Sept. 2nd

Football - ESU 37, Clarion 33

Clarion, Pa. - Tailback Andre Castiglioni scored on a 25-yard run with 1:05 remaining to cap a 99-yard touchdown drive and give East Stroudsburg University a 37-33 season-opening victory over Clarion Saturday.

The Warriors took the ball over on their own one-yard line with 4:38 remaining following a Clarion punt. Quarterback Jeremy Palm took his team down the field in nine plays including two big pass completions of 17 and 20 yards to split end Mike Patrick.

With the ball on the Clarion 25, Castiglioni headed off right tackle, broke to the outside, following a block by fullback A.J. Oliveri, and raced down the right sideline into the endzone.

Castiglioni, a junior from Reading, finished with a game-high 154 yards on 26 carries for an average of 5.9 yards per carry. He also caught one pass for ten yards.

Palm passed for the team's other four touchdowns on strikes of 24 and 48 yards to wide receiver John Kotarsky and 35 and 48 yards to wide receiver Larry Harrison, all in the first half. The junior from West Lawn was 11 for 17 overall for 241 yards.

The Warriors had almost perfect offensive balance, gaining 239 yards rushing and 241 yards passing for a total of 480 yards. The performance of the team's huge offensive line (averaging more than 300 pounds) of tackles Mike Serafin and Dan Bratton, guards Jim Sodano and Shepard Alston and center Joe Burton was a major factor in the victory.

Clarion stayed in the game on two long kickoff returns for touchdowns. The first was by Myron Hargon, who returned a second-quarter kickoff 94 yards and the second by Cori Johnson legged a third-quarter kickoff back a school-record 100 yards. That put Clarion ahead for the only time, 33-30.

The ESU defense held the Golden Eagles' offense scoreless in the second half behind the sensational play of linebacker Kevin Nagle. The three-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference player made key third-down sacks on two Clarion possessions in the fourth quarter and then hurried quarterback Adam Almashy into a fourth down incompletion in the final seconds of the game. He finished with 19 tackles including three sacks for 21 yards and one other tackle for loss.

Defensive end Adam DeAngelo, making his ESU debut, followed with 13 tackles and one sack and linebacker Rich Butcofsky had ten tackles.

The victory was Coach Denny Douds' 150th at ESU. His career record beginning his 27th season is now 150-112-3.

The Warriors will return to action Saturday night in a PSAC opening game at West Chester starting at 7:30 p.m.

East Stroudsburg 6-21-3-7 37

Clarion 6-21-6-0 33

ESU - John Kotarsky 24 pass from Jeremy Palm (kick failed), 11:43 left first quarter, 7 plays, 57 yards (3:05)

Clarion - Doug Dudash 6 run (kick failed), 3:16 left first quarter, 3 plays, 35 yards (0:53)

ESU - Larry Harrison 35 pass from Jeremy Palm (Mike Berry kick), 13:04 left second quarter, 9 plays, 65 yards (5:12)

Clarion - Myron Hargon 94 kickoff return (Jason Flora kick), 12:50 left second quarter

ESU - John Kotarsky 48 pass from Jeremy Palm (Mike Berry kick), 7:43 left second quarter, 2 plays, 51 yards (0:50)

Clarion - Robert Walker 13 run (Jason Flora kick), 3:57 left second quarter, 8 plays, 65 yards (3:46)

ESU - Larry Harrison 48 pass from Jeremy Palm (Mike Berry kick), 3:32 left second quarter, 1 play, 48 yards (0:25)

Clarion - Justin Sickeri 6 run (Jason Flora kick), 0:26 left second quarter, 7 plays, 46 yards (3:06)

ESU - Mike Berry 24 field goal, 9:18 left third quarter, 7 plays, 47 yards (3:13)

Clarion - Cori Johnson 100 kickoff return (pass failed), 9:01 left third quarter

ESU - Andre Castiglioni 25 run (Mike Berry kick), 1:05 left fourth quarter, 9 plays, 99 yards (3:33)