PSAC Football Athletes of the Week - 9 Sunday, November 3, 2013 2:30 PM PSAC Football Athletes of the Week - 9 - 116 Gallery Can't View the gallery? Click here. WEEK 9 - OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2 Standings | Statistical Leaders | Schedule/Results Football: Eastern Division Offensive Athlete of the Week Zach Zulli Shippensburg (Sr. / QB) Schwenksville, Pa. / Perkiomen Valley Shippensburg’s Zach Zulli led a efficient passing attack in a 34-18 road upset of No. 5 Bloomsburg in a nationally-televised Thursday night game. Zulli was 31-of-39 passing with a season-high 466 yards and five touchdowns, including strikes of 84, 75, 38, 31 and 27 yards. The defending Harlon Hill Trophy winner rose to the occasion on a national stage as his passing yardage total is the fifth-best single-game total in school history. Zulli became the sixth player in PSAC history to reach 10,000 career passing yards (10,377) and the fifth player in conference history with 11,000 yards of total offense (11,063). Zulli's five passing scores puts him in sole possession of sixth in Division II history with 117 on his career. Football: Eastern Division Defensive Athlete of the Week Zach Greenwald Kutztown (Jr. / DE) Gibbstown, N.J. / Paulsboro Junior captain Zach Greenwald hauled in one of three Kutztown forced turnovers as he scooped up a Millersville fumble and took it 28 yards for a touchdown in a 45-9 road win. Greenwald recorded 10 tackles with a game-high three tackles-for-loss. Greenwald is leading the PSAC and entered Saturday ranking fourth in Division II in tackles-for-loss per game with 2.1 per outing. Greenwald was part of a defensive effort that held the Marauders to just 82 passing yards and 184 yards on the ground. Football: Western Division Offensive Athlete of the Week Nigel Barksdale Slippery Rock (Sr. / QB) San Jacinto, Calif. / San Jacinto In a battle for the top spot in the Western Division standings, Slippery Rock’s Nigel Barksdale accounted for 399 total yards to lead Rock to a 35-17 victory over California. Barksdale ran for a 16-yard touchdown that gave Rock a lead it would not relinquish and threw two third-quarter touchdown passes after California had narrowed the Rock lead to 21-10. He finished the game throwing for 274 yards and rushed for 125 yards on 14 carries for 8.9 yards per carry. During the game, the senior set a Slippery Rock single-season touchdown record with 25 in his career. Football: Western Division Defensive Athlete of the Week Luke Rankie Gannon (Jr. / LB) Lockport, N.Y. / Lockport Gannon’s Luke Rankie recorded a team-best 12 tackles in a win over Seton Hill that keeps Gannon in the hunt for the PSAC Championship game. Rankie tied the school's single-game record for tackles that resulted in a loss with six for 31 yards. Rankie recorded eight of his 12 tackles during the first half when Gannon led 28-21 at the break, including five stops in the second quarter. In addition to his 12 tackles and six for loss including two sacks, Rankie was one of two tacklers on a fourth-quarter safety. He leads Gannon this season in tackles (88), solo tackles (33), assisted tackles (50), tackles for a loss (14) and sacks (5). TEAM NOTES Bloomsburg The Bloomsburg Huskies (8-1, 5-1 PSAC East) suffered their first setback of the year, a 34-18 defeat vs. rival Shippensburg on Halloween Night during a nationally-televised contest on CBS Sports Network. The Huskies failed to score at least 20 points for the first time since Nov. 5, 2011 – a span of 21 games. The Huskies were also held to season lows in rushing yards (106) and total yards (258) on a rainy night at Redman Stadium. Franklyn Quiteh set the all-time PSAC record for career rush attempts, moving to 956 with 18 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown. Quiteh also tied Bloomsburg alum Jamar Brittingham for the PSAC record of overall touchdowns with his 85th trip to the end zone. Justin Shirk tied a career-high with 14 tackles while the Huskies’ defense recorded five sacks vs. Shippensburg. Next up is a trip to undefeated West Chester next Saturday in a key PSAC East battle. California (Pa.) With sole possession of first place in the PSAC West at stake, the Vulcans suffered a 35-17 loss at No. 24 Slippery Rock on Saturday. Cal U has lost all three games this year against teams ranked in the AFCA Top 25 poll. Senior WR Mike Williams posted his third 100-yard game of the season and eighth of his career. The Vulcans entered play having allowed a combined 21 points in the last three games before yielding 21 points in the second quarter against The Rock, which became only one the second team to score 21-plus points in a game this season versus Cal U. The teams combined to run a total of 179 plays, including 98 pass attempts. Cal U has loss three-straight