Red Raiders Open PSAC Western Division Play With 33-18 Loss to Edinboro
Sept. 29, 2007
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Trevor Harris completed 33-of-44 pass attempts, both school records, for
331 yards and three touchdowns as Edinboro won just its second PSAC Western
Division opener in the last 11 seasons with a 33-18 victory over Shippensburg
Saturday afternoon at Seth Grove Stadium. Ironically, both victories have
come against Shippensburg in 2005 and 2007.
The loss marked the first time since 1961 that the Red Raiders (0-5, 0-1
PSAC West) have started a season with five consecutive losses. That year,
the team finished 0-8 under Hall of Fame coach Jack Roddick.
Saturday marked the fourth-straight game in which Harris has thrown at least
three touchdowns and the eighth time in his 16 career starts. In two games
against Shippensburg, he has thrown for 768 yards and eight touchdowns while
completing 58-of-81 passes for 71.6-percent. Last year, Harris threw for
a school-record 437 yards and five touchdowns on 25-of-37 passing.
On Saturday, the Fighting Scots (4-1, 1-0 PSAC West) jumped out to a 20-0
lead with 11:15 remaining in the second quarter when Harris connected with
David Bostic for an 80-yard touchdown, the first of Bostic's career.
Shippensburg managed to get on the board with six seconds remaining in the
first half when senior Jamie Reder (Warrenton, Va./Fauquier) made a 26-yard
field goal, his first of the season, to pull the Red Raiders within 17 at
the half, 20-3. Shippensburg was held to just 95 yards in the first half
while Edinboro totaled 269, 196 of which came from Harris.
It was the first field goal attempt for Reder since going 0-for-2 against
Shepherd in the season-opener with both attempts coming from 50 yards. He
entered the season with a career field goal percentage success rate of 79.5
percent (35-of-44), just off the all-time Division II record of 80.0 percent
held by Billy May of Clarion (1977-80). Reder now stands at 76.6 percent
with six games remaining in his career.
Both teams would struggle offensively to start the third quarter before Harris
connected with Ryan Rybicki on a 14-yard touchdown strike with 4:38 left
to increase the Fighting Scot lead to 26-3.
However, as has been its trademark this season, Shippensburg refused to quit
and battled back on consecutive touchdown runs of 11 and two yards, respectively,
by red-shirt senior Aaron Dykes (West Chester/Downingtown), pulling the Red
Raiders within one possession, 26-18, following a two-point conversion from
red-shirt senior Gabe Maiocco (Media/Marple Newtown) to red-shirt senior
Kyle Fogarty (Kintnersville/Palisades) with 4:17 remaining in the game.
After a stop by the Shippensburg defense that forced an Edinboro punt, the
Red Raider offense took over at their own 16-yard line with 2:48 left. Following
a 15-yard run by Maiocco and completions of 13 yards and 16 yards to red-shirt
senior Tim Devanney (Mifflinburg/Mifflinburg) and red-shirt sophomore Mike
Harris (East Earl/Garden Spot), Shippensburg faced a third-and-10 from the
Edinboro 40-yard line with just under two minutes remaining.
But, much like last week's heartbreaking loss against West Chester that ended
on the 1-yard line, the Red Raiders would be denied their first win of the
season for the second-straight week. Maiocco's pass was deflected and intercepted
by Dan Skelton who returned it 77 yards for the game-clinching touchdown
with 1:45 to play, giving Edinboro a 33-18 lead.
Maiocco finished the game with a career-high 263 yards, the fourth time this
season he has set a new career-high in passing yards. He completed 20-of-43
attempts, but was intercepted once and did not throw a touchdown.
Harris led Shippensburg with six receptions for 80 yards, the fourth time
in five games this season that he has totaled at least six catches. Dykes
led the rushing attack with 13 carries for 44 yards and two scores.
For Edinboro, Houston Brown finished with 95 yards rushing and one touchdown
on 19 carries while Bostic had four catches for 103 yards and a score. Rich
Cerro totaled a game-high seven receptions for the Fighting Scots as Harris
completed at least one pass to eight different receivers.
Shippensburg will look for its first win next Saturday when the team travels
to Clarion for a 2:00 p.m., kickoff from Memorial Stadium. The Red Raiders
have won six-straight against the Golden Eagles, including last year's 35-10
victory in the season-finale for both teams. Shippensburg has also won the
last two on the road in the series.
- Red Raider Football -
