Latorre Leads Huskies to Win over West Chester

BLOOMSBURG-- Quarterback Dan Latorre (Elysburg/Southern Columbia) passed for a career-high 273 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another to lead Bloomsburg University to a 30-27 win over West Chester on Saturday in front of a Bloomsburg homecoming crowd of over 6,100.

Bloomsburg (5-1, 1-0 PSAC East) opened the scoring on the game's first drive when the Huskies drove 54 yards in 17 plays with Jon Koenig (Pine Grove/Pine Grove) connecting on a 39-yard field goal attempt.

Later in the first period, Latorre connected with a wide-open Brahin Bilal (Philadelphia/Frankford) on a 57-yard scoring pass to make it 10-0 at the end of the first half.

West Chester (3-3, 1-1 PSAC East) cut into the lead early in the second period when Alex Walsh hit a 20-yard field goal to make the score10-3. The game stayed that way until just before halftime when Latorre capped a 70-yard scoring drive with a nine-yard run for a 17-3 lead at the break.

West Chester made it 17-6 on the first drive of the third quarter when Walsh hit a 31-yard field goal. The Golden Rams, though, had first goal at the five yard line, but a run for no gain, a sack and an incomplete pass forced West Chester to settle for a field goal.

On the ensuing drive, Latorre hit Ryan Schuck (Selinsgrove/Selinsgrove) with a 70-yard scoring pass to make it 24-6 with 12:09 left in the third.

West Chester scored on its next drive to cut the lead to 24-14 when quarterback Bill Zwaan hit Mike Washington with a 13-yard pass and then added a two-point conversion pass to Eric Ryffenash.

The Huskies appeared to have the game in hand when Jamar Brittingham (Levittown/Neshaminy) scored on a three-yard run on the first play of the fourth period to make it a 30-14 game.

West Chester, though, rallied with two scores in the final six minutes to make the game close. Zwaan threw touchdown passes of 21 and 48-yards, the latter capping a 99-yard drive, that came with 1:23 to play in the game.

But, Bloomsburg's Phil Riccardi (Lansdale/North Penn) recovered the on-side kick attempt and the Huskies ran out the clock.

Latorre finished 16-20 with no interceptions, while Brittingham rushed 30 times for 108 yards and a score. Defensively, Tyler Trettin (Hummelstown/Hershey) led the Huskies with seven tackles, five solo, and also intercepted a pass.

For West Chester's Zwaan finished 21 of 34 for 264 yards and three scores.

Bloomsburg will host Kutztown next week at 1 p.m.