If what happened in week 11's 48-14 loss to California is the future of Millersville football, get excited. In another example of "the score does not dictate the game," the Marauders put on an entertaining show for their loyal fans on Saturday, putting a serious scare into the Vulcans, who were picked as a West favorite.
Congratulations to a marvelous bookend to senior RB Ian Sadon's Millersville career. Sadon rushed for 187 yards, a career high, as well as eclipsed 1,000 yards in a season early in the third quarter. Sadon scored one of two Millersville touchdowns in his final game.
Senior LB Jordan Rigby also had a rather nice performance, totaling 12 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for a loss for seven total yards. Rigby will also end his Millersville career on a high note.
Now, to the game.
California scored on their first possession. Responding to that score took 10 plays and 75 yards, culminating in an entertaining moment. Saturday's referees used a very strange arm position to call for second down, and touchdown. The crowd, as well as the marching band (and yours truly) were swayed by this strange arm signal that looked eerily similar to touchdown.
One play later, Sadon rushed it into the end zone in a way we've all seen so many times this year.
The Vulcans scored twice more and added a field goal from Cody Nuzzo to take a 24-7 lead at the half. More of the same? Not so.
Corey Unger's one yard run cut the deficit to 10 early in the second half. Fans remained raucous as head coach Greg Breitbach's adage came to life—give yourself a chance to win in the fourth quarter. It seemed so tangible at that time. Millersville came alive. Chryst Field rocked.
Evan Stahl could have cut the lead to 7 points after a 32 yard fumble recovery by Rasheed Johnson, but failed to stick the 24 yard field goal due to excellent pressure and an ill-timed wind gust. Millersville also had the ball deep in California territory after a California punt.
However, California's Jordan Bowman, who ended up with PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week honors, recovered an ill-fated handoff and returned a fumble 80 yards for a touchdown. Unger also threw an interception to Dewey McDonald just a minute later whose 20 yard return extended California's once-tense lead to 41-14.
Nick Grissom added one more score late to make it 48-14, and thus, the game.
Turnovers kill. All three interceptions and the one fumble on Saturday resulted in points. In fact, 24 of California's 48 points came from turnovers. Those get cleaned up, and the game looks so much different. Every Millersville turnover in this game, against East Stroudsburg, Kutztown and Lock Haven except for one, resulted in points.
You erase those points, and again, each game looks different. Turnovers are inevitable, that's just football, but multiple interceptions and fumbles taken for points every time will destroy chances to win. They kill momentum. No doubt over the final games this season was this more evident. Opponents scored 83 total points off of turnovers in the last four weeks.
Millersville ended the season with 17 interceptions and 32 fumbles, of which 15 were lost to the opposition. The next post will take a look at the numbers and the season recap. They may not be pretty numbers, but improvement takes time. To say no strides were taken this year would be foolhardy. Many strides occurred on Saturday.
On a more positive note, Millersville's offensive line played exceptionally well on Saturday. 224 of Millersville's 289 total yards of offense came on the ground. 43 of the rest of those yards came on a spectacular pitch and catch to David Coates for a huge gain. If that offensive line can continue to develop under Jeff Richter, life will be much easier for the offense as a whole.
California gained 369 total yards with 233 coming through the air. Cal totaled 106 yards off of two turnover returns which may not count against the total yards gained, but they sure help in the long run. Again, clean them up, the score comes down considerably. It just goes to show that Breitbach's insistence on clean football will make a gargantuan difference in these tightly contested games in the PSAC.
My thanks and gratitude go out to the entire football coaching staff. It was a whirlwind of change for many of them, and for them to handle this situation with so much grace and professionalism meant a ton towards presenting a quality broadcast on MSBN.
The Marauder Touchdown Club has raised over $16,000 for operational costs. The Marauder Scholar Program put forth over 500 hours of community service. The amount of change in just seven short months has been remarkable. Here's to the future.
The season recap post will be coming likely next week. Until then.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
From the Booth: Week Ten Edition
Calling it now: East Stroudsburg will win the PSAC East next year. This team is scary. The Warriors used a methodical offense and timely defense to unrelentingly defeat Millersville 66-7.
19 seconds is all it took for East Stroudsburg to score on their first possession. Robert Healy put on a Marshawn Lynch type show, pushing away several defenders to scamper in for the 58 yard score. That touchdown was East Stroudsburg's fastest since 1994.
ESU racked up 20 points in just six minutes on consecutive possessions. Robert Bleiler, ESU's top wideout, caught two for touchdowns, and Gerald Van De Cruz finished things off for the first quarter scoring.
The Warriors equaled their first quarter output by doing it again. 27 more points, 54 total points at the half. East Stroudsburg essentially dominated every single statistical category. Unfortunately, this was no contest.
It begins and ends with the play of Matt Soltes. The redshirt sophomore QB threw for 197 yards, which is awfully low for him, but he economically threw for six touchdowns on Saturday. His runners tallied three more.
To be fair, Millersville's defense fared a ton better against East Stroudsburg last week than Lock Haven did. The Bald Eagles allowed 696 total yards of offense to Millersville's 462, and Soltes threw for 462 yards by himself last week, and rushed for another 74 yards. So, in terms of a percentage, Soltes accounted for 77% of East Stroudsburg's offense against Lock Haven.
Soltes has already accounted for several PSAC and national records so far. He will be spectacular for two years to come.
In terms of positives for the Marauders, unfortunately there are not many to draw from this contest. Ian Sadon found a lot more openings in the second half. He finished his day with another solid 96 yard performance. Brent Collins returned five kickoffs for 147 yards, including a spectacular 65 yard return in the second half as well.
Of all players to throw a touchdown, who else than running back David Coates? Coates became the fourth player to throw for a touchdown this season. He found a wide open Kevin Porter on a trick play to put Millersville on the scoreboard.
As of the time of this blog, the team has already forgotten about this game and will have to look forward to next week's season conclusion.
In a sort of deja vu scheduling quirk, Millersville will play California on Saturday to end the 2013 campaign. Head Coach Greg Breitbach and the rest of the staff have continued to keep this season positive. Many aspects of Millersville's game have been radically changed. New plays, new players, new techniques, new mindset, and a lot more attention to certain details have all been instituted.
California lost to Mercyhurst last week 23-20. Anyone who isn't Bloomsburg or Slippery Rock will have to play out the final game and look forward to next season. It's a rather cutthroat playoff system, but you must be the best in an insanely competitive PSAC.
Cal has had a baffling season. They played so well against the East, including almost upsetting West Chester 38-31, but have played inconsistently against West opponents. Losses to IUP, Mercyhurst and Slippery Rock all show that they aren't a top team yet.
Last time Millersville played California, they scored 28 points, including 21 fourth quarter points. Laying it all on the line for one final game on senior day would mean a ton to the departing seniors. Those seniors include LB Jordan Rigby, WR Dominic Sanders, S David Rene, S Dan Miller, RV Dean May, DE Gilbert Ramos, C Alex Schwendeman, WR David Barnes and DT Doug Henninger.
They, along with the 1993 PSAC East champion football team, will be honored at home for a 4 p.m. start. Hope you can join us on MSBN then. www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
The PSAC Title Game has been decided after all this time. Bloomsburg upended West Chester in one final matchup to win the division by virtue of a tiebreak. All three top teams ended with a 7-1 record in conference. Seems complicated because Bloom beat West Chester, but West Chester beat Shippensburg, and Shippensburg beat Bloomsburg, but somehow, Bloomsburg won the conference.
Slippery Rock turned it up late in the season to pick up wins with regularity. Slight edge goes to Slippery Rock. They are hot, hot, hot!
19 seconds is all it took for East Stroudsburg to score on their first possession. Robert Healy put on a Marshawn Lynch type show, pushing away several defenders to scamper in for the 58 yard score. That touchdown was East Stroudsburg's fastest since 1994.
ESU racked up 20 points in just six minutes on consecutive possessions. Robert Bleiler, ESU's top wideout, caught two for touchdowns, and Gerald Van De Cruz finished things off for the first quarter scoring.
The Warriors equaled their first quarter output by doing it again. 27 more points, 54 total points at the half. East Stroudsburg essentially dominated every single statistical category. Unfortunately, this was no contest.
It begins and ends with the play of Matt Soltes. The redshirt sophomore QB threw for 197 yards, which is awfully low for him, but he economically threw for six touchdowns on Saturday. His runners tallied three more.
To be fair, Millersville's defense fared a ton better against East Stroudsburg last week than Lock Haven did. The Bald Eagles allowed 696 total yards of offense to Millersville's 462, and Soltes threw for 462 yards by himself last week, and rushed for another 74 yards. So, in terms of a percentage, Soltes accounted for 77% of East Stroudsburg's offense against Lock Haven.
Soltes has already accounted for several PSAC and national records so far. He will be spectacular for two years to come.
In terms of positives for the Marauders, unfortunately there are not many to draw from this contest. Ian Sadon found a lot more openings in the second half. He finished his day with another solid 96 yard performance. Brent Collins returned five kickoffs for 147 yards, including a spectacular 65 yard return in the second half as well.
Of all players to throw a touchdown, who else than running back David Coates? Coates became the fourth player to throw for a touchdown this season. He found a wide open Kevin Porter on a trick play to put Millersville on the scoreboard.
As of the time of this blog, the team has already forgotten about this game and will have to look forward to next week's season conclusion.
In a sort of deja vu scheduling quirk, Millersville will play California on Saturday to end the 2013 campaign. Head Coach Greg Breitbach and the rest of the staff have continued to keep this season positive. Many aspects of Millersville's game have been radically changed. New plays, new players, new techniques, new mindset, and a lot more attention to certain details have all been instituted.
California lost to Mercyhurst last week 23-20. Anyone who isn't Bloomsburg or Slippery Rock will have to play out the final game and look forward to next season. It's a rather cutthroat playoff system, but you must be the best in an insanely competitive PSAC.
Cal has had a baffling season. They played so well against the East, including almost upsetting West Chester 38-31, but have played inconsistently against West opponents. Losses to IUP, Mercyhurst and Slippery Rock all show that they aren't a top team yet.
Last time Millersville played California, they scored 28 points, including 21 fourth quarter points. Laying it all on the line for one final game on senior day would mean a ton to the departing seniors. Those seniors include LB Jordan Rigby, WR Dominic Sanders, S David Rene, S Dan Miller, RV Dean May, DE Gilbert Ramos, C Alex Schwendeman, WR David Barnes and DT Doug Henninger.
They, along with the 1993 PSAC East champion football team, will be honored at home for a 4 p.m. start. Hope you can join us on MSBN then. www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
The PSAC Title Game has been decided after all this time. Bloomsburg upended West Chester in one final matchup to win the division by virtue of a tiebreak. All three top teams ended with a 7-1 record in conference. Seems complicated because Bloom beat West Chester, but West Chester beat Shippensburg, and Shippensburg beat Bloomsburg, but somehow, Bloomsburg won the conference.
Slippery Rock turned it up late in the season to pick up wins with regularity. Slight edge goes to Slippery Rock. They are hot, hot, hot!
Monday, November 4, 2013
From the Booth: Week Nine Edition
It was a homecoming of sorts for Kutztown Golden Bear coaches Drew Folmar, Ross Pennypacker, Jim Ketner and Dan Csencsitz, all former Millersville Marauder football players. Them, along with their players, showcased a fantastic game plan resulting in a 45-9 victory over Millersville on Saturday.
