LYCOMING FOOTBALL STUNNED BY DELAWARE VALLEY

WILLIAMSPORT, PA – The Lycoming College football team had their homecoming spoiled in stunning fashion as Delaware Valley College upset the Warriors, 38-27. The Aggies scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to defeat Lycoming for the first time since 1982. Delaware Valley improves to 5-1 overall and 4-1 in the Middle Atlantic Conference. The Warriors fall to 4-1 both overall and in the conference.

Lycoming led, 21-17 an the end of the third quarter and had the Aggies facing a third-and-17 from their own 32. But on the first play of the fourth quarter, Adam Knoblauch (Tamaqua, Pa.; Tamaqua) rolled out of the pocket to his left and found Nick Brady (Sr./Willow Grove, Pa.; Upper Moreland) behind the Warrior defense for a 68-yard scoring strike.

On the ensuing possession, Delaware Valley defensive back Carlo D’Angelo (Sr./Kaska, Pa.; Nativity BVM) intercepted his second pass of the game and returned it 17 yards to the Lycoming 48-yardline. The Aggies found the endzone again seven plays later to push their lead to 31-21 with 9:59 to play.

Delaware Valley’s defense held on two consecutive Warrior possessions, forcing the home team to turn the ball over on downs. Following the second stand with 5:34 to play, the Aggies went to the ground and rushed on six consecutive plays for 62 yards and a touchdown that was the final nail in Lycoming’s coffin.

The Aggies took advantage of four turnovers by the Warriors, converting three of them into touchdowns. Knoblauch led Delaware Valley by completing 20-of-36 passes for 267 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran 13 times for 33 yards and one touchdown. Rob Wallace (Fr./Warminster, Pa.; William Tennent) and Brady led the Aggie receivers with four catches for 83 yards, and three catches for 81 yards, respectively. Each also scored once. Taylor Ramos (So./Hudson, Mich.; Hudson) was Delaware Valley’s leading rusher with 39 yards on seven carries.

Defensively, Andrew Erby (Jr./Steelton, Pa.; Steelton-Highspire) led the Aggies with nine tackles. D’Angelo added seven stops and two interceptions.

For Lycoming, Phil Mann (Jr./Mill Hall, Pa.; Central Mountain) led the offense, completing 30-of-50 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 25 yards on six carries. Ricky Lannetti (Sr./Philadelphia, Pa.; Father Judge) set a new single-game record for the Warriors with 16 receptions in the contest for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Robert Miller (Sr./New Columbia, Pa.; Milton) led Lycoming’s rushing attack with 53 yards on nine carries, including one touchdown.

Brian Kaspick (Jr./Clearfield, Pa.; Clearfield) led the Warrior defense with seven tackles. Tim Schmidt (Sr./Philadelphia, Pa.; Roman Catholic) added six stops, including one sack.

Lycoming got on the board first with an impressive drive to open the game. The Warriors ran 15 plays, went 70 yards, and took 8:32 off the clock with Miller eventually going into the endzone from a yard out.

That lead would hold up until late in the second quarter when Delaware Valley forced and recovered a fumble at Lycoming’s 26-yardline. Two plays later, Knoblauch found Wallace for a 24-yard touchdown. The point after knotted the game at 7-7 at the half.

Midway through the third quarter, the Aggies’ Bill Miller (Fr./Delran, N.J.; Delran) connected on a 27-yard field goal to give Delaware Valley their first lead of the game. On the ensuing kickoff, Brandon Tolbert (Fr./Atlantic City, N.J.; Pleasantville) forced a fumble and Dwight Campbell (Fr./Ardmore, Pa.; Lower Merion) recovered it to give the Aggies possession at the Warrior 18. Knoblauch needed just one play to find Kevin Maloney (Sr./Sellersville, Pa.; Lansdale Catholic) for a scoring strike and a 17-7 lead.

Lycoming, however, would answer with two quick scores of their own. On their next possession, the Warriors marched 65 yards on 11 plays to climb within 17-14. Mann found Sean Hennigar (Sr./Philadelphia, Pa.; Father Judge) from six yards out for the scoring play. Chris Schrader (Fr./Glenolden, Pa.; Monsignor Bonner) added the extra point.

Lycoming’s defense then came up with a fumble recovery by Damien Burton (So./Sicklerville, N.J.; Highland Regional) on the first play of the following drive. The Warriors took advantage, scoring to regain the lead on just three plays when Mann found Lannetti for a 14-yard touchdown pass. That made the score 21-17 in favor of Lycoming and set the stage for Delaware Valley’s fourth quarter outburst.

The Warriors added another touchdown in the final minute of the game when Mann again hooked up with Lannetti from six yards out. The play capped a 12-play, 74-yard drive. Schrader’s extra point attempt was blocked.

Lycoming will look to rebound next week, when they travel to Moravian College. The Aggies will host Albright College next week.

Notes: Delaware Valley had not beaten Lycoming since 1982 (21-15) … the 38 points scored by the Aggies is more than they had scored versus the Warriors in their past 11 meetings … Lycoming’s Ricky Lannetti set a new school record for receptions in a game with 16 – the previous mark was 13 set by Tim Dumas in 1998 versus Susquehanna … Phil Mann’s 50 pass attempts also set a new single-game record for the Warriors – that mark had been 48 held by Ed Dougherty versus Susquehanna in 1991.