games against Slippery Rock after winning seven of eight meetings from 2003-10 Cheyney The Wolves’ Javier Garcia dominated from his linebacker position but it wasn't enough as Cheyney (0-9:0-6) fell 66-14 to PSAC league leader West Chester (9-0:0-6). Garcia ended the day with 15 tackles, three tackles for loss (11-yards), one forced fumble and one pass deflected. Linebacking corps mate Isaiah Fleming also recorded a solid performance registering 11 tackles and two tackles for loss. Khalif Dandy caught six passes for 81 yards. Adler Thony was 12 for 31 for 171 yards and two interceptions. The quarterback also rushed for both of Cheyney's scores. Clarion The Godlen Eagles lost 42-14 to IUP on Senior Day at Clarion. 11 seniors were honored in pre-game ceremonies - Adam Bostick, Nathan Conway, Mark Divins, Mike Felker, Ben Fiscus, Matt Long, Evan Mastele, Terrance Perfilio, Jon Reid, Ren Yonker, Mike Zak. Punter Nathan Conway had another great day - averaging 45.2 per punt on a rainy day. His season average is 42.8. Defensive end Julian Howsare led the team with 9 tackles. He now has 64 hits on the season with 14tfl's, 6 sacks, 4 blocked kicks, 4 break-ups, 2 int's and 2 fumbles caused. Clarion will hit the road for its final 2 games. The first will be at Edinboro and the second at West Chester. If West Chester wins the East, the Golden Eagles will likely play at Bloomsburg, since West Chester would be playing for the PSAC Championship against Slippery Rock. East Stroudsburg ESU blitzed Lock Haven with a 42-7 run over the 2nd/3rd quarters in a 52-28 win on Homecoming. R-So. QB Matt Soltes had 536 total yards (462 passing, 74 rushing) in less than 3 quarters, and threw 4 TD passes - 28 TD, 3 Int this year. Soltes has 6,407 career total yards, 2nd-most by a sophomore in PSAC history (ESU's Jimmy Terwilliger had 7,634 in 2003-04). Averaging 361.0 total yards, 314.0 passing yards and leads PSAC QB's with 423 rushing yards. R-Sr. WR Robert Bleiler (7 catches, 230 yards, 2 TD) had a 99-yard TD in the 3rd quarter, tying ESU's record. Bleiler has 2 of the 3 longest catches in ESU history (97 vs. Pace, 2011). Bleiler is in ESU's top 10 with 59 catches, 1,034 yards and 10 TD. R-Fr. TB Robert Healy (905 yards) moved into ESU's top 10 and can become school's 2nd 1,000-yard freshman. Sr. K Taylor Groff set ESU’s career kicking points record with 295 – 3rd-most in PSAC history. He has 49 field goals, 1 from ESU’s record of 50 held by Ed Detwiler. ESU gained 696 yards - raising average to 534.1 (record is 509.1 in 1996). Denny Douds moved into sole possession of 3rd on DII victory list with 243, in his 416th career game ... ESU hosts Millersville next Saturday. Edinboro Saturday’s 19-6 loss at Mercyhurst marked the first win by the home team in the series since 2008. Keith Regis accounted for Edinboro’s lone score with a three-yard run. It was the first career touchdown for the redshirt freshman. Delano Fabor recorded an interception for the third straight game, and remains tied for the PSAC lead with five pickoffs. James Jackson also had an interception for the second straight contest. The senior cornerback now has 15 career interceptions, moving him into a tie for fourth place in career INTs. Jackson is one of eight seniors who will be honored on Senior Day before next Saturday’s game vs. Clarion. Center Ryan Wilson is another. He has started every game in his career, and is expected to make his 42nd consecutive start. Mercyhurst scored the first points of the game thanks to a bad snap on a punt, which eventually bounced out of the end zone. It marked the first safety against Edinboro since 2011 Gannon Gannon remained alive in the PSAC Championship hunt last Saturday with a 40-21 victory against Seton Hill in the rain. The Golden Knights can clinch a spot in the PSAC title game with a victory at IUP combined with a Slippery Rock loss at Seton Hill next Saturday. Gannon recorded his fifth victory of the campaign, giving the Golden Knights their most victories in a season since going 6-5 in 2010. Redshirt senior Jansen Jones became the first Golden Knight in school history to rush for 200 yards three times in the same season after there had been only four 200-yard games in the history of the program prior to the 2013 season. Jones finished with a career-high 220 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Donnie Mann nailed a 48-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, representing the fourth-longest field goal in school history. Redshirt junior Luke Rankie tied the school's single-game record for tackles that resulted in a loss with six, equaling Chad Cressley's record set against Waynesburg in 1993. Jones jumped two spots and into fourth place all-time at Gannon with 2,557 career rushing yards. Junior Justin Caliste had 