EAST STROUDSBURG Warriors (1-1, 0-0 PSAC East) at EDINBORO Fighting Scots (2-0, 0-0 PSAC West)
Date: Saturday, September 15, 2018
Site: Edinboro, Pa.
Stadium: Sox Harrison Stadium (6,000)
Kickoff: 12 noon
Live Stats: Click Here
Live Video: Click Here
Radio: WFSE 88.9
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Edinboro Game Notes
East Stroudsburg Game Notes
Scouting the Teams
On Radio and TV
The Edinboro-East Stroudsburg game can be heard live on WFSE FM 88.9, with Chris Rosato handling the play-by-play and George Schmidt providing the color commentary. The WFSE stream can be heard at www.edinboronow.com. In addition, ETV will provide a live videostream of the contest through Stretch Internet.
The All-Time Series
East Stroudsburg leads 13-6
The Warriors own the lead in the all-time series, although Edinboro has four of seven games played at Sox Harrison Stadium. ESU has won the last three meetings, with the last meeting taking place at Eiler-Martin Stadium in 2015.
The Last Meeting
2015 -- East Stroudsburg 56, Edinboro 12
East Stroudsburg scored on seven of its first eight possessions in a PSAC crossover contest at Eiler-Martin Stadium. Matt Soltes enjoyed another outstanding day for ESU as he threw for 438 yards and five TDs. His favorite target was Jon Schnarrs, who hauled in 9 passes for 200 yards and 2 TDs. East Stroudsburg would piece together drives of 82 and 69 yards in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead, and tacked on 59, 80 and 67-yards drives in the second quarter for a 35-0 lead at the half. The Warriors totaled 337 yards in the first 30 minutes, while Edinboro had 114 yards. Edinboro would score twice in the third quarter, on a 41-yard pass from Jake Sisson to Alex Caratelli, and a six-yard run by Jon Girvin. However, the Scots couldn't slow down the ESU offense, as the Warriors led 49-12 after three quarters and scored a final touchdown in the fourth period. ESU finished with 565 total yards while Edinboro was held to a season-low 283 yards. Edinboro threw for 154 yards and ran for 129 yards. Sisson completed 14-of-28 passes for 141 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Cory Bell paced the ground game with seven carries for 56 yards, with Sisson adding 43 yards on four scrambles. Caratelli caught 3 passes for 57 yards, with Connor Hollenbeck adding 3 catches for 19 yards.
Last Week
Edinboro 21, Bloomsburg 16
The Fighting Scots picked up their second straight road win to start the 2018 campaign thanks to strong efforts on defense and special teams. Edinboro took the opening kickoff and drove 63 yards on five plays, with
Andrew Tomko completing three passes to
James Clark for 64 yards. The last 22 yards went for six points. Unfortunately, Edinboro's passing game stalled after that, completing just four more passes. After Bloomsburg tied the game at 7-7,
Ta'Nauz Gregory gave Edinboro the lead for good, taking the ensuing kickoff and bursting 90 yards for his third career kickoff return for a touchdown. After that, Edinboro rode the rushing of
Walter Fletcher and the defense to the win. Fletcher gave the Fighting Scots a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter thanks to a one-yard TD run. The score was set up by the second of
Trey Hall's two interceptions. Bloomsburg closed the gap to 21-10 at the half thanks to a 28-yard field goal as time expired. The Huskies scored the only points of the second half on Erik Benjamin's second one-yard TD run with 6:21 remaining in the game. The two-point conversion pass failed. The Edinboro defense took care of the rest, as
Zuril Hendrick halted one possession with an interception, and the game ended with a pair of sacks on the last drive.
East Stroudsburg 41, Seton Hill 34
Redshirt senior tailback Jaymar Anderson ran for 239 yards and tied a PSAC record with six rushing touchdowns, including four in the fourth quarter, as East Stroudsburg rallied past Seton Hill on Saturday night. Anderson's 239 yards, the fourth-most in school history, came on 32 carries. ESU, which fell 49-17 at No. 8 Ferris State last week with Anderson out of the lineup due to injury, trailed 27-13 entering the fourth quarter before scoring 28 straight points to jump in front. Anderson gave the Warriors a 34-27 lead with a 28-yard TD run with 5:08 remaining, and added his sixth TD with a five-yard score with 3:08 left after an interception and 56-yard return by free safety Billy Inge III. All told, Anderson scored on runs of 1, 49, 4, 1, 28 and 5 yards. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Ben Moser was 16-for-29 for 226 yards and ran eight times for 36 yards. Devante Robinson caught 7 passes for 72 yards and added 33 yards rushing, with Jylil Reeder adding 3 catches for 76 yards. Seton Hill led 14-13 at halftime, and boosted that lead to 27-13 after three quarters. The two teams combined for over 1,000 yards in total offense with Seton Hill at 540 yards and ESU 532. The Warriors ran for 306 yards, while Seton Hill passed for 326 yards.
The Coaches
Wayne Bradford (Salisbury St. '90) was named Edinboro's 15th head coach on March 29, 2017 and led Edinboro to a 7-4 record in his first season. After serving as interim head coach in 2017, that tag was removed after less than a week after the conclusion of the season. Bradford has worked under four different head coaches and was an assistant at Edinboro for 18 years before taking over as the interim head coach. He has spent a majority of his time as the Fighting Scots' defensive coordinator. Bradford has master-minded some brilliant defensive performances over the years in a day and age when offense has taken over. For instance, in 2011 the Fighting Scots ranked eighth in Division II in scoring defense (17.0 ppg.), 11th in pass efficiency defense, and 18th in total defense (292.6 ypg.). Edinboro gave up fewer than 20 points in seven of its 11 games. A year ago, his Edinboro defense finished first in the PSAC and fourth in Division II in tackles for losses, and second in the PSAC and sixth in the country in sacks. Edinboro finished the 2016 campaign with a 9-2 record, marking the fifth time an Edinboro team with Bradford on the staff tied the school record for victories (9). Three of Edinboro's teams during his tenure have reached the NCAA playoffs, including the 2009 team, which finished at 9-4 and reached the Super Region One semifinals. All told, he has been a part of 117 wins.
