EAST STROUDSBURG – After a long offseason, the East Stroudsburg University football team is ready to open the 2022 season on Thursday evening at Pace. The opening kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. in Pleasantville, N.Y.

How To Follow: The game will be live streamed on NE10 Now.

• For the 57th season, ESU will have all of its home and away games broadcasted on WVPO Bigfoot Country 103.1 FM and 840 AM and online at bigfootcountrypoconos.com. Chuck Seese enters his 34th season as the play-by-play of the Warriors, with his partner Bob Brittain entering his 22nd season.
• Follow @esuwarriors on Twitter and Instagram for in-game updates.
• Game Notes can be located here.

The Series: ESU has defeated Pace in each of the three of the previous meetings, including 2021 when the Warriors opened the season with a 35-14 victory against the Setters at Eiler-Martin Stadium. It was the first game for the Warriors in 663 days to the COVID-19 pandemic, as ESU rushed for 319 yards as a team. Overall, the Warriors outgained the Setters, 524 to 279. For more information on last season’s meeting, click here.

Season Openers: ESU is 59-33-1 all-time in season openers, including the 34-14 win over Pace in 2021. Since 2008, the Warriors have posted wins in 11 of its past 13 season opening games.

Tough Slate: The Warriors have a tough schedule ahead of them, with three opponents ranked in the AFCA NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll in No. 6 Shepherd, No. 13 Kutztown and No. 21 California (Pa.). Two future opponents have received votes including week two foe IUP and West Chester.  

The Offense

Quarterback

Jake Cirillo is set for his third season as the starting quarterback for the Warriors in 2022 for his hometown team. Cirillo enters 2022 ranked sixth in program history in completion percentage (55.4%), eighth in completions (383), ninth in passing attempts (691) and 10th in both passing yards (4,584) and touchdown passes (34). The East Stroudsburg South product brings valuable game experience, with 24 starts since 2018, including nine starts in 11 contests a season ago.

Matt DeLaurentis returns as the backup and holder. With Cirillo missing two games due to injury, DeLaurentis helped the Warriors to a pair of wins against Lock Haven and Mercyhurst, completing 46 passes on 80 attempts (57.4%) for 557 yards and six touchdowns.

Other quarterbacks on the roster include Aaron Tobias, who threw for 8,000-plus yards for Penns Valley High School and Sean McTaggart, was selected as the PIAA 4A Player of the Year in 2020 for Lampeter-Strausburg.

Tailback

With 2021 All-PSAC East First Team honoree Gunner Anglovich leading the charge, tailback could be ESU’s most talented position in terms of depth. Anglovich rushed for nearly 1,000 yards (962) on 209 carries, as the Bethlehem native ranked fourth in the conference and second in the division in rushing yards a season ago. He posted 70-plus yards rushing in nine of the 11 contests.

After missing the entire 2021 season due to injury, 2019 All-PSAC Second Team selection Devante Robinson looks to pick up right where he left off. The fellow Lehigh Valley native from Allentown led the Warriors with 855 yards from scrimmage and led ESU with 1,229 all-purpose yards in 2018. Robinson has found the end zone 15 times in his career, and currently ranks 19th all-time at ESU in all-purpose yards since 1974 with 2,639 combined rushing, receiving and return yards.

Supplementing Anglovich’s rushing attack a year ago, was Tyriq Lewis, who added 369 yards rushing along with a touchdown. He tallied a career-best 114 yards against Bloomsburg to reach the century mark for the first time.

ESU welcomes three new and talented additions to the tailback room in freshmen Deante Crawford (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom), Tahir Mills (Ridley, Pa./Ridley) and Mason Peterson (Philadelphia, Pa./Bonner Prendie),

Fullback

Well accomplished on-and-off the field, former fullback David Akinwande has graduated and accepted a position with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Letterwinner Adrian Lambert looks to take the reigns, with freshman Matt Frame adding depth. Frame was an all-conference running back for Northern Lehigh and rushed for 1,700 yards and 28 touchdowns a season ago for the Colonial League power.   

Tight End

Converted quarterback Dawson Stuart returns for his second season as the starting tight end for ESU. He caught 10 passes for 102 yards last season, finding the end zone against Lock Haven. Adding depth to the position include Jonathan Post, (former New Hampshire transfer), freshman Beau Heyser (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strausburg) and Wagner graduate transfer Rourke Colligan.  

