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Strong First Half Lifts West Chester Past East Stroudsburg

October 28, 2006

EAST STROUDSBURG, PA – Tailback Brent Steinmetz rushed for a season-high 161 yards and quarterback Bill Zwaan threw for four touchdowns to help West Chester beat East Stroudsburg University 49-28, Saturday in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division game at Eiler-Martin Stadium.

Steinmetz carried 32 times and rushed for one touchdown as West Chester improved to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in the PSAC East. Zwaan completed 17 of 21 passes for 213 yards and no interceptions.

ESU, which turned the ball over four times, fell to 6-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play.

West Chester jumped out to a 35-7 lead at halftime and held a 39:50-20:10 advantage in time of possession. Zwaan threw for touchdowns of 6, 20, 19 and 29 yards and Steinmetz rushed for a 20-yard score to help the Golden Rams win their fourth straight against ESU.

Sophomore wide out Mike Washington had three touchdowns and finished with six catches for 137 yards. He now has 2,058 receiving yards, 10th best all-time at West Chester.

ESU quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger completed 20 of 36 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns and rushed nine times for 136 yards. He now has 15,297 yards of career total offense and became the first player in NCAA Division II history to go over the milestone. Timmy Chang of Division I Hawaii and Steve McNair of Division I-AA Alcorn State have also surpassed 15,000 yards.

ESU linebacker Jayson Frank made 14 tackles while Steve VanAlstine and Dave Lotier each had 10. Lateef Ferguson had seven tackles for West Chester while Mike Mignogno had six.

West Chester won the toss and elected to receive. The Warriors defense forced a punt but it was fumbled and West Chester recovered at the 22. Five plays later, Zwaan found Washington in the corner of the end zone for a six-yard score. Alex Walsh kicked the first of his seven extra points.

The Golden Rams scored their second touchdown late in the first quarter when Zwaan found Washington for a 20-yard touchdown following an ESU punt.

West Chester then used nine plays to go 67 yards after forcing a turnover on downs. Brandon Hargrose rushed for a 15-yard scoring run to cap the drive.

ESU turned it over on downs on their next possession and Dean Millard took advantage with a 17-yard scoring run and a 28-0 lead.

The Warriors fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Golden Rams made it a 35-0 lead when Zwaan found Cody Clark for a 19-yard touchdown.

The Warriors got on the board on their next possession when Terwilliger hit Wes Lindsay for a 33-yard touchdown. Eric Petters’ kicked the PAT and West Chester led 35-7 at halftime.

West Chester’s Nick Jablokov returned an interception 12 yards to start the third quarter and Steinmetz broke off a 20-yard scoring run.

Terwilliger hit Doug Ogden for a 56-yard touchdown pass on the next possession and the Golden Rams led 42-14 after three quarters.

Evan Prall made it a 21-point game when he returned an Anthony Belasco punt 75 yards for a touchdown. It was his second punt return for a touchdown of the season.

West Chester’s final score came on the next possession when Zwaan and Washington connected from 29 yards out.

Terwilliger closed the scoring when he hit Sam Shuman for an 11-yard touchdown.

The Warriors will play at PSAC East-leading Bloomsburg Saturday at 1:30 p.m. while the Golden Rams host Mansfield.

Courtesy of Sports Information Director Ryan Yanoshak.

ESU’s Vetter Named PSAC Player of the Week

October 16, 2006

EAST STROUDSBURG, PA – East Stroudsburg University senior defensive end John Vetter (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division Defensive Player of the Week.

Vetter, who made the switch to end from linebacker in his senior season, had seven tackles, including three tackles for losses to help the Warriors beat Edinboro, 12-0, Saturday at Sox Harrison Stadium. Vetter also had two sacks for minus 13 yards to stop Edinboro drives in ESU territory and preserve the shutout, the first of the season for ESU.

The Warriors defense allowed just 227 yards of total offense against Edinboro, had four sacks, intercepted three passes and forced six punts.

Vetter is the third ESU player to be honored by the PSAC. Quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger has twice been named Offensive Player of the Week and wide receiver Evan Prall earned the honor once.

