Gallery: (10-25-2025) 2025 Homecoming Football vs. Lock Haven
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University football team was unable to maintain a pair of first-half leads Saturday as it dropped a 35-21 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division contest to Lock Haven on Homecoming in front of a near-capacity crowd at Student Association Field at Seth Grove Stadium.
Shippensburg (2-6, 2-3 PSAC East) led 7-0 late into the first quarter and 14-7 four minutes into the second quarter after a pair of touchdown connections between quarterback
Riley Gunnels and tight end
Landon Bailey.
Ultimately, the Raiders could not overcome three turnovers and a 486-yard output by the Bald Eagles. In the final 30 seconds of the first quarter, the visitors forced a fumble that was recovered on the SU 9-yard line, and one play later, the score was tied.
Lock Haven (4-4, 3-2) then scored touchdowns on each of their last two full possessions of the second quarter to take a 21-14 lead into halftime. After the intermission, Lock Haven needed just four plays and 1:56 to scamper 75 yards for another touchdown that made it a 28-14 game.
On the ensuing kickoff, true freshman
Kal-El Durham briefly fumbled the ball after receiving it at the 11-yard line but recovered and promptly sped through the coverage unit and up the right sideline for an 89-yard touchdown.
Durham, who was making his collegiate debut as a return specialist in the contest, finished the game with 214 kickoff return yards – 41 more than any other PSAC player in a game this season.
The Bald Eagles, who possessed the ball for nearly 20 minutes in the second half, answered with a 13-play, 66-yard drive that stalled inside the Raider 10-yard line. SU's special teams once again came through, however, as
Cordell Brown blocked a 26-yard field goal to keep it a one-score affair.
The Raiders were unable to muster more than two first downs on any of their remaining drives. With 10:10 left, Lock Haven went 83 yards in five plays – the backbreaker being a 52-yard rush by Elijah Johnson – to once again double its lead.
Durham returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards to set up the Raiders in Bald Eagle territory, but each of SU's next two drives ended in interceptions.
The Raiders had six third-down conversions, one short of a season high, and 18 first downs. Gunnels finished 25-of-37 for 199 yards. He was sacked four times.
Vincent Micucci completed a nine-yard pass and ran five yards for a first down.
Colton Kilmer made his collegiate debut on the final drive of the game.
Derek Guzman had career highs of seven receptions and 73 receiving yards.
Jaevon Parker had 60 receiving yards – two short of his career high – on six catches.
Ethan Arneson had 12 carries – none for a loss – and totaled 61 yards on the ground.
Lock Haven's Jackson Ostrowsky was 26-of-36 for 334 yards and five touchdowns. Ostrowsky, who led the PSAC last season with 290 passing yards per game, threw touchdowns to four different receivers and also had a 25-yard scramble for a first down.
Jake Roberts had game highs of seven receptions and 115 receiving yards, including a 68-yard touchdown. Mekhi Watson had a 49-yard touchdown among his four catches and 99 yards.
Defensively,
Alex Sauve made a career-high 12 tackles and had a pass breakup, while
Ely Ghameshlougy had an SU career-high 10 tackles and a pass breakup.
Among the 10 tackles for
Nate Myers included a career-high 2.5 tackles-for-loss (TFLs), including his first career sack.
Gabe Benjamin had nine tackles, including a stop on a punt inside the 10-yard line.
DJ Jackson had seven tackles, including one TFL.
The Bald Eagles had nine TFLs – including 2.5 by LucRichard Rameau and 1.5 by Davien Vernon.
Sophomore punter
Wilson Ingerski had four of his five punts downed inside the 20-yard line. He averaged 36.6 yards per punt and converted all three extra-point attempts (PATs).
Shippensburg travels to Shepherd next weekend for a noon kickoff at Ram Stadium.
Notes:
Durham's kickoff return touchdown was the sixth in the PSAC this season…it was Shippensburg's first kickoff return touchdown since
Tanner Hess in the 2024 home opener versus Clarion (96 yards)...Durham's 214 all-purpose yards are the seventh-most in a game this season by a PSAC player…both teams challenged a play that was upheld by replay review…Lock Haven has now won three straight against the Raiders, the first time the Bald Eagles have done so in the series history since a three-game stretch spanning 1955-61.
