TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Lock Haven running back Damir Green (5) runs on the field during a football game against Glenville State on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Hubert Jack Stadium. Green scored the game-winning touchdown against West Chester on Saturday.

LOCK HAVEN – On the path to its eventual historic win on Saturday, there were three separate instances where Lock Haven appeared dead in the water.

With West Chester (3-4) getting the ball to start the third, the Bald Eagles went down 14-0 midway through the second. And after they managed to cut two two-score deficits down to one through the second and third, the Golden Rams stood just one yard away of creating a third with time becoming a factor.

However, in each dire scenario, Lock Haven (3-4) had an answer, finding its way back to the surface time and time again and breaking through to safety when it was all said and done. Down 21-7 in the third, it wouldn’t allow another score behind a bend-don’t-break defensive effort, scoring 21 unanswered points and 14 through to fourth to rally past its PSAC foe, 28-21.

For the program, it was not only the first time the Bald Eagles had beaten West Chester since 1991, but also the first time they defeated it at home since 1937. The seal-breaking win couldn’t have come in more dramatic fashion either, with their steady rise to their first, only and final lead featuring a kickoff return, blocked kick, goal-line stuff and 99-yard touchdown drive.

“It was never over,” said Lock Haven running back Damir Green, who turned 15 carries into 67 yards and a touchdown on Saturday. “There was a lot of adversity in the beginning, us shooting ourselves in the foot. But it’s just how we overcome it in the game.”

“That’s before I was born, so to be able to do that at home on Homecoming in front of what seemed like a million people, that’s what we talk about every week,” said head coach Joe Battaglia, referring to the history of the matchup. “This is a resilient football team. We learned from last week, coming into the locker room and facing adversity, how are we gonna respond? I’d say they responded pretty well this week.”

The biggest turning point came in the fourth. With a 21-14 lead and nine minutes to go, a Jackson Ostrowsky interception set West Chester up well within Lock Haven territory, and the Golden Rams made quick work of setting themselves up at the goal line.

They’d have two cracks at a touchdown from the LHU 1, three from the LHU 3. But on each play from there, Lock Haven managed to protect its own end zone, with Alex Lefebvre, Rhys McDonald and Raheem Reid all coming up with big tackles inches away from paydirt.

And though Ostrowsky re-entered the game fresh off an interception, he wasn’t about to let the opportunity go to waste.

On a drive that started in the shadow of Lock Haven’s goal post, the two-year starter went 5-of-7 for 91 yards, including a 21-yard pass to Connor Fultz on third down and a 43-yard pass to Justin Popovich (9 receptions, 136 yards) that set it up at the goal-line. He’d cap the nine-play, 99-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown toss to Mekhi Watson, as the team tied it at 21-21 with under five to go.

“The defense always gives us motivation. When they get scored on, when they get stops, they give us motivation because we play complimentary football,” said Ostrowsky when asked how the stuff motivated the offense. “We’re doing our best to make them proud, and I know they’re doing the same.”

“Just keep chopping. Just keep playing hard and trust the plan, trust the process. It ended up working out for us,” he added on the mentality heading into that drive.

That was the span that effectively turned the momentum Lock Haven’s way, momentum it never let dissipate. On the ensuing defensive possession, it’d force another turnover on downs on fourth-and-one, setting itself up at its own 47-yard line at the 1:55 mark, more than enough time to capitalize.

It’d take just two plays to get within the West Chester 30-yard line. Then, Damir Green took a handoff straight up the middle, burst through a great hole from the line and made a beeline for the left pylon.

His 29-yard touchdown would give the Bald Eagles their first lead of the game with less than a minute to go, and an interception from Markel Morgan sealed it just two plays later.

“It was all for the team,” said Green on the score. “I knew how much we wanted it and once we got the stop, it was just like, ‘We’ve got to win it now.’ I wasn’t worried about scoring. I was worried about winning.”