ESU is now 5-2 and will host Cheyney Saturday at 1:05 p.m. at Eiler-Martin Stadium.

PSAC Players of the Week

Eastern Division Offense

Michael Washington - West Chester scored three touchdowns and averaged 38.6 yards per catch as West Chester defeated Millersville, 54-27. He caught an 83-yard touchdown pass on West Chester’s first play of the game, and then broke open a close game with 62- and 28-yard touchdown strikes in the second half. He totaled 200 all-purpose yards by catching five passes for 193 yards and rushing once for seven yards.

Special Mention: Bloomsburg Offensive Line/Blocking Unit - paved the way for two career-high rushing performances in the absence of 2005 Division II rushing leader Jamar Brittingham, Christian Allen (185 yards) and Josh Heck (180 yards).

Eastern Division Defense

John Vetter - East Stroudsburg

Western Division Offense

Joe Ruggerio - California piled up 223 yards passing, hitting on 22 of 35 attempts in California’s 24-14 win over Slippery Rock. Early on, he gave the Vulcans a 14-0 lead with an 8-yard touchdown pass. In the fourth quarter with California leading by just three points, he engineered a 17-play, 80 yard drive that took over eight minutes off the clock, capped by his own 1-yard touchdown run.

Western Division Defense

Jaron Nalewak - Shippensburg totaled a career-high 13 total tackles, including eight solo stops, in Shippensburg’s 20-17 overtime win at Lock Haven. He accumulated six stops behind the line of scrimmage (3 solos, 3 assists), including a sack of -6 yards, and added a forced fumble. Nalewak now has PSAC bests of 20 TFL and 7.5 sacks for the year.

Courtesy of Sports Information Director Ryan Yanoshak.

ESU Football 8th in Regional Rankings

October 10, 2006

EAST STROUDSBURG, PA – The East Stroudsburg University football team is ranked eighth in the first NCAA Division II regional rankings.

Shepherd (5-0) is the top team in the Northeast Region, followed by Bloomsburg (5-1), C.W. Post (5-1), Bryant (4-2), Merrimack (3-3), Southern Connecticut State (3-3), IUP (4-1) and the Warriors. Millersville is ninth (3-3), with Shippensburg (3-3), California (4-2) and Glenville State (3-3).

The regional rankings determine participants for the NCAA Division II playoffs. The top six teams earn playoff berths. The official playoff pairings will be announced Sunday, Nov. 12.

NORTHEAST

1. Shepherd, 5-0

2. Bloomsburg, 5-1

3. C.W. Post, 5-1

4. Bryant, 4-2

5. Merrimack, 303

6. So. Connecticut State, 3-3

7. IUP, 4-1

8. ESU, 4-2

9. Millersville, 3-3

10. Shippensburg, 3-3

11. California, 4-2

12. Glenville State, 3-3

NORTHWEST

1. North Dakota, 6-0

2. Nebraska-Omaha, 4-1

3. Grand Valley, 6-0

4. Winona State, 5-1

5. Northwood, 6-0

6. South Dakota, 5-1

7. Augustana, 4-2

8. Minnesota-Duluth, 4-2

9. Ferris State, 4-2

10. Saginaw Valley, 4-2

11. Tiffin, 7-0

12. Humboldt State, 4-1

SOUTHEAST

1. Newberry, 6-0

2. North Carolina Central, 6-0

3. Wingate, 5-1

4. North Alabama, 5-0

5. Valdosta State, 5-0

6. Henderson State, 5-1

7. Albany State, 4-2

8. Carson-Newman, 5-1

9. Johnson C. Smith, 5-1

10. Mars Hill, 4-2

11. Elizabeth City, 5-1

12. Delta State, 5-1

SOUTHWEST

1. Northwest Missouri, 6-0

2. Missouri Western, 5-1

3. Chadron State, 6-0

4. West Texas A&M, 6-0

5. Abilene Christian, 5-0

6. Midwestern State, 5-1

7. Pittsburg State, 5-1

8. Fort Lewis, 5-2

9. W. New Mexico, 4-2

10. Nebraska-Kearney, 3-2

11. Central Oklahoma, 4-2

12. Washburn, 4-2

Courtesy of Sports Information Director Ryan Yanoshak.

