Run game shined in week one

Two years ago Lock Haven sported the best running game in the PSAC, but last year it felt like more often than not the Bald Eagles ground game was stuck in the mud. Well while it is only week one, I for one was impressed with how the run game played against Glenville.

In total Lock Haven ran for over 200 yards on the ground, with running backs Damir Green, Kareem Hathcock and Jacksonville State transfer Ezequiel Johnson all seeing significant touches. Johnson and Green were the stars of the show however, as the pair each ran for over 7.5 yards per carry and combined for 166 yards on the ground.

Green managed to find the endzone twice in Saturday’s game, once on a 44-yard run, and the other on an incredible individual effort in which he hurdled two Pioneer defenders, and ran over another on his way to the endzone.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Lock Haven running back Damir Green celebrates a touchdown during its home opener against Glenville State on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Hubert Jack Stadium. The Bald Eagles won 16-13.

While Green provided the scores, it was Johnson who did the most damage, combining for 140 total yards, and picking up some huge first downs to ice the game late in the 4th quarter. All in all time will tell if this run game can keep it up, but it certainly was a good start.

Defense stood tall when it mattered

Coming into the season the group with the least amount of questions to answer was the defence. And while at times things looked shaky, the Haven defense were up to the task when it mattered most, forcing a fumble on the goalline and holding the Pioneers to a 40% conversion rate on third down.

Lock Haven’s front seven was especially impressive in Saturday’s game, holding Glenville’s run game at bay for much of the contest. The only spot of concern was the secondary, who conceded 296 yards through the air. After the game coach Battaglia showed no concern with his secondary, and gave the defense as a whole a major vote of confidence.

“We talk all the time about being physically and mentally tougher than everybody we play. At the end of the game when we needed to stand strong and we needed a stop, that’s exactly what they did. Those guys really hunkered down and made stops when they counted.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Lock Haven's Christian Bundra (73) pancakes a defender during its home opener against Glenville State on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Hubert Jack Stadium. The Bald Eagles won 16-13.

Offensive line silenced the doubters

There were some questions that I, and many others had in regards to how this Bald Eagle offensive line would look in 2025. Lock Haven was forced to replace their entire starting line from a year ago, with the only player who saw any snaps from last year starting in this game being center Ronnie McNulty. The rest of the line consisted of Lackawanna transfer Christian Bundra, redshirt sophomore Lance Becoats Jr., redshirt freshman Forey Cherry, and true freshman Kenneth Hampe.

Well this young group answered all those questions and then some, overall providing some great blocking up front, especially in the run game. Both Green and coach Battaglia after the game noted how well the line played, with Battaglia saying he was “Thrilled” but also noted there was some things to clean up.

Passing game hit some speed bumps

Another major question coming into the season was how the Lock Haven passing offence would look after losing almost all of their impact receivers from a year ago. The Bald Eagles were forced to replace all time Haven legends in T’iar Young, Quon Williams and Chris Hicks. Those losses, alongside the departures of Nino Cinti and Corahn Alleyne meant that the Haven entered this season without any of their top five pass catchers from that offence that led the PSAC in passing yards a year ago.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Lock Haven quarterback Jackson Ostrowsky drops back to pass during its home opener against Glenville State on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Hubert Jack Stadium. The Bald Eagles won 16-13.

On the field you could certainly tell there were some growing pains with this passing attack, as there seemed to be multiple in-game miscommunications between star quarterback Jackson Ostrowsky and his receivers. While these passing game hiccups did not come back to bite Lock Haven, it is certainly something they will look to clean up moving forward.

A more disciplined team, with a few lapses

The major focus point all off season for the Bald Eagles was to limit the unnecessary penalties that plagued them a year ago. Fans of Lock Haven may remember instances in games against IUP and West Chester last year, where multiple unsportsmanlike penalties ended up costing them chances at wins. Well for the most part those mistakes were absent in Saturday’s game, with one glaring exception.

Right before the end of the half Glenville State was set up in hail mary range with 12 seconds left. Pioneers QB Anthony Garrett fired a pass towards the endzone, but his initial throw to the end-zone fell a few yards short, and ended up being picked off by Bald Eagles safety Troy Miller. But an offsides call gave Glenville State another chance with an untimed down. Then on their second attempt it again fell just short of the end-zone, but another offsides penalty gave them a third chance at a miracle. And attempt three turned out to be the lucky one, as Garrett lobbed a pass to receiver Naseem Pacheco in the corner of the endzone, who made a spectacular catch between three defenders for a 39-yard score. That temporary lapse in judgment cost the Bald Eagles a lot of momentum going into the locker room, and that big swing nearly led to a Glenville comeback. While in the end the mistakes did not come back to bite them, coach Battaglia knows those are mistakes that needed to be addressed.

“That’s exactly who we don’t want to be.” Battaglia said when asked about the two offsides to end the half, “We need to be able to learn from those mistakes. We [have] got to clean those things up or we are not going to be as successful as we want to be.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Lock Haven's Tyler Merwarth tries to bring a Glenville State runner down during its home opener against Glenville State on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Hubert Jack Stadium. The Bald Eagles won 16-13.

All in all, while it was not pretty, a win is a win, and Lock Haven above all else was excited to start the season 1-0 for the fourth year in a row.

Notably that win also marks the first career victory as a head coach for Joe Battaglia. After the game coach did not shy away from the emotions of that first win.

“It’s kinda that monkey off the back mentality. Nothing really ever felt different throughout the first six months of this job. This week, it felt different, tonight it felt different.”

NEXT UP: Lock Haven has a tough test on the road, traveling to Indiana, Pennsylvania to take on the (0-1) IUP Crimson Hawks. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 4 p.m on Saturday Sept. 13th.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Lock Haven defensive back Markel Morgan celebrates after securing a fourth down during its home opener against Glenville State on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Hubert Jack Stadium. The Bald Eagles won 16-13.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Lock Haven linebacker Elijah Wilson reacts during its home opener against Glenville State on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Hubert Jack Stadium. The Bald Eagles won 16-13.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express The Lock Haven football team takes the field ahead of its home opener against Glenville State on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Hubert Jack Stadium. The Bald Eagles won 16-13.