EDWARDSVILLE – Jose Tabora (Egg Harbor Township, NJ/St. Augustine Prep.) threw for 368 yards and a school-record six touchdowns including the game-winner with :11 remaining to propel Wilkes University to a 47-43 Middle Atlantic Conference victory over Albright College on Homecoming Saturday afternoon at Schmidt Stadium.
 
With the win Wilkes evens its overall record at 3-3 while standing 2-2 in MAC games. Albright remains winless falling to 0-6 overall and 0-4 in league contests. It marked the first win for Wilkes over Albright since 2010 when the Colonels posted a 38-35 victory at home.
 
After a relatively low scoring first half where Albright held a slim 14-13 advantage, the two teams' offenses came to life as the Colonels with Tabora leading the way outscored the Lions 34-29 over the final two quarters.
 
Trailing 36-33 with just under eight minutes remaining, Tabora led the Colonels on a scoring drive to take back the advantage. After a short pass to Juan Salas-Negron (Laurys Station, PA/Parkland), Tabora found Nick Yanik (Edison, NJ/Edison Twp.) for 11 yards and an Albright personal foul penalty after the play moved the ball down to the Albright 30. Another completion to Yanik for eight yards setup another touchdown toss from Tabora to Jeff Steeber (Shickshinny, PA/Berwick) from 18 yards out, the duos second scoring connection of the day, to give Wilkes a 40-36 lead with 2:27 on the clock.
 
Albright wasted little time taking back the lead using a 29-yard completion from Jimmy Lahay to Zach Miller followed by another pitch-and-catch from the same pair for 10 more yards moving the Lions down to the Wilkes 32. From there Lahay threw his fifth touchdown pass of the day hitting Kyle Dickerson on a post route to give the Lions a 43-40 lead with 1:41 left in the game.
 
From there Wilkes began its game-winning drive with Tabora using his legs and arm to march the Colonels down the field. Tabora rushed for 15 yards before a pass interference penalty negated an interception setting up the Colonels at the Albright 45. Small gains moved the ball to the Albright 34 as Wilkes faced a third and ten with under :30 remaining. Tabora scrambled for time before finding Jordan Jones (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Twp.) for a huge 20-yard gain keeping the drive alive. One play later Tabora connected with Steeber for the game-winning fade route as the senior receiver hauled in his career-high third touchdown catch of the game with :11 left in the contest.
 
Albright had one last shot after the ensuing kickoff but a pass completion fell short as Wilkes finished off the home MAC victory.
 
Wilkes first drive resulted in points as a Tabora-to-Steeber touchdown connection finished off an eight play, 66-yard drive that went for 4:35.
 
Albright answered back three possessions later as the Lions defense came up with a turnover deep in Wilkes territory giving the offense the ball at the Colonel 12. On the first play of the drive Lahay hit Dickerson for the 12-yard touchdown reception tying the game at 7-7 at the end of one quarter.
 
Wilkes' opening possession of the second quarter saw Tabora throw for his longest touchdown of the afternoon when he found Yanik for a 66-yard scoring catch giving the lead back to the Colonels 13-7.
 
Albright finished the half with its second score of the day as Tony Thorpe ran in from 14 yards out capping a nine play, 75-yard drive.
 
Albright forced another Wilkes turnover to start the third quarter as Armon Jefferson picked off Tabora to setup the Lions next touchdown. Lahay threw his third touchdown of the afternoon this time to Kevin Zehner from 12 yards away to push the Lions lead to 21-13, the largest advantage for either team in the game, with 13:45 left in the third.
 
Tabora was unfazed by the miscue as he marched the Colonels 48 yards notching his third touchdown of the day through the air two drives later. Joseph Leszczynski (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock) was the recipient of the throw scoring from six yards out coming out of the backfield on the play. Wilkes trailed 21-19 after the two-point conversion failed.
 
The Wilkes defense came up with the next big play for the Colonels as Shane Montague (Yorktown Heights, NY/Trinity Pawling) hauled in a Lahay pass that was deflected by Andrew Chang (Mountain Top, PA/Crestwood ) taking the interception 56 yards for the touchdown. Wilkes led 26-21 at the end of the third.
 
After Albright scored on the first play of the fourth quarter to take back the advantage, Tabora went back to the air hitting Derek Nelson (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock) for a 28-yard touchdown as the lead changed again in Wilkes' favor up 33-29 with 11:38 remaining in the game.
 
Another Albright score put the Lions ahead 36-33 before Tabora and Steeber led the Colonels back yet again with the final scores of the game.
 
Tabora threw for 368 yards on 28-of-47 passing and a school-record six touchdowns in the win. The six touchdowns broke the previous mark of four throwing scores set by Boo Perry, Neil Rhine, Jeff Marshman and most recently in 2006 by Al Karaffa. The junior signal-caller also ran for a game-high 111 yards on 22 carries.
 
Steeber led an active and productive receiving corps for Wilkes hauling in seven catches for 100 yards and three touchdowns going over the 1,000-yard mark for his career in the process. Yanik followed with six catches for 127 yards and one score while Nelson made six receptions for 74 yards and one score.
 
Lahay led the Albright offense with 385 yards passing (29-of-42) and five touchdowns. Miller made a game-high 11 catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns while Dickerson finished with seven receptions for 104 yards and two scores.
 
Zac Weber led the Colonels defense with 5.5 tackles while Devon Fink (Pottstown, PA/Pottsgrove), Montague and Chang all recorded interceptions.
 
Jaylan Lawson topped the Lions defensive unit with 8.0 tackles. Jefferson finished with two interceptions.
 
Wilkes continues its MAC schedule Friday traveling to Madison, NJ for a matchup at FDU-Florham (4-1, 2-1 MAC) at 7:00 p.m.