Terwilliger Named PSAC Player of the Week

October 9, 2006

EAST STROUDSBURG, PA – East Stroudsburg University quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division Co-Offensive Player of the Week.

Terwilliger completed 26 of 36 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another 118 yards to lead the Warriors to a 30-19 victory at Millersville. Terwilliger threw for touchdowns of 30, 8 and 10 yards for the Warriors who are 2-0 in PSAC East play. It was the third time this season he has thrown at least three touchdown passes and the fourth time he has rushed for 100 yards in his career. This was the second time Terwilliger was named PSAC Player of the Week.

Terwilliger also set another NCAA Division II record in the victory. He has thrown a touchdown pass in 42 career games, passing Joe Craven of Gardner-Webb. Terwilliger has thrown a touchdown pass in all but one of the games he has played in.

ESU is 4-2 overall and will travel to Edinboro Saturday for a 1 p.m. game.

PSAC Players of the Week

Eastern Division Co-Offense

Jimmy Terwilliger - East Stroudsburg

Dan Latorre – Bloomsburg threw for a season-best 273 yards (10 of 16), two touchdowns and no interceptions to lead Bloomsburg to a 30-27 triumph over West Chester. His scoring strikes came from 70 and 57 yards out. He also added 17 yards on the ground, including a 9-yard touchdown run that pushed Bloomsburg’s lead to 17-3 at the half.

Eastern Division Defense
Tyler Trettin - Bloomsburg collected seven tackles, including five solos, and an interception in Bloomsburg’s win over West Chester. Two of the tackles came on special teams that ended big returns. His interception came in Bloomsburg territory and set up a long touchdown drive by the Huskies.

Western Division Offense
Joe Ruggerio - California orchestrated a solid Vulcan passing game by hitting on 22 of 32 (68.8%) attempts for 197 yards, no interceptions, and the game’s only touchdown in California’s 10-0 win over Edinboro. He also rushed twice for 17 yards to give him 214 yards of total offense for the afternoon.

Western Division Co-Defense
Jaron Nalewak - Shippensburg totaled six tackles, including five solos, in Shippensburg’s 28-21 win over Slippery Rock. Most importantly, he set up Shippensburg’s game-winning touchdown by forcing a fumble late in the fourth quarter. On The Rock’s next series, he registered sacks on consecutive plays - forcing Slippery Rock into third and long - and resulting in the game-clinching interception.

Dwaon Woodard – Clarion was the difference in Clarion’s 21-18 win over Cheyney. He returned the first of his three interceptions on the day 54 yards for a Clarion touchdown. His third interception came deep in Clarion territory, which he returned to the Cheyney 29-yard line. Perhaps, most importantly, one of his two break-ups came in the end zone with six seconds remaining, and then he had the coverage on Cheyney’s final attempt of the game. He totaled four tackles and 95 yards in interception returns.

Courtesy of Sports Information Director Ryan Yanoshak.

ESU Opens PSAC Eastern Division Play At Mansfield

September 28, 2006

EAST STROUDSBURG, PA – The East Stroudsburg University football team will play its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division opener, Saturday at Mansfield University. Game time is 1 p.m. at Van Norman Stadium.

The Warriors are 2-2 and coming off of a thrilling 41-34 victory over No. 25 California (Pa.). They trailed by 17 points twice before rallying for the victory. Mansfield is 0-3 following a 24-21 loss to Lock Haven.

ESU has played three games against teams from the PSAC West and won two of them, beating Lock Haven (45-14) and California and losing to IUP (35-20). ESU also lost to Bentley 9-7 in the opening week of the season.

Mansfield has played three teams against the PSAC West, losing to Shippensburg (35-0), Slippery Rock (46-0) and Lock Haven (24-21)

The Warriors lead the series with Mansfield 60-8 and have won the past 15 games, including a 41-7 victory in 2004, the last time they played at Mansfield. The last Mansfield win was in 1990, 56-27.

