LORETTO, Pa. (Sept. 18, 2010) – Now that is how you open at home.

Playing in front of their largest home crowd since  2007, the Saint Francis football team shut out the Sacred Heart Pioneers 41-0 in front of regional and national television audiences in one of the most lopsided wins in the history of the Red Flash program.

The margin of victory of 41 points is tied for the the greatest for the Red Flash since a 52-0 win over Steubenville in 1971.

In victory, the Red Flash recorded a program-record seven interceptions, and held the Pioneers to just a 3.6 yards per play average.  Senior linebacker Matthew Parker (Darlington, PA/Blackhawk) (Darlington, Pa./Blackhawk) even got the opportunity to put some points on the board when he set a new school record with a 75-yard interception returned for a touchdown with 10:06 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Saint Francis head coach Chris Villarrial says that the defense, which had taken some lumps against Liberty and Morehead State, put forth a team effort in the win.

“After the last two weeks, a big emphasis for us was to change things up this week,” said Villarrial.  “We weren't getting much of a pass rush, and that was putting pressure on our freshman defensive backs.  So we spent the week working on pass rush with the linemen and linebackers, and it helped out the defensive backs.  I'm real proud of the guys for that.”

Help out they did, as the Red Flash recorded three sacks, eight quarterback hurries, and 11.0 tackles for loss in addition to the seven interceptions.  Sacred Heart redshirt senior quarterback Dale Fink, a four-year starter for the Pioneers, was held to 13-of-32 passing for 72 yards and four interceptions just one week after a four-touchdown performance against Robert Morris.

For the third straight week, running back Kyle Harbridge (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) (Easton, Pa./Easton) gave the Red Flash the lead, this time through the air.  On the opening drive, the Red Flash faced a 3rd-and-5 from their own 32 when quarterback John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) went deep to Harbridge, who had split out wide in the formation.  Harbridge hauled in the 52-yard bomb at the Sacred Heart 11, and three players later took a screen from Kelly for the SFU touchdown.

Harbridge, who entered the game fourth in the nation with an average of 201.00 all-purpose yards per game, also added a 38-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.  He finished with 210 all-purpose yards (115 rushing, 84 receiving, 11 kick return).

The next Red Flash strike would come as the result of a Pioneers miscue in the second quarter.  With the Pioneers set to punt at their own 20-yard line, a bad snap hit a motion man and fell to the ground, with the Red Flash getting the ball on the SHU 20.  Three plays later, Kelly hit sophomore Jeff Wasilewski (Ebensburg, Pa. / Central Cambria) (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria) on a slant at the front of the end zone for Wasilewski's first career touchdown at 12:35.

Kelly would finish the game 11-for-18 with three touchdown passes and one interception.  

Kelly would also record the next points for the Red Flash, this time on the ground.  With 8:51 remaining in the third quarter, the Pioneers were forced to punt from their own 11-yard line.  Freshman Dane Domonkos (Windber, Pa./Bishop McCort) (Windber, Pa./Bishop McCort) took the ball at the SHU 46 and raced his way to the SHU 7.  Harbridge brought the Red Flash to the 3-yard line, and after a Kelly bootleg-left left him just short of the goal line, the quarterback plowed over the goal line on 3rd-and-1 for the 21-0 lead.

While the Pioneers were still advancing the ball fairly well on the ground (149 rushing yards), they could not get anything going in the passing game.  The wheels came off in the fourth quarter, when at one point three Pioneers drives ended in interceptions – and  two led directly to Red Flash touchdowns.  Trailing 28-0 with 12:29 left in the fourth quarter, the Pioneers' Fink was picked off by Jerome Mathews (Pittsburgh, Pa./Schenley) (Pittsburgh, Pa./Schenley) at the SFU 46, who returned the ball to the SHU 5-yard line.  Two plays later, Kelly found fullback Dan Conley (Burgettstown, Pa./Burgettstown) (Burgettstown, Pa./Burgettstown) for a score.

On the Pioneers' next drive, Matthew Parker (Darlington, PA/Blackhawk) picked off back-up quarterback Ray Sheehan in the flat, and raced down the sideline for a 75-yard touchdown return.  That ranks as the longest interception in Saint Francis history, and moves Parker into second place all-time in interception return yardage at Saint Francis (176).

The Pioneers would run three more drives in the fourth quarter, with all three leaving them empty-handed near the red zone.  Michael Brown (Ambler, Pa./William Penn Charter School) (Ambler, Pa./William Penn Charter) and Luke McConnell (Westminister, Colo./Bishop Guilfoyle) (Westminster, Colo./Bishop Guilfoyle) each picked off Sheehan in the end zone, and Sacred Heart missed a 38-yard field goal.

One Red Flash player also reached a significant personal milestone.  Scott Lewis (South Fork, PA/Bishop McCourt) (South Fork, Pa./Bishop McCort) reached 422 tackles for his career, passing Colin Disch (Albany '07) for third in a career in the Northeast Conference.  The NEC record is 447, held by Kayode Mayowa (Sacred Heart '02).

Also standing out on defense – besides the seven players who recorded interceptions, that is – was freshman linebacker Anthony Bowman (Damascus, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel) (Damascus, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel), who finished with nine tackles and two tackles for loss.  Matthew Parker (Darlington, PA/Blackhawk) led the team with 10 tackles, and also added one sack and two tackles for loss.  Also recording sacks were Lewis and Chris Shepard (Kittanning, Pa./Kittanning).

NOTES: The Red Flash will have next weekend off, and will have two weeks to prepare for their Oct. 2 opponent, Robert Morris… the Red Flash defense did a good job getting off the field; Sacred Heart was just 3 of 17 on third down… Quirky Stat of the Day: Sacred Heart out-possessed Saint Francis 10:53 to 4:07 in the fourth quarter, but the Red Flash ended up with 20 points and Sacred Heart none… freshman punter Andrew Penksa (Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort) (Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort) averaged 45.4 yards per punt… Harbridge ended up as the game's leading rusher (115), receiver (84), and all-purpose rusher (210), and was named the NEC's Hershey's Player of the Game… after going eight games without a touchdown pass, John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) has thrown five in two games.

Quotes from Chris Villarrial:

On the pass rush

"After last week, a big emphasis for us this week was changing it up.  For our defensive backs, there's not a player in America that can go back there and cover someone for six seconds, so we went back to the drawing board, back to the basics.  We practiced pass rush with the linebackers, the lineman, and it showed up today.  I'm real proud of the guys for that.

On taking the pressure off the freshmen defensive backs

We went back and we just told them, 'Everyone has made an appearance in these last two losses.'  It's not just the freshmen.  Our pass rush wasn't getting enough done.  Once we pointed that out to the defense, it gave everyone a little reprieve.  The freshman realized it's a team effort, not just them making mistakes.

On the offensive line

The offensive linemen did a lot of sled drills this week.  We really got on them this week.  When the offensive line is knocking them back, we can run for 3 and 4 yards a pop.  The guys did a great job.  We have two seniors on that unit, and I called on them at halftime to make more plays.  I'm very proud of them.

On quarterback John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora)

We reeled Kelly back in a little bit and brought him back to the basics. [Offensive coordinator] Ralph DelSardo sat him down and talked to him.  We're looking for great things from John.  But we've dropped some balls these past two weeks, so we're going to keep on the receivers as well.