who played at Dickinson, and Andrew Kase, who played at Johns Hopkins. Coming back for a fifth year is something not many players get to experience. You understand the game much better and play with more confidence. You only get so long to play a sport like this, and I figured why not take the opportunity to play another year and look for jobs when I graduate in December.

What are your future plans? My future plans are to finally graduate college in December. Throughout this semester I have been applying for jobs all over the Northeast. So I plan to have a job in sales or finance by the time I graduate.

What kind of teammate is Chris Hartzell? Playing with Chris Hartzell has been awesome. He is one of the hardest workers on the team and plays at an extremely high level that sets the standard on our team. Although I wonder how he plays so well when his diet consists of Airheads, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Oreos. I don’t know how he does it, but whatever floats his boat.

Phil Musick

What it’s like having a twin, especially one who is on the same team? Having a twin brother is really cool, especially since we get to practice against each other every day. Having Matt go to the same college as me was a huge advantage because it made the transition to college and college football much easier and more comfortable. It has also been very beneficial because when we are home for the summer and winter breaks, we push each other in our offseason training and practice drills together. Those drills can get heated at times, but having someone to train with is a huge advantage.

How have you improved since your freshman year? I have improved in a lot of aspects of the game. I have become a much smarter player. After coming from a very simple offense in high school, the playbook here was much harder to learn. It took me awhile, but I was able to catch on, and now I can adjust quickly on the field. I also like to think my athleticism has improved, although moving from the defensive line to the offensive line during my sophomore year would suggest the opposite.

What are your future plans? I want to become an actuary for an insurance company. If that doesn’t work out, my brothers and I have joked about opening up our own business; maybe a sub shop since we all have a passion for food, or an insurance company since Matt and I both have some experience in that industry. I also hope to get married, have kids, and own a boat and a big house on a lake where I can fish all the time.

What’s it like playing on the same line as Michael Porembski? Playing with Mike is really something. He is a good player who always works hard and knows his assignment on every play. Having him around makes other players better because he always brings the intensity level up. He always gives great effort and plays to the whistle. He is a good friend, and I hope our friendship does not become extinct after college.

Michael Porembski

How much of an honor was it being named first-team all-conference last season? It was a tremendous honor to be named to the first team. It was rewarding to know that all of the hard work paid off, and it was nice to get some recognition as an offensive lineman.

Do you prefer to run block or pass block, and why? Run block, for sure. You get to go after the defensive lineman and make his life difficult instead of sitting back and waiting for him. In run blocking, it’s more physicality and determination, while pass blocking is more about technique.

What are your future plans? After graduation, I will be working for an investment bank in New York City. After that, I have no idea. I’m just going to go with the flow.

What’s it like playing on the same line as Phil Musick? It’s always interesting playing on the line with Phil. He started out playing nose guard on defense, so I didn’t really like him when he first came over. Actually, I still don’t, to be honest. I’m kidding, of course. He’s a great competitor who always plays hard, but also enjoys joking around in practice. He’s one of the hardest-working kids and someone who always pushes the rest of us to be the best.

Five more profiles of seniors on the Muhlenberg football team. Part 1 and Part 2 ran earlier this week, and we’ll finish up with the four senior captains tomorrow.

Kevin Ryan

Six is not a typical number for a defensive back; how did you end up wearing it? I originally wore the number back in high school for both baseball and football, and when I arrived at Muhlenberg my freshman year, six was the number they gave me. I thought that was pretty cool, and six kind of just became a part of me. And now it’s my favorite number.

What was it like punting last year? I had never punted before in my life. One practice, coach came up to me and told me I was going to start punting. I never thought I’d actually end up punting in a game, though. Don’t get me wrong, I had some stellar punts in my short-lived career, but I think it’s safe to say it was a failed experiment.

What are your future plans? Make millions of dollars through penny stocks. Then buying a WNBA franchise and leading it to multiple championships. The Dalai Lama himself once told me that on my deathbed I would receive total consciousness. So I’ve got that going for me, which is nice.

