KUTZTOWN, PA. (August 24, 2009) – The Kutztown University football team begins its 2009 season with a seven-hour, 372-mile trip to Saint Anselm College on Saturday August 29 for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff at Grappone Stadium in Manchester (NH). (CLICK HERE TO READ THE GAME NOTES)
The game will be broadcast live on WEEU (830-AM) based out of Reading with Josh Leiboff and Steve Hahn calling all of the action. In addition, listeners throughout the world can also hear the game live on KU's website at www.kubears.com. The pre-game show will begin 15 minutes before kickoff.
This is the second consecutive year these schools are playing each other in the season-opening contest. Kutztown defeated Saint Anselm, 35-0, last year at University Field in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. It was Kutztown's first shutout in five years.
Kutztown is 2-1 in season openers under fourth year coach Raymond Monica. The Golden Bears, who have scored 30 or more in their last two season-opening games, will try to start consecutive seasons with victories for the first time since they won three straight from 2001-03.
Kutztown won four of its final six games to finish the 2008 season with a 5-6 record. The Golden Bears finished fourth in the rugged PSAC East division with a 4-3 conference record. Kutztown's strong finish earned some national attention when it was mentioned in the Sporting News College Football magazine as a team to watch. The four PSAC East conference victories tied a school record established in 2001.
The Golden Bears, who were picked sixth in the PSAC East preseason poll, return a pair of first team all-PSAC East selections in senior running back Dontay Wilson (Stamford, CT/Stamford) (Stamford, CT/Stamford) and junior kick returner Kendell Coleman (Philadelphia, PA/Martin Luther King). Senior quarterback Shane Martin (New Holland, PA/Garden Spot) (New Holland, PA/Garden Spot) returns to direct the offense. Senior defensive back Mike Gardier (Dunmore, PA/Dunmore) (Dunmore, PA/Dunmore), who anchors the defense, was a second team all-PSAC East selection last year. Overall, Kutztown returns 46 letterwinners from last year.
Wilson, who enters the season with 1,439 career yards, led the PSAC East in yards per carry (7.4) and rushed for 100 or more yards five times, including a career-high 162 yards along with two touchdowns against Saint Anselm in the season-opening victory. Martin also had a memorable effort against the Eagles by completing 20-of-23 passes for 240 yards. Coleman was selected as a preseason all-PSAC first team specialist by D2football.com magazine.
Meanwhile, Saint Anselm College, coming off of a 2-8 season, was picked eighth in the nine-team Northeast-10 Conference preseason poll, ahead of the University of New Haven, which reinstated football this season.
The Eagles under second-year coach Patrick Murphy welcomes nearly 50 freshmen to the program to compliment a solid group of returners from last season, including 2008 Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year and quarterback Marc Wilson (Farmington, CT/Bridgton Academy). Wilson, who was also named the ECAC Division II Rookie of the Year, became Saint Anselm's first 1,000-yard rusher as he ended the year with a school-record 1,134 yards on a record 270 rushing attempts.
In addition to Wilson, the returning group is also led by senior linebacker Dan Bohenek (Bridgewater, MA/Rockland), who led the team in tackles with 91 and has been named as a Consensus Draft Service (CDS) Preseason Honorable Mention All-American. Junior running back Joe Tran (Quincy, MA/Archbishop Williams) led Saint Anselm in rushing last season with 389 yards on 84 carries.
This is the first of two straight road games to begin the season for Kutztown. Next week, the Golden Bears visit Clarion for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff on Saturday September 5, 2009 while Saint Anselm remains home to host Plymouth State beginning at 1:00 p.m.
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