Total Team Effort Propels Wilkes Football over Widener 44-20
EDWARDSVILLE – Wilkes University junior running back Elijah Jules (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) rushed for 180 yards and a touchdown as a balanced offense and opportunistic defense rolled past Widener University 44-20 in their home opener on a Saturday afternoon at Schmidt Stadium.
Wilkes improves their record to 2-0 on the season, going 1-0 in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC). The Pride drop to 1-2 on the season and 0-1 in conference play.
Wilkes started with the ball to begin the game, where they drove down the field to get the first points on the day. On a third and five, sophomore quarterback Isaiah Rodriguez (Lebanon, PA/Lebanon) hit junior wide receiver Cory Pelzer (Somerset, NJ/The Pennington School) 30 yards down the field to set them up in Widener territory. A few plays later, on a second and 14, Rodriguez connected with junior tight end Jason Dean (Auburn, PA/Blue Mountain) inside the 10 yard line. After a Jules one yard rush, Rodriguez found Pelzer six yard out standing alone in the back of the endzone to give Wilkes the first lead of the game.
Wilkes defense didn't wait for Widener to get moving as senior defensive back Jeremie Hernandez (Bronx, NY/Kennedy) picked off the Pride's quarterback two plays into the drive to give the Colonels the ball back past midfield. Wilkes wouldn't be able to capitalize on the turnover, as a Rodriguez rush on fourth and one was stuffed at the line, giving the ball back to the Pride. Widener drove down the field for a 13 play, 64-yard drive that lasted nearly six minutes, threatening Wilkes lead. Forcing a fourth and 16, Widener's quarterback rushed to get the first down, but sophomore linebacker De'Von James (Mount Holly Springs, PA/Boiling Springs) forced him to go out of bound and turned the ball over back to the Colonels
The Pride forced Wilkes to punt, where a good return and excellent field position helped Widener to go on a three play, 18-yard drive that tied the game in the beginning of the second quarter. The Colonels looked to respond with a seven play, 46-yard drive that set up a 36-yard kick for first year kicker Nick Volpone (Delco, PA/Ridley), but the attempt was blocked by Widener. Neither team were able to capitalize for a few drives, trading punts to one another.
Senior wide receiver Nate Whitaker (Upper Darby, PA/Haverford School) broke the tie between the teams, as caught a deep pass from Rodriguez and outraced his defender for an 88-yard touchdown to give the Colonels a 13-7 lead with 4:49 left in the second quarter. After a punt by Widener and a failed fourth down conversion by the Colonels, the Pride got down to 36-yard line of Colonel territory quickly as they called a timeout with 29 seconds left. Looking to keep momentum and the lead in the second half, senior defensive back John Washington (Brooklyn, NY/Eagle Academy) intercepted the pass and weaved his way 67 yards to the endzone to extend the Colonel lead 20-7 heading into halftime.
The third quarter saw that momentum continue for the Colonels, as the defense forced a three and out for Widener. First play on offense for Wilkes saw Jules take the handoff, passed through tacklers and race his way 72 yards for a touchdown to make the Wilkes lead 27-7 just two minutes into the third.
Widener responded by going seven plays, 91 yards down the field to cut the lead 27-14. Wilkes responded with their own seven play drive that saw two 12 yard runs by Jules, catches from Pelzer and first year running back Ben Contella (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills), and saw Whitaker cap it off with a 13-yard touchdown reception from Rodriguez, pushing the Colonels lead 34-14.
Forcing a turnover on downs for the Pride, Wilkes continued to drive down the field, with a 38-yard pass from Rodriguez to sophomore wide receiver Devin Higgins (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley). The drive eventually stalled at the 14-yard line of Widener, which gave Volpone a 31-yard field goal to make the lead 37-14 with 9:41 left in the fourth quarter.
After forcing another punt, Wilkes put the game out of reach as junior wide receiver Xavier Powell (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington) took the snap from the quarterback position and ran down the field for a 30-yard touchdown, giving the Colonels a 44-14 lead. Wilkes defense kept holding strong, with sophomore Elijah Lee (Brooklyn, NY/Erasmus Hall) sacking the Pride's quarterback to force another turnover on downs. Wilkes punted on their last drive, and the Pride held their heads high as they scored on the last play to make the final 44-20 in favor of Wilkes.
Rodriguez finished the day with 17-30 for 319 yards and three touchdowns, adding 20 yards on eight carries. Jules had a career high 180 yards and a touchdown on 13 touches. Whitaker had five catches on the day, going for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Pelzer tied with Whitaker in catches as he had 86 yards and a touchdown of his own, while Higgins got 94 yards on four receptions.
Senior linebacker Brandon Holcomb (Boynton Beach, FL/Boca Raton) led the team in tackles with a career high 11 tackles on the day, with junior defensive lineman Kellen Redmond (St. Petersburg, FL/Calvary Christian) following behind him as he also had a career high 10 tackles. Lee and Redmond both had one sack on the day, along with senior defensive lineman Adam Piston (Laurys Station, PA/Parkland), who also forced a fumble in the game. Washington and Hernandez both had an interception for the defense.
Rzasa had one field goal on the day and hit all four of his extra points, with Volpone going 1-2 on PAT's. Sophomore kicker Brandon Shire (Perkasie, PA/Pennridge) averaged 52.0 yards on eight kickoffs on the day.
The Colonels will go on the road as they face Lebanon Valley College in a 1:00 p.m. MAC game.
