Bloomsburg Downs Cheyney in Football; Wins PSAC East Title

CHEYNEY--The Bloomsburg University football team captured the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division title on Saturday with a 35-6 win over Cheyney University.

The win was the 10th straight for the Huskies (10-1) and marks the first time in school history that the team has finished with double digit wins in back-to-back seasons. Bloomsburg will find out its post-season fate on Sunday when the bids to the NCAA Division II championships will be announced on ESPN News at 1 p.m.

Bloomsburg opened the scoring on its second drive of the game when quarterback Dan Latorre (Elysburg/Southern Columbia) hit tight end Luke Kuklick (North Wales/North Penn) with a 48-yard touchdown pass to put the Huskies in front 7-0.

Cheyney scored its only touchdown of the game later in the period when Dominique Curry scored on a 73-yard pass from Ronald Thompson. The extra point was blocked giving the Huskies a 7-6 lead.

In the second period the combination of Latorre to Brahin Bilal (Philadelphia/Lincoln) clicked twice for the Huskies. Early in the period Bilal caught a 15-yard pass for a 14-6 lead, then with under a minute to play in the half, caught a six-yard pass from Latorre for a 21-6 advantage.

Bloomsburg put the game out of reach in the third period with a pair of scores. Tailback Josh Heck (Hazleton/Hazleton), subbing for the injured Jamar Brittingham (Levittown/Neshaminy), capped a 13-play, 91-yard drive with a 23-yard scoring run, then later, Ryan Schuck (Selinsgrove/Selinsgrove) returned a punt 56-yards for a score to make it 35-6. It was the second straight year Schuck has returned a punt for a touchdown at Cheyney.

In the fourth period, Huskies coach Danny Hale emptied his bench as the team celebrated its PSAC East title, its eighth under Hale, by dousing the coach with a bucket of water.

Heck finished the game with 98 yards rushing, while Latorre was 8-11 for 146 yards and three scores. Latorre has now gone 112 consecutive passes without an interception.

Defensivley, Rob Biernat (Bristol/Conwell Egan) made six tackles, while Phil Riccardi (Lansdale/North Penn) added four.