Huskies Bounce Back, Drop Clarion 52-10

By BILL ALBRIGHT
September 22, 2007

CLARION, PA -- When Bloomsburg made the trip out I-80 to Clarion, the Huskies were looking for and hoping for some relief.
On the heels of a pair of disappointing losses to California (PA) and Edinboro, the Huskies were simply looking to turn things around.
Saturday night at Memorial Stadium, they did just that as they whacked the Golden Eagles 52-10 in a PSAC interdivisional matchup.
"We did come out in a slow start a little bit tonight, but I think part of that was due to our opposition being fired up a little bit themselves," said Bloomsburg coach Danny Hale. "Jay (Clarion coach Foster) is doing a nice job of recruiting and he has some nice young kids, but when you are playing a lot of freshmen, that is tough. We just found the right combination and threw the war on them and the result was a nice win for our guys."
After a scoreless first period, the two teams exchanged field goals to begin the second quarter before the Huskies took a 10-3 lead midway through the period on a 3-yard touchdown run by Jamar Brittingham, his first of three scores.
For the game, Brittingham finished with 132 yards on 26 totes and three scores.
"They were really committing a lot to stop the run," noted Hale. "They did a nice job on the corner trying to disguise some things and that opened them up through the airways. As it turned, we had the opportunity to run some of the other things we have in our arsenal that we haven't had a chance to use up to this point."
Following the Brittingham score, the pesky Golden Eagles came battling back as they drove to a first-and-goal at the Bloomsburg 10-yard line before Husky defensive back Phil Riccardi stepped in front of a Tyler Huether pass to stop the threat.
"They ran that same play earlier in the game, " explained Riccardi. "The number one receiver ran a corner (pattern) and the number two guy ran sort of a drag. Earlier in the game, they actually hit the corner, but this time, I had the corner covered up pretty well, he (quarterback Huether) held it for just an extra second, I was able to read it and I jumped the drag."
Following the Riccardi "pick", the Huskies went into their 2-minute drill and quarterback Dan Latorre engineered the drive to perfection as he led the Huskies to another score by Brittingham with only nine seconds left in the first half.
"That was pretty much our two-minute package we run at the end (of a half)," said Latorre. "It is our hurry-up offense and tonight, we were able to run it to perfection. Last week (in the loss to Edinboro), I thought we did a good job, but we just didn't finish it. Tonight we were able to finish it and get the score and I am sure the coaches are pleased with that as we players are."
And they were.
"I think that (the Bloomsburg score before halftime) was sort of the back-breaker for them," said Hale. "It just lifted out confidence to the level where they weren't going to be able to snap us. We were just hoping to get into field position for a field goal, but we had a couple of things go our way and we were able to get into the end zone. I thought Danny (Latorre) showed a lot of confidence in the drive."
Leading 17-3 at halftime, the Huskies went up 24-3 on Brittingham's third score of the night six minutes into the third period, but the Golden Eagles battled back to score a touchdown of their own to cut the Bloom lead to 24-10.
If there was any doubt at that point as to who the winner of the game was going to be, the Huskies quickly erased any doubt on scores by Latorre and Stefan Adams to push the Bloomsburg advantage to 38-10 before they set the final with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns.
"I told the players before the game that it was going to be a 60-minute game and that their players wouldn't quit," said Hale. "We knew that if they had any fire in their bellies they could come back on us and even at the end, they were having good success throwing deep. They have kids who can run faster than we can run and with his (Huether's) arm, that is why I was really never comfortable."
Now 2-2 overall, the Huskies open PSAC-East play Saturday when they travel to West Chester to face the Rams. Kickoff for that contest is slated for 2 p.m.










Bloomsburg Downs West Chester to Advance in NCAA Playoffs

November 25, 2006

BLOOMSBURG, PA - Quarterback Dan Latorre (Elysburg/Southern Columbia) passed for 190 yards and three touchdowns and defensive back Jesse Cooper (Sewell, NJ/Washington Twp.) partially blocked the game-winning field goal attempt with a minute to play as Bloomsburg University (11-1) defeated West Chester University (9-4), 21-20, on Saturday in an NCAA Division II football playoff second round game.

"This was a great spectator game," said Bloomsburg coach Danny Hale. "It was hard fought and a game in which you didn't want to give up the ball."

Cooper's blocked kick came following a long West Chester drive that started at its own 4-yard line and came after the Golden Rams defense stopped Bloomsburg, which had a first and goal at the five-yard line. West Chester moved the ball down field to the Huskies 24-yard line before three straight incomplete passes forced the Golden Rams to attempt a 41-yard field goal. On the play, Cooper came in from the left side and stretched out just enough to deflect the ball and keep it short.

West Chester opened the scoring on the game's first drive when Brent Steinmetz, on a fourth and short, burst threw an opening at the line and went 41-yards for a score just 3:39 gone in the game.

The Huskies tied up the game on the ensuing drive when Latorre connected with Ryan Schuck (Selinsgrove/Selinsgrove) on a 39-yard pass play to cap a 68-yard scoring drive.

West Chester regained the lead with no time left in the first quarter when Mike Washington caught a four-yard from Zwann to make it 14-7 heading into the second period.

Bloomsburg kept pace with West Chester by knotting the score at 14-14 when Latorre connected with Brahin Bilal (Philadelphia/Lincoln) on a 22-yard scoring pass with 8:41 to play in the half. However, the tie was short-lived as the Golden Rams needed just 1:35 to take the lead for the third time in the game with Zwann directing a three-play, 65-yard drive capped by a 21-yard pass to Cody Clark. However, in what proved to be the difference in the game, the extra point try was not successful, following a bobbled snap, giving the visitors a 20-14 advantage.

The Huskies then put together a 13-play, 80-yard drive with Latorre hitting Bilal with a five-pass for the score, and with the extra point by Jon Koenig (Pine Grove/Pine Grove), Bloomsburg went to the locker room with a 21-20 lead.

In the second half, neither team much a scoring threat till the Golden Rams had a first and goal at the Huskies eight-yard line midway through the fourth period. But, after two rushes gained just one yard and Zwann was sacked for a 14-yard loss, a 37-yard field goal try by Alex Walsh was wide left keeping the game at 21-20.

