Sturges, Flynn Lead Gettysburg Football Over Lebanon Valley, 49-25
From the Gettysburg College Website:
Box Score
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Senior tailback Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield) rushed for a career-high 220 yards and three touchdowns while catching an additional touchdown pass, and sophomore quarterback Matt Flynn (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional) threw all four of his touchdown passes in the first half, leading the Gettysburg College football team to a 49-25 non-conference win over Lebanon Valley College in the season opener for both teams Saturday afternoon at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium.
Gettysburg, which racked up 537 yards of total offense, never trailed after jumping to a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Bullets led 35-25 at halftime following a wild second quarter that featured seven combined touchdowns.
Lebanon Valley, which accumulated 440 yards of total offense, was led by junior wide receiver Sean Donovan, who pulled in six passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns, including a 73-yarder. Sophomore tailback Charlie Parker rushed for 75 yards on 22 carries for the Flying Dutchmen.
It was the second 200-yard rushing game of Sturges’ career, he also had 206 yards two years ago against Lebanon Valley.
Sturges also had four receptions for 42 yards and finished with a career-high 262 all-purpose yards. He put the Bullets on the scoreboard with a 49-yard touchdown run with 4:49 remaining in the first quarter, then scampered for a 23-yard touchdown reception with 21 ticks left in the opening period. After a scoreless third quarter, his 2-yard scoring jaunt early in the fourth quarter made it a 42-25 game, and his 40-yard touchdown run set the final score with 1:45 left.
Each of Gettysburg’s first two touchdowns were set up by interceptions. A pick from junior safety David Rodriguez (Fort Belvoir) gave the Bullets the ball at the LVC-49 with 4:57 left in the opening quarter, and Sturges ran for his first touchdown on the next play. Sophomore safety Brett Robinson (Chadds Ford, Pa./Archmere Academy) came up with an interception on the Dutchman-45 on Lebanon Valley’s next possession, leading to Flynn’s first touchdown pass seven plays later.
Flynn completed 15 of 26 passes for 265 yards and tossed three of his touchdown strikes in the second quarter.
Sophomore halfback Ricky Manigat (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) added 79 yards receiving and a pair of touchdown catches for the Bullets while senior receiver Matt Welsh (Lafayette Hill, Pa./St. Joseph’s Prep) had four receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown.
Junior kick Josh Huson (McLean, Va./McLean) was a perfect 7-for-7 on extra point attempts for the Bullets.
Making his first collegiate start, sophomore quarterback Patrick Weiss threw for 115 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions before being replaced by classmate Caleb Fick late in the second quarter. Fick finished with 166 yards and two touchdowns on 14-of-23 passing.
Senior linebacker Harold Barton (Somerdale, N.J./Sterling) posted 13 tackles to lead the Gettysburg defense while junior defensive lineman Conor Quinn (Rockville, Md./Richard Montgomery) made 10 hits and one sack. Junior linebacker Brian Cottone led all players with 15 tackles for Lebanon Valley.
Gettysburg returns to action next Saturday, when it visits Hampden-Sydney College in another non-conference game starting at 1 p.m.
From the Lebanon Valley Website:
Football Drops Shootout With Gettysburg, 49-25
Box Score
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Lebanon Valley College ended up on the wrong end of a shootout with Gettysburg College, dropping the season-opener 49-25 at Musselman Stadium.
Unlike last year’s rain-soaked conditions that helped LVC grind out a 13-12 win, a picture-perfect day led to an offensive explosion for both teams, including 60 points and 648 yards of offense combined in the first half alone.
Gettysburg tailback Tom Sturges had a dominant afternoon, rushing 34 times for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Charlie Parker led LVC with 75 yards on 22 carries. Sean Donovan led all receivers with a career-high 137 yards and two touchdowns.
The first half turned into a scoring bonanza, with the two teams combining for 60 points and 648 yards of offense.
Both teams struggled early, trading three-and-outs until Gettysburg capitalized on an interception of sophomore Patrick Weiss as Sturges rumbled 48 yards up the middle for a touchdown on first down. Another interception keyed the Bullets’ second score, and it was Sturges again, this time with a 23-yard catch to go up 14-0.
The Dutchmen finally got on the board on a drive early in the second quarter. Weiss completed to Scott Klein, and a Bullets’ personal foul put LVC inside the red zone for the first time. On third down, Weiss hit Adam Brossman in the back of the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown.
