HAMPDEN-SYDNEY QUARTERBACK J.D. RICCA OUT FOR REMAINDER OF SEASON

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA (October 20, 2004)—Hampden-Sydney College junior quarterback J.D. Ricca (Gaithersburg, MD/St. John’s), a consensus preseason All-American, will miss the remainder of the 2004 season due to a thumb injury on his throwing hand.  Ricca was injured in the second half of Hampden-Sydney’s 31-28 victory over Washington and Lee last Saturday. 

Through six games, Ricca has completed 107-of-174 (61.5%) passes for 1,755 yards and 18 touchdowns, compared to just four interceptions.  Ricca ranks fourth in NCAA Division III with a 175.9 efficiency rating, while his 290 yards of total offense-per-game ranks him 13^th nationally.  

Ricca, the 2003 Virginia Sports Information Directors College Division State Player of the Year, earned preseason All-America accolades from Lindy’s, D3football.com and Don Hansen’s Football Gazette.  In 2003, he became Hampden-Sydney’s first-ever 3,000-yard passer as he completed 206-of-336 (61.3%) passes for 3,032 yards and 29 touchdowns. 

Prior to his injury at Washington and Lee, Ricca had completed 17-of-30 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns to help the Tigers past the then-first-place Generals in Old Dominion Athletic Conference play.   In 2004, Ricca had three 300-yard passing efforts in six games, was twice named Old Dominion Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week and established a new ODAC completion rating by hitting on 15-of-16 passes for 316 yards and six touchdowns in the first half of Hampden-Sydney’s, 62-21, victory over Guilford. 

In Ricca’s absence, the Tigers will turn to sophomore Brett Delk (Columbus, MS/Caledonia), who has played in four games this season and has completed 6-of-10 passes for 56 yards.  Freshman Travis Hicks (Holly Springs, NC/Apex), who has not played in a game in 2004, will move into the backup role.  

Hampden-Sydney, ranked 18^th in the latest American Football Coaches Association poll and 23^rd in the latest D3football.com top-25 poll, will return to action Saturday, October 23, as the Tigers host Catholic University at 1 pm at Hundley Stadium and Fulton Field.

-www.hsc.edu/athletics-