Saint Francis Thumps Bald Eagles, 69-3 

LORETTO – The Lock Haven University football team (0-1) opened the 2017 season Saturday at NCAA Division I (FCS) Saint Francis (1-0) and the Red Flash topped the Bald Eagles, 69-3.

Saint Francis is the defending Northeast Conference (NEC) Champions and their 2016 NCAA DI FCS playoff appearance marked the first in school history for the Red Flash.

Lock Haven, coming off a 4-7 season in 2016, could not get untracked early on; the Red Flash led 24-0 after the first quarter and held a 45-3 advantage at halftime.

With 7:25 left in the second quarter, kicker Nick Boumerhi (Phillipsburg, Pa./Penn State) put the Bald Eagles on the board when he hit a 39-yard field goal.

John Ford (Etters, Pa./Shippensburg) rushed for 70 yards and Cameron Tobias (Centre Hall, Pa./Penns Valley) completed 17 of 32 passes for 152 yards.

Former LHU men’s basketball standout Cole Renninger (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) looked quite comfortable in his transition back to the football field as he led all Lock Haven players with four catches (34 yds.). Both Bryan Greene(Milesburg, Pa./Bald Eagle) and Del’Vaughn Dennis (Enola, Pa./East Pennsboro) finished with three catches.

On the defensive side, returning All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference defensive back Isaiah Flamer (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) led the way. The LHU free safety finished with a game-high 16 tackles (12 solo). Linebacker Fernando Flores (York, Pa./Northeastern) recorded 11 tackles and one sack.

Saint Francis quarterback Bear Fenimore threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns to spark the Red Flash offense.

The game marked Lock Haven’s first against a DI FCS opponent since 2012 when LHU opened the season at Fordham.

In Week 2 (Saturday, Sept. 9), the Bald Eagles will head to Edinboro University for a 12 p.m. kickoff.