Lwt. Football holds off team of heavier alumni players

The 1996 Penn lightweight football team came from behind with a last-play pass connection between two seniors to edge a team of true seniors -- alumni who played lightweight football for the Quakers in past decades. The game, played Saturday in front of friends and family, got off to a wild start before the teams settled down into a defensive struggle. On the alumni's first offensive play, 1990 graduate Mark Dianno took a pitch from quarterback Nate Scott, an '89 grad, pulled up and launched a flee-flicker pass that receiver Fernando Font caught for a 70-yard touchdown. Font, who graduated last spring, tallied four catches for 139 yards on the day. The extra point attempt failed in what became a trend for the alumni. "They played great for only practicing one day," Penn coach Bill Wagner said. The alumni's lack of preparation showed on the alumni's next possession as punter Brian Upbin, who graduated last year, entered the game. As he punted the ball, three current Quakers contacted the ball and Upbin. "We're older and fatter, but it brings back memories -- bad, bad memories," Upbin said. After the current Quakers recovered the blocked punt, sophomore running back Greg Grabon scored from three yards out on the next play. The extra point attempt sailed wide right, and the score was knotted at six. The next three quarters were controlled by the defenses of both teams. "The big guys from the alumni held their own up front," Wagner said. With the defensive line occupying the current lightweight offensive line, the alumni consistently blitzed linebackers up the middle getting to the current lightweight team's quarterback, senior Matt Veneri. "[Blocking] is tough because of the weight advantage," said Veneri, referring to the pounds added by many of the inactive alumni. After the current lightweight team intercepted a Scott pass and returned it to the alumni 18-yard line, Veneri lobbed a perfectly-thrown fade pass to senior receiver Clint Schmidt to give the Quakers the 12-6 victory. "Every year it's a close game," Veneri said. "It's like an all-star team," said Penn offensive tackle Neil Batiancilia, as he counted the graduates who had attained all-Eastern Lightweight Football League status in their playing days. Most of the alumni returned for the fun of playing again and to see old friends. Offensive tackle Steve Kloc came all the way from California to play his first contact football since his graduation in 1974. The oldest alumni to participate, Jim Durkin, graduated in 1959. "The game keeps you young," Durkin said. He added, however, that this year's game will probably be his last "relatively active" one. The lightweight team used the game as a tune-up for this week's Princeton game, and Wagner relished the opportunity to get every lightweight player some game experience. "It was a good day for the whole program," Wagner said.