Clarion Golden Eagles (6-4, 2-4 PSAC West) at East Stroudsburg Warriors (7-3, 5-2 PSAC East)
Saturday, November 15 // 1:00 PM
East Stroudsburg, Pa. // Gregory-Douds Field at Eiler-Martin Stadium
 
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Quick Notes
 

• The Golden Eagles will wrap the 2025 season on Saturday when they face off against East Stroudsburg at Gregory-Douds Field at 1 p.m.
• This will be the 17th meeting between the Golden Eagles and the Warriors, with East Stroudsburg owning a 12-4 advantage in the all-time series with Clarion.
• The Golden Eagles are coming off a close loss at home on Senior Day, when they fell 45-42 to IUP.
• With the victory over Seton Hill on Oct. 25, the Golden Eagles clinched their first winning season since 2015 and just their third winning season since 2003.
• The Golden Eagles rank second in the PSAC and first in the West with an average of 437.6 yards per game this year, a mark that ranks fourth in Super Region 1.
• Khalon Simmons has 12 rushing touchdowns this year, tied for fifth-most in a season in program history, and his 13 total touchdowns are the most for a Golden Eagle in a season since 2016.
• Griffin Buzzell ranks fourth in the nation and second in NCAA Super Region 1 with an average of 11.3 total tackles per game. He ranks 11th in the nation and second in the Region with an average of 5.5 solo tackles per game.
• Of the 11 highest single-game offensive yardage totals in the PSAC in 2025, Clarion has three of them.
• Anthony Guercio is one of only two PSAC quarterbacks to top 400 passing yards in a game twice this year. He ranks third in the nation with an average of 9.96 yards per pass attempt, and his 15.1 yards per completion is sixth in the region and seventh in the country.
• Davon Jones ranks second in Super Region 1 and 5th in NCAA Division II with an average of 6.0 receptions per game.
• Kicker Andrew Kurtas made a 44-yard field goal against Slippery Rock on Sept. 13, the sixth-longest kick made in the PSAC this season. He is one of only two players in the PSAC to make 10 or more field goals this year, and his 83.3 field goal percentage is tied for first among players with 10 or more attempts.

 
Series History

• This will be the 17th meeting between the Golden Eagles and the Warriors, with East Stroudsburg holding a 12-4 advantage in the all-time series. The teams last met in the 2024 season finale, but had not played one another previously since 2019.
• The Warriors have won four straight meetings dating back to the 2013 season.
• The two teams met in the PSAC Championship games in 1978 and 1983, splitting the two; the Warriors claimed the former by a score of 49-4, while the Golden Eagles won the latter 27-14.
• The last time the teams met in East Stroudsburg was on Nov. 16, 2019, a 41-17 victory for the Warriors. Kahliq Muhammad and Quinn Zinobile both caught touchdown passes - one from Michael Proios, and the other from Jeff Clemens.
• The last time the Golden Eagles won a game in the series was in the 2012 meeting, when Clarion took down the Warriors 31-27 at Memorial Stadium. Ben Fiscus rushed for 167 yards and passed for 245 and a touchdown. Clarion trailed 27-17 in the fourth quarter but scored 14 unanswered points, including a game-winning rushing touchdown from Travis Day.
• In last year's meeting, the Warriors led 14-0 midway through the second quarter before the Golden Eagles scored 19 consecutive points, including a touchdown runs from Michael Akinleye and Anthony Guercio. Matt Frame connected with Sean McTaggart midway through the fourth quarter to put ESU back ahead 22-19, and Clarion was unable to light the scoreboard again in falling by that margin.
• The lone Clarion win in East Stroudsburg came on Oct. 25, 1986, with the Golden Eagles topping the Warriors by a 37-34 score. Doug Emminger threw for 199 yards and three touchdowns, and Lou Weiers stuffed ESU quarterback Ray Gentilella on fourth down late in the game to preserve the win.

 
Scouting the Warriors

• East Stroudsburg was predicted to finish second in the PSAC East this year, earning a first place vote from otherwise unanimous favorite Kutztown.
• Last year the Warrriors went 10-2 overall with a 6-1 record in the East division, falling in the Super Region One playoffs to California (PA) 30-27. The Vulcans' Anthony Beitko kicked a game-winning field goal with no time remaining on the clock.
• The Warriors enter this Saturday's game with a 7-3 overall record and a 5-2 mark in the division. They have a 2-2 record in common opponents with Clarion, falling 29-14 to Edinboro in the season opener and 26-23 to Shepherd on Oct. 25. They beat Gannon 69-22 on Sept. 13 and topped Shippensburg 24-7 on Oct. 18.

 
Buzz at Linebacker

• Linebacker Griffin Buzzell earned his second consecutive Second Team All-PSAC West honor, as the linebacker continued his development into a leader not just on the defense but for the team. He ranked fourth in the PSAC with 90 tackles while also contributing 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception.
• In 2025 Buzzell has once again been one of the best linebackers in the PSAC and the Region. He is fourth in the nation and second in NCAA Super Region 1 with an average of 11.3 total tackles per game. He ranks 11th in the nation and second in the Region with an average of 5.5 solo tackles per game.
• Buzzell also has three forced fumbles this year, four sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss.
• Entering this weekend's action, Buzzell is ninth on the program's all-time tackles list with 319. Within striking distance for him are Layne Skundrich (322) and Jerry Haslett (326).

