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November 6, 2002

Bald Eagle Gridders Face Clarion in Home Finale
Game #10 -- Lock Haven University -- Hubert Jack Stadium -- Lock Haven, PA -- 1 p.m.

>>>Full Game Release (PDF) >>>2002 LHU Roster >>>Clarion University Athletics Website

THE GAME
    The Haven gridders (4-5, 1-2 PSAC West) kickoff in Hubert Jack Stadium for the last time this season on Saturday, November 9, in a PSAC Western Division contest against Clarion University (6-3, 2-2 PSAC West). Game-time is set for a 1 p.m. start. The game can be heard locally on WBPZ-1230 AM and online at http://www.redzonemedia.com
      Lock Haven will be hosting High School Game Day this Saturday. All high school students with their school ID card will be allowed free admission to see the Bald Eagles battle the Golden Eagles.

THE SERIES
     This Saturday’s PSAC divisional game marks the 52nd time that Lock Haven and Clarion have met on the gridiron, the Golden Eagles holding a 37-13-1 advantage in the series.
      The Bald Eagles won the match-up in 1998 (35-28) and 1997 (33-32), while Clarion came away with the 44-41 triple overtime victory in the 1999 season, a 42-20 win in 2000, and a 13-0 shutout last season.

THE LAST TIME VERSUS VERSUS CLARION
A 13-point second quarter proved enough to carry Clarion past the Bald Eagles at Hubert Jack Stadium last season, 13-0. The Golden Eagles dominated Lock Haven in nearly every offensive category, outgaining the Bald Eagles 427-106 and holding a 20-5 advantage on first downs, including 14 on the rush.
        A Bald Eagle fumble after a sack by CU’s Chris Janson on the Lock Haven 15-yardline to open the second quarter set off a string of LHU misfortunes and Clarion opportunities. Following the LHU fumble which Clarion recovered, the Golden Eagles’ Demetric Gardner used his blockers to pave a path straight up the middle from 15 yards out for the score on the first play from scrimmage, giving CU the 7-0 advantage.
        The last two Clarion drives of the second quarter resulted in field goals by Jason Flora, one from 27 yards and the other from 21 yards out. The pair of three-pointers gave the Golden Eagles the 13-0 lead and final outcome.
Clarion’s Demetric Gardner posted 112 yards on the ground. Quarterback Adam Almashy recorded 164 yards on 13-for-20 passing, while receiver Mike McCullum had 65 yards on four receptions. Linebacker Chris Janson and cornerback Emil Johnson paced Golden Eagle defenders with 6.5 and 5.0 total stops, respectively. Janson forced two fumbles and tallied one sack for a loss of six yards.
      Lock Haven’s Maurice Walker covered 33 yards on the ground on 10 carries, and quarterback Johnathan Stahl was 4-of-14 for 44 yards passing. Receivers John Caldwell (3 receptions, 34 yards) and Marcus Burkley (2 receptions, 32 yards) rounded out the LHU offensive effort. Defensively, linebackers Derrik Metz and Chad Koleno led The Haven, recording 10.5 and 8.5 total tackles, respectively.

