Reading, Pa. – Lycoming College head coach Frank Girardi moved to within one victory of winning 250 career games as the Warriors held on for a 14-13 victory over Albright College in Reading, Pa., on Saturday afternoon.  Lycoming improves to 5-4 overall, 4-4 in conference play.

Coach Girardi has paced the blue and gold sidelines for nearly 34 years.  With a victory over the Susquehanna University Crusaders next weekend, he would become only the 16^th coach overall and one of four active mentors in NCAA football history to reach the 250-win plateau.

In a sight similar to Lebanon Valley two weeks ago, a missed kicked proved to be the difference in scoring as Albright place-kicker Dustin Kaplan pushed the Lions’ second-touchdown extra point attempt wide.

Lycoming quarterback Glenn Smith (Watsontown, Pa./Warrior Run) gutted through an apparent injury to lead the Warrior offense in possibly its most balanced game of the season.  He threw for 162 yards on 16 of 28 passing and a touchdown, but was intercepted three times.  More importantly, he carried the ball 15 times for a total of 18 yards (following the inclusion of lost sack yardage) including a 16-yard first quarter score.  Running back Jim Laky (North Wales, Pa./North Penn) ran for 71 yards on a season team-high 27 carries in leading a Warrior ground attack that rushed 54 times for 128 yards.

The Warriors’ defense was outstanding throughout the contest in allowing only 243 yards of total offense to the Lions.  Albright quarterback John Port was hurried into several throws as he tossed for only 141 yards and was intercepted once on the afternoon.

The Warrior special teams and defensive units flexed their muscles from the Lions’ first drive.  Punter Tim Eskridge (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) angled a punt out of bounds near the Albright five yard.  The Lions didn’t do much on their first drive as the Warriors switched gears from previous weeks and opened in a three-lineman, four-linebacker defensive set.  Lycoming forced Albright into a three-and-out punting situation from its own end zone.

Lycoming assumed its second possession of the game at the Albright 35-yard line following the cramped punt.  Six plays later, Smith called his own number for the second time on the drive and scampered 16 yards for the game’s first score and 7-0 Warrior advantage.

Laky showed good strength on the ground during Lycoming’s third drive.  The freshman tailback ran several times including a nifty 10-yard run in which he broke several tackles to get down to the 14-yard line.  Albright stiffened on the next two plays with a sack of Smith and then an interception of the Warrior signal-caller giving the Lions possession at their own 11-yard line.

Albright punted again from its own end zone, but a better kick and a fumble on the punt-catch attempt by Matt Murdock (Elysburg, Pa./Southern Columbia) resulted in worse than expected field position for Lycoming at its 49-yard line.

The Lions’ defense fed off its momentum from the previous drive in dropping Smith for a second sack to put Lycoming in a long-yardage situation.  Albright took advantage of the scenario with its second interception of the game, this one by safety Matt Christ to begin the second quarter.

After a pair of traded possessions, running back Vincent Edwards jumpstarted the Lion offense with a 22-yard run to midfield, but a sack by defensive end Tim Hartingh (Willow Grove, Pa./Upper Moreland) stalled Albright’s progress and forced a punt.

Smith and the offense found some rhythm on the ensuing possession highlighted by a trio of big pass plays.  Laky skirted 15 yards along the far sideline on the first big play, and tight end Bill Margetich (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro) broke into Lion territory with a 23-yard gain to the 42-yard line.  Receiver Tim Brown (Liverpool, N.Y./Christian Brothers Acad.) followed a few plays later with a leaping catch that required all six-foot four-inches of his height to the 17-yard line.  After completing a pass to receiver Chris Beissel (Leesport, Pa./Schuykill Valley) to the two-yard line, Smith capped off the drive with a rollout pass to Margetich in the end zone for a 14-0 advantage with 0:25 left in the half.

Albright came out running straight from the second stanza kickoff with a return to its own 43-yard line by Raymond Keshel.  But the Warrior defense, having given up only 62-total yards in the first 30 minutes, continued its domination by forcing another three-and-out situation.

The Lion defense followed suit with its third takeaway of the game on a fumble by Smith at his own 21-yard line.

Port thought he had the first Lion score of the game on a fourth down pass to the end zone, but receiver Stephen Asay stepped out of bounds and was the first to touch the ball after re-entering the field resulting in an illegal touching penalty that wiped out the score and caused a loss of down.  Possession returned to the Warriors at their own 20-yard line.

Smith didn’t do much with the reprieved possession as he threw his third interception of game to strong safety Steve Butler who returned the miscue to the Warrior 15-yard line.  After an 11-yard run by Vincent, Port connected with receiver Bryon Haupt on a four-yard score to cut the Warrior edge to 14-7.

After being mauled by the Warrior offensive line in the first half, the Lion defensive front began pushing into the Lycoming backfield and stuffing the running attack.  Smith responded with a pair of nice passes over the middle to Beissel bringing the squad to the Albright 30-yard line.  That would be as far as the Warriors would go as Albright forced a turnover on downs.

Port caught fire on the next set of downs with a pair of first down passes to receiver Andy Sorice and a long run of his own, but defensive tackle Mike Kozak (Drexel Hill, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) stifled the threat with a forced and recovered fumble of Andrews on a screen pass at the Warrior 22-yard line.

Albright took advantage of great field position at the Lycoming 44-yard line on its next possession beginning with a 15-yard pass to receiver Keith Allen and a 19-run by Drew Schiller down to the 10-yard line.  Following a pass interference call on the Warrior defense in the end zone, Port registered his second touchdown pass of the game, this one of two yards to receiver Jordan McCauley.  Lion kicker Kaplan shanked the extra point leaving Lycoming with a 14-13 lead.

Special teams locked Albright at its own six-yard line to start its next possession following an illegal block penalty during a Lycoming punt.  The Warrior defense made the break stand as it forced Albright to punt from its end zone for the third time in the game.  Lycoming took over possession with a fair catch at the Lion 36-yard line.

Backup quarterback Sean Hanna (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) was forced into action for a critical third and seven play deep inside Albright’s territory with just over seven minutes left in the game when Smith was shaken up following a rushing attempt. Hanna’s pass was tipped and intercepted by Muhammed Siddiqu at the Lion eight yard-line.  He returned the effort 19 yards to the 27-yard line.

Albright’s offense put together a strong drive into Warrior territory led by a 15-yard run by Andrews to the 49-yard marker.  A few plays later, Murdock stripped Asay off the ball and linebacker Kevin LeSage (Darby, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) recovered it at the 13-yard line.

Smith hobbled back on the field and ran for one first down in an attempt to kill the clock, but Albright wouldn’t budge again and forced Lycoming to punt with 2:31 left to play.

Starting from his 46-yard line after a strong punt return, Port nearly connected with Allen down the far sideline on a deep ball, but it fell inches short of his finger tips.  Two plays later, Lycoming’s defense made yet another play when cornerback Jim Smith (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) intercepted a deflected pass with 1:51 remaining.

Following a long first down run by Brandon Traugh (Catawissa, Pa./Southern Columbia), Lycoming needed to take a knee only once to secure victory.

The Warriors look to finish the 2005 season on a high note when Susquehanna travels to Williamsport next Saturday, November 12, as Coach Girardi looks to pick up the 250^th win of his illustrious career.  Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. at David Person Field.