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THE GAME
Lock Haven football (0-4, 0-1 PSAC West) hosts the Red Raiders of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (2-2, 1-0 PSAC West) on Saturday, September 29, in the familiar confines of Hubert Jack Stadium. The opening kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
THE SERIES
This is the 59th meeting between the two squads, with Shippensburg holding a 38-17-3 advantage in duals since their first meeting in 1926. The LHU-Shippensburg series has gone to the Red Raiders the past six games, with The Haven’s last victory coming in 1994, a 35-21 win in Hubert Jack Stadium. Shippensburg has won its last two games in Hubert Jack, 68-7 in 1999 and 30-7 in 1996.
THE LAST TIME VERSUS SHIPPENSBURG
The Raiders shutout Lock Haven in last year’s match-up, 55-0, holding the Bald Eagle offense to a dismal minus 12 yards rushing and 83 yards passing.
The Shippensburg offense clicked for 474 yards, paced by quarterback Chris Gicking. Gicking threw for 200 yards and two touchdowns, completing 13 of 26 passes.
The SU defense tied its team record of eight sacks in one game. Tackle Chad Oberholzer anchored the defense with three tackles for loss and two sacks for a total of 20 yards in losses.
LHU quarterback Ed Galicynzki, who was forced to pass under pressure the entire game, finished up with nine completions in 21 attempts for 77 yards. Teon Higgs was the leading ball carrier for Lock Haven with 39 yards on 20 carries. Marcus Burkley, back after sitting out the previous game due to a shoulder injury, led the receiving corps with 40 yards from two receptions.
Defensively, linebacker Barry Byrd led The Haven with 10 tackles, and Derrik Metz and Ryan Matheson both added seven stops. Jim Hanzley recorded his first interception of the season, running the ball back 21 yards.
SCOUTING SHIPPENSBURG
Shippensburg enters this weekend’s PSAC divisional contest with an even 2-2 overall mark and a 1-0 ledger in the PSAC West after a 34-29 defeat over Clarion University last Saturday.
Halfback Dave Brown paced the Raiders to the conference victory, becoming the first player in Shippensburg history to gain more than 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in the same game. Brown scored three times, including two on the run. For the season, he leads Shippensburg rushers with 242 net yards and four touchdowns on 39 carries.
The SU rush offense also gets a boost from fullbacks Matt Phillips (236 yards, 61 carries, 2 TDs) and John Kuhn (118 yards, 33 carries, 1 TD) as well as halfback Jarrod Dech (121 yards, 26 carries).
Junior quarterback Tyler Novak earned his first collegiate start against Clarion, completing nine of 16 passes for 196 yards and one score. Sophomore signal caller Jim Buffington remains atop the depth chart, however, with 412 yards and four touchdowns on 33-for-69 passing.
Top Shippensburg receivers include Brian Booker (10 receptions, 155 yards, 1 TD), Dave Brown (9 receptions, 134 yards, 1 TD), Shawn Baker (6 receptions, 97 yards, 1 TD), and Lance Williams (5 receptions, 102 yards, 1 TD).
Safety John Andrews leads the Shippensburg defense with 25.5 total tackles (18 solo). Left tackle Chad Oberholtzer is second on the team in total stops, registering 21.5 (12 solo). He leads SU with three forced fumbles and is also second in tackles for loss with 5 (-12 yds).
Shippensburg utilizes Dave Brown and Tony Johnson on all returns. Johnson averages 24.8 yards per kick return, and Brown averages 19.4 yards per return. Johnson mans the punt return duties, posting 50 yards on eight returns this season.
Senior kicker Berkley Myers is 4-of-8 on field goal attempts, hitting a long of 40 yards, and has made good on 8-for-9 point after attempts.
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#9 Bill Witmer looks to pass as #50 Josh Clair
and #52 Michael Lopata battle up front.
(photo courtesy of Bob McCool)
THE COACHES
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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.
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| 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.
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Twelfth-year Head Coach Rocky Rees (West Chester, ‘71) has built a 62-62-1 overall record while at the helm of the Shippensburg program.
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| Rees served five years at Susquehanna University prior to arriving in Shippensburg.
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BALD EAGLE NOTES
THE OFFENSE
Pittsburgh natives Maurice Walker (North Braddock/Woodland Hills) and Melvin Kirby (Pittsburgh/Penn Hills) continue to handle the majority of the LHU ground offense. Walker has carried the ball on 64 occasions, recording 198 yards. Kirby has 40 rushes for 167 yards.
The status of starting quarterback Bill Witmer (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) is questionable for this weekend after the red-shirt freshman sustained a knee injury in the Indiana game. Before leaving the game, Witmer was 3-for-4 for 19 yards. For the season, Witmer is 25-for-59 with no interceptions for 279 yards and a touchdown. Filling in for Witmer could be a number of faces, including junior Brian Genis (Pittsburgh/Keystone Oaks), Marcus Burkley (Pittsburgh/Woodland Hills), and Johnathan Stahl (Elizabethtown/Lower Dauphin).
Using Burkley in a prolonged role at quarterback would obviously conflict with his main responsibilities, that of leading LHU receiver. For the season, Burkley has 16 catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns. The Lock Haven air attack is also aided by the work of John Caldwell (Virginia Beach, Va./Fork Union Military Academy), who has 169 yards and a touchdown off of 15 receptions.
Protecting them up front are tackles senior Mike Landis (Quakertown/Quakertown) and freshman Jarrod Hendricks
(Rockton/DuBois Area) along with Bill Cook (York/Central York), Josh Clair (Manheim/Manheim Central), and Michael Lopata (Nesquehoning/Panther Valley).
THE DEFENSE
The Lock Haven defense is piloted by a pair of secondary players, cornerback Rob Carey (North Braddock/Woodland Hills) and Robert Glielmi (Athens/Athens Area), and a pair of linebackers, Derrik Metz (Roaring Spring/Central) and Chad Koleno (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area). Carey led the squad with five tackles against Indiana, and is fifth among all PSAC defenders with 28.5 (24 solo) total stops. Metz and Koleno are second and third on the squad in tackles, Metz with 22.5 stops and Koleno with 19.5 tackles. Glielmi is fourth on the team with 15.5 tackles.
Anchored by Carey and Glielmi, the LHU secondary boasts a solid lineup of Kellen Bush (Pittsburgh/Penn Hills) (13.5
tkls) and Jamie Thomas (Jersey Shore/Jersey Shore) (10.5 tkls). The defensive line will feature Christopher Hileman (Claysburg/Claysburg-Kimmel) (7.5
tkls, 2 sacks), along with DePhilip Jackson (Harrisburg/Susquehanna Township) (12.0
tkls, 2 FR),Lloyd Brooks (Williamsport/Williamsport Area) (5.0 tkls, 1 INT, 1
TFL), and Barry Byrd (Harrisburg/Harrisburg) (9.0 tkls, 1 sack).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kick returner Rob Carey is currently second in the PSAC in the category, averaging 25.4 yards per return (13
kr, 330 yrds). He also averages 11.9 yards per punt return to rank fifth in the conference. Bald Eagle kicker Jonathan Miller (Acme/Meyersdale) is 4-for-5 on PAT’s and 1-for-2 on field goal attempts, hitting from the school-record tying distance of 47 yards.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Lock Haven football team will travel to Edinboro University to take on the Fighting Scots on Saturday, October 6. Kickoff at Sox Harrison Stadium is 1 p.m.
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