 
The Offense by the (Conventional) Numbers

• The Golden Eagles rank second in the PSAC West division and third overall in the conference with an average of 34.8 points per game.
• That jibes well with their total offensive numbers; the Golden Eagles rank second in the PSAC and first in the West with an average of 437.6 yards per game this year, a mark that ranks fourth in Super Region 1.
• The Golden Eagles' 603 yards of total offense in the win over Shepherd on Sept. 20 stands as the second highest single-game total in the conference to date.
• Clarion has scored 46 touchdowns this season, second-most in the conference behind Kutztown (61).
• Clarion has achieved 219 first downs in 10 games, best in the PSAC and fifth in the Region.

 
The Offense by the (Nerdy) Numbers

• The offense has been effective at getting yardage in big chunks; through eight games the Golden Eagles have totaled 42 "explosive" runs (10+ yards) and 73 "explosive" pass plays (15+ yards) for a total of 115 "explosive" plays.
• Clarion is averaging 6.8 yards per play so far this season, best in the PSAC West and second in the conference.
• The offense has reached the red zone 43 times this year, tied for most in the PSAC, scoring 29 touchdowns on 43 trips inside the opponents' 20.
• The Golden Eagles have run 310 first down plays to this point in the season; of those, 69 plays have gone for 11 or more yards.
• Clarion has achieved a first down or touchdown 154 times on first or second down; by comparison, they've run only 120 plays on third down all season.

 
Dazzling First Start for Ferguson

• True freshman quarterback Jase Ferguson got the start under center against Gannon on Oct. 11, and the local product authored a sizzling stat line in the win over the Golden Knights.
• Ferguson completed 19 of 27 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns against one interception, and was also the game's leading rusher with 13 carries for 81 yards.
• The frosh scored his first career touchdown in the first quarter, ripping off a 37-yard run and reaching the pylon to give the Golden Eagles the lead. Later in the first he connected with Holt Egan for a 14-yard touchdown pass to make it a 14-0 lead.
• Ferguson and Egan hooked up for three touchdown passes on the day, marking the first time a Golden Eagle player has caught three scores in a game since Kahliq Muhammad pulled down three scores from Jeff Clemens against Seton Hill on Oct. 5, 2019.
• Ferguson is just the third different quarterback at Clarion since 2014 to throw for 300+ yards and 4+ touchdowns in a game, joining Connor Simmons - who did it eight times from 2014-16 - and Taylor Eggers, who did it against Shippensburg on Sept. 19, 2021.

 
More on the Freshman

• Jase Ferguson has shown well in his four games of action to date, contributing directly to two Clarion wins and going 1-1 in games as the starter.
• Ferguson is 44 of 81 passing for 747 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions thus far this year.
• He's also shown good ability with his legs, rushing 35 times for 141 yards and a score.
• Ferguson is now the first Golden Eagle freshman quarterback to throw for at least seven touchdowns in a season since 2010, when Ben Fiscus threw seven touchdowns.

 
Simmons Busting Out on Offense

• Running back Khalon Simmons ranks second in the PSAC with 12 rushing touchdowns, which is tied for third in Super Region 1.
• With Simmons' 10th touchdown of the season, scored on Nov. 1 against Slippery Rock, Clarion has now had runners break double digits in rushing touchdowns in back-to-back seasons for the first time since Robert Walker scored 12 touchdowns in the 2002 season and 10 in the 2001 season.
• Factoring in his one receiving score this year, Simmons has 13 total touchdowns, the most total touchdowns for a Golden Eagle since Kevin Genevro scored 13 during the 2016 season.
• Simmons ripped off a 44-yard touchdown run against Shippensburg on Sept. 13, the longest run of his career.

 
Long May You Run

• Entering the game against IUP last week, there had only been seven runs of 44 or more yards by a Golden Eagle, including Khalon Simmons' 44-yarder against Shippensburg:

 
                  Khalon Simmons vs. Shippensburg (9/13/25) - 44 yards
                  Anthony Guercio at Edinboro (10/21/23) - 55 yards
                  Khalil Owens vs. Bloomsburg (9/9/23) - 45 yards
                  Zach Benedek at Mercyhurst (10/15/22) - 55 yards
                  Khalil Owens at Mercyhurst (10/15/22) - 56 yards
                  Corahn Alleyne vs. Gannon (9/24/22) - 65 yards
                  Khalil Owens at Edinboro (11/6/21) - 52 yards
 

• The Golden Eagles busted out in a big way against the Crimson Hawks, though, with not one but two runs longer than that.
• Anthony Guercio popped a 69-yard touchdown run to open the scoring against the Crimson Hawks, the longest rush for any Golden Eagle since Mylique McGriff took off on a 79-yard run against Gannon on Nov. 4, 2011.
• Aaran Randolph also had a huge run against the Crimson Hawks, a 49-yard scamper.