“This is the first rung on the ladder for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division championship,” ESU head coach Denny Douds said. “When we play in our so-called backyard with our neighbors, we know every game is going to be a dog fight. This week will certainly be no different.”

Last week in the victory over California, ESU quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger added another two records to his growing list. He threw for four touchdowns in the game and is now the NCAA Division II record-holder in career touchdown passes (123). He also holds the NCAA Division II record for career touchdowns responsible for (he also has 11 rushing and has 134 for his career). He was named the PSAC Eastern Division Player of the Week and the d2football.com Offensive Player of the Week.

Terwilliger completed 29 of 43 passes for 389 yards. Evan Prall caught a school-record-tying 14 of those passes for 186 yards and a touchdown. Five other receivers caught passes, including Wes Lindsay who had first career touchdown and Doug Ogden who caught two scoring passes for the first time in his career.

Terwilliger has thrown for 1,071 yards this season with 10 touchdowns. Prall is the leading receiver with 29 catches for 577 yards and five touchdowns. Ogden has 144 yards and Sam Shuman has seven catches for 118 yards.

Terwilliger was also the leading rusher against Cal with 50 yards. Tailback Matt Brunetti rushed for 43 yards while Joe Partridge added 24 yards. Brunetti has rushed for 224 yards on the season and is averaging five yards per carry.

An offensive line, with just one returning starters, has been protecting Terwilliger and opening holes for the running game. Junior Michael Habel (6-4, 321) is the left tackle and the only lineman back who started all 14 games last year. Junior Thomas Sugden (6-2, 297) is the left guard, next to center Mike Parshley (6-1, 278). Junior David Biever (6-1, 285) is the other guard with red-shirt freshman Morgan Thomas (6-3, 281) at tackle.

The ESU defense, playing without three starters, held California to just 127 yards of total offense in the second half to allow the offense to rally. Defensive end Greg Thoman had seven tackles while tackle Andrew Marsteller and linebacker Jayson Frank had five. End John Vetter, outside linebacker Steve VanAlstine and cornerback Michael Gnall had four tackles each. Thoman leads the team with 24 tackles, five tackles for losses and two sacks. Linebacker Dave Lotier has 21 tackles while Vetter and Frank have 20 each.

“You have to play 60 minutes,” Douds said. “I told the kids they could win the game in the first quarter or the fourth quarter. At halftime, we talked about making sure you are taking care of your responsibilities. If 10 guys do it right and one person misses a block, runs a wrong route or blocks the wrong person… We told the kids if you do that we can win the ball game and they showed great energy in the second half.”

A very young Mansfield team found its offensive rhythm last week against Lock Haven. Quarterback Tyler Blakeslee, a 6-3, 185-pound senior, has completed 16 of 36 passes for 204 yards. Garrett Kensy, a 6-2, 205-pound freshman has completed eight of 34 passes.

Tucker Berry, a 5-9, 170-pound freshman and Kevon Calhoun, a 5-10, 175-pound freshman share the tailback duties. Berry has 38 carries for 161 yards while Calhoun has carried 35 times for 119 yards and a score.

Sophomore Rodney Davis (5-10, 212) is the leading receiver with eight catches for 72 yards while freshman Xavier Thomas (5-11, 170) has seven catches for 72 yards. Junior Tyrone Robinson (6-1, 205) has six catches for 91 yards.

Defensively, the Mountaineers play a 3-4 with junior Jermaine Smith (6-3, 240), freshman Chad Collier (5-11, 300) and senior Brian Smith (6-1, 260) as the down linemen. Sophomores Tom Duer (5-11, 221) and Troy Godinet (6-0, 220) are the outside linebackers while senior Andre Turner (6-1, 240) and freshman Joshua Miller (6-0, 245) are inside. Red-shirt freshmen Michael Gardier (5-9, 175) and Thomas Malinich (5-10, 186) are the safeties with freshman Kelly Love (5-11, 145) and Greg Hopkins (5-10, 17) at cornerback.