Bloomsburg then put together a drive went from its own 20 to the West Chester one-yard line. However, the Golden Rams defense pushed Jamar Brittingham (Levittown/Neshaminy) for a four-yard loss on third down setting up a key fourth down call. Bloomsburg chose to go for the touchdown, but Latorre lost a yard on his carry and the Huskies gave the ball over on downs to West Chester setting up the game's deciding drive.

"I have no regrets going for the touchdown late in the game," said Hale. "It was going to be either 7 points or make them drive the field. Fortunately, we held on for the win."

Latorre finished the day 12 of 18 for 190 yards and three scores, while Brittingham totaled 132 yards on the ground in his first significant action in six weeks.

Steinmetz rushed for 148 yards and a score, while Zwann finished 13 of 25 for 204 yards with an interception and a touchdown.

Bloomsburg, which won an NCAA playoff game for the first time since the 2000 season, advances to play Shepherd University next week at a site and time to be determined.

Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom McGuire.





Former Bloomsburg Husky Lineman Living Life In The NFL Fast Lane

Exclusive by BILL ALBRIGHT

PITTSBURGH, PA - While many young athletes have a little time to get their feet wet before going full tilt in the National Football League, former Bloomsburg University student-athlete Jahri Evans found himself tossed in the middle of the river from day one.

Drafted by New Orleans in the fourth round of the 2006 draft, Evans stepped right into the mix and found himself as the starting right guard for the Saints.

"It has been a little rough. Actually it has been a lot rough," said Evans about his baptism of fire. "The toughest thing for me thus far has been picking up the different defenses and playing against the bigger and stronger guys. But as long as I listen to the coaches and the guys around me have been helping me out every day so I am getting better and progressing all the time. All I can do is try to get better every day."

Regardless of how an athlete gets to the NFL, there is always the experience of rookie camp, mini-camp followed by training camp. For Evans, that was a real eye-opening experience.

"It was different, really different," said Evans. "Rookie camp and mini-camp was different, but it was basically the rookies and taking a lot of snaps. What it did was prepare us for camp down in Mississippi and down there, it was hot, real hot. I was used to camp up here (in Bloomsburg) and the hot weather so it was a matter of staying hydrated, getting in shape and learning the play book."

While many of the pro football players come from the so-called "big" schools, Evans proved that if you have the ability, someone will find you regardless of where you play your college ball.

"If you work hard, someone will find you regardless of what school you go to," said Evans. "Bloomsburg is a good school that puts up good records every year and coach (Danny) Hale is a good coach and all of the assistants are top notch as well. They know how to bring in players who know to play and who want to play hard. That is what that program is all about and it is really a family program."

Now that all teams in the NFL have a "bye" week somewhere along the season, they like to sit back and relax when that day comes around. But for Evans, his weekend off meant taking a trip to the Northern Tier and Mansfield to watch his Huskies play the Mountaineers.

"It was probably the only game I will see them all year so I just took advantage of the opportunity to come back home and watch them play," explained Evans. "I just wanted to see the coaches and see how they were doing as well as the guys I played with. It was fun and once again, they had a great season, and now they have a bye week and then they start the playoffs."

Regardless ofwhat the sport is or what level the competition happens to be, every athlete has at least one person in his or her life that has meant a lot to them in different ways. For Evans, putting his finger on those people was an easy task.

"It would definitely be my family, my mom, my sisters and definitely my Bloomsburg family," said Evans with a smile. "I talk to coach Hale and coach (Brian) McBryan weekly. I call all the coaches back in Bloomsburg and whenever I call them, they are there for me. They have been in my corner since day one and I can't thank them enough for their support and help."

Although Hurricane Katrina passed through the city before Evans made his way to New Orleans, he witnessed the enthusiasm and excitement of running out of the tunnel for the Saints first home game of 2006.

"It was just an unbelievable experience," said Evans. "The crowd, the excitement just made an electrifying experience. It was just a different presence in the dome that night and we came out, we executed, played very well and came away with a very big win for them. It was something I'll never forget."

Bloomsburg Runs Over Kutztown, 41-14

October 14, 2006

BLOOMSBURG, PA - Christian Allen (Pottstown/Pottstown) rushed for a career-high 185 yards and four touchdowns and Josh Heck (West Hazleton/Hazleton) added a career-high180 yards and one score as Bloomsburg University (6-1, 2-0 PSAC East) beat Kutztown University (2-4, 1-2 PSAC East) 41-14 on a cold and windy Saturday.

The pair of Allen and Heck, subbing for the injured Jamar Brittingham, helped the Huskies rush for 373 yards and accumulate 516 yards of total offense for the day.

Allen got the Huskies going on their second possession of the game when he capped a 45 yard drive with a one-yard run. Allen's 24-yard rush on the previous play set up his score.

His second score came later in the period when he scored on a 16-yard run to make it 13-0 in favor of the Huskies. Allen made it 20-0 when he capped a 94-yard drive with his third score of the game, this one a 60-yard run midway through the second period.

Kutztown cut into the lead just before halftime when quarterback Kyle Spotts his Elfren Quiles with a 24-yard scoring pass to make it a 20-7 game.

On the opening drive of the third period, Spotts connected with Larry Baumgardner on another 24-yard scoring pass to make it 20-14.

However, the Huskies answered back with quarterback Dan Latorre (Elysburg/Southern Columbia) marching the Huskies 91-yards in 11 plays and connecting with Brahin Bilal (Philadelphia/Lincoln) on a 16-yard scoring pass for a 27-14 advantage.

The Huskies capped the scoring with Allen going in from two-yards out and Heck racing 45-yards for a score.

For the day, Allen carried 19 times for a 9.7 yards per carry average, while Heck carried 20 times for an average of 9.0 yards a carry. Heck also moved into 10th place on the Huskies all-time career rushing list with 1,708 yards.

For Kutztown, quarterback Kyle Spotts was 13 of 28 for 189 yards and two scores.

Defensively for the Huskies, Tyler Trettin (Hummelstown/Hershey) had a team-high eight tackles and helped limit Kutztown to 265 yards of total offense.

Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom McGuire.

