[Kutztown Football] Kutztown to Face Lock Haven in PSAC Crossover

[Josh Leiboff]

KU Football Fact Sheet #09-2006      KU vs. Lock Haven
(CLICK HERE FOR A PDF VERSION OF THIS RELEASE) 

Kutztown to Face Lock Haven in PSAC Crossover

The Game

         The Kutztown University Football team will hit the road this Saturday, Nov. 4, for the second of three-straight road games to finish the 2006 season.  KU will take on Lock Haven University in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) inter-division crossover.  Kickoff is set for 5:00 PM at Hubert Jack Stadium.

         Kutztown is 3-5 overall, 2-3 in the PSAC East.  The Golden Bears defeated Cheyney, 28-6, this past Saturday.  The Golden Bears opened the season with a 27-10 win over Clarion, before falling at Shippensburg (42-27).  A loss to Slippery Rock (34-10) was followed with a loss vs. Millersville (45-17).  KU bounced back with a win over Mansfield (51-7) before losing to Bloomsburg (41-14) and West Chester (49-47).  

Lock Haven is 2-7 overall, 1-4 in the PSAC West.  The Bald Eagles picked up their second win of the season with a 14-7 victory over Clarion.  LHU opened the season with three losses to Division I-AA Southern Illinois (49-0), East Stroudsburg (45-14) and Millersville (35-0).  The Eagles defeated Mansfield (24-21), before dropping four more to California (PA) (51-7), Indiana (PA) (23-14), Shippensburg (20-17 in OT) and Slippery Rock (35-0).   

Electronic Coverage

The game will be broadcast on WEEU, AM 830, based out of Reading.  Matt Santos and Steve Hahn will call the action.   Listeners throughout the world can also hear the broadcast on KU's Website at kubears.com.  The broadcast will begin 15 minutes before kickoff. 

The Coaches

Kutztown's first-year coach, Raymond Monica (North Alabama, '90), is 3-5 in his inaugural season. Monica came to the Golden Bears from Division I-A Temple University, where he spent eight seasons as defensive coordinator.  Prior to Temple, Monica coached for nine seasons at the University of North Alabama, during which time the Lions won three NCAA Division II national championships from 1993-95. 

John Klacik (Lock Haven '88) is in his second season as head coach at Lock Haven.  He has a 4-16 career record, picking up his first PSAC West win last week vs. Clarion. Klacik returned to his alma mater after gaining 17 years of Division I coaching experience.  He spent 16 seasons at Youngstown State, serving the final four years as offensive coordinator.   

The Series

This will mark the 26th time the two teams have met, dating back to 1930.  Lock Haven leads the series, 14-10-1.  Kutztown, however, has won seven of the last eight meetings.  The teams played every season between 1997-2004, before the rivalry took a brief hiatus last season. Kutztown won the last meeting, 28-20, at Lock Haven in 2004.  Tony Bria rushed for 117 yards and two scores and KU's defense had a late goal-line stand to preserve the win.  DE Mike Grosso was injured in the game, missing the final seven games of the 2004 season. The previous year, KU notched a close 7-3 decision at University Field.

Lock Haven scored a 21-14 victory over Kutztown in 2002, scoring all 21 points in the fourth quarter.  That was also the Bald Eagles' last win over the Golden Bears at Jack Stadium. 

Notable

Kutztown defeated Cheyney for the 13th straight time last week...WR Elfren Quiles saw his school-record seven-game streak with a TD catch snapped vs. the Wolves.QB Kyle Spotts did not throw a TD pass for the first time this season...KU failed to score in the final minute of the first half for just the second time this season...after being shutout in the first quarter in the first four games of the season, KU has scored a TD in three of the last four first quarters, including a score on its first drive the past two weeks. 

