Lock Haven survives a close match against Millersville: Winning 24-23 in a homecoming classic
Tagged under: Gameday Hub, News, Pennsylvania Colleges
Ryan States | September 29, 2024
Photo Taken by Lock Haven Athletics Department
Lock Haven, PA.- Saying it has been a long time since (2-2) Lock Haven won a major home game is an understatement. The Bald Eagles last home win against a PSAC opponent was in 2019, their last home win against an interdivisional opponent? 2016 versus Bloomsburg. Lock Haven rectified all that today, getting a thrilling 24-23 win over the (0-4) Millersville Marauders.
After the game Mulrooney talked about how big it was to get his first home PSAC victory of his career on Homecoming.
“It’s a new era, things are changing.” Mulrooney said, “ No one can blow us out anymore, It’s going to be a lot of close games. The fans show up because they want to see a good outcome, and it’s fantastic. I’m proud of the players, proud of the recruits, proud of everyone that has become a part of this.”
The first half for Lock Haven was about as bad as a half can be. Lock Haven gave up 175 yards rushing to a Marauders team that had not gotten over 100 yards in any of their previous three games.
Lock Haven scored the first points of the game as Jackson Ostrowsky found a wide open Quon Williams in the endzone to put The Haven up 7-0 early in the first quarter. That would be the last time the Bald Eagles had the lead until there was four minutes left in the fourth quarter, as Millersville went on a 20-3 run to end the half. On top of that both the offense and defense looked sluggish and like a team that wasn’t ready to play.
“They [Millersville] did some great things, credit to them.” Mulrooney said when asked about his thoughts after halftime. Offensively they started a new quarterback and had a new game plan. They did a lot of different things that we had not practiced for, we had to make adjustments at half, and we did. We outscored them 14 to 3 in the second half.”
Millersville quarterback Ryan Zeltt was a surprise starter for the Marauders, as he only appeared in one game so far this season. The sudden change proved effective, but it was the Millersville ground game that gashed Lock Haven in the first half, as running back Jaiden Abrams played the game of his life, breaking tackles again and again as he looked almost impossible to bring down. Overall it was a miracle that the Bald Eagles only found themselves down 10 at halftime.
Millersville has struggled in the second half all season, being outscored 81-17 in their first four games. And it would be no different on Saturday.
Lock Haven started the half with a turnover as Rocco Daugherty picked off his second pass of the season to set up the Bald Eagles in Marauder territory. That interception was also the first turnover they have forced since their three interception performance against Glenville State.
Following the interception Keystone College transfer Damir Green found the endzone to draw Lock Haven within three. Then after a Millersvillle field goal put The Haven down six, the Bald Eagles struggled to find an answer. Ostrowsky was picked off two times in the second half, but his defense had his back and kept the game within striking distance.
With a little over four minutes left in the game Lock Haven finally started to drive down the field, but found themselves facing a tough decision. On 4th and 10 and the Marauders 20-yard line coach Mulrooney had to decide whether to kick the field goal and give the ball back down three, or go for it and try to steal the lead. But for coach Mul, it wasn’t a hard choice.
“I didn’t think a field goal would do anything for me in that moment.” Mulrooney said, “ I was like, listen I need a score. Especially when i’ve been pressing the whole game and going for it on 4th downs in the first half. We work hard to play the right fits, and I’m proud of the kids.”
On that fateful 4th down Ostrowsky dropped back and fired over the middle, finding a wide open Justin Popovich in the endzone to put the Bald Eagles up 24-23. Popovich, a sophomore from Louisville, caught his first TD of his career, and it could not have been in a bigger moment. As for the first time since their opening drive, Lock Haven had a lead.
On Millersville’s final drive they continued to bully the Bald Eagles with the ground game, driving into Lock Haven territory and setting up to attempt a 37-yard field goal. Marauders kicker Trent McDowell had already missed a kick up to this point, and he had the chance to make up his mistake and give Millersville the lead right back. But a problem with the hold made McDowell strike the ball off the side of his foot, sending it high in the air, well short of the goal posts.
While Lock Haven caught a lucky break, they still had to go win the game as with 1:50 on the clock and Millersville having two time outs, The Haven needed to pick up a first down to seal the win.
Facing a 3rd and 2 with the run game struggling all day, Ostrowsky handed off to Green, who broke a tackle and ran to the outside, running past the line to gain and giving Lock Haven their second victory of the season.
While the last two weeks were about as good of losses as the Bald Eagles could have had, this one was about as ugly of a win as it could have been. But a win nonetheless in a game that Lock Haven needed a positive result.
Coach Mulrooney talked all this season how his team had yet to gel and get a team win, and this felt like the full team performance he had been searching for, as while it was ugly, both sides of the ball made plays when they needed too to keep them in the game.
“ I told the team before the game, everyone said I couldn’t get this team to gel.” Mulrooney said, “I told the team today, we gel. We talked about it all pre-game. I said for the first two weeks Offense played good, defense played bad, or the offense played bad and the defense played good. But today we gelled, we needed this win really badly.”
Lock Haven will look to get back over .500 next week in a tough road contest versus the (3-1) Shepherd Rams. Kickoff for that game will be on Saturday, Oct. 5th at 1 P.M.
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