Coming into the game, it was a battle of two 1-7 teams searching for that next win. Kutztown did not wait offensively, scoring early and often. On Kutztown's first drive, QB Josh Luckenbaugh and company trucked down the field, ending in a Darrell Scott goal line run that resulted in a touchdown. They scored points on their next two drives as well.
Curtis Wortham finished his day nicely with three rushing touchdowns. He had torched Millersville in the past as well.
Worse, Millersville turned the ball over with two interceptions and a fumble. Kutztown paid them back in kind by scoring 21 points in total off of those three turnovers. Turnovers kill. It's that simple.
It could be said that Kutztown was opportunistic on this day. They only gained 338 offensive yards on Saturday. That's a far cry from the 624 given up against West Chester, or 521 against IUP, or 515 against LIU Post. Defense on head coach Greg Breitbach's and defensive coordinator Ron Rankin's has been cleaned up significantly as the weeks go by.
I asked Breitbach about third downs on Saturday's pregame show after noticing a trend. They had been a significant point of contention in the early part of the season. Millersville's 3rd down conversion rate has increased from 25% to 34.35%, and the opposition has dropped from 75% to 48.25%. Breitbach put ones on ones in meaningful drills, and they are paying off tremendously.
The next step is 4th down conversion, which teams don't appear afraid to go for it (50%).
RB Ian Sadon wrecked the field unlike he has at any point this season. Sure, it happened to be his fourth 100+ yard rushing game this season (Millersville outgained Kutztown 184-97 on the ground), but Sadon rushed for 168 of those yards, a touchdown (his team-leading 5th), averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Kutztown did not have an answer for Sadon.
That being the case, freshman QB Corey Unger struggled against a significant pass rush in his first start. Unger (10-21-2) threw for just 82 yards, and was sacked five times. Time did not present itself to find anyone open, and it showed. Unger had to use his legs to avoid situations, and his most popular play was a play action rollout that failed to find anyone open more often than not.
I would imagine that now that Unger has burned his what-would-be redshirt, he will likely get the start next Saturday against East Stroudsburg (6-3, 3-3) as well as in the season finale against California (6-3, 4-2). Last week was likely his first set of practices as a starter, so next week should hold a better result for him.
East Stroudsburg has been stuck in the PSAC East's middle ground for what seems like a few years now. They are led by one heck of a young quarterback named Matt Soltes. Soltes has completed almost 61% of his passes, and has thrown for an insane 28 touchdowns. Runners have rushed for 10 fewer.
As a result of this insane offense, opposing offenses are being outgained by 1,400 yards throughout the year. Perhaps one of ESU's problems happened to be a problem of IUP's—discipline. Warriors have taken a staggering 86 penalties for 687 total yards against.
Let's take a look around.
It looks pretty set in stone now that now-nationally ranked Slippery Rock will be the West's representative in the PSAC title game. The East isn't so set just yet. West Chester (6-0) has the division lead, but they must win an absolutely crucial game against Bloomsburg (5-1) this Saturday at home.
Unfortunately for the Golden Rams, they may have swept their home schedule so far, but they battled in some close games to Kutztown (22-21), California (38-31) and East Stroudsburg (34-20). Anything can happen in this game. If Franklin Quiteh is healthy, he will match up against his largest competition, Rondell White.
That will be fun to look out for.
Next week's broadcast will be from Eller-Martin Stadium in East Stroudsburg. The Marauder Pride Pregame Show presented by Homewood Suites by Hilton Lancaster will start at 12:30 p.m. for a 1:05 p.m. kickoff. You can listen here: www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
Coming into the game, it was a battle of two 1-7 teams searching for that next win. Kutztown did not wait offensively, scoring early and often. On Kutztown's first drive, QB Josh Luckenbaugh and company trucked down the field, ending in a Darrell Scott goal line run that resulted in a touchdown. They scored points on their next two drives as well.
Curtis Wortham finished his day nicely with three rushing touchdowns. He had torched Millersville in the past as well.
Worse, Millersville turned the ball over with two interceptions and a fumble. Kutztown paid them back in kind by scoring 21 points in total off of those three turnovers. Turnovers kill. It's that simple.
It could be said that Kutztown was opportunistic on this day. They only gained 338 offensive yards on Saturday. That's a far cry from the 624 given up against West Chester, or 521 against IUP, or 515 against LIU Post. Defense on head coach Greg Breitbach's and defensive coordinator Ron Rankin's has been cleaned up significantly as the weeks go by.
I asked Breitbach about third downs on Saturday's pregame show after noticing a trend. They had been a significant point of contention in the early part of the season. Millersville's 3rd down conversion rate has increased from 25% to 34.35%, and the opposition has dropped from 75% to 48.25%. Breitbach put ones on ones in meaningful drills, and they are paying off tremendously.
The next step is 4th down conversion, which teams don't appear afraid to go for it (50%).
RB Ian Sadon wrecked the field unlike he has at any point this season. Sure, it happened to be his fourth 100+ yard rushing game this season (Millersville outgained Kutztown 184-97 on the ground), but Sadon rushed for 168 of those yards, a touchdown (his team-leading 5th), averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Kutztown did not have an answer for Sadon.
That being the case, freshman QB Corey Unger struggled against a significant pass rush in his first start. Unger (10-21-2) threw for just 82 yards, and was sacked five times. Time did not present itself to find anyone open, and it showed. Unger had to use his legs to avoid situations, and his most popular play was a play action rollout that failed to find anyone open more often than not.
I would imagine that now that Unger has burned his what-would-be redshirt, he will likely get the start next Saturday against East Stroudsburg (6-3, 3-3) as well as in the season finale against California (6-3, 4-2). Last week was likely his first set of practices as a starter, so next week should hold a better result for him.
East Stroudsburg has been stuck in the PSAC East's middle ground for what seems like a few years now. They are led by one heck of a young quarterback named Matt Soltes. Soltes has completed almost 61% of his passes, and has thrown for an insane 28 touchdowns. Runners have rushed for 10 fewer.
As a result of this insane offense, opposing offenses are being outgained by 1,400 yards throughout the year. Perhaps one of ESU's problems happened to be a problem of IUP's—discipline. Warriors have taken a staggering 86 penalties for 687 total yards against.
Let's take a look around.
It looks pretty set in stone now that now-nationally ranked Slippery Rock will be the West's representative in the PSAC title game. The East isn't so set just yet. West Chester (6-0) has the division lead, but they must win an absolutely crucial game against Bloomsburg (5-1) this Saturday at home.
Unfortunately for the Golden Rams, they may have swept their home schedule so far, but they battled in some close games to Kutztown (22-21), California (38-31) and East Stroudsburg (34-20). Anything can happen in this game. If Franklin Quiteh is healthy, he will match up against his largest competition, Rondell White.
That will be fun to look out for.
Next week's broadcast will be from Eller-Martin Stadium in East Stroudsburg. The Marauder Pride Pregame Show presented by Homewood Suites by Hilton Lancaster will start at 12:30 p.m. for a 1:05 p.m. kickoff. You can listen here: www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
Sunday, October 27, 2013
From the Booth: Week Eight Edition
First of all, I hope everyone had a very happy and safe Homecoming at Millersville University this year. It is always an honor to be a part of the festivities every season. I am always proud to be a Marauder, and the day becomes more special the farther away from my college graduation I get.
Anyway, to business.
Millersville dropped a PSAC East contest to the Lock Haven Bald Eagles on Saturday 26-14 on Homecoming Saturday. A ten point swing in just six seconds of game time proved to be an almost insurmountable hill for the Marauders to overcome. After this loss, Millersville is 1-4 in the PSAC East.
Starting with positives: once again, a sparkling Millersville defense held its opposition to under 300 yards once more. This number standing for three weeks will have been for the first time since 2006. Defense against running plays has improved greatly. After IUP gashed this defense for 303 rushing yards, Millersville held Bloomsburg to 208 yards, Cheyney to 109 yards, and Lock Haven to 77 yards.
Linebackers and defensive tackles have played leagues better in recent weeks due to better direction and increased instinctual play. Marvin Gaskill, after being moved to defensive line, has proved to be a stalwart wall, difficult to break through. Additionally, Reggie Slaton, Jordan Rigby and especially Rasheed Johnson, have played well lately.
Now, the negatives.
A six second stretch decided this game pretty handily. After Connor Casey's injury at the end of the first half, third string backup Jared Pierce took over. Pierce completed a quick shovel pass to David Coates (who played his best game by far this season), but then threw into double coverage for an interception.
Two plays later, with six seconds remaining, local product QB Caleb Walton (Manheim Central) completed an 18 yard bullet to David Cook to score.
One play later for Millersville, Pierce bobbled a snap which would have resulted in a knee ending the half. Lock Haven recovered that ill-fated football, and on one final play, Alex Boumerhi rocketed a 40 yard field goal to complete a ten point swing in six seconds. It turned what would have been a 3-0 halftime score to 13-0 in mere moments.
That series of mistakes led to an opportunity for true freshman QB Corey Unger. Unger finished Saturday throwing 8 of 20 with a pick, and a TD strike to TE Trenton Petrovich in beautiful fashion. Unger showed quick legs if on the run, but it appears he will have to work on his accuracy. It wasn't a Casey-caliber first game, but Unger played well in relief on Saturday.
What do we take from this game?
This offense continues to improve. Once again, after only gaining 180 yards against IUP, Millersville has accomplished gains of 232, 265 and 307 yards. This latest effort was the first 300+ yard game of the season, and the first under head coach Greg Breitbach.
Many critical offensive players this season, including Brent Collins, Ian Sadon and Kevin Porter, especially, did not play a gigantic role in past seasons. Offensive duties hinged on Dominic Sanders, Mike Jones, Matt Egenrieder, among others. Growing pains are understandable. Steady improvement is a great sign.
Millersville has a chance to put this steady improvement to the test against Kutztown, who comes to town with just one win this year as well. KU has played some good teams close, including losing a last-minute lead against nationally-ranked West Chester 22-21, and posting 30 points against Shippensburg, who used their offense to outslug the Golden Bears 55-30.
As an additional incentive, newly-inducted Millersville Hall of Fame QB Drew Folmar, Kutztown's head coach, will make his return to the Ville for the first time as a head coach. Not to mention, Millersville/Kutztown has always been a tremendous rivalry across all sports.
Let's take a look around the PSAC.
The biggest game of the week, West Chester vs. Shippensburg, did not disappoint. A last second West Chester field goal decided not only the game, but likely the playoff picture barring a miracle. What a game. It wasn't the offensive insanity that was predicted, but 32-29 is a pretty good score too.
Bloomsburg scored 35 first half points, including 4 Franklin Quiteh rushing TDs, to win 35-7 over Cheyney on Saturday. They hold serve going into week nine by remaining undefeated.
Bloomsburg vs. Shippensburg will be telecast on the CBS Sports Network and PCN this Thursday at 8 p.m. I know I will be watching this high-octane game for certain. Should be fun.
Millersville vs. Kutztown will be at Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium for the second to last home game this season. Broadcast will start at 11:30 a.m., and the game starts at noon. Broadcast can be heard here: www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
Sunday, October 20, 2013
From the Booth: Week Seven Edition
The first one may have taken a while, but the deed is done. Millersville defeated Cheyney 30-12 on Saturday for win number one on the year, win number one in conference, and win number one for head coach Greg Breitbach and much of his new staff.
