LHU HOME

October 25, 2001
Haven Football To Challenge Slippery Rock in Week Nine Action
Game #9 -- October 27, 2001 -- N. Kerr Thompson Stadium -- Slippery Rock, PA -- 1 p.m.

THE GAME
Lock Haven football (2-6, 1-3 PSAC West) will travel to Slippery Rock’s
N. Kerr Thompson Stadium on Saturday, October 27, to face off on the gridiron against Slippery Rock University (4-3, 2-3 PSAC West). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

THE SERIES
This meeting marks the 46th time Lock Haven and Slippery Rock have met on the gridiron. SRU holds a 32-12-1 advantage in the series, and they have won each game played since 1980 except for 1988, when the two teams played to a 21-21 tie.

THE LAST TIME VERSUS SLIPPERY ROCK
Slippery Rock was the winner in 2000, posting 20 points in the first quarter on the way to a 41-15 victory. Three PSAC kicking records were broken or tied over the course of the game. SRU’s Morgan Anderson became the conference all-time PAT leader and all-time kick scoring leader. LHU’s Matt Mapes accounted for all of the Bald Eagles’ 15 points with a PSAC single-game tying mark of five field goals.

Slippery Rock scoring was jumpstarted by a 81-yard kickoff return for touchdown by D.J. Flick. Dorrian Glenn posted two touchdowns rushing, and Stan Kennedy also added a rushing touchdown. Quarterback Randy McKavish connected for 11-of-16 passing, 174 yards, and two touchdowns. On the receiving end of those two passes were Joe Meyer and Flick.

Defensively, SRU was led by safety Justin Walker (6 tackles, 2 TFL;-7 yds) and linebacker Mike Burns (6 tackles, 1 TFL; -2 yds).

Lock Haven netted its best offensive output of the season up to that point with 367 yards, including 268 in the air, but was haunted by turnovers, fumbling the ball on four occasions all of which set up SRU scores. Senior quarterback Ed Galiczynski and freshman receiver Marcus Burkley led the way, with Galiczynski going 13-for-23 for 215 yards, while Burkley tallied 191 yards receiving. Running back Teon Higgs led the ground attack (10 carries, 42 yards). On the defensive side, cornerback Quincy Teel led the Bald Eagles with eight tackles, and strong safety Joe Rose added seven stops.

SCOUTING SLIPPERY ROCK
The Rock is 4-3 overall and 2-3 in the PSAC West, capturing its conference wins in each of its last two games. Slippery Rock defeated California (Pa.), 37-27, two weeks ago, and was victorious against Clarion last weekend, 33-24.

Slippery Rock is led by running back Dorrian Glenn. Glenn is second in the PSAC in rushing, averaging 158.1 yards per game, and is on a tear of late, having posted two consecutive games with over 200 yards rushing. He is also second in the conference in scoring, having scored 15 rushing touchdowns for an average 12.9 points per game.

Quarterback Kevin Dvorchak has completed 52-of-103 pass attempts for 582 yards and one touchdown, while back-up Tim Arthurs has connected on 28-of-45 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown. On the receiving end, Ryan McKavish (21 receptions, 181 yds, 1 TD) and D.J. Flick (15 receptions, 240 yds, 1 TD) lead the show.

Linebacker Frank Valvano is Slippery Rock’s leading tackler, posting 54 total stops and a team-best six tackles for loss. Cornerback Jim Urbano is among conference leaders with five interceptions. Other big hitters for SRU include free safety Brad Foor (50 tkls, 4 TFL) and Shawn Hanzely (48 tkls, 3 TFL, 2 INT).

Kick/punt returner D.J. Flick rates second in the PSAC in both categories, averaging 29.0 yards per kick return and 13.5 yards per punt return. Slippery Rock place kicker Wyatt Campbell is 4-of-7 on field goal attempts this season, and has split the uprights on 21-of-26 point after attempts.

(above) LHU lineman #54 Chris Hileman and safety #12 Kellen Bush take down
Cal's Wesley Cates in action last weekend

(below) Quarterback Bill Witmer

THE COACHES

	Second-year Head Coach Mark Luther (Penn State, ‘92) leads 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.