Latorre Leads Bloomsburg to Win over West Chester

October 7, 2006

BLOOMSBURG, PA - Quarterback Dan Latorre (Elysburg/Southern Columbia) passed for a career-high 273 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another to lead Bloomsburg University to a 30-27 win over West Chester on Saturday in front of a Bloomsburg homecoming crowd of over 6,100.

Bloomsburg (5-1, 1-0 PSAC East) opened the scoring on the game's first drive when the Huskies drove 54 yards in 17 plays with Jon Koenig (Pine Grove/Pine Grove) connecting on a 39-yard field goal attempt.

Later in the first period, Latorre connected with a wide-open Brahin Bilal (Philaldelphia/Frankford) on a 57-yard scoring pass to make it 10-0 at the end of the first half.

West Chester (3-3, 1-1 PSAC East) cut into the lead early in the second period when Alex Walsh hit a 20-yard field goal to make the score10-3. The game stayed that way until just before halftime when Latorre capped a 70-yard scoring drive with a nine-yard run for a 17-3 lead at the break.

West Chester made it 17-6 on the first drive of the third quarter when Walsh hit a 31-yard field goal. The Golden Rams, though, had first goal at the five yard line, but a run for no gain, a sack and an incomplete pass forced West Chester to settle for a field goal.

On the ensuing drive, Latorre hit Ryan Schuck (Selinsgrove/Selinsgrove) with a 70-yard scoring pass to make it 24-6 with 12:09 left in the third.

West Chester scored on its next drive to cut the lead to 24-14 when quarterback Bill Zwaan hit Mike Washington with a 13-yard pass and then added a two-point conversion pass to Eric Ryffenash.

The Huskies appeared to have the game in hand when Jamar Brittingham (Levittown/Neshaminy) scored on a three-yard run on the first play of the fourth period to make it a 30-14 game.

West Chester, though, rallied with two scores in the final six minutes to make the game close. Zwaan threw touchdown passes of 21 and 48-yards, the latter capping a 99-yard drive, that came with 1:23 to play in the game.

But, Bloomsburg's Phil Riccardi (Lansdale/North Penn) recovered the on-side kick attempt and the Huskies ran out the clock.

Latorre finished 16-20 with no interceptions, while Brittingham rushed 30 times for 108 yards and a score. Defensively, Tyler Trettin (Hummelstown/Hershey) led the Huskies with seven tackles, five solo, and also intercepted a pass.

For West Chester's Zwaan finished 21 of 34 for 264 yards and three scores.

Bloomsburg will host Kutztown next week at 1 p.m.

Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom McGuire.

Bloomsburg Downs Shippensburg 35-14 for Danny Hale’s 150th Career Win

September 30, 2006

SHIPPENSBURG, PA - Tailback Jamar Brittingham (Levittown/Neshaminy) rushed for 154 yards and three touchdowns to lead Bloomsburg University (4-1) to a 35-14 win over Shippensburg University (2-3) on Saturday.

The win was the 150th in the coaching career of Huskies coach Danny Hale and his 110th at Bloomsburg.

Defense set up Bloomsburg’s first score when Steve Sweigert (Stevens/Cocalico) recovered a fumble by Red Raider quarterback Tony Gomez giving Bloomsburg the ball at the Shippensburg 20-yard line. Six consecutive carries by Brittingham resulted in the junior scoring from four yards out with 8:09 left in the first period for a 7-0 lead.

The Red Raiders cut the lead to 6-3 on a 33-yard field goal by Jamie Reder with 5:09 left in the opening period. The scoring drive for Shippensburg was set up by a 51-yard kickoff return by Howard Chavous.

On the ensuing drive Brittingham put the Huskies in front by a 14-3 score when he capped a 65-yard drive with a one-yard plunge with 14:16 to play in the half. Brittingham had a key play on the drive when he ran for 33-yards on third and eight from midfield.

Another Reder field goal, this one from 36-yards, cut the lead to 14-6 for Shippensburg with 9:18 to play in the second quarter.

The Huskies made it 21-6 before the half when quarterback Dan Latorre (Elysburg/Southern Columbia) ran 48-yards for a score. It was Latorre’s longest run of his career and his first rushing touchdown.

Brittingham scored his third touchdown of the afternoon midway through the third period when he ran in from 11-yards out to make it 28-6. Brittingham’s 48-yard run two-plays before he scored was a key play in the drive.

Shippensburg finally reached the end zone in the fourth period when Pat Ferguson caught a 10-yard pass from Gabe Maiocco with 10:51 to play. Following a successful two-point conversion, the Red Raiders trailed by just 28-14.

However, after a failed on-side kick attempt by the Red Raiders, Latorre connected with Brahin Bilal (Philadelphia/Lincoln), who went up between two defenders to snare the pass, on a 53-yard scoring pass to seal the win for the Huskies.

With three rushing touchdowns, Brittingham moved into second place all-time in the PSAC in rushing touchdowns with 57.

Defensively, Rob Biernat (Bristol/Conwell Egan) led the Huskies with eight tackles and also had one interception, while Matt Smith (York/Central York) added seven tackles, including a sack.

For Hale, the win was number 150 between Bloomsburg and West Chester. Overall he is now 150-53-1 in his 19-year career and 110-40-1 in 14 years with the Huskies.

The Huskies return home next week to face West Chester at 1:30 p.m. in a battle of two of the pre-season favorites in the PSAC Eastern Division.

Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom McGuire.

Bloomsburg Hosts Shippensburg On Bloomsburg Fair Day

September 28, 2006

The Bloomsburg  Huskies (3-1) host the Shippensburg Red Raiders (2-2) on September 30th at 1:00 p.m. at Redman Stadium on Bloomsburg Fair Day.

THE HEAD COACHES: Danny Hale is entering his 14th season as the head coach of the Bloomsburg University football program. He also spent five years as the head coach at West Chester.

At Bloomsburg, Hale has posted a career record of 109-39-1 and holds the school record for most coaching victories. Overall in 18 years as a head coach he has a mark of 149-52-1 (.736) and is ranked among the top 10 active coaches in NCAA Division II in winning percentage. He has led the Huskies to seven shared or outright Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division titles and four NCAA post-season playoff berths.