What kind of teammate is Gregg Mercogliano? Gregg “The Leg” Mercogliano is the best teammate one could have. Secretly, he is the funniest kid on the team. Armed with feathered and lethal hair, “The Leg” is the backbone of Muhlenberg Special Forces. Cogs is a go-getter. Most people would back down from certain challenges, such as a 4th-and-19 fake punt, but not Cogs. With zero hesitation, he put his blazing speed to work running with such gracefulness the he reminded the crowd of a young Barry Sanders. He may have come up a couple yards shy, but nevertheless, Cogs is one man I’m grateful to have on my team.

Gregg Mercogliano 

How rewarding does it feel to be making an impact in your final season? It’s been a great feeling to contribute to the team this year on game day. I stayed committed during the summer to make this season an important and memorable one. I’m glad it is paying off so far. Having a great snapper and holder helps as well.

What was the feeling like when your 44-yard field goal sailed through the uprights at Gettysburg? It felt good. We spend a lot of time in practice working on situational field goals, and to make a long one in a game felt rewarding. Unfortunately, the outcome of the game didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to.

What are your future plans? I plan on working in the accounting field in either Philadelphia or New York. I also plan on hopefully passing the CPA exam. If I can’t get a job right away, I plan on trading stocks during the day.  

What kind of player is Steve Nissley? Niss is a great teammate and one of my best friends. On the field, he’s known for his strong work ethic and physical toughness. Off the field, he’s known for his fashion style. He has a nice collection of Armani watches and always seems to be wearing a classic pair of penny loafers. I’m glad I became friends with Niss and know he will have a successful future.

Steve Nissley

You’ve made the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll; how have you been able to balance your time between school and football? Finding time to study and finish work for class can be a struggle during the season. At times I’ve had to pass on going out with some friends to finish some work, but playing football and maintaining good grades have taught me how to manage my time well. Looking back on it, I have no idea how I managed playing football, classes and living in the crazy world of Benfer for two straight years.

What off-the-field accomplishment are you most proud of? I would say starting up and successfully running my business, “Fresh-Niss Barber Shop,” incorporated in 2008, providing Muhlenberg College with a one-of-a-kind look. I like to think of myself as Van Gogh with clippers in my hand, just dishing out masterpieces left and right. I can also cut with scissors, and have perfected “the visor” look specifically for my good friend Gregg “4G connecting from anywhere on the field” Mercogliano. Additionally, I’m looking for investors to help expand my business along the East Coast and eventually overseas.

What are your future plans? I’m hoping to get out and travel a little after graduation before I start working in the fall at Deloitte. I’m leaning towards Las Vegas for its spontaneity.

What’s Kevin Ryan like off the field? A wise man once told me, “Never trust a man with two first names.” Kevin Ryan is definitely a character. Some of the things that go through his head could be classified under Area 51 — just straight up unexplainable. But when push comes to shove, I know he would have my back. Kev is a great friend, and it has been a pleasure playing ball with him over the past four years. We’ve had some good memories and many more to come.

Chase Nadell

What’s the biggest hit you’ve ever delivered? It would have to be against Gettysburg my junior year. I came in untouched off the edge and just crushed the helpless running back. This is a funny game because you never want to hit to cause serious injury, but you always want to hit to instill a little fear in your opponent’s mind for the next time he’s carrying or catching the ball. That was one of those hits that let Gettysburg know we were there.

What’s the most memorable moment from your Mule career? The first time I returned a kickoff against Union. I was so nervous and wondered how bad it was going to hurt when I got tackled. It turned out I would have to wait until the next return to see how it felt because I ended up taking that kick back 87 yards for a touchdown. It was my first touchdown and ended up being the game-winner.

What are your future plans? I don’t know exactly what they are, but in the near future I plan to travel around Europe. It’s an experience that I always wanted to have. I feel that by traveling and seeing new things in different places, I’ll get a different perspective on living. I am thinking about going into wealth management for a career.