This win truly was six weeks in the making, including an intense month of elite-caliber opponents. Defensively, the Marauders stopped the run (109 total yards against), held an opponent to under 300 yards for the second consecutive week (263 total yards), and scored a season-high 30 points.
In fact, this offensive explosion almost doubled the amount of touchdowns this team had previously scored. Five touchdowns became nine, as Ian Sadon stole the show early with two goal line vaults, Mike Reichenbach hauled in his second career TD catch, and David Coates pulled off a spin cycle off of a defender to go in for the score.
Connor Casey looked much more comfortable in this game than in previous contests. He completed eleven passes for 84 total yards. Nothing truly spectacular, but as this offense has shown, it needs to be methodical. Casey's longest pass of 20 yards was to Reichenbach.
Also, this defense forced more turnovers. Doug Henninger and Rasheed Johnson picked off passes, and Millersville also forced two official fumbles. However, Reggie Slaton perfectly created and picked up another fumble that did not happen due to a penalty after the fact.
Those interceptions now mark three straight weeks forcing at least one pick.
Those interceptions now mark three straight weeks forcing at least one pick.
Problem was, Millersville also fumbled the ball three times in this game as well, and gave two away to Cheyney. That will be costly against more talented teams in the future. The new coaching staff is preaching a new way to carry the ball, and perfecting said technique will take time. This ball security effort has gotten strides better after some shaky control in the first two weeks.
Coming into this game, Cheyney's passing attack had suffered for far too long. Adler Thony (14-27-2) threw two great passes to Khalif Dandy and Marquis Garcia-Palmer for scores. Those were the first two passing touchdowns for the Wolves all season. They both came in the fourth quarter when the game was pretty much out of reach.
Cheyney failed to accomplish anything after said touchdowns. Dean May, after a blocked kick, returned the ball 98 yards for a two point conversion. Admittedly, I did not know this rule, and I called it a touchdown. Forgive me! Always happy to have my listeners correct me, and especially tactfully. That helps.
Cheyney's head coach Ken Lockard decided to go for two with the game way out of reach on the second touchdown, and Thony's pass failed to keep Cheyney at 12 points. Lockard also called for two consecutive fourth down offensive plays, and both succeeded.
His first fourth down came towards the conclusion of the first half. On the two yard line, Millersville's defense stuffed a run by RB Marcus Jones, and turned it back over. That play signified how far this defense has come from week one until today. Playing nationally ranked opponents forces teams to play a great brand of football, according to Breitbach, so that's exactly what is continuing to happen on the gridiron.
All in all, great step forward for the Ville. First win done, and a chance to get it done against Lock Haven (2-5, 1-3 PSAC) on Homecoming. Lock Haven's offense sputtered early, but it came to life against Shippensburg, putting a scare into those Red Raiders. Lock Haven will ride a four-game losing streak into this upcoming game.
My only, honest request...get loud and stay loud!
Let's take a look around.
#6 Bloomsburg, #15 West Chester and Shippensburg all held serve atop the East standings after Saturday's games. All of them hold undefeated records. One of them will not be come Saturday, as Ship plays West Chester on Saturday.
Bloomsburg should pick up a win this weekend against Cheyney, but they will have a significant test on Halloween against Shippensburg. That game will be televised on CBS Sports Network. Pretty awesome.
In the West, it's a three-horse race for the playoff spots, unless IUP gets something going soon. After defeating Millersville, the Crimson Hawks have dropped two straight. Edinboro handed them their latest defeat.
Slippery Rock, Gannon and Cal all hold 3-1 conference records. That Western division proves to be extremely tough year in and year out. Should be a fun finish.
Four more games remain on the docket, including three home games. Come on out and see the Millersville Marauders continue the journey back to the top. If you can't make it to Homecoming, you'll feel right at home on MSBN. Broadcast starts at 12:30 on Saturday. www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
Additionally, congratulations to the entire men's golf team, including head coach Scott Vandegrift and individual champion Connor Gilbert for capturing the 2013 PSAC Championship! The first of many to come at Millersville. Should be a fun year.
His first fourth down came towards the conclusion of the first half. On the two yard line, Millersville's defense stuffed a run by RB Marcus Jones, and turned it back over. That play signified how far this defense has come from week one until today. Playing nationally ranked opponents forces teams to play a great brand of football, according to Breitbach, so that's exactly what is continuing to happen on the gridiron.
All in all, great step forward for the Ville. First win done, and a chance to get it done against Lock Haven (2-5, 1-3 PSAC) on Homecoming. Lock Haven's offense sputtered early, but it came to life against Shippensburg, putting a scare into those Red Raiders. Lock Haven will ride a four-game losing streak into this upcoming game.
My only, honest request...get loud and stay loud!
Let's take a look around.
#6 Bloomsburg, #15 West Chester and Shippensburg all held serve atop the East standings after Saturday's games. All of them hold undefeated records. One of them will not be come Saturday, as Ship plays West Chester on Saturday.
Bloomsburg should pick up a win this weekend against Cheyney, but they will have a significant test on Halloween against Shippensburg. That game will be televised on CBS Sports Network. Pretty awesome.
In the West, it's a three-horse race for the playoff spots, unless IUP gets something going soon. After defeating Millersville, the Crimson Hawks have dropped two straight. Edinboro handed them their latest defeat.
Slippery Rock, Gannon and Cal all hold 3-1 conference records. That Western division proves to be extremely tough year in and year out. Should be a fun finish.
Four more games remain on the docket, including three home games. Come on out and see the Millersville Marauders continue the journey back to the top. If you can't make it to Homecoming, you'll feel right at home on MSBN. Broadcast starts at 12:30 on Saturday. www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
Additionally, congratulations to the entire men's golf team, including head coach Scott Vandegrift and individual champion Connor Gilbert for capturing the 2013 PSAC Championship! The first of many to come at Millersville. Should be a fun year.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
From the Booth - Week Six Edition
The gamut of nationally ranked opponents is over. #9 Bloomsburg (6-0, 3-0 PSAC) used quick strikes and opportunistic offense to defeat Millersville (0-6, 0-3 PSAC) by a score of 45-7.
The good news is this, and this humongous progress in one statement: Millersville's defense kept a furious Bloomsburg offense to just 292 total yards. It kept the second-ranked rushing attack to 208 yards. Up until that point, Bloomsburg rushers averaged almost 368 yards per game in that respect. They also only passed for 84 yards and had a success of about 50%.
Credit to defensive coordinator Ron Rankin and his strategy against a high-powered offense. This is a huge step in the right direction. The coaching staff wanted more size up front, inserted more size into the lineup, and it paid instant dividends. I would be surprised to see that personnel change for next week's game.
Now where it gets fuzzy: offense was extremely hard to come by in this game. Redshirt Freshman QB Curtis Frye started his first game, and to his credit, was very accurate with his passes (16-24-1, 98 yds), but he could not break past what has been a dead zone at midfield while driving down the field.
Frye was knocked out with what looked like a knee injury. His status is still unknown to this point. In his stead, veteran Connor Casey (5-10-0, 56 yds, 1 TD) admirably stepped in and showed a ton of rejuvenated moxie in his return. During a 4th quarter drive, Casey unloaded a 56 yard bomb to Kevin Porter which set Millersville up perfectly for a score.
It was then, on a 4th and Goal, head coach Greg Breitbach pulled the trigger on a bold decision. Go for it. Why not?
Why not, indeed. Casey unloaded a bullet to Porter for the score. It was monumental for the offense's confidence. They perfectly executed a drive down the field with a big play. It was the longest play of the season. Casey's TD pass was also his first since week one against LIU Post.
It solved a lot of things. Credit Breitbach for a gutsy decision.
This result was the perfect time to not only give offensive players confidence, but defensive players too. The schedule gets incredibly easier against a winless Cheyney team, a 2-4 Lock Haven team, an East Stroudsburg team without its star quarterback Matt Soltes (at least for now) and a Kutztown team with just one victory against Cheyney.
This back half of the schedule looks more than perfect for the Millersville Marauders to take advantage of. They could sweep the rest of their eastern schedule and end 4-3 in the East, which is a remarkable improvement over past years' one victory. This is a huge opportunity to seize. It likely won't be enough for playoffs, as West Chester, Bloomsburg and Shippensburg lead the way with a 3-0 mark in the East.
Let's take a look around the PSAC.
In perhaps the most stunning upset ever, unranked (and quite dangerous) Slippery Rock crushed rival #7 IUP 42-16. That will likely set IUP's national ranking back quite a bit. The Rock should get instant consideration to get into that conversation.
West Chester, down 20-10 at the half, scored 24 second half points and shut out the Warriors in that half as well to win 34-20. ESU lost Matt Soltes to an undisclosed injury. If Soltes is out a long time, that's good news for the rest of the conference. He's dangerous.
Two teams certainly made it close this weekend. Shippensburg barely held off Lock Haven's furious push, winning 30-24, and Kutztown defeated winless Cheyney 35-19. That Kutztown victory is the first under their new head coach and Millersville Hall of Fame QB Drew Folmar. Well-deserved congratulations go his way.
Up next for the Ville, it's Cheyney, during its homecoming. Sound familiar? Millersville will have to deal with one more away homecoming before hosting their own the week after against Lock Haven. Four homecomings in a row. Too many people, not enough parking spaces...
Historically, Millersville has dominated Cheyney 56-5-1 since 1951. If memory serves, Millersville's last loss to Cheyney was in 2010, and it was the first loss against Cheyney since the mid-1980s. This is a chance to reassert that dominance and pick up the first win of the year, and the first for coach Breitbach.
Game starts at 1. Pregame show at 12:30. Tune in here. www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
The good news is this, and this humongous progress in one statement: Millersville's defense kept a furious Bloomsburg offense to just 292 total yards. It kept the second-ranked rushing attack to 208 yards. Up until that point, Bloomsburg rushers averaged almost 368 yards per game in that respect. They also only passed for 84 yards and had a success of about 50%.
Credit to defensive coordinator Ron Rankin and his strategy against a high-powered offense. This is a huge step in the right direction. The coaching staff wanted more size up front, inserted more size into the lineup, and it paid instant dividends. I would be surprised to see that personnel change for next week's game.
Now where it gets fuzzy: offense was extremely hard to come by in this game. Redshirt Freshman QB Curtis Frye started his first game, and to his credit, was very accurate with his passes (16-24-1, 98 yds), but he could not break past what has been a dead zone at midfield while driving down the field.
Frye was knocked out with what looked like a knee injury. His status is still unknown to this point. In his stead, veteran Connor Casey (5-10-0, 56 yds, 1 TD) admirably stepped in and showed a ton of rejuvenated moxie in his return. During a 4th quarter drive, Casey unloaded a 56 yard bomb to Kevin Porter which set Millersville up perfectly for a score.
It was then, on a 4th and Goal, head coach Greg Breitbach pulled the trigger on a bold decision. Go for it. Why not?
Why not, indeed. Casey unloaded a bullet to Porter for the score. It was monumental for the offense's confidence. They perfectly executed a drive down the field with a big play. It was the longest play of the season. Casey's TD pass was also his first since week one against LIU Post.
It solved a lot of things. Credit Breitbach for a gutsy decision.
This result was the perfect time to not only give offensive players confidence, but defensive players too. The schedule gets incredibly easier against a winless Cheyney team, a 2-4 Lock Haven team, an East Stroudsburg team without its star quarterback Matt Soltes (at least for now) and a Kutztown team with just one victory against Cheyney.
