LYCOMING FOOTBALL RUNS OUT OF TIME VERSUS BRIDGEWATER

WILLIAMSPORT, PA – Less than 24 hours after the passing of senior wide receiver Ricky Lannetti, the Lycoming College football team took the field against Bridgewater College (Va.) in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III playoffs. The Warriors scored first and carried a 9-7 lead into halftime, but a third quarter touchdown by the Eagles proved to be the difference and Bridgewater hung on for a 13-9 victory. The Eagles improve to 12-1 on the season and advance to the semifinals of the NCAA playoffs to face Mount Union College. Lycoming ends the season with a record of 9-2.

The Warriors opened the scoring on their second possession of the game, marching 80 yards on 11 plays and using 4:42 off the clock. The drive was keyed by two passes from Phil Mann (Jr./Mill Hall, Pa.; Central Mountain) to Tim Brown (So./Liverpool, N.Y.; Christian Brothers Academy) of 23 and 14 yards. Facing a third-and-nine from the Bridgewater 13-yard line, Mann found Sean Hennigar (Sr./Philadelphia, Pa.; Father Judge) underneath and Hennigar ran it in for the score. The extra point sailed wide left leaving the score at 6-0 10 minutes into the game.

The Eagle defense accounted for the visitors’ first score. Early in the second quarter, Lycoming had a first-and-10 from the Bridgewater 32 following a 24-yard punt return by Matt Murdock (Fr./Elysburg, Pa.; Southern Columbia). The Eagles’ Gary Nelson (Sr./Hustle, Va.; Essex) came on a blitz from the blind side and sacked Mann causing him to cough up the football. Jermaine Taylor (Sr./Miramar, Fla.; Miramar) picked up the loose ball and raced 64 yards for a touchdown. The successful point after gave Bridgewater their first lead at 7-6 with 12:37 left to play in the half.

The Warriors regained the lead two possessions later when Chris Schrader (Fr./Glenolden, Pa.; Monsignor Bonner connected on a 34-yard field goal. The scoring drive was setup by an Eagle fumble recovered by Lycoming’s Garrett Zoschg (Sr./Emporium, Pa.; Cameron County) at the Bridgewater 20-yard line. Tim Schmidt (Sr./Philadelphia, Pa.; Roman Catholic) caused the fumble.

The home team’s 9-7 advantage held up through the remainder of the half as neither offense could move the ball with any consistency.

In the second half, the Eagles began to move the ball, mounting an 82-yard, 11-play scoring drive on their second possession of the third period. It would be their only offensive score of the afternoon, but it would prove to be enough. The drive was sparked by a 24-yard pass from Brandon Wakefield (Jr./Chesapeake, Va.; Hickory) to Bret Colbert (Sr./Harrisonburg, Va.; Turner Ashby). Bridgewater also converted three third downs on the drive. Wakefield found Brian Awkard (So./Afton, Va.; Nelson County) from 13 yards out for the go ahead touchdown. The Eagles attempted a two-point conversion but the pass attempt fell incomplete to leave the score at 13-9.

Bridgewater’s defense did the rest as they turned back multiple attempts by the Warriors to regain the lead. Twice Lycoming possessed the ball inside the Eagles’ 40-yard line and twice they came away empty handed. The Warrior defense gave the offense one last opportunity in the closing minutes as Murdock recovered a fumble by Devin Thornton (Jr./Manassas Park, Va.; Manassas Park) at the Lycoming 10-yard line with 1:04 to play.

The Warrior offense sprang to life running the two-minute drill. A 13-yard pass to Tony Kopp (So./St. Mary’s, Pa.; St. Mary’s) opened the drive. A six-yard pass to Hennigar on second down and an eight-yard pass to Brown on fourth down gave Lycoming a first-and-10 at their own 37 with less than 30 seconds to play. After an incompletion, back-to-back receptions by Kopp for nine and 21 yards set the Warriors up at the Bridgewater 33 with seven seconds remaining. Mann went to the endzone, looking for Brown, but the pass fell incomplete as the clock expired giving the Eagles the victory.

Mann led Lycoming’s offense by completing 17-of-43 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 39 yards on 15 carries. Hennigar was his favorite receiver with five catches for 26 yards, including the touchdown. Brown added four catches for 49 yards.

Bridgewater was led by Wakefield who threw for 186 yards on 15-of-30 passing, including a touchdown. Nicholas Lehto (Sr./Hampton, Va.; Bethel) was the Eagles’ top receiver with three catches for 55 yards. Marcus Washington (So./Crozet, Va.; Western Albermarle) led the rushing attack with 51 yards on 16 carries.

Defensively, Brian Connors (Sr./Clarks Summit, Pa.; Abington Heights) led the Warriors with a game-high 13 tackles. Schmidt added 10 stops in addition to two passes defended and a forced fumble.

For Bridgewater Adrian Herndon (So./Lynchburg, Va.; E.C. Glass) had a team-high nine tackles and thee passes defended. Nelson added seven tackles, including a sack. Taylor tallied six tackles and returned a fumble for a touchdown. The Eagles held Lycoming to 188 yards of total offense, including just 59 yards rushing. After possessing the ball less than 13 minutes in the first half, the Bridgewater offense held the ball for more than 18 minutes in the second half. They also converted 8-of-12 third downs in the second half.