Dan Matha

The Cincinnati Bengals will give McDowell graduate Dan Matha the chance to fulfill his NFL dream.

(Update: Check out today’s Erie Times-News story.)

The Bengals invited Matha, who completed his career at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2012, to their Riverfront Indoor Training Facility for a three-day tryout that begins Thursday. At 6 feet 7 inches, 310 pounds, he’s expected to show off his skills as an offensive lineman.

He is the second former Erie County high school football star who will get a shot in the NFL this year. General McLane and University of Connecticut graduate Blidi Wreh-Wilson was picked by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the recent NFL Draft. Titans rookie minicamp is scheduled to open Friday.

Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Baltimore, Cincinnati’s AFC North Division rivals, also showed interest in Matha as a rookie free agent since the conclusion of the April’s NFL draft. However, Matha said talks between his agent and those teams broke down at various points.

Matha originally was attended the University of Pittsburgh but transferred to Division II IUP in 2010. He went on to receive various all-PSAC and All-America honors for his line play with the Crimson Hawks.

Maleek Toran (far left) has been in Mercyhurst's shoes./Erie Times-News

Maleek Toran knows what it feels like to be in Mercyhurst’s shoes.

He was a true freshman in 2009 at Edinboro when the Scots needed Gannon to help them get in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

In the final regular-season game, the Knights beat Bloomsburg in overtime, 10-7, to open the  door for Edinboro to play in the postseason.

Today, Mercyhurst needs to beat No. 22-ranked California (Pa.) and have Gannon upset No. 14  Indiana (Pa.) to play in next week’s PSAC title game. The game would be played at Tullio Field as it’s the PSAC West champ’s turn to play host to the title game.

When asked if the Mercyhurst players should call their rival Knights and encourage them to to beat IUP, Toran said the Lakers should pass on that idea.

“I’d probably just let it play out and hope for the best,” said Toran, an Erie native. “If the man upstairs have a playoff berth in store for you, then you’ll get it.”

– Duane Rankin

“I was nervous. I remember smiling back at him, trying to pretend I wasn’t nervous.” — Travis Rearick

Oct. 16, 2010: Mercyhurst 22, Edinboro 21 (OT)

“The rest is history.” — Trevor Kennedy

Quarterback Cody Harris put Edinboro on top in OT, but could only watch Mercyhurst win the game with a two-point conversion pass./ETN

EDINBORO — Two years after winning in dramatic fashion at Edinboro, Mercyhurst was back at Sox Harrison Stadium fresh off a 28-27 thriller at Indiana (Pa.).

On this day, the Lakers forced overtime on an Gerald Anderson 9-yard run with 59 seconds left in regulation.

“We were down like the whole second half,” said Travis Rearick, who was a starting junior quarterback at Mercyhurst in 2010. “So we were finally excited to get back into it.”

In overtime, Edinboro took first possession and scored on an Cody Harris 1-yard run to go up 21-14. The Lakers answered with Rearick finding Terrence Coon for an 11-yard scoring pass.

Mercyhurst lined up for a PAT to force a second overtime.

Then flags flew.

“They were going to kick an extra point,” Edinboro coach Scott Browning said. “We jumped offsides so it moved (the ball) up a yard and a half.”

A yard and a half closer, the Lakers decided to go for two — and the win.

“It was a momentum thing,” Lakers coach Marty Schaetzle. “It wasn’t a matter of that the play was going to be any better from 1-1/2 or three yards out. It just seemed like the right thing to do at the time.”

What?

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Scots coach Scott Browning is expected start Erie native Maleek Toran (#26) in place of James Jackson (#11) for Saturday's noon game against No. 22-ranked Indiana (Pa.). Jackson is serving an one-game suspension after being ejected from last week's game./Photo by Christopher Millette/Erie Times-News

EDINBORO – Earlier this week, Edinboro coach Scott Browning said he’ll start Erie native Maleek Toran for Saturday’s key PSAC West game against No. 22-ranked IUP (5-1, 2-1).

A Central Tech graduate, Toran will replace junior cornerback James Jackson, who is serving  one-game suspension after getting ejected from last week’s 44-24 loss to Gannon.

“Right now, Maleek Toran is in that spot,” Browning said. “We’ve got to coach him up.”

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In his high school days, Matha was a standout athlete at McDowell before going to Pitt./Photo by Jack Hanrahan/Erie Times-News

Transferred. Injured. Ineligible.

Senior right tackle Dan Matha has had his share of obstacles, but is once again a force on the field in helping No. 22-ranked Indiana (Pa.) boast one of the top rushing teams in NCAA Division II.

” It’s a great feeling,” Matha said. “It’s been a lot of bumps along the way. Haven’t always been healthy. So to finally be healthy. It’s a weight off my shoulders.

“To be able to play and do the things I know I’m capable of doing. Not really being hindered by an injury or pain or anything, it’s long overdue.”

With the 6-foot, 7-inch, 290-pound Matha helping clear space to run free, the Crimson Hawks (5-1, 2-1 PSAC West) are seventh nationally in rushing and have the nation’s second-leading rusher in senior Harvie Tuck.

“We vote every week in the offensive meeting room which side of the line did better,” Tuck said. “The right side has been getting a lot of wins. Probably four out of the six weeks, they’ve won and I think part of it is because of Dan.”

