DelVal Gets Brockport In NCAA Quarterfinals
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Delaware Valley University football team has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division III NCAA playoffs and on Saturday the Aggies will host the College of Brockport in Doylestown.
DelVal's postseason work has been just as impressive as their work in the regular season. The champions of the Middle Atlantic Conference have followed up their 10-0 run to get into the playoffs with two postseason wins by a combined score of 72-15. This past Saturday, the Aggies hammered Husson University in the second round, 37-15.
A lot of players are responsible for this success for DelVal, but right at the top of the list is senior defensive back Shawn Miller, who is savoring this postseason ride.
"It's an awesome, awesome feeling," Miller tells KYW Newsradio. "Not many people get to experience football in late November and early December. So guys are really truly having an amazing time, a fun time with that. It's just real humbling that we're able to still be here with all the work that we put in over last winter, last spring, early fall, camp and all the way throughout the year, we've still been working. It's finally paying off as we see ourselves inching closer to our goals."
Miller is part of a defense that is allowing just 8.75 points a game. The Aggies allow just 2.5 yards a carry on the ground and they have intercepted opposing quarterbacks 25 times in 12 games. Miller is tied for the team lead with six of those picks. He talks about what makes this unit so special.
"Well, one, we have a great coaching staff," he says. "All our position coaches understand the playbook and they make sure that as a team and as a player that we understand the playbook just as well as they do. It all comes down to alignment, our assignment and our technique. It also helps that the group of guys that we have here are older."
Brockport is also 12-0 and they have won their two playoff games by a combined score of 115-28. Last weekend they beat perennial regional power Wesley in the second round, 49-28.
"Brockport has a great quarterback [sophomore Joe Germinerio]," Miller says. "They have a great offensive line. They have weapons that they can get the ball to and they are able to make plays after the catch. Any time you've got those types of athletes out on the field, it'll give any defense an issue no matter how good the defense is."
Germinerio has thrown for 2,977 yards and 26 touchdowns this season for the Golden Eagles while completing 71% of his passes.
The winner of this game gets the winner of Mary Hardin-Baylor and St. Thomas in the national semifinals.
Saturday's game in Doylestown gets underway at noon.
