Erik Raeburn vs. Cal
Nate Kurtz

Football Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Football Game Preview: 24 Seniors to be Recognized on Senior Day as Golden Knights Host Lock Haven

LOCK HAVEN BALD EAGLES at GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS
DATE/TIME: Saturday, November 16, 2024 | 12 noon
STADIUM/LOCATION: McConnell Family Stadium l Erie, Pa.
LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO
GAME NOTES


THE GANNON-LOCK HAVEN SERIES
Gannon leads 6-2
Lock Haven has won the last two meetings by a combined three points. In 2019 the Bald Eagles held on for a 28-27 win and in 2018 the two teams battled near blizzard conditions at McConnell Family Stadium with Lock Haven prevailing 50-48.

Last Meeting: Nov. 16, 2023 – Lock Haven 28, Gannon 27 | RECAP
The back-and forth game saw Lock Haven jump out to a 20-7 lead but Gannon rallied for a 21-20 lead on touchdown runs of 16 and 17 yards by Joey Cox. The Bald Eagles took a 28-21 lead with just under four minutes to play. Gannon responded with a touchdown with two seconds remaining on Cox' third score of the day. Gannon went for the two-point conversion and the win but Cox' pass fell incomplete.  
  
RECORDS
Gannon: 3-6; 3-3 in PSAC West
Lock Haven: 4-6; 3-4 in PSAC East
 
ERIE, Pa. – The 2024 season began with high hopes but instead was filled with numerous injuries and a strong group of opponents. Through it all Gannon has battled and looks to add one more win when Lock Haven visits McConnell Family Stadium on Saturday, November 16.

Gannon comes in with a 3-6 record and finished at 3-3 in PSAC West action, good for fourth place. Lock Haven improved to 4-6 overall and 3-4 in the PSAC East thanks to a 42-21 win over Shippensburg last Saturday. The Bald Eagles bring one of the best passing attacks in the country into the game and will test a depleted secondary.

Kickoff is set for 12 noon with the team holding Senior Day festivities prior to the kickoff. A total of 24 seniors will be honored as they take the field for the last time. They include: Zaire Allen (Johnson City, Tenn./Archbishop Spalding (Md.)), Armani Bailey (Lincoln, Pa./Woodland Hills), Trey Cain (Las Vegas, Nev./Liberty), Caleb Ellison (Indianapolis, Ind./Brebeuf Jesuit Prep), David Francis Jr. (North Hollywood, Calif./Ulysses S. Grant), Joshua Gormsen, Napoleon Harris (Columbus, Ohio/Eastmoor Academy), Daeshawn Larry (Macclenny, Fla./Baker County), Cannon Lucas-Murphy (Glenmoore, Pa./Downingtown East), Hayden McDonald (Tigard, Ore./Tigard), David Morgan Jr. (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls), Isaiah Poe, Aidan Ricks (Willowick, Ohio/Chalker), Eyvar Robles (Auburn, Wash./Auburn Riverside), Ajani Shelton (San Diego, Calif./Mt. Carmel), Luke Shragher (Jamison, Pa./Lansdale Catholic), Braeden Soboleski (Erie, Pa./McDowell), Ty Tiggs (Cleveland, Ohio/Mayfield), Jordan Tolliver (Baltimore, Md./Woodlawn), Jacob Vasko, Michael Watkins III (Pompano Beach, Fla./American Heritage School), and Dylan Wilson (Garrettsville, Ohio/Garfield).

Gannon has been decimated by injuries yet enters the final game with wins in two of its last three games. A week ago they rode a career-best performance by redshirt freshman Jayden Whitaker (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) to a 34-28 win at Clarion. Whitaker threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more while accumulating 408 total yards. For his efforts he was selected the PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Week.

The inordinate number of injuries have been coupled with a demanding schedule. As luck would have it, in addition to Lock Haven Gannon's crossover games included Kutztown (10-0) and East Stroudsburg (9-1). All told four Gannon opponents have just one loss.
 
Rosters:  
Gannon 
Lock Haven

Schedules:   
Gannon  
Lock Haven

Statistics:   
Gannon  
Lock Haven

Head Coaches:  
Gannon's Erik Raeburn
Lock Haven's Dan Mulrooney

Golden Knights to Watch
QB Jayden Whitaker (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) – Whitaker was named the PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Week earlier in the week after leading the Golden Knights to a 34-28 win at Clarion. He threw for 2 TDs and ran for a pair more while passing for 366 yards. Whitaker has accounted for 17 of Gannon's 20 touchdowns this season. He has thrown for nine scores and run for eight more. He has completed 140-of-231 passes for 1,805 yards with 9 TDs and 5 INTs and leads the team in rushing with 229 yards.
 
