Lwt. Football travels to face ELFL favorite Midshipmen

Navy roster includes a quarterback and wide receiverNavy roster includes a quarterback and wide receiverthat were recruited to play heavyweight football The Penn lightweight football team has had two weeks to prepare for one of its toughest games of the year. At 7 p.m. tonight on Navy's Rip Miller Field, the Quakers are admitted underdogs when they face the Navy Midshipmen for the 60th meeting of the two lightweight teams. It will be the first official game of the 1996 Eastern Lightweight Football League season for both teams. "This is the test," Penn offensive line coach Bill Haines said. Navy expects to contend for the ELFL title every year, and this season is no different. The sheer number of players on the Navy sideline is imposing. The Midshipmen's team speed is impressive. Their size is intimidating. And a few of their skill position players are talented enough to play Division I football. Penn hopes to render all the apparent Navy advantages meaningless with an intelligent attack. On offense, the Quakers regain the services of sophomore running back Greg Grabon, who was injured early in the Princeton game two weeks ago. Grabon will get help from freshman Tim Ortman, who filled in masterfully in Grabon's absence with a 100-yard performance of his own. Penn will take advantage of its two-deep backfield by running out of the wishbone offense more often. "We have to be able to keep the ball moving and pick up first downs," Grabon said. The key to the Penn offense may be the offensive line's success in holding its blocks against the Navy defenders, who are adept at bouncing off and around opposing linemen. "If we stick to the basics, I feel confident we'll get the job done," Haines said. "This is such a big game that the offensive line has been on a strict diet of buffalo wings," Penn offensive tackle Neil Batiancila said. "If we win this one, we win the championship." For Penn's seniors, including co-captains Joel Correia, Zach Chan, Cameron Reilly and Clint Schmidt, this game is a chance to avenge three straight losses to Navy. "We're going to have to play our asses off," Schmidt said. "We can't be average. We have to be excellent. We have to play extraordinary." Quakers quarterback Matt Veneri has the unenviable task of getting the ball to Schmidt, the Penn all-time leader in career receiving yardage, while under a heavy Midshipmen rush. "It's up to the offensive line," Schmidt said. "Throwing is not difficult, but just getting the ball out of the pocket is difficult." Veneri is confident that the Quakers can keep the Navy defense guessing if he throws well and Penn gets strong line play. "If we can keep them off-balance with a decent passing game, I think our running game will open up," Veneri said. If Penn's offense can control the ball, the Quakers defense is not as likely to get worn down by Navy's heavy substitutions. Defensively, the Quakers will be looking for another strong performance. In their two preseason games, the defense gave up a total of only three touchdowns and showed strong conditioning in pitching shutouts in the second halves of both games. The defense, especially the secondary, will be tested mightily by the Navy offense which plays by its school's motto: "full speed ahead." The Midshipmen look to pass first, run second, according to Penn head coach Bill Wagner. "They'll try to air it out the first time they get the ball," Wagner said. "Our secondary has to play well." Penn's defense will try to shut down the air attack and punish Navy when it runs on the ground. The Quakers will rely on their defensive front to put a strong rush on Navy's quarterback David Behnke, who throws primarily to wide receiver Kevin Clark, and to stop Navy's speedy running backs, Brian Voss and Matt Sobecki. Both Behnke and Clark were recruited to Navy to play for the heavyweight team, but decided to drop down to the lightweight squad upon arriving in Annapolis, according to Wagner. "[Despite a 20-0 loss] last year, we played Navy the best out of any ELFL team," Quakers defensive end Carter Byrnes said. "This really will be the year we can come out and play hard-nosed football and win." For the first time this season, Wagner may use Chan, who starts at tight end, on third-down passing situations. "We can play with them for four quarters if we keep our heads in the game," Reilly said.