Tracking the Golden Bears

OFFENSE: The Golden Bears used a balanced attack to defeat Cheyney, racking up 176 yards rushing and 158 yards passing on the day.  FB Joe Strauss (r-fr. Lititz/Warwick) ran for a career-high 109 yards, on just nine carries, and a touchdown.  His season-long 54 TD yard run gave KU the lead for good in the first quarter.  He is the first KU fullback to run for over 100 yards in a game since Stephen Gammage in 2004 vs. Mansfield.  RB Cory McFadden (fr. Freemansburg/Bethlehem Catholic) ran for 71 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, all career highs.  The rookie made his first start in place of an injured Maurice Adams (jr. West Chester/Henderson).  QB Kyle Spotts (jr. Tamaqua/Tamaqua) scored on a pair of 1-yard runs, and tallied 158 yards through the air, completing 12-of-23 passes.  WR Brett Harbach (sr. Sinking Spring/Wilson) caught four passes for 55 yards, while TE Jason Henley (sr. Boyertown/Boyertown) had three grabs for 54 yards.  WR Elfren Quiles (jr. New Britain, CT/New Britain) had three catches for 28 yards.  

Through eight games, Kutztown's offense is averaging 366.8 yards, including 135.0 rushing and 231.8 passing.  Spotts has completed 131-of-231 passes for 1,827 yards and 17 touchdowns.  He has been picked off eight times.  The 17 TDs are the fifth most in a season at KU, and he needs 72 yards to break into KU's top five single-season passing yard performers.  Spotts also leads the team with five rushing TDs and has 79 rushing yards.  Quiles leads the team with 42 catches for 640 yards and eight touchdowns.  Harbach has 38 grabs for 468 yards and three scores, while Henley has 22 catches for 333 yards and two touchdowns.  WR Larry Baumgardner (sr. New Oxford/New Oxford) has 19 receptions for 305 yards and two TDs.  With Adams sidelined, McFadden and Strauss carry the running game.  McFadden has 216 yards and a TD on 57 carries.  Strauss has 212 yards and three scores on 36 rushes (5.9 yards/carry).  

KU's offensive line, which has allowed just five sacks in the last four games, continues to improve.  The line consists of center Raymond Yannuzzi (sr. Wallingford/Strath Haven), guards Nick Cresta (so. Wallingford/Strath Haven) and Rick DiStefano (sr. Quarryville/Solanco) or Evan Reese (fr. Centre Hall/State College), and tackles Dustin Woodward (sr. Lancaster/Penn Manor) and Tyler Romberger (r-fr. Muir/Williams Valley) or Mike Casciano (jr. Birdsboro/Twin Valley).

DEFENSE: The Golden Bear defense had a fine day against Cheyney.  The Wolves scored just six points, the fewest points surrendered by KU's defense since a 33-6 win over Cheyney in 2003.  In fact, if not for a roughing the kicker penalty, the Wolves only scoring drive would have stalled prior to reaching the end zone.  KU held the Wolves below 100 yards in both rushing and passing, the first time that has happened since 2002 vs. Elizabeth City State.  KU matched its season high with four takeaways, including interceptions by CB Cameron Parchment (r-FR. Tannersville/Pocono Mountain East), DE Mark Irwin (so. Newtown/Council Rock North) and CB Brent Howard (so. Gilbertsville/Gilbertsville).  Irwin's pick led to a KU TD, while Howard's interception was in the end zone at the end of the first half.  DT Scott Smith (jr. New Oxford/Delone Catholic) led the team with 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a 1/2 sack.  LB Sam McKellar (so. Allentown/Dieruff) had seven hits, with one for loss.  LB Dan Chominski (sr. Boothwyn/Chichester) had seven tackles. DE Mike Grosso (sr. Hackettstown, NJ/Pope John) had six tackles, with two for loss and a 1/2 sack.  Safety Brian Bingnear (jr. Boothwyn/Chichester) had five tackles.  LB Tom Cressman (jr. Sellersville/Pennridge) had a fumble recovery and three tackles.  DT Craig Croman (r-fr. Pine Grove/Pine Grove) recorded his first career sack.  