In 2005, Hale led the Huskies to a record of 11-1, including an unbeaten (11-0) mark in the regular season. It was just the fourth time in school history that a Bloomsburg team went through the regular season without a loss. He also led the team to the NCAA Division II playoffs for the fourth time in his 13 years and the fifth time in school history. He earned PSAC Eastern Division Coach of the Year honors for his efforts.

The Huskies also reached the NCAA championships in 1996, 2000 and 2001. During the 2000 season the Huskies were 12-3 and advanced to the NCAA championship game, eventually losing in the title contest. The team reached the finals after rallying from a 19-point deficit against UC-Davis in the national semi-finals to post a 58-48 win. Hale earned the American Football Coaches Association Division II National Coach of the Year following the season.

Hale has also earned AFCA District I Coach of the Year honors seven times, including back-to-back years of 2000 and 2001. He has been named the PSAC Eastern Division Coach of the Year nine times, including four straight from 1994 to 1997.

Hale also coached Irv Sigler, the winner of the 1997 Harlon Hill Award as the nation’s best Division II football player. Sigler finished the year as one of the few players ever in Division II history to average more than 200 yards per game rushing.

William M. “Rocky” Rees has a long and distinguished career in football. He enters his seventeenth season at the helm of the Shippensburg University football team, which is his 22nd overall year as a collegiate coach.

The winningest coach in Red Raider history, Rees needs just one win to reach 100 at Shippensburg (99-80-1). Overall, he owns a career mark of 133-95-2 (.583).

In 2004, Rees was named as the AFCA Division II Region Coach of the Year for the second time in his career while earning his third PSAC Western Division Coach of the Year honor, adding to his honors in 1991 and 2001.

Rees came to Shippensburg from Susquehanna University where his teams won three Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) titles in his five years as head coach. In 1985, Rees’ first season, the Crusaders compiled a 3-7 record. Susquehanna lost its first six games but finished with a flourish by winning three of its last four outings.

The next season, the Crusaders went 11-1, won the MAC title, and set a new record for the “Biggest Turn-Around in a Single Season.” The team went 8-2 in 1987 and won another title, 6-4 in 1988, and 8-1-1 with the MAC championship in 1989. Rees was Middle Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year and Kodak-American Football Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year in 1986.

LAST WEEK FOR SHIPPENSBURG
SHIPPENSBURG (L, 24-0 AT WEST CHESTER): The Shippensburg University Red Raiders managed just 29 yards rushing on 29 carries, and West Chester scored all 24 of its points in the first half en route to a 24-0 win over the Red Raiders under the lights last Saturday night in West Chester.

While the Shippensburg ground game could not get on track, the air attack faired no better as three quarterbacks combined to throw four interceptions and were sacked six times by the West Chester defense.

West Chester, however, received a touchdown tosses of 31 yards and 45 yards from quarterbacks Bill Zwann and Matt Burdalski. Running back Osagie Osunde, who was limited to just 18 yards on 17 carries by the Shippensburg defense, managed one TD carry.

Zwann’s strike came on a fourth down attempt with 1:28 remaining in the first quarter. The pass was caught by Eric Ruffenach, giving WCU an early 7-0 advantage and capping a 10-play, 86-yard drive.

The Golden Rams quickly built the lead in the second quarter with Osunde’s TD run at 10:27, and a Burdalski to Dean Millard TD hook-up with 5:08 remaining.

Kicker Alex Walsh capped the scoring with a 33-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

Shippensburg’s best scoring opportunities came late in the third quarter as the offense, under the direction of senior Tony Gomez (Pottsville/Pottsville), put together a nine-play, 54-yard drive. However, Brett Patterson picked off a Gomez pass at the West Chester 14-yard line, ending the threat.

Shippensburg was led on the ground by red-shirt junior David Richards, who totaled 39 yards on seven carries. The usually potent fullback tandem of junior Aaron Dykes and freshman Chris Infante combined for 26 yards on nine totes.

The Shippensburg defensive effort was led by eight tackles from red-shirt junior Bill Morrison eight stops. Red-shirt junior Jonathan Aldridge and senior Jaron Nalewak each made six tackles.

LAST WEEK FOR BLOOMSBURG
BLOOMSBURG (W, 24-10 VS. CLARION): Junior Jamar Brittingham rushed for 160 yards and two scores to lead Bloomsburg to a 24-10 come-from-behind win over Clarion University on Saturday.

With the 160 yards rushing Brittingham moved into second place all-time on Bloomsburg’s career rushing list with 3,595 yards.  He also became Bloomsburg’s all-time career leader with 56 touchdowns and 336 points.

The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the game after Kyle Snoke connected on a 35-yard field goal and Matt Foradora caught a 17-yard scoring pass from Mark Rupert four minutes apart in the second period.

Bloomsburg cut the lead to 10-7 when quarterback Dan Latorre hit Greg Masters with a 25-yard scoring pass with 1:11 left in the first half.

The Huskies tied the game at 10-10 when Jon Koening connected from 25-yards to cap a 90-yard drive. The big play in the series was a 78-yard pass completion from Latorre to Brahin Bilal.

Bloomsburg took its first lead of the game following a botched punt attempt by the Golden Eagles deep in Bloomsburg territory. On the first play of the ensuing drive Brittingham ran in from 15-yards to put the Huskies in front 17-10.

Bloomsburg capped the scoring with a 14-play, 80-yard drive with Brittingham scoring from one-yard out to make the final 24-10.

Latorre finished 9-13 with a touchdown and three interceptions for 168 yards, while Masters caught three passes for 63 yards and a score.

Defensively, Matt Smith made nine tackles, with Jesse Cooper and Stevie Draper getting seven each.

BLOOMSBURG VS. CLARION
LAST MEETING: In their last meeting, the Huskies defeated the Red Raiders 49-21 on September 10, 2005 in Bloomsburg.

Jack Lydic threw for 297 yards and four touchdowns and Jamar Brittingham gained 261 all-purpose yards with two touchdowns to give Bloomsburg it’s third straight win of the season.

The Huskies got on the board first on a score from Brittingham from 10-yards out. Shippensburg then scored twice in a row to take a 14-7 lead in the second quarter. However, Lydic threw two touchdown passes (one to Donny Patrick, the other to Brittingham) to give Bloomsburg a 21-14 lead at the half.

