Lock Haven football edged by first-place Kutztown in defensive clash

LOCK HAVEN, PA – Despite a second-half surge in the run game and an all-around tremendous defensive effort, the upset-minded Lock Haven football team was edged on Saturday by visiting and first-place Kutztown, 7-3, in a hard-hitting Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division clash.

A win for the Bald Eagles would have been the fifth of the season as Lock Haven remains in search of its first five-win season since 1982.

With the loss, Lock Haven moved back to .500 on the season with a 4-4 overall record. The Bald Eagles are now 2-3 in PSAC East play.

To date, the four wins are the most in a single season since The Haven won four in 2016.

After starting the season 0-2, Kutztown has won six straight games and today’s win pushed the Golden Bears to 6-2 overall. Kutztown is a now a perfect 5-0 in PSAC East play and sits atop the Eastern Division standings.

The Bald Eagles’ defensive unit was more than up for the task. Cody Romano (Newton, N.J./Blair Academy (Penn State)) led the way with a game-high eight tackles.

Romano was one of six Lock Haven defensive standouts that registered at least three or more tackles. Romano was all over the field for The Haven as seven of his eight tackles were solo stops and he added two tackles-for-loss and two forced fumbles.

Jaderian Johnson (Pensacola, Fla./Take (North Dakota)) finished with seven tackles and Kasir Henry (Philadelphia, Pa./Anna Marie College) registered six tackles.

As a unit, Lock Haven recorded three sacks including one each from Darryl Pollard (Philadelphia/Upper Darby) and Trey Henley (Pahokee, Fla./Pahokee). Raymell Hester (Cleveland/Bedford) recorded an interception when he picked off a desperation pass on the final play of the first half in the end zone.

In all, the defense forced three turnovers, and twice, the Bald Eagles stopped Kutztown’s offense on fourth-and-short.

Kutztown led 7-0 with 6:38 left in the first quarter after Sincere Thomas hauled in an 11-yard pass from Judd Novak in the back corner of the end zone. The touchdown catch capped an 11-play, 86-yard drive as Kutztown led 7-0.

With 11:06 in the second half, kicker Brett Zachman (Leesburg, Fla./Eustis (Dordt)) put Lock Haven on the board with a 35-yard field goal.

Zachman’s field goal capped the first half score as the Golden Bears led 7-3 at the break.

Chris Collier (Lawrence, N.Y./Lawrence (Wagner College), the PSAC’s leading rusher, finished with 98 yards which included 60 yards in the second half as his down-hill, hard-nosed running powered a second-half jolt to the offense.

Chris Hicks (Stafford, Va./North Stafford) finished with four catches as he was quarterback’s Danny Sanchez (Bronx, N.Y./Lehman (Stony Brook) No. 1 target today.

Lock Haven’s strong second-half run game and the sensational defensive effort provided the Bald Eagles chances to score late, but The Haven just couldn’t sneak into the end zone in the game’s final stages as perennial power Kutztown survived the upset-bid.

Saturday marked the first of back-to-back home games for Lock Haven. The Bald Eagles will host West Chester next Saturday, Oct. 28 (Week 9) at 1 p.m.