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August 28, 2001
Bald Eagle Football Set To Take on Youngstown State in Season-Opener
Game#1 -- August 30, 2001 -- at Youngstown State University -- 7:30 p.m.

THE GAME
The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania Bald Eagle football team will kick off the 2001 season on the road against Division I-AA Youngstown State University on Thursday, August 30. Game time is set at 7:30 p.m. in YSU’s Stambaugh Stadium.

THE SERIES
The Bald Eagles and the Penguins have met each other on the gridiron on just one other occasion. In 1966, the Penguins captured a 36-6 victory over Coach Hubert Jack’s squad.

THE LAST TIME VERSUS YOUNGSTOWN STATE
The YSU ground attack played a pivotal role in capturing a win in the October 28, 1966 contest between the two squads at YSU’s Rayen Stadium. Under the guidance of 26th year head coach Dwight Beede, the Penguins outgained LHSC 368-175 on the ground and 82-43 in the air. Youngstown halfback Ken Kacenga posted two of their five touchdowns on runs of 35 and 22 yards, respectively.

Lock Haven’s offense was led by running back Jim Blacksmith, who scored the Bald Eagle’s only touchdown of the contest on a 20 yard run in the final quarter.
Six coaches have come and gone at Lock Haven since the 1966 Youngstown State match-up, and YSU has seen the progression of three head coaches in that same time span.

SCOUTING YOUNGSTOWN
After advancing to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs and finishing 2000 with a 9-3 overall mark, the 2001 Youngstown State Penguins open the new season ranked as one of the top teams in NCAA Division I-AA, rating as high as 4th in the nation in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 and 8th in The Sports Network I-AA Poll.

The Penguins return a host of talent on both sides of the ball, highlighted by the return of senior quarterback Jeff Ryan. Ryan is already Youngstown’s career leader in touchdown passes (42) and rushing yards by a quarterback (1,351), and is on track to claim several other offensive records. He was an honorable mention All-America pick by the Football Gazette and a first team pick on the Gateway Conference’s preseason list.

The Bald Eagle gridders during a
scrimmage earlier this month.

THE COACHES
Second-year Head Coach Mark Luther (Penn State, ‘92) will lead the 2001 Bald Eagles into battle. Luther’s gridders compiled a 3-8 overall and 1-5 PSAC West mark in his first season at the helm. He assumed the lead role following five years of service as a Bald Eagle assistant coach from 1994-98, acting as defensive coordinator in the 1997 and ‘98 seasons, recruiting coordinator and administrative assistant to former head coach Nick Polk.

Youngstown State has a new face at the head of its program, Head Coach Jon Heacock (Muskingum, ‘83). Hired in January of 2001, Heacock took over the Penguin program for 15-year head coach Jim Tressel. Prior to his appointment, Heacock was an assistant coach at YSU for seven of the past 10 years. From 1997-99, he served as Indiana’s defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.

A total of 11 other offensive starters return to the mix, including senior offensive tackle and pre-season All-American Pat Crummey. Tailbacks P.J. Mays (12 g, 184 attempts, 781 net yards, 10 TD’s) and Josiah Dobys (12 g, 111 attempts, 459 net yards, 4 TD’s) return along with a trio of wide receivers in Eugene Mintze (10g, 26 catches, 356 yards, 1 TD), Brandon Pedraza (11g, 15 catches, 329 yards, 7 TD’s) and Sean Guerriero (12g, 15 catches, 329 yards, 2 TD’s).

The 2000 Penguin defense was rated 15th in the nation in scoring defense and fifth in turnover margin, and this year returns seven starters to the fold. Junior defensive tackle and two-time first team All-Gateway Conference Matt Mechling is back after tallying 35 tackles last season including six for losses. Others returning include strong safety Bruce Hightower (67 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 INT), a pre-season first team All-Gateway pick, linebackers Justin Dellarose (71 tackles, 3 TFL) and Jon Tekac (65 tackles, 7 TFL), and defensive back Levar Greene (21 tackles, 3 INT, 4 pass brup).

Sophomore kicker Jake Stewart returns after earning one year’s experience (32-34 PAT, 5-10 FG’s). P.J. Mays (3 KOR, 62 yds) and Eugene Mintze (9 PR, 90 yds) are expected to handling returns.

