EDWARDSVILLE – Rainy conditions didn't hinder the Colonels' run game on Saturday afternoon, as the Wilkes football team rushed for four touchdowns and racked up a program-record 503 yards on the ground on their way to a 42-7 rout of Keystone College at Schmidt Stadium.
 
The win elevated Wilkes' overall record to 3-4 and kept them undefeated in the Landmark Conference at 3-0. Keystone fell to 1-6 on the season and 0-3 in-conference.
 
After a series of scoreless drives by both teams, the Colonels managed to break through with 4:56 remaining in the first quarter when running back JayJay Jordan (Reading, PA/Berks Catholic) found a gap and raced 23 yards to the endzone. The successful extra point attempt by Nick Volpone (Delco, PA/Ridley) gave Wilkes a 7-0 lead.
 
Keystone would answer back with a 13-play drive that carried into the second quarter, ending in a rushing touchdown for Damir Green that knotted the ballgame at 7-7.
 
The running back unit would put the Colonels back in the lead at 8:17 in the second quarter when Elijah Jules (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) broke through the line of scrimmage and raced 57 yards down the field to the Giants' end zone. The 14-7 lead would prove to be all that Wilkes needed to secure the victory, however the Colonels weren't finished.
 
With under four minutes to go in the first half of play, quarterback Xavier Powell (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington) found Zane Grover (East Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg) out of coverage and fired a 43-yard pass that Grover took to the house. The longest completed pass of the game gave Wilkes a 20-7 lead.
 
The Wilkes defense forced Keystone into a three-and-out with just over two minutes remaining in the half. The Colonels proceeded to march the ball down the field thanks to a pair of 20-plus yard catches by Devin Higgins (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley) and Jules, who also rushed for a combined 40 yards on the drive. With eight seconds left on the game clock, Isaiah Rodriguez (Lebanon, PA/Lebanon) delivered a five-yard touchdown pass to Justin Moore (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern Regional) that extended the lead to 27-7 heading into halftime.
 
Powell joined in on the Wilkes rushing parade on the second play of the third quarter when he legged out a 47-yard touchdown at 14:07 and widened the Colonels' lead. Wilkes opted for a two point conversion on the play and capitalized on a short run by Tyler Wetzel (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) that made it a 35-7 lead in favor of the Colonels.
 
The Wilkes defense held their own throughout the contest, taking away time and space from Keystone's quarterbacks. Angel Ramos (Allentown, PA/Parkland) contributed to the defense with a crucial sack on third down that resulted in a loss of eight yards for the Giants and forced them to punt the ball.
 
On the following Wilkes drive, Jordan once again showed his explosive speed when he tore past several defenders and down the field for a 48-yard touchdown with 11:44 left in the third quarter. This made the score 42-7.
 
The Colonels' defense flexed their muscle again on a critical fourth-and-one, making the stop and giving the offense great field positioning at the 50 yard line.
 
Later in the third, Donell Mackey-Woodson (Hartford, CT/Southington) would intercept a pass in the end zone to reclaim possession for Wilkes. Michael Kevin Cornick III (West Philadelphia, PA/William Penn) went on to intercept another pass in the final frame for the Colonels; running the ball for 12 yards before he was eventually brought down.
 
The Colonels would hold Keystone's offense at bay for the remainder of the game and capture their third conference victory by a score of 42-7.
 
Rodriguez spearheaded the Wilkes passing game with 60 total yards on four completions and a touchdown through the air. Powell ended the day with 130 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground as well. Grover led all Colonel receivers with 43 yards while Jules and Jordan recorded 160 and 140 rushing yards respectively. On defense, Ramos led the way with 8 tackles and a sack on the day.
 
Keystone quarterback Donald Leach III threw for 42 yards while Jayson Nami put up 34 yards for the Giants. On the ground, Green rushed for a total of 69 yards. Zach Hoover led the Keystone defense with 9 total tackles. He was assisted by Tyler Malanga, who made a sack in the game.
 
The Colonels travel to Susquehanna University next Saturday for a Landmark Conference tilt with the River Hawks. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.