117 all-purpose yards against Seton Hill, moving past Sterling Pierce (1996-99) and into second place all-time at Gannon with 3,571 career all-purpose yards. Gannon will play its final two games on the road at Indiana (Pa.) and Lock Haven if it doesn’t qualify for the PSAC Championship Game. IUP The Crimson Hawks got their second straight road win with a 42-14 win over Clarion on Saturday. IUP improves to 7-2 overall with a 4-2 record in the PSAC West. It was the third consecutive win over Clarion, with each of those wins coming by at least 28 points (45-0 in 2012; 35-7 in 2011). R-Sr. RB De’Antwan Williams ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns, adding another 26 yards on three receptions. During the game, Williams entered IUP’s career top 10 with 2,284 rushing yards, good for eighth all-time. He’s now rushed for over 100 yards in each of the last three games, totaling 444 yards and five touchdowns. IUP will play in its final home game of the season on Saturday when the Crimson Hawks host Gannon (5-4, 4-2). Kutztown Kutztown (2-8, 2-4) returned to the win column with a 45-9 win over Millersville. The Golden Bears scored the game's first 38 points, capped with a 91-yard kickoff return by Curtis Wortham, the second of his career. Wortham's two rushing scores brings his career total to 22, moving him into fourth place in Kutztown history. He also needs 82 yards to be the 11th player in school history to reach the 2,000-yard mark. Freshman Alex Tonnies moved up to fifth in school history in single-season receptions. His three catches on Saturday increased his total to 65. Kutztown's defense held Millersville to less than 100 passing yards for the third consecutive season. Millersville's 82 passing yards were a season-best for the Golden Bears. Sam Dixon-Dougan rates third in the PSAC with 88 tackles. Zach Greenwald leads the PSAC with 2.17 tackles for loss per game. Lock Haven Lock Haven (3-6, 2-4 PSAC East) lost to East Stroudsburg on Saturday, 52-18 giving the Warriors a 9-8 lead in the all-time series. It marked the first time in history the two teams met as PSAC East opponents. Caleb Walton threw for four TDs and Brandon Brader rushed for 121 yards in the losing effort. The four TDs passing were a career-high for Walton, who made his third career start (also third consecutive). Walton's four passing TDs were the most in a game for a Bald Eagle since Bobby McLaughlin passed for four TDs in 1995 vs. Clarion. Walton hit four different players for TD catches, including Jesse Hoover, who reeled in his 12th career TD catch (tied for 8th all-time). It marked Brader’s first 100-yard rushing game (121) since he had 121 in Week 2 vs. Clarion. It was his seventh career game, rushing for 100 yards or more. He now has 2,494 yards (4th all-time). Lock Haven closes the year with two home games. Lock Haven’s three wins are already the most since 2004. The Bald Eagles haven’t won four since 2002. Mercyhurst Mercyhurst allowed a season-low 148 yards of total offense against Edinboro in Saturday's 19-6 win. The Lakers improved to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the PSAC West. The Lakers allowed just 51 rushing yards on 38 Edinboro attempts and gave up just 97 yards passing on the afternoon. Senior Allen Jones II rushed for 148 yards - his third 100-yard game of the season. Redshirt sophomore Richie Sanders scored his first touchdown since the 2011 season and senior Stephen Yarbrough caught his first career touchdown pass - a 61-yarder in the first quarter. Senior Dustin Galich led the Lakers with 11 tackles, two sacks, and two tackles for a loss. He now needs one tackle for 200 in his career. The Lakers had five sacks, eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage, and six quarterback hurries on the afternoon. Mercyhurst will be at California to close out the conference portion of the schedule next Saturday. Millersville Senior Ian Sadon recorded the most rushing yards and most carries by a Marauder running back since 2008. He totaled a career-high 168 yards on 31 carries for his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season. He broke a 34-yard run, giving him at least one run of 22 yards in five of his last six games. He also scored a touchdown for the third consecutive game and has scored four touchdowns in the last three. He has received 20-plus carries five times in his career and has rushed for over 100 yards each time. He has averaged 112.0 yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry over his last five games. He needs 221 yards over his final two games to be the first Marauder running back since 2005 to eclipse 1,000 yards in a season. Millersville's defense matched a season-high with three sacks. After tallying just two sacks through the first six games, Millersville