EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes football team scored 28 unanswered points in the second half to erase a three-score deficit and defeat the St. John Fisher University Cardinals 28-21 on Homecoming Saturday at Schmidt Stadium.

With the victory, Wilkes improves to 2-2 while St. John Fisher falls to 1-2.

The Cardinals dominated the first half, shutting out the Colonel offense and controlling possession. Camden Chance opened the scoring with a two-yard run on the game's opening possession, and quarterback Ryan Whitney would double the lead in the second with a four-yard touchdown run following a strip sack of Xavier Powell (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington). After forcing a Colonel punt, Peyton Nolan made it 21-0 with a one yard run and the visitors took that lead into halftime.

After the Colonels failed to convert on a 4^th and 5 to open the second half, the Wilkes defense held the Cardinals in the redzone and forced a field goal attempt. Kicker Kyle Fairwell missed the 24-yarder, his second missed field goal of the game, and Wilkes responded with a 38-yard touchdown run by Elijah Jules (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) to get the home team on the board 21-7.

That touchdown proved to be the spark the Colonels needed, as Steele Hess (Allentown, PA/Whitehall) intercepted Whitney on the next drive and rumbled down to the Cardinal two-yard line. Though the spot was pushed back to the Cardinal 17 thanks to a penalty, Zane Grover (East Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg) found Jimmy Johnson (Fallston, MD/Fallston) in the back of the endzone for a touchdown to make it 21-14 after a Nick Volpone (Delco, PA/Ridley) extra point.

Into the fourth quarter the momentum was fully with the Colonels as Hess once again forced a turnover, this time on downs, stuffing Nolan for a six-yard loss on 4^th and Goal. Jules then carried the team down the field and punched in a three-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 21-21 to the delight of the Schmidt Stadium crowd.

With just under three minutes to play, the Cardinals started to drive down the field, escaping two third and long situations and moving the chains. They would not find a third, however, as Donell Mackey-Woodson (Hartford, CT/Southington) plucked Whitney's pass from the air and ran it 65 yards down the far sideline for a game-sealing pick six.
With 56 seconds left to play, St. John Fisher was unable to score and Wilkes was victorious, marking the sixth consecutive victory for the Colonels on Homecoming.

Powell led the Colonels passing with six completions for 66 yards, adding 23 rushing yards to his total for the day. His top target was Devin Higgins (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley), grabbing four catches for 39 yards. Jules led the way on the ground with 162 yards and two touchdowns, moving him into first place in Wilkes' Internet Era (2004-present) for rushing touchdowns.

Defensively, linebacking duo Tallen Murray (Vineland, NJ/Saint Joseph Academy) and Tyler Wetzel (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) led the team with 10 tackles each. Angel Ramos (Allentown, PA/Parkland) and Trevor Gitski (Alburtis, PA/Emmaus) both recorded sacks, while Ramos matched Kellen Redmond (St. Petersburg, FL/Calvary Christian) with two tackles for loss to lead the team. On top of his interception, Mackey-Woodson had two pass breakups, tying him with Rob Barbieri (Avoca, PA/Pittston Area) for the team high.

Whitney led St. John Fisher with 20 completions for 291 yards, with his top target being Jaylen Brantley who had three receptions for 61 yards. Nolan led the team with 91 rushing yards and a touchdown. Joe Miscia led the Cardinal defense with eight tackles.

The Colonels are back in action next week, as they open Landmark Conference play in Huntingdon, Pa. against Juniata College on Friday, October 4 at 6:00 p.m.