Upper Montclair, NJ (11/16/02) — Senior quarterback TONY RACIOPPI (Tinton Falls, NJ/Red Bank Regional) threw for 262 yards and three touchdown passes as third-ranked Rowan University captured the 2002 New Jersey Athletic Conference championship with a 48-12 victory Montclair State at a rainy Sprague Field on Saturday afternoon.

Senior wide receiver MICHAEL OSBORNE (Burlington, Twp./Holy Cross) caught a pair of TD's for the Profs (10-0, 6-0 NJAC), who won their 14th conference title and second consecutive. Rowan also earned the league's automatic berth to NCAA Division III Playoffs, which begin on Saturday, November 23rd. The pairings will be announced on Sunday, November 17th at 4:00 pm. It will be the Profs 10th trip to the NCAA Playoffs. They finished runner-up five times (1993, 1995-56, 1998-99) and reached the semifinals a year ago.

Montclair State (5-5, 4-2 NJAC), which was seeking its third NJAC title in the last four seasons, finished the year at 5-5. It is the first-time since the 1996 season in which the Red Hawks did not finish above the .500 mark.

The Profs jumped on the board on their first possession as they drove to the MSU one, however the drive stalled and Rowan settled for a NICK FRADE (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) 19 yard field goal with 9:37 left in the opening quarter. On their next possession, Racioppi hit LUIS CORTES (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) on 59 yard strike. Two plays later Racioppi hit Osborne from five yards out and a 10- Rowan lead with 4:10 left in the opening quarter.

ENDRE RACZ (Wanaque, NJ/Lakeland) pulled down seven yard TD pass with 11:49 left in the second quarter to make it 17-0 before Montclair finally got on the board with 6:32 to play before half. An interception by ANDY SILVAGNI set up the drive and the Red Hawks kept the ball following a roughing the kicker penalty on 4th down. JOHN DIGIROLAMO hit JASPER HANKINS  for a 47-yard gain to the Rowan two. Following a false star penalty DiGirolamo hit ERIC MAGRINI on a seven-yard strike to make the score 17-6.

Rowan struck right back moveing 80 yards in four playss. Racioppi hit Cortes on a 33-yard gain and TREMAINE HILL (Sweedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) capped off the drive with a 23-yard run for the score and a 24-6 lead.. Linebacker DOMINIC TOMEO (Bellmawr, NJ/Triton Regional) the delivered a fatal blow to MSU just before half as he intercepted a DiGirolamo pass an returned it eight yards for a touchdown 32-6 Rowan lead at the break.

In the second half, the Profs added a four-yard TD pass from Racioppi to Osborne with 3:34 left in the third quarter to boost the score to 39-6. MSU put up one more touchdown as CHRIS BECKER pulled in a four-yard pass from DiGirolamo to make the score 39-12 in favor of Rowan seconds into the fouth. Frade added a 27-yard field goal and MIKE SEIDENBERG (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown) completed the Profs scoring with a one-yard run. Racioppi completed 21-of-36 passes, including seven to Osborne. Cortes had 105 yard receiving. Hill was the leading ground gainer in the game with 77 yards as Rowan outrushed MSU, 169-57. Zack Earvin led Montclair with 54 yards rushing on 12 carries.

DiGirolamo completed 10-of-36 passes for 133 yards. Hankins had four receptions for 82 yards whil Magrini had three. Magrini, a senior, closed out his career with 198 receptions for 2,864 yards and 23 career touchdowns. He is the all-time Red Hawk leader in receptions and receiving yard while his TD's are third-best.

Tomeo had eight tackles while GERRIT TOSH (Blairstown, NJ/North Warren) had seven tackles and pair of sacks. MAURICE GREEN collected 11 tackles and RAY MEYER (Hasbrouck Heights, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights) had 10 for Montclair State. Rowan outgained MSU, 431-205.