Football season is over for the PSAC.

California and Kutztown couldn't win on the road, and Winston-Salem State and New Haven are moving on. This marks the second consecutive season that a PSAC team failed to win Super Region One. Maybe the rest of the teams in the region are catching up. Maybe the parity in the PSAC is watering things down. Maybe the PSAC isn't as good as some of us thought it was.

Anyway, it was fun while it lasted. Mostly.

Here's the recap of Sunday's games:

By The Indiana Gazette | Posted: Sunday, November 27, 2011 12:15 am

The most successful season in Kutztown football history came to an end Saturday when the Golden Bears saw a fourth-quarter lead slip away and lost to New Haven, 44-37, in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs in West Haven, Conn.

About an hour later, California followed with a 35-28 loss to Winston-Salem State in North Carolina, eliminating the last standing Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference teams.

Kutztown took a 31-26 lead on Jack Ruggieri's 19-yard field goal with 11:58 remaining in the game. But it wasn't nearly enough.

The Golden Bears turned the ball over on their next two possessions, and New Haven piled up 17 straight points to take a 44-31 lead and assume control of the game.

Kutztown (11-2) set a school record for wins in a season while winning its first PSAC championship and NCAA playoff game. The Bears also set a single-season school record for points (503).

"I'm very proud of our players and what we've accomplished this season," coach Ray Monica said. "Obviously it's disappointing to lose a football game, and this one will hurt for a while. But when looking back at the season, we had a great senior class that provided great leadership and chemistry to our team."

Senior quarterback Marshall Vogel threw for a career-high 356 yards and five touchdowns on 38-for-54 passing to lead Kutztown's offense.

Junior running back Josh Mastromatto finished with 129 receiving yards on 11 catches, including two touchdowns. He also rushed for a game-high 54 yards.

Colby Tuell finished with a pair of scores, including a 25- yarder on the last play of the game to round out the scoring.

Kutztown held leads of 7-0, 14-13 and 21-20 in the first half but trailed at halftime, 26-21, after allowing New Haven to complete a 44-yard Hail Mary pass on the last play of the first half.

The Golden Bears then scored the first 10 points of the second half before New Haven's rally.

Ryan Osiecki threw for 433 yards and five touchdowns for New Haven, and Jason Thompson was his top target, hauling in 214 yards and four touchdowns.

WINSTON-SALEM STATE 35, CALIFORNIA 28: After a pair of 75-plus-yard scoring drives in the first quarter, things looked good for the Vulcans.

But they fell apart just as quickly when Winston-Salem State broke loose during a 21-point second quarter and built a lead too big for California to overcome.

The Vulcans led 14-7 after Jeff Knox scored his second rushing touchdown of the first quarter, a 4-yard run.

Winston-Salem State responded by scoring three times in a 10 1/2-minute span in the second quarter to take a 28-14 halftime lead. The Rams added another score on their first possession of the third quarter, capping a run of 28 straight points that gave them a 35-14 lead.

California answered with two Peter Lalich-to-Lamont Smith touchdown passes just 2 1/2 minutes apart to get within 35-28 midway through the third. The Vulcans' defense clamped down after that, holding Winston-Salem State to 42 yards on four possessions the rest of the way, forcing three three-and-outs and a turnover.

But the offense couldn't come through.

California twice drove the ball inside Winston-Salem's 20-yard line and came away with no points. The Vulcans missed a field goal on one possession and turned the ball over on downs on the other.

Lalich threw for 381 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Thomas Mayo had 129 receiving yards for California, which held a slight 438-411 lead in total yardage.

California was without head coach John Luckhardt, who stayed behind to deal with a kidney stone and an infection.

AND ONE MORE THING: I have let Brandon know that I am no longer able to continue writing for D2football.com. I just don't have the time available that the job deserves. But I thank all of you who have read my blogs and columns the last few years. It has been my pleasure to be associated with Brandon and the gang.



xxx