This back half of the schedule looks more than perfect for the Millersville Marauders to take advantage of. They could sweep the rest of their eastern schedule and end 4-3 in the East, which is a remarkable improvement over past years' one victory. This is a huge opportunity to seize. It likely won't be enough for playoffs, as West Chester, Bloomsburg and Shippensburg lead the way with a 3-0 mark in the East.
Let's take a look around the PSAC.
In perhaps the most stunning upset ever, unranked (and quite dangerous) Slippery Rock crushed rival #7 IUP 42-16. That will likely set IUP's national ranking back quite a bit. The Rock should get instant consideration to get into that conversation.
West Chester, down 20-10 at the half, scored 24 second half points and shut out the Warriors in that half as well to win 34-20. ESU lost Matt Soltes to an undisclosed injury. If Soltes is out a long time, that's good news for the rest of the conference. He's dangerous.
Two teams certainly made it close this weekend. Shippensburg barely held off Lock Haven's furious push, winning 30-24, and Kutztown defeated winless Cheyney 35-19. That Kutztown victory is the first under their new head coach and Millersville Hall of Fame QB Drew Folmar. Well-deserved congratulations go his way.
Up next for the Ville, it's Cheyney, during its homecoming. Sound familiar? Millersville will have to deal with one more away homecoming before hosting their own the week after against Lock Haven. Four homecomings in a row. Too many people, not enough parking spaces...
Historically, Millersville has dominated Cheyney 56-5-1 since 1951. If memory serves, Millersville's last loss to Cheyney was in 2010, and it was the first loss against Cheyney since the mid-1980s. This is a chance to reassert that dominance and pick up the first win of the year, and the first for coach Breitbach.
Game starts at 1. Pregame show at 12:30. Tune in here. www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
Sunday, October 6, 2013
From the Booth: Week Five Edition
#7 Indiana University of Pennsylvania (5-0) was the best opponent Millersville (0-5) would see all season. They showed it. A humbling 62-3 loss at the hands of the Crimson Hawks sends the Ville back to the drawing board. What will be the next move as #9 Bloomsburg looms next Saturday?
Before we get into that, time to dissect this last game.
As many points as the offense put up on the board, IUP's offense did not blow anyone away coming into this week. They accomplished very little in the creative sense. They played two creative reverse bootleg runs that caught the Marauder secondary off guard. Otherwise, RB De'Antwan Williams did not blow anyone away with just 98 yards on the day and a touchdown run.
In fact, backup Israel Green arguably played better by recording 103 yards on 16 carries. He showed more explosiveness than Williams, but both played pretty well, but not extremely well.
Millersville forced its first interception of the year, as Rasheed Johnson hauled down a Mike Box throw intended for the end zone, returning it 17 yards. In terms of breaking up passes and applying tackles directly after pass receptions, the Marauders were on point. In that sense, it's getting better.
After some down weeks, RB Ian Sadon burst back onto the scene with another sensational day. He did his best work in the first half, racking up a total of 124 yards on 20 carries. His longest run of 40 yards towards the beginning of the game charged up the sideline. Sadon stomped on IUP's parade Saturday, and he will look to continue that success.
As rushing was a success, passing was not. Connor Casey and Curtis Frye combined for 6 of 18 and 65 yards, along with two interceptions. That seriously hampered Millersville's offense and only allowed for Evan Stahl to boot his second career field goal. Coach Greg Breitbach spoke about needing improved quarterback play in the weeks to come during the pregame show on Saturday.
It looks like it will be a competition for that number one spot from here on out.
Saturday marked IUP's homecoming. They renamed their field after former coach Frank Cignetti, who was also inducted into the College Hall of Fame. Congratulations to him and his family, including incumbent coach, and Cignetti's son, Curt.
Up next for Millersville is Bloomsburg (5-0), who will also be celebrating its homecoming.
Bloomsburg employs the PSAC's best running back, by far. Millersville has seen Mercyhurst's Brandon Brown-Dukes and West Chester's Rondell White, but Franklin Quiteh will by far be the Marauder defense's most challenging adversary. Quiteh has already rushed for 1,055 yards on 110 carries along with 13 TDs. Simple division shows that Quiteh rushes for about a first down every single run.
He is currently the reigning PSAC Athlete of the Week. It will be an extreme challenge for Millersville to stop him.
It was the week of the blowout in the PSAC, it appeared. Shippensburg obliterated Seton Hill 73-27, Mercyhurst crushed Cheyney 63-14, Slippery Rock trashed Kutztown 58-10, ESU dispatched Clarion 48-28, Bloomsburg dealt with Gannon 35-14, and Edinboro took care of Lock Haven 31-6.
Next week, it's back to East vs. West. Millersville vs. Bloomsburg will take to the air at 3:00 p.m. on MSBN. www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
Before we get into that, time to dissect this last game.
As many points as the offense put up on the board, IUP's offense did not blow anyone away coming into this week. They accomplished very little in the creative sense. They played two creative reverse bootleg runs that caught the Marauder secondary off guard. Otherwise, RB De'Antwan Williams did not blow anyone away with just 98 yards on the day and a touchdown run.
In fact, backup Israel Green arguably played better by recording 103 yards on 16 carries. He showed more explosiveness than Williams, but both played pretty well, but not extremely well.
Millersville forced its first interception of the year, as Rasheed Johnson hauled down a Mike Box throw intended for the end zone, returning it 17 yards. In terms of breaking up passes and applying tackles directly after pass receptions, the Marauders were on point. In that sense, it's getting better.
After some down weeks, RB Ian Sadon burst back onto the scene with another sensational day. He did his best work in the first half, racking up a total of 124 yards on 20 carries. His longest run of 40 yards towards the beginning of the game charged up the sideline. Sadon stomped on IUP's parade Saturday, and he will look to continue that success.
As rushing was a success, passing was not. Connor Casey and Curtis Frye combined for 6 of 18 and 65 yards, along with two interceptions. That seriously hampered Millersville's offense and only allowed for Evan Stahl to boot his second career field goal. Coach Greg Breitbach spoke about needing improved quarterback play in the weeks to come during the pregame show on Saturday.
It looks like it will be a competition for that number one spot from here on out.
Saturday marked IUP's homecoming. They renamed their field after former coach Frank Cignetti, who was also inducted into the College Hall of Fame. Congratulations to him and his family, including incumbent coach, and Cignetti's son, Curt.
Up next for Millersville is Bloomsburg (5-0), who will also be celebrating its homecoming.
Bloomsburg employs the PSAC's best running back, by far. Millersville has seen Mercyhurst's Brandon Brown-Dukes and West Chester's Rondell White, but Franklin Quiteh will by far be the Marauder defense's most challenging adversary. Quiteh has already rushed for 1,055 yards on 110 carries along with 13 TDs. Simple division shows that Quiteh rushes for about a first down every single run.
He is currently the reigning PSAC Athlete of the Week. It will be an extreme challenge for Millersville to stop him.
It was the week of the blowout in the PSAC, it appeared. Shippensburg obliterated Seton Hill 73-27, Mercyhurst crushed Cheyney 63-14, Slippery Rock trashed Kutztown 58-10, ESU dispatched Clarion 48-28, Bloomsburg dealt with Gannon 35-14, and Edinboro took care of Lock Haven 31-6.
Next week, it's back to East vs. West. Millersville vs. Bloomsburg will take to the air at 3:00 p.m. on MSBN. www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
Monday, September 30, 2013
From the Booth: Week Four Edition
Millersville (0-4, 0-2 PSAC) fell to formerly ranked Shippensburg (2-2, 2-0 PSAC) 48-10 on Saturday. PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the Week and 11-time 2012 award winning QB Zach Zulli put on a clinic for the crowd, including firing his 100th touchdown pass of his career to his top receiver Trevor Harman.
What a way to do it, right?
Additionally, Souderton grad Jake Metz set a Ship record for most tackles for a loss with his 2.5 scored against Millersville.
Regardless, what could be considered a rout in the media, this game was not. The Marauder defense was forcing a lot of third and long situations, but thanks to Shippensburg's offensive acumen, head coach Mark Maciejewski decided to go for it on fourth down and converted one of three chances. That one proved to be very important.
There is improvement to be had. What was a 60-70% third down conversion rate for the opposition at the beginning of the year, Millersville held Shippensburg to 56%. On the season, that number now stands at 58.49%. That will be a point of focus against two of the finest teams in Division II, #7 IUP on Saturday, and #9 Bloomsburg next week.
After a solid start in the rushing department in weeks one and two, Millersville has been held to single digit rushing yards in consecutive weeks. This discrepancy could be explained with the tackles for loss due to sacks, but Ian Sadon has slowed a bit after his electric start. He rushed for 33 yards on 14 carries on Saturday, unable to break open the offense on a big play just yet.
For the fourth straight game, both quarterbacks saw time in the saddle. Connor Casey, after coming back from an undisclosed injury against West Chester, was felled by a face mask from the aforementioned Metz. He ended the day 10/25 for 141 yards. Curtis Frye finished the game going 8/12 for for 86 yards. He also threw his first collegiate career TD pass.
As a whole, we saw several players emerge. Redshirt senior co-captain Dominic Sanders made his mark on this game with four catches for 80 yards, and the Marauders' only touchdown. Sanders has been battling injuries throughout the year, but he looked extremely dangerous last week.
Tight End Trenton Petrovich showed he can be a legitimately dangerous offensive player as well as an astute blocker. He matched his week one totals of four catches for 79 yards. He could be considered a true X-Factor throughout the rest of the season. Petrovich continues to present himself as a difficult target to cover, or even tackle.
Defensively, Marvin Gaskill made a mark on the line. Zulli scrambled all day thanks to Gaskill breaking a green offensive line on the Red Raiders. This team loves the big man. Teammate Kevin Bohl described him as quick as a cat.
Shawn Fahey, Matt Brinser and Dean May also contributed with tackles for loss.
Slow and steady wins the race this season, especially against such a gauntlet of nationally ranked teams. Just looking at the players and the coaching staff after big plays, even when the game is pretty much all but sealed up, they continue to be excited for each other. This team hasn't, and won't, quit.
Perhaps the most encouraging thing about being 0-2 in the PSAC is that they aren't out of it. Kutztown and Cheyney join them at the 0-2 mark, and Lock Haven and ESU find themselves at the 1-1 mark. It will be fun to see how this season pans out for these teams.
Look out for Kutztown, especially. They were one point away from massively upsetting now #17 West Chester last week. I doubt they will be very happy about missing out on that opportunity, but that might have catapulted them into a good finish. They will draw difficult competition with Slippery Rock next Saturday.
Off to IUP next week. Check out the broadcast on millersvilleathletics.com/msbn starting at 1:30 p.m. for the Marauder Pride Pregame Show presented by Homewood Suites by Hilton Lancaster.
What a way to do it, right?
Additionally, Souderton grad Jake Metz set a Ship record for most tackles for a loss with his 2.5 scored against Millersville.
Regardless, what could be considered a rout in the media, this game was not. The Marauder defense was forcing a lot of third and long situations, but thanks to Shippensburg's offensive acumen, head coach Mark Maciejewski decided to go for it on fourth down and converted one of three chances. That one proved to be very important.
There is improvement to be had. What was a 60-70% third down conversion rate for the opposition at the beginning of the year, Millersville held Shippensburg to 56%. On the season, that number now stands at 58.49%. That will be a point of focus against two of the finest teams in Division II, #7 IUP on Saturday, and #9 Bloomsburg next week.