What’s it been like playing both football and lacrosse with Andy Curley? It has been more than amazing playing with Andy Curley. The man is one of my best friends. I am always trying to spend more time with him, but he’s always breaking our plans to go see the shows at the Center for the Arts; he just can’t get enough of the musicals. Seeing that Curley is in his fifth year here, a lot of the guys see him as a father figure and role model. He is never too busy to pass on his wisdom about the good old days and will never be afraid to teach you some pointers he’s picked up over his tenure here. It’s been a pleasure to have played with Andy, and I hope that he becomes a successful doctor so he can fix me after the season.

Andy Curley

How great does it feel to be back on the field after being injured most of last season? What made you decide to come back for a fifth year? It feels great. Having to watch my teammates play my senior year was pretty tough to go through. This season definitely gives me a sense of closure on my career. I wanted to make sure Pat McDonough never got an interception, so I stepped in front of him to grab one at F&M. Robbing him of that made it all worthwhile.

What’s the most memorable moment from your Mule career? My freshman year we went 10-0 and then beat Salisbury during the first round of the playoffs. Since my cousin was the starting quarterback of that Salisbury team, it made our family Thanksgiving dinner the following week pretty enjoyable because I got to rub it in on him.

You’ve been named to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll six times; how have you been able to continually excel in the classroom while also playing two sports? I take it one day at a time, don’t sleep a lot and drink a lot of coffee.

What are your future plans? I plan on attending medical school so I can become a doctor and fix other broken athletes that are aging way too fast like me. If that doesn’t work, I’ll probably just look into retirement and live with my parents for the rest of my life.

What’s it been like playing both football and lacrosse with Chase Nadell? Anybody that knows him agrees that I could write a collection of novels on Captain Chase and it still wouldn’t tell the whole story. He is unbelievably competitive, always energetic and a soft, caring person deep down inside. You could be having the worst day of your life, but you would forget about it by talking to Chase for five minutes. I can honestly say that I have never met anybody in my life like Chase, and I doubt I ever will. Chase is a person that everybody wants to be around, and I have been lucky to play with him here.

Yesterday, we brought you five profiles of Muhlenberg senior football players. Here are five more.

Matt Musick

What has been the key to your special teams success? Be prideful. There’s this stigma about playing special teams that somehow it’s not of equal importance to starting on defense or offense, but our coaching staff preaches the opposite. And truthfully, most close games come down to a big special teams play or field position through special teams. I love playing outside linebacker, but there is still no adrenaline rush like running down on the opening kickoff.

What was it like studying abroad in Australia this past spring? Australia is a magnificent country, and I saw places and did things that are hard to believe and even harder to describe. By far the best decision I have made in my life, going to Australia changed my perspective on a lot of things, and I can’t wait to continue traveling and seeing different parts of the world. Once my bank account recovers from last semester, that is.

What it’s like having a twin, especially one who is on the same team? I always get asked this question and don’t know how to respond because I don’t know what it’s like to not have a twin. Anyone who knows the two of us can see that we’re very different people. Physically, Phil’s got maybe half an inch on me and about 200 pounds. Characteristically, he’s a numbers geek; I’m a writer. He’s in bed early; I’m out late. Being on the same team isn’t much different than growing up with him. We compete against each other on the practice field every day, and Coach Hannis tries to make an event of us going against each other in one-on-one drills. He calls it, “The Battle for the Last Pork Chop.” It’s a good time until Phil gets angry and starts cutting at the knees, but that’s another story.

What are your future plans? Just enjoy the ride.

What kind of teammate is Mike Fiorillo? “Fi” is the best. He’s not only a teammate, but one of my best friends. We’ve spent a lot of time together on and off the field. He works hard and makes sure he is as prepared as possible when game time rolls around. We’ve bonded a lot, mainly through our position as the vertically challenged linebackers. A man with great affinity for wisdom and words, he started what became known as the “Fi”ctionary; a group of words or phrases he has somehow produced that don’t necessarily exist. These words are often best stated with extreme movement of the hands.

