Shippensburg - 2009 PSAC football champions
Box Score
Ship game story, with audio sound bytes
Cal game story
Shippensburg, Pa. - Shippensburg quarterback Chad DiFebbo threw for 294 yards and four touchdowns and the Red Raiders scored 28 unanswered points after California had taken an early lead in the first quarter and never trailed again en route to a 42-35 win over the Vulcans in the PSAC football championship game on Saturday afternoon. The win gives Shippensburg its first PSAC football title since 1981, which was also its last appearance in the championship game and likely gives the Red Raiders a first round bye in the upcoming NCAA playoffs. Pairings for the Division II playoffs will be announced tomorrow live on ESPNews between 3:00 and 3:30 p.m.
The Red Raiders got a balanced running attack that ran for 195 yards against the PSAC's second-best rush defense in California. Kevin Marshall led the way with 90 yards on 14 carries (6.4 ypc) with a touchdown and Mike Frenette ran for 59 yards on just seven carries (8.4 ypc) and also added a score. Kevin Herod ran 11 times for 49 yards. Shippensburg mounted a balance offensive attack as DiFebbo threw to six different receivers for his 294 yards and his four touchdowns went to three different receivers. Leading the way for the receivers was DiFebbo's brother, Chase, who caught six passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Mike Harris also caugh a TD pass and Frenette caught the other TD pass.
For the Vulcans, Josh Portis threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns while Windell Brown ran for 72 yards and two touchdowns. Freddie Bacco ran for 55 yards on just six carries (9.2 ypc) and a touchdown, while A.J. Jackson led the receivers with 10 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown.
Cal opened the scoring as it received the opening kickoff and on the opening drive of the game, took the ball seven plays for 71 yards in just 3:05, capped by a two-yard TD run by Brown to take a 7-0 lead. It would be the Vulcans' only lead of the game as Shippensburg answered right back almost immediately, taking the ensuing possession 76 yards in just five plays and 1:59 as Frenette caught an 18-yard TD pass from DiFebbo to tie the score 7-7. A 9-yard TD run by Kevin Marshall just 30 seconds into the second quarter gave the Red Raiders the lead for good at 14-7 and Harris caught a three-yard TD pass to give Ship the 21-7 lead going into halftime.
DiFebbo found his brother, Chase in the end zone from 15 yards out on Ship's first possession of the third quarter to give the Raiders a 28-7 lead before Cal answered toward the end of the third quarter on Brown's second TD of the day to cut the lead to 28-14. From that point, Ship scored two more unanswered touchdowns to take a commanding 42-14 lead nearly midway through the fourth quarter. Cal then added three straight touchdowns, the last coming with just :44 seconds remaining in the game, to cut the lead to just one score, but Cal's onside kick was recovered by Ship to thwart any miracle comeback hopes by the Vulcans.