Audio (Jim Zauzig on play-by-play)
HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The 55th annual Goalpost Game between Susquehanna and Juniata football will be this Saturday at Knox Stadium. Kickoff will be at 1 p.m. It will also be Senior Day and the Eagles will honor their 15 graduating seniors prior to the game.
JC comes in with a 3-6 record overall and 2-6 in the Centennial Conference. The Eagles are coming off a 42-10 defeat at the hands for Moravian last Saturday in Bethlehem.
Several seniors are at or approaching career bests for the season. Running back Deonte Alston has 113 carries for 344 yards on the year. He is only 40 yards from matching his career best of 384 yards that he achieved in his sophomore campaign. His 113 carries are already his best ever. Wide receiver Hunter Phillips has caught 25 passes for 262 yards, which is his highest ever. On defense, cornerback Demetrius Floyd needs five more tackles to top his 59 from 2014. Defensive end Kweku Parker has totaled 27 tackles for a career high and his three sacks matches last season's total. Linebacker Jonah Plymire's 56 tackles are his best ever along with two sacks. As s punter, he has a career-best in punts (58), yards (2116), fair catches (14), and number inside of the 20 (15). Nick Bonavita's three interceptions and Colin Schaeffer's 11 tackles are both their best efforts.
With Saturday's decisive 44-15 Senior Day win over McDaniel, Susquehanna finished its home season with a 4-1 record at Lopardo Stadium and improved to 4-5 overall on the season. Susquehanna quarterback Nick Crusco threw for 365 yards on 33 completions with three touchdowns. He also ran for 71 yards and another score on 10 carries. In total, the Crusaders racked up 575 total yards of offense while the Green Terror finished with 305 yards, including a mere 61 yards rushing. Diamente Holloway was on the receiving end of 13 receptions for 238 yards and a touchdown. Kyle Neuschatz led the team with 74 yards rushing. SU capitalized on 8-of-13 third downs while holding McDaniel to just four conversions on 13 third-down conversion attempts. Senior Jim Barry led SU in tackles with nine while classmates Tom McLoughlin and Mason Spangler had eight and seven, respectively, with McLoughlin also adding a pass break up.
The Eagles and Crusaders will play for the 76th time overall. It is the longest series in Juniata's history. In Goalpost Games, Susquehanna holds a 28-25-1 edge. The goalpost was taken back to Huntingdon following Juniata's 12-7 win over the Crusaders back in 1952. The following year, the Goalpost officially became a symbol of the friendly rivalry between the two central Pennsylvania schools. Juniata won the first three Goalpost Games from 1953 through 1955, before the series was discontinued for the next seven years. The two schools renewed acquaintances as conference rivals in the Middle Atlantic Conference in 1963, with Susquehanna handing the Blue and Gold a 14-6 loss. The two teams played each other every season until the rivalry was interrupted in 2007 when Juniata and Susquehanna left the MAC for different conferences. The Eagles have won the last two games in the series with the latest coming last year in Selinsgrove, 44-35.
