BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg football team dropped its 2023 Homecoming game to Lock Haven, 21-13, on a rainy and cold Saturday afternoon. The Huskies dropped to 1-6 on the year and 0-4 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East while the Bald Eagles improved to 4-3 for the year and 2-2 in conference play.
 
Both teams were kept off of the scoreboard for most of the first quarter until Lock Haven used a short field to go 49 yards, all on one run, and take a 7-0 lead with 0:22 left in the quarter. The Bald Eagles previous drive was stalled at the Bloomsburg 21-yard line as Brett Zachman's 38-yard attempt was blocked by senior defensive back, Quentin Gaskill (Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro).
 
Bloomsburg ended the first quarter with the ball and continued to drive in the second as the Huskies went 58-yards for the score. Kaleb Monaco (Pocono Pines, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) got the ball first in the second quarter and pushed his way down to the Lock Haven 43 to pick up a first down. KJ Riley (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) connected with Jaden Helton (Ardmore, Pa./Lower Merion) for a 15-yard pass down to the Haven-28 before Riley found Jerry Griffen-Batchler (Norristown, Pa./Germantown Academy) for a nine-yard catch. Monaco got the ball on the next four plays and worked his way down to the endzone with a 14-yard run. Christopher George (Ashley, Pa./Hanover Area) connected on the extra point as the Huskies tied the game 7-7 with 11:12 to go in the half.
 
After forcing the Bald Eagles to punt on the next drive, Bloomsburg took its first lead of the game with 1:54 to play before halftime. Starting at their own 39-yard line, the rain forced a fumble to push Bloomsburg back to its 29-yard line. Riley and Griffen-Batchler connected on a 56-yard pass to make up for all of the yards lost on the fumble and then some. Now at the Haven-15, the Lock Haven defense held the Huskies there and forced a field goal attempt. George hit the 34-yard attempt to give Bloomsburg a 10-7 lead.
 
The Bald Eagles were threatening to score to close out the half as they got down to the Bloomsburg 25-yard line. Ron Long (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) jumped in from of Zajack's pass and picked him off to end the quarter and keep Lock Haven out of the end zone.
 
Bloomsburg went 3-and-out on its third-quarter opening drive and Lock Haven put together the longest drive of either team and went 82 yards on nine plays to take the lead back, 14-10 thanks to a Zajack 19-yard scramble into the end zone.
 
On their first play of their next drive, Monaco ripped off a 49-yard rush for the Huskies to get down to the Lock Haven 14-yard line. Riley found Griffen-Batchler again for eight yards but the Huskies forced to once again settle for a field goal as George hit his 23-yard attempt.
 
Lock Haven answered with another long drive that went 67-yards on seven plays as Chris Collier got into the endzone for the second time in the game on a six-yard run. The 21-13 lead stuck as neither team could score in the fourth quarter.
 
Monaco led the Huskies with another 100+ yard rushing game with 117 yards on the ground and a touchdown while Riley was 11-for-25 passing with 167 yards. Griffen-Batchler caught four passes for 96 yards.
 
Gaskill led the defensive effort with 14 tackles, a pass break up and a blocked kick while Long and Tom Goetz (Wenonah, N.J./Gateway Regional) each had nine tackles and Long had the INT.
 
For the Bald Eagles, Collier stole the show with 253 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. Zajack was 12-for-20 passing for 80 yards and one interception. He was sacked once by Goetz.
 
The Huskies return to action next Saturday as they travel to East Stroudsburg for a 1:05 p.m. kick off against the Warriors.