Gardier is the leading tackler with 27 stops, including 17 solo. Turner has 24 tackles and 4.5 tackles for a loss while Miller has 20 tackles. Miller, Gardier and Kelly Love all have interceptions.

This is the first of three straight road games for ESU with Millersville and Edinboro to follow.

Courtesy of Sports Information Director Ryan Yanoshak.

Terwilliger Honored by Don Hansen’s Football

September 29, 2006

EAST STROUDSBURG, PA – East Stroudsburg University senior quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger was named the Division II Offensive Player of the Week by Don Hansen’s Football Gazette.

Terwilliger threw for four touchdowns and 389 yards and had 439 yards of total offense to help rally the Warriors to a 41-34 victory over then No. 25 California. Terwilliger completed 29 of 43 passes on the day, including 12 of 14 in the second half.

Terwilliger also broke a pair of NCAA Division II records during the game – career touchdowns passes (he now has 123) and career touchdowns responsible for (134).

Evan Prall was previously honored by Don Hansen’s Football Gazette after setting the single-game receiving record against Lock Haven.

The latest honors caps a busy week for Terwilliger who was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division Player of the Week, the d2football.com Offensive Player of the Week and the ABC Trophy, Inc. Athlete of the Week.

ESU is 2-2 and will travel to Mansfield for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Saturday.

ALSO HONORED WERE:
NCAA II NAT. OFFENSIVE, JOE McLAIN, SO. QB, 5’8, 170. CHADRON STATE COLLEGE: completed 13-of-15 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns. He also averaged 14.2 yards per carry, rushing five times for 71 yards. McLain did all this while only playing in the first half.

NCAA II NAT. OFFENSIVE, JIMMY TERWILLIGER, SR. QB, 6’0, 172. EAST STROUDSBURG UNIVERSITY.

NCAA II NAT. DEFENSIVE, PAUL TETZEL, JR. S, 5’10, 195. BENTLEY COLLEGE: blocked and then recovered a punt for a touchdown, and later returned his second interception of the game 62 yards for what proved to be the winning points against Merrimack. Made his first interception on the previous series in the end zone to protect a 10-point lead at the time. Finished the game with 10 tackles, 102 return yards and 12 points scored

NCAA II NAT. DEFENSIVE, KENZIE YEWMAN, JR. CB, 5’9, 185. WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY: three interceptions that he returned for a total of 77 yards. All three interceptions were converted into Warrior touchdowns. He also had two solo tackles.

NCAA II NAT. SPECIAL TEAMS, JASON DIXON, SR. PK/P, 5’10, 210. UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA: scored seven points in UCO’s 19-16 win over Eastern New Mexico, making 19-and 32-yard field goals to stake the Bronchos to a 6-0 first-half lead and adding a PAT after UCO’s last touchdown. He also punted five times for a 43.0 average, with two inside the 20-yard line and EMNU netting just eight yards on three returns. He also had four touchbacks on five kickoffs.

NCAA II NAT. SPECIAL TEAMS, WAYNE DURHAM, JR. K/P, 6’4, 180. ADAMS STATE UNIVERSITY: had six punts for a 42.7 average. He had two of over 50 yards, including a long of 54, and two inside the 20-yard line. He was also a perfect 2-for-2 on field goals and is now a perfect 8-for-8 on field goals of less than 50 yards. He is also perfect on PAT attempts this season (10-for-10).

NCAA II NAT. SPECIAL TEAMS, BRANDON HILL, JR. P, 6’4, 225. MERCYHURST COLLEGE: averaged 52 yards on four punts, including a long of 61 yards as the Lakers defeated Gannon, 35-14. His fourth-quarter, 49-yard punt, pinned Gannon at its own four yard line. Hill also had punts of 57 and 42 yards. The 61-and 57-yard punts were the two longest of his career.

NCAA II NAT. SPECIAL TEAMS, JACOBY JONES, SR. KR, 6’4, 210. LANE COLLEGE: returned four kickoffs for 164 yards (41.0 average per return), including an 85-yard return for a touchdown in the 23-15 win over Clark Atlanta.