Mike Fiorillo

How have you improved since your freshman year? Since my freshman year, I’ve improved a lot. It took me about a year and a half to really understand the defense, and when I finally did I became a much better player. It also helped that I shed about 20 pounds and got in much better shape.

What do you feel is the strongest part of your game? I’m pretty small for an inside linebacker, so I would say that being quick is a good attribute, along with being a solid pass defender.

What are your future plans? I’ve worked for Aramark in the summer for about six years and really have enjoyed it. I would love to get a [full-time] job with Aramark. But if all else fails, I’ll go to Vegas and try to make it big.

What kind of person is Mark Mounayar? Mark and I have been pretty good friends since freshman year, and I’ve never had anything bad to say about him. He came in playing offensive line; it didn’t work out for him over there, and he got moved to nose guard. But instead of complaining, he just keeps beating up the opposing center every week and making our team better.

Mark Mounayar

What’s the most lasting memory from your football career? It was really special to be a starter on a championship team last year. My most lasting memory was probably the Ursinus game at home because the championship was on the line, and we got the job done.

You’ve played on both the offensive and defensive lines; which do you prefer and why? I truly miss playing offensive line, but I definitely prefer playing defense. Playing offensive line was a bit more complicated than playing defensive line. I’m glad the coaches left me on the PAT team so I still get to line up with the O-line sometimes.

How did you choose mathematics as your major? I know it sounds weird to most people, but math has been my favorite subject in school for as far back as I can remember. I decided to declare as a math major freshman year when I realized that I can’t write papers.

What are your future plans? To graduate and find a job.

What’s Matt Musick like off the field? On the field in games, at practice or even in intramural basketball, you know Musick is going to raise the intensity and get people fired up. Off the field, though, Matt is much calmer, down-to-earth and easy-going. Matt has been a great friend for four years and will continue to be for many more.

Kenneth Cobb

What have been the keys to your success both last season and this year? The keys to my success have always been hard work and determination, but I owe most of my success to my teammates and coaches.

What’s your favorite move to put on an offensive lineman? My favorite move on an offensive lineman would be the bull rush. The feeling of running over someone is a little more thrilling than running around.

What are your future plans? My plans were to finish up my remaining credits, take the CPA exam and hit the work force next year. But with a possible extra year of eligibility, I have to make a decision.

What has it been like getting to play for four more years with your high school teammate Victor Taiwo? It’s been great. To be able to grow as a player, and even more as person, with my best friend has been great.

Victor Taiwo

How have you improved since your freshman year? Freshman year I was “all brawn, no brain.” I had no clue what I was doing and was lost most of the time. Sophomore year, I got about two of the hundred-plus plays down. I found myself asking freshmen what to do, which was a warning sign that my days as a linebacker were coming to an end. The coaches felt that it would be best to move me the defensive line. My junior year was a transitional year, and I started becoming a student of the game. All the pieces are finally coming together. I guess it’s better late than never.

What’s your most memorable off-the-field moment or accomplishment from your time at Muhlenberg? This past summer, I got the chance to attend a national conference of race and ethnicity in San Francisco with the Muhlenberg College Office of Multicultural Life. I had the privilege to meet many people from various backgrounds and talk to them about their point of view on current issues of race, gender and identity. It was an experience that really helped me grow as a person and improved my knowledge about different life styles.

What are your future plans? I am currently pursuing a job in pharmaceutical sales. Kenny [Cobb] and I have also thought about coaching a high school football team after we make our riches. I would be the offensive coordinator and head coach, while he would coach the defense and special teams.

What has it been like getting to play for four more years with your high school teammate Kenneth Cobb? Playing with Cobb has been something special, even though he would never admit that he came to Muhlenberg because he could not imagine a life without me. Having that brother that you know to push you and bring out the best in you is something that I could never have dreamed of, and Kenny does just that. Although our eight years of playing football together are coming to an end, I am sure we will still find something to compete against each other with.

