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THE GAME
Lock Haven (3-4, 1-1 PSAC West) returns home in week eight to face No. 9-ranked Indiana (Pa.) University (6-1, 2-1 PSAC West). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
The game can be heard locally on WBPZ-1230 AM and online at
www.nsnsports.com.
Lock Haven will be celebrating the NCAA’s Take A Kid To The Game Day on Saturday, offering free admission to kids under 12-years of age with the purchase of an adult ticket. It will also be Donor Awareness Day as sponsored by the Lock Haven Student Athlete Advisory Committee.
THE SERIES
The Lock Haven-Indiana series falls heavily on the side of Indiana with a 46-15-3 advantage since their first match-up in 1925. The Indians also have a 21-game win streak over the Bald Eagles on the line.
First Meeting: 1925, LHU 60, Indiana 0
The Last Time IUP Won: 2002; 31-14 at Miller Stadium
The Last Time LHU Won: 1981; 41-14 at Hubert Jack Stadium
The Last Time LHU Won at Hubert Jack Stadium: 1981; 41-14
The Last Time IUP Won at Hubert Jack Stadium: 2000; 35-0
THE LAST TIME VERSUS VERSUS INDIANA (PA)
Indiana (Pa.) captured a 31-14 victory over the Bald Eagles at Miller Stadium in the eighth week of the 2002 season, rolling out a 21-point third quarter to take over the lead. Indiana improved to 8-1 and 4-0 in the West with the win, while Lock Haven fell to 4-4 and 1-2 in the division.
The Indians took a 3-0 lead on a 33-yard field goal by Josh Telenko, but LHU responded with a 10-yard pass from Rob Kristiniak to Marcus Burkley for the 7-3 lead by the half’s end.
Haven hopes for an upset were quieted in the third quarter, however, as Indiana scored 21 unanswered points in the first 10 minutes coming out of intermission. IUP’s Mike Howard took a punt return 81-yards for the score to catapult the Indians back into the lead, 10-7. Indiana then recovered the ball on an on-sides kick, leading to a 12-yard pass completion for score from Kevin Weidl to Carmelo Ocasio. A Haven fumble at midfield was picked up by Indiana’s Mike Howard, who again carted the ball safely into the endzone, this time on a 42-yard fumble recovery return to bring the margin to 24-7 in favor of IUP.
Fourth quarter scoring came on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Weidl to J.R. Thomas, increasing the Indiana lead to 31-7. LHU’s Tim Storino hit Burkley for his second touchdown of the game as time faded to round out the scoring with the Indiana 31-14 advantage.
SCOUTING INDIANA (PA)
The ninth-ranked squad in NCAA Division II, Indiana is 6-1 overall and 2-1 in the PSAC Western Division following last Saturday’s 14-7 win over California (Pa.) University. While the win puts Indiana back to the top of the West standings, it was the first time since 2000 that the squad had failed to score more than 20 points in a game.
Junior tailback Mike Jamison covered 124 yards and scored Indiana’s first touchdown of the game last Saturday. Jamison, second in the PSAC in rushing with 139.9 yards per game, has crossed into the endzone on 10 occasions to lead the team in scoring. Junior fullback Justin Spence is another option in the run game, averaging 21.4 yards per carry.
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Haven quarterback Tim Storino (left)
and receiver Marcus Burkley (right).
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THE COACHES |
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Lock Haven is led by fourth-year mentor
Head Coach Mark Luther (Penn State, ‘92). The 2002 PSAC West Coach of the Year, Luther’s Bald Eagles went 4-7 last season -- the first four-win season since 1998. |
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He owns a 10-23 overall mark in three seasons at the helm of the Lock Haven
gridders. Luther assumed the head role following five years of service as an LHU assistant from 1994-1998, acting as defensive coordinator, recruiting coordinator and administrative assistant to former head coach Nick Polk. |
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At the helm of Indiana (Pa.) football is 18th-year Head Coach
Frank Cignetti (IUP, '60, ‘65). While at Indiana, Cignetti has accumulated a 160-41-1 record along with 13 NCAA Division II playoff appearances. |
| Before coming to IUP, he served as head coach at West Virginia University from 1976-79 before moving on to direct the Indians in 1986. |
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Signal caller Kevin Weidl’s 36-yard completion to Pat Liebert in the third quarter proved to be the winning score against California. The sophomore ranks seventh in the conference with 175.6 yards passing per game, including 11 for touchdowns.