NCAA II NAT. OFFENSIVE LINEMAN, ROBERT DUNCAN, SR. OC, 6’0, 268. NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY: provided the protection as the Eagles racked up 291 yards of total offense (124rushing, 167 passing) in a 27-20 victory over Division 1-AA opponent Southern University.

NCAA II NAT. OFFENSIVE LINEMAN, ROSS THOMPSON, SR. OC, 6’0, 290. MOREHOUSE COLLEGE: graded out at 90-percent with three pancakes for an offensive line that helped gain 301 yards while scoring on 3-of-3 red zone opportunities.

NCAA II NAT. ALL-PURPOSE, DE’AUDRA DIX, JR. CB/KR, 5’10, 180. JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY: blocked two field goal attempts, brought back a punt return for a 40-yard touchdown and returned a kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown as Johnson C. Smith defeated Virginia Union, 40-37.

Courtesy of Sports Information Director Ryan Yanoshak.

Terwilliger Named d2football.com Player of Week

September 26, 2006

EAST STROUDSBURG, PA – East Stroudsburg University senior quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger has been named the d2football.com Offensive Player of the Week.

Terwilliger rallied the Warriors from two 17-point deficits and broke a pair of national records in a 41-34 victory over California (Pa.) last weekend.

Terwilliger completed 29 of 43 passes for 389 yards and four touchdowns. He passed Marc Eddy of Bentley as the NCAA Division II leader in career touchdowns and also passed Curt Anes of Grand Valley State as the NCAA Division II leader in career touchdowns responsible for. Terwilliger has thrown for 123 career touchdowns and rushed for 11.

Terwilliger is the second ESU player to gain the national honor from d2football.com. Two weeks ago, Evan Prall was honored after scoring five touchdowns and setting the school record with 254 receiving yards.

The Warriors are 2-2 overall and will open Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division play Saturday at Mansfield at 1 p.m.

Courtesy of Sports Information Director Ryan Yanoshak.

Terwilliger Named PSAC Player of the Week

September 25, 2006

EAST STROUDSBURG, PA – East Stroudsburg University senior quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division Player of the Week.

Terwilliger completed 29 of 43 passes for 389 yards and four touchdowns and helped rally the Warriors from two 17-point deficits in a 41-34 victory over California.

Terwilliger now has 123 career touchdown passes, an NCAA Division II record. Marc Eddy of Bentley threw 121 scoring passes from 2001-04. Terwilliger also passed Curt Anes of Grand Valley State as the NCAA Division II record holder for most touchdowns responsible for in a career. Terwilliger has also rushed for 11 scores and has 134. Anes had 130 from 1999-2002.

Terwilliger is the second ESU football player to earn PSAC player of the week honors. Senior wide out Evan Prall was honored on September 16.

ESU is now 2-2 and will play its PSAC Eastern Division opened Saturday at Mansfield at 1 p.m.

PSAC Players of the Week
Eastern Division
Offense, Jimmy Terwilliger, East Stroudsburg
Defense, Andre Turner, Mansfield, finished with a game-high 10 tackles in a 24-21 last minute loss to Lock Haven. The senior recorded a sack and forced a fumble as well as a pass breakup. The highlight of his strong defensive performance was an 85-yard interception return for a touchdown

Western Division
Offense, Ilio DiPaolo, Lock Haven, anchored a second-half comeback against Mansfield to give the Bald Eagles its first victory of the season, 24-21. In his second career start, he completed 19 of 37 passes for 226 yards, the highest output for a Lock Haven quarterback since 2004.
Defense, Clint Forsha, Slippery Rock, spearheaded a Rock defensive effort that limited Kutztown to 246 yards of total offense, including just 71 rushing yards. He recorded two of the Rock’s five sacks and finished with a team-high five total tackles, four tackles for loss and one pass break up.

Courtesy of Sports Information Director Ryan Yanoshak.

East Stroudsburg’s Terwilliger Sets Another Record, ESU beats California

September 23, 2006

EAST STROUDSBURG, PA East Stroudsburg University quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger set another NCAA Division II record as the Warriors used a second half rally to defeat California (Pa.) 41-34, Saturday in front of a large Family Day crowd at Eiler-Martin Stadium.

