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| A LycomingFootball.com File Photo |
DALLAS, Pa. – Down by 11 points midway through the third quarter, the Lycoming College football team scored on three of its next four drives, speared on by a pair of scores from the Middle Atlantic Conference leader, senior Blake Bowman (Valley View, Pa./Tri-Valley), to post a 28-24 conference win over Misericordia on Saturday, Sept. 24 at Mangelsdorf Field.
Down 17-6 after a 37-yard field goal from Matt Dinnocenti with 8:50 left in the third quarter, the Warriors (2-2 overall, 1-2 MAC) rallied with a five-play, 62-yard drive thanks to a huge 3-and-14 completion for 43 yards to sophomore Nick Costello (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) that put the ball inside the Misericordia 10-yard line. It took Bowman two plays to find the end zone and a two-point conversion from senior Chase Whiteman (Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg Area) to sophomore John Kim (Avondale, Pa./Avon Grove) made it 16-14.
The Warrior defense quickly forced a three-and-out, but Lycoming’s next drive ended with a fumble at their own 40 that led the Cougars (0-4 overall, 0-3 MAC) to lead the game into the final quarter. Two plays into the fourth quarter, Brandon Leap hit Mark McMaster for a 40-yard score to make it 24-14.
The Warriors were undeterred, though, and Whiteman quickly responded with a 23-yard pass to senior Keeghan Morrison (Loysville, Pa./West Perry) that got the ball to the Misericordia 35-yard line. Bowman rushed three times for 20 yards and a personal foul got the ball inside the 10. Three plays later, Whiteman found Costello for an eight-yard score to make it 24-21 with 11:50 left.
Four plays later, Misericordia was forced to punt and Lycoming took over at its own 48-yard line. After a quick completion, a 35-yard rush from Bowman put the ball inside the 10, where he punched it in to give Lycoming a 28-24 lead with 6:50 left.
Misericordia was forced to punt after a 3-and-out that took just 50 seconds off the clock and Lycoming ran the last 5:53 off the clock on the legs of Bowman, who closed out the game with seven runs for 48 yards.
Bowman finished with 23 carries for 139 yards and two touchdowns and Whiteman completed 14-of-24 for 234 yards and two scores. He was also intercepted once. Costello caught three passes for 83 yards and a score and sophomore Kyle Slivka-Fralin (Bristol, Pa./Bristol) added three catches for 78 yards.
Misericordia took a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter, as Sam Gillison caught two long receptions from Leap, one for 38 yards in the first quarter and one for 57 yards with 6:02 left in the second. The Warriors responded with an eight-play, 67-yard drive, with the drive highlighted by a 32-yard reception by Costello before Slivka-Fralin found the end zone with a 20-yard reception to make it 14-6.
The Warriors nearly had another opportunity to score late in the half, with a pair of receptions from Slivka-Fralin for 58 yards bringing the ball inside the Misericordia 20 before a field goal attempt was blocked just before half.
Leap finished 14-of-24 for 239 yards and three scores and Gillison caught three passes for 105 yards and two scores. Colton Pyne caught six passes for 50 yards and Robin Custodio led the Cougar ground attack with 10 carries for 42 yards.
Junior Caleb Robbins (Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock Township) led the Warriors with six tackles and senior Dan Heinrichs (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) added five. Junior Mike Ward (Edgewater, Md./South River) added five tackles and a breakup and freshman Korahn Williams (Reading, Pa./Reading) added four tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup.
Jared Henn posted eight tackles along with Tim Kelly to lead the Cougars. Cory Dickerson added four tackles and a sack and Jared Harris posted four tackles, a forced fumble and an interception.
The Warriors head into October with a Homecoming matchup against MAC foe Widener on Saturday, Oct. 1, at David Person Field.
