November 24, 2007
Andrew Krewatch and Ken Witter enjoyed record setting statistical afternoons, but in the end it was IUP mistakes that proved the difference in a 41-34 loss at Shepherd in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
The Crimson Hawks finish their season with a record of 9-3. The Rams are 10-1 and advance to the Northeast Region final next Saturday at California.
Krewatch completed 34 of 49 passes for 378 yards and four touchdowns, tying a 22-year-old school record for completions in a game while posting the fifth highest single game yardage total in IUP annals.
Witter finished with 13 catches for 176 yards while tying the school mark by catching each of Krewatch's four touchdown passes. The 13 receptions is an IUP postseason record, and he became the first player in school history with at least 10 catches in three consecutive games.
He had 40 catches for 488 yards and seven touchdowns over the final four games of the season. His 67 total receptions for the year was the second highest in school history, trailiing only Les Pesotini's 74 in 1975.
Krewatch became the first quarterback in IUP history to pass for 3,000 yards in a season, finishing the year with 3,100. He also set school single season marks for pass attempts (391) and completions (237) while throwing 29 touchdown passes, second only to Brian Eyerman's 36 in 2002.
Despite the heroics of Krewatch and Witter, IUP was not able to overcome mistakes that includes four turnovers (two interceptions and two lost fumbles), a pair of missed kicks and a defense that allowed a pair of 100-yard rushers, including 117 yards and three touchdowns by backup tailback Jimmy Sutch.
Still, the Crimson Hawks had a chance to pull out the game until Shepherd's Bobby Humphries recovered an onside kick in the final minute following an 11-yard touchdown pass from Krewatch to Witter.
IUP battled back from a pair of 14-point deficits to tie the game at 20 early in the third quarter on Witter's second touchdown. But Sutch, playing in place of injured Harlon Hill candidate Dervon Wallace, scored on runs of 27 and five yard to give the Rams a 34-20 lead with 11:20 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Shepherd then appeared to wrap the game up when Walter Gouveia intercepted Krewatch and returned it 31 yards to the IUP 32 with 10:55 left. But the Crimson Hawks held on downs and pulled to within 34-27 when Witter hauled in a 59-yard scoring pass that was deflected by a Ram defensive back with 7:28 left.
The IUP defense, playing without the injured Anthony Guerra and suspended Corey Davis, could not contain the Shepherd ground game. Sutch rushed for 57 yards as part of a 72-yard drive, scoring from 20 yards out with 1:38 to make it 41-27. Shepherd converted a fourth and one play at its own 37 to keep the drive alive.
An inadvertent squibbed kick gave IUP the ball at the Shepherd 48, and two passes to Anthony Cellitti, one to Dan Pickens and two to Witter covered the distance. But the comeback attempt failed when the Crimson Hawks could not recover the ensuing onside kick.
The second Cellitti catch in teh drive was his seventh of the game and the 100th of his carer, making him the 12th IUP player to reach that plateau.
IUP missed on two golden scoring chances in the first quarter, reaching the Ram six and 16 on its opening two drives, but a fumble by Garrett Lestochi and a misfire on a 33-yard field goal attempt by Craig Burgess thwarted those opportunities.
Shepherd took advantage by scoring on two of its next three possessions, including a 70-yard run by Wallace and a two-yard pass from Tyler Lazear to Ryan Lavin.
Another touchdown by Wallace from two yards out and IUP scores on a 14-yard pass to Witter and five-yard run by Lestochi in the final 3:13 of the first half left the Rams in front 20-13 at halftime.