Terwilliger threw for 389 yards and four touchdowns as the Warriors overcame a 31-21 halftime deficit to improve to 2-2.

With his four touchdown passes, Terwilliger passed Marc Eddy of Bentley as the NCAA Division II leader in career touchdown passes. Terwilliger tied Eddy’s record of 121 with a four-yard scoring toss to Doug Ogden and broke the record with 41-yard scoring pass to Evan Prall. Eddy set the record from 2001-04 while he was at Bentley.

Terwilliger completed 29 of 32 passes for 389 yards, the 24th time in his career he has thrown for more than 300 yards. He also rushed for 50 yards on 11 carries.

Fourteen of those completions went to Prall, who tied the school record for receptions in a game. Prall had 186 yards and one touchdown. John Kotarsky (vs. Mansfield in 1999) and Brett Witmer (vs. Bloomsburg in 1997) also had 14 receptions in a contest.

California, ranked No. 25 in the latest American Football Coaches Association poll, jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and had a 24-7 advantage midway through the second quarter.

The Warriors trailed by 10 points at halftime, tied the game late in the third quarter and scored the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

California had the ball for 12 minutes in the first quarter alone but had just 15 more minutes in time of possession.

The Vulcans’ Joe Ruggiero completed 17 of 24 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns before leaving the game with an injury. Matt Humbert completed four of six passes for 77 yards in the last quarter.

Ruggiero threw an eight-yard scoring pass to Brandon Jackson to open the scoring. Later in the first quarter, Tyler Lorenz kicked a 24-yard field goal for a 10-0 advantage.

The Warriors got on the board with 12:15 left in the second quarter when Terwilliger hit Wes Lindsay for a six-yard scoring pass, the first scoring reception of his career.

California went back ahead by 10 when Ruggiero connected with Marc Huddleston for a five-yard score with 10:08 left in the first half. Brandon Lombardy then rushed for a six-yard touchdown pass to increase the lead to 24-7.

Terwilliger tied Eddy when he hit Ogden for a four-yard touchdown with four minutes left in the half. Ruggiero answered with a 60-yard scoring pass to Huddleston.

ESU tailback Joe Partridge cut the Warriors deficit to 10 when he scored on a one-yard run with 1:23 left in the first half.

The Warriors defense forced a three-and-out on the opening possession of the second half and then closed the gap. Terwilliger completed three straight passes and then connected with Prall for a 41-yard touchdown to make it 31-28 on Eric Petters’ extra point. Terwilliger is now the NCAA Division II leader in career passing yards and career touchdowns.

Lorenz kicked his second field goal, connecting from 28 yards for a 34-28 Cal lead.

ESU then rolled back down the field to tie the game. Terwilliger hooked up with Prall for 14 yards. Matt Brunetti rushed for 14 more and then scored on a seven-yard run. The PAT failed and the game was tied at 34.

The ESU defense forced another three on out on the ensuing possession and marched down the field with the winning score.

Terwilliger hit Drew Stem for a 12-yard gain, connected with Prall for seven yards and then rushed for 14 yards to get the ball to the Cal 27. Partridge rushed for three yards, Brunetti went off tackle for five yards and then Terwilliger hit Ogden with a 15-yard bullet for the final points.

ESU is now 2-2 and will open Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division play Saturday at Mansfield at 1 p.m. California fell to 2-2 and will play Lock Haven at home in its PSAC Western Division opener.

Courtesy of Sports Information Director Ryan Yanoshak.

East Stroudsburg Hosts # 25 California

September 21, 2006

EAST STROUDSBURG, PA – The East Stroudsburg University football team will plays its third straight game against a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division team Saturday when California University visits Eiler-Martin Stadium for a 1:05 game.

The Warriors are 1-2 and coming off a 35-20 loss at Indiana. They opened the season with a 9-7 loss to Bentley and beat Lock Haven 45-14.

California was the 2005 PSAC West co-champion and has 21 starters back from that team and 43 letterwinners. The Vulcans are ranked No. 25 in the latest American Football Coaches Association poll and are 2-1. They lost to Bloomsburg 24-19 and beat Fairmont State (26-9) and Cheyney (43-8).