It was then three possessions and three touchdowns, first for Gettysburg when Flynn found Matt Welsh on a 31-yard touchdown pass, then for the Valley when Donovan made the most of a short reception and sprinted 73 yard to paydirt. Flynn responded with a 40-yard bomb to Ricky Manigat to give Gettysburg a 28-12 lead.
Freshman Caleb Fick entered under center for LVC with seven minutes left in the half and made an immediate impact. The southpaw led the Dutchmen on a long drive that ended with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Donovan with 2:19 remaining.
The two sides again went on a scoring spree to end the half.
Gettysburg took over and began to run the two-minute drill to perfection, but the Bullets only needed a minute to go 59 yards, and Flynn hit Manigat again with a 27-yard touchdown completion.
Lebanon Valley, with less than a minute to work with, made the most of their opportunity. The Dutchmen marched downfield and on third down, Fick scrambled left and hit Joe Brennan in the end zone for a diving catch with 4.4 seconds left, cutting the Bullets’ lead to 35-25 after a failed two-point conversion.
After all that, neither team scored in an uneventful third quarter, but the Bullets were set up for a Sturges two-yard touchdown run at the start of the fourth.
Sturges put the icing on the cake late in the game with his third touchdown, which would prove to be the final points of the game.
Lebanon Valley will open its home schedule next Saturday, hosting Susquehanna at 1 p.m. The Dutchmen will renew a rivalry with their former conference rivals having not played the Crusaders since 2004.
Game Notes – Sean Donovan’s 73-yard touchdown catch tied his career long. He also did it against FDU-Florham last year …Donovan’s 137 yards and 6 catches were both career highs, besting his 104 yards on five receptions against FDU in 2006 … Of the first half’s 60 points, 46 were scored in the second quarter alone … Lebanon Valley was three of seven on fourth-down conversions … Neither team recorded a sack until the Bullets’ Connor Quinn got to Fick midway through the fourth … Lebanon Valley was trying to win back-to-back season openers for the first time since 1968-69 … Gettysburg now leads the all-time series 30-4-1 … Lebanon Valley has only two wins in 23 tries in Gettysburg, with the last victory in 1979.
Box Score
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Senior tailback Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield) rushed for a career-high 220 yards and three touchdowns while catching an additional touchdown pass, and sophomore quarterback Matt Flynn (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional) threw all four of his touchdown passes in the first half, leading the Gettysburg College football team to a 49-25 non-conference win over Lebanon Valley College in the season opener for both teams Saturday afternoon at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium.
Gettysburg, which racked up 537 yards of total offense, never trailed after jumping to a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Bullets led 35-25 at halftime following a wild second quarter that featured seven combined touchdowns.
Lebanon Valley, which accumulated 440 yards of total offense, was led by junior wide receiver Sean Donovan, who pulled in six passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns, including a 73-yarder. Sophomore tailback Charlie Parker rushed for 75 yards on 22 carries for the Flying Dutchmen.
It was the second 200-yard rushing game of Sturges’ career, he also had 206 yards two years ago against Lebanon Valley.
Sturges also had four receptions for 42 yards and finished with a career-high 262 all-purpose yards. He put the Bullets on the scoreboard with a 49-yard touchdown run with 4:49 remaining in the first quarter, then scampered for a 23-yard touchdown reception with 21 ticks left in the opening period. After a scoreless third quarter, his 2-yard scoring jaunt early in the fourth quarter made it a 42-25 game, and his 40-yard touchdown run set the final score with 1:45 left.
Each of Gettysburg’s first two touchdowns were set up by interceptions. A pick from junior safety David Rodriguez (Fort Belvoir) gave the Bullets the ball at the LVC-49 with 4:57 left in the opening quarter, and Sturges ran for his first touchdown on the next play. Sophomore safety Brett Robinson (Chadds Ford, Pa./Archmere Academy) came up with an interception on the Dutchman-45 on Lebanon Valley’s next possession, leading to Flynn’s first touchdown pass seven plays later.
Flynn completed 15 of 26 passes for 265 yards and tossed three of his touchdown strikes in the second quarter.
Sophomore halfback Ricky Manigat (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) added 79 yards receiving and a pair of touchdown catches for the Bullets while senior receiver Matt Welsh (Lafayette Hill, Pa./St. Joseph’s Prep) had four receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown.
