Warriors keep lead in MAC with 33-10 win over King's
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Big plays in the first and third quarters helped lift the Lycoming College football team to a 33-10 win over King's College, winning the team's 10th straight over King's at David Person Field to stay undefeated in the Middle Atlantic Conference on Saturday, Sept. 29.
In front of a crowd of 2,543, the Warriors (4-1 overall, 4-0 MAC) struck fast in the first quarter when sophomore quarterback Tyler Jenny (Coalport, Pa./Glendale) found senior Jarrin Campman (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield Area) on a fly pattern behind the defense and Campman cruised in for a 78-yard touchdown on the team's first play from scrimmage.
After forcing King's to punt and a 10-yard return by Campman to get the ball to the Lycoming 34-yard, the Warriors went to work, going on a nine-play, 66-yard drive that was capped on a five-yard rush from sophomore Craig Needhammer (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn).
The Warriors extended the lead to 20 points early in the second quarter, as a punt from the King's 8-yard line got to the 50, but Lycoming drove those yards in nine plays, with Needhammer hitting paydirt from one-yard out to end the drive.
King's got back into the game though, with a 10-play, 79-yard drive late in the second half, as the Monarchs passed for four touchdowns before Kyle McGrath scored on a seven-yard run to make it 20-7. After an interception by Billy Beinke, the Monarchs cut the lead in half thanks to a 40-yard pass from Tyler Hartranft to Adam Kudlacik that put the ball at the four and set up a 20-yard field goal with two seconds left in the half by Kevin Mulvihill.
Lycoming adjusted in the third quarter, though, and after three failed drives by King's and one by Lycoming left King's backed up at their four-yard line, the Warriors turned on their defense, with senior Nate Oropollo (Aldan, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) and junior Kabongo Bukasa (Sharon Hill, Pa./Academy Park) sacking Hartranft just shy of the goalline. The ensuing punt was returned by Campman to the nine-yard line and on the first play of the drive Jenny found sophomore John Sibel (Morrisville, Pa./Pennsbury) in the left corner of the end zone for a diving catch.
On the first play of King's next drive, Bukasa picked off a pass released as Hartranft was being hit and Bukasa ran it to the one-yard line. After a penalty backed Lycoming up, the Warriors used four plays to march 16 yards, with Showers scoring from three yards out to make round out the scoring.
Lycoming's defense allowed just 99 yards to King's in the second half, including 76 on a drive started with 4:04 remaining in the game.
Lycoming continued to succeed with the running game, as Showers finished with 83 yards on 18 carries, scoring once and Needhammer scored twice and picked up 66 yards on 15 carries.
Jenny finished 12-of-19 for 173 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked once and intercepted once. Campman had two catches for 84 yards and a score. Sibel had four catches for 35 yards and freshman Ryan Umpleby (Forest Hill, Md./Fallston) added three catches for 20 yards and also had a 33-yard touchdown reception called back due to an illegal block.
Lycoming had outstanding field position throughout the game, thanks in major part due to the punting of junior Zack Czap (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Oscelola). Czap had four punts and downed three inside the 20.
Tyler Hartranft finished 18-of-33 for 239 yards. He was intercepted once and sacked six times. Adam Kublack and Steve Duncan each had five receptions for 67 and 58 yards, respectively. Dan Kempa made four catches for 58 yards. Tailback Kyle McGrath led the rushers with 14 carries for 36 yards, which is all the Monarchs managed to net on the ground in 30 attempts.
Junior Dwight Hentz (Halifax, Pa./Halifax Area) led the Warriors defensively with 10 tackles, 2.5 for loss and 2.0 sackls. Sophomore Tanner Troutman (Hegins, Pa./Tri-Valley) posted seven stops, 0.5 for loss and Bukasa posted seven stops, one for loss, half a sack and one interception. Sophomore Braden Zeiner (Allentown, Pa./Whitehall) added 1.5 sacks and Oropollo notched one sack.
Jake Ksiaziewicz, Kris Matthews and Ben Ray each had seven tackles to lead the Monarchs and Billy Beinke led the team with a sack, a forced fumble, a breakup and an interception.
The Warriors will hit the road next week for FDU-Florham, facing the Devils at 1:30 p.m. in another MAC clash on Saturday, Oct. 6.