After a solid start in the rushing department in weeks one and two, Millersville has been held to single digit rushing yards in consecutive weeks. This discrepancy could be explained with the tackles for loss due to sacks, but Ian Sadon has slowed a bit after his electric start. He rushed for 33 yards on 14 carries on Saturday, unable to break open the offense on a big play just yet.
For the fourth straight game, both quarterbacks saw time in the saddle. Connor Casey, after coming back from an undisclosed injury against West Chester, was felled by a face mask from the aforementioned Metz. He ended the day 10/25 for 141 yards. Curtis Frye finished the game going 8/12 for for 86 yards. He also threw his first collegiate career TD pass.
As a whole, we saw several players emerge. Redshirt senior co-captain Dominic Sanders made his mark on this game with four catches for 80 yards, and the Marauders' only touchdown. Sanders has been battling injuries throughout the year, but he looked extremely dangerous last week.
Tight End Trenton Petrovich showed he can be a legitimately dangerous offensive player as well as an astute blocker. He matched his week one totals of four catches for 79 yards. He could be considered a true X-Factor throughout the rest of the season. Petrovich continues to present himself as a difficult target to cover, or even tackle.
Defensively, Marvin Gaskill made a mark on the line. Zulli scrambled all day thanks to Gaskill breaking a green offensive line on the Red Raiders. This team loves the big man. Teammate Kevin Bohl described him as quick as a cat.
Shawn Fahey, Matt Brinser and Dean May also contributed with tackles for loss.
Slow and steady wins the race this season, especially against such a gauntlet of nationally ranked teams. Just looking at the players and the coaching staff after big plays, even when the game is pretty much all but sealed up, they continue to be excited for each other. This team hasn't, and won't, quit.
Perhaps the most encouraging thing about being 0-2 in the PSAC is that they aren't out of it. Kutztown and Cheyney join them at the 0-2 mark, and Lock Haven and ESU find themselves at the 1-1 mark. It will be fun to see how this season pans out for these teams.
Look out for Kutztown, especially. They were one point away from massively upsetting now #17 West Chester last week. I doubt they will be very happy about missing out on that opportunity, but that might have catapulted them into a good finish. They will draw difficult competition with Slippery Rock next Saturday.
Off to IUP next week. Check out the broadcast on millersvilleathletics.com/msbn starting at 1:30 p.m. for the Marauder Pride Pregame Show presented by Homewood Suites by Hilton Lancaster.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
From the Booth: Week Three Edition
Millersville ran into a buzz-saw West Chester Golden Rams team that, coming into the week, hit the national rankings at #20. The final score, 48-3. The game was as sloppy as the weather. Torrential rain pounded Chryst Field, making turnovers abundant, and easy plays turn into adventures.
Nonetheless, Millersville mustered 121 total yards of offense. That number proved to be deceiving due to seven yards net rushing. 59 gained, 52 lost. Some sacks forced by the West Chester defense were quite costly in that regard. In fact, QB Connor Casey ended up with 41 yards for a loss.
Coming into the game, everyone knew star RB Rondell White would be an enormous factor not only due to his skill, but due to the weather as well. Rain kept the ball on the ground throughout so much so that WC attempted 63 running plays for a total of 456 yards. It ended up as a school record. Eight different players rushed the ball in Saturday's contest.
White ended the game with 34 carries, 227 yards, and three touchdowns.
The PSAC is chock full of immensely talented backs. West Chester's White, Mercyhurst's Brandon Brown-Dukes, Bloomsburg's Franklin Quiteh, and one player who graduated last year, Shippensburg's Mike Frenette, to name a few. All of them can break the game open, meaning defense against the run might as well be the largest point of emphasis to stay in games.
Truly the only disparity defensively is against the run. Other teams have not fared well defensively against Millersville's multivariate wide receiving core that will be good for time to come.
What continues to be positive is the body language and the exuberance that comes with this season. The game was all but over in the third quarter, but the response after big defensive stops and doing things the right way meant a ton towards turning this ship around.
There are good things happening this season, even in the shroud of being outscored 144-26. In talking with players and coaches, they aren't worried. In fact, their excitement and unwavering commitment is more than apparent. One quote from head coach Greg Breitbach said a lot after this loss.
"We're going to continue to find things that we can build on and then be man enough to look in the mirror and see what we didn't do right and fix it," he told Lancaster Online.
Last year's losses may have been ho-hum, but this year's losses have purpose. They are measuring stick games. In a sense, "this is where we are in comparison to a parity-ridden PSAC." It is not an easy conference by any stretch of the imagination. Three teams are in the top 20 in the entire nation, and Millersville will have played all three of them in the span of four weeks.
Millersville's next opponent, Shippensburg, was in the conversation at #7 before being wiped off the list due to two losses. Don't count them out of the national ranking conversation.
Punter Evan Stahl started full-time kicking duties last week against Mercyhurst and he had a sensational night booting the ball away in such horrific conditions on Saturday. Stahl averaged 46.2 yards per punt, and his longest was an absolute gem totaling 69 yards. It didn't challenge Jeff Lawson's inhuman 81 yard punt, but it was sure close.
Ville vs. Ship starts at noon on Saturday. Watch the journey continue from Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium, or listen along with yours truly at www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
Nonetheless, Millersville mustered 121 total yards of offense. That number proved to be deceiving due to seven yards net rushing. 59 gained, 52 lost. Some sacks forced by the West Chester defense were quite costly in that regard. In fact, QB Connor Casey ended up with 41 yards for a loss.
Coming into the game, everyone knew star RB Rondell White would be an enormous factor not only due to his skill, but due to the weather as well. Rain kept the ball on the ground throughout so much so that WC attempted 63 running plays for a total of 456 yards. It ended up as a school record. Eight different players rushed the ball in Saturday's contest.
White ended the game with 34 carries, 227 yards, and three touchdowns.
The PSAC is chock full of immensely talented backs. West Chester's White, Mercyhurst's Brandon Brown-Dukes, Bloomsburg's Franklin Quiteh, and one player who graduated last year, Shippensburg's Mike Frenette, to name a few. All of them can break the game open, meaning defense against the run might as well be the largest point of emphasis to stay in games.
Truly the only disparity defensively is against the run. Other teams have not fared well defensively against Millersville's multivariate wide receiving core that will be good for time to come.
What continues to be positive is the body language and the exuberance that comes with this season. The game was all but over in the third quarter, but the response after big defensive stops and doing things the right way meant a ton towards turning this ship around.
There are good things happening this season, even in the shroud of being outscored 144-26. In talking with players and coaches, they aren't worried. In fact, their excitement and unwavering commitment is more than apparent. One quote from head coach Greg Breitbach said a lot after this loss.
"We're going to continue to find things that we can build on and then be man enough to look in the mirror and see what we didn't do right and fix it," he told Lancaster Online.
Last year's losses may have been ho-hum, but this year's losses have purpose. They are measuring stick games. In a sense, "this is where we are in comparison to a parity-ridden PSAC." It is not an easy conference by any stretch of the imagination. Three teams are in the top 20 in the entire nation, and Millersville will have played all three of them in the span of four weeks.
Millersville's next opponent, Shippensburg, was in the conversation at #7 before being wiped off the list due to two losses. Don't count them out of the national ranking conversation.
Punter Evan Stahl started full-time kicking duties last week against Mercyhurst and he had a sensational night booting the ball away in such horrific conditions on Saturday. Stahl averaged 46.2 yards per punt, and his longest was an absolute gem totaling 69 yards. It didn't challenge Jeff Lawson's inhuman 81 yard punt, but it was sure close.
Ville vs. Ship starts at noon on Saturday. Watch the journey continue from Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium, or listen along with yours truly at www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
Sunday, September 15, 2013
From the Booth: Week Two Edition
Millersville took to the road in week two against a PSAC Western Division favorite in Mercyhurst, and they saw just how difficult the conference truly is on Saturday. They lost 49-7.
The first lesson that comes to mind in this game is that turnovers kill. Three interceptions and four fumbles were absolutely costly. The lost fumble and a pick six later in the contest both turned into scores for the Lakers, who rolled to a 21-0 lead within the first five minutes of the game.
The Lakers' defense saw a multitude of different looks offensively, including some audibles along the way. RB Ian Sadon and WR Brent Collins broke to another level in Saturday's tilt.
Collins had a career high 11 catches for 123 yards. Most of those yards, believe it or not, were on screens. The junior wideout regularly picked up first downs on these plays.
In Sadon's case, he will be a headache for opposing defenses all throughout this season. Sadon rushed for 108 yards, caught a critical 21 yard pass on third down for a first down, and scored the only Marauder TD of the day by vaulting over the pile on a goal line stand.
Both Connor Casey (13/18...3 INT) and Curtis Frye (6/9) saw time at the quarterback position on Saturday. Casey was victimized by FS Colin Kimball, who picked off two passes—one of them for a score. Frye showed some promise in the passing game by unleashing a 38-yard dart to Brent Collins, and passing for 95 yards total.
Defensively speaking, it was the run that did the Marauders in again. Redshirt Senior QB Anthony Vendemia only slung the ball 13 times, completing 12 of those passes.
Otherwise it was reigning PSAC West Freshman of the Year Brandon Brown-Dukes who set the tone early and often with a 66-yard scamper for a score on the first play, and three scores overall in the game. Allen Jones II also had a solid day with 38 yards on six carries with a TD of his own.
Here's where it gets interesting. If you look at this game in a vacuum, score notwithstanding, there are still improvements happening on a weekly basis. First downs were about even, Millersville outgained Mercyhurst through the air, and were only outgained by about 120 yards total. Take a look at last year's box score against Mercyhurst. None of those categories were remotely close.
The issue came between midfield and the 30 yard line once the Marauders crossed into Laker territory. It was what could be considered a "dead spot" where the offense stalled. That will be a point of focus to be certain.
Up next for the Ville is #23 West Chester under the lights. Be sure to come out and experience Millersville football with the lights on at Chryst Field. Nighttime football could be considered just as fun as football when snow has covered the field. Catch the pre-game show at 6:30 p.m. and all the live action here: www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
The first lesson that comes to mind in this game is that turnovers kill. Three interceptions and four fumbles were absolutely costly. The lost fumble and a pick six later in the contest both turned into scores for the Lakers, who rolled to a 21-0 lead within the first five minutes of the game.
The Lakers' defense saw a multitude of different looks offensively, including some audibles along the way. RB Ian Sadon and WR Brent Collins broke to another level in Saturday's tilt.
Collins had a career high 11 catches for 123 yards. Most of those yards, believe it or not, were on screens. The junior wideout regularly picked up first downs on these plays.
In Sadon's case, he will be a headache for opposing defenses all throughout this season. Sadon rushed for 108 yards, caught a critical 21 yard pass on third down for a first down, and scored the only Marauder TD of the day by vaulting over the pile on a goal line stand.
Both Connor Casey (13/18...3 INT) and Curtis Frye (6/9) saw time at the quarterback position on Saturday. Casey was victimized by FS Colin Kimball, who picked off two passes—one of them for a score. Frye showed some promise in the passing game by unleashing a 38-yard dart to Brent Collins, and passing for 95 yards total.
Defensively speaking, it was the run that did the Marauders in again. Redshirt Senior QB Anthony Vendemia only slung the ball 13 times, completing 12 of those passes.
Otherwise it was reigning PSAC West Freshman of the Year Brandon Brown-Dukes who set the tone early and often with a 66-yard scamper for a score on the first play, and three scores overall in the game. Allen Jones II also had a solid day with 38 yards on six carries with a TD of his own.
