1976 Football Team

NCAA Semifinalists ECAC Team of the Year Row 1: John Farrar, Jeff Cole, Stan Ormsby, Joe Kosloski, Kirk Dempsey, Dave McNerney, captain Josh Emery, captain Paul Fuzak, Gary Borgosz, Jay Ireland, Dan Blum, Dan Allen. Row 2: Bob McCann, Mike Jones, Herb Bleck, Kevin Rovito, Nate Shippee, Pete Hayes, Mitch Brown, Sam Veraldi, Crhis Hart, Mike Watkins, Mike Wayne. Row 3: Dick Cootware, Pat Heveron, Mike Niezabytoski, Bud Bacon, John Crandall, Steve Fleming, Pete Bachman, Steve Konkol, Paul Pietro, Tom Patricia, Brad Gilbert, Tom White. Row 4: Mike Sargent, Kim Townsel, Mark Eldridge, Mike Jordan, Doug Waters, Jon Blieberg, Kurt Salomon, John Falvey, Jim Schaefer, Jack Thurber, Greg Marshall, Dave Hudson. Row 5: Andy Cossette, Chris Quant, Mark Birmingham, Tony DiCaprio, Dick Datola, Jim Mackiewiscz, Randy LaBrake, Chris Harris, Robert Baker, Mark Przybylak. Row 6: Trainer Art Van Auken, Les Forchey, assistant coach Mike LaConte, Jim Rigsby, assistant coach John Oliver, George Early, assistant coach Tom Fay, Dean Sperry, head coach Ted Stratford, Chris Lalone, assistant coach Don Watkins, assistant coach Don Leet, Rance Davis, assistant coach Paul Evans.

The first football team in St. Lawrence history to be awarded an NCAA Division III tournament bid, the 1976 football team was also the first to win an NCAA tournament game when it beat Albright 26-7 in a game played on Weeks Field in the quarterfinals.

Selected as the ECAC Team of the Year, the  1976 team set a record for victories in a season with nine, finishing 9-2 after a memorable 38-36 loss to Towson State in Maryland in the NCAA semifinals. The only other setback was a 3-2 loss to Alfred in a driving rain and wind storm. The 1976 team set numerous program records in its march to the playoffs, with quarterback Kirk Dempsey setting all the single season passing records and the total offense record in addition to four single game records and receiver John Crandall establishing three single season receiving records. Three of the team records for a single season established in 1976 still stand as do three of the team single game records.

The tam outgained its opposition by over 1700 yards and outscored the opposition by a 302-114 margin scoring 41 touchdowns while allowing just 16. Defensive back Paul Fuzak and tight end Josh Emery were team captains. Three members of team, Mitch Brown, Dempsey and Ron Pelligra earned All America status in 1976 while Emery, Dempsey and defensive lineman Gary Borgosz were named to the ECAC Division III All Star team.