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BLOOMSBURG – Five turnovers proved too much for the Bloomsburg University football team to overcome as the Huskies saw their season end in a 40-38 loss to West Chester in the second round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs on Saturday afternoon at Redman Stadium.

The second-seeded Huskies (10-2) rallied from double digit deficits twice – first falling behind 17-3 at the end of the first quarter before coming back to tie the game at 17 late in the second period, and then nearly came back from a 34-17 hole in the second half.

But the turnovers proved too many and too costly.

"We turned the ball over too many times and that was the difference in the game," Bloomsburg interim head coach Paul Darragh said. "When it comes to a team like West Chester you need to make more plays than they do and today we did not do that. To their credit they made one more play than we did."

A fumbled punt return in Bloomsburg territory set up the Golden Rams (12-1), the third seed from the Super Region One bracket, for the first score of the game, a 17-yard strike from Sean McCartney to LaRonn Lee.

Bloomsburg responded with a nine-play, 67-yard drive which resulted in a 27-yard field goal from Danny Fisher (Liverpool/Central Dauphin), but the Rams struck again on a 25-yard pass from McCartney to Tim Brown and stretched the lead to 14 when a Huskies fumble set up a field goal from Sean Leo.

The Huskies roared back, however, using one of their three interceptions of West Chester passers on the day, using back-to-back drives capped by Franklyn Quiteh (Tobyhanna/Pocono Mountain West) touchdown runs to tie the game at 17 with 1:44 left in the period.

West Chester went to halftime with a 20-17 lead after moving 61 yards to allow Leo to boot a 21-yard field goal just before the buzzer.

Bloomsburg received the opening kickoff for the second half, but West Chester forced a quick three-and-out. The visitors then stretched the lead to two possessions again on a 65-yard drive executed by McCartney who finished it off with a 1-yard plunge for the score.

West Chester seemingly put the game out of reach on another touchdown pass, this time a 16-yard connection from McCartney to Brown for the 34-17 lead and 4:07 left in the third.

Following another Huskies fumble, the Rams were in position to ice the game. A trick play from the Rams backfired, however, when receiver Tim Keyser was intercepted by Donovan Morris (Philadelphia/George Washington) with 3:41 left in the third. The turnover resulted in a 12-play, 60-yard drive which gave the Huskies hope on a 16-yard touchdown throw from Tim Kelly (Camp Hill/Cedar Cliff) to Aaron Allison (Philadelphia/Frankford), pulling within 34-24.

Leo made the score 37-24 on a 32-yard boot, but the Huskies were within a touchdown with 10 minutes still left to play on a 72-yard bomb from Kelly to Connor Gades (West Chester/Unionville) which electrified the Redman Stadium crowd.

Strong kick returns from the Golden Rams were a key all day and quickly deflated the Huskies after pulling to within 37-31. Rondell  White set up the Rams at their own 47-yard line following an 18-yard return and the resulting 27-yard drive gave Leo a 43-yard attempt which he easily drilled for the 40-31 lead.

Bloomsburg drove inside the West Chester 10-yard line, but another turnover, this time an interception by Brandon Pepper in the end zone, all but ended the rally effort.
The Huskies had one final score on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Kelly to Tony Peregrin (Mayfield/Lakeland) with 34 seconds remaining, but the ensuing on-side kick was fielded by West Chester to close out the victory.

Quiteh posted 208 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 26 carries, becoming the first player in Division II history to rush for 2,000 or more yards in three seasons. Kelly passed for 265 yards and three touchdowns.

Peregrin caught a career-high six passes while Glenn Hutton Jr. (Sicklerville, NJ/Paul VI) hauled in four passes for 83 yards.

McCartney tossed for 348 yards and three scores with Brown compiling five catches for 112 yards and two scores. Rondell White became the first 100-yard rusher vs. the Huskies this season, finishing with 113 yards on 27 carries.

Justin Shirk (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin) paced the Bloomsburg defense with 12 tackles while DJ Robinson (Sinking Spring/Conrad Weiser) and Jonathan Patrick (Somerset, NJ/Franklin) each turned in interceptions.

West Chester advances to play at top-seeded Shepherd (West Va.) next weekend in the regional final.

GAME NOTES: Quiteh finishes the season with 2,195 yards rushing and completes his stellar Bloomsburg career holding nearly every school and conference rushing record. Quiteh rushed for 7,523 yards during his time in maroon in gold which ranks second-most all-time in Division II history behind only current San Diego Charger Danny Woodhead (7,962) … Shepherd defeated defending regional champion Winston-Salem State (N.C.), 7-0, at home on Saturday in the other Super Region One game … Bloomsburg posted 533 yards of total offense while WCU finished with 465 … Fisher tied for fourth all-time in D-II history with his 57th career field goal ... the Huskies finished the season with the most points scored in school history, 474, surpassing the record of 468 set in 2010 ... with 3,762 yards rushing as a team, this year's team ranks second in school history only behind last season's 3,789 ... Bloomsburg's 63 touchdowns scored on the year are also second-most in school history (66, 2005).