OPPORTUNISTIC LYCOMING FOOTBALL DEFEATS KING’S TO REMAIN UNDEFEATED

WILKES-BARRE, PA – The Lycoming College football team capitalized on a pair of special teams miscues by King’s College, on Saturday, to defeat the Monarchs 24-10. The Warriors improve to 4-0 overall and within the Middle Atlantic Conference with the win. King’s falls to 2-2 overall and 2-1 within the MAC.

The game was billed a defensive battle and that is exactly what it turned out to be. Lycoming allowed the Monarchs just 138 yards of total offense, including only 47 yards in the second half. King’s also played well holding the Warriors to 224 yards of total offense, including just 108 yards rushing from a team that averaged more than 300 yards per game entering the contest.

Lycoming was led offensively by the running back tandem of Jon Neve (Sr./Norristown, PA; Germantown Academy) and Jared Morris (Sr./Canton, PA; Canton). Neve carried the ball 20 times for 66 yards, while Morris toted the ball 14 times for 59 yards. Phil Mann (So./Mill Hall, PA; Central Mountain) threw for 116 yards and a touchdown, completing 11-of-20 passes. Brandon Johnson (Jr./Franklin, PA; Franklin) and Sean Hennigar (Jr./Philadelphia, PA; Father Judge) each caught three passes to lead the receiving corps. Ray Withelder (Jr./Aston, PA; Sun Valley) added a pair of receptions, including a touchdown. Withelder also scored a touchdown when he recovered a fumble in the end zone.

Defensively, Brian Bond (Sr./Philadelphia, PA; Father Judge) led the Warriors with eight tackles. Chris Roantree (Sr./Philadelphia, PA; Father Judge) and Dustin Mace (Sr./Lykens, PA; Upper Dauphin) each added seven stops while combining for a sack.

For the Monarchs, Richard Jackson led all rushers with 76 yards on 22 carries. Quarterback David Hessler completed 7-of-22 passes for 52 yards and a touchdown.  Chris Rispoli and Ryan Gennaro each caught two passes from Hessler. Rispoli accounted for the touchdown. On defense, All-American Steve Wilson had a huge day for King’s. He led the team with eight tackles, including two sacks and a total of four tackles-for-a-loss.

Things did not start well for Lycoming as a fumble on the opening kickoff gave the Monarchs to ball on the Warriors’ 38-yard line. Four plays later a field goal by Bobby Nawrocki put the home team ahead 3-0. Lycoming struggled again on the ensuing kickoff returning it to only the 10-yard line. After one first down, a short punt again gave King’s the ball in Warrior territory. The Monarchs used five plays to march 41 yards for a 10-0 lead following a 17-yard touchdown pass from Hessler to Rispoli.

Lycoming finally got some offense going midway through the second quarter. After struggling to get the running game going the Warriors turned to the pass. Mann responded by completing 17-, 21-, and 15-yard passes during a seven-play, 61-yard drive that culminated in a 15-yard touchdown pass to Withelder. Dave Christensen’s (Sr./Yardley, PA; Pennsbury) point-after made the score 10-7.

King’s went three-and-out on their next possession and were forced to punt from their own 41 with less than a minute-and-half to play in the quarter. The snap, however, sailed over the punter’s head giving Lycoming the ball at the Monarch’s five-yard line following an illegal touching penalty. The Warriors needed just one play to punch it into the endzone. Neve carried the ball to the one only to fumble, but Withelder was “Johnny on the spot”, picking the ball out of midair and falling into the endzone for the score. With the sudden change of events Lycoming headed to the locker room with a 14-10 lead.

In the second half, both defenses became even more dominant frustrating their offensive counterparts. The Warriors had the first opportunity to break through, mounting a drive at the end of a scoreless third period. The drive set Lycoming up with a first-and-goal from the five to start the fourth quarter, but the King’s defense not only held for three downs to force a field attempt, they also blocked that kick to keep the score at 14-10.

The Warrior defense was equal to the task forcing the Monarchs to punt from deep in their own territory after just three plays. For the second time in the game, the Monarchs fumbled the snap and gave Lycoming the ball inside of the 10-yard line. This time the Warriors would take at least partial advantage of the situation, successfully converting a 25-yard field goal by Christensen to pull ahead 17-10 with 10 minutes to play.

King’s went three-and-out again on the ensuing drive giving Lycoming the ball at midfield following a 16-yard punt return by Ricky Lannetti (Jr./Philadelphia, PA; Father Judge). The Warriors then sealed the game by driving 50 yards in 12 plays and eating up more then six minutes off the clock. Jon Slemmer (Sr./Levittown, PA; Harry S. Truman) capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Christensen’s extra point made the final 24-10.

Lycoming will travel to Widener University on Saturday, October 5, for their next contest. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.