Here's where it gets interesting. If you look at this game in a vacuum, score notwithstanding, there are still improvements happening on a weekly basis. First downs were about even, Millersville outgained Mercyhurst through the air, and were only outgained by about 120 yards total. Take a look at last year's box score against Mercyhurst. None of those categories were remotely close.
The issue came between midfield and the 30 yard line once the Marauders crossed into Laker territory. It was what could be considered a "dead spot" where the offense stalled. That will be a point of focus to be certain.
Up next for the Ville is #23 West Chester under the lights. Be sure to come out and experience Millersville football with the lights on at Chryst Field. Nighttime football could be considered just as fun as football when snow has covered the field. Catch the pre-game show at 6:30 p.m. and all the live action here: www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
Sunday, September 8, 2013
From the Booth: Week One Edition
(Note: Every week, Jordan Kuhns will take you inside the game with the scoop from the booth. This edition will highlight the 47-16 loss to LIU Post.)
Millersville fell in week one to the LIU Post Pioneers. The margin of defeat may have looked large on the scoreboard, but consider the following:
1. The score was 20-9 at the half. Millersville was to receive the ball in the second half, and had a chance to score with over 30 seconds to go in the first half. With a little more success on just one of those drives, the score could have read 20-16.
2. Barring the two key turnovers, this game could have been remarkably closer. If those offensive drives were successful with the ball, that could have swayed the game. It could have at least made it a two score game. Manageable.
3. Millersville went 7 for 17 (41%) on third down. Last year, the Marauders only held a 34% conversion rate. However, LIU Post went 8 of 12 (75%) on Saturday. They must be better in that regard defensively in the future.
As the mysterious Marauder Football Insider tweeted, there is no reason to panic after week one. It's tough to stop a dual-threat QB (Stephen Laurino was a 2009 PSAC East Freshman of the Year). Especially one so fast, or so accurate. Laurino scored on a 48 yard run by his lonesome on Saturday, and threw for 249 yards.
Additionally, Millersville saw a lot of production out of redshirt freshman wide receiver Dante Barkley (8 rec/86 yds), redshirt junior Kevin Porter (4 rec/48 yds/TD) and junior Brent Collins (7 rec/62 yds/TD). Those players possessed key roles because of the limited participation from redshirt senior captain Dominic Sanders (ankle) in the receiving game. That was no easy hole to fix.
QB Connor Casey (24/44...232 yds) got the chance to be the surefire starter. He took some unbelievably late hits, including two consecutive roughing the passer penalties that contributed to Post's 12 flags for 111 yards. Otherwise, he looked good. Bloomsburg's former coach Danny Hale said of Casey "It looks like they found their QB," adding that Hale had been recruiting Casey as well.
Not a bad accolade coming from one of the winningest coaches in Division II history.
Body language says a lot about commitment, and in my honest opinion, this team has bought in at all positions. You can tell these players wanted to win. Rasheed Johnson set the tone with a gigantic hit on the first play from the line of scrimmage. It will be a process to institute a new system and a new way to accomplish the ultimate goal of winning, and a fun one to take part of, win or lose.
Next up for the Marauders is the Mercyhurst Lakers next Saturday up in Erie. Mercyhurst fell 17-16 to Bentley, dropping its second consecutive season opener. The Lakers came to Millersville last season, dispatching the Marauders 45-7 in a thunderstorm-delayed game in week two.
The Lakers are led by Sr. QB Anthony Vandemia, who is now fourth in career yards with 3,665. He threw for 207 yards and a touchdown during week one.
It won't be easy. Mercyhurst was picked to finish second in the PSAC Preseason Coaches Poll, with one first place vote. IUP received the other seven votes at the top.
We will see you next Saturday from Erie, Pa. at 12:30 on the Marauder Pride Pregame Show presented by Homewood Suites by Hilton Lancaster. You can listen here: www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
Millersville fell in week one to the LIU Post Pioneers. The margin of defeat may have looked large on the scoreboard, but consider the following:
1. The score was 20-9 at the half. Millersville was to receive the ball in the second half, and had a chance to score with over 30 seconds to go in the first half. With a little more success on just one of those drives, the score could have read 20-16.
2. Barring the two key turnovers, this game could have been remarkably closer. If those offensive drives were successful with the ball, that could have swayed the game. It could have at least made it a two score game. Manageable.
3. Millersville went 7 for 17 (41%) on third down. Last year, the Marauders only held a 34% conversion rate. However, LIU Post went 8 of 12 (75%) on Saturday. They must be better in that regard defensively in the future.
As the mysterious Marauder Football Insider tweeted, there is no reason to panic after week one. It's tough to stop a dual-threat QB (Stephen Laurino was a 2009 PSAC East Freshman of the Year). Especially one so fast, or so accurate. Laurino scored on a 48 yard run by his lonesome on Saturday, and threw for 249 yards.
Additionally, Millersville saw a lot of production out of redshirt freshman wide receiver Dante Barkley (8 rec/86 yds), redshirt junior Kevin Porter (4 rec/48 yds/TD) and junior Brent Collins (7 rec/62 yds/TD). Those players possessed key roles because of the limited participation from redshirt senior captain Dominic Sanders (ankle) in the receiving game. That was no easy hole to fix.
QB Connor Casey (24/44...232 yds) got the chance to be the surefire starter. He took some unbelievably late hits, including two consecutive roughing the passer penalties that contributed to Post's 12 flags for 111 yards. Otherwise, he looked good. Bloomsburg's former coach Danny Hale said of Casey "It looks like they found their QB," adding that Hale had been recruiting Casey as well.
Not a bad accolade coming from one of the winningest coaches in Division II history.
Body language says a lot about commitment, and in my honest opinion, this team has bought in at all positions. You can tell these players wanted to win. Rasheed Johnson set the tone with a gigantic hit on the first play from the line of scrimmage. It will be a process to institute a new system and a new way to accomplish the ultimate goal of winning, and a fun one to take part of, win or lose.
Next up for the Marauders is the Mercyhurst Lakers next Saturday up in Erie. Mercyhurst fell 17-16 to Bentley, dropping its second consecutive season opener. The Lakers came to Millersville last season, dispatching the Marauders 45-7 in a thunderstorm-delayed game in week two.
The Lakers are led by Sr. QB Anthony Vandemia, who is now fourth in career yards with 3,665. He threw for 207 yards and a touchdown during week one.
It won't be easy. Mercyhurst was picked to finish second in the PSAC Preseason Coaches Poll, with one first place vote. IUP received the other seven votes at the top.
We will see you next Saturday from Erie, Pa. at 12:30 on the Marauder Pride Pregame Show presented by Homewood Suites by Hilton Lancaster. You can listen here: www.millersvilleathletics.com/msbn
Saturday, May 11, 2013
PSAC Tournament Recap
Jordan Kuhns -- MSBN Broadcaster
Congratulations to the East Stroudsburg Warriors on winning the PSAC Tournament today, defeating West Chester 7-1. If West Chester had won that game today, they would have been the first fourth seed in PSAC history to win the championship. ESU had been on a roll coming into this tournament, and they pretty much steamrolled everyone.
Millersville has one week or so to prepare for the Atlantic Regional Tournament, which is at a location to be determined, but I have heard it could either be in Pittsburgh or North Carolina. Either place will be an adventure nonetheless.
It just goes to show you that anyone can win any game on any given night, no matter who is on the mound, and with whatever circumstances there happen to be. The Marauders played 36 innings of baseball in 36 hours, including a four hour marathon against West Chester, which eliminated the Marauders yesterday night.
It's no doubt that the atrocious weather conditions throughout the tournament affected everyone's play. It most certainly wasn't always fun to broadcast in this weather, so I bet it wasn't any fun to play in it at a high level. Little League is a different story (and the only one I know personally!) They still battled through it, and head coach Jon Shehan said he is proud of his club for the fight put forth.
It will be interesting to see how the final standings shake out. We will find them out during the selection show on Sunday. ESU was in 7th coming into the final standings, but due to their PSAC Tournament victory, they are automatically in the tournament--and they are dangerous.
By the way, in a related story from the tournament, check out this article written by Eric Knopsnyder of the Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown. Millersville players Tyler McDonald, Evan King, Tyler Thomas, David Pine, Tyler Orris, Zach Stone and Dan Stoltzfus all helped resuscitate a young child who was having a seizure.
It's safe to say we're all proud of our athletes here at Millersville, but even more-so now that some of them helped save a life, answering the call under tremendous pressure.
We will continue to keep you updated before, during, and after the Atlantic Regional tournament. Until next time.
Congratulations to the East Stroudsburg Warriors on winning the PSAC Tournament today, defeating West Chester 7-1. If West Chester had won that game today, they would have been the first fourth seed in PSAC history to win the championship. ESU had been on a roll coming into this tournament, and they pretty much steamrolled everyone.
Millersville has one week or so to prepare for the Atlantic Regional Tournament, which is at a location to be determined, but I have heard it could either be in Pittsburgh or North Carolina. Either place will be an adventure nonetheless.
It just goes to show you that anyone can win any game on any given night, no matter who is on the mound, and with whatever circumstances there happen to be. The Marauders played 36 innings of baseball in 36 hours, including a four hour marathon against West Chester, which eliminated the Marauders yesterday night.
It's no doubt that the atrocious weather conditions throughout the tournament affected everyone's play. It most certainly wasn't always fun to broadcast in this weather, so I bet it wasn't any fun to play in it at a high level. Little League is a different story (and the only one I know personally!) They still battled through it, and head coach Jon Shehan said he is proud of his club for the fight put forth.
It will be interesting to see how the final standings shake out. We will find them out during the selection show on Sunday. ESU was in 7th coming into the final standings, but due to their PSAC Tournament victory, they are automatically in the tournament--and they are dangerous.
By the way, in a related story from the tournament, check out this article written by Eric Knopsnyder of the Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown. Millersville players Tyler McDonald, Evan King, Tyler Thomas, David Pine, Tyler Orris, Zach Stone and Dan Stoltzfus all helped resuscitate a young child who was having a seizure.
It's safe to say we're all proud of our athletes here at Millersville, but even more-so now that some of them helped save a life, answering the call under tremendous pressure.
We will continue to keep you updated before, during, and after the Atlantic Regional tournament. Until next time.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Millersville/Gannon Update
Jordan Kuhns — MSBN Broadcaster
UPDATE...8:56 a.m.
Good morning, fans.
Checked the forecast for today. It looks terrible. A cold front is coming through the area and will produce strong to perhaps severe thunderstorms later this afternoon into this evening. They usually don't last too terribly long, but they will cause an almost certain delay later on. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has the Johnstown area under a slight risk of severe storms.
The PSAC bumped the start of today's games by a half hour to try and combat this impending mess. Cal and Kutztown are in the top of the second inning of their elimination game with Cal leading 3-2. As it stands, the weather won't affect this game, nor will it affect Millersville/Gannon, but if Millersville happens to win that contest, they will have to play later. It will most certainly affect that one.
If a storm happens, I have to get off air immediately and get to a safe area. I will try to keep you updated on my Twitter feed which is here. It has been years since the last time I saw a weather pattern so unsettled. But we must press on.
Marauders On Deck will happen as soon as I can set up once the Kutztown radio crew leaves the box. Again, my Twitter feed is the best way to find out when that will be. You can tune in to the live audio here.