BALD EAGLE NOTES...

THE OFFENSE
The Bald Eagle offense breaks out with a new look in 2001, sporting several new faces who will carry the offensive workload. Senior tight end Freddie Joye (Waynesboro/Waynesboro) is the most experienced returner, rejoining the team after sitting out the 2000 season due to injury. He caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown in the 1999 season.

Senior offensive lineman Mike Landis (Quakertown/Quakertown) also returns to help direct the youthful offense. Other key returners include the PSAC West Rookie of the Year in wide receiver Marcus Burkley (Pittsburgh/Woodland Hills), who finished fifth in the PSAC in receiving yards per game (70.1 ypg) and was also one of the top kick returners, averaging 19.6 yards per return.

Undoubtedly one of the biggest questions facing the LHU offense is the quarterback situation. After the graduation of three-year starter Ed Galiczynski, the Bald Eagles will now have the choice among three able-bodied signal callers in red-shirt freshman Bill Witmer (Bellefonte/Bellefonte), junior Brian Genis (Pittsburgh/Keystone Oaks), and junior John Stahl (Elizabethtown/Lower Dauphin). Following pre-season workouts, Witmer is first on the depth charts, followed by Genis.

The Crimson and White ground game will rely on the skills of junior tailback Dave Secriskey (Portage/Portage Area), who like Joye, rejoins the team after using a medical redshirt in the 2000 season. Secriskey, who will focus primarily on his tailback duties this season, was also a USA Football Sophomore All-American as a kick returner following the 1999 campaign when he returned 18 kicks for 453 yards (25.2 ypr.). Junior Ryan Lightner (Elizabethtown/Lower Dauphin) will utilize his size and strength at fullback this season after filling in at tight end last season.

THE DEFENSE
Entering into the season, Lock Haven’s defensive strength and experience lies mainly in the defensive line and at linebacker. The line will start three seniors and a junior, and the linebacker unit consists of a sophomore, junior, and senior. Seniors Christopher Hileman (Claysburg/Claysburg-Kimmel), a second team PSAC West selection, DePhilip Jackson (Harrisburg/Susquehanna Township), and Lloyd Brooks (Williamsport/Williamsport Area) all return to help improve on last season’s 14th place performance on the conference’s total defense charts, allowing just over 400 yards per game. Junior Joe Walker (Camp Hill/East Pennsboro) also returns at defensive end after sitting out most of the 2000 season due to a back injury. The previous year, Walker had a team and career best 19 tackles for loss.

Leading the linebackers will be senior Chad Koleno (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area), who totaled 50 tackles and two interceptions last season. He will be joined by junior Dan Wissinger (Johnstown/Ferndale Area), who paced the 2000 LHU defenders with 76 tackles, and will again be a strong candidate for all-conference merits.

The Bald Eagle secondary is relatively young, but will benefit from the return of First Team All-PSAC corner Rob Carey (North Braddock/Woodland Hills). Carey, a sophomore, is the second leading defensive returner, posting 55 tackles, including four for loss, and two interceptions last season. Junior Jim Hanzley (DuBois/DuBois Area) has played himself back into a starting role at strong safety after missing the final six games of last season due to illness, and will also be counted on for leadership on the field.

SPECIAL TEAMS
All-conference and Cactus Bowl kicker Matt Mapes has graduated, but the Bald Eagle coaching staff has another solid booter in senior Jonathan Miller (Acme/Meyersdale). Miller, who red-shirted last season, scored 23 points in 1998, finishing 17-for-20 on extra-point conversions and hitting a career-best 38 yard field goal.

The Bald Eagle return game remains intact, resting on the skills of Rob Carey and Marcus Burkley. LHU’s primary players in its return game, Carey and Burkley accounted for all of the 2000 squad’s yardage on punt returns (176 yds) and 75.8-percent of The Haven’s yardage on kickoff returns (722 yds).

LOOKING AHEAD
Lock Haven will be on the road again on Saturday, September 8, to face Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in a PSAC cross-divisional contest. Kickoff is slated for 1:05 p.m.

###LHU###