	Directing the Slippery Rock forces is 14th year Head Coach George Mihalik (Slippery Rock, '74).
Mihalik has spent 30 of the last 31 years in the football program at Slippery Rock, where he was a quarterback and team captain in 1973. Mihalik took over as head coach of the team in 1987 and has a 94-43-4 record.

BALD EAGLE NOTES

THE OFFENSE
Next to the 157 yards of total offense posted against Indiana (Pa.), last week’s offensive output of 164 yards was lowest all season. In fact, the majority of team statistics in Lock Haven’s game against California last Saturday were entirely one-sided in favor of the Vulcans (total offense: 147/360; time of possession: 20:59/39:01; total plays: 47/87) -- all but the one that ultimately counted, the 24-21 final score. LHU ‘s well-rounded play resulted in points on the board from all fronts, including a field goal, a rush, an interception return, and a pass reception.

The staple contributor in the running game is The Haven’s pair of Pittsburgh area natives, Maurice Walker (North Braddock/Woodland Hills) and Melvin Kirby (Pittsburgh/Penn Hills). Walker averages 16.3 carries and 72.6 yards per game, while Kirby averages 53.4 yards on10.9 rushing attempts per contest.

Signal caller Bill Witmer (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) pushed the offense up the field against California, completing 11-of-20 passes for 118 yards and one touchdown. Witmer has thrown for three touchdowns this season, and owns a 46.0-completion percentage after connecting on 57-of-124 attempts. Favorite targets include Marcus Burkley (Pittsburgh/Woodland Hills) and John Caldwell (Virginia Beach, Va./Fork Union Military Academy). Burkley is eighth in the PSAC in reception yards, averaging 47.6 yards per game. Caldwell has been almost as productive, posting 43.6 yards each time out.

The Haven offensive line consists of tackles senior Mike Landis (Quakertown/Quakertown) and freshman Jarrod Hendricks (Rockton/DuBois Area), guards sophomore Bill Cook (York/Central York) and junior Josh Clair (Manheim/Manheim Central), and junior center Jason Popp (Hummelstown/Lower Dauphin).

THE DEFENSE
Cornerback Rob Carey (North Braddock/Woodland Hills) and linebacker Chad Koleno (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) continue to lead Bald Eagle defenders. Koleno registered a career-best and an LHU season-high 13.5 tackles against California, bringing his season total to 51.5 stops along with a share in the team-high with six tackles for loss. Carey added 10.0 tackles versus the Vulcans, and leads LHU and is seventh in the PSAC with 55.0 total tackles (46 solo). He also owns the team-lead in interceptions (2) and pass breakups (6).

The linebacker unit is guided by Koleno along with the talents of Derrik Metz (Roaring Spring/Central)(48.0 tkls, 2 TFL) and Corey Shaner (Knox/Keystone) (21.5 tkls, 2 TFL). In the secondary, Carey headlines but receives strong support from safeties Robert Glielmi (Athens/Athens Area) (33.5 tkls, 2 FR, INT, PB) and Renaldo Nichols (Wilkes-Barre/GAR Memorial)(16.0 tkls, 1 TFL, FF, INT).

Four seniors man the defensive line, Christopher Hileman (Claysburg/Claysburg-Kimmel) (17.5 tkls, 4 sacks, 6 TFL), DePhilip Jackson (Harrisburg/Susquehanna Township) (25.5 tkls, 4 TFL), Lloyd Brooks (Williamsport/Williamsport Area) (13.0 tkls, 1 INT, 3 TFL), and Barry Byrd (Harrisburg/Harrisburg) (18.0 tkls, 1 sack, TFL).

SPECIAL TEAMS
Rob Carey holds down the top spot in the PSAC in punt returns, averaging 15.0 yards per return, and is fifth among conference leaders in kick returns (23.1 yds/return). Bald Eagle kicker Jonathan Miller (Acme/Meyersdale) has hit the mark on 7-of-14 field goal attempts, and is 13-of-14 in point after kicks.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Bald Eagles return home on Saturday, November 3, for their last contest of the season in Hubert Jack Stadium, a 1 p.m. kickoff against PSAC West opponent Clarion University.

###LHU###