LycomingFootball.com's Pick For "Player of the Week"
Solid dependable play from a Sophomore
There were a number of players who I thought shined in the game against powerful Susquehanna. The wide receivers in this game were above expectations as that was an unknown position in 2019. With the graduation of standout Nick Costello, we were wondering who would step up. Well we got a good look Saturday. Eight players caught passes with Stephen Toczylousky pulling in the longest at 60 yards and a touchdown. Tyjah During had three receptions with a 37 yard grab. And don't overlook Dezmen Johnson who had the most receptions (4) with one touchdown. I looked at running backs also. I told you in the last newsletter to watch out for freshman Joey Guida who had the most net rushing yards of our running backs. Senior Keith Batkowski averaged 4.5 yards per carry with an 18 yard scamper. Defensively, Allen Martin had eight tackles in the game. Lycoming's defense only had one sack and no interceptions or turnovers. How about the freshman punter. In his first game Michael Coe had 8 punts averaging 36 yards and a 47 yarder. But my player of the week stands out as a leader and performed in this game.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
So QB Elijah Shemory
There is no doubt about the player of the week this week. It is definitely sophomore quarterback Elijah Shemory. Check out the numbers. He completed 50% of his passes (16-32) for 231 yards. Because our running attack could not get on track, Lycoming was forced to pass more to advance the ball which Susquehanna forced on them. Shemory handling the switch, threw two touchdowns, one of which was a 60 yard pass to Stephen Toczylousky. Elijah also was Lycoming's leading rusher with 38 yards (not considering sacks). He also had the longest run of the day, a 25 yard rumble for a touchdown. In the adversity, he handled the situation admirably.
Having watched Elijah at Ithaca and Franklin and Marshall, I was wondering how he would fair this year. In a way I thought, last year he had no pressure on his shoulders since he was a freshman with nothing to lose. So I sensed that maybe this year would be different for him. This year it was pretty much his offensive to lead unless something unusual happened in spring practice or preseason. That I thought could create more pressure for him. More pressure put on himself and maybe it would be a more difficult start for him. But that was not the case. Remembering that we only scored one touchdown last year against a team that was not as good as this years River Hawks squad, he did a great job at Susquehanna. And I noticed the leadership needed to run this offensive. This leadership didn't show up on the defensive side of the ball that I could see.So, my pick for "Player of the Week" is definitely Elijah Shemor. Out of all the negative things I have read over the weekend, I believe Elijah has that spark needed to turn this team around quickly. And by writing this, it is not to put any undue pressure on this man. Just remember, these guys are in their early twenties. They are learning valuable lessons and teaching us some also.
~ ~ ~ NOTE: The opinions and content on www.LycomingFootball.com in no way represents the views or opinions of Lycoming College. This site, www.LycomingFootball.com is an unofficial fan site of Lycoming Football owned and operated by Williamsport OnLine and editor John Green. Please relay any questions and comments to John Green at the "Contact Us" notice on the right sidebar. Copyright Notice: (c) Photos, video and articles are for public use only. All other uses by written consent only.