has eight sacks in the last three. Corey Unger received his first career start Saturday. He is the third player to start at quarterback this season and the eighth different player to start at the position since the start of the 2011 season. Seton Hill Seton Hill could not hold a 14-0 lead and dropped its ninth straight to open the season following a 40-21 loss at Gannon. Norman Darden returned the opening kick 90 yards to give the Griffins a 7-0 lead. Jarvis McClam then hit Khalil Howard with a 10-yard TD pass to give SHU a 14-0 lead. McClam then scored from 5 yards out to tie the score at 21 but Gannon scored the game's last 19 points. Khalil Howard led the Griffins on the ground with 78 yards on 21 carries. Jarvis McClam added 65 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Zimmer led the Griffins with 13 tackles including 3 for loss. Arthur Tsapdong added 12 tackles and 2 for loss. Seton Hill will host Slippery Rock next Saturday. Shippensburg Shippensburg stunned previously unbeaten and No. 5-ranked Bloomsburg, 34-18, in a nationally-televised road battle on Halloween on Thursday night. The Red Raider defense held the Huskies, the nation's fifth-leading rushing team, to just 106 yards on the ground as SU won its third-straight contest vs. the Huskies over the last two seasons – the program's first three-game winning streak vs. BU in nearly 20 years. Shippensburg out-gained Bloomsburg by a 549-258 margin, thanks mainly to senior quarterback Zach Zulli's season-high 466 passing yards, the fifth-best single-game total in school history. Zulli threw five touchdowns to his go-to junior wide receivers: Trevor Harman (three scores) and Sheldon Mayer (two). Mayer had a career night with 244 receiving yards, the second-most in a single-game in school history. He hauled in six passes (a 40.1-yard average) as his scores went for 84 yards and 75 yards. Harman caught 12 passes for 134 yards to continue his school-record eight-game 100-yard receiving streak. Harman set the school career receptions record as his 203 grabs make him the first player in school history and 12th player in PSAC history with 200 or more career catches. The Raiders were 12-of-19 on third-down conversions, their most since converting 13 against Kutztown on Oct. 1, 2011. In SU's three wins over Bloomsburg the past two seasons, Zulli has thrown for 1,441 yards and 15 touchdowns. The victory locked up a winning season for SU as head coach Mark 'Mac' Maciejewski '92/'96M became the third head coach in program history to post winning records in each of his first three seasons. Slippery Rock #20/#24 Rock beat California 35-17 in battle of PSAC-West co-leaders to assure themselves at least a share of the division championship. SRU can clinch sole possession with a win next week at Seton Hill. Saturday's win was the sixth consecutive for The Rock and gave SRU an 8-1 record for the second time in the last three seasons and fifth time in George Mihalik's 26 seasons as The Rock's head coach. The Rock won PSAC-West titles in each of the previous four seasons they were 8-1 after nine weeks under Mihalik's leadership. The Rock also played in the NCAA playoffs in three of those four seasons (1997, 1998 and 1999). The 2011 campaign, when The Rock lost its final two regular-season games, was the lone exception to that rule. Sr. QB and Harlon Hill Trophy candidate Nigel Barksdale threw two TDs passes Saturday and, in the process, set a new SRU record for single-season TD passes with 25. Sr. WR John Schademan tied the school record with his 12th TD reception of the season. Schademan had 105 yards on 8 catches, the sixth time in nine games he had 100 or more receiving yards. West Chester West Chester extended its win streak to nine games with a 66-14 victory over Cheyney that clinched at least a share of the PSAC Eastern Division crown at 6-0. WCU is 9-0 for the first time since 1967 and 6-0 in the conference since last winning the East in 2008. West Chester forced a season-high four turnovers for the second time this year (Kutztown). R-Fr., QB Andrew Derr made his first college start and went 13-for-23 for 293 yards and three TDs without throwing an interception. Sr., RB Rondell White rushed for over 100 yards in a game for the seventh time this season. He now has 1,415 yards rushing on the year and is 133 yards away from his own single-season rushing record. His 17 rushing TDs is just one shy of the school's single-season record of 18 held by both Bert Nye (1967) and Joe Iacone (1962). White moved into fourth place on the school's all-time rushing list with 3,762 yards He is 246 yards shy of the school's all-time rushing record. White's two TDs gives him 50 career TDs and 300 career points. He is just the third player in school history to score 50 TDs and reach 300 career points.