Boxscore

ERIE, Pa. – In front of 1,243 fans at Tullio Field, No. 21 Mercyhurst College clipped Clarion 38-14 to win a share of the regular-season Western Division title and advance to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship game on Nov. 13.

The Lakers (8-2, 6-1 PSAC West) will host PSAC East champion Bloomsburg (9-1, 7-0 PSAC East) this Saturday, with kickoff slated for 12 noon. The Huskies are ranked 13th in the American Football Coaches Association poll and fifth in the latest NCAA II Super Region I rankings. Mercyhurst ranks third in the regional rankings.

Mercyhurst rallied from a 14-point deficit, scoring 38 unanswered points to give the Lakers their eighth win of the 2010 campaign, tying the 1984 and 1985 squads for most victories in a season. The eight wins are also the most under ninth-year head coach Marty Schaetzle.

The historic day started ominously for the Lakers as Clarion (3-6, 3-4 PSAC West) stopped Mercyhurst in its first two drives on interceptions by Chris Wilson. Wilson halted the Lakers' opening drive at the Clarion seven-yardline, then stalled the Lakers in their second drive and swung momentum with a 97-yard return to paydirt for a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.

The Golden Eagles added a touchdown two series later when reigning PSAC West Player of the Year Alfonso Hoggard dove in from three yards out to cap off a 12-play, 85-yard drive. But that would be all the Laker defense would allow for the remainder of the game as the unit whitewashed an opponent in the second half for the third time this season.

Trailing 14-0, the next drive for the Lakers seemingly was the turning point in the game. Starting from its own 43-yardline, Mercyhurst drove to the Clarion 11-yardline where the Golden Eagles forced a field goal attempt. Steven Wakefield's attempt sailed wide left, but an offsides penalty on Clarion allowed Rearick to hit Jeff Groene for a 6-yard touchdown pass on the ensuing play.

Less than a minute later after the Lakers defense forced a three-and-out series, Rearick drilled Terrence Coon with a 51-yard touchdown pass on the first play scrimmage and Wakefield's extra point sent the two teams into halftime knotted at 14-14.

The Lakers then scored on its first two possession of the second half, with Gerald Anderson adding a 19-yard reception from Rearick with 13:51 on the clock and Trevor Kennedy hauling in a 51-yard touchdown reception with 5:31 remaining in the third quarter.

The Lakers won the toss and deferred to the second half, where Clarion tried to catch Mercyhurst off guard with an onsides kick. However, an alert Laker special teams unit quickly pounced on the ball and gave Mercyhurst great field position at the Clarion 44-yardline to start the second stanza.

From there, Anderson's catch topped off a four-play, 44-yard drive to give the Lakers a 21-7 advantage while Kennedy's bomb highlighted a nine-play, 79-yard that chewed 4:38 off the clock and pushed the lead to 28-14.

Anderson added his second score of the day near the start of the fourth quarter when he punched through with a 16-yard run. His score came one play after the Laker defense shut down Clarion on its first play from scrimmage when Andrew Bukta intercepted Ben Fiscus and returned it 30 yards to the 16-yardline.

Clarion threatened on its next drive, making it all the way to the Mercyhurst 26-yardline but another defensive force by the Lakers stuffed the Golden Eagles on fourth-and-four. In the third quarter, the Golden Eagles were stopped on a fourth-and-one from the Mercyhurst 24-yardline.

Wakefield's 22-yard field goal with 4:26 wrapped up the scoring on the ensuing drive.

Anderson finished with a game-high 152 yards rushing on 30 carries.  Rearick tied a career high with four touchdowns, throwing for 264 yards on 20 completions in 35 attempts against three interceptions.  Kennedy posted seven catches for 96 yards while Coon added five catches for 104 yards. 

Defensively, Ian Wild had a team-high eight stops.  Tim Herbener registered seven stops and Dan Kruper had an all-around great performance with two pass breakups and six stops, including three sacks and four tackles for loss. 

Winners of five straight, Mercyhurst will play for the league championship on Nov. 13 after being picked to finish seventh in the PSAC preseason coaches' poll.

Notes:
In its third year as a full-time member of the PSAC, Mercyhurst earns a share of the regular-season Western Division title. The Lakers will square off against nationally-ranked and PSAC East champion Bloomsburg in the conference championship game on Nov. 13. Kickoff is set for 12 noon.

Ninth-year head coach Marty Schaetzle improves to 40-56 all-time at Mercyhurst. He is one win away from tying the all-time wins mark at Mercyhurst. The record (41) is shared by the Lakers first head coach Tony DeMeo and current athletics director Joe Kimball.

With eight wins, the 2010 squad ties the record for single-season victories set by the 1984 and 1985 squads.

The Lakers improve to 3-0 in games when tied at the half.

The Lakers defense shut out an opponent in the second half for the third time this season.

The Lakers are one-win away from tying the consecutive victories mark set by the 1985 team that opened with six consecutive wins en route to an 8-2 mark. 

Senior running back Gerald Anderson became the school's single-season rushing leader (1179) and moved into fifth-place all-time (1781).  He owns nine 100-yard performances in his career, including three +150 yard efforts and one +200 yard effort.