CALIFORNIA, Pa. — The Edinboro football team fell to California (PA) 30-20 on Saturday at Adamson Stadium.
After the Fighting Scots' first possession stalled with a sack and an
Ethan Schlief punt, Cal drove 66 yards and took a 7-0 lead on Eric Gibson Jr.'s 15-yard touchdown pass to Lloyd Penn at 10:04. The Vulcans added another score on a Gibson pass to Kenny Lewis IV for a 16-yard touchdown extending the lead to 14-0 with 5:28 to play in the first.
The Scots then moved the ball into the red zone on the ensuing possession, but came away empty when
Nico Marchitelli's fourth-down pass from the Cal 5 fell incomplete. The defense forced a punt on the next series and
Evan Zankl set up the offense with a 29-yard return to the Cal 18. It took just two plays to strike as Marchitelli ran for 15 yards and
Antwan Ceasar rushed it in from three yards out cutting the lead to 14-6 after a missed PAT.
Cal answered with a 17-play, 57-yard drive that ended on Harry Radcliffe's 37-yard field goal at 3:08. After the Vulcans forced a three-and-out, Amory Thompson blocked
Ethan Schlief's punt putting the Vulcans on the Scot side of the field. Gibson found Amire Spencer for a 7-yard touchdown with 0:28 to go in the first half and sent Cal into the half up 24-6.
On the opening possession of the second half,
Parker Hoff recovered a Cal fumble at the 21-yard line. The Scots turned it into points in two plays when Marchitelli hit
Clayton Bezon for 17 yards setting up Ceasar for a 4-yard touchdown run, his second of the contest, at 13:54 trimming the lead to 24-13. After the defense forced consecutive punts, the Fighting Scots put together a 65-yard drive aided by two pass-interference penalties, with Marchitelli finding
Jeremiah Neeley for a 13-yard touchdown and
Tanner Bruzda adding the extra point to make it 24-20 at 7:15.
Cal responded with an 11-play drive that ended in Radcliffe's 27-yard field goal with 3:42 remaining in the third. Edinboro moved the ball on the next possession but an interception at the Cal 30 ended the threat. The hosts threatened again after an 81-yard completion, but
Kingston Powell forced a fumble near the goal line that resulted in a touchback, leaving the Vulcans ahead 27-20 at the end of the quarter.
The Fighting Scots opened the fourth quarter by moving from their 27 to their 39 behind a 9-yard Marchitelli run and a 6-yard completion to Zankl, but the drive ended with a Schlief punt. After Cal punted, the Scots lost possession on a completed pass to Ceasar when Darian Nelson forced a fumble and Thompson recovered.
Sunday Ikegwuonu came up with a key 8-yard sack that helped force another Vulcans punt. The teams traded field position until the Fighting Scots were stopped on fourth-and-1 from their own 24 with 1:53 left. Radcliffe converted a 36-yard field goal at 1:32 to push the lead to 30-20. Zankl returned the ensuing kickoff 34 yards to the Scots' 39, but the final Fighting Scots drive ended on fourth down and Cal ran out the clock to set the 30-20 final.
Ceasar rushed 14 times for 44 yards and two touchdowns and added two catches for 9 yards. Neeley led the Fighting Scots with five receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown. Marchitelli completed 16 of 34 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown.
Shamarr Joppy recorded a team-high 10 tackles.
Eric Gibson Jr. completed 32 of 45 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns. Jay Pearson finished with 93 receiving yards on four catches and added 43 rushing yards. Lloyd Penn caught seven passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. Wilfredo Diaz recorded a team-high 14 tackles.
The Fighting Scots visit Lock Haven on Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
