The Lock Haven football was unable to capitalize off five defensive takeaways in a 35-13 loss to divisional foe West Chester at home on Saturday. The Bald Eagles held a 13-7 lead midway through the second quarter but allowed 28 unanswered points as they dropped an eighth consecutive game.

After allowing West Chester to advance the ball inside the redzone on the first drive of the game, Lock Haven (1-8, 0-6 PSAC East) forced a fumble at its own 15-yard line. Junior linebacker Shane Scott pried the ball loose from Golden Rams (6-3, 4-2 PSAC East) quarterback Shane Dooley, and it was recovered by freshman defensive end Haseem Johnson.

Lock Haven sustained a long drive after this, holding the ball for nearly five and a half minutes, but pooch-punted it away from the West Chester 35 down inside the four-yard line. Two plays later the defense came up huge again. This time freshman cornerback Darryl Pollard intercepted a Dooley pass over the middle of the field and returned it 52-yards to just shy of the goal line.

Lock Haven coach John Kelling opted to bring in freshman quarterback Jordan Heisey for this series, as him and redshirt-junior starter Ethan Persa alternated every series throughout the game. Heisey took advantage of goal-to-go territory and ran it in for a one-yard score two plays later. LHU took a 7-0 lead with 5:12 to go in the first quarter.

“I really wanted to put both (quarterbacks) out there,” Kelling said. “I think both of them have earned the right to continue to compete and continue to play. The game plan was if someone got the hot hand or something like that, we’d continue with it. Both of them did a nice job at times.”

Lock Haven tried a squib kick that went awry and West Chester recovered it across midfield. Former Lock Haven All-American tight end and Williamsport native, Jalen Jackson, was the player that recovered the kick. With a short field, West Chester finally got going and tied the game up on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Dooley to tight end Dan Neuhaus.

LHU’s next possession bridged the first and second quarters and ended with another Persa pooch-punt that pinned the visitors back to their own seven. The Bald Eagles were stout defensively in this advantageous spot, forcing a three-and-out.

With the Bald Eagles starting its next possession near midfield, Heisey was called into action and once again delivered. This time he connected with junior tight end Isia Gonzalez on a six-yard touchdown pass. The ensuing extra point was missed, as LHU took a 13-7 lead at the 8:04 mark of the second quarter. This happened against a team that is only two seasons removed from winning the PSAC title.

West Chester answered back, as its potent rushing attack flipped the switch on. Sophomore running back Jaden McKenzie took a run down the left sideline for a 45-yard touchdown. The Golden Rams knocked home their extra point to take a 14-13 lead with less than six minutes remaining in the opening half.

After Lock Haven squandered the next drive, the defense came up with another turnover. Junior safety Kahari Kirklin-Whitfield poked the ball loose from McKenzie, and freshman defensive tackle Alfred Manyeah recovered it at the West Chester 47. With 3:40 left in the half, this presented a great chance for LHU to pull ahead. If nothing else, it would allow the Bald Eagles to avoid West Chester from having much time to run a two-minute drill, then get the ball back to start the second half. But the Bald Eagles had to punt it right back to the Golden Rams with 1:35 remaining and all three timeouts still unused.

West Chester snapped into gear and executed a textbook 84-yard drive. It ended with Jackson catching a four-yard pass from Dooley in a vacant front-right corner of the endzone. The Golden Rams went into half up 21-13, and Kelling knew his team missed an opportunity late in the half.

“There was a five-minute segment that really hurt us,” Kelling said. “No different than last week, when we gave up a touchdown late (in the first half). That gave them momentum going into the locker room. Unfortunately for us, I feel like we did the same thing. Again, giving up a late one.”

The second half started with Lock Haven getting the ball down just one possession. Persa took an 11-yard sack on the second play from scrimmage, and LHU was quickly forced to punt. The Bald Eagles defense held West Chester off the board for a drive, but Lock Haven punted again soon after.

The next Golden Rams drive resulted in another turnover. This time Kirklin-Whitfield picked off Dooley, and set the Bald Eagles up with the ball at the West Chester 35. Lock Haven only advanced the ball seven yards from that spot, and ultimately turned it over on downs.

West Chester went on a nearly seven-minute drive from there, and almost punched it in again. But backup quarterback Desmon Johnson — who was mostly used on power runs with his 6-feet, 2-inch, 250-pound frame — coughed it up on the goal line, as Haseem Johnson recovered his second fumble of the game after Manyeah stripped the ball away. With the score still 21-13 at the start of the fourth quarter, LHU had forced its fifth turnover of the game, and had a chance to go tie the score.

“I thought (the defense) did a really nice job of making some plays,” Kelling said. “It was nice to see some kids step up and make some plays that we knew they were capable of all year. I’m really proud of them and really happy for them on that end.”

Heisey led the Bald Eagles on an exciting series, where he rattled off runs of 23 and 37 yards. But the freshman ultimately turned it over himself at the West Chester 10, after he threw an interception to Golden Rams linebacker Jackson Taylor.

After West Chester went on to score on a 30-yard touchdown from Dooley to Neuhaus, followed by an Ethan Persa fumble, the visitors led 28-13 midway through the fourth quarter. The air was seemingly let out of the balloon, and West Chester backup quarterback Yahmir Wilkerson scampered in from 39 yards out to put the game on ice. 35-13 was the final, as West Chester finished off Lock Haven as the skies over Hubert Jack Stadium darkened.

While LHU had its moments on both sides of the ball, the young Bald Eagles team was outgained 522-315. Heisey led Lock Haven with 97 rushing yards. He also went 7-12 for 68 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception. Persa was 7-13 passing for 58 yards, and a fumble. Gonzalez had the most productive game of his first season at LHU, catching 7 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Lock Haven had four sacks, three fumble recoveries, and two interceptions. Haseem Johnson had two of the sacks.

LHU has a lot of work to do, but Kelling commends the work and preparation his group continues to put in.

“The great part is I haven’t noticed anything but positive attitudes and positive work ethics from these kids,” Kelling said. “They’ve been trying to get better, trying to do the right things.”

The Bald Eagles will try and get back in the win column next week at Shippensburg, as the team heads into its last week of divisional play of the season.