Warriors Football Looks to Continue Streak vs. Cheyney

After dropping their home opener to Slippery Rock, the Warriors have won their last three games in a row. Photo Courtesy / ESUWarriors.com
After dropping their home opener to Slippery Rock, the Warriors have won their last three games in a row. Photo Courtesy / ESUWarriors.com
After dropping their home opener to Slippery Rock,
the Warriors have won their last three games in a row.
Photo Courtesy / ESUWarriors.com

By Nick Granados
Sports Editor

The East Stroudsburg Warriors improved to 4-1 (3-1 in the PSAC) on Saturday after a touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Soltes to wide receiver Jon Schnaars with 5:55 left in the fourth quarter put ESU ahead 37-33 over Shippensburg University.

The Warriors’ defense then forced a fumble on an ensuing Shippensburg drive that the Warriors recovered to preserve the thrilling comeback win on the road.

The win puts the Warriors in a tie for third with Kutztown in the PSAC East Division behind Bloomsburg and West Chester, who are both 5-0 (4-0 in the PSAC) this season.

Redshirt junior quarterback Matt Soltes had another huge game against Shippensburg, completing 33 of 54 passes for 416 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception along with thirteen rushes for 111 yards.

Soltes now has 1900 yards, nineteen touchdowns, and four interceptions in five games played this season.

Sophomore tailback Robert Healy leads all ESU rushers through five games with 71 attempts for 403 yards and four touchdowns, with his longest run being a 33-yard scamper.

Redshirt junior wide receiver Jon Schnaars leads all Warrior receivers through five games with 29 receptions for 393 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Freshman placekicker Matt Smith has also had a solid first season, converting 75 percent of field goal attempts, with his longest field goal of the season being a 28-yard field goal in ESU’s home opener against Slippery Rock.

ESU will be looking to continue their dominance when Cheyney comes to Eiler-Martin Stadium on October 11 for a Saturday evening kickoff.

With a win and a loss by Bloomsburg or West Chester, ESU could move up to second place in the PSAC East Division. ESU will take on a Cheyney team that has struggled all season thus far.

The Wolves (0-5, 0-4) have been outscored by a combined score of 220-31 in their first five games.

Cheyney is 0-12 against ESU since the 2002 season, with the closest game being in 2011 when ESU narrowly won by a score of 10-6.

Head coach Denny Douds, who is now in tenth place on the all-time games coached list with 423, will be coaching game number 424 against Cheyney.

Douds is also one win shy of tying former Notre Dame head coach and current ESPN College Football Analyst, Lou Holtz, for most all-division career wins at 249.

Coach Douds is currently third all-time among all active coaches in wins and third all-time in Division II history.

Saturday’s game can be seen on Blue Ridge TV-13 and heard on 840 AM ESPN Poconos and 90.3 WESS.

Email Nick at:
ngranados@live.esu.edu