KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Playing in its first Thursday night game since 2014, defending Super Region One champion and 10th-ranked Kutztown wore down Assumption over 60 minutes to grab a 24-6 season-opening victory at Andre Reed Stadium.
 
Quarterback Judd Novak (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) ran for 87 yards, highlighted by an 80-yard first quarter touchdown scamper, and threw for 129 more along with a score. Freddie Retter (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) was a menace on defense with seven tackles, a sack and two fumble recoveries, including one in the end zone with 9:11 remaining that pushed KU's (1-0) lead to 24-6.
 
It didn't take long for the fireworks to start. After Assumption's (0-1) opening drive stalled near midfield, Kutztown needed just three plays to find the end zone. Novak took a first down keeper from his own 20-yard line around the right end and outran the defense to paydirt for a 7-0 Golden Bear lead. The 80-yard run was two yards shy of Collin DiGalbo's school record 82-yard run by a quarterback.
 
Assumption, looking for its third straight victory in the series against KU, scored its only points of the evening on a Kameron Robbins four-yard run midway through the second quarter but the extra point attempt missed wide right, allowing the Maroon and Gold to remain in front, 7-6.
 
As the first half wound to a close, Kutztown put together its best drive of the night. Jaedyn Stewart (Newfield, N.J./Delsea Regional) picked up 30 yards on the ground and Sincere Thomas (Bristol, Pa./Harry S. Truman) recorded a pair of 13-yard catches to set up a four-yard Novak to Tyreek Husser (Woodstown, N.J./Woodstown) touchdown connection that finished a 13-play, 75-yard drive spanning 6:50. The score extended KU's lead to 14-6 at the half.
 
Freshman kicker Will Smith (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) knocked his first career field goal through the uprights from 25-yards out on Kutztown's second possession of the second half to make it a 17-6 game. The points came off a turnover as Retter dove on a botched snap by the Greyhounds at their own 27-yard line.
 
Kutztown's defense continued to swarm to the ball and make life difficult for the Assumption offense. Following Smith's field goal, KU forced back-to-back punts by the visitors before putting the game away on a Lee Coleman (Salem, N.J./Salem) sack that forced Greyhound quarterback Jay Kastantin to fumble and was recovered by Retter in the end zone for a touchdown.
 
Kastantin was held to 42 yards passing and an interception while completing just 9-of-19 attempts. Assumption finished with just 132 yards of total offense on 61 plays for an average of 2.2 yards per play. Kutztown, meanwhile, ran for 162 yards and produced 291 overall for 5.6 yards per play.
 
Stewart ran eight times for 44 yards and Mekhi Gibson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) led the receivers with 58 yards –all of which came on one catch over the middle late in the first quarter.
 
Brandon Hile (Winfield, Pa./Selinsgrove) led the defense with 10 tackles, a sack and forced a fumble. Kyree Butler (Ambler, Pa./Upper Dublin) had eight stops, while Eden Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Governor Mifflin) (1.0 TFL), Jalen DeVose (Lansdale, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) (one pass breakup) and Retter (two quarterback hurries) had seven apiece. Elijah Yakpasuo Jr. (Morton, Pa./Ridley) collected his second career interception late in the fourth.
 
Kutztown improved to 4-5 all-time against Assumption, with the teams having opened each of the last nine seasons against one another. The Golden Bears have won the last three games in the series at Andre Reed Stadium dating back to 2019, having outscored the Greyhounds a combined 97-22 in those games.
 
Next up for the Golden Bears is a home non-conference matchup against PSAC West foe Edinboro on Saturday, Sept. 14, at noon. It will mark the first meeting between KU and the Fighting Scots since 2018.
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