EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. -- The Mercyhurst football team erased a 13-0 halftime deficit to storm past East Stroudsburg for a 25-20 victory in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference interdivisional action on Saturday.
Running back
Garrett Owens had 16 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns while quarterback
Doug Altavilla and wide receiver
Brad Novak reversed roles on the go-ahead touchdown during Mercyhurst's 19-point fourth quarter.
Altavilla completed 19 of 30 passes for 216 yards. He was intercepted three times, but did make a 61-yard TD reception from Novak.
Also for the MU offense, running back
E'Andre Smith had 13 rushes for 60 yards and one TD. Wide receiver
Zach Smith led Laker ball-catchers with five grabs for 66 yards. Fullback
Theophilus Blackston III added five catches for 34 yards and tight end
Bryce Mostoller made four receptions for 51 yards.
On defense, linebacker
Alex Zacharyasz recorded 11 total tackles, including a sack. Defensive backs
Jake Tarasovitch and
Tarique Ellis added eight and seven tackles, respectively. Lineman
Andrew Welton had a sack and defensive back
Henry Caldwell tallied a tackle-for-loss.
The Lakers (1-2) fell behind on the game's opening drive as ESU kicker Jordan Walters converted a 29-yard field goal. Later, Walters tacked on a 27-yard kick in the second quarter to push the Warriors' advantage to 6-0.
A 1-yard run by ESU running back Jaymar Anderson helped push the hosts' lead to 13-0 before halftime.
The Lakers marched 72 yards in 11 plays on their opening drive of the second half, finishing with a 20-yard jaunt by
E'Andre Smith. Then, in the fourth quarter, Owens scampered 53 yards to the end zone to finish off a six-play, 94-yard drive for Mercyhurst. The extra-points after both TDs were blocked, leaving MU with a 13-12 deficit.
Fortunes turned on the ensuing kickoff after Owens' first score. A fumble by East Stroudsburg -- credit kickoff specialist
Brendan Cole with the force -- was recovered by Laker special teamer
Grayson Taylor. Then, on the very next play, Novak found Altavilla for their 61-yard hookup, putting the Lakers ahead for good.
With an 18-13 lead, the Mercyhurst forced a three-and-out on ESU's next possession. Owens then answered with seven runs for 46 yards, including a five-yard TD run to help push Mercyhurst's lead to 25-13.
The Warriors (1-2) answered with a 36-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ben Moser to receiver Elijah Rehm. That enabled ESU to close its deficit to five points before its onside kick was recovered by the Lakers.
Owens had four more carries for 21 yards and two first downs, pushing Mercyhurst to the point of three consecutive kneeldowns and its first win of the 2017 campaign.
Anderson finished with 22 runs for 131 yards for East Stroudsburg. Moser was 13 of 31 for 196 yards. Dakota Everett recorded nine tackles and two blocked kids for the Warrior defense.
The Lakers will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 23, with their PSAC West opener at Clarion.
