NOVEMBER 2, 2002
BOB ZIADIE
KING'S FOOTBALL POSTS 22-21 COMEBACK WIN OBVER SUSQUEHANNA
WILKES-BARRE Sophomore tailback Richard Jackson rushed for 204
yards on 40 carries and the King's College football team overcame a 21-9
second-half deficit to gain an important 22-21 Middle Atlantic Conference
victory over Susquehanna University Saturday at Robert L. Betzler Fields.
With the win, King's kept its MAC title hopes alive in improving to 6-2
overall and 6-1 in conference play. Susquehanna fell to 4-4 overall
and 4-3 in the MAC.
Trailing 21-15 late in the third quarter, King's assumed possession at
their own 20-yard line following a punt and proceeded to string together
the deciding nine-play drive.
Jackson picked up 27 yards on a the first play of the drive, followed by a
29-yard pass from David Hessler to fullback Mike Novia which moved the
ball to the Susquehanna 24-yard line. After three plays netted just seven
yards, King's faced a crucial fourth-and-three play from the Crusader 17.
Hessler would pick up the first down with three yards on a bootleg to keep
the drive alive.
Three plays later, Hessler found tight end Geoff Ashton alone in the end
zone for the potential go-ahead score but the play was wiped out on an
ineligible lineman downfield penalty, pushing the ball back to the 13-yard
line. But on the next play, Hessler found Novia along the left sideline
and the Monarch junior fought his way onto the end zone to knot the score
at 21-21. Bobby Nawrocki converted the all-important extra point to
give King's a 22-21 advantage with 13:47 left in the contest.
On the ensuing possession, Susquehanna would drive to the King's 27-yard
line but Mike Bowman was picked off by safety Matt VonTanhausen to end the
threat with 5:07 remaining.
King's would then drive to the Susquehanna one-yard line and failed to
seal the game when Jackson fumbled and the Crusaders assumed possession
with 3:19.
But four plays later Bowman was intercepted by King's cornerback
Kamau Woolard with 1:16 left and the Monarchs would run out the clock.
Susquehanna took a 7-0 lead when halfback Chris Ross came out of the
backfield to haul in a 59-yard scoring pass from Bowman with 4:25
remaining in the first quarter, followed by the conversion from Dwight
Swaney. The Crusaders would capitalize on a turnover when linebacker
Dennis Kodack intercepted Hessler at the King's 37 and returned the ball
36 yards to the Monarch one. Two plays later fullback Jason Eck plunged
over to extend the Susquehanna lead. Andy Nadlerıs conversion kick gave
the Crusaders a 14-0 lead with 13:53 left in the second period.
King's would then answer when Hessler hit Chris Rispoli for a 37 yards
gain to move the ball to the Susquehanna 11. But the King's drive stalled
and Nawrocki converted a 24-yard field goal to bring the Monarchs to
within 14-3.
In the third quarter, Bowman found Mark Bartosic alone over the middle for
a 84-yard scoring toss and Swaney's conversion kick pushed the lead to
21-3. But on the ensuing kickoff, King's Sean Frasier came through with an
86 yard scoring return to bring life back into the Monarchs. The
conversion failed as King's trailed 21-15 with 7:30 remaining in the third
quarter.
Jackson surpassed his previous season best of 186 yards against
Juniata and cracked the 200-plateau for the second time in his career.
Ironically, Jackson rushed for 210 yards against Susquehanna a year ago.
The Monarch sophomore posted his sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season
and increased his season rushing total to 1,064 yards.
Susquehanna outgained King's 392-to-365 and held a 18-to-15 advantage in
first downs.
Hessler completed just 4-of-16 passes for 86 yards and a pair of
interceptions, but the junior signal-caller rushed for 67 yards on 11
attempts. Bowman was 12-of-27 for 244 yards with two touchdowns for
Susquehanna but threw four costly interceptions. Ross rushed for 108
yards and posted his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game.
Should King's win its final two MAC games, the Monarchs would claim its
first ever conference championship. King's is currently tied with two-time
defending champion Widener for first-place but the Monarchs own the
conference tiebreaker based on its head-to-head 24-6 victory over the
Pioneers