Wide Receivers

Gone is All-PSAC East First Team selection Rece Bender (41 rec., 795 yards, 5 TD), who graduated and accepted a position with Riddell. The leading returning receiver is Elie Lavarin, who caught 22 passes for 313 yards and four touchdowns. He posted over 100-yards receiving against West Chester after reeling in an 85-yard touchdown against the Golden Rams.

Clifford Brinkley brought in 23 passes for 281 yards while battling injuries in 2021. Ezequiel Lopez missed the final eight games due to injury. Chad Parton, Benny Pembleton, John Siggins and Evan Roche are also expected to make an impact. Tyrese Brandon, Nathan Carpenter and Andrew Krawczyk also return.

Newcomers to the position include Bryce Bashore (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall), Justin Cook (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg) Devin Demoe (Clayton, Del./Smyrna), I’Meire Manigault (York, Pa./ Central York) and DJ Thomson (Keyport, N.J./Keyport).

Offensive Line

The big boys up front bring plenty of experience in the trenches, with All-PSAC East Second Team honoree Anthony Capitini leading the way. Returning starters include LT Tim Kinney, LG Kyler Wuestner and center Raymond Christas. Elias Marte slots in at right guard, with the utility lineman Capitini moving to right tackle. The six newcomers to Mike Santella’s offensive line include 6-8, 410 lb tackle Guy Gilyard (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West), Zach Miller (Hershey, Pa./Hershey), Pat Reynolds (Congers, N.Y./Clarkstown North), Juan Feliciano (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) Derek Frinzi (Easton, Pa./Easton), Nico Ippolito (Toms River, N.J./Donovan Catholic). Jared Namnun made the switch from defensive line to offensive line to add depth, while Chase Walters returns after a redshirt season.

The Defense

Defensive Line

Led by AFCA All-America First Team selection Deshawn McCarthy, the Warriors defensive line presence should see another impressive season in 2022. Along with All-America honors from the AFCA and D2Football.com, McCarthy received D2CCA All-Region Second Team and All-PSAC East honors for his 13 sacks (most by a Warrior since 1992) and 17 tackles for loss (most since 2008). Joining him in the trenches is Keanan Baines, Daryn Blackwell and Albert Gayle and Dasean Dixon at defensive tackle. At other defensive end, Ryan Hieber, Makai Booker and Isaiah Reigel, who missed all of 2021 with an injury are back. Newcomers include Trenton Dunnick (York, Pa./Central York), Jake Williamson (Middletown, N.Y./Middletown South) and Myles Reynolds (Drexel Hill, Pa./Monsignor Bonner).

Linebackers

With Paul Carreras and Jacob Keane combining for 154 tackles and 18 tackles for loss, the production from the returning linebacking crew is impressive. Sergei Felizor looks to have a major role this season, with Duquesne transfer and All-NEC selection Jahan Worth joining the linebacker core for his graduate season. Khalil Scott is expected to miss the entirety of the 2022 season with an injury, but Jahmere Crumpton looks to slot into his hybrid position. Ray Simmons, Elijiah Johnson, Matthew Davis add depth.

Secondary

All-PSAC East First Team Safety Tyler Watson is set for his final season of eligibility. The ball hawk ranked in the top-10 of the conference last season pass breakups, interceptions, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries while ranking just behind Carreras and Keane in tackles. Shavar Hussett, who picked off three passes and started in all 11 games is back at the other safety position. UAlbany transfer Amir Shields and newcomer Everette Dingle join the experienced unit. Nick Davanzo, TJ Harris, Christian Weissman and Raheem White return and look to provide depth.

At defensive back, Adewale Obayanju and Devon Banks are slotted to start again, with Malachi Bowman and Noah Hambrick expected to fill in, according to the two-deep.  Banks made starts in 10 of 11 contests, while Obayanju started opposite of Banks the final five contests. CJ Lavarin, Jalen Hanton, Xavier Gary and Fred Zapata-Smalls also return.

Special Teams

Kicker

All-PSAC East Second Team kicker Devin Bartholomew returns for his redshirt junior season. A season ago, Bartholomew converted 11-of-17 field goal attempts, while knocking in all

Punter

ESU landed Bloomsburg graduate transfer Jaco Sattamini in the transfer portal, with the Stroudsburg High School product bringing over 4,000 yards of collegiate punting yardage to the position for ESU. Last season, Sattamini booted 64 punts an average of 34.4 yards and just two touchbacks. A total of 17 punts were downed inside the 20-yard line, while three punts went at least 50 yards.  

Long Snapper

Cole Fryer is back for the Warriors at long snapper. A stable presence at the position since 2019, he has snapped to two All-PSAC kickers in Bartholomew and former All-American Jordan Walters (2019).