To open up the third quarter, Marcus Waddy scooped up a fumble and returned it 55-yards for the score. Later in the period, Patrick caught his second touchdown pass of the game to build the lead to 35-14. Shippensburg scored once more to make it 35-21, but the Huskies added two more touchdowns (Bilal and Collins) to get the 49-21 win. 

THE SERIES: Shippensburg leads the all-time series against the Huskies 41-29. Against the Red Raiders, the Huskies are 20-16 in Bloomsburg and 9-25 at Shippensburg. Coach Hale is 6-7 against Shippensburg and has only beaten the Red Raiders once on the road with a 27-26 come from behind win in 2002.

COACH HALE SOUNDS OFF
HALE ON THE HUSKIES: “Last week’s game was a very hard fought game. Clarion is not an 0-4 team. Offensively we were sloppy and mentally not sharp. Fortunately our defense and special teams played well, allowing the offense to finally get untracked and take charge.”

HALE ON THE VULCANS: “I’m expecting a very physical, tough game with Shippensburg. Coach Rees is an outstanding coach and they will have a great game plan for us. Our offense will certainly need to have a better performance than last week. Defensively we will be challenged with the wing-T offense. They’re also outstanding in their special teams play.”

NEWS AND NOTES
THE HALE FILE: Coach Hale needs just one more win to reach 150 wins for his career between Bloomsburg and West Chester and 110 wins as the Huskies head coach.

Hale’s Huskies have been known to jump out to an early lead and then hold on for the victory. In 150 career games at Bloomsburg, Hale’s team has been ahead at halftime in 100 contests and has won 92% of them (92-8). Trailing at the half, the Huskies are 14-30-1 under Hale and the team is 3-2 in games tied at halftime.

BREAKING RECORDS: Jamar Brittingham became Bloomsburg’s all-time career scoring leader with two touchdowns against Clarion last week. Brittingham now has scored a school record 56 touchdowns for 336 points. He also moved into second place on the Huskies’ career rushing list with 3,595 yards after gaining 160 against Clarion. His 54 rushing touchdowns are also number two in Bloomsburg history (behind Irv Sigler’s 55) and third in PSAC history. Brittingham is also third in conference history in points scored.

AGAINST THE PSAC WEST: Historically, the Huskies haven’t had a winning record against PSAC Western Division teams. However, the current squad has won nine straight games against their West rivals and the all-time series is beginning to even out. The streak of nine wins dates back to the Huskies 54-0 win over Lock Haven in 2004.

All-time against PSAC Western Division schools, Bloomsburg is 103-115-6. Of the seven West teams, Bloomsburg has a winning record against only three: California (11-6-2), Slippery Rock (9-3-0) and Lock Haven (43-38-3).

In the Danny Hale era, the Huskies are 32-20 against the West.

HUSKIES AMONG THE PSAC LEADERS: Several Huskies are among the conference leaders. Offensively, Brittingham is tied for the conference lead in scoring with 12 points per game. He is also third in the PSAC in rushing with 114.7 yards per game and fourth in all-purpose yards with 132.3 per game.

Looking at other Huskies that are ranked in the PSAC, Brahin Bilal is ninth in the conference in receiving with 68.2 yards per game while Ryan Schuck is second in the PSAC in punt return average (8.9). Placekicker Jon Koenig is also on the PSAC leaderboard in scoring (3rd - 4.8 points per game), field goals (2nd - 0.75 made per game) and he’s tied for the lead in extra point percentage, going 10-10 on the year.

Defensively, the Huskies are number two in the league in scoring defense, allowing opponents an average of only 13.2 points per game. Edinboro leads the league allowing just 12 points per game.

BY THE NUMBERS:

3
First quarter points that the Huskies have scored during the 2006 season.

Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom McGuire.

Bloomsburg Rallies for Win over Clarion

September 23, 2006

BLOOMSBURG, PA Junior Jamar Brittingham (Levittown/Neshaminy) rushed for 160 yards and two scores to lead Bloomsburg University to a 24-10 come-from-behind win over Clarion University on Saturday.

With the 160 yards rushing Brittingham moved into second place all-time on Bloomsburg's career rushing list with 3,595 yards. He also became Bloomsburg's all-time career leader with 56 touchdowns and 336 points.

The Golden Eagles (0-4) jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the game after Kyle Snoke connected on a 35-yard field goal and Matt Foradora caught a 17-yard scoring pass from Mark Rupert four minutes apart in the second period.

Bloomsburg (3-1) cut the lead to 10-7 when quarterback Dan Lattore (Elysburg/Southern Columbia) hit Greg Masters (Sayre/Athens) with a 25-yard scoring pass with 1:11 left in the first half.

The Huskies tied the game at 10-10 when Jon Koening (Pine Grove/Pine Grove) connected from 25-yards to cap a 90-yard drive. The big play in the series was a 78-yard pass completion from Latorre to Brahin Bilal (Philadelphia/Lincoln).

Bloomsburg took its first lead of the game following a botched punt attempt by the Golden Eagles deep in Bloomsburg territory. On the first play of the ensuing drive Brittingham ran in from 15-yards to put the Huskies in front 17-10.

Bloomsburg capped the scoring with a 14-play, 80-yard drive with Brittingham scoring from one-yard out to make the final 24-10.

Latorre finished 9-13 with a touchdown and three interceptions for 168 yards, while Masters caught three passes for 63 yards and a score.

Defensively, Matt Smith (York/Central York) made nine tackles, with Jesse Cooper (Sewell, NJ/Washington Twp.) and Stevie Draper (Philadelphia/Dobbins) getting seven each.

The Huskies visit Shippensburg next week.

Courtesy of Director of Sports Information Tom McGuire.

Bloomsburg Hosts Clarion In Week Four Action

Sepetember 21, 2006

BLOOMSBURG, PA – The Bloomsburg Huskies (2-1) host the Clarion Golden Eagles (0-3) on Septemeber 23, 2006 at Redman Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 noon and the game is set as the Bloomsburg Fair Day.

