Saturday, Nov. 3, 2007  

East Stroudsburg (3-6, 2-3 PSAC East) 24
Kutztown (4-6, 1-3 PSAC East)             23 
BOXSCORE

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — The Kutztown University football team had two chances to run out the clock, but couldn’t get a first down, allowing East Stroudsburg to drive downfield and kick a game-winning field goal.

Quarterback Tim Roken, who threw for 312 yards, led the Warriors into field-goal range and Greg Knauss kicked the 40-yard game-winner with 18 seconds left, handing East Stroudsburg a 24-23 win in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference game Saturday at University Field.

East Stroudburg (2-3, 3-6) had several opportunities before Knauss’ kick to take the lead, but KU’s defense continued to come up big, forcing a fumble on two consecutive drives with less than four minutes remaining. But even after a fumble on KU’s 18 with 1:35 left in the game while trailing 23-21, East Stroudsburg still managed to get the ball back for the game-winning drive.

The Warriors’ Jayson Frank, who led the team with 13 tackles, partially blocked KU’s punt, allowing East Stroudsburg to set up their final drive at the Golden Bears’ 42. Frank also blocked an extra point earlier in the fourth quarter.

Kutztown (1-3, 4-6) managed just seven points off of five fumbles and an interception.

“When you get six turnovers, you ought to win the football game,” Kutztown coach Raymond Monica said.

It looked like that would be the case when KU quarterback Kyle Spotts (sr. Tamaqua/Tamaqua) connected with wideout Elfren Quiles (sr. New Britain, Conn./New Britain) for a 50-yard touchdown pass with 5:54 remaining. Frank blocked the extra point, making it 23-21.

Quiles, who was double covered for most of the game, caught three passes for 69 yards. The 50-yard touchdown pass was one of the few times Quiles was running a route in single-coverage. Spotts noticed it and tossed the ball over the defender’s head, and Quiles did the rest.

Spotts, who finished 13-of-28 for 144 yards and an interception, started the scoring with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Jason Uhlig (fr. Blue Bell/Wissahickon), to make it 7-0 in the first quarter. The scoring drive was set up by a fumble from David Pacchioni, who had intercepted Spotts’ pass, but gave it back to KU after an 11-yard return.

Cory McFadden (so. Freemansburg/Bethlehem Catholic), who ran for 96 yards on 16 carries, scored the Golden Bears’ other touchdown on a 47-yard run in the second quarter, giving KU the 14-7 lead. McFadden displayed his speed and toughness on the play, bursting up the middle and through the secondary before carrying a defender the final 10 yards into the endzone. McFadden started in place of Dontay Wilson (jr. Stamford, Conn./Stamford), who sat out with a knee injury.

Outside of the game-winning field goal, East Stroudsburg scored all of its points in the second quarter. Roken tied the game at 7 with a 14-yard pass to Brant Quick, and tied it at 14 with a 5-yard toss to Doug Ogden.

Joe Kircher scored from 1 yard out to make it 21-14 with 30 seconds left in the second quarter.

East Stroudsburg was led on the ground by Joe Partridge, who had 105 yards. Wideouts Jeff Giglio and Sam Shuman found holes in the Golden Bears’ secondary to post 112 and 106 yards, respectively.

Despite the success the Warriors found through the air, the KU defense played tough in its own territory. Brian Bignear (sr. Boothwyn/Chichester) led KU with 18 tackles. David Cressman (sr. Sellersville/Pennridge) and Mike Gardier (so. Dunmore/Dunmore) followed with 10 tackles apiece. Cressman forced a fumble and had a recovery, while Gardier picked off a pass from Roken.

Justin Gibbs (sr. Pottstown/Pottstown) had two pass breakups and six tackles, and Cory Porrino (sr. Orwigsburg/Blue Mountain) had a pass breakup and seven tackles.

Greg Rotkowski (fr. Macungie/Emmaus) recorded KU’s only sack and forced a fumble. Nick Cresta (jr. Wallingford/Strath Haven), Keith Massey (fr. Allentown/William Allen), Chris Medina (so. Kennett Square/Kennett) and Chris Diaferio (fr. Collingdale/West Catholic) all had fumble recoveries.

Ryan Nye (jr. Bernville/Holy Name) had a 34-yard field goal to mark the only points scored in the third quarter, cutting East Stroudsburg’s lead to 21-17.

After KU took the 23-21 lead, the Warriors had drives of 42 and 29 yards, each crossing midfield, but both ended with fumbles. Kutztown, however, could not run out the clock.