It wasn’ t that long ago Matha, an McDowell High graduate, was at Pitt wondering if he’d ever become healthy enough to even compete for a starting spot, let alone play.

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Chad Noce/SRU

In a continuing series of Q&As with local players who are playing area college football, Duane Rankin caught up with Slippery Rock senior tight end Chad Noce to talk about several topics.

Noce and the No. 24-ranked Rock (8-2, 6-1 PSAC West) are preparing for Saturday’s PSAC title game at Kutztown against the No. 8 Golden Bears (9-1, 6-1 PSAC East). Noce, who played defense his year at Slippery Rock in 2008, is known for his run blocking ability at tight end.

A McDowell High graduate, Noce has just two career catches for 10 yards. Both grabs came last season against Gannon, which ironically upset the Rock last week, 33-27, in Erie. With the Rock trying to rebound from that loss, Rankin caught up with Noce to talk about their playoff hopes and the chance to win a championship.

You’re coming off a tough loss, but can make amends in the PSAC championship game. How are you guys feeling right now heading into that game? We’re feeling good. We know we made a mistake. I feel like we overlooked Gannon a little bit. I feel like we were looking toward the next week. We had the Gannon game. We knew we were in the PSAC championship already so I think that played a little part in that loss. Underestimating them a little bit, we’re feeling good. We should be ready to go.”

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Left guard Rob Stoner has 45 career starts at Edinboro./Photo by Christopher Millette/Erie Times-News

In a continuing series of Q&As with local players who are playing area college football, Duane Rankin caught up with Edinboro senior left guard Rob Stoner to talk about several topics.

A General McLane graduate, Stoner has returned from a season-ending back injury in the 2010 opener to start every game this season. The 6-foot, 2-inch, 295-pound graduate student leads the Scots in career starts with 45.

A 2009 first-team All-PSAC West selection, Stoner will try to help the Scots (7-2, 4-2) end a six-game losing skid against No. 22-ranked California (Pa.) in Saturday’s PSAC West finale at Adamson Stadium. The Vulcans (7-2, 5-1) last lost to Edinboro in 2004.

Talking to Stoner this week at Edinboro, Rankin and him talked about last week’s Senior Day, being a veteran on the offensive line and facing Cal.

How has this season been for you coming back from the injury? “It’s been great. We’ve had our ups and downs as every team does, but overall, it’s a great group of guys. Every day, I come out and have fun and I think the team overall has fun, too. Couldn’t be happier.”

What was Senior Day like for you? (Last week, Edinboro had its Senior Day. The Scots won, 42-7, against Lock Haven) “It was different. Having mom and dad out there. Talking to them a little bit and told them I thought it was weird. It’s kind of winding down here with my career. It was a different feeling. Mixed emotions. It’s been great, but I’m going to miss it. It was something different.”

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Defensive tackle Randy Colling isn't happy with how his senior year at Gannon is going. The Knights are 3-5./ETN file photo.

Gannon senior defensive tackle Randy Colling and junior linebacker Will Giles chose not to discuss the off-field situations involving Gannon assistant coaches Michael Smith, Darren Paige and graduate assistant coach Anthony Ferla.

“I don’t want to get involved in any of that,” Colling said earlier today.

Ferla was dismissed after he urinated near two marked police cars (with police officers in them) less than 12 hours before Gannon played at Indiana (Pa.) on Saturday. He was dismissed today by the university.

Smith and Paige were charged with disorderly conduct after getting involved in a fight with former Gannon player Kendall Brown hours after Gannon beat Lock Haven last week.

Paige and Smith didn’t coach in the IUP game, but are still on the coaching staff.

However, Colling and Giles had plenty to say about what Gannon is doing on the field.

With three games left, the Knights (3-5, 2-3 PSAC West) are a loss away from having a losing season. They’ve gone 6-5 the last two seasons.

“It’s not what we expected,” Colling said. “We all expected to come out and improve from last year. We have a lot of young guys doing good things. It’s just a consistency thing.”

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Sophomore Cody Harris threw two touchdowns and ran for another as Edinboro upended Clarion, 21-10, tonight at Sox Harrison Stadium.

No scoring at all in the second half, but here’s the deal.

With a 3-2 record in the PSAC West, Edinboro (6-2)  is two games behind Slippery Rock (7-1, 5-0) and a game back of IUP (5-2, 4-1) and Cal (6-2, 4-1).

The Scots have already lost to IUP and Slippery Rock, but do get a crack at Cal on Nov. 5. In between that, they face Lock Haven next week.

So for the Scots, it’s about trying to make the playoffs.

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Mercyhurst College has now lost its last four games after falling in overtime, 32-26, at California (Pa.) today.

In a game that had missed PATs, blocked kicks, the biggest play seems to have happened in overtime when Mercyhurst third-year sophomore quarterback Anthony Vendemia threw an interception in the end zone on a 1st-and-10 play from the Cal 10-yard line.

Cal (6-2, 4-1) took possession and scored as Jeff Knox punched it in from four yards out. The Vulcans can still win the PSAC West if they beat IUP and Edinboro and Slippery Rock losses its last two games.

Slippery Rock (7-1, 5-0) plays Mercyhurst at home next week and ends PSAC West play at Gannon, which lost by 28 points at IUP today.

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