LA PLUME, PA – The Wilkes University football team used a balanced attack on offensive piling up 375 total yards of offense and six touchdowns as the Colonels posted a 48-21 victory at Keystone College in both teams' season openers on Saturday afternoon.
 
Wilkes wasted little time finding the end zone using seven plays over 60 yards for its first score. Colonel quarterback Isaiah Rodriguez (Lebanon, PA/Lebanon), starting his first game under center, used his arm and legs to march the offense down the field. Rodriguez connected with Elijah Jules (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) for a 25-yard completion that moved the Colonels down to the Keystone eight yard line. Three plays later Walter Lewis (Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek) scored his first touchdown as a Colonel as Wilkes took a 6-0 lead after a two-point conversion failed.
 
Keystone answered back on its ensuing drive scoring from two yards out capping a 10-play, 62-yard drive that gave the hosts a 7-6 lead with 6:40 left in the first quarter.
 
Wilkes responded with another scoring drive on its second possession of the contest as Rodriguez hit Nate Whitaker (Upper Darby, PA/Haverford School) for 29 yards then found tight end Michael Goralski (Southington, CT/Xavier) for 31 more yards to move the ball inside the Giants five. Rodriguez then notched his first career touchdown pass with a toss to Lewis from one yard out to put the Colonels ahead 13-7 with just under three minutes left in the opening stanza.
 
After the Colonel defense forced a Keystone punt, the Wilkes offense was back on the attack again as Rodriguez ran in his first career score from 15 yards out to cap off an 11-play, 77 yards drive that used over six minutes of clock in the process. Nick Volpone (Delco, PA/Ridley) added the extra point to give Wilkes a 20-7 advantage with 9:06 left in the first half.
 
After Keystone scored its second touchdown of the contest on the ensuing possession, Wilkes fumbled the ball back to the Giants on the following kickoff to setup the hosts with the ball deep in Colonel territory trailing 20-14. The Wilkes defense stiffened and forced a 37-yard Keystone field goal that sailed wide right to keep the Colonels in front at the break.
 
Following a Keystone punt to begin the third quarter, Wilkes' Xavier Powell (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington) scored the Colonels fourth touchdown of the game rushing in from two yards out pushing the lead to 27-14. The scoring run was setup earlier in the drive thanks to a 27-yard pitch-and-catch from Rodriguez to Jimmy Johnson (Fallston, MD/Fallston) moving the ball to the Keystone six yard line.
 
A roughing the kicker call on the following Wilkes possession continued the drive and the Colonels took advantage of the Keystone miscue as Jules rushed for a 24-yard score to extend the advantage to 34-14 with 2:25 left in the third quarter.
 
After Keystone added a late touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, Wilkes finished off its scoring tear when Rodriguez connected with Devin Higgins (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley) for a 26-yard touchdown moving the score to 41-21 with 4:30 remaining.
 
The defense finished off the scoring for Wilkes as Angel Ramos (Allentown, PA/Parkland) forced a fumble deep in Giants territory and Adam Piston (Laurys Station, PA/Parkland) recovered the ball in the end zone for the defensive touchdown.
 
Rodriguez finished his first career start under center passing for 200 yards (17-22) and two scores while rushing seven times for 19 yards and one more touchdown. Jules topped four Colonel rushers who scored on the ground finishing with seven carries and 50 yards.
 
Jules was also the top receiver for Wilkes making five catches for 75 yards.
 
Ramos topped the Colonel defense with eight tackles (2.5 tackles-for-loss), 2.5 sacks and the forced fumble. Jesse Addesso (Staten Island, NY/St. Joes by The Sea) followed with seven tackles. The Wilkes defense held Keystone to just 51 yards on 28 attempts on the ground.
 
Wilkes is on a bye next week before returning to the field for Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) play on Saturday, September 17 making its home debut against Widener University at 12:00 p.m. at Schmidt Stadium.