Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Lycoming Football game notes for the King's game Saturday

A 2014 File Photo by John Green
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Riding a three-game winning streak, the Lycoming College football team hosts King's College in Middle Atlantic Conference action Saturday at David Person Field with a chance to hit the midway part of its schedule with its best record since the 2014 team started 5-0. We take a look at that 2014 team and the highlights from the first five games.


WR Ryan Umpleby breaks out after a pass reception (A 2014 File Photo by John Green)
Lycoming vs Susquehanna
In 2014, the Warriors started out defeating the Susquehanna Crusaders (Now the River Hawks) 42-13 at David Person Field. QB Tyler Jenny passed for 230 yards in that game. Running back Craig Needhammer rushed for 111 yards and WR Ryan Umpleby had 94 yards in receptions. Senior Craig Needhammer (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) needed just one game In his senior season to tie the Lycoming College football team's record for career rushing touchdowns, as he hit paydirt three times to give him 29 in his career to lead a 42-13 rout of Susquehanna University in the Stagg Hat Trophy game on a muggy Saturday, Sept. 6, in front of 3,087 fans at David Person Field. Needhammer finished with 23 carries for 111 yards, his 11th career 100-yard game, and the three touchdowns, scoring on runs of one, one and two yards. He tied the school record for career rushing touchdowns with his final score with 12:10 left in the fourth quarter, giving the Warriors (1-0 overall) a four touchdowns lead. He tied the mark set by Tim Deasey from 1998-01.

Craig Needhammer us MVP in win over Albright (A 2014 File Photo by John Green)
Lycoming vs Albright
Then Lycoming traveled to Reading, PA to face Albright and shut them out 26-0. The top offensive performers were again Tyler Jenny with 213 yards passing. RB Craig Needhammer pounded for 121 yards rushing and WR Ryan Umpleby caught passes for 102 yards. Defensively, junior Mike Gentile (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) had a breakthrough game, posting two interceptions and adding four tackles. The team forced three turnovers and allowed Albright just seven first downs and 118 total yards. The offense was efficient once again, with senior Craig Needhammer (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) finished with 112 yards on 29 carries and his 30th career rushing touchdown, breaking the school record of 29 set by Tim Deasey (1998-01). Senior Tyler Jenny (Glasgow, Pa./Glendale) was just as good out of the quarterback slot, finishing 16-of-23 for 199 yards and two touchdowns.

Sr QB Tyler Jenny played brilliantly against King's (A 2014 File Photo by John Green)
Lycoming vs King's
King's came to town for game three at David Person Field. The Warriors win that year continued their streak as they scored four touchdowns for a 28-13 victory. Senior Tyler Jenny (Glasgow, Pa./Glendale) was brilliant, as he crossed 200 yards for the third straight week, completing 19-of-27 passing for 253 yards and two touchdowns, as he dropped passes to a career-high 10 receivers. He was not sacked for the second time in three games. Senior running back Craig Needhammer (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) finished with 26 carries and 81 yards, while his two scoring runs helped him tie the school record for career touchdowns of 35 set by wide receiver Tim Dumas (1996-99). He also added four yards receiving and 83 yards on kick returns for 168 all-purpose yards, leaving him 552 yards shy of the school record. Defensively, the team allowed 251 yards, but it was able to make several big plays, led by the play of junior Cole Welham (Lewistown, Pa./Lewistown Area), who finished with career highs of 10 tackles, six for a loss and three sacks, as Lycoming notched 11 tackles for loss and five sacks in the game.

