LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis Football team opened the 2017 season with an impressive performance, winning 69-3 over Lock Haven on Saturday at DeGol Field.  The Red Flash set the tone with 24 points in the first quarter.
 
The Red Flash posted 512 total yards, including 315 in the air and 197 on the ground.  Junior quarterback Bear Fenimore (Austin, Texas/Westwood), making his first career start for the Red Flash after transferring from Houston, completed 21-of-31 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns.  Junior Freddy Bopst (Jarrettsville, Md./Boys Latin) also got his first career action at quarterback, completing both of his pass attempts for a total of 35 yards and a touchdown.
 
Preseason All-America junior Kamron Lewis (Fresno, Calif./Edison) picked up where he left off last year, with eight catches for 153 yards and a touchdown.  That was Lewis’ ninth 100-yard game of his career and moved him within 16 yards of claiming fourth place all-time at SFU.  Lewis has 1,738 career yards, within reach of Todd Eckenroad’s 1,754 yards from 1991-93. 
 
Jorge Solano (Coral Springs, Fla./Coral Springs Charter) also made his SFU debut with five catches for 47 yards and a touchdown, while senior Matt Valenzuela (Sterling, Va./Dominion) had three catches for 30 yards.  Freshman tight end Terell Johnson (Burlington, N.C./Cummings) had a 27-yard touchdown catch, while sophomore Cyrus Holder (Uniondale, N.Y./Milford Academy) added a 14-yard touchdown reception.
 
Junior Jymere Jordan-Toney (Philadelphia, Pa./Franklin) rushed for 79 yards, and two scores, on eight carries, while sophomore Avery Miliner (Clayton, Ohio/Northmont) had 81 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.  Freshman Joel Denley (Beaumont, Texas/West Brook) added nine rushes for 43 yards and three catches for 29 yards.
 
The Red Flash defense held Lock Haven to 223 total yards, including 152 passing and 71 rushing.  SFU forced four turnovers, including three interceptions, and recorded seven tackles for loss.  SFU returned two interceptions for touchdowns for the first time since October 3, 2015 at East Tennessee State.
 
Senior safety Delondo Boyd (Indian Head, Md./Henry E. Lackey) led the defense with nine tackles, seven solo, a forced fumble, a pass breakup and a 25-yard interception return for a touchdown.  Sophomore linebacker Gibbs Tinne (Burtonsville, Md./Paint Branch) also had nine tackles, with half a tackle for loss, and blocked a punt.  Sophomore safety Nick Rinella (Wyndmoor, Pa./La Salle College) added eight tackles, while junior linebacker Ben Bruni (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) had seven, with one for loss. 
 
Senior cornerback Malik Duncan (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Central Catholic) had a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown and a pass breakup and junior Hakeem Kinard (York, Pa./York Catholic) added an interception and a pass breakup.  Senior linebacker Zane Stewart (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) had two tackles for loss. 
 
Lock Haven quarterback Cameron Tobias threw for 152 yards on 17-of-32 passing, with three interceptions, while John Ford ran for 70 yards on 24 carries.  Cole Renninger led LHU with four catches for 34 yards. 
 
Safety Isaiah Flamer led the Bald Eagles with 16 tackles, while linebacker Fernando Flores had 11 tackles and a sack.  Linebacker Alex Welch added five tackles, with 1.5 for loss and a sack.
 
The Red Flash’s first points of the season came on a 30-yard pick-six by Duncan.  The senior corner took advantage of a miscommunication by LHU’s quarterback and receiver on their opening drive and made an easy pick before using a clear path to the end zone.  SFU led 7-0 with 13:38 left in the first quarter. 
 
After LHU was forced to punt on their next drive, Jordan-Toney burst through the hole for a 40-yard gain on the opening play of the SFU drive.  However, a strong defensive effort by LHU forced SFU to attempt a field goal, with Eric Bofenkamp (Warren, Ohio/John F. Kennedy) converting the 36-yard kick. 
 
A short punt on LHU’s next drive set SFU up at the LHU 41.  On 2nd-and-1, Jordan-Toney took the handoff and found the hole through the left side and took it into the end zone.  An 11-yard catch by Junior Ajayi (Delran, N.J./Holy Cross) and a nine-yard run by Denley helped to setup the score.  SFU held a 17-0 lead with 4:50 left in the first quarter.
 
On the next LHU drive, on second down, Boyd forced a fumble, which was recovered by senior Austin Gray (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township) at the LHU 35.  After a 15-yard catch by Lewis and an 11-yard grab by Solano, Fenimore found Solano in the left corner of the end zone for a four-yard score.  An extra point by Bofenkamp put SFU up 24-0 with 1:24 to go in the opening quarter.
 
The following LHU drive ended on a 25-yard interception return for a touchdown by Boyd.  On second down, Boyd cut in front of an LHU receiver and ripped the ball away and found a path to the end zone to give SFU a 31-0 advantage just 50 seconds into the second quarter.
 
On the next SFU drive, starting at the SFU 45, Fenimore hit Lewis over the middle for a 34-yard gain.  Two plays later, Fenimore connected with Solano for a 10-yard pickup.  On the next play, Fenimore dropped a throw right into the hands of Holder in the right corner of the end zone for a 14-yard score.  The extra point put SFU up 38-0 with 10:12 left in the first half.
 
The Bald Eagles responded with a field goal on their next drive to get on the board.  Junior Nick Boumerhi hit a 39-yard kick to cap the drive.  Sophomore Kyeef Williams had a 17-yard reception earlier in the drive to setup the field goal.
 
The Red Flash found the end zone again right before halftime.  Jordan-Toney found his way into the end zone from a yard out with four seconds remaining.  A 29-yard catch by Lewis got the ball down to the LHU 1.  Solano added a 13-yard catch.  SFU led 45-3 at the break.
 
Saint Francis extended its lead to 48-3 on its opening drive of the second half.  A 65-yard drive ended with a 27-yard field goal by Bofenkamp.  Miliner had five carries for 45 yards on the drive, with Valenzuela adding a 14-yard catch and Denley turning a screen pass into a 10-yard gain.
 
Kinard’s interception led to another SFU score to put the Red Flash up 55-3 with 14:20 to go in the game.  With LHU driving into SFU territory, Kinard cut off a receiver for a pick and SFU took over at its own two.  A 14-play, 98-yard drive was completed by a nine-yard touchdown pass from Fenimore to Lewis.  Fenimore completed six passes on the drive, including a 32-yarder to Lewis to help setup the score.
 
Bopst hit Johnson for a 27-yard touchdown on SFU’s next drive to extend the lead to 62-3 with 10:49 remaining.  SFU capped its scoring on a one-yard touchdown run by MIliner with 6:23 left. 
 
The Red Flash returns to DeGol Field next Saturday to open NEC play against Wagner.  Kickoff is scheduled for Noon, with a broadcast on ESPN3.  Wagner won its opener, 37-7, over Saint Anselm on Thursday.