Kutztown University Athletics

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Third-ranked Kutztown University football scored early and often to post a 56-0 shutout victory over Lackawanna College in the first-ever meeting between the schools Saturday afternoon at Andre Reed Stadium.
 
In their first season transitioning from the junior college ranks to NCAA Division II, the Falcons were overmatched against one of the nation's elites from the opening kickoff.
 
Kutztown (6-0) scored touchdowns on its first six possessions and outgained Lackawanna (0-6) by more than 300 yards (458-144). The Golden Bears rushed for seven touchdowns, their highest single-game total since 1997, and collected a season-high 316 yards on the ground overall.
 
Jaedyn Stewart (Newfield, N.J./Delsea Regional) scored on runs of 3 yards and 1 yard in the first quarter and later added an 8-yard TD scamper in the second. Lenniek Preston (Wilmington, Del./Conrad) put KU up 21-0 after the opening 15 minutes by taking an end around 23 yards for a TD.
 
Craig Miller (Bear, Del./Caravel Academy) (1 yard) and Brady Collins (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) (4 yards) joined Stewart in providing second-quarter TD runs as Kutztown built a 42-0 halftime lead.
 
Cornerback Trey Lear (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) intercepted a pass from Falcons' quarterback Laivon Balthazar on Lackawanna's opening possession of the second half and returned it 32 yards for a pick six.
 
Rocco DeBiaso (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) finished the scoring for the Maroon and Gold with a 9-yard TD run –his second of the year—early in the fourth.
 
Stewart ran 12 times for a game-high 109 yards and three TDs. Miller had six carries for 49 yards and DeBiaso five for 45. Kutztown's seven rushing TDs were its most since carrying for seven in a 46-0 win over Kean Nov. 12, 1977. The program's most rushing TDs in a game on record is nine, set back on Oct. 20, 1949, in a 58-0 victory at Trenton State.
 
A total of 79 players saw the field for the Golden Bears, including many who made their collegiate debuts.
 
Two of those were running backs Leomar Brown (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) and Shad George (Chester, Pa./Chester). Brown picked up 35 yards on three totes and George ran four times for 13 yards.
 
Last year's PSAC East Athlete of the Year and Harlon Hill Trophy Finalist Judd Novak (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) was only called upon to throw 18 times. A few uncharacteristic drops by the Golden Bears limited Novak's output to 10 completions for 130 yards. Ty'renne Hynson (Middletown, Del./Middletown) put up a game-high 52 yards receiving on three catches.
 
Lear stood out defensively with the first two interceptions of his career coming on back-to-back Lackawanna possessions in the third quarter. Twenty players had multiple tackles and KU registered six tackles for loss. Freddie Retter (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) collected his 24th career sack, putting him 1.5 shy of tying Tracey Wright's school record 25.5. Linebacker Mikey Jones (New Cumberland, Pa./Cedar Cliff) forced and recovered a fumble in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter.
 
Kutztown limited the Falcons to 71 yards passing and 73 yards rushing.
 
The Golden Bears extended their Division II-best regular season winning streak to 37 games, which ranks second to Division III North Central (Ill.)'s all-division leading 57. North Central faces No. 2 Wheaton (Ill.) in a matchup of the top two ranked teams in NCAA DIII later tonight.
 
Saturday's game did not count in the PSAC East standings as Lackawanna is currently transitioning to NCAA Division II. While the Falcons are playing a full NCAA and PSAC schedule, they do not count towards the conference standings or the NCAA's postseason qualification metric (NPI) this season.
 
Kutztown returns to PSAC East play next Saturday when it travels to Millersville to face former KU head coach Drew Folmar and the Marauders at 2 p.m.

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