Connors-McChristian is out for the season with a broken leg./Christopher Millette/Erie Times-News

The injury bug continues to bite Khayree Connors-McChristian.

The Gannon senior safety missed today’s rivalry game against Mercyhurst after breaking two bones in his lower left leg at Wednesday’s practice.

The Lakers won 38-29.

“I broke my fibula and tibia,” he said at today’s game. “I’m done.”

Connors-McChristian was a medical redshirt in 2010 after breaking his right forearm in Week 3 against Millersville.

This season, Connors-McChristian was leading Gannon in tackles with 55 total stops before getting injured in practice. Gannon practices in the mornings and it was raining.

“I was blocking someone and someone rolled under me, right into my leg,” he said. “I caught the turf and it just snapped.”

A Sicklerville, N.J. native, Connors-McChristian watched the game from the sidelines in a wheelchair. He was greeted by numerous fans there.

“I’m a firm believer in everything happens for a reason,” he said. “Unfortunately, since I’ve been here, it happened to me six times.  Six years. Six times. We all have our path and this is part of my path. Unfortunate, but greater things will come from it, I believe.”

“My friends always tell me I have a positive attitude about everything so this is one of those things I got to have a positive attitude. Otherwise I’ll be just in the dark sleeping somewhere and miserable.”

True freshman Matt Astorino, an General McLane graduate and younger brother of former Penn State safety Drew Astorino, started in Connors-McChristian’s place. He ha five total tackles.

“I told him just go out there and play fearless,” Connors-McChristian said. “Take care of what coach taught you. Do everything coach taught you.”

– Duane Rankin

Drew Astorino

Today, Penn State senior safety Drew Astorino, an General McLane graduate, had a media conference call and talked about Joe Paterno resigning today.

Paterno had a team meeting with the players at 11 a.m. today to tell them he’s resigning at the end of the season.

“He just told us he put in a letter of resignation,” Astorino said. “He thinks that would be best for Penn State, best for his family and best for everybody else. He doesn’t want to put Penn State or anyone else through a war, fight or media war against anybody. He said he’s (been there) for Penn State more than anything for the past 61 years and he’s just always wants us to remember that this team will always  be a team and always be together. Not just for the next so many games. Not just next year. We’ll be a team for the rest of our lives and he wants us to never forget that.”

This comes on the heels of former Penn State assistant Jerry Sandusky having been indicted on charges of sexually abusing eight boys over 15 years.

Coming out of the meeting, Astorino also said he got the impression Paterno is going to coach the rest of the season. The Nittany Lions (8-1) play their final home game of the 2011 season Saturday against Nebraska.

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Rob Stoner returned from a season-ending injury to help Edinboro have one of its best offensive lines in years./ETN file photo.

If experience is the greatest teacher, then the Edinboro offensive line is very well schooled.

Led by senior left guard Rob Stoner, the unit has paved the way for Edinboro to rank sixth in the PSAC in rushing offense this season.

“It’s all experience,” said Stoner, a General McLane graduate who came back from a season-ending back injury in 2010. “Game play.”

Senior Nick Christman is at right guard, senior Shane Hess plays right tackle, sophomore Ryan Wilson is at center and junior Shawn Ellenberger plays beside Stoner at left tackle.

“Shane Hess is in his sixth year due to injury,” Edinboro coach Scott Browning said. “Rob Stoner is in his fifth year. Nick Christman has played ever since he’s been here and our center is a redshirt sophomore and then you got Shawn Ellenberger, who is a redshirt junior. That’s the one area that experience helps you more than people realize.”

The Scots (5-2, 2-2 PSAC West) are averaging 164.9 yards on the ground and have scored 13 rushing touchdowns heading into Saturday’s 6 p.m. game against Clarion (1-6, 1-3 PSAC West).

“They’re all five intelligent guys,” Browning said. “They’re all five special guys. It’s very rare to have the experience we’ve had there.”

Last season, Edinboro averaged 126 yards rushing to rank 12th in the conference.

Scots coach Scott Browning said Edinboro’s offensive line hasn’t been this experienced since 2004 when the Scots averaged 201.4 yards rushing to rank fourth in the PSAC. They had 28 rushing touchdowns.

“Before that, it was probably 1995,” Browning said.

Junior tailback Akeem Satterfield rushed for a team-high 52 yards for Slippery Rock in its 24-23 win today at No. 25-ranked Edinboro. Satterfield is a Cathedral Prep graduate./Photo by Jack Hanrahan of the Erie Times-News.

Area talents Ryan Skelton and Jayson Nickson shined in Slippery Rock’s 24-23 win at No. 25-ranked Edinboro today. Skelton, a senior linebacker at Edinboro who starred at General McLane High, had game-high 11 tackles  with 9 being solo stops.

Skelton had a sack, three tackles for loss, a forced fumble, fumble recovery and a blocked field goal that James Jackson returned for a 62-yard touchdown.

Can you say PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week?

Nickson, a senior strong safety at Slippery Rock who starred at Mercyhurst Prep, had seven tackles and pass break up.

As for Akeem Satterfield, the Slippery Rock junior tailback started the game with a 29-yard run, but finished with just 52 yards and no touchdowns on 15 carries.

An Cathedral Prep graduate, Satterfield also fumbled twice, but he lead the Rock in rushing today.

He's at Slippery Rock now, but here's senior linebacker Jack Wickline (No. 28) in an Edinboro uniform back in 2008 making a tackle against Gannon's Anthony Weaver./ETN file photo.

They’re still on opposite ends.

Sophomore Kellen O’Neill was once at Slippery Rock, but transferred to Edinboro. Senior Jake Wickline was once at Edinboro, but transferred to Slippery Rock.

According to Rock coach George Mihalik, it will not have any bearing of what takes place between these PSAC West rival schools Saturday at Sox Harrison Stadium with the Scots (4-1, 1-1) take on the Rock (4-1, 2-0).

“When Kellen was here, he gave us a great effort,” Mihalik said. “He was a team guy so he just felt it was a better situation at Edinboro. So no problems. We released him. That happens. That doesn’t enter into any issues.

“We’re going to prepare for Edinboro as we always would. There is no problem with the fact that Kellen is at Edinboro. Hey, you just want the best for young men wherever they feel they can have the most success. You want to try to accommodate their request.”

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Here’s Penn State senior safety Drew Astorino, an General McLane graduate, giving a preview of Saturday’s Big Ten home opener against Iowa at Beaver Stadium.

Check out the McLane T-shirt he’s sporting.

Astorino has made 20 total tackles this season for the Nittany Lions (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten).