NOVEMBER 9, 2002
BOB ZIADIE
KING
’S
FOOTBALL WINS 100th GAME WITH 35-7 WIN OVER ALBRIGHT
READING -- David Hessler passed for season highs of 212 yards and three
touchdown passes while cornerback Derek
Zambino posted two key interceptions as
the King’s College football team celebrated its 100th game with a 35-7
victory over host Albright College Saturday at
Shirk Stadium in Reading.
The Monarchs, who reinstated football in 1993 after a 30-year absence,
played
their 100th game since the sport
returned to varsity status. Ironically, King’s
played its first game against Albright in Reading in 1993 and dropped
a 32-12 decision.
With the win, King’s improved to 7-2 overall and remain in first
place in the
Middle Atlantic Conference
with a 7-1 mark. The Monarchs can win its first MAC
title ever by winning its final regular season contest next week against
cross-town rival Wilkes in the annual Mayor’s
Cup Game.
King’s would take a 7-0 lead when the Monarchs marched 80 yards on 16
plays.
Hessler found Harry Dickey for a
24-yard gain to the Albright 37. Kings’ would
later move to the 29-yard line on a 15-yard run by Richard Jackson.
Hessler later found Dickey for seven yards to
the seven-yard line. Two plays later
Jackson carried for five yards and picked up a first down at the three.
On third-and-goal, from the four-yard line, Hessler found tight end
Geoff
Ashton in the end zone for a
Monarch score. Matt VonTanhausen’s conversion gave
the Monarchs a 7-0 lead with 0:47 left in the first quarter.
Later in the second quarter Albright would threaten when it took over
following a King’s fumble at its own 47. The
Lions drove to the King’s 32 but on
the next play, cornerback Derek Zambino picked off Port to end the Albright
scoring threat with 3:27 left in the half
After a two-yard run by Jackson, Hessler then found wide receiver Chris
Rispoli at the Albright 45 and the Monarch
senior outraced the secondary to complete
a 68-yard scoring pass. VonTanhausen’s conversion kick upped the Monarch
lead to 14-0 with 2:33 left in the half.
The Monarchs defense then came up with another crucial play on the
ensuing
possession when Zambino posted
his second interception of the game to give King’s
possession at the Albright 23.
On first down, Jackson picked up two yards before Hessler found Ashton
for 11
yards and a first down at the
Lion nine. After a three-yard run by Jackson Hessler
was sacked for a nine-yard loss. On third-and-goal from the 15-yard
line, Ryan Gennaro came through with a
spectacular leaping, one-handed catch of
a Hessler offering in the end zone for a King’s touchdown. VonTanhausen’s
kick upped the Monarch advantage to 21-0 with
0:15 remaining in the half.
The Monarch offense amassed 249 yards of total offense in the first
half
while the King’s defense did its
part by holding Albright to just 66 yards of total
offense in the first half.
To start the second half, Port found Sheerer for 15 yards to the Lion
38. A personal foul call on
King’s
would then move the ball to the Monarch 49. After an incomplete pass,Port
hit Nick Cushman for 16 yards to the Monarch 33. But on the next play,
Port fumbled and Rubin Doster recovered at the
Monarch 38 to end the threat. But a
personal foul call on King’s pushed the ball back to the 23.
Albright would later attempt to counter and mounted a drive of its own.
The
Lions would drive to the King’s
29. After a pair of incomplete passes, Port found
Cushman for six yards to force a fourth-and-four play at the King’s 24.
From there Port fled the pocket when he was
unable to find an open receiver and was
stacked up for no gain as the Monarchs assumed possession on downs at
their own 22.
King’s responded immediately on first down when Hessler then hit
Ashton with
a 68-yard pass to the
Albright 15. After a short run by Jackson, Novia carried
for nine yards and a first down at the four. On the next play, Jackson
raced off right tackle into the end zone for another King’s touchdown.
VonTanhausen’s kick pushed the score to 28-0 with 12:18 left in
the contest
King’s would then
force another turnover when cornerback Kamau Woolard picked off
Port on a third-down play to assume possession at the Lion 40.
King’s coach Rich Mannello would then send in the second unit to
finish out
the game. After two short
runs by Dante DeSantis, French his Gennaro for seven
yards and a first down at the 28. A three-yards run by DeSantis and an
eight-yard run by Jim Fagnani gave the
Monarchs a first down at the Lion 17.
After a two-yard loss and a sack moved the ball back to the Albright
33, set
up a third-and-26, Albright was
flagged for a pass interference call, giving King’s
a first down at the Lion 17. Two plays later French hit Clyde McCullough
for a 15-yard scoring strike to extend the Monarch lead. VonTanhausen’s
conversion gave King’s a 35-0 lead with 6:21 remaining.
With King’s second-unit defense in the game, the Lions would march
64-yards
on nine plays and score on a
three-yard run by Jeff Lee with 3:12 remaining in
the game to spoil the Monarch shutout.
The Monarchs out-gained Albright 437-to-205. The Lions entered the
gameranked fifth in the MAC with 369.8 yards per-game and were first with
280.9yards. The Monarchs limited the Lions to just 101 yards passing.
Jackson rushed for 140-yards on 30 carries. Dickey four catches for 49
yards
while Ashton had three receptions
for 80 yards.
King’s will play its final regular-season contest Saturday when the
Monarchs
host cross-town rival Wilkes
in the annual Mayor’s Cup Game at 1:00 p.m. at Betzler
Fields.