Wide receiver LeRon McCoy, a returning All-PSAC player, heads up the Indiana receiving corps with 3.7 catches per game. McCoy has caught five touchdown passes and averages 64.3 yards a game. Senior Derrick Smith accounts for three of Indiana’s touchdown receptions, averaging just under two catches and 33.3 yards a game. Freshman Joe Slappy (12 rec., 1 TD, 36.3
ypg), sophomore Ed Peterson (7 rec., 1 TD, 17.7 ypg) and tight end Pat Liebert (6 rec., 1 TD, 21.6
ypg) all contribute.
Indiana sports the league’s top scoring defense, allowing only 14.4 points per game this season. Junior middle linebacker Brad Potts leads the way and is sixth in the PSAC with 64 total stops, including nine for loss. The rest of the starting linebacker unit consists of senior Sondiata McKeithan (23
TT, 3 TFL) and sophomore Tye Desiderio (44 TT, 5 TFL, 2 sacks).
The line is anchored by senior and returning All-PSAC West end Andrew Battle. Battle is the conference sacks leader with 6.0 hits, and has posted 36 total stops, including nine for loss. At the opposite end is senior Jamien Harvey, who will check into Saturday’s game with 26 tackles including six for loss and four sacks. The middle of the line is strengthened by a pair of seniors in guard Craig Prince (29
TT, 3 TFL) and tackle Adam Kucenic (12 TT, 4 TFL).
Starting in Indiana’s secondary are corners Jerrell Jackson (25
TT, 3 INT, 2 PB) and Victor Callahan (29 TT, 4 TFL, 2 INT, 4 PB). Jackson and two other defenders, free safety Mike Chiappetta and back-up corner Javon Hines, each share the team lead with three interceptions.
Indiana starts freshman Chris Morgan at free safety, Morgan totaling 29 tackles this season. Senior Trent Jones mans the strong safety slot and is second on the team with 47 tackles.
Senior Derrick Smith is back deep on punt and kick returns, ranked second in the PSAC with a 31.1-yard per return average on kickoffs. Smith averages 6.8 yards on punt returns. Sophomore punter Brian Burke averages 38.8 yards a punt with a long of 60 yards. Indiana turns to senior Josh Telenko for point after kicks and field goals.
Telenko, an All-PSAC kicker, has hit all 24 point after attempts and is five-for-eight on field goal attempts with a season-best of 39 yards.
BALD EAGLE NOTES...
THE OFFENSE
The Bald Eagles scrambled for two touchdowns in the first four minutes of the game last Saturday,
Maurice Walker (North Braddock/Woodland Hills) picking up 67 yards on two plays including an 18-yard touchdown run and
Marcus Burkley (Pittsburgh/Woodland Hills) catching a five-yard touchdown pass on the following drive. The Haven struggled from that point, getting beaten back by a strong Shippensburg defensive effort which held the Bald Eagles to 232 total yards.
Lock Haven had troubles moving the ball in its ground game for the second week in a row, posting a net of just 51 yards. Walker recorded 72 yards on seven carries, the lower team net total reflecting four costly quarterback sacks. Walker still manages to average 63.1 yards a game, and has scored on three occasions.
Chelstan Anderson (Halifax/Halifax) and Justin Marshall (Luthersburg/DuBois)
provide an alternative, Anderson with 34.3 yards per game and three touchdowns while Marshall has averaged 22.0 yards a game. Halfbacks
Josh Stadulis (Willow Grove/Academy of the New Church) (4.3 ypg) and Travis Diehl (Williamsport/Williamsport)
(4.0 ypg) both also contribute to the offensive output.