Saturday’s game can be heard live on WVPO 840 and 960 AM as well as redzonemedia.com. Blue Ridge TV-13 and California’s student television station will also carry the game.

Last week in the Warriors’ loss to IUP, quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger set the NCAA Division II record for career passing. Terwilliger has thrown for 12,066 yards in 40 games, passing Joey Conrad of Glenville State (11,884 yards from 2002-05).

Terwilliger has completed 44 of 73 passes for 682 yards and six touchdowns. Evan Prall is the leading receiver with 15 catches for 391 yards and four touchdowns. He has returned a punt for a touchdown and rushed for a touchdown. Senior Matt Brunetti is the leading rusher with 181 yards on 39 carries. Fullback Joe Kircher rushed for two touchdowns against IUP and has a receiving touchdown.

California has 18 Division I transfers on its roster. They only new starter is at running back where sophomore Brandon Lombardy, a transfer from Purdue, has replaced Antoine Bagwell who spent the summer in training camp with the St. Louis Rams before being cut.

Junior quarterback Joe Ruggiero (6-2, 195) has completed 58 of 83 passes for 559 yards and four touchdowns and two interceptions. Lombardy (6-0, 224) has carried 54 times for 375 yards and seven scores while senior Marc Huddleston (6-0, 205) is the leading receiver with 15 catches for 119 yards and three touchdowns.

A huge offensive line that averages 303 pounds protects Ruggiero and opens holes for Lombardy. Senior Carl Jay (6-5, 302) is the left tackle, next to guard Akil Patterson (6-3, 315), a transfer from Maryland. Tom McCutcheon (6-4, 305) is the only junior among four seniors. Derek Katris (6-3, 280) is the other guard, with West Virginia transfer Josh Stewart (6-7, 315) at right tackle.

ESU will look to slow down the Vulcans, who average 29.3 points per game. Linebacker Dave Lotier leads the team with 19 tackles while linebacker Fred Rice and end Greg Thoman each have 17. End John Vetter has 16 stops and linebacker Jayson Frank has 15.

Defensively, the Vulcans play a 3-4 and start seven juniors and four sophomores. Avery Goode (6-2, 270) is the nose guard and is joined on the line by Kirby Griffin (6-2, 275) and Willie Walker (6-3, 275). Brian Mohr (6-1, 230) and Josh Zunic (6-2, 215) are the inside linebackers with Mike Dodson (6-0, 21) and Darren Burns (6-3, 215) at outside linebacker. Josh Kemp (5-11, 190) and Jermaine Moye (6-3, 215) are the safeties with Chris Glass (6-0, 180) and Travis Williams (6-3, 205) at corner back.

ESU has only played California three times and leads the series 2-0-1. ESU won back-to-back games in 1992 (40-13) and 1993 (9-6). The two teams tied in 1968 in the PSAC championship game.

Courtesy of Sports Information Director Ryan Yanoshak.

Honors Continue For ESU WR Evan Prall

September 12, 2006

EAST STROUDSBURG, PA – East Stroudsburg University senior wide receiver Evan Prall (Scranton/West Scranton) has been named player of the week by two more organizations.

Prall was named the d2football.com Offensive Player of the Week and also the ABC Trophy Athlete of the Week. Monday, Prall was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division Player of the Week.

Prall caught nine passes for four touchdowns and a school-record 254 yards in the Warriors 45-14 victory over Lock Haven on Saturday. He also returned a punt for a touchdown to tie the school record for touchdowns in a game. He now has 37 career touchdown receptions, a new ESU record.

D2football.com picks an offensive and defensive player of the week for Division I-AA and Division II. A national panel votes on the selection.

Each week ABC Trophy, Inc., of Stroudsburg awards an ESU Athlete of the Week. The selection is announced Tuesday and each student receives a red and silver plaque. Men’s soccer standout Ryan Love was the first recipient of the 2006 school year.

Supplied by Sports Information Director Ryan Yanoshak