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| Lebanon Valley photo by Tim Flynn '05 |
With the loss Wilkes slips to 2-3 overall and 1-3 in MAC play. LVC improves to 4-1 and 3-1 in league games.
Past matchups between the teams included three straight one score games and mostly offensive shootouts, but this contest was anything but offensive for both teams.
The high-powered LVC offense wasted little time taking a 7-0 lead when two plays into the game, running back Austin Hartman broke through the Wilkes defense for a 68-yard touchdown run. The teams traded punts throughout the rest of the quarter as neither team was able to find a rhythm offensively early besides the one LVC break-out run.
Wilkes began the second quarter on a promising drive starting at its own 37. Quarterback Tyler Young connected with favorite wide out David Claybrook for a 13-yard reception, then two plays later hit Jonathan Conklin on an 11-yard out route to move the ball to the LVC 22. Another pitch-and-catch from Young to Conklin put the Colonels inside the ten at the Dutchmen 4. From there, Young called his own number finding the end zone on a designed run from four yards out to cut the lead to 7-6 with 7:44 left in the half. Jordan Fredo’s extra point was blocked as Wilkes had to settle for six points.
With the Wilkes defense holding steady, the Colonel offense would have one more opportunity for the lead before the break. With the ball at the LVC 17, the Wilkes drive stalled and the Colonels opted for a Fredo 34-yard field goal attempt. Fredo’s kick sailed wide right as time expired leaving LVC up 7-6 at the half.
The Dutchmen defense held strong through the third quarter limiting Wilkes’ potent ground attack to just 52 total yards on the afternoon. LVC added a Sean Fakete 33-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to push the advantage to 10-6 with 13:35 left in the game.
One more LVC score late in the fourth, a 12-play, 61-yard drive capped off by a 20 yard play-action pass from quarterback Brian Murphy to tight end Nate Myers, wrapped up the MAC victory for the Dutchmen.
The Wilkes offense struggled to find a rhythm in the game as Young finished 11-for-26 passing for 101 yards and two interceptions. Claybrook caught five passes for 48 yards, while Conklin made three receptions for 34 yards.
Pat Ingulli led the Wilkes rushers with 26 yards on eight attempts. No other Colonel went for more than 20 yards on the ground as the LVC front seven made things difficult up front for Wilkes. Young was also sacked a season-high eight times in the game.
Tate Moore-Jacobs led the defense with 11 tackles, while safety J.T. Keer made a season-high nine stops.
Wilkes enjoys a bye week next Saturday before traveling to Reading, Pa. for an MAC matchup with Albright College on October 19 at 1:00 p.m.