Through eight games, Kutztown's defense is allowing 362.6 yards, including 213.0 rushing and 149.6 passing.  Bingnear leads the team with 74 tackles, with one for loss, three interceptions and three breakups.  Grosso has 57 tackles and leads KU with 11 tackles for loss (-27 yards) and 2.5 sacks (-14 yards).  He also has recovered two fumbles.  Chominski has 53 tackles, with three for loss and an interception.  Safety Justin Gibbs (jr. Pottstown/Pottstown) has 40 hits, including two for loss.  He also has an interception and four breakups.  Cressman has 38 tackles, three for loss and a sack.  Smith has 31 tackles, with four for loss.  McKellar has 25 tackles, including four for loss, in just five games.  Howard leads KU with six breakups.  He also has two interceptions.  

SPECIAL TEAMS: Ryan Nye (so. Bernville/Holy Name) averaged 30.6 yards on five punts.  Kicker Steve Sandberg (jr. Quakertown/Northeast Philadelphia) connected on 4-of-4 PAT kicks.  Harbach had 15 yards on two punt returns.

Nye averages 39.8 yards on 29 punts.  He has placed five punts inside opponent's 20 yardline.  Sandberg is 2-of-6 on field goals and has hit 27-of-30 extra points.  Harbach nets 12.8 yards on nine punt returns, with a 62 yarder for a TD vs. Mansfield.  Adams had handled the kickoff return duties before his injury.  McFadden has stepped in. He nets 12.3 yards on three kick returns. 

Scouting the Lock Haven Bald Eagles

Lock Haven jumped out to a 14-0 lead and held on to defeat Clarion, 14-7, this past Saturday.  Chris Hawkins rushed for 59 yards and a TD on 19 carries.  QB Ilio DiPaolo completed 7-of-17 passes for 115 yards and a TD to Rafael Smith.  Smith finished with two catches for 55 yards.  The LHU defense forced four turnovers, including three fumbles and an interception.  The pick, by Shane Barie, halted Clarion's last-gasp effort in the fourth quarter.  Jonathan Nalewak had 10 tackles, including a sack.  Derek Harsh had eight tackles, with a fumble recovery.  Dean Tortorice, Barie, Corey Gildeo and David Show had six tackles each. 

Lock Haven's offense averages 170.6 yards per game, including 41.9 rushing and 128.7 passing.  DiPaolo has completed 108-of-206 passes for 1,045 yards and five touchdowns.  He has thrown 10 interceptions.  Troy Wile has 24 catches fro 275 yards, while Adam Lawrence has 23 receptions for 251 yards.  Smith has 20 grabs for 291 yards and two scores.  Hawkins leads the team with 175 rushing yards and 1 TD on 72 carries. He has 21 receptions for 59 yards and a TD.

LHU's defense allows 358.9 yards per game, including 185.9 rushing and 173.0 passing.  Show and Harsch lead the team with 77 tackles apiece.  Show has two interceptions and seven breakups, while Harsch has 5.5 tackles for loss.  Gildea has 63 tackles and four breakups.  Nalewak has 47 hits, with three tackles for loss and a sack.  Tortorice has 40 stops, with two interceptions and six breakups.  Demetrius Wilson leads LHU with six tackles for loss and three sacks.  

Marc Domonkos is 2-of-6 on field goals, with a long of 39.  He is 10-of-10 on PAT kicks.  He also averages 35.9 yards on 12 punts.  Lawrence nets 10.1 yards on 15 punt returns, and Aaron Pryer has an 18.9 yard average on 20 kickoff returns.

Kelly's Sports, Ltd. 
Player of the Game

Joe Strauss is this week's Kelly's Sports, Ltd., Player of the Game.  Strauss rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries.  His 54-yard run, a season long, gave KU the lead in the first quarter. 

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Josh Leiboff
Kutztown University Sports Information
Phone: (610) 683-4182
Fax: (610) 683-4676
Email: leiboff at kutztown.edu
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