Warren Ruda

WILKES FOOTBALL STUMBLES AT LYCOMING FALLING 40-7

10/15/2011 6:39:00 PM

WILKES FOOTBALL STUMBLES AT LYCOMING FALLING 40-7

WILLIAMPSORT, PA – The Lycoming College defense held visiting Wilkes University to just 230 total yards of offense and used three of their own rushing touchdowns to post a 40-7 Middle Atlantic Conference win Saturday afternoon from David Person Field.

Following the loss, Wilkes drops to 2-4 overall and 2-3 in MAC play. Lycoming improves to 5-1 after the victory, 3-1 in league games.

After two straight rushing plays to open their first drive, Wilkes faced third and five. Alex George (York, PA/West York) found Todd Eagles (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown East) for 25 yards to midfield and a Colonel first down. Following three straight rushing plays, George connected with Tim Bousson (Shamokin, PA/Shamokin) for a 12-yard completion over the middle to pick up another Colonel first down inside the Lycoming 15. The drive stalled and Wilkes was forced to try a Geoffrey Arentz (Stevens, PA/Lancaster Catholic) 23-yard field goal. The kick missed to the right primarily due to the high winds as Lycoming began their first offensive possession.

The Lycoming offense used a 10-play drive going 80 yards capped-off by a 14-yard touchdown pass from Zach Klinger to Matt Atkinson to take a 6-0 lead with 4:02 left in the first quarter. The wind played a factor in the extra point as the Warriors extra try went wide left.

The Lycoming defense forced a Wilkes three and out as Jordan Fredo (Williamsport, PA/Williamsport Area) forced the Warriors back into their own territory with a 31-yard punt. Lycoming went to the ground game with two straight 10-yard rushes to enter Wilkes territory at the Colonel 41. A Warrior chop blocking penalty placed the ball back to the Lycoming 44 as the first quarter horn sounded.

To start the second quarter, the Wilkes defense stiffened forcing a Lycoming punt as the Colonels took over at their own 30. The drive stalled with three straight rushing plays as Fredo sent a 48-yard punt into Lycoming territory to the 23. Lycoming went to their ground game using a 7-play, 77-yard drive finished by a Craig Needhamme nine-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 13-0 following the extra point attempt with 8:51 left in the half.

Each team would trade punts before Wilkes took over from their own 31. George found Eagles on a 14 yard-strike to move the ball up to the 49 and give the Colonels a fresh set of downs. Two rushing plays followed by an incomplete pass forced the fourth Colonels punt of the afternoon. Lycoming ran the rest of the clock out taking a 13-0 lead into the break.

Lycoming received the ball to start the second half marching down to the Wilkes 29 on five plays. From there, Klinger found Warren Oliver on a post route for the third Warrior touchdown of the contest. The extra point opened up the Lycoming lead to 20-0 with 13:17 left in the third quarter.

The Wilkes offense began a promising drive as the Colonels moved the ball to the Lycoming 46. George looked for Eagles on the outside, but the ball was intercepted by Ray Bierbach and returned all the way into the end zone. A celebration penalty was called against Bierbach before he entered the end zone so the ball was placed at the Wilkes 16 following the unsportsmanlike conduct foul. Three straight Parker Showers rushes capped by a five yard touchdown run extended the Lycoming lead to 27-0 with 9:29 left in the third.

The Wilkes defense looked to spark the Colonels offense midway through the fourth quarter stopping a Lycoming drive on fourth down deep in Wilkes territory. The offense finally found some life as Tyler Berntsen (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) found Tim Bousson (Shamokin, PA/Shamokin) for a 17-yard completion, then used his feet for a 27-yard rush to the Lycoming 30. On third and eight, Berntsen hit Bousson again this time for 15 yards to the Warrior 13. Berntsen then found Eagles on the next play for a 13-yard touchdown completion with 8:46 left in the game to cut the deficit to 27-7 following an Arentz extra point.

Wilkes tried an onside kick to try to get the offense the ball back, but the Warriors recovered the attempt. The Colonel defense was up to the task again forcing a Lycoming punt as Wilkes started their third drive of the quarter from their own 20. The drive would be halted when Lycoming's Kody Flail intercepted a Berntsen pass at the Colonel 46.

Lycoming would add another score, a Showers two yard rushing touchdown to up the lead to 33-7 with 3:19 on the clock. One more Lycoming score with 19 seconds left completed the Warriors offensive attack, 40-7.

George finished 6-for-12 passing for 70 yards, while Berntsen was held in check throwing 4-for-11 for 50 yards. The Colonels could not get anything going in their ground game rushing for just 110 yards after entering the contest averaging a conference-best 248 yards per-game. Zach Tivald (Edison, NJ/Edison), the MAC leading rusher was held to 31 yards on nine carries. George led the way with 35 yards on 12 attempts. Eagles finished with four catches for 60 yards and one score, while Bousson made four receptions for 49 yards on the afternoon.

Showers led Lycoming's rushing attack with 152 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns. Needhamme followed with 77 yards on 16 carries and one score. Klinger went 11-for-12 for 129 yards and one touchdown.

Tate Moore-Jacobs (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) led the Colonels defense with 10 tackles, his sixth straight contest reaching the double digit tackle mark. Rob Houseknecht (South Williamsport, PA/South Williamsport) followed with nine stop, while Jake Sarson (Belvidere, NJ/Belvidere) made seven tackles to lead the Wilkes secondary.

Anthony Marascio led Lycoming with 10 tackles and one sack. Bierbach finished with eight tackles and one interception from his safety position.

Wilkes will be idle next week with their bye week and will return to MAC play Saturday October 29^th when they travel to cross-town rival King's College (1-4, 1-3 MAC) for the annual Mayor's Cup game at 1:00 p.m.

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