Safety Kenny Pettis (#21) didn't follow in his older brother, Tomar, to Gannon./Photo by Jack Hanrahan/Erie Times-News

It’s not always a given a school is going to recruit the younger brother.

Gannon coach Jim Kiernan had a chance to go after Kenny Pettis, but didn’t even though he had his older brother, Tomar, there.

“We had five safeties and we just weren’t going to take one,” Kiernan said. “That’s tough. You got the one (brother) and other doesn’t fit at that moment.”

Despite Kiernan’s outlook on the situation, Kenny Pettis, visited Gannon and said he was prepared to compete for playing time there.

“I went to visit Gannon before I came to Edinboro,” said Pettis, a Massillon, Ohio native who redshirted his first year at Edinboro in 2008. “I stayed two nights in Erie at Gannon. I didn’t stay the night here (at Edinboro).”

Tomar Pettis, who had 54 tackles as a senior in 2008, made sure his brother visited Gannon.

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Jonathon Jones was instrumental in getting Matt to go to Gannon./Democrat and Chronicle Media Group

Here’s a little history lesson as to how Jonathon Jones and Matt Jones both ended up at Gannon.

Matt is older than Jonathon, but Matt was being recruited by several NCAA Division II schools. According to the Tampa Tribune, Jones was part of a 2008 recruiting class at Syracuse.

“We kind of knew he had some legitimate situations going on,” Gannon coach Jim Kiernan said. “That was going to be the direction.”

After that fell through, Matt went to a Milford Prep. According to the University of Buffalo website, Matt was part of Buffalo’s 2009 recruiting class coming out of Milford Prep.

“Didn’t work out for me,” said Matt Jones, who struggled getting his SAT scores. “I didn’t really know where I was to go next.”

During this time, Gannon was recruiting Jonathon. Seeing the process from afar regarding Matt Jones, Kiernan said he told them and his family that a spot would always be there for him at Gannon.

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Having both lost to Edinboro and California (Pa.), Mercyhurst College senior receiver Trevor Kennedy and Gannon coach Jim Kiernan have an idea of what the Scots (7-2, 4-2) and No. 22-ranked Vulcans (7-2, 5-1) can do.

The Lakers lost 30-20 to Edinboro at home Oct. 15 and fell 32-26 at Cal in overtime Oct. 22 . The Knights lost 27-0 at home to Edinboro on Sept. 24 and fell 33-6 at Cal on Oct. 8.

So this week, we asked Kennedy and Kiernan how they see this PSAC West showdown between the Scots and Vulcans going today at 3:30 p.m. at Cal.

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With Mercyhurst College leading 20-17, in today’s PSAC West showdown against Gannon, the Lakers were about to punt.

And the Knights seemed confused.

Gannon left Mercyhurst freshman Todd Wingate uncovered on the right side on a 4th-and-5 play from the Mercyhurst 40-yard line.

So instead of punting, Mercyhurst senior Ian Wild snapped the ball directly to his younger brother, freshman Garrett Wild, who found an open Wingate.

“That’s our fault,” Gannon coach Jim Kiernan said. “As coaches, that blame goes right on us. We were trying to put in some different looks with the punt return and I think we did some things. I had to to take the timeout the one time and I didn’t it the second time and they capitalized on it.”

Sprinting down the sideline, Wingate was heading to the end zone when Joe Sobucki tackled him at the 29.

It was a 31-yard gain, but if Wingate scores, Mercyhurst goes up 27-17 pending the PAT. Instead, Gannon forced a punt to stay within three.

Gannon was making the changes to give Justin Caliste a better chance to return a punt because teams had been kicking away from him since had two returns for touchdowns two weeks ago against Millersville.

Tim Reynolds is expected to play for the first time this season Saturday./ETN file photo.

Gannon (1-3, 0-1) hopes to have starters Tim Reynolds, Ian Jeffers, Matt Jones, Jonathon Jones and Khalid Walker for Saturday’s 1 p.m. game at PSAC West rival Mercyhurst College (3-1, 1-0).

All five missed Saturday’s 27-0 loss to No. 18-ranked Edinboro (4-0, 3-1) at Gannon University Field.

Reynolds, a 6-foot, 9-inch, 360-pound junior right tackle who hasn’t played this season due to a shoulder separation, dressed last Saturday, but didn’t play.

“We’ll see how this week of practice goes on whether he’ll start,” said Gannon coach Jim Kiernan about Reynolds, who has 20 career starts. “I anticipate he’s going to play either way.”

Jones, a junior who leads the Knights in receptions (13) and receiving yards (160), has a shoulder injury.

“J.J. is making really good progress,” Kiernan said. “He’s pushing and I think it’s not unrealistic that he plays on Saturday.”

Junior defensive end Matt Jones, a brother of Jonathon Jones, has an hamstring injury while Ian Jeffers, a junior defensive tackle, has a knee injury.

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Trevor Harris led Edinboro to a game-winning drive to edge Gannon.

Four hours, 30 minutes long.

Two lightning delays.

One classic finish.

On Sept. 26, 2009, Edinboro pulled out 22-20 victory at Gannon on a last second, 17-yard field goal by senior Alex Romanias to cap one of the wildest college football games in recent memory.

“I thought we were fortunate to win the football game,” Edinboro coach Scott Browning said. “Very fortunate.”

Below are three stories from the Erie Times-News about the game.

Lightning strikes twice for Edinboro
‘Boro’s win wet, weird and wild to the end
Loss to ‘Boro stings Gannon

Earlier this week, ETN sports reporter Duane Rankin asked players and coaches from both teams their memories of the game.

The first thing they remember is the weather.

The second? Trevor Harris.

First the weather.

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Freshman Justin Caliste scored three times late in the second quarter of Gannon's 47-0 win against Millersville last Saturday./Photo by Jack Hanrahan of the Erie Times-News

Justin Caliste was almost out of breath Tuesday just talking about scoring three touchdowns in a span of two minutes and 52 seconds.

The Gannon true freshman return specialist scored on a 66-yard kickoff return, 70-yard reverse run and 85 yard punt return in a 47-0 win against Millersville on Saturday at Gannon University Field.

Caliste took 4 minutes, 14 seconds to recap it all.

“It was 7-0 up until that second quarter and our defense got a safety. So now I’m going in at kickoff return. It’s a safety so he had to punt it so I’m like, OK, he’s probably not going to punt it to me, but it came to me. While the ball was in the air, I’m surprised that he punted to me. When I catch it, I looked down field and there is just a window. My blockers did a good job. As soon as I caught the ball, it was there. I really didn’t have to do much. All I had to do was run straight and then beat the kicker. That was a touchdown.”

16-0 Gannon. 4:35 left in the half.

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A starter at defensive end, Gannon fifth-year senior senior Cory Borden plays with high spirit and enthusiasm. Last season, he had 29 total tackles.

So Erie Times-News reporter Duane Rankin caught up with the Twinsburg, Ohio native and talked with him about a variety of topics that included what actor would play him in a movie.

The Knights open the 2011 season tonight at 7 at Lake Erie College (Ohio). Gannon is coming off a second consecutive 6-5 season. Gannon hadn’t had back-to-back winning seasons since 1994-95.