 
Four of a Kind

• Against Shepherd on Sept. 20, Khalon Simmons did something that very few Clarion players have ever done, scoring four rushing touchdowns in the win over the Rams.
• It was the first time any Clarion player scored four rushing touchdowns in a game since Patrick Graham-Murphy tied the school record with five scores against Millersville on Nov. 12, 2011.
• Simmons' game marks just the eighth time in program history a Golden Eagle player has rushed for four or more touchdowns in a single game.

 
Accolades Pile Up for Anthony Guercio

• Quarterback Anthony Guercio has earned numerous recognitions for his strong start to the season, with the ripples even reaching the national level.
• Guercio was named the D2Football.com Offensive Player of the Week, as well as the PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Week, after his standout performance against Shepherd on Sept. 20.
• Guercio completed 26 of 35 passes for 413 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, marking the first 400-yard passing game for a Clarion quarterback since Oct. 17, 2015. It was the fifth-highest single game total in program history. He also rushed 13 times for 60 yards.
• Guercio led the Clarion offense to 603 yards of total offense and 51 points, with both of those totals the best in a single game at Clarion since 2015.
• He previously won the PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Week Award on Sept. 8 after putting up five total touchdowns in just 33 minutes of play in the Golden Eagles' road win over West Virginia Wesleyan.

 
Guercio in 2024...

• The 2024 season featured an explosion from quarterback Anthony Guercio. He threw for 2,001 passing yards and 11 touchdowns, and then ranked second in the PSAC in total touchdowns with 12 rushing scores on the year.
• That was complemented by 645 rushing yards, giving him an average of 264.3 total offensive yards per game to rank third in the PSAC and sixth in Super Region 1.
• Guercio's 12 rushing touchdowns were the most for any Golden Eagles since Alfonso Hoggard's school record 17 touchdowns in 2009, and are tied for fifth in a single season in program history.
• When it came time to make a big play on the ground, Guercio was tops on the team in 2024. He led the team with 44 rushes for either first downs (32) or touchdowns (12). Logan Kent was second on the team with 15 such plays.

 
...and in 2025

• This year, Anthony Guercio has battled through periodic injuries but has remained one of the most productive quarterbacks in the conference and the Region.
• Guercio ranks second in the PSAC, fourth in the region and 14th in the nation in total offense, accounting for 283.9 yards per game.
• The redshirt senior ranks third in the nation with an average of 9.96 yards per pass attempt, and his 15.1 yards per completion is sixth in the region and seventh in the country.
• Guercio has accounted for 20 total touchdowns this year, with 16 passing touchdowns (compared to just four interceptions) and four rushing scores.

 
That's 34.2 Percent of a Mile, You Know

• Clarion's win over Shepherd on Sept. 20 saw the team explode for 603 yards of total offense, one of the best single-game marks in program history.
• That yardage total represented the best single-game total since putting up a record 676 yards against Seton Hill in the 2015 season.

 
Holt and Catch Fire

• After putting up modest, even minimal numbers, in his first year as a Golden Eagle, Holt Egan has jumped onto the scene as a dangerous target in the Clarion passing game. The senior wide receiver has 35 receptions for 731 yards and seven touchdowns, with his 73.1 yards per game ranking fifth in the conference and his seven touchdowns tied for fourth.
• Egan's 731 total receiving yards ranks sixth in Super Region 1, while his 73.1 receiving yards per game are eighth in the Region.
• Egan has been a big play threat for the Golden Eagles, with his 20.9 yards per reception average ranking fifth in Super Region 1 and 16th in all of Division II.
• Against Shepherd on Sept. 20, Egan finished with his first career 100-yard game, catching six passes for 121 yards against the Rams. He set a new career-high with 141 yards and a touchdown against Seton Hill on Oct. 25.

 
Two Over the Century Mark

• Against Shepherd on Sept. 20, both Holt Egan and Davon Jones went over the century mark in receiving yards, with Egan catching six passes for 121 yards and Jones eight for 103 yards.
• That was the first time two Golden Eagles went over the 100-yard receiving mark in the same game since Quinn Zinobile (107) and Terrell Ford (115) did it against Shippensburg on Sept. 18, 2021.

 
Money Man

• Receiver Davon Jones has turned into the go-to guy when it it's time to move the chains.
• Jones ranks second in Super Region 1 and 5th in NCAA Division II with an average of 6.0 receptions per game, and a high percentage of those catches have resulted in either a first down or a touchdown.
• Through nine games Jones has recorded nine touchdown receptions and 38 catches that would have resulted in first downs; in total, he has 39 total "money" plays.
• Jones ranks second in the PSAC and third in Super Region 1 with an average of 83.8  receiving yards per game. His nine receiving touchdowns ranks 14th in the nation, tied for second in Super Region 1 and best in the PSAC.

 
Nose for the Ball

• The Golden Eagles' defensive backfield has had a knack for getting their hands on the football.
• Cornerbacks Zay Brisbane and Christopher Shackelford are tied for the PSAC lead with 13 pass break-ups.
• While we're talking having a nose for the ball, Clarion defenders have forced 11 fumbles this year, tied for second-most in the PSAC.