The final round of senior profiles for the fall athletes begins with five of the 19 football seniors.

Scott Barton

How rewarding has it been to have earned a full-time starting spot during your senior season? It has been very rewarding to say the least. I’ve seen a lot of good lineman play during my four years here. I feel like I’ve paid my dues and put myself in a position to play wherever the team needs me.

What’s your most memorable off-the-field accomplishment from your time at Muhlenberg? Having the opportunity to intern at Northwestern Mutual this past summer. It allowed me to see what an agent does at a risk management company on a day-to-day basis. I met a lot of great people, and it definitely opened my eyes to a potential career choice.

What are your future plans? My ultimate goal is to be a financial advisor for a big corporation. In the meantime, I’d like to be a financial representative at a company that can offer people comprehensive financial services. I do, however, sometimes joke about pooling my money together with Gregg Mercogliano and just trading stocks at our computers all day.

What’s it been like playing with MJ Rus for the past four years? MJ’s been a great guy to have on the team. He’s someone who leads by example with his play and work ethic. I consider him an honorary offensive lineman because he never forgets to bring us maple syrup from his home state of Vermont.

MJ Rus

Fullbacks generally don’t get a lot of fame blocking the way for the running backs; what’s it like being an unsung hero? In football, it takes all 11 guys to execute their assignments to be successful on any given play, and just one person missing an assignment poses a high possibility of ruining the whole play. So although the fullback may not get a lot of recognition for a running back’s outstanding day, neither do the other guys on the field. As long as we’re coming out with wins I’ve got no problem trying to block the way for TD and Merk onto the front page of the papers.

What’s your most memorable off-the-field accomplishment from your time at Muhlenberg? My most memorable off-the-field accomplishment is introducing my teammates to real maple syrup. It’s truly a life-changing experience, and anyone who I have yet to convert to Vermont maple syrup should invite me to brunch on Sunday mornings so you never have to let Aunt Jemima ruin your breakfast again. 

What are your future plans? I plan on buying my own island in the Whitsundays off the coast of Australia.

What kind of teammate is Scott Barton? It’s been a pleasure having Barton as a teammate. Seemingly always in a good mood and able to get along with anybody, … he seems to always be the first one to “resolve” the offense vs. defense scuffles when tensions run high during preseason practice. Truly a great person with a fun and sincere personality, I couldn’t ask for a better teammate to be with for four years of Mule football.

Justin Myers

What is the best part about being a quarterback? The best part is being able to have the ball in your hands on every play. The mental aspect of it is great, too. Having to understand where to go with the ball based on what the defense is doing and understanding the down and distance add a whole other dimension to the game.

How have you improved since your freshman year? I think my accuracy and understanding of the game have been the areas I’ve improved in the most. Coming in from high school, I was convinced almost any throw had to be thrown with as much velocity as I had. This led me to become incapable of completing the easiest 2-yard slide ball, which annoyed just about every fullback we had. I hope by now I’ve learned to have some touch on my throws.

What are your future plans? I hope to travel. Studying abroad [in Australia] opened my eyes to what is out there, and I want to see as much as I can as soon as I can. A job somewhere in there would also be welcomed as well.

What kind of teammate is Sean Mulligan? Mulligan is a great guy to have on the team. He’s had some tough injuries in the past but still comes to work every day. You never hear him complain, and he catches whatever you throw at him. He’s someone who is always in the weight room and works hard to get better every day.

Sean Mulligan

How frustrating has it been fighting through injuries for a good portion of your career? It has been incredibly frustrating fighting through injuries for almost half of my career. In the span of about a year I had to deal with two torn ACLs and three knee surgeries. These injuries have definitely set back my progress both on the field and in the weight room. It would have been great to never have had to deal with these setbacks, but I also think that they have made me a stronger person mentally. I believe that there are really no obstacles I cannot overcome.