Denny Douds (Slippery Rock '53) is in his 45th season as the head coach at East Stroudsburg and is in his 53rd season as a member of the ESU staff. He has a 264-197-3 career record. He entered the season leading NCAA active coaches in career wins and ranking 16th in NCAA football history. Douds is also the active leader in games coached (464), holds the Division II record and ranks seventh on the NCAA all-time, all-division list. In addition, he ranks fifth in NCAA history in years coached at one school, and one of only five coaches in college football history to coach 40+ years and spend his entire career at the same school, trailing only Eddie Robinson (55 years, Grambling), John E. Dorman (50, Upper Iowa), and Joe Paterno (46, Penn State) on that list. Douds has been a part of 10 PSAC?East championships, 5 outright PSAC?titles and 4 NCAA Playoff appearances since arriving in 1966.
The Game Stories
- Edinboro finally gets to play at home at Sox Harrison Stadium after back-to-back road wins to open the 2018 campaign. It marks the first time the Fighting Scots opened the season with a pair of victories on the road for the second time in the last three years. The 2016 team also started with back-to-back road wins. The Fighting Scots opened the season with a dominating 69-0 win at Lake Erie, followed by a hard-fought 21-61 triumph at Bloomsburg last Saturday.
- Edinboro finished with a 7-4 record and went 4-3 in the PSAC West with Wayne Bradford serving as interim head coach in 2017. The interim tag was pulled from his title the week after the season ended. A total of 19 starters return from last year's squad -- 8 of offense, 10 on defense, and one on special teams. The roster features 18 seniors.
- The Fighting Scots were picked to finish fourth in the Western Division in the PSAC Coaches' Preseason Poll for the second straight year. Edinboro finished fourth in the Western Division last year. Indiana(Pa.) is the preseason favorite in the PSAC West.
- Edinboro was ranked in a pair of preseason publications. The Fighting Scots were 18th in Lindy's Sports College Football National 2018 Preview. and 24th in the Street &?Smith's College Football Magazine Preseason Top 25. Edinboro is currently among "others receiving votes" in the latest AFCA?Division II Top 25.
- East Stroudsburg comes off a rare losing season for long-time head coach Denny Douds. The Warriors were 3-8 a year ago and picked to finish fifth in the PSAC East.
- Denny Douds is in his 45th season as the head coach at East Stroudsburg. He has a 264-197-3 career record, entering the season leading NCAA active coaches in career wins and ranking 16th in NCAA football history. He is also the active leader in games coached (464), holding the Division II record and ranking seventh on the NCAA all-time, all-division list. Douds has been a part of 10 PSAC?East championships, 5 outright PSAC?titles and 4 NCAA Playoff appearances. Early in his career, Douds served as an assistant coach at nearby McDowell High School.
- A trio of Edinboro players earned All-American honors a year ago. Walter Fletcher was a consensus All-American, including second team Associated Press Division II All-America honors, after ranking second in Division II in rushing. Zuril Hendrick and James Clark were named to the Don Hansen All-America Team, with Hendrick named to the first team after leading Division II in interceptions, and Clark a third team choice after ranking third in Division II in receptions per game.
- Edinboro had six players earn All-PSAC?West honors last year, and all six return. Walter Fletcher (RB), James Clark (WR), and Brandon Anderson (SS) were accorded first team honors, while Derek Dorr (DT), Ta'Nauz Gregory (RS) and Zuril Hendrick (CB) were named to the second team.
- The Edinboro-East Stroudsburg contest features two of the top ballcarriers in Division II. Walter Fletcher set an Edinboro school record a year ago with 1,740 yards rushing, ranking second in Division II in rushing yards and rushing yards per game. The redshirt junior is off to another fast start with back-to-back 100-yard efforts. He leads the PSAC in rushing while ranking 10th in Division II in rushing yards and 12th in rushing yards per game. East Stroudsburg counters with Jaymar Anderson. The 225 lb. redshirt senior does not appear in the rushing leaders because he missed the first game of the season. However, he rsuhed for over 1,000 yards last year, and returned in week 2 to run for 239 yards while tying a PSAC record with six rushing touchdowns, including four in the fourth quarter.
- Edinboro will celebrate Hall of Fame Day against East Stroudsburg. On Saturday night, 10 individuals will be inducted into the Edinboro Athletic Hall of Fame. Included in that group are a pair of former football standouts -- Chris Kaczor and Bryan Lambert. Kaczor was a four-year starter on the offensive line (2002-06), the last three years at center after playing guard as a freshman. He is one of the few Edinboro players to earn All-PSAC West honors four times. Lambert starred in both football and track & field. He ranks among Edinboro's career leaders in sacks and was a two-time All-PSAC West honoree. In track & field, he earned All-American honors in 1997 in the shot put. Lambert was named to the Edinboro Track & Field All-Time Team.
Next for the Fighting Scots
Saturday, September 22 at California(Pa.) -- 1:00 p.m.