THE HEAD COACHES: Danny Hale is entering his 14th season as the head coach of the Bloomsburg University football program. He also spent five years as the head coach at West Chester. At Bloomsburg, Hale has posted a career record of 106-39-1 (.729) and holds the school record for most coaching victories. Overall in 18 years as a head coach he has a mark of 146-52-1 (.736) and is ranked among the top 10 active coaches in NCAA Division II in winning percentage. He has led the Huskies to seven shared or outright Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division titles and four NCAA post-season playoff berths. In 2005, Hale led the Huskies to a record of 11-1, including an unbeaten (11-0) mark in the regular season. It was just the fourth time in school history that a Bloomsburg team went through the regular season without a loss. He also led the team to the NCAA Division II playoffs for the fourth time in his 13 years and the fifth time in school history. He earned PSAC Eastern Division Coach of the Year honors for his efforts. The Huskies also reached the NCAA championships in 1996, 2000 and 2001. During the 2000 season the Huskies were 12-3 and advanced to the NCAA championship game, eventually losing in the title contest. The team reached the finals after rallying from a 19-point deficit against UC-Davis in the national semi-finals to post a 58-48 win. Hale earned the American Football Coaches Association Division II National Coach of the Year following the season. Hale has also earned AFCA District I Coach of the Year honors seven times, including back-to-back years of 2000 and 2001. He has been named the PSAC Eastern Division Coach of the Year nine times, including four straight from 1994 to 1997. Hale also coached Irv Sigler, the winner of the 1997 Harlon Hill Award as the nation’s best Division II football player. Sigler finished the year as one of the few players ever in Division II history to average more than 200 yards per game rushing.

Jay Foster begins his first season as the Golden Eagle’s head coach. Foster had been a coach at Slipper Rock for 18 seasons, including the last 17 as Defensive Coordinator or Co-Defensive Coordinator. He was also the Recruiting Coordinator at Slippery Rock for 12 seasons. Since 1988, Slippery Rock has an overall record of 120-73-4, including 3 NCAA Division II Playoff invitations and 4 PSAC-West titles. The Rock won four straight PSAC-West crowns from 1997-2000, was an NCAA Division II semifinalist in 1998 and ranked second in the nation in 1999. With Foster at the helm, Slippery Rock’s defense has ranked #1 in the PSAC against the pass the last two seasons, and were ranked #4 and #5 in total defense respectively. The 2002 squad was ranked #1 in scoring defense and #2 in total defense. In the PSAC-West championship years (97-2000), Slippery Rock’s defense under Foster was tops in the PSAC. Before going to Slippery Rock, Foster was a two-year graduate assistant at West Chester under Danny Hale for the 1986 & 87 seasons in which the Golden Rams won back-to-back PSAC East titles. He coached tights ends and wide receivers for a season, and then outside linebackers the other.

LAST WEEK
CLARION (L, 49-21 VS. WEST CHESTER): West Chester scored 22-unanswered points in the second half as the Rams pulled away to defeat Clarion 49-21 on Saturday night at Clarion’s Memorial Stadium. Clarion wide receiver Pierre Odom had a career receiving night for the Golden Eagles catching six passes for 246 yards and one touchdown. Odom’s score came on a 64-yard pass from freshman quarterback Mark Rupert in the second quarter giving Clarion a 14-6 lead with 6:04 left in the first. West Chester narrowed Clarion’s lead to 14-13 at 1:32 in the first when Brent Steinmetz scored on a 2-yard run capping a 10-play, 60-yard drive. Tailback Osagie Osunde gave the Golden Rams the lead for good at 9:20 of the first with a 2-yard touchdown run. The PAT made it 20-14 Rams. Osunde came right back and scored on a 15-yard touchdown pass from QB Matt Burdalski with 3:28 left in the second and West Chester had a 27-14 lead. Clarion came back before halftime and drove 72-yards in 7 plays to hit paydirt. Clarion QB Mark Rupert rolled left and hit tight end Matt Foradora in the end zone on a 7-yard touchdown pass. The PAT came with only 26-seconds left before halftime and Clarion closed the gap to 27-21. West Chester’s Dean Millard scored on a 1-yard run with 10:35 in the third, Mike Washington caught a 31-yard pass from Bill Zwaan at 14:41 of the fourth, and Millard tacked on a 65-yard touchdown run with 7:45 left to make the final West Chester 49 Clarion 21. Clarion totaled 378 yards of offense including 75 rushing and 303 passing. Clarion freshman quarterback Mark Rupert hit on 14 of 29 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns. It was his first 300 yard passing game of his career. Odom, who had 246 receiving yards, notched the second most receiving yards in a single game.  Zach Gourley had 14 stops and one tackle for a loss, and Matt Morris had 11 stops for Clarion’s defense. West Chester collected 522 yards of offense including 312 rushing and 210 passing. QB Bill Zwaan completed 11 of 17 passes for 195 yards and 2 td’s. Osagie Osunde rushed 14 times for 130 yards and one touchdown, while Millard had nine rushes for 89 yards and two touchdowns.

LAST TIME OUT
BLOOMSBURG (W, 28-10 AT EDINBORO): Tailback Jamar Brittingham rushed for three touchdowns and quarterback Dan Latorre passed for another to lead Bloomsburg University to a 28-10, come-from-behind win over Edinboro University on Saturday afternoon. Trailing 10-7 in the fourth, the Huskies mounted a go-ahead 80-yard drive and came up with several key plays along the way. Facing a third and eight from its own 22, Latorre scrambled for 26 yards to keep the drive alive. Latorre later completed a 46-yard pass to Kyle Ream on third and 22 to give Bloomsburg the ball at the Edinboro seven-yard line. Three plays later Brittingham went in from a yard out to put Bloomsburg in front 14-10. Later in the fourth, the Huskies defense stopped an Edinboro drive on downs at the Bloomsburg 39-yard line. Latorre then hit Brahin Bilal for a 51-yard gain down to the Edinboro nine yard line. Two plays later Brittingham scored to make it 21-10. Bloomsburg put the game away following an interception by Dan Tillitson, who lateraled to Marcus Waddy who returned the ball to the Edinboro six yard line. Two plays later, Brittingham scored his third touchdown of the day, this one from five-yards out to give the Huskies a 28-10 advantage. Edinboro scored first in the game when the Fightin Scots Trevor Harris completed a 27-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Valasek as time expired in the first period to make it a 7-0 game. Bloomsburg tied the score on the ensuing drive when Latorre hit Ream with a 24-yard scoring pass in the corner of the endzone to make it 7-7. A big play on the drive was a 12-yard pass from Latorre to Ryan Schuck on a third and 10 play from the Edinboro 39-yard line. Two plays later, Latorre connected for the touchdown. Edinboro regained the lead on the opening drive of the second half, marching 74 yards in nine plays, all but one via the pass. However, the drive stalled at the Bloomsburg seven yard line where Kody Robertson connected on a 25-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead. Brittingham, the nation’s leading rusher a year ago, gained just 78 yards on the day with the three scores, while Latorre was 12-22 for 183 yards a score and three interceptions. Defensively, Rob Biernat  and Waddy each had six tackles with Waddy also coming up with a sack and forcing a fumble.

