BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg football team sent their seniors off in style as the Huskies pulled out a 30-24 overtime win over visiting Slippery Rock, Saturday afternoon. Bloomsburg finished the season 3-8 while The Rock closed out to the year 6-4.
 
The Huskies offense was clicking on all cylinders as senior KJ Riley (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) had one his most efficient games under center at Bloomsburg. Riley finished the day 22-for-31, a 71% completion percentage, and threw two touchdown passes. The Danville native threw at least two touchdowns in 10 out of 11 games this season. He finished the day with 230 passing yards, the eighth time this year he surpassed 200 yards passing. Riley's top target today was fellow senior Gabe Brower (Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley). Brower capped his impressive career at Bloomsburg with seven catches for 79 yards and two touchdown catches. He ran for another six yards and touchdown. Justin Wolfe (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) had five catches for 53 yards while Jerry Griffen-Batchler (Norristown, Pa./Germantown Academy) finished the day with six catches for 45 yards.
 
The run game continued to be efficient and methodical as Eli Zimmerman (Schnecksville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) had 36 yards on nine carries while Declan Clancy (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Township) carried the ball nine times for 35 yards. Wolfe added another 32 yards on the ground on four carries. The Huskies top-three rushers did not lose a yard on the ground today.

As impressive as the offense was, the defense shined in a gritty effort against one of the top offenses in the PSAC. JayJay Jordan provided all of the offense for The Rock with 181 yards on the ground on 24 carries and had a pair of touchdowns. DaOne Owens finished the day 13-for-26 with 179 yards, one touchdown pass and an interception.
 
Bloomsburg opened the afternoon with one of its most methodical drives of the season, marching 72 yards in 11 plays. Riley operated the up-tempo offense with complete command, hitting Griffen-Batchler twice and picking up key runs from Wolfe and Clancy to move into the red zone. Once inside the 5, the Huskies lined up in their no-huddle set and handed it to Brower, who powered left and punched in a three-yard touchdown to give Bloomsburg the early 7-0 lead with 8:28 left in the first.
 
Slippery Rock responded with a sustained 13-play possession of its own, keyed by multiple tough runs from Jordan and a pair of fourth-down conversions. Jordan capped the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run at the 3:17 mark, evening the game at 7–7.
 
Bloomsburg seized momentum early in the second quarter with another long, clock-eating drive. Riley mixed short strikes to Brower and Griffen-Batchler with decisive keepers, while Clancy added tough yards between the tackles. On 3rd-and-9 from the SRU 17, Riley found Brower on a quick right-side throw, and the senior slipped inside the pylon for a 17-yard touchdown that restored the Huskies' lead at 14-7 with 11:00 left in the half.
 
Late in the half, Bloomsburg gained excellent field position thanks to a 43-yard punt return from Eli Zimmerman (Schnecksville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) to the Slippery Rock 37. With just six seconds remaining, Riley hit Paul Wojciechowski (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) on a 29-yard sideline strike to the SRU 8, setting up kicker Aaron Johnson (Danville, Pa./Danville Area). After an SRU penalty moved the ball to the 4, Johnson drilled a 21-yard field goal as time expired, sending Bloomsburg into halftime up 17–7.
 
Slippery Rock opened the third quarter with a strong drive but was held to a 30-yard field goal by Kevin Roberts, trimming the deficit to 17–10 at the 10:50 mark.
 
Bloomsburg answered immediately. Beginning at the BU 42 following a penalty on the kickoff, the Huskies pieced together a nine-play scoring march. Riley found Brower twice, including a seven-yard catch to convert a first down at midfield. Wolfe added consecutive receptions to move the chains again, and after inside runs by Clancy and Riley pushed the ball to the 7, the Huskies dialed up a familiar connection. On 3rd-and-4, Riley stood tall in the pocket and delivered a dart to the back corner of the endzone to Brower, who secured his third touchdown of the afternoon to give the Huskies their largest lead of the game at 24–10 with 5:16 left in the third.
 
Slippery Rock needed a spark, and the visitors found it early in the fourth quarter on a two-play strike that covered 88 yards. After a short run, quarterback DaOne Owens hit Xander McClure in stride for a 69-yard touchdown that cut the Bloomsburg lead to 24–17 with 13:52 to play.
 