A question mark remains over the quarterback situation, The Haven choosing to use
Tim Storino (Pittsburgh/Bethel Park) as the starter versus Shippensburg after
Brian Camberg (Altoona/Altoona) was sidelined with an injury. Storino stepped in and threw for 176 yards and his first touchdown of the season, completing 12 of 21 pass attempts. The senior quarterback now has one touchdown pass and has averaged 50.2 yards in five appearances this season. Red-shirt frosh
Troy Wile (Fayetteville/Chambersburg), who started in games two through four, also made his return to the field as a back-up in the fourth quarter of the Shippensburg game after being out the previous two weekends. Wile has made five appearances this year, averaging 77.4 yards with three touchdowns.
Marcus Burkley caught six passes, including one for touchdown, against Shippensburg and continues to climb in the school record books, needing two touchdowns for the all-time record. On the season, Burkley has three touchdowns and leads Haven receivers with 58.3 yards a game.
Rafael Smith (Pittsburgh/Woodland Hills) (44.2 ypg, 4 TD) and Scott Anderson (Cortland, Ohio/Lakeview) (11.4 ypg) both add consistency to the passing game.
Adam Angelici (Bethel Park/Bethel Park)(9.9 ypg, 2 TDs) and tight end Jason Walther (Elizabethtown/Elizabethtown) (9.7 ypg, 1 TD) have also played a key role in The Haven’s offense.
The offensive line is manned by Jason Scott (Linden/Williamsport)
at center, guards Aaron Nicklas (St. Marys/St. Marys Area) and Steve Szoboscan (Elizabethtown/Elizabethtown) and tackles
Kevin Scheidler (Millersburg/Millersburg Area) and Bill Cook (York/Central
York).
THE DEFENSE
A pair of senior linebackers head up the Haven defense,
Derrik Metz (Roaring Spring/Central) and Dan Wissinger (Johnstown/Ferndale
Area). Both are among PSAC leaders, Metz posting 56 total stops, while Wissinger has 40 total. Metz is also one of the conference’s top individuals on the tackles for loss chart, rating fifth in the league in stops behind the line of scrimmage with nine this season. Junior linebacker
Charles Cannon (Braddock Hills/Woodland Hills) rates fourth among Haven defenders with 31 tackles, including six for loss.
Cornerback-turned-strong safety Rob Carey (North Braddock/Woodland
Hills) is third among Bald Eagles with 40 tackles. Carey, along with free safety
Will Jones (McKeesport/McKeesport) led the LHU defense against Shippensburg last Saturday with 10 tackles each. Jones, whose 10 tackles marked a career-best, has 26 stops on the season.
Matching up at cornerback are starters Matt Shealy (New Bethlehem/Redbank Valley) (5g, 12 TT, 1 INT, 3 PB) and
Ngoyi Mukusa (Jim Thorpe/Jim Thorpe) (30 TT, 1 INT, 2 PB).
Tackles Jarrod Hendricks (Rockton/DuBois Area) (14 TT, 1 TFL) and
Jason Kasheta (Carbondale/Carbondale Area)(9 TT, 2.5 TFL) shore up the middle of the defensive line, while
Dustin Shaffer (Mayport/Redbank Valley) (18 TT, 4.5 TFL) and Devin O’Rourke (Montgomery/Montgomery)
(20 TT, 3.5 TFL, 2 sacks) secure the two end slots.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Rob Carey (21.3 ypr) and Marcus Burkley (21.5 ypr) share duties with Rafael Smith (17.0 ypr) in kickoff returns while Carey (5.6 ypr) remains LHU’s top punt returner. Burkley currently ranks as the PSAC’s 10th leading kick returner.
Danny Hagerman (Scottdale/Southmoreland) is second in the conference with seven field goals for a 1.00 per game average, his longest a 37-yard boot. He is 10-for-12 on point after kicks, and averages 34.2 yards a punt.
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