BLOOMSBURG VS. CLARION
LAST MEETING:  In their last meeting, Clarion defeated Bloomsburg 42-29 in the first round of the 1996 NCAA Playoffs which snapped the Huskies’ nine-game winning streak. Bloomsburg overcame a 12-0 first quater deficit with a 15-yard touchdown pass by Glen McNamee to Ron Lelko and a 71-yard punt return touchdown from Sean Smith that put the Huskies up 14-12.  The lead didn’t last for long as Clarion rallied with two touchdown passes in the last five minutes of the first half to lead 28-14 at the break. On the first drive of the second half, the Huskies went 26 yards in four plays to cut the lead to 28-21 on a 32-yard pass from McNamee to Lelko. However, Clarion scored on two of it’s next three posessions to take the win at home.

THE SERIES: Clarion leads the all-time series over Bloomsburg with a 4-2-1 record.  The Huskies are 1-2 in Bloomsburg against the Golden Eagles and 1-2-1 at Clarion, including the 1996 playoff game.

COACH HALE SOUNDS OFF
HALE ON THE HUSKIES: “The Edinboro game was an extremely physical game as expected. We started out slow offensively but fortunately our defense is playing super. This allowed us to stay in the game until the offense got it going. I felt our special teams did a great job and with all three areas playing well in the fourth quarter we got a win versus a very good opponent.”

HALE ON THE GOLDEN EAGLES: “Clarion is playing very inspired football under new Head Coach John Foster. Their record certainly doesn’t reflect what the tapes show. I’m sure they will have a great game plan for us. Coach Foster was an assistant Coach for me when I was at West Chester and he caused us fits when he served as Defensive Coordinator at Slipper Rock. ”

NEWS AND NOTES
WADDY NAMED PSAC DEFENSIVE POTW: Marcus Waddy was named the PSAC Eastern DIvision Defensive Player of the Week for his game against Edinboro. Waddy made six tackles, including five solo stops in Bloomsburg’s 28-10 win.  His biggest play of the game came with Bloomsburg trailing 10-7, just one play after an Edinboro interception set up a first down at the Huskies 27-yard line.  Waddy burst through on a corner blitz to register a sack and forced a fumble, allowing Bloomsburg to regain possession.  Later in the game, he set up the Huskies final score after he returned a lateral on an interception 20 yards to the Edinboro 6-yard line.

BRITTINGHAM CLIMBING: Jamar Brittingham continues to climb the record books. After his 78-yard, three touchdown performance against Edinboro last week, he is now ranked fourth all-time in the PSAC in career rushing touchdowns with 52. Brittingham is also fourth in the PSAC in career points scored (324). With several Bloomsburg records already bearing his name, Brittingham is one touchdown away from a tie with Irv Sigler for career touchdowns (55) and is 152 yards shy of taking over second place in career rushing yards. Brittingham holds the school records for touchdowns in a season (34 in 2005), all-purpose yards in a season (2,563 in 2005), points per game in a season (17 in 2005), and rushing yards in a season (2,260 in 2005).

REAM BREAKING OUT: Sophomore Kyle Ream scored the first touchdown of his career in last Saturday’s win over Edinboro. He is now second on the team in receiving yards and is also a special teams asset for the Huskies. Handling the punting duties for Bloomsburg, Ream is averaging 36 yards per punt and has had three kicks that pinned the opponent inside their own 20 yardline. As a member of the special teams unit, he also has three tackles on the year, including one that stopped a 41-yard return in the Edinboro game with the score tied at 7-7.

LATORRE UNDER PRESSURE: Although only a freshman, quarterback Dan Latorre is remaining cool under pressure. Last week, facing a third and eight from Bloomsburg’s 22, Latorre scrambled for 26-yards to gain the first down and more. Later in the drive on a third down with 22-yards to go, he completed a 46-yard pass to Kyle Ream to set up the Huskies go-ahead score. Latorre finished the game with a career high in passing, completing 12 of 22 for 183 yards and one touchdown. He is sixth (126.8) in the PSAC in passing efficiency behind five senior/junior quarterbacks.

BY THE NUMBERS:
3
Career games in which Brittingham has scored three
touchdowns in one quarter. 

8
Straight wins for the Huskies against PSAC Western Division teams. The longest since a streak of 12 in a row from 1985-88. 

13
Combined points the Huskies have scored in the first through third quarters of their games this season. 

42
Combined fourth quarter points for the Huskies this season. 

1947
The last time that Bloomsburg beat Clarion.
It was also Robert Redman’s first year as head coach of the Huskies. 

Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom McGuire.

Huskies Overcome Two Deficits To Down Edinboro, 27-10

Exclusive by BILL ALBRIGHT

September 16, 2006

EDINBORO, PA - Heading into Saturday's PSAC crossover game with Edinboro, Bloomsburg University football coach warned his players that if they would come out of the contest with a win. Hale was right on.

Overcoming a number of mental and physical mistakes, the Huskies scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth period for a 28-10 victory over the Scots in a battle of nationally-ranked teams.

"We made more mistakes in the first half today than we did in our opener against JMU in our opener." said Hale. "I was disappointed in our execution today. Maybe it was the week of rain, a sloppy field. "But the one thing we did was to keep our composure, kept plugging away and the defense came up with some outstanding plays."

