Trevaughn McNeill vs. Mercyhurst
Ed Mailliard
13
Winner Gannon GAN 5-6 , 3-4
10
East Stroudsburg ESU 5-6 , 3-4
Winner
Gannon GAN
5-6 , 3-4
13
Final
10
East Stroudsburg ESU
5-6 , 3-4
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
GAN Gannon 3 0 7 3 13
ESU East Stroudsburg 0 10 0 0 10

Game Recap: Football | | Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon Rallies for 13-10 Win at East Stroudsburg to Close Out 2021

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The Gannon football team ended the 2021 season as it began, with a tight win on a long road trip. The Golden Knights scored the final ten points of the game to hand host East Stroudsburg a 13-10 defeat on Saturday afternoon at Denny Douds Field at Eiler-Martin Stadium. Gannon snapped a two-game losing streak to finish the year at 5-6, the most wins since 2017. ESU also concluded the year at 5-6.

As has been the case all year, Gannon rode the running of junior Melvin Blanks (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills), who posted his fifth 100-yard effort of the season and sixth of his career. He gained 176 yards on a career-high 34 carries. Blanks finishes the year with 1,191 yards on 192 carries with 8 TDs. The 1,191 yards ranks fifth in a season. He came into the game ranked second in the PSAC and 15th in Division II in rushing.

The defense, meanwhile, came up with timely stops while limiting East Stroudsburg to 267 total yards. Gannon also blocked a potential game-tying field goal late in the contest.

Trailing 10-3 at the half, Gannon would knot the score at 10-10 late in the third quarter courtesy of the sixth scoring drive of 90-or-more yards in 2021. The Golden Knights needed just six plays and 2:19 to cover 96 yards after Nate Reed's 50-yard punt had pinned GU back at its own four.
The drive showcased Blanks, mixed in with a pair of big completions from Kory Curtis (Cape Coral, Fla.). After a Curtis run of three yards, Blanks carried on the next three plays, picking up 24 yards. A false start penalty on the Golden Knights moved the ball back five yards, but Curtis found big tight end Alex Whittaker (Medina, Ohio/Medina) for a 46-yard completion. The longest reception of the redshirt junior's career carried down to the ESU 28. On the next play, Curtis and Johnny Freeman (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) combined for a 28-yard touchdown, with Freeman hauling in the ball inside the ten and shedding a tackler. Eric Scarpino's (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) extra point knotted the game at 10-10 with 3:41 remaining in the third quarter.
   
A short punt gave Gannon good field position at its own 37 early in the fourth quarter. Starting at the GU 37, Blanks ripped off runs of eight and four yards, then Antonio Wright (West Melbourne, Fla./Melbourne) Jr. came in and added back-to-back runs of eight yards to the ESU 35. Blanks returned and carried on the next six plays, totaling 25 yards to the ESU 10. Curtis' pass on 3rd-and-8 was incomplete, with Scarpino coming in and hitting the winning field goal from 27 yards out with 8:24 remaining in the game.

The Gannon defense did the rest. East Stroudsburg put together a 14-play drive that ate up almost five-and-a-half minutes. But the drive stalled at the GU 35 and Bartholomew attempted a 52-yard field goal. The kick was blocked by Nick White (Randallstown, Md./Milford Mill Academy), with Gannon taking over at 35 with 2:56 remaining.

The Knights never gave the ball back to the Warriors. The drive got off to an ominous start after a five-yard penalty and a loss of two yards on a Blanks' run. Blanks carried for seven yards to make it 3rd-and-10 at the GU 35 with just over two minutes remaining. That's when head coach Erik Raeburn played riverboat gambler. Raeburn called a pass play, and Curtis connected in the flat to Freeman for a gain of 17 yards and a first down. Gannon would run out the clock from there.

Gannon opened the scoring with 3:55 remaining in the first quarter on Scarpino's 19-yard field goal. The short drive was set up by a career-long punt return of 31 yards by Chaz Davis (Callahan, Fla./West Nassau). The freshman weaved his way to the ESU 38. Gannon picked up one first down thanks to an ESU personal foul, and Blanks broke off a 12-yard run down to the ESU 5. He carried to the one on the next play, but was thrown for a loss of a yard on 2nd-and-goal, and an incomplete pass brought Scarpino into the game. The redshirt sophomore had barely missed a 30-yarder on Gannon's opening possession, but this time his kick was true.

The Warriors would run off the next ten points. They put together a 12-play, 74-yard march to conclude the first quarter, reaching the end zone with 14 minutes left in the second stanza. Gunner Anglovich opened the drive with a 19-yard run, and Jake Cirilllo followed several plays later with an 18-yard completion to Clifford Brinkley to the GU 15. The Gannon defense stiffened and ESU faced a 4th-and-4 at the GU 9.

That's when ESU head coach Jimmy Terwilliger reached into his bag of tricks. The Warriors lined up for a field goal. Instead, the holder, Matt DeLaurentis, flipped the ball behind his head to the kicker, Devin Bartholomew. Bartholomew sprinted around right end to the two. The ball was moved up a yard by a personal foul, and on the next play David Akinwande scored from a yard out to give ESU a 7-3 lead.

East Stroudsburg boosted the lead to 10-3 late in the half as Bartholomew this time came into kick. He converted a 22-yard field goal with 16 seconds remaining to cap a 14-play, 64-yard march that took 5 minutes, 17 seconds.  Anglovich and Brinkley again played a key role in the drive. Anglovich carried five times for 31 yards and Brinkley caught a 15-yard pass down to the GU 15. Again, the Gannon defense stepped up with ESU facing a 1st-and-goal at the GU 7. An Anglovich two-yard run and two Cirillo incompletions led to the three-pointer.

Gannon ended the day with 409 total yards while limiting East Stroudsburg to 267 yards, including just 91 in the second half. With Blanks leading the ground game, the Golden Knights chewed up 219 yards rushing on 47 carries. Wright added 41 yards on seven carries.

Curtis completed 11-of-24 passes for 190 yards with a touchdown. The big redshirt sophomore was also sacked just once while facing an East Stroudsburg defense that ranked second in the PSAC in sacks. He ends the year with 2,251 yards passing, good for seventh in a season, while his 20 TD passes is tied for fourth.

Johnny Freeman (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) enjoyed his third 100-yard receiving effort of the season and second in the last three weeks. The redshirt sophomore caught 4 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown.

Trevaughn McNeill (Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle College HS), Keith Thompson (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) and Trey Baker (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering Fairmont) paced the strong defensive effort with 9 tackles apiece. Chris Farnsworth (Bristol, Pa./Milton Hershey) added 6 stops along with a pair of passes broken up.

Anglovich led ESU with 121 yards rushing on 27 carries, adding 3 receptions for 19 yards. Cirillo completed 8-of-17 passes for 69 yards before being relieved by DeLaurentis, who completed 6-of-14 passes for 41 yards. Brinley caught 5 passes for 43 yards.
 
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