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About Taking The Leap/ First Novel Examines How Love Springs From The
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By JOE PETRUCCI jpetrucci@leader.net
 Monday, November 14, 2005 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1B 





The Wilkes football team meets every Friday evening on campus in a room
inside Breiseth Hall. It's where the Colonels express their thoughts and
emotions for the next day's game. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 On Sunday, it's where those thoughts and emotions erupted in jubilation as
Wilkes learned it earned an at-large bid for the NCAA Division III playoffs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "We were in there hugging each other, it was just a sustained amount of
emotion. It was really electric," said Wilkes coach Frank Sheptock, whose team
will travel to Rowan (N.J.) for a first-round noon game on Saturday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "What a fabulous feeling to see our kids respond to accomplishing their
goals." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wilkes (8-2) won its seventh consecutive game by routing city rival King's
36-13 on Saturday at Ralston Field. But the Colonels finished second in the
Middle Atlantic Conference behind Delaware Valley, which clinched its second
consecutive MAC title and automatic NCAA bid by beating Widener on Saturday.
Wilkes was ranked 10th in the region heading into this past weekend and the
MAC had never received an at-large bid for the national tournament, so there
was some doubt as to whether the Colonels would get invited to the Big Dance. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The team watched the selection show for the 32-team field on ESPNews on a
large projection screen on Sunday. It didn't help that Wilkes' bracket was the
final one announced. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We waited patiently, but there was a lot of antsiness and nervousness,"
said Sheptock. "It was indescribable how that room just erupted." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wilkes' hot streak was rewarded as the Colonels leapfrogged Alfred (8-2),
which was ranked eighth in the region and beat regionally ranked St. John
Fisher (8-2) on Saturday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Rowan (8-1) gained an automatic berth by winning its 15th New Jersey
Athletic Conference title via a 31-14 victory over Montclair State on
Saturday. The Profs are making their 12th national tournament appearance,
having reached the Stagg Bowl title game in 1993, '95, '96, '98 and '99 but
losing each time. Rowan lost 52-0 to eventual champion Linfield in last year's
semifinals. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "To draw a traditional D-III power, we look at it as a great challenge,"
said Sheptock. "But our players have responded to every challenge we've had
this year." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Colonels and Profs have one common opponent this season in William
Paterson. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Both teams lost on the road against Paterson. Wilkes lost 21-17 in the
season-opener after driving to the Paterson 1-yard line but throwing an
incompletion on the game's final play. The Profs had a 33-yard field goal
blocked in the final seconds in a 20-19 loss at Paterson on Nov. 5. Rowan was
ranked second in the nation prior to the game. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Wilkes-Rowan winner will face either Union or Ithaca on Nov. 26 in the
round of 16. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Colonels Get Into Ncaa Tournament