“My heart was racing at 110 miles per hour,” said Morgan on the moment before the interception. “After Damir scored that touchdown, it was like the defense knew what time it was. It was time to get a stop. We need the ball back now.”

Alongside the fourth quarter, there were other moments that kept the Bald Eagles within striking distance.

An 88-yard kickoff return from Jake Roberts gave Lock Haven its first score seconds after going down 14-0 midway through the second. On West Chester’s last trip to the red zone before halftime, the defense managed to force a fourth down before Q McMillan blocked the ensuing 28-yard field goal, keeping the deficit at 14-7 heading into halftime.

And prior to their game-tying drive, the Bald Eagles put together a 10-play, 69-yard touchdown drive capped off with a four-yard score from Cureem Hathcock.

Those moments, coupled with the defense kicking it up a notch, set the foundation for what was to come. From the moment Lock Haven fell behind by two scores, it outscored West Chester 28-7 to post the historic win.

“Coming out of halftime, it was us versus us. We didn’t change much with the game plan. We just went out there,” said Battaglia. “The way the defense stood pretty much all day in crucial moments gave the rest of the team confidence. It gave the offense confidence and created defensive confidence towards the end of the game.”

While the win feels good, the Bald Eagles aren’t letting it get to their heads as they prepare for a two-game road stint. In working to get back to .500 for the first time since Week 2, they’ll look to turn Saturday’s victory into a win streak at Shippensburg (2-4), with that game set for 1 p.m. next Saturday.

“We’re really excited and happy about that,” said Ostrowsky on beating West Chester for the first time since 1991. “But we’re just trying to go 1-0 every week.”

Lock Haven 28, West Chester 21

WC 0 14 7 0 – 21

LH 0 7 7 14 – 28

Second Quarter

WC – Future Robertson 2 run (Rylan Zuk kick), 13:17.

WC – Colin O’Sullivan to Matthew Iuvara 8 pass (Zuk kick), 6:27.

LH – Jake Roberts 88 kickoff return (Caden Bauer kick), 6:14.

Third Quarter

WC – O’Sullivan to Iuvara 47 pass (Zuk kick), 13:46.

LH – Cureem Hathcock 4 run (Bauer kick), 3:13.

Fourth Quarter

LH – Jackson Ostrowsky to Mekhi Watson 2 pass (Bauer kick), 4:54.

LH – Damir Green 29 run (Bauer kick), :59.

TEAM STATISTICS WC LH

First downs 19 20

Rushes-yards 28-103 32-97

Passing yards 282 257

Total yards 385 354

Comp.-att.-int. 24-35-2 22-36-1

Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0

Penalties-yards 10-92 7-47

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING–West Chester, Future Robertson 10-52, TD; Khalil Owens 11-32. Lock Haven, Damir Green 15-67, TD; Ezequiel Johnson 7-36; Cureem Hathcock 4-10, TD; Jackson Ostrowsky 5-(-10).

PASSING–West Chester, Colin O’Sullivan 24-35-2 282 yards, 2 TDs. Lock Haven, Jackson Ostrowsky 9-15-0 64 yards.

RECEIVING–West Chester, Dylan McKenzie 8-106; Matthew Iuvara 5-96, 2 TDs; Troy Corson 1-26; Ivan Thorpe 3-16; Darrel Brown 1-7; Will Silverman 1-7; Liam Besecker 1-3; Ryan Johnston 1-1, Future Robertson 1-(-4). Lock Haven, Justin Popovich 9-136; Mehki Watson 4-47, TD; Ezequiel Johnson 6-43; Connor Fultz 1-21; Jaiden Huntington 1-7; Cureem Hathcock 1-3.

INTERCEPTION–West Chester, Maurice Beverly 1. Lock Haven, Jaeion Perry 1, Markel Morgan 1.

Records: West Chester 3-4(1-3 PSAC). Lock Haven 3-4 (2-2 PSAC).