Work Set For Area Roads 
The Pennsylvania Department Of Transportation Plans The Following Road Work 
This Week.

Airport Gets $200,000 Grant For Road Work

By STEVE SEMBRAT
 Saturday, December 17, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1B 





Times Leader Assistant Sports Editor &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 So much about the Melberger Award has changed in the span of one year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Even the trophy looks a little different. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The second annual Melberger Award will be handed out to the top player in
NCAA Division III football today. The presentation will highlight the Downtown
Wilkes-Barre Touchdown Club's banquet at noon at the Ramada Inn on Public
Square. Dr. Gary Sojka, president of Bucknell University and a member of
several NCAA committees, will be the principal speaker at the event. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The trophy, sculpted from solid coal, is a little shorter and wider than
the first one. That's because Frank Magdalinski of Plains had a differently
shaped hunk of coal to work with this year. He sculpted a 50-pound lump into
the trophy, which weighs 25 pounds and stands 10 inches high. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Two of the three finalists for the award, meanwhile, are the same. Running
back Carey Bender of Coe College (Iowa) and multi-purpose star Vic Moncato of
FDU-Madison (N.J.) are back in town for the second straight year. They watched
last year as Jim Ballard of Mount Union College (Ohio) won the inaugural
award. The newcomer to the ceremony as a finalist is quarterback Paul Bell of
Allegheny College. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The winner is determined by the vote of a 39-member national media panel.
The club has no say in who wins the trophy. Throughout the past season, the
media panel received the statistics of the 71 players who were nominated for
the award by their respective schools. The media panel voted and the top three
vote-getters were invited to the awards banquet. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It was certainly our goal to be this big in scope," said Cliff Melberger,
the man whom the trophy is named after. "But I can't believe the national
recognition we've received this year." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Melberger, founder and president of Diversified Records in West Pittston
and a long-time benefactor of Division III college football, pointed to
articles that have run on the Associated Press wire and in Sports Illustrated
as evidence of this. Naturally, he takes pride in the enhancement of the
club's reputation. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It's awesome to see the development of the club," Melberger said. "The
finalists are exemplary. They're All-Americans, and they'd be that even if
they weren't playing football." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bell passed for 2,137 yards and completed 66 percent of his passes this
season. He was the North Coast Athletic Conference's Offensive Player of the
Year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bender rushed for 2,243 yards and 29 touchdowns this season. He holds seven
All-Division records, 18 Division III records and was named the 1994 Midwest
Conference Offensive Player of the Year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Moncato sparkled as a wide receiver, punter, punt returner and kick
returner. He caught 56 passes for 998 yards and 11 touchdowns this season,
returned 23 punts for 167 yards and 22 kickoffs for 480 yards and one
touchdown. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I never thought we'd reach the plateau we're at," said club founder John
J. Chwalek of Forty Fort. "It caught on because there was an enormous need to
honor Division III football player." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Melberger award will highlight the event, but is just one of many
awards that will be handed out. Another big change will be in the presentation
of the national championship trophy. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The club will present the Chwalek Trophy to the winner of NCAA Division III
title game. That was Albion College of Michigan, and head coach Pete Schmidt
is expected to be on hand to accept for the Britons. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This is the first year that the national championship trophy will be called
the Chwalek Trophy in honor of the 80-year-old founder of the club. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It makes me feel really good," Chwalek said. "I certainly appreciate that
honor. I don't have too many years left so I'm going to enjoy every minute of
this." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Chwalek Trophy is sponsored by Melberger's firm, Diversified Records. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "This had to be," Melberger said. "You can't deny the man and all that he's
done for the club and for Division III football. We're happy to be sponsor of
it." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As last year, the top players from three conferences in Pennsylvania will
be honored. These winners are determined by each league. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The President's Conference awards, sponsored by The Times Leader, go to: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Matt Szczypinski, Most Valuable Player, Washington &amp; Jefferson College. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 John Luckhardt, Coach of the Year, Washington and Jefferson College. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Centennial Football Conference awards, sponsored by Judge Bernard
Brominski, go to: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Chris Adams, Gettysburg College, Offensive Player of the Year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jason Fox, Dickinson College, Defensive Player of the Year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Middle Athletic Conference awards, sponsored by Scranton Label Inc., go
to: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Antonio Moore, Widener University, Defensive Player of the Year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 O.J. McElroy, Widener University, Defensive Lineman of the Year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bill Cubit, Widener University, Coach of the Year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 James Hickey, Susquehanna University, Offensive Lineman of the Year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Sean Keville, Moravian College, Offense Player of the Year and Most
Valuable Player. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Melberger Finalists Look To Strike Coal