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Game 1 • Lock Haven Bald Eagles (0-0) at Clarion Golden Eagles (0-0)
Thursday, Sept. 1 • 6 p.m. • Clarion, Pa. • Memorial Stadium (5,000)
On the Air: WCCR 92.7 FM (Clarion), WKQW 96.3 FM (Oil City)

• The Clarion Golden Eagles will open their 88th year of football on Thursday, Sept. 1 when they host Lock Haven at Memorial Stadium
• Clarion owns a 47-16-1 record all-time against the Bald Eagles, including wins in each of the last seven meetings dating back to 2007
• The Golden Eagles' last loss to Lock Haven came in the 2007 season finale, a 17-14 defeat in overtime
• Clarion was predicted to finish fourth in the PSAC West in the annual preseason coaches' poll, garnering one first-place vote
• Four All-PSAC West selections from a year ago return to the Golden Eagles this year, including First Teamer Matt Lehman (wide receiver) and Second Teamers Phil Esposito (kicker), Matt Koerper (defensive end) and Delrece Williams (running back)
• 2015 Don Hansen All-Super Region selection Connor Simmons (quarterback) set the program's single-season passing yards and passing touchdowns records in 2015, and finished fourth in the nation in passing with 3,582 yards
• Lehman was named a Don Hansen Third Team All-American in 2015 after breaking the program's single-season receiving touchdowns record with 15 scoring grabs
• Koerper was named a CoSIDA Third Team Academic All-American in 2015
• The Golden Eagles return nine players that started more than half the season in 2015, including six on offense and three on defense
• Three games this season - 9/10 at Bloomsburg, 10/1 vs. Edinboro and 10/15 vs. California (Pa.) - will be covered by Sports Fever, which will air live broadcasts of the games on affiliate networks.  The games will also be available on ESPN3 via the Watch ESPN app.

The Lead
The Clarion Golden Eagles will open the 2016 season in a rare Thursday night tilt when the Golden Eagles host the Lock Haven Bald Eagles on Sept. 1 at Memorial Stadium.  Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.

Series History
This will be the 65th meeting between Clarion and Lock Haven, with the Golden Eagles owning a dominant 47-16-1 advantage in the all-time series with the Bald Eagles in a series that dates back to 1928.  Clarion has won seven straight meetings in the series dating back to the 2007 season finale, a 17-14 overtime decision for Lock Haven.  

The last meeting between the teams was the season opener last year, a 40-13 victory for the Golden Eagles on Sept. 3 in Lock Haven.  Clarion went ahead 20-7 in the first half and continued to add on in the second.  Connor Simmons completed 29-of-43 passes for 407 yards and four touchdowns, one of only nine 400-yard passing games in program history.  The defense held Lock Haven to just 18 first downs and forced five turnovers, including four fumbles and one interception.

Scouting the Bald Eagles
Lock Haven went 2-9 in 2015, including a 2-5 record in PSAC East contests last year that placed them sixth in their division.  The Bald Eagles return much of that squad, though, with 18 players that started 50 percent or more of last year's games back in the fold and a total of 41 letterwinners.  Dave Taynor is in his second year as the head coach of the program.

Among those returning on offense is quarterback Caleb Walton, who threw for 2,541 yards and a school-record 23 passing touchdowns in 2015.  All told, Walton also broke the school's record for total touchdowns accounted for in a single season, finishing with 26 total scores, and was named the Manheim Touchdown Club's 2015 Small College Player of the Year.  Also back is 2015 All-PSAC East running back Malyk Harris, who ran for 954 yards (6.3 yards per carry) and five scores last year.

Last Season
The Golden Eagles started the year with their best opening stretch of football in more than 30 years, winning seven straight games to open the campaign for the first time since 1983 before dropping the final four contests of the year to finish 7-4.  

Six different players earned all-conference honors last year, including First Team All-PSAC West wide receiver Matt Lehman and second-team performers Delrece Williams (running back), Phil Esposito (kicker), Kwame Bell (defensive line), Andrew Fragale (linebacker) and Matt Koerper (defensive line).  Lehman went on to earn Don Hansen Third Team All-American honors after a record-breaking year at the receiver position, while quarterback Connor Simmons broke Clarion single-season records for passing yards (3,582) and passing touchdowns (34).

A Look Ahead
Clarion opens the season at home against the Bald Eagles before embarking on a three-game road swing, and the Golden Eagles will not play their first conference game until a PSAC West showdown against Mercyhurst on the road on Sept. 24.  Homecoming comes to Clarion on Oct. 1 when the Golden Eagles host Edinboro, and the final three games on the slate will be played at home as Clarion takes on Slippery Rock, Gannon and West Chester to end the year.

Lights, Camera, Action!
Clarion University will continue its fruitful partnership with the Pennsylvania Sports Fever Television Network in 2016, with three contests – 9/10 at Bloomsburg, 10/1 vs. Edinboro and 10/15 vs. California (Pa.) – airing live on affiliates across the state of Pennsylvania and made available to millions in the Keystone State.  The selected games will also be streamed on ESPN3 via the Watch ESPN app. 

The Gunslinger
Back in the fold this year is senior quarterback Connor Simmons, who last year produced one of the best seasons under center in program history.  Simmons broke the passing records of current head coach Chris Weibel with 3,582 passing yards and 34 touchdowns last year, ranking fifth in NCAA Division II in both categories.  He remains just 18 touchdown passes and less than 2,500 yards passing away from surpassing the program's career records in those categories as well.

Airborne Rangers
2015 Don Hansen Third Team All-American wide receiver Matt Lehman and fellow returning starter Kevin Genevro return to wreak havoc on opposing defenses in 2016, with the duo accounting for a total of 26 touchdowns last year.  Lehman set a new program record with 15 receiving touchdowns last year, breaking Alvin Slaughter's record of 13 set in 1998, while hauling in a total of 67 passes (fifth all-time) for 979 yards (third).  Genevro provided a strong counter-punch for Lehman, catching 42 passes for 886 yards (21.1 yards per catch) and 11 scores.

Those two won't be the only ones looking to make noise this year.  Kyle Evans provided a slot option for the offense last year and will try to take more strides forward in 2016, while tight end Gage Clark averaged nearly 20 yards per catch last year with one touchdown.

Double Threat
Junior running back and 2016 co-captain Delrece Williams provides a multi-dimensional threat to the Golden Eagles in the backfield.  The 2015 second team all-conference selection ran for 978 yards and six touchdowns last year but was also effective in the passing game, ranking third on the team in receptions (31) and receiving yards (465) while also catching four touchdown passes.

The Buck Stops Here
The Clarion defense returns just three players that started more than half of last year's games, but that doesn't mean there isn't a considerable amount of experience taking the field.  Second Team All-PSAC West and CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American Matt Koerper returns to the defensive line after his best year as a Golden Eagle; the now-senior totaled 9.0 tackles for loss and 45 total tackles last year while also figuring in on two turnovers.  Fellow pass rusher Tyrone Archie added seven sacks last year to form a potent combo with Koerper.  

The secondary features veteran leadership in senior Adam Lynch and junior Colton McKay, while senior Jacob Craig is the ranking leader in the linebacking corps for the Golden Eagles' 3-3-5 formation.

Up Next
Clarion heads out east for a televised crossover contest against the Bloomsburg Huskies on Saturday, Sept. 10.  The game will kick off at 3 p.m. and will air live on the Sports Fever network.  Check your local listings for television coverage.  There will also be a free video stream available on the Watch ESPN app.