Sr LB Kyle Sullivan make the tackle (A 2014 File Photo by John Green)
Lycoming vs Wilkes
Lyco football continues it's stellar play by defeating Wilkes 27-14 at Edwardsville, PA. With fourth-and-one at the 41, the Warriors (3-0 overall, 2-0 MAC) gave the ball to senior Craig Needhammer (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) for the first play of the fourth quarter, but junior David Wilke broke through the line to make a stop behind the line, giving Wilkes the ball down 20-14. Five plays later, a nine-yard pass to William Deemer brought the ball to the 20-yard line, but a pass for no gain and an incomplete pass brought up third-and-10, where senior Jimmy Nottingham (Hightstown, N.J./Hightstown) sacked Wilkes' quarterback Ryan Dailey. On fourth-and-12, an incomplete pass turned the ball over to the Warriors. Lycoming turned to its legs to move the ball down the field, with Needhammer posting a rush for 11 yards before senior quarterback Tyler Jenny (Glasgow, Pa./Glendale) ran for 19 yards to get the ball to the Wilkes' 11-yard line. Two plays later, Needhammer crossed the goalline for his school-record 36th time, surpassing the school record for touchdowns of 35 set by Tim Dumas (1996-99).

WR Ryan Umpleby makes a one handed catch for big gain against Stevenson (A 2014 File Photo by John Green)
Lycoming vs StevensonIn week five, coming back home to David Person Field, the Warriors battled an undefeated Stevenson team to a 31-10 victory. Senior running back Craig Needhammer (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) reached one milestone and broke the school record for all-time points scored and the 25th-ranked Lycoming College football team held undefeated Stevenson University to just 184 total yards as it cruised to a 31-10 Middle Atlantic Conference win at David Person Field on Saturday, Oct. 4. Needhammer rushed 19 times for 113 yards and two scores, as he became the third running back in program history to reach 3,000 career rushing yards. His two scores helped him surpass the mark of 222 career points set by kicker John Phillips (1989-92), as his school-record 38 touchdowns gives him 228 career points. Senior Tyler Jenny (Glasgow, Pa./Glendale) was again consistent in the pocket for the Warriors (5-0 overall, 4-0 MAC), as he finished 19-of-27 for 215 yards and two scores to win his 20th game as a Warrior starter. Senior Ryan Umpleby (Forest Hill, Md./Fallston) led the receivers with four catches for 46 yards and junior Corey Talerico (Moosic, Pa./Riverside) caught two passes for 47 yards. Junior Pat Whalen (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East) and senior Nick Mongiello (East Windsor, N.J./Hightstown) each caught touchdowns. The Warrior defense was brilliant against the undefeated Mustangs (4-1 overall, 3-1 MAC), allowing just 99 yards on 41 rushes and 4-of-16 passing for 85 yards. The team made 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and added seven sacks, led by senior Zack McMenamin (Prospect Park, Pa./Interboro), who had two tackles for loss and one sack. "Defensively, we are pretty darn good," Lycoming head coach Mike Clark said. "It will continue to get tougher, but we have played outstanding defense against all the teams we have had to play. Zack McMenamin is outstanding. He is so disruptive."

Senior Chase Williams threw for three touchdowns and ran for one at King's. (2017 photo Courtesy of Lycoming Sports Information)
Last year Lycoming won a thriller over the Monarchs 44-41. Senior Chase Williams (Damascus, Md./Damascus) drove around the corner quickly and took the hole the offensive line opened up. In a blur, he was at the five-yard line, then one-more step and an epic jump as two defenders closed in and he fell, ball first, into the endzone with 41.7 seconds left, giving the Lycoming College football team its first win of the year. 

The Warrior offense's explosive output was most evident in the passing game, where two receivers went over 100 yards for the first time since 1996, as junior Nick Costello (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) had eight catches for a career-high 104 yards and a score and junior Brock Zollicoffer (Owings Mills, Md./Owings Mills) finished with five catches for a career-high 108 yards and two scores. Sophomore Dante Gipson (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown Regional) had six catches for 92 yards.

So, the 2018 version of the Warriors are trying to win back to back against the Monarchs, the first time since 2012, when they actually won four in a row. King's is coming into Williamsport with a 1-2 record. They lost last week to Stevenson 38-17 and to Moravian 24-0 to open their season. They defeated Hartwich 65-48 in their second game of the year. They have already used their bye week. Game time Saturday is at 1:00 pm at David Person Field.