Nov 29, 2025 3 min read

By Joe Tuscano

For the Observer-Reporter

newsroom@observer-reporter.com

CALIFORNIA – Unfortunately for the Pen West California football team, the rematch against Frostburg State wasn’t a replay of the game these two teams played a month ago.

Cal came away with a five-point victory in a non-conference game that day.

On a cold Saturday afternoon, over a windswept field at Adamson Stadium, Frostburg got revenge for that loss, taking a 23-21 victory in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Unranked Cal finished the season with a 9-4 record while 24th-ranked Frostburg moved to 11-2 and will take on third-ranked Kutztown next week.

Harrison Fritz’s 20-yard field goal with 4:06 to play provided the winning points.

“We just came up short,” said Cal head coach Gary Dunn. “Give Frostburg State credit. People were writing us off two or three weeks ago but I couldn’t be prouder of this group.”

Cal made some critical errors in the second half, including the loss of a fumble early in the third quarter that Frostburg turned into a touchdown that tied the score, 14-14, with 2:02 left in the third quarter, KJ Smothers scored on a 3-yard run to make it 20-14 as the extra-point attempt was no good.

Cal regained the lead, 21-20, when D’Avay Johnson scored the second of his two touchdowns. After Fritz’s field goal, Cal drove to Frostburg’s 28-yard line. But Harry Radcliffe’s 45-yard field goal attempt was just short.

“The run game started working for them in the second half,” Cal strong safety Keith Charney. “But they made more plays than us.”

It took Cal two plays to cover 93 yards and take a 14-7 lead at halftime.

Following a punt by Frostburg that gave Cal the ball at its own 7-yard line, Cal needed just a 59-yard run by Kendrick Agenor to set up a 34-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Roman Purcell to Johnson with 30 seconds left in the half.

Cal opened the scoring in the half after recovering the second Frostburg State fumble in the first 6:35 of the first quarter. Da’Sjon Craggette bulled over from one yard out to cap a 62-yard, 11-play drive.

Frostburg evened the score with 4:43 left in the half when Cruiz Paul-Unstead caught a 7-yard pass from quarterback Jordan Brooks.

Cal saw another opportunity to score slip away when Radcliffe missed a 44-yard field goal with 10:31 left in the second quarter.

“Getting a win, getting to a second-round game, we knew it was going to be a battle,” said Frostburg head coach Eric Wagoner. “Our first half looked like the last time we played. We talked about stopping the turnovers. Cal capitalized on our mistakes.”

Purcell finished 15 of 28 for 196 yards while Agenor carried the ball 16 times for 121 yards. Johnson had four catches for 68 yards and two TDs.