PSAC announces preseason football coaches’ poll; LHU tabbed for eighth
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Wednesday announced the 2021 preseason football coaches’ poll and the Lock Haven University football team was picked to finish eighth in the Eastern Division.
Shepherd, who played PSAC football for the first time back in 2019, was tabbed by the coaches as the preseason favorite in the Eastern Division. The Rams grabbed six of eight first-place votes. West Chester and Kutztown each snagged a first-place vote and finished No. 2 and No. 3 in the poll, respectively. Bloomsburg was picked fourth and the Huskies were followed by East Stroudsburg, Millersville and Lock Haven.
In the West, Slippery Rock was picked as the preseason favorite after receiving four of eight first-place votes. IUP received three first-place votes and was tabbed as the No. 2 pick in the Western Division. California (Pa.) received one first-place vote and slid into the third spot. Mercyhurst was picked fourth and the Lakers were followed by Edinboro, Seton Hill, Gannon and Clarion.
Lock Haven will officially usher in a new era this season. When the Bald Eagles hit the field for the 2021 campaign, they will do it under new leadership as head coach John Kelling will lead The Haven onto the field for the first time.
Kelling was hired back in January 2020, but soon after the global COVID-19 pandemic halted LHU and PSAC football last fall (2020). A veteran college coach with a strong defensive background, Kelling brought with him to Lock Haven nearly 30 years of coaching experience, including coaching positions at the NCAA Division I, II and III levels.
The Bald Eagles will kick off the 2021 season on the road as they are set to take on Lincoln University on Saturday, September 4 at 6 p.m. It will mark the 2021 season-opener for both teams.
On July 22, Lincoln was picked No. 10 in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). Despite a season off, it marks a familiar season-opening foe, as Lock Haven hosted Lincoln in non-conference action back in 2019 to open the year. Lock Haven won the 2019 season-opener at Hubert Jack Stadium, 57-13 and Lincoln finished that 2019 season winless at 0-10.
LHU’s season-opener at Lincoln is one of six scheduled games away from home, which includes a three-game road-swing to start the season, including back-to-back PSAC East-West crossover contests at California (Pa.) and Slippery Rock in Week 2 and 3, respectively. Lock Haven’s PSAC Eastern Divisional road games will come vs. Millersville, Bloomsburg and Shippensburg.
LHU’s 2021 home-opener will come during Week 4 action as Lock Haven is set to host East Stroudsburg on Saturday, September 25 at 6 p.m. That game will mark the PSAC East opener for both LHU and ESU.
The Week 4 home-game at Hubert Jack Stadium vs. the Warriors marks the first of five scheduled home games for Lock Haven in 2021. The Bald Eagles will also host Shepherd, Kutztown and West Chester in PSAC East action, before closing the season at home vs. Seton Hill. LHU’s 2021 Homecoming game will come on Saturday, October 23 vs. Kutztown.
Back in 2019, Lock Haven was 2-9 overall (0-7 PSAC East), but both wins came at home, including a thrilling 28-27 win over Gannon in the season-finale.
Overall, LHU’s defensive unit returns seven of its top-10 leaders in tackles from 2019. Leading the way is Kahari Whitfield who was second on the team in 2019 with 54 total tackles. Shane Scott, Austin Barber and Levi Engle also return to the lead the way. Scott and Barber made 54 and 53 tackles, respectively, back in 2019. Engle was a standout as a true-freshman safety, as he finished with 39 tackles, five interceptions and seven pass-breakups. Those five INTs tied for Engle for the No. 2 spot among all PSAC players in 2019.
Offensively, the Bald Eagles can lean on the experience of several talented returners. Leading the way is quarterback Ethan Persa. Back in 2019, Persa played in five games and threw for 330 yards and four touchdowns. Overall in his career, Persa has played in 15 games and has six total pass-TDs. Additionally, running back Dante Graham had back-to-back 100-yard plus games late in the 2019 season, which included a monster 205-yard game vs. Shippensburg. For Graham, the 205 yards on the ground marked the 10th most ever in a single game for an LHU player. It marked LHU’s first 200-plus yard rushing game since November 5, 2016 when John Ford ran for 206 yards in a win at East Stroudsburg. At the end of the season, that 205 yards stood as the fourth-highest individual rush effort for a game by any PSAC player.
Alex Lantz and Justin White combined for 19 catches and each grabbed a touchdown-catch as they lead the way for the wide receivers corps.
For LHU, the Bald Eagles are also excited about the long list of talented newcomers joining program as several of those fresh faces look to make an immediate impact this fall on the field for Lock Haven.
Full 2021 PSAC Football Coaches’ Poll Results:
Eastern Division (# of 1st Place Votes)
1. Shepherd (6)
2. West Chester (1)
3. Kutztown (1)
4. Bloomsburg
5. Shippensburg
6. East Stroudsburg
7. Millersville
8. Lock Haven
Western Division (# of 1st Place Votes)
1. Slippery Rock (4)
2. IUP (3)
3. Cal U (1)
4. Mercyhurst
5. Edinboro
6. Seton Hill
7. Gannon
8. Clarion