SCOUTING CLARION
      Clarion is 6-2 and 2-2 in the Western Division and enters this weekend’s game following a 31-6 handling of California (Pa.) University last Saturday. The Golden Eagles are ranked fifth in Division II in rush offense, averaging 266.1 yards per game on the ground, and are fourth in the PSAC in scoring, putting up 27.8 points per contest.
        Senior tailback Robert Walker generates a good percentage of Clarion scoring with 10 touchdowns on the season including two last weekend. Running backs freshman Kareem Shelton (18.1 ypg, 1 TD) and sophomore Glenn Lovelace (35.9 ypg/4 TD) are also slated to start. Back-up freshman halfback Brandon Sweeney has also been a productive addition with 45.4 yards per game and three touchdowns.
       Senior Adam Almashy has thrown for 672 yards and five touchdowns this season, completing 51-of-118 passes. Almashy is also dangerous on foot, carting the ball into the endzone on four occasions.
       While the Golden Eagles have relied more heavily on their run offense rather than their pass offense, if the situation calls, sophomore Ben Culver is a likely candidate to be on the receiving end. Culver leads Clarion with 14 catches for 28.2 yards a game and two touchdowns.Tight end Tom Pore is second on Clarion’s receiving chart with 20.7 yards an outing on nine catches.
      The Clarion offensive line fronts freshman Jeff Murphy at center. On either side are guards Sean Finnerty, a sophomore, and senior Ryan Duchon. A pair of senior tackles complete the line, Reggie Wells and Brandon Price.
       Junior guard Troy Bowers heads up a defensive unit ranked fourth in the conference in points allowed (19.4 ppg). Bowers is 15th in the nation and the PSAC leader with 19 tackles for loss and has 55 total tackles this season. The Clarion defensive line also enlists the help of tackle Tim Connolly (42 TT, 10 TFL, 2.5 sacks) and defensive end George O’Brien (28 TT, 8 TFL, 3 sacks).

(above) Linebacker John Scullin;
(below) Quarterback Tim Storino.

THE COACHES

	Lock Haven Head Coach Mark Luther (Penn State, ‘92) enters his third season. Luther’s gridders compiled 3-8 overall and 1-5 PSAC West marks in both of his prior two seasons at the helm of the Bald Eagles.
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.

	The Clarion Golden Eagles are led by ninth year head coach Malen Luke (Westminster, '76).
Luke assumed the helm at Clarion after six years at Defiance College, where he turned around a losing program to build a 37-21 record. He is currently 41-46-0, including an 11-3 season in 1997 in which the Golden Eagles advanced to the NCAA Final Four.

        Senior linebacker Scott McGrady leads Clarion with 75 stops, and has also posted seven for loss and three sacks. Outside linebacker Jabari Weatherspoon is second on the team with 13 stops behind the line of scrimmage, and has recorded 49 total tackles and 5.5 sacks. Joining McGrady and Weatherspoon on the starting linebacker unit is sophomore Shaun Saad (37 TT, 3 TFL) and senior Kevin Platz (19 TT, 7 TFL, 3.5 sacks).
       Standout freshman Bo Busch headlines the secondary with 67 tackles and six pass-breakups from his free safety position. Junior strong safety Emil Johnson has 37 tackles, while cornerbacks Myron Hargon (20 TT, 10 PB, 3 INT) and Kerwin Cledanor (23 TT, 3 INT) have also been top players in the Golden Eagle rotation.
      Junior punter Ken Crawford is fourth in the PSAC averaging 39.3 yards per punt. Placekicker Chris Carlton, a freshman, has made good on 27-of-29 extra point attempts and has hit 7-of-11 field goal attempts including a long of 34 yards.
      Returning kickoffs are Kareem Shelton (13 KR, 22.2 ypr) and Frantz Charles (13 KR, 17.8 ypr), while Ben Culver manages punt returns. Culver is third in the conference averging 11.1 yards per return.

BALD EAGLE NOTES...