WR Donell "Tank" Mason – the 2022 PSAC West Freshman of the Year, Mason leads Gannon with 42 receptions for 649 yards. He has climbed into eighth place in career receptions with 108 and is now seventh in career receiving yards with 1,595. Mason had his third career 100-yard effort at Clarion with 121 yards on seven catches.

WR Braeden Soboleski (Erie, Pa./McDowell) – the redshirt junior comes off a career-best 7-receptions, 87-yards effort at Clarion. He is second on the team in receptions with 22 for 318 yards.

LBs Trey Baker (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering Fairmont) and Hayden McDonald (Tigard, Ore./Tigard) – Baker, a redshirt senior, was named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week for his play against Seton Hill. He registered the first turnover of the year for Gannon, an interception in the second quarter that was returned 68 yards. He then recovered a fumble at the GU 36 on Seton Hill's last drive. Baker has boosted his career total to 225 tackles, good for 17th all-time. McDonald is also a redshirt senior and has been a steady performer all year. He leads the Golden Knights and ranks among the PSAC leaders with 79 tackles, including a career-high 17 in the season opener vs. Northwood. He had 11 stops at Edinboro and Clarion.

P/PK Bryson Costa (Windber, Pa./Windber Area) – a true freshman, Costa has handled the dual role of placekicker and punter. He is averaging 43.7 yards on 38 punts, with 13 covering 50+ yards. Costa leads the PSAC in punting average and is 11th in Division II. As Gannon's placekicker he has made 4-of-6 field goals and 16-of-19 on extra points. He made three field goals against Seton Hill. He made his first career field goal from 24 yards out, then added 27 and 45-yard field goals.
 
DB Ty Tiggs (Cleveland, Ohio/Mayfield) – a graduate student, Tiggs is the only member of a five-man secondary to start all nine games. He stands second on the team in tackles with 61.
 
Scouting Lock Haven: The Bald Eagles finished PSAC East action at 3-4 thanks to a 42-21 win over Shippensburg. They come in at 4-6 overall … head coach Dan Mulrooney has developed one of the top passing attacks in the country. Lock Haven ranks second in the PSAC and eighth in Division II in passing offense with 292.5 ypg. The aerial game revolves around Jackson Ostrowsky and T'air Young. Ostrowsky, a 6-foot-0, 220 lb. grad student who began his career at Rhode Island has thrown for a school-record 25 TDs. He has completed 212-of-388 passes for 2,925 yards, the fourth-highest season total. Young has been his favorite target. A 6-foot-2, 225 lb. redshirt junior, Young has hauled in 60 passes for 1,034 yards and 10 TDs. The 1,034 yards rank third in a season and the 10 TDs is the second-highest season total … a couple notable items when looking at Lock Haven. It is a highly experienced team with eight graduate students listed as starters along with six seniors. In addition, Ostrowsky works behind an offensive line that is huge. The front five averages 325 lbs. with the right side of the line featuring 355 lb. guard Edward Leak and 6-foot-6, 350 lb. Matt Fredrick.




 
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Players Mentioned

Zaire Allen

#1 Zaire Allen

DB
5' 10"
Graduate Student
Trey Baker

#50 Trey Baker

LB
6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
Caleb Ellison

#13 Caleb Ellison

QB
6' 0"
Graduate Student
David Francis Jr.

#9 David Francis Jr.

DL
6' 2"
Senior
Daeshawn Larry

#49 Daeshawn Larry

DL
6' 1"
Senior
Hayden McDonald

#4 Hayden McDonald

LB
6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
David Morgan Jr.

#7 David Morgan Jr.

RB
5' 10"
Graduate Student
Eyvar Robles

#55 Eyvar Robles

OL
6' 3"
Graduate Student
Sport Management and Marketing
Ajani Shelton

#43 Ajani Shelton

TE
6' 4"
Senior
Luke Shragher

#59 Luke Shragher

LB
5' 11"
Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

Zaire Allen

#1 Zaire Allen

5' 10"
Graduate Student
DB
Trey Baker

#50 Trey Baker

6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
LB
Caleb Ellison

#13 Caleb Ellison

6' 0"
Graduate Student
QB
David Francis Jr.

#9 David Francis Jr.

6' 2"
Senior
DL
Daeshawn Larry

#49 Daeshawn Larry

6' 1"
Senior
DL
Hayden McDonald

#4 Hayden McDonald

6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
LB
David Morgan Jr.

#7 David Morgan Jr.

5' 10"
Graduate Student
RB
Eyvar Robles

#55 Eyvar Robles

6' 3"
Graduate Student
Sport Management and Marketing
OL
Ajani Shelton

#43 Ajani Shelton

6' 4"
Senior
TE
Luke Shragher

#59 Luke Shragher

5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
LB