Junior kick Josh Huson (McLean, Va./McLean) was a perfect 7-for-7 on extra point attempts for the Bullets.
Making his first collegiate start, sophomore quarterback Patrick Weiss threw for 115 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions before being replaced by classmate Caleb Fick late in the second quarter. Fick finished with 166 yards and two touchdowns on 14-of-23 passing.
Senior linebacker Harold Barton (Somerdale, N.J./Sterling) posted 13 tackles to lead the Gettysburg defense while junior defensive lineman Conor Quinn (Rockville, Md./Richard Montgomery) made 10 hits and one sack. Junior linebacker Brian Cottone led all players with 15 tackles for Lebanon Valley.
Gettysburg returns to action next Saturday, when it visits Hampden-Sydney College in another non-conference game starting at 1 p.m.
From the Lebanon Valley Website:
Football Drops Shootout With Gettysburg, 49-25
Box Score
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Lebanon Valley College ended up on the wrong end of a shootout with Gettysburg College, dropping the season-opener 49-25 at Musselman Stadium.
Unlike last year’s rain-soaked conditions that helped LVC grind out a 13-12 win, a picture-perfect day led to an offensive explosion for both teams, including 60 points and 648 yards of offense combined in the first half alone.
Gettysburg tailback Tom Sturges had a dominant afternoon, rushing 34 times for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Charlie Parker led LVC with 75 yards on 22 carries. Sean Donovan led all receivers with a career-high 137 yards and two touchdowns.
The first half turned into a scoring bonanza, with the two teams combining for 60 points and 648 yards of offense.
Both teams struggled early, trading three-and-outs until Gettysburg capitalized on an interception of sophomore Patrick Weiss as Sturges rumbled 48 yards up the middle for a touchdown on first down. Another interception keyed the Bullets’ second score, and it was Sturges again, this time with a 23-yard catch to go up 14-0.
The Dutchmen finally got on the board on a drive early in the second quarter. Weiss completed to Scott Klein, and a Bullets’ personal foul put LVC inside the red zone for the first time. On third down, Weiss hit Adam Brossman in the back of the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown.
It was then three possessions and three touchdowns, first for Gettysburg when Flynn found Matt Welsh on a 31-yard touchdown pass, then for the Valley when Donovan made the most of a short reception and sprinted 73 yard to paydirt. Flynn responded with a 40-yard bomb to Ricky Manigat to give Gettysburg a 28-12 lead.
Freshman Caleb Fick entered under center for LVC with seven minutes left in the half and made an immediate impact. The southpaw led the Dutchmen on a long drive that ended with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Donovan with 2:19 remaining.
The two sides again went on a scoring spree to end the half.
Gettysburg took over and began to run the two-minute drill to perfection, but the Bullets only needed a minute to go 59 yards, and Flynn hit Manigat again with a 27-yard touchdown completion.
Lebanon Valley, with less than a minute to work with, made the most of their opportunity. The Dutchmen marched downfield and on third down, Fick scrambled left and hit Joe Brennan in the end zone for a diving catch with 4.4 seconds left, cutting the Bullets’ lead to 35-25 after a failed two-point conversion.
After all that, neither team scored in an uneventful third quarter, but the Bullets were set up for a Sturges two-yard touchdown run at the start of the fourth.
Sturges put the icing on the cake late in the game with his third touchdown, which would prove to be the final points of the game.
Lebanon Valley will open its home schedule next Saturday, hosting Susquehanna at 1 p.m. The Dutchmen will renew a rivalry with their former conference rivals having not played the Crusaders since 2004.
Game Notes – Sean Donovan’s 73-yard touchdown catch tied his career long. He also did it against FDU-Florham last year …Donovan’s 137 yards and 6 catches were both career highs, besting his 104 yards on five receptions against FDU in 2006 … Of the first half’s 60 points, 46 were scored in the second quarter alone … Lebanon Valley was three of seven on fourth-down conversions … Neither team recorded a sack until the Bullets’ Connor Quinn got to Fick midway through the fourth … Lebanon Valley was trying to win back-to-back season openers for the first time since 1968-69 … Gettysburg now leads the all-time series 30-4-1 … Lebanon Valley has only two wins in 23 tries in Gettysburg, with the last victory in 1979.
posted by Pat McConnell | 5:40 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home