THE OFFENSE
        The Bald Eagles have continued to struggle to find their groove offensively, and remain last in the conference in total offense. Still, in combination with the help of a strong defense, Lock Haven has managed to put enough points on the board to win four games -- one more than a year ago. LHU is also second in the conference in red-zone offense, converting on 18-of-22 attempts, and is third in the PSAC and 26th in the nation in turnover margin (+7, 0.78/game).
        The main problem, however, has been getting the ball to that more productive striking distance, which is where sophomore receiver Marcus Burkley (Pittsburgh/Woodland Hills) has provided assistance. Burkley has caught the ball 23 times for 394 yards and six touchdowns. Of that total, three were from distances longer than 20 yards including an 80-yard touchdown reception against Kutztown. Tight end Ryan Lightner (Elizabethtown/Lower Dauphin) is second on the LHU receiving list with nine catches for 129 yards along with one score. Other receivers in the mix have included John Caldwell (Va. Beach, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) (11.7 ypg/1 TD), Scott Anderson (Cortland, Ohio/Lakeview) (8.1 ypg), and Adam Angelici (Bethel Park/Bethel Park) (5.3 ypg, 2 TD).
         Rookie quarterback Rob Kristiniak (Flourtown/Springfield Township) is slated to start for the Bald Eagles again this Saturday. Kristiniak struggled to get things moving early against Slippery Rock last week and exited the game with just one pass attempt. On the season he has 190 yards, four touchdowns, and has completed 20-of-49 pass attempts. Tim Storino (Pittsburgh/Bethel Park) took over for Kristiniak last week, connecting with receivers on five attempts for 76 yards and LHU’s only touchdown. On the season Storino is 41-for-94 for 609 yards and eight touchdown passes.
        On the ground, sophomore running back Maurice Walker (North Braddock/Woodland Hills) has weaved his way to 499 yards, an average of 55.4 per game along with five touchdowns. Melvin Kirby (Pittsburgh/Penn Hills) takes most of the remaining handoffs, posting 251 yards on 70 carries. Fullbacks Dave Mottin (Snow Shoe/Bald Eagle Area) (4.1 ypg) and Josh Stadulis (Willow Grove/Academy of the New Church) (3.3 ypg) have also done work to help advance the ball on the rush.
        The Lock Haven offensive line starts with freshman center Jason Scott (Linden/Williamsport Area), and spreads out on both sides to junior guard Bill Cook (York/Central York), sophomore guard Kris Kishbaugh (Berwick/Berwick), junior tackle Keith Boyer (Elizabethtown/Elizabethtown Area), and senior Jason Popp (Hummelstown/Lower Dauphin) at the right tackle spot.

THE DEFENSE
         Given Clarion’s propensity to run the ball, the Bald Eagles will have their work cut out for them. The Haven is a lackluster 13th in the conference in rush defense (206.3 ypg), however, its pass defense (171.4 ypg) is rated seventh in the PSAC. This season, the team has picked off 16 passes including four interceptions by LHU linebacker and tackle leader Derrik Metz (Roaring Spring/Central). Metz is 14th in the nation with 99 total stops, and his 70 solo tackles rates him fourth in the nation. Outside linebackers Jon Nalewak (Shamokin/Shamokin Area) (64 TT, 7 TFL, 5 PB) and Charles Cannon (Braddock Hills/Woodland Hills) (60 TT, 2.5 TFL) are second and third, respectively, on LHU’s defensive chart, while Brian Lumpkin (Rockville, Md./Bullis School) (25 TT, 1 TFL) has also been playing well and is slated to start.
         Rob Carey (North Braddock/Woodland Hills) and Ngoyi Mukusa (Jim Thorpe/Jim Thorpe) both start at cornerback. Carey is fourth on the squad with 58 total stops, and leads the team with nine pass break-ups. Mukusa is fifth with 53 tackles on the season. Starting strong safety Jim Hanzely (DuBois/DuBois Area) has 36 tackles along with four break-ups. John Scullin (Boiling Springs/Boiling Springs) is at free safety and has 40 total stops and shares the team lead with Metz with four interceptions.
        Junior defensive end Nathan Eck (Jersey Shore/Jersey Shore) is among PSAC leaders with 13 tackles for loss among his 30 total tackles. On the opposite end, sophomore Dustin Shaffer (Mayport/Redbank Valley) checks in with 26 tackles and three for loss. Protecting the middle are sophomore tackles Jarrod Hendricks (Rockton/DuBois Area) (26 TT, 2.5 TFL, 1 sack) and Jason Kasheta (Carbondale/Carbondale Area) (9TT).

SPECIAL TEAMS
      Despite seeing little opportunity for action last weekend with Slippery Rock’s strategy resting in attempting to kick away from him, Rob Carey is still second in the conference and ranked sixth in the nation with a 17.6-yard punt return average. Carey is also among PSAC leaders in kick returns (24.0 ypr).
       Freshman kicker Greg Knauss (Laurys Station/Parkland) is second in the PSAC in punting with a 40.2 yard average and is third in field goals, having hit 5-of-9 attempts.

###LHU###