READING, Pa. – Football will be traveling to our nation's capital for their first game of the season against the Gallaudet Bison. The game will be Friday (9/5) at 6:00 pm and serve as the season opener for both teams.
The Lions opened with Gallaudet at home last season which resulted in a gutty 17-6 win for Albright.
Mark Fetterman's defense turned in a outstanding performance with the only Bison points being scored via a kickoff return in the third quarter.
John Boston's collegiate debut included 88 total yards of offense and a nine-yard touchdown run in the final minutes to seal the win.
TWO DEEPS
Albright Two Deep
Gallaudet Two Deep
TALE OF THE TAPE
Matchup: Albright (0-0, 0-0 MAC) vs Gallaudet (0-0, 0-0 ECFC)
Where: Hotchkiss Field // Washington, D.C.
When: Friday, September 5
th
Kick-off: 6:00 p.m.
ABOUT ALBRIGHT
The Lions' offense found their identity in their passing game as the season went on.
Chase Roberts proved to be a reliable passer which included back-to-back 300-yard performances against Eastern (337) and Misericordia (311). Roberts' 34 completions against Misericordia tied for third most in school history in a single game.
Alden Stickler became Roberts' favorite target as the sophomore receiver led the Lions in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Stickler was a big play waiting to happen and averaged over 35 yards per reception on his four touchdowns.
The leader for Albright's defense in 2024 was safety
Samuel Moratori. The junior led the team in tackles with 111 in addition to recording a sack and three pass breakups. Moratori recorded at least four solo tackles in each of the team's games and was named to the MAC's All-Conference Second Team.
As a team the Lions defense defended the pass well and allowed the second fewest passing touchdowns (11) in the conference and trailed only Delaware Valley (10).
ABOUT Gallaudet
Gallaudet's offense in the 2024 season revolved around the team's ability to run the ball in an option style offense. As a team the bison averaged 349 yards of offense per game which would include an average of 244 yards on the ground.
Players to watch for Gallaudet's offense include Zion Ortiz and Marcus Gabriel-Brown. The team lost their top two rushers from 2024 due to graduation meaning Ortiz and Gabriel-Brown are expected to take over as two of the team's primary rushers. Ortiz averaged 9.1 yards per carry as a first-year player while Brown-Gabriel averaged 6.1 yards per carry which included a pair of touchdowns on the ground.
The Bison defense held their opponents to under 300 yards per game (283.4) in 2024 which included a secondary that only allowed nine passing touchdowns in as many games.
Key defenders for Gallaudet include defensive back Zefan Nathanson, who proved to be a Swiss Army knife for the Bison. Nathanson led the team in tackles with 61 while recording seven tackles for a loss including 2.5 sacks. In addition to Nathanson, linebacker Jacob Hundley will also bey a cornerstone of Gallaudet's defense. Hundley finished third in tackles with 42 and recorded both a pair of sacks and interceptions in 2024.
