MOREHEAD, Ky. (Sept. 11, 2010) - A late drive that would have pulled the Saint Francis football team within one score was snuffed by mistakes, and the Red Flash dropped a 31-21 decision to the Morehead State Eagles on a cool yet humid day in Morehead, Ky. The Eagles improve to 1-1 on the season, while the Red Flash fall to 0-2 as they prepare to open up their 2010 Northeast Conference schedule against Sacred heart next weekend.
Like most of the games played in the all-time series between the two teams, the final score was indicative of the close level of play for 60 minutes. While both teams showed strong passing attacks in the game, it was the Eagles who were able to turn more of those opportunities into points, with quarterback Zach Lewis tossing for 458 yards and four touchdowns.
"Obviously, they came up with a great gameplan to exploit our secondary, and we weren't fast enough to adjust to their gameplan," said Red Flash head coach Chris Villarrial.
Despite the big offensive numbers for Morehead State, the game was still within the Red Flash's reach until the end. With 6:53 left in the fourth quarter, the Red Flash trailed by 10 when they started a drive on their own 25-yard line. They moved the ball quickly down the field, reaching the MSU 11 on a 2nd-and-1. However, quarterback John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) was sacked for the first time in the game to knock the Flash back to the MSU 20. On the next play, Kelly launched a pass to sophomore receiver Ryan LaDuke (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe), who caught the pass in the end zone for what appeared to be a touchdown until a late flag indicated a holding penalty against the Red Flash.
Now facing a 3rd-and-20, Kelly was sacked for the second time in the series to get pushed back to the MSU 36. Now a 4th-and-26, Kelly's final pass fell incomplete to give the Eagles the ball back with 2:31 remaining.
Kelly finished 20-of-34 passing for 162 yards and no interceptions, also completing two touchdown passes to senior Omar Winston (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland South) (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland South). Those were the first touchdown passes for Kelly since Week 4 of the 2009 season, and he looked crisp in delivering the ball to five different receivers.
The game started out in a similar fashion as last week's, with Kyle Harbridge (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) (Easton, Pa./Easton) showing the same explosiveness he did when he scored a 38-yard touchdown on the first drive of the game against Liberty. On the opening kickoff, Harbridge took the ball at his own 8-yard line and busted up the right sideline. Following a strong block from Luke McConnell (Westminister, Colo./Bishop Guilfoyle) (Westminster, Colo./Bishop Guilfoyle), Harbridge had just the kicker to beat when he juked Justin Mullins and took it to the house, putting the Red Flash up 7-0.
Morehead State would answer later in the first when, on their second drive of the game, they culminated a nine play, 86-yard drive with a touchdown pass from Lewis to Donte Sawyer. However, an Eagles special teams gaffe would put the Red Flash in the driver's seat. After a three-and-out, Andrew Penksa (Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort)'s (Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort) punt bounced off the pads of Sawyer and into the hands of LaDuke.
Three plays later, Kelly hit Winston across the middle from the MSU 6, and Winston rolled into the end zone for his first touchdown since the 2008 season, putting the Flash up 14-7.
That would be the remainder of scoring for the Red Flash in the first half, however, as Morehead scored on two quick passing touchdowns from Lewis to Jason Yoshimura and Adam Slupski to take the 21-14 lead into halftime. The Eagles would score on their first drive of the third quarter as well, with Slupski hauling in another Lewis toss to make it 28-14.
The Red Flash kept the pressure on Eagles, though, later in the third. After a Penksa punt put the Eagles on their own eight-yard line, the Eagles were forced to punt just three plays and a penalty later from under the shadow of their own goalposts. The Red Flash recovered the punt on the MSU 44, and four plays later Kelly found Winston on a fly route to the endzone after freezing two Eagles defenders with a pumpfake to make the score 28-21.
Morehead State would score just a field goal the rest of the way, but that would be enough to seal the win.
Kyle Harbridge (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) had the game-high with 61 yards rushing, and ended up with 188 all-purpose yards. Winston finished with six catches for 63 yards and two touchdowns, his first touchdowns since the 2008 season. On defense, Scott Lewis (South Fork, PA/Bishop McCourt) (South Fork, Pa./Bishop McCort) had a team-high 12 tackles, including one sack and 3.5 tackles for loss. Matthew Parker (Darlington, PA/Blackhawk) (Darlington, Pa./Blackhawk) had 10 tackles, two sacks, and 2.5 tackles for loss. Both Luke McConnell (Westminister, Colo./Bishop Guilfoyle) and Jordan Harper (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) recorded interceptions.
NOTES: The Red Flash will have their home opener against Sacred Heart on Sept. 18 televised. It will be available live locally on WATM-ABC 23, and nationally on Fox College Sports. It will also be available on ESPN3.com and through ESPN's pay-per-view service. Finally, it will be televised on tape delay on FSN Pittsburgh on Sept. 20 at 7 p.m.... Kyle Harbridge (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) now has two career kickoff returns for touchdowns... sophomore Jeff Wasilewski (Ebensburg, Pa. / Central Cambria) (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria) set career highs in receptions (5) and yards (30)... Ryan Revtai (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) and Chris Shepard (Kittanning, Pa./Kittanning) each recorded sacks... Ryan Shepard (Kittanning, Pa./Kittanning) (Kittanning, Pa./Kittanning) needs three more tackles for 200 for his career.
