Ethan LoPresto leads Siena Heights football into game against ranked Concordia
ADRIAN - Siena Heights University head coach Matt Kohn always knew what Ethan LoPresto was capable of. The speedy back from Reading is now showing all of NAIA football what he can do.
“He has that breakaway speed that you just can’t coach,” said Kohn.
LoPresto is coming off a career game Saturday in front of the home fans at O’Laughlin Stadium. This week he will lead the Saints to Ann Arbor as SHU takes on the nationally ranked Cardinals.
Through six games, the Siena Heights University senior has 607 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. His longest run of the season – and probably the biggest – was 51 yards but not a touchdown. It came in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s Saints last-second win over Taylor University.
With the clock winding down, LoPresto took hand off from his own end of the field and raced 51 yards to get the Saints into position to kick a game-winning field goal. It also put the finishing touches on a 21-carry, 184-yard rushing day for LoPresto. He scored all three touchdowns for SHU.
For his efforts, he was named the Mid-States Football Association offensive player of the week.
LoPresto came to Siena Heights after the all-state running back led Reading to a Division 8 state championship in 2018. As a freshman he was second on the Saints in rushing and showed promise as the future featured back for the Saints. Then COVID-19 arrived and nearly wiped out the 2020 season. In 2021, LoPresto registered just 28 carries, but averaged 8.1 yards per attempt.
He sat out the 2022 season.
This year, however, he’s made a triumphant return to the field and leads the Saints offense.
“Missing last fall was tough on him,” Kohn said. “I’m very proud of the way he has responded to that. He made the decision to take ownership and buckle down and take care of business. In my experience coaching, unfortunately, I’ve seen some student athletes go in the opposite direction.
“I’m really proud of his overall development and his maturity in handling the situation.”
The Saints will need another big effort from LoPresto and the entire SHU offense Saturday.
Concordia is ranked No. 12 in the nation. The Cardinals are coming off their first loss of the season. The Cardinals dropped a 14-7 decision last week to No. 5 Marian, Ind.
The Cardinals rely heavily on their passing game. Quarterback Gavin Brooks is competing 56 percent of his passes for 1,473 yards and 15 touchdowns so far this season. Seeger DeGayner has caught 36 passes for 491 yards while Jordan Garcia has hauled in 22 passes for 329 yards.
James Carpenter (240 yards) and Brandon Stewart (231 yards) lead the Concordia rushers.
The Cardinals average 32.8 points a game.
“They are very good and very physical,” Kohn said.
Adrian College is on a bye week and will return next week for a 3 p.m. game at home against Albion behind interim head coach Harry Bailey after Jim Deere stepped down earlier this week in the midst of his 14th season as head coach of the Bulldogs.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Ethan LoPresto leads Siena Heights rushing attack into ranked matchup