What was it like getting to play a season with your brother? I see my brother as a role model in my life. Getting to play a season with him was very cool. It was especially nice having him around to ease my transition into college. Most freshmen start to feel a little homesick during the first few days of football camp, but I was fortunate enough to never feel that way because I had my brother out on the field with me.

What are your future plans? I plan on working in New York City or New Jersey for an accounting or finance company. At this point I am still unsure as to which of my fields of study I will end up pursuing a career in.

What’s it been like playing with Jesse Long? It has been a great experience playing with Jesse for the past four years. Jesse is a great guy and one of my closest friends on the team. Jesse is kind of a quiet guy, but having had the chance to live with him and really get to know him over the years, I’ve realized that he’s actually pretty hysterical. I can really relate to Jesse because he has also been plagued by many of the same injuries that I have throughout his football career. It’s nice to see that he’s finally healthy this year. These past four years have been a lot of fun.

Jesse Long

How have you improved since your freshman year? My strength and my mental toughness. After facing so many injuries and missing an entire season last year, it has made it easier for me to not sweat the small things and worry about every little mistake I make.

What’s the most lasting memory from your football career? The 2008 season and winning the conference my first year here. It was one of the greatest teams I’ve ever been a part of.

What are your future plans? I plan to attend law school, preferably somewhere warm, and become a contract lawyer.

How is Justin Myers as a quarterback and teammate? Justin Myers is a great teammate and quarterback. It is always fun going to meetings and having Justin telling stories or making jokes. He also is a great player on the field, and I have enjoyed playing with him for four years. He’s also a great hangman player; he probably knows every movie ever made.

The game had been over for more than 45 minutes, but the seniors on the Muhlenberg football team refused to leave the field.

The Mules had just wrapped up their season with a dominating 28-0 win over their Lehigh Valley rival Moravian, and the seniors were not quite ready for their careers to be over.

So instead of heading to the locker room, they exchanged hugs, posed for pictures and shared some laughs after moving to 2-2 against the Greyhounds.

For some, like defensive end Kenneth Cobb, it marked the end of impressive and decorated careers.

“It feels great to win my last game like this,” he said. “They gave us two really tough losses, so this kind of makes up for them. I can’t think of a better way to finish my career.”

For others, the strong finish was a fitting reward for four years of hard work and effort during game week.

Wide receiver Jesse Long had been a practice player for most of his career, but in the fourth quarter all of those hours of running drills and sprints finally paid off when he took the field for the first time in a varsity game.

“It felt amazing being out there,” he said. “I’ve been waiting four years to get on the field. I’ve been working hard, and it was well worth it. That was the greatest feeling in the world.”

Tight end Sean Mulligan has seen some spot duty this season, but the game with Moravian was extra special, he said, because it offered him one last chance to play the game he has loved since he was a kid.

“It was very rewarding,” Mulligan said. “It’s been a lot of hard work, and I’m glad we could go out this way.”

Quarterback Justin Myers has a much different story. He saw significant time in four games in 2009, starting two. But after missing all of last season because of injury, he had not seen the field again until Saturday.

So when he stepped under center against the Greyhounds, he said he felt right at home.

“Being injured last year was rough, but today felt great,” he said. “And I can’t believe how good it actually felt to get hit a little bit because it meant I was back on the field. I never thought I’d say I enjoyed getting hit.

“After having them end our perfect season three years ago and making us share the conference title last year, this win was very satisfying. It was just awesome.”

And as they walked off the field, smiles stretched across each of their faces. While they all described the moment as “bittersweet,” it was obvious at that moment the sweetness definitely outweighed the bitter.

photos by Lisa Youngentob (a senior shooting her last Muhlenberg football game) and Bill Johnson

For the Muhlenberg football team, the regular season is almost divided into two parts. There are the first nine games, and then there is that one big matchup at the end of the year.

