MANSFIELD – Quarterback Jeremy Palm combined with wide receiver John Kotarsky on three touchdown passes, all in the second half, as East Stroudsburg University trounced Mansfield, 35-7, Saturday, to finish second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division.

The Warriors posted a 5-1 PSAC record, their best since 1992, and narrowly missed gaining a share of the division title. Bloomsburg edged Kutztown, 10-7, Saturday to capture its second straight Eastern Division crown with a 6-0 record.

The win also guaranteed Coach Denny Douds’ team a winning season with a 6-3 record with one game remaining, a home against Edinboro Saturday. Mansfield is now 2-8 overall and finished 1-5 in the conference.

With the score tied, 7-7, at halftime, Palm went to his work in the second half, completing 13 of 20 passes for 174 yards. He had only completed 3 for 6 passes for 36 yards in the first half.

The senior from West Lawn led his team down the field three times on drives of 72, 80 and 45 yards and connected with Kotarsky on scoring passes of 3, 27 and 4 yards.

Kotarsky chalked up his third straight 100-yard receiving games with 10 catches for 122 yards, including 8 for 108 yards in the second.half.

Tailback Andre Castiglioni also had an 100-yard game, his fifth of the season, with 104 yards on 22 carries. He scored the team’s last touchdown on a three-yard run after linebacker Henry Breckenridge blocked a Mansfield punt and ESU took over on the Mounties’ four.

In the first half, the momentum of the game may have turned on three plays from inside the ten-yard line. The ESU defense stopped Mansfield twice on the one-yard line in the first quarter on tackles by Breckenridge and tackle Bryan Rybicki. The Mounties also were thwarted on a first-and-goal from the four in the second quarter.

Later after Mansfield had taken the lead on a 71-yard pass from quarterback Travis Motley to wide receiver Joe Bennett, the Warriors drove 70 yards on 13 plays to reach the Mounties’ one-yard line. Two plays failed before fullback A.J. Oliveri just muscled across the goal-line to tie the score on the final play of the half.

In addition to Palm airing it out, so did ESU punter Adam Hostetter. The two-time All-PSAC kicker boomed seven punts for a 46.4-yard average including a career-long 70 yarder, all in the air.

East Stroudsburg 0-7-14-14 35

Mansfield 0-7- 0- 0 7

Mans – Joe Bennett 71 pass from Travis Motley (Steve Smith kick), 7:27 left, 2^nd

ESU – A.J. Oliveri 1 run (Mike Berry kick), 0:00 left, 2nd

ESU – John Kotarsky 3 pass from Jeremy Palm (Berry kick), 11:04 left, 3rd

ESU – Kotarsky 27 pass from Palm (Berry kick), 1:09 left, 3rd

ESU – Kotarsky 4 pass from Palm (Berry kick), 7:36 left, 4th

ESU – Andre Castiglioni 3 run (Berry kick), 6:55 left, 4th

Team Statistics: First Downs: ESU 20, Mansfield 15; Rushing: ESU 38 for 157 yards, Mansfield 33 for 139 yards; Passing; ESU 16 for 26 for 210 yards, 0 Interc.; Mansfield 17 for 32, 218 yards, 0 Interc,; Fumbles/Lost: ESU 3/1, Mansfield 2/1;

Penalities: ESU 7-61, Mansfield 12-90; Punting: ESU 7-46.4; Mansfield 8-22.8.

Individual Leaders:

Rushing: ESU – Andre Castiglioni 22 for 104; Mike Yanocha 4 for 34; A.J. Oliveri 6 for 15; Mansfield – James Tillman 27 for 139, Ryan Geishauser 1 for 7.

Passing: ESU – Jeremy Palm 16 for 26, 210, 0 Interc; Mansfield – Travis Motley 16 for 30, 215, 0 Interc., Chris Hudak 1 for 2, 3, 0 Interc.

Receiving: ESU – John Kotarsky 10 for 122, Justin Kondikoff 2 for 34, A.J. Oliveri 2 for 26; Mansfield – Joe Bennett 8 for 156, James Tillman 3 for 7, Quame Patterson 2 for 13.

Punting: ESU – Adam Hostetter 7 for 46.4; Mansfield – 7 for 26.0

Records: ESU 6-3 (5-1 PSAC), Mansfield 2-8 (1-5 PSAC)