ERIE, Pa. – With Jake Sisson throwing for four touchdowns and three receivers catching passes for more than 100 yards, Edinboro completed the sweep of local rivals Gannon and Mercyhurst with a convincing 45-16 win over the Lakers at Tullio Field on Saturday afternoon. While coming away with the Erie County crown, Edinboro remained in the hunt for the PSAC West title while improving to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the PSAC West. Mercyhurst fell to 2-5 and 1-3, respectively. It is the first time Edinboro has defeated both Gannon and Mercyhurst in the same season since 2011.
 
The contest was the first between Bucknell graduates Justin Lustig and Mercyhurst's Marty Schaetzle. Schaetzle was an assistant coach when Lustig played at Bucknell in the late 1990's. Lustig, in his first year as Edinboro's head coach, has the Fighting Scots off to their best start since 2009. Edinboro has now won three straight games and is 4-0 on the road after suffering through a stretch of eight straight defeats on the road heading into the season.
 

Sisson continued his outstanding campaign, completing 28 of 42 passes for 435 yards, with four touchdowns and no interceptions. It marked the second straight 400-yard game for the junior, and the third this season, and the 435 yards is the fifth-highest single-game total. He now has 28 touchdown passes, two shy of Trevor Harris' school-record 30. In addition, he has passed for 2,482 yards, the sixth-highest season total, and his 2,601 yards in total offense ranks fifth.
 
Sisson spread the ball around, as for the first time in school history, three different receivers had 100-yard receiving games. Freshman Ta'Nauz Gregory led the way with 9 receptions for 110 yards, with Alex Caratelli adding 7 catches for 147 yards. James Clark also caught 7 balls, for 128 yards. All three caught a touchdown pass, as did Jordan Williams.
 
Mercyhurst would take an early 3-0 lead on a 37-yard field goal by Dylan Kondis with 10:15 left in the first quarter. It came after the Fighting Scots lost a fumble in Mercyhurst territory, and was set up by a 51-yard run by Richie Sanders.
 
Edinboro needed just three plays to grab a 7-3 lead. On the second play, Sisson and Clark combined for a 44-yard gain. On the next play, it was Gregory with a 16-yard touchdown reception from Sisson.  
 
The Lakers would regain the lead at 10-7 on the second play of the second quarter, as Sanders scored on a four-yard run. The senior was a standout all day, rushing for 119 yards on 17 carries.
 
From that point, it was all Edinboro. The Fighting Scots would score the next 17 points before the half, then add three touchdowns in the third quarter. Edinboro took the lead for good on the ensuing series after the Mercyhurst score with their longest drive of the day. Sisson guided the Scots on an 11-play, 75-yard drive, completing five passes for 60 yards. Caratelli capped the march with a leaping two-yard touchdown catch in the right corner of the end zone. That gave Edinboro a 14-10 lead with 10:49 left in the second quarter.
 
Victor Hudson set up the next score. The senior defensive end had two sacks on the day, but this time he dropped back in coverage and intercepted Doug Altavilla's pass and returned it five yards to the Mercyhurst 30. Austin Reese would come in and kick a career-long 47-yard field goal, tied for the sixth-longest in school history, for a 17-10 lead with 9:29 left in the half.
 
Following a three-and-out by the Lakers, Edinboro went 65 yards in six plays to take a 24-10 lead. All six plays were passes, with Gregory catching three passes. The last two plays went to Clark, the first for 25 yards, and the second covering 16 yards on a wide receiver screen for a touchdown.
 
Edinboro had an opportunity to build on the lead late in the half, driving down to the Mercyhurst two. Sisson's pass for Gregory was incomplete on fourth down, and the Scots settled for a 24-10 lead at the half.
 
Mercyhurst put together an impressive 12-play, 52-yard drive that used up almost half the quarter to start the second half, but the defense stiffened and held the Lakers to a 33-yard field goal by Kondis. That cut Edinboro's lead to 24-13 with 7:56 to play.
 

The Fighting Scots needed just 66 seconds to answer, going 75 yards in five plays. The drive began with a 57-yard pass from Sisson to Caratelli. On 3rd-and-10, Gregory caught a 16-yard pass, and on the next play, Walter Fletcher scored on a two-yard run. Reese's extra point made it 31-13 with 6:50 left in the third quarter.
 
Mercyhurst failed to get a first down on the next series. Kondis' punt was blocked by Marquis Spence, with Fletcher recovering for his second touchdown in a stretch of less than a minute.
 
Edinboro tacked on another score before the end of the third quarter, once again in quick strike fashion. Sisson threw on all four downs, for 13 yards to Fletcher, 12 yards and 15 to Gregory, before combining with Williams for a 27-yard touchdown pass. That made it 45-13 with 1:35 left in the third quarter.
 
Mercyhurst would complete the scoring in the fourth quarter as Kondis kicked his third field goal, this one from 25 yards out, following an Edinboro fumble.
 
Edinboro ended the game with 501 yards in total offense, while the Boro defense allowed a season-low 229 yards. The defense limited the Lakers to 12 first downs and limited three quarterbacks to 17 completions in 32 attempts for 133 yards. Mercyhurst finished with 96 yards rushing. The defense came up with five sacks. Austin Mietz was the leading tackler with 7 stops.
 
The Fighting Scots are on the road once again next week, playing at Slippery Rock on Saturday, October 22. It marks the third time Edinboro will be playing in a Homecoming game in the last four weeks.