Will update further if anything changes.
UPDATE...11:06 a.m.
Tarp is on the field here at Point Stadium. Cal leads Kutztown 9-5 in the bottom of the 8th inning. The rain has been coming down for a good half hour, and it shows no signs of stopping.
Marauders On Deck will have to be pushed back quite a bit as it stands currently.
UPDATE...8:56 a.m.
Good morning, fans.
Checked the forecast for today. It looks terrible. A cold front is coming through the area and will produce strong to perhaps severe thunderstorms later this afternoon into this evening. They usually don't last too terribly long, but they will cause an almost certain delay later on. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has the Johnstown area under a slight risk of severe storms.
The PSAC bumped the start of today's games by a half hour to try and combat this impending mess. Cal and Kutztown are in the top of the second inning of their elimination game with Cal leading 3-2. As it stands, the weather won't affect this game, nor will it affect Millersville/Gannon, but if Millersville happens to win that contest, they will have to play later. It will most certainly affect that one.
If a storm happens, I have to get off air immediately and get to a safe area. I will try to keep you updated on my Twitter feed which is here. It has been years since the last time I saw a weather pattern so unsettled. But we must press on.
Marauders On Deck will happen as soon as I can set up once the Kutztown radio crew leaves the box. Again, my Twitter feed is the best way to find out when that will be. You can tune in to the live audio here.
Will update further if anything changes.
UPDATE...11:06 a.m.
Tarp is on the field here at Point Stadium. Cal leads Kutztown 9-5 in the bottom of the 8th inning. The rain has been coming down for a good half hour, and it shows no signs of stopping.
Marauders On Deck will have to be pushed back quite a bit as it stands currently.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Millersville/East Stroudsburg Update
Jordan Kuhns — MSBN Broadcaster
UPDATE...3:47 p.m.
Hearing word from Point Stadium that rain delayed the continuation of the elimination game between Slippery Rock and Gannon. The Golden Knights have a 6-1 lead on The Rock, and if Gannon wins, Slippery Rock will be eliminated. They are currently in the bottom of the fifth inning.
This will slightly delay the start of Kutztown vs. West Chester from 5:00 p.m. to approximately 5:30 p.m., meaning Millersville's game may not begin until 8:30, or if the rain kicks up again, even later. Stay tuned to the blog for future updates.
UPDATE...4:40 p.m.
Gannon defeated Slippery Rock 9-3, eliminating The Rock from the tournament. On my estimation the tournament is only fifteen minutes behind schedule because of how quickly that game ended. This should not have a major impact on the broadcast.
The weather, on the other hand...anything is possible...
UPDATE...3:47 p.m.
Hearing word from Point Stadium that rain delayed the continuation of the elimination game between Slippery Rock and Gannon. The Golden Knights have a 6-1 lead on The Rock, and if Gannon wins, Slippery Rock will be eliminated. They are currently in the bottom of the fifth inning.
This will slightly delay the start of Kutztown vs. West Chester from 5:00 p.m. to approximately 5:30 p.m., meaning Millersville's game may not begin until 8:30, or if the rain kicks up again, even later. Stay tuned to the blog for future updates.
UPDATE...4:40 p.m.
Gannon defeated Slippery Rock 9-3, eliminating The Rock from the tournament. On my estimation the tournament is only fifteen minutes behind schedule because of how quickly that game ended. This should not have a major impact on the broadcast.
The weather, on the other hand...anything is possible...
Millersville Shuts Down Slippery Rock
Jordan Kuhns — MSBN Broadcaster
Johnstown, Pa. — A suicide squeeze and a four-hitter by junior Tim Mayza catapulted the Millersville Marauders to a 5-0 shutout win over Slippery Rock in round one of the PSAC Tournament on Thursday morning.
Mayza's tremendous effort was not entirely clean, but it was pretty flawless otherwise. He threw numerous first pitch balls, but he battled back and sped the game along nicely.
"It took a while to get comfortable," Mayza said. "[The umpire] wasn't allowing the belt high strike, but he was giving the outside strike."
His best feat was holding Will Kengor, the PSAC's batting champion, to 0-for-4, with four infield ground outs. Kengor came into the game batting .455.
"I knew coming in [Kengor] was their catalyst," Mayza continued, talking about his affinity to steal bases. "When he goes, they go."
"Tim did a fantastic job," head coach Jon Shehan said. "He threw a few lefty-lefty changeups to Kengor that he was probably not looking for there."
"Our goal isn't necessarily to throw the first pitch strike, but it's to be ahead after three pitches, and that's our focus."
The game had to be rescheduled last night due to a four hour lightning delay during the game between East Stroudsburg and Gannon. Heavy rains forced a reschedule to 8 a.m. from 6:30 p.m. the night prior. Thankfully, the delay did not stifle the Marauders' bats.
With runners on the corners, Jeff Heisey delivered a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to score Dan Johnson and give the Marauders the 1-0 lead. That lead would stand until the 7th inning when Mayza and Slippery Rock starter Lou Trivino dealt several 1-2-3 innings, speeding the game along. The game was only an hour old in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Millersville kept the offense going in the seventh. Kurt Seiders reached on an infield single, and then stole both second and third base. Tyler McDonald brought Seiders in on an RBI single, and then with the bases loaded, Jeremy Musser crushed a ball that went off the glove of shortstop Kengor and into left field. Two runs scored, and it extended the Marauder lead to 4-0.
Trivino's day was done after that, leading to the bullpen, which gave up another run. Tyler Orris was beaned by a pitch in the 8th, bringing in Dan Johnson with the bases loaded, capping the scoring for Millersville.
The defense was also in full bloom for Millersville. Evan King and Jeff Heisey both robbed Slippery Rock of two hits, including a diving catch by Heisey to end the ball game.
"That was one of the more complete games we've played all year," Shehan said. "We get a four-hitter out of Mayza, we make all the plays, we didn't walk many guys, and we offensively executed the game plan we had going in. I was really, really happy with our performance today."
Tad Barton will be on the mound for Millersville as they take on East Stroudsburg at 8 p.m. tonight from Point Stadium in Johnstown. Tune in at 7:30 p.m. for Marauders on Deck, brought to you by Homewood Suites by Hilton Lancaster.
Johnstown, Pa. — A suicide squeeze and a four-hitter by junior Tim Mayza catapulted the Millersville Marauders to a 5-0 shutout win over Slippery Rock in round one of the PSAC Tournament on Thursday morning.
Mayza's tremendous effort was not entirely clean, but it was pretty flawless otherwise. He threw numerous first pitch balls, but he battled back and sped the game along nicely.
"It took a while to get comfortable," Mayza said. "[The umpire] wasn't allowing the belt high strike, but he was giving the outside strike."
His best feat was holding Will Kengor, the PSAC's batting champion, to 0-for-4, with four infield ground outs. Kengor came into the game batting .455.
"I knew coming in [Kengor] was their catalyst," Mayza continued, talking about his affinity to steal bases. "When he goes, they go."
"Tim did a fantastic job," head coach Jon Shehan said. "He threw a few lefty-lefty changeups to Kengor that he was probably not looking for there."
"Our goal isn't necessarily to throw the first pitch strike, but it's to be ahead after three pitches, and that's our focus."
The game had to be rescheduled last night due to a four hour lightning delay during the game between East Stroudsburg and Gannon. Heavy rains forced a reschedule to 8 a.m. from 6:30 p.m. the night prior. Thankfully, the delay did not stifle the Marauders' bats.
With runners on the corners, Jeff Heisey delivered a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to score Dan Johnson and give the Marauders the 1-0 lead. That lead would stand until the 7th inning when Mayza and Slippery Rock starter Lou Trivino dealt several 1-2-3 innings, speeding the game along. The game was only an hour old in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Millersville kept the offense going in the seventh. Kurt Seiders reached on an infield single, and then stole both second and third base. Tyler McDonald brought Seiders in on an RBI single, and then with the bases loaded, Jeremy Musser crushed a ball that went off the glove of shortstop Kengor and into left field. Two runs scored, and it extended the Marauder lead to 4-0.
Trivino's day was done after that, leading to the bullpen, which gave up another run. Tyler Orris was beaned by a pitch in the 8th, bringing in Dan Johnson with the bases loaded, capping the scoring for Millersville.
The defense was also in full bloom for Millersville. Evan King and Jeff Heisey both robbed Slippery Rock of two hits, including a diving catch by Heisey to end the ball game.
"That was one of the more complete games we've played all year," Shehan said. "We get a four-hitter out of Mayza, we make all the plays, we didn't walk many guys, and we offensively executed the game plan we had going in. I was really, really happy with our performance today."
Tad Barton will be on the mound for Millersville as they take on East Stroudsburg at 8 p.m. tonight from Point Stadium in Johnstown. Tune in at 7:30 p.m. for Marauders on Deck, brought to you by Homewood Suites by Hilton Lancaster.
Millersville/Slippery Rock Starting Lineups
7:07 a.m.
Jordan Kuhns — MSBN Broadcaster
Game on from Point Stadium in Johnstown, Pa. Here are the starting lineups for both clubs.
Millersville University
Evan King 2B
Jeremy Musser LF
Zach Stone 1B
Dan Johnson DH
Kurt Seiders RF
Jeff Heisey CF
Tyler McDonald 3B
David Pine C
Tyler Orris SS
Tim Mayza P (9-3)
Slippery Rock
Will Kengor SS
Graeme Zaparynski RF
John Shaffer DH
Kevin Jovanovich 1B
Jake Weibley CF
Austin Benshadle LF
Jake Nogalo 3B
Ryan LaRose C
Matthew Curtis 2B
Lou Trivino P (7-4)
Jordan Kuhns — MSBN Broadcaster
Game on from Point Stadium in Johnstown, Pa. Here are the starting lineups for both clubs.
Millersville University
Evan King 2B
Jeremy Musser LF
Zach Stone 1B
Dan Johnson DH
Kurt Seiders RF
Jeff Heisey CF
Tyler McDonald 3B
David Pine C
Tyler Orris SS
Tim Mayza P (9-3)
Slippery Rock
Will Kengor SS
Graeme Zaparynski RF
John Shaffer DH
Kevin Jovanovich 1B
Jake Weibley CF
Austin Benshadle LF
Jake Nogalo 3B
Ryan LaRose C
Matthew Curtis 2B
Lou Trivino P (7-4)
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Millersville/Slippery Rock Update
Jordan Kuhns — MSBN Broadcaster
UPDATE...4:00 p.m.
Millersville has arrived at Point Stadium in Johnstown, Pa. Coach Jon Shehan has announced that center fielder Mark Stuckey will miss this game with turf toe, and that will subsequently shift the starting outfield.
UPDATE...4:00 p.m.
Millersville has arrived at Point Stadium in Johnstown, Pa. Coach Jon Shehan has announced that center fielder Mark Stuckey will miss this game with turf toe, and that will subsequently shift the starting outfield.
Jeremy Musser will man left field, Jeff Heisey will move to
center, and Kurt Seiders will be in right. Tim Mayza will get the start. I
talked to him before the game. He was calm, and ready to execute the same
Millersville baseball game plan that has won them this many games so far.
Rain and thunder have postponed the Gannon/East Stroudsburg
contest in the bottom of the sixth inning. Thankfully, the field is turf, so it
should not have any outstanding effects on the current game, or the game
between Millersville and Slippery Rock.
Marauders On Deck will have to be pushed back. We will keep
you in the know.
UPDATE...6:30 p.m.