The Rock tied the game minutes later. After Bloomsburg's defense turned the ball over on downs at the SRU 36, Jordan broke free on a 55-yard touchdown run, knotting the game at 24–24 with 7:50 remaining.
 
Bloomsburg's defense delivered a critical stop, and after the Rock missed a potential go-ahead 39-yard field goal with one second left, the game moved to overtime tied at 24.
 
Slippery Rock began overtime with possession at the BU 25, but the Huskies' defense – led all afternoon by Nahzier Booker (Pottstown, Pa./Pottstown), Xzavier Pusateri and Brady Thompson (Green Lane, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) – produced its biggest stand of the game. After a holding penalty backed The Rock up 10 yards, Thompson held Owens to just six yards on his first run attempt. Owens' next throw was rushed by McKenzie Hazzard (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley) and fell incomplete. On 3^rd-and-14, Owens looked for John Sabo in the endzone but Cameron Gates (York, Pa./Central York) broke up the pass in the back corner to keep Slippery Rock off the board. On fourth down, the pressure closed in on Owens and his desperation attempt failed as Ian Donohue (Schuylkill Haven, Pa./Blue Mountain) picked up an eight-yard sack, giving Bloomsburg the ball and a chance to win it.
 
Riley wasted no time finishing the job. The senior found Brower on a quick slant pass on first down to pick up seven yards and get to the SRU 18. On second down, he powered forward on a designed keeper to get down to the six-yard line. Riley kept it himself again and seemingly got into the endzone but was called down just shy of the goal line. Riley's number was called one more time in his career and he punched it in from short to secure the hard-fought 30-24 victory over Slippery Rock.
 
Defensively, Booker led the Huskies with eight total tackles including 2.5 TFL (3 yards) and two quarterback hurries in an impressive sophomore campaign in the Maroon & Gold. Idriz Ahmetovic (New Oxford, Pa./New Oxford), Xzavier Pusateri, and Thompson all finished the day with seven tackles while Pusateri picked off the Slippery Rock quarterback.
 
Aaron Johnson (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) was perfect in his kicking duties on the day as he converted all three extra points and made a 21-yard field goal at the end of the first half. Ahmetovic averaged 55 yards a kick off and Danen Lorusso (Moorestown, N.J./Roman Catholic) averaged 36 yards a punt.
 
In the return game, Zimmerman continues to shine as premier return man and all-purpose player with 65 yards on two punt returns and 74 yards on four kick returns. Zimmerman finished the day with 175 all-purpose yards for the Huskies.
 
The Huskies finish the season 3-8 under fifth-year head coach Frank Sheptock. The win over Slippery Rock is the first for the Huskies since the 2013 PSAC Championship game in Bloomsburg. The Huskies hold a 12-5 all-time advantage in the series and today's win snapped a two-game losing streak to The Rock.
 
CEMENTED IN THE RECORD BOOK
• KJ Riley (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) has cemented his place in the Bloomsburg football record book following a storied four-year career. Riley finished his time at Bloomsburg with 6,891 career passing yards, fifth all-time and 56 career passing touchdowns, fourth all-time. His career completion rate of 58.3% is the best career percentage ever for a Huskies' quarterback. In four years, Riley went 492-844-28 with 56 touchdowns. This season, Riley had 2,568 passing yards, third all-time in a single-season, and just three shy of tying the second spot. His 26 passing touchdowns this season ties the most in a single-season for a Husky signal caller. Riley also finishes as a 1,000-yard career rusher with 1,030 yards gained on the ground. He has accounted for 70 touchdowns, passing and rushing, in his career at Bloomsburg. He also converted 18 point after kicks, two field goals, and two-point conversions.
 
• Jerry Griffen-Batchler (Norristown, Pa./Germantown Academy) may be one of the wide receivers in the PSAC this season and his career was nothing short of extraordinary. Griffen-Batchler has 854 yards this season and nine receiving touchdowns to push his career numbers to 2,487 career receiving yards and 18 touchdowns. Griffen-Batchler averaged 15.1 yards per catch in his four years as a Husky. Griffen-Batcher had 164 catches as a Husky, which is fifth all-time at Bloomsburg.