That one big game, of course, is against Moravian. And with neither the Mules nor Greyhounds advancing to the postseason this fall, whoever comes out on top Saturday will accomplish something not many teams get to experience: Ending the season with a win.

A victory against its Lehigh Valley rival would not only give the Mules another win in the Matte Award competition, but also serve as a potential rallying point for the offseason.

But most importantly, according to senior Chris Hartzell, it would be an exclamation point to another solid season for the Mules.

“This game is really important because the last couple years when we’ve made the playoffs, we played Wesley and lost,” he said. “So it would be really nice to be able to end the year with a win and have a good taste in our mouths. We haven’t really experienced that except for my sophomore year when we beat Moravian, but that was a pretty rough season. It would be really nice, being a senior, to go out with a win.

“We’re really committed to this game; everybody really wants to win. We talked about it with the team, and the seniors have stressed how we don’t want to go out with a loss.”

The game is even more important for the seniors because of their past history with the Greyhounds.

Not only do they want to close out their careers with a victory, senior Michael Porembski said, but they also want some payback for the freshmen and junior years.

In 2008, the Mules entered their final regular season game 9-0 and ranked fourth in the country. But Moravian won in overtime, costing Muhlenberg its second straight perfect regular season.

Last year, a win in Bethlehem would have given Muhlenberg the outright Centennial Conference championship. But the Greyhounds blocked an extra point in the final minutes for a one-point win, forcing the Mules into a three-way tie for the title.

A win Saturday would give the class of 2012 a .500 record against Moravian, and according to Porembski, it would also be the perfect ending to some great careers.

“We are kind of playing for some revenge for those games,” he said. “So if we could beat Moravian, it would definitely bring the season up a little. We had some high expectations for this season and didn’t finish as high as we would have liked, but to close it out with a win against Moravian, and give the seniors a 2-2 record against them, would be a pretty good silver lining for this season.”

It’s become almost cliché when football coaches preach to their teams that games are won or lost on special teams.

But as the Muhlenberg football team has learned during the past few seasons, more often than not, that old axiom proves to be true.

The latest example came during the Mules’ thrilling win over Ursinus yesterday.

Trailing by three, the Bears lined up for a potential game-tying field goal with 2.7 seconds to play in regulation. But Muhlenberg sophomore Andrew Onimus rose above the pile at the line of scrimmage to block the kick and preserve a 24-21 victory.

It was the first block of any kind of his career, high school and college, and could not have come at a better time.

“I just tried to jump as high as I could and luckily I got a piece of it,” Onimus said. “That was so amazing.”

Click here to watch video of the game-saving block.

Muhlenberg has blocked five kicks this season, which is tied for the most since 2003, but none were bigger than the one against the Bears.

The last time the Mules won a game on a blocked field goal was in 2007, when Chris Swensen swatted away a 33-yard try with 34.5 seconds left at Gettysburg, preserving a 14-13 win that was a springboard to an undefeated season.

While Onimus’ big block drew much of the postgame attention, two drives earlier, senior Gregg Mercogliano provided another special teams play that also had a huge impact.

After missing his first attempt of the day, Mercogliano got some redemption by nailing a 38-yard field goal with 1:43 to play that would prove to be the game-winner.

It was the eighth field goal of the season for the first-time starter, which is tied for the most in the Centennial Conference. And according to senior Phil Musick, there was never any doubt as to whether Mercogliano’s kick would be good.

Musick said he has seen Mercogliano hit countless field goals at the end of practice with the entire team yelling to try to distract him.

“I have a lot of faith in Gregg,” he said. “He’s always making pressure kicks during practice, and he has really come through this year. That was a big kick, and I knew he would make it.”

And according to senior Chris Hartzell, it was just another example why he considers it an honor to play on special teams.

“We take pride in special teams,” Hartzell said. “It’s all about effort and who wants it more. It can be the difference between winning and losing, and that’s what happened today.”

photos by Lisa Youngentob