It was a pretty good football atmosphere at New Haven on Saturday for the second round game. Both teams had plenty of tailgaters in the parking lot and the stands were filled with fans routing for both teams. 3,118 fans filled a sun splashed DellaCamera Stadium and they all got their money's worth even if their favorite team did not win the game.

Offense, Offense, Offense

We knew that both teams were offensive juggernauts and they put on quite a display today. Both teams combined for 91 points, 10 passing touchdowns and 997 yards of total offense. New Haven had an amazing 9.3 yards per play in the game and scored on eight of their 11 offensive drives.

Stretch the Field

New Haven showed on the first play of the game that they were not afraid to throw the ball deep. They were able to stretch the field with wide receiver Jason Thompson who ran free in the Kutztown secondary all game long.

He hauled in just six passes but four of them went for scores. He finished with 214 receiving yards to extend his team lead in both categories.

"Our timing was down and we have a very good chemistry," New Haven quarterback Ryan Osiecki said about his relationship with Thompson.

Even Kutztown linebacker Andrew Hodges was impressed with the catch and Osiecki after game.

"Dude went up and got the ball," Hodges said of Thompson's catch at the end of the first half.

"He is one of the top three quarterbacks we played this year," Hodges said of Osiecki. "He really hurt us on our blitzes and made good throws and reads."

Big Play

New Haven running back Mike DeCaro continued his sensational season on Saturday as he bounced back from injury to give the Chargers the lead for good. Early in the fourth quarter, DeCaro was hit hard on a rushing attempt and was forced to go to the sidelines.

After missing a couple of plays and being evaluated by the trainers, he returned to the field with a bang. He took a Ryan Osiecki pass and broke off a 45 yard run to give New Haven the 34-31 advantage. DeCaro made several Kutztown defenders miss in giving his team the lead that they would not relinquish.

Hail Mary

It is rare that a Hail Mary pass is completed but two in the same corner of the end zone is even rarer. With four seconds left in the first half, New Haven had one final shot at the end zone. Thompson out-jumped several Kutztown defenders and hauled in the 44 yard pass to give the Chargers the lead at the half.

"You are always concerned not matter how much time is left," Monica said of the play. He used several timeouts before the pass was completed to ensure that the defense was on the same page.

Then at the end of the game, Kutztown faced a similar situation as they were driving the ball down the field. Marshall Vogel tossed the ball into the same corner of the end zone that Thompson caught the ball and Colby Tuell came down with the ball to end the game.

Two last second catches in the same corner of the end zone was something that it not seen very often.

Elusive

Kutztown running back Josh Mastromatto was a handful for the New Haven defense. He was a dual threat on offense and they even had to contend with him in the kicking game. He rushed for just 54 yards but grabbed 11 catches for 129 yards. He had two touchdowns but it could have had been more.

He had one touchdown called back because of a penalty and another long gainer called back due to another penalty. Mastromatto ended the game with 229 all-purpose yards.

His speed on the outside was too much for the Chargers' defenders at times and they allowed him to turn the corner to get into the open field. They are going to face another elusive running back next weekend and will need to make sure that they do a better job containing runners on the outside.

Kicking

It is usually lost in the outcome but New Haven kicker Chris Scifo was a big part of the win for New Haven. He was a perfect three for three in field goals and as well as with extra point attempts. He continues to be a big part of the New Haven success.

Scifo also booted a 44 yard punt after the Chargers stalled at their own 12 yard line. The punt helped to turn the field for New Haven and kept them in control of the game. He has been a big factor for New Haven this year and has been one of the steadiest kickers in the league.

Fourth Down

Kutztown was a team that only punted 16 times coming into the game and now we know why. They were five for five on fourth down attempts and seemed to prefer their chances with the offense than the punter. It started with a four and short at their own 30 yard line that they were able to convert and then turned into a matter of habit for the Golden Bears.

They twice converted on fourth and 10 including Vogel finding Mastromatto for a 34 yard touchdown midway through the third quarter. Going into the game, they had converted nine of 17 fourth down attempts.

Interception Island

New Haven cornerback Desmond Anderson had two near picks earlier in the game before he was finally able to grab one. He had jumped a couple of routes but had the ball bounce off of him for an incomplete pass. But his fortunes changed in the fourth quarter.

After a Scifo 44 yard punt, he picked off Vogel and returned it 28 yards that led to a field goal. Anderson led the NE-10 in interceptions last year but only had one interception entering the game Saturday. He was also tied for the team lead Saturday with 12 tackles including nine of the solo variety.

First Start

It took a while but Saturday's game was the first career start for Kutztown quarterback Marshall Vogel. He had relieved the injured Kevin Morton the past two weeks in helping the Golden Bears to the PSAC Championship and a first round playoff win. He played a very good game at times but struggled late in the game.

He finished the game with five touchdown passes but two interceptions in the fourth quarter sealed the game for New Haven.

"Those were two bad balls on my part," Vogel said.

Injuries

Kutztown head coach Ray Monica refused to let the injury excuse be used for the reason that his team lost to New Haven. He was dealing with two injuries going into the game and one that happened during the game.

PSAC East Offensive Player of the Year Kevin Morton was a game time decision and sat out the game due to a knee injury. Monica said that he was available if Vogel was injured but decided before the game that a healthy Vogel gave his team the best chance to win.

Running back Robbie Frey was battling a turf toe injury that has been bothering him for a couple of weeks. He did see limited playing time against New Haven but was not able to make a big impact.

Early in the first quarter, wide receiver Josh Smith was making a cut when he limped to the sidelines. He did not return to the game after tearing his ACL.

"It is the character of this team that someone needs to step up and make a play when called upon," Monica said of the injuries.

Roommates

New Haven defensive lineman Scott Schultz and Frey were roommates when they played at UConn years ago. Frey said that they were texting each other and glad that they were able to see each other on the field. They were roomed together during their first year at UConn.

Third Quarter

For only the third time this season, New Haven was held scoreless in the third quarter. They were driving late in the quarter when Osiecki called his own number but the ball was knocked out of his hands and recovered on the one yard line by Kutztown.

The Chargers were also held scoreless in the third quarter in consecutive games against William Mary and Assumption in the third and fourth weeks of the season.

Regional Championship

For the first time since 2005, the NE-10 has a team playing for a regional championship. That year, CW Post made an impressive run in the region to play East Stroudsburg for the title. They beat West Chester at home and Shepherd on the road before falling in the regional title game.

It will be the first regional title game for the Chargers as they did not have regions in place the last time they made the playoffs in the mid 1990's.

Also for the first time, the PSAC has no teams playing for a regional title. Both of their participants fell this weekend to higher seeds on the road. It was clear that the league had no juggernaut like in years past.

But it is nice to see a NE-10 and CIAA school playing for the regional title. It helps the region as a whole and makes the region deeper.