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November 21, 2002 |
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(Lock
Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania Head
Football Coach Mark Luther has been selected by his peers as the Coach of
the Year in the Western Division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
(PSAC). Five Bald Eagle gridders
also received All-PSAC West honors, as released today. Coach Luther was named the Western Division’s Coach of the Year, the first Lock Haven coach to be selected for such an honor since Coach Jack Fisher earned the award in 1979. Luther led a Lock Haven team that consisted of only five seniors to a 4-7 overall record. The four wins marked the most at LHU since the 1998 season, and the most for Luther in his three seasons with the Bald Eagles. Though just 1-5 in the PSAC West, his squad showed vast improvement since last season. Against the top four divisional finishers in the West – Indiana (Pa.), Slippery Rock, Clarion, and Shippensburg – a year ago the Bald Eagles went 0-4 and were outscored by an average margin of 26 points per game. This season, LHU went 1-3 and fell short by an overall margin of just 3.5 points per game. Lock Haven led the league in red-zone efficiency with an 81.5-percent conversion rate and was third in the league in turnover margin at plus-eight. At 32-years of age, Luther is one of the youngest coaches in Division II. Under his tutelage, two players have earned PSAC West Rookie of the Year accolades and another 15 have received All-PSAC honors. |
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Three Haven gridders
earned four First Team All-PSAC West honors, and two more garnered selection to
the Second Team All-PSAC West. Rob
Carey (North Braddock/Woodland Hills), Marcus Burkley (Pittsburgh/Woodland
Hills), and Derrik Metz (Roaring Spring/Central) were all selected
for first team awards, while Jason Popp (Hummelstown/Lower Dauphin) and Maurice
Walker (North Braddock/Woodland Hills) were second team selections. Junior Bald Eagle Rob Carey was a first team pick as both a defensive back and as a return specialist. Carey was the second-leading punt returner in the conference, averaging 15.8 yards per return while also returning two punts all the way back for touchdowns. He is sixth in the PSAC with a 22.6-yard kick return average. Defensively, Carey was third on the squad with 73 total tackles, including 58 solo stops. He led LHU with 10 pass break-ups, had three interceptions, and tallied five tackles for loss (-15 yds). Carey set a new school record with a 99-yard fumble recovery and return for score in the 26-13 win over Shippensburg University. It is his third first-team selection as a cornerback and his second as return specialist. Junior wide receiver Marcus Burkley nabs his third all-conference selection and his second-straight first team pick. Burkley reeled in seven touchdown receptions on the season, tying him for third place on the school’s single season charts and matching his combined scoring total from his first two seasons. He led LHU with 29 catches for 558 yards, an average of 50.7 yards receiving per game. Burkley was also the Western Division’s Rookie of the Year in 2000. Derrik Metz, a junior linebacker, receives All-PSAC West honors for the first time in his Haven career, being selected as a First Team honoree. Metz is the first LHU defender to post a 100-tackle season since 1995, registering 118 total stops including 83 solo stuffs. His solo tackle statistics rank him third in Division II. He also recorded 13.5 tackles for loss, shared the team lead with four interceptions, had one forced fumble and three sacks. Another newcomer to all-conference recognition is senior center/offensive lineman Jason Popp. Popp started the season at center, but a mid-year knee injury forced him to sit out two games before returning and filling in at one of the offensive guard positions. Popp is a two-year starter on the Bald Eagle offensive line and a three-year letterwinner. Sophomore Maurice Walker, last year’s Rookie of the Year, receives Second Team accolades as a running back. Walker paced The Haven’s ground attack with 536 yards on 133 carries. He also carted the ball into the endzone for a career-best total of five touchdowns. In the PSAC Western Division, Lock Haven’s Coach Luther earned Coach of the Year honors. Indiana (Pa.) University’s Brian Eyerman was the Offensive Player of the Year, Clarion University’s Troy Bowers was the Defensive Player of the Year, and the Rookie of the Year award went to Shippensburg University’s Brent Grimes. PSAC Eastern Division winners included East Stroudsburg University’s Denny Douds as the Coach of the Year. Mike Eckmeyer of West Chester University, Mansfield University’s Dan Holland, and Kutztown University’s Stephen Gammage were selected as the Offensive Player, Defensive Player, and Rookie of the Year, respectively. A complete listing of the All-PSAC Football teams can be located at http://www.psacsports.org/allpsac.htm#Football |
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