After slugging it out for the first 11 minutes of the game, the Fighting Scots broke the scoreless tie with a touchdown, and they used the defense to set up the drive.

Freshman quarterback Dan Latorre was picked off by Taurean Valentine at the Edinboro 48 to set up the scoring drive.

Fifty-two yards and seven plays later, Trevor Harris found Ryan Valosek behind the Husky secondary and hit him in stride with a 27-yard scoring aerial as the final seconds of the opening period expired. Kody Robertson's PAT made it 7-0 Edinboro.

One of the signs of a young quarterback maturing is his ability to bounce back from adversity, and Latore displayed that as he shook off the "pick" and led the Huskies to the tying score.

Taking over on their 19-yard line with the ensuing kickoff, Latorre led the Huskies on an 81-yard yard, 9-play drive for the score.

"The way I looked at it was that I had to keep my head up," said Latorre about bouncing back. "It was just a freshman mistake, but those things are going to happen. As my career goes on, I will learn from the mistakes I made today. I threw three picks today, but I would rather do that and win the game than complete 50 of 50 attempts and lose. The way I look at it is a win is a win."

Faced with a second-and-7 from the Scot 24, Latorre rolled to his right and found Kyle Ream in the right side of the end zone. Ream made the acrobatic catch, just keeping his feet in bounds, and the Huskies had drawn to within of their hosts at 7-6. Joe Koening's PAT split the uprights, and with 11:44 remaining in the second period, the two teams were as close to each other as they were at the opening kickoff at Bloomsburg 7, Edinboro 7.

"The pattern is called a pass drag," explained Ream about the route. "Dan (Lattore) does a great job of making things happen when the play breaks down. He just led me to the other side and we both saw the open spot."

Following the Husky touchdown, both teams went back to slugging it out in the trenches as they took the 7-7 tie to the lockerroom.

The Scots took another lead early in the third period when Kody Robertson drilled a 25-yard field goal when an Edinboro drive stalled inside the 10-yard line.

The remainder of the third period featured mistakes by both teams, but after the two clubs made the turn for home, it was all Bloomsburg as they scored 21 unanswered points for their 28-10 victory.

On the first play of the fourth period, Latorre hooked up with Ream for a huge 46-yard gain to the Scot 7-yard line.

Three plays later, Jamar Brittingham tallied the first of his three scores in the game and the Huskies never looked back.

Following a defensive stand, the Huskies went back to work on offense to score their second touchdown of the period. The big play was a 52-yard aerial connection betweeen Latorre and Ream that carried to the Edinboro 9-yard line.

From there, Brittingham picked up seven on first down and scored his second TD of the game on the next play.

Down the stretch, it was again the Husky defense that set up the offense when Dan Tillotson intercepted a Trevor Harris pass on the Edinboro 27 and returned the theft to the 'Boro 9-yard line.

Two plays later, Brittingham put the exclamation point on the Husky effort with a 5-yard TD run and Jon Koening set the final at 28-10.

Although one of the premier running backs in Division NCAA football, Brittingham was held in check for most of the game to finish with 78 yards on 23 lugs. But in crunch time, it was Brittingham who wouldn't be denied.

"Those were big league runs," said Hale of his talented running back in the fourth period. "They might have been doing some things to try and take him out of the game, but he showed what he is made of when it counted."

Latorre finished with 12 completions on 22 attempts for 183 yards and one score, while Ream led all Bloomsburg receivers with 70 yards on his two catches.

Bloomsburg Rallies for Win over Edinboro

September 16, 2006

EDINBORO, PA - Tailback Jamar Brittingham (Levittown/Neshaminy) rushed for three touchdowns and quarterback Dan Latorre (Elysburg/Southern Columbia) passed for another to lead Bloomsburg University to a 28-10, come-from-behind win over Edinboro University on Saturday afternoon.

Trailing 10-7 in the fourth, the Huskies (2-1) mounted a go-ahead 80-yard drive and came up with several key plays along the way. Facing a third and eight from its own 22, Latorre scrambled for 26 yards to keep the drive alive. Latorre later completed a 46-yard pass to Kyle Ream (Elliotsburg/West Perry) on third and 22 to give Bloomsburg the ball at the Edinboro (2-1) seven-yard line. Three plays later Brittingham went in from a yard out to put Bloomsburg in front 14-10.

Later in the fourth, the Huskies defense stopped an Edinboro drive on downs at the Bloomsburg 39-yard line. Latorre then hit Brahin Bilal (Philadelphia/Lincoln) for a 51-yard gain down to the Edinboro nine yard line. Two plays later Brittingham scored to make it 21-10.

Bloomsburg put the game away following an interception by Dan Tillitson (Springfield, VA/Robert E. Lee), who lateraled to Marcus Waddy (Philadelphia/Frankford) who returned the ball to the Edinboro six yard line. Two plays later, Brittingham scored his third touchdown of the day, this one from five-yards out to give the Huskies a 28-10 advantage.

Edinboro scored first in the game when the Fightin Scots Trevor Harris completed a 27-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Valasek as time expired in the first period to make it a 7-0 game.

Bloomsburg tied the score on the ensuing drive when Latorre hit Ream with a 24-yard scoring pass in the corner of the endzone to make it 7-7. A big play on the drive was a 12-yard pass from Latorre to Ryan Schuck (Selinsgrove/Selinsgrove) on a third and 10 play from the Edinboro 39-yard line. Two plays later, Latorre connected for the touchdown.

Edinboro regained the lead on the opening drive of the second half, marching 74 yards in nine plays, all but one via the pass. However, the drive stalled at the Bloomsburg seven yard line where Kody Robertson connected on a 25-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead.

Brittingham, the nation’s leading rusher a year ago, gained just 78 yards on the day with the three scores, while Latorre was 12-22 for 183 yards a score and three interceptions.

Defensively, Rob Biernat (Bristol/Conwell Egan) and Waddy each had six tackles with Waddy also coming up with a sack and forced a fumble.

Bloomsburg will host Clarion University next Saturday in a special noon time start at Redman Stadium.

Supplied by Sports Information Director Tom McGuire.