WARRIOR FOOTBALL DEFEATS KING’S WITH SECOND HALF COMEBACK

WILLIAMSPORT, PA – The Lycoming College football team opened up the 2003 season with a 31-21 victory over King’s College, Saturday afternoon. The Warriors scored 22 unanswered points in the third quarter to overcome a 14-2 deficit en route to the ten-point win. Lycoming opens the year at 1-0, while the Monarchs fall to 1-1.

The Warriors gained 345 yards of offense on the afternoon, including 243 yards through the air on a rain soaked field. Ricky Lannetti (Sr./Philadelphia, Pa.; Father Judge) led all receivers with eight catches for 143 yards and a touchdown. Sean Hennigar (Sr./Philadelphia, Pa.; Father Judge) added four receptions for 39 yards. Quarterback Phil Mann (Jr./Mill Hall, Pa.; Central Mountain) completed 17-of-39 passes for 243 yards and one touchdown, while throwing two interceptions. Robert Miller (Sr./New Columbia, Pa.; Milton) led the rushing attack with 73 yards on 14 carries and one score.

King’s totaled 326 yards of offense, led by Richard Jackson (Jr./Factoryville, Pa.; Lackawanna Trail) with 157 yards rushing on 30 carries, including a touchdown. David Hessler (Sr./Rockville, Md.; Walter Johnson) added 145 yards passing, completing 12 passes in 33 attempts. He also tossed two touchdowns and three interceptions. Julian Walker (So./Bear, Del.; William Penn) was Hessler’s favorite target with seven catches for 105 yards and both scores.

The first quarter was scoreless as neither team could find their rhythm on offense in the pouring rain. The Monarchs were the first to break through with just more than two minutes to play in the half. On a second-and-10 from the Lycoming 28-yard line, Hessler found Walker across the middle for a 28-yard touchdown. The point after put King’s ahead 7-0.

The Warriors’ ensuing possession ended with a Dylan Dupuis (Jr./Flemington, N.J.; Hunterdon Central) punt downed at the Monarchs’ nine-yard line. King’s was unable to move the ball on three plays and was forced to punt from their endzone with less than a minute to play in the half. The snap was bobbled and the punter called for intentional grounding resulting in a safety for Lycoming. The half ended with the score 7-2 in favor of the Monarchs.

King’s quickly extended their lead to 14-2 on their first drive of the second half. Starting at their own 29 the Monarchs gained five yards on a first down and then Jackson broke loose for a 66-yard touchdown run. The drive took only two plays and 58 seconds.

The Warriors, however, did not give up posting touchdowns on their next two drives to gain their first lead of the contest. Lannetti found the endzone first, scoring on a 63-yard touchdown pass from Mann to cap a four-play, 73-yard drive. After a three-and-out by King’s, Miller capped a seven-play, 49-yard drive with a 12 yard run. A two-point conversion from Mann to Hennigar put Lycoming ahead 17-14.

Later in the third quarter the Warriors put together an impressive 12-play, 79-yard drive that ended with the eventual game-winning touchdown. Lycoming started on their own 21, but quickly moved the ball to the Monarchs’ 36-yardline on consecutive completions from Mann to Lannetti of 26 and 17 yards respectively. The Warriors then chipped away at the King’s defense until Mann took it in himself from one-yard out. Chris Schrader’s (Fr./Glenolden, Pa.; Monsignor Bonner) point-after put Lycoming ahead 24-14.

This time it was the Monarchs who would answer, scoring early in the fourth quarter to pull with in three. Casey Meehan (Jr./Easton, Pa.; Nazareth) gave the King’s offense great field position by intercepting a Mann pass at the Warrior 29-yard line. The Monarchs then scored on a 10-yard pass from Hessler to Walker. Hessler set up the score by scrambling for 17 yards on a fourth-and-10 earlier in the drive. Matt Von Tanhausen’s (Sr./Springfield, Pa.; Springfield) extra point made the score 24-21.

The two squads traded possessions and Lycoming was able to run the clock down to 2:03 before punting the ball back to King’s. Dupuis again pinned the Monarchs deep as they took over at their own five-yard line. On a second-and-10 from the five Hessler was looking to pass from his endzone when Luke Sterling (So./Lehighton, Pa.; Lehighton) stripped the ball from his hands. Sterling then pounced on the ball for the touchdown and sealed the game at a 31-21 final.

Sean McGinley (Sr./Croydon, Pa.; Conwell-Egan) led the Warriors’ defense with eight tackles and one sack. Sterling added seven tackles, a sack, and two passes defended along with his fumble recovery. Nick Pinto (Jr./Philadelphia, Pa.; Archbishop Ryan) also had seven stops and intercepted a pair of passes.

Meehan was King’s leading tackler with nine tackles, including three for a loss of yardage. Tim Ryder (So./Gloucester, N.J.; Gloucester Catholic) added eight stops and Derek Zambino (Jr./Philadelphia, Pa.; Archbishop Carroll) added seven.

Lycoming will travel to Wilkes University for their next contest, while the Monarchs will host FDU-Florham for their home opener.