Box Score
DOYLESTOWN – The Wilkes football team opened the season by winning its first three games, but has since dropped three-straight, the latest setback coming in a 23-0 defeat to Delaware Valley. The Aggie defense held the Colonels to 141 of total offense and scored 13 fourth quarter points to secure the win.
Wilkes threw for a season-low 79 yards and picked up 62 yards in the air, while Delaware Valley rolled up 330 yards in a balanced attack with 209 yards on the ground and 220 via the pass. The Aggie defense kept the Colonels out of their own territory all but three possessions and did not allow them into the red zone the entire game.
Neither team was able to score in the first quarter, but the Aggies would strike first with 13:35 to go in the second when quarterback Mike Isgro found Butch Whiteside from one yard out, giving them a 7-0 lead after Josh Shields extra point.
Late in the second quarter with the Colonels pinned on their own two-yard line,
Zach Tivald (Edison, NJ/Edison) gave Wilkes a spark by taking a handoff 42 yards for the longest run of his career. The run would be the biggest gain of the game for Wilkes and would put the Colonels on their 44-yard line with less than two minutes to play in the half. The Aggie defense however, would allow just two more yards on the drive and stop the threat with less than 40 seconds to go in the first half.
Delaware Valley had the ball just two times in the third quarter, but made one of them count as Shields hit a 27-yarder with 1:19 to go in the quarter to give the Aggies a 10-0 advantage. The field goal capped off a 10-play, 49-yard drive that took 5:16 off the clock.
The Colonels caught a break on their following possession as
Nick Genuardi (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) booted a 40-yard punt when Joseph Chrismer forced a fumble on Delaware Valley's returner and was recovered by
Kyle Rountree (Central Islip, NY/Central Islip) at the Aggie 25 yard line. Wilkes was unable to take advantage of the opportunity as they were flagged for a penalty and sacked two times on the drive.
On its next possession, Mike Isgro gave Delaware Valley a 16-0 lead when he found Brandon Fox from 43 yards out for his second touchdown pass of the afternoon. The Aggies would ice the game when Isaiah Hall scored from 11 yards out, capping off a four-play, 25-yard drive.
The Colonels moved to 3-3 overall and 0-3 in MAC play, while Delaware Valley improved to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play. Wilkes will return home next weekend to host FDU-Florham at 1 p.m. in Ralston Field.