Play will likely resume a little after 7:00 p.m. Hopefully the lightning will be far enough away to resume play. Gannon and East Stroudsburg are tied at 4. In earlier action, West Chester defeated Cal 5-0, and Kutztown defeated Mercyhurst 6-1.
If all goes well, Marauders on Deck will happen around 9:00 p.m. It'll be late night at the ballpark.
UPDATE...7:51 p.m.
A worst case scenario...these storms are going nowhere, and the lightning is still in full effect. The teams are in the dugouts, just waiting for the all clear.
ESU and Gannon are tied at 4. Millersville's game will either be ridiculously late tonight, or ridiculously early tomorrow. We will keep you updated here on the MSBN blog.
UPDATE...8:54 p.m.
The all clear has been given by PSAC officials. Gannon and East Stroudsburg will resume play at 9:00 p.m. Millersville and Slippery Rock will play directly after. We will keep you up to date when to tune in to MSBN, which you can do here.
UPDATE...6:30 p.m.
Play will likely resume a little after 7:00 p.m. Hopefully the lightning will be far enough away to resume play. Gannon and East Stroudsburg are tied at 4. In earlier action, West Chester defeated Cal 5-0, and Kutztown defeated Mercyhurst 6-1.
If all goes well, Marauders on Deck will happen around 9:00 p.m. It'll be late night at the ballpark.
UPDATE...7:51 p.m.
A worst case scenario...these storms are going nowhere, and the lightning is still in full effect. The teams are in the dugouts, just waiting for the all clear.
ESU and Gannon are tied at 4. Millersville's game will either be ridiculously late tonight, or ridiculously early tomorrow. We will keep you updated here on the MSBN blog.
UPDATE...8:54 p.m.
The all clear has been given by PSAC officials. Gannon and East Stroudsburg will resume play at 9:00 p.m. Millersville and Slippery Rock will play directly after. We will keep you up to date when to tune in to MSBN, which you can do here.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Playoff Preview: Millersville vs. Slippery Rock
Jordan Kuhns - MSBN Broadcaster
It's that time of year again. For the second time in three years, and the third time in six years, the Millersville Marauders (36-14, 18-6 PSAC East) are the PSAC East champions. Gutsy pitching performances by Chris Murphy and Jim McDade on Saturday against East Stroudsburg propelled the Marauders to this point. It did not look like it would be so easy, because ESU swept the Marauders at Cooper Park on Friday.
PSAC playoffs have not always been a positive spot for the Ville historically. Back in 1998, Millersville defeated Slippery Rock 2-1 in the championship game to capture the PSAC championship. Ten times since then, PSAC East foes Shippensburg, Kutztown and West Chester have all captured the crown.
Millersville came close in 2011, losing to eventual champion Mercyhurst in extra innings in the semifinal round on a walk-off home run. To say it's Millersville's turn would be an understatement.
However, a new tournament begets new possibilities. Millersville head coach Jon Shehan has found a winning formula, and he intends to see it through here in this rapidly moving tournament in Johnstown, Pa. Shehan moved some parts around in the final few games of the season, which will be explained later, but the moves proved helpful to get everyone some game experience before the tournament starts.
THE OPPONENT: Slippery Rock 31-19, 13-11 PSAC West
Slippery Rock barely squeaked past IUP on the final day of the season to make the postseason. The Rock defeated now-second seeded Gannon to earn a crucial victory and clinch the fourth seed.
PSAC West teams did not have it easy. Slippery Rock split three series, lost all four to Mercyhurst, and won series against IUP and Clarion. That series win against IUP looms large in how they got to this point.
The Rock is balanced. They own talented pitchers like Lou Trivino, whose seven wins, eight complete games and 1.53 ERA can intimidate teams. They also have great hitters on The Rock, including Will Kengor (.455, 39 runs, 28 RBI, 12/15 steals) who can do it all. Four hitters (Austin Benshadle, Jake Nogalo, Brandon Myers and John Shaffer) have averages over the .300 mark.
While those numbers could be intimidating to most PSAC foes, not Millersville. The Marauders lead the league in batting average (.329), runs (361), hits (495), doubles (97), RBIs (326), walks (189), HBP (64) and OBP (.414). Most pitching statistics rank towards the top, especially with the top aces Tim Mayza (9-3) and Murphy (12-1) leading the way. Aside from two tough luck losses, Mayza has dominated Division II competition. Murphy, now the school's single season win record-holder, only lost one game to Philadelphia University early in the season. Tad Barton (7-3) aside from his last two starts, has been tremendous this season, only losing once a PSAC East foe. The aforementioned McDade (3-4) pitched his best game of the season against ESU on Saturday.
If there is anything to be gained of seeing how the opposition fared against crossover opponents, The Rock went 6-4 against PSAC East foes while playing Bloomsburg, Mansfield, Shippensburg and West Chester. Only West Chester made the postseason dance out of those teams.
In turn, Millersville went 3-3 against the PSAC West, winning both against Clarion (who only won four games total this season) and losing three of four against IUP, who missed the playoffs by one game. IUP could have easily been Millersville's first round opponent if not for Slippery Rock's clutch win against Gannon on Saturday.
As much as this current cast of Marauders might have liked a rematch for the sour outcome in 2011, it won't happen this time.
Millersville's entire coaching staff has continued to do a remarkable job with this team, especially after last year's disappointing go-around in which playoffs were in question until the final game of the season. High-profile transfers Chris Murphy (Soph., TCU), Evan King (Sr., Cal Pa.) and Mark Stuckey (RJr., Marist) have performed extremely well this season for the Marauders, playing key roles.
Underclassmen have also impressed this season. Third baseman Tyler McDonald (RSoph.) has continued to be a legitimate threat at the bottom third of the lineup (.354, 15 doubles, 40 RBI) and defensive stalwart at the hot corner. Shortstop Tyler Orris (Fr.) has had to fill in some big shoes left behind by Mike August, but he has not disappointed. He ended the season batting .292, and having a fielding percentage of .942. He also walked the Marauders off twice this season.
What the top of the order has done could might as well go without saying. King, freshman Jeremy Musser, and redshirt juniors Zach Stone and Dan Johnson have been unbelievable run producers this season. King and Musser have combined to steal 38 bags in 42 opportunities. That top of the lineup speed has led to Stone and Johnson cleaning up well and driving in a combined 72 runs.
It will prove to be an exciting tournament, and it all begins Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Tune in to MSBN starting at 6 p.m. for the Homewood Suites by Hilton Lancaster pregame show.
Be sure to stay tuned to MillersvilleAthletics.com, as well as this blog for updates about the tournament. Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter @MarauderNews and @playsbyKuhns for up-to-the-minute updates. To listen to Wednesday's game, go to millersvilleathletics.com/msbn and use iTunes.
Let's play some baseball!
It's that time of year again. For the second time in three years, and the third time in six years, the Millersville Marauders (36-14, 18-6 PSAC East) are the PSAC East champions. Gutsy pitching performances by Chris Murphy and Jim McDade on Saturday against East Stroudsburg propelled the Marauders to this point. It did not look like it would be so easy, because ESU swept the Marauders at Cooper Park on Friday.
PSAC playoffs have not always been a positive spot for the Ville historically. Back in 1998, Millersville defeated Slippery Rock 2-1 in the championship game to capture the PSAC championship. Ten times since then, PSAC East foes Shippensburg, Kutztown and West Chester have all captured the crown.
Millersville came close in 2011, losing to eventual champion Mercyhurst in extra innings in the semifinal round on a walk-off home run. To say it's Millersville's turn would be an understatement.
However, a new tournament begets new possibilities. Millersville head coach Jon Shehan has found a winning formula, and he intends to see it through here in this rapidly moving tournament in Johnstown, Pa. Shehan moved some parts around in the final few games of the season, which will be explained later, but the moves proved helpful to get everyone some game experience before the tournament starts.
THE OPPONENT: Slippery Rock 31-19, 13-11 PSAC West
Slippery Rock barely squeaked past IUP on the final day of the season to make the postseason. The Rock defeated now-second seeded Gannon to earn a crucial victory and clinch the fourth seed.
PSAC West teams did not have it easy. Slippery Rock split three series, lost all four to Mercyhurst, and won series against IUP and Clarion. That series win against IUP looms large in how they got to this point.
The Rock is balanced. They own talented pitchers like Lou Trivino, whose seven wins, eight complete games and 1.53 ERA can intimidate teams. They also have great hitters on The Rock, including Will Kengor (.455, 39 runs, 28 RBI, 12/15 steals) who can do it all. Four hitters (Austin Benshadle, Jake Nogalo, Brandon Myers and John Shaffer) have averages over the .300 mark.
While those numbers could be intimidating to most PSAC foes, not Millersville. The Marauders lead the league in batting average (.329), runs (361), hits (495), doubles (97), RBIs (326), walks (189), HBP (64) and OBP (.414). Most pitching statistics rank towards the top, especially with the top aces Tim Mayza (9-3) and Murphy (12-1) leading the way. Aside from two tough luck losses, Mayza has dominated Division II competition. Murphy, now the school's single season win record-holder, only lost one game to Philadelphia University early in the season. Tad Barton (7-3) aside from his last two starts, has been tremendous this season, only losing once a PSAC East foe. The aforementioned McDade (3-4) pitched his best game of the season against ESU on Saturday.
If there is anything to be gained of seeing how the opposition fared against crossover opponents, The Rock went 6-4 against PSAC East foes while playing Bloomsburg, Mansfield, Shippensburg and West Chester. Only West Chester made the postseason dance out of those teams.
In turn, Millersville went 3-3 against the PSAC West, winning both against Clarion (who only won four games total this season) and losing three of four against IUP, who missed the playoffs by one game. IUP could have easily been Millersville's first round opponent if not for Slippery Rock's clutch win against Gannon on Saturday.
As much as this current cast of Marauders might have liked a rematch for the sour outcome in 2011, it won't happen this time.
Millersville's entire coaching staff has continued to do a remarkable job with this team, especially after last year's disappointing go-around in which playoffs were in question until the final game of the season. High-profile transfers Chris Murphy (Soph., TCU), Evan King (Sr., Cal Pa.) and Mark Stuckey (RJr., Marist) have performed extremely well this season for the Marauders, playing key roles.
Underclassmen have also impressed this season. Third baseman Tyler McDonald (RSoph.) has continued to be a legitimate threat at the bottom third of the lineup (.354, 15 doubles, 40 RBI) and defensive stalwart at the hot corner. Shortstop Tyler Orris (Fr.) has had to fill in some big shoes left behind by Mike August, but he has not disappointed. He ended the season batting .292, and having a fielding percentage of .942. He also walked the Marauders off twice this season.
What the top of the order has done could might as well go without saying. King, freshman Jeremy Musser, and redshirt juniors Zach Stone and Dan Johnson have been unbelievable run producers this season. King and Musser have combined to steal 38 bags in 42 opportunities. That top of the lineup speed has led to Stone and Johnson cleaning up well and driving in a combined 72 runs.
It will prove to be an exciting tournament, and it all begins Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Tune in to MSBN starting at 6 p.m. for the Homewood Suites by Hilton Lancaster pregame show.
Be sure to stay tuned to MillersvilleAthletics.com, as well as this blog for updates about the tournament. Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter @MarauderNews and @playsbyKuhns for up-to-the-minute updates. To listen to Wednesday's game, go to millersvilleathletics.com/msbn and use iTunes.
Let's play some baseball!
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