NOVEMBER 16, 2002
BOB ZIADIE
KING'S FOOTBALL WINS FIRST-EVER MAC TITLE WITH 34-7
VICTORY OVER WILKES IN THE ANNUAL MAYOR'S CUP GAME
WILKES-BARRE -- The King's College football team
celebrated its 10th year of existence by clinching its first-ever Middle
Atlantic Conference championship as the Monarchs posted a 34-7 triumph
over cross-town rival Wilkes University in the annual Mayor's Cup contest
Saturday at Betzler Fields.
With its school-record sixth consecutive victory,
King's improved to 8-2 on the year and 8-1 in the MAC. Wilkes, meanwhile,
fell to 6-4 overall and 5-4 in the MAC. The Monarchs, who ended the season
tied with Widener University (9-1, 8-1 MAC) for first place in conference
play, but the Monarchs gain the championship based on their head-to-head
24-6 victory over the Pioneers on October 19.
Wilkes came out of the gates strong and drove to
King's three-yard line on its second possession of the game. But the
Colonels failed to convert as Will McLaughlin's 20-yard field goal attempt
sailed wide.
The Colonels would later mount 10-play, 80-yard
drive following a King's punt. Quarterback Matt Kaskie accounted for 48
yards on fours, then added a 25 yard completion to Mike Walk as Wilkes
moved to the Monarch 10-yard line. After a six-yard run by Brett Trichilo
pushed the ball to the six, Kaskie then scored on an option keeper to give
the Colonels the first score of the game. McLaughlin's conversion pushed
the score to 7-0 with 14:16 remaining in the half.
King's would respond later in the half with a drive
from its own 20-yard line with just 3:46 left in the half. After a short
run and a 12-yard complete from David Hessler to Ryan Gennaro, the
Monarchs faced a third-and-nine play. Hessler's pass to Geoff Ashton fell
incomplete but Wilkes was flagged for a crucial 15-yard unsportsmanlike
conduct penalty for taunting and King's was awarded a first down at its
own 48. Hessler later completed consecutive passes for 10 and 12 yards to
Chris Rispoli to advance the ball to the Wilkes 39. A 17-yard completion
to Ryan Gennaro then gave King's possession at the Colonel 10. With 0:10
left in the half and facing a second-and-ten play, Hessler took off on a
bootleg and raced into the end zone to put the Monarchs on the scoreboard.
Matt VonTanhausen's conversion kick knotted the score at 7-7 at the half.
In the third quarter, King's advanced the ball to
midfield but the drive would stall at the Colonel 48. In what proved to be
the turning point in the game, VonTanhausen fumbled the snap from center
and promptly scooped up the loose ball and raced down the right side-line.
The Monarch junior, who doubles as a starting safety, broke two tackles to
find the end zone and put King's on top. VonTanhausen would fail on the
conversion kick but the Monarchs would hold a 13-7 lead with 12:14
remaining in the third quarter.
King's would take over at the Wilkes 43 following a
punt and would again mount a scoring drive. An eight-yard run by Hessler,
and a pair of carried totaling 11 yards by Richard Jackson pushed the ball
to the Wilkes 24. After a two-yard run by fullback Mike Novia, Hessler
found harry Dickey alone in the end zone for a touchdown to extend the
Monarch advantage. The two-point conversion failed as King's led 19-7 with
6:28 remaining in the third period.
Following another Colonel punt, the Monarchs would
begin another drive. A 12-yard completion to Dickey was followed by a
17-yard pass to Ashton to move the ball to the Wilkes 27. Two plays later,
Hessler scrambled for 16 yards to move the ball to the Colonel 16. Jackson
carried three straight times to move the ball to the Wilkes two-yard line.
On the next play, the Monarch sophomore ran off right tackle and dove into
the end zone for another Monarch score. King's then added the two-point
conversion when Hessler found the end zone on a bootleg to push the score
to 27-7 with 14:55 remaining in the game.
Wilkes would then drive to the King's 30 but the
Monarchs held and took over on downs and mounted its final scoring march
of the game. Jackson broke free for 29 yards on first down, then added
three consecutive carries totaling 13 yards to push the ball to the Wilkes
28. Novia and Jackson traded nine-yard runs to move the ball to the Wilkes
nine. After Hessler ran for eight yards to advance the ball to the Colonel
three, the Monarch signal caller found Dickey ion the end zone for the
final score of the day. VonTanhausen's kick gave King's its final margin
of victory at 34-7.
Hessler enjoyed an outstanding day for King's in
completing 10-of-20 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing
for 64 yards on eight attempts with one score. Jackson led all rushers
with 134 yards on 32 carries while the Monarchs amassed 268 yards on the
ground against a Wilkes defense which allowed just 76.7 yards per-game.
The Monarchs rushed for just 61 yards in the first half but the offensive
line picked up the pace in the second half as the King's
gained 207 yards on the ground over the game's final 30 minutes.
Wilkes, which led the MAC in rushing at 241.6 yards
per-game, controlled the first half with 118 yards on the ground against a
King's defense which ranked fifth nationally in yielding just 66.1 yards
per-game. But the Monarch defense dominated the second half in allowing
the Colonels to rush for just 46 yards over the final two periods.
Kaskie rushed for 62 yards on 18 carries but
was just 2-for-5 in passing for 43 yards. Sophomore standout tailback Brett
Trichilo, who averaged 129.8 yards per-game but returned to the lineup
after missing the last two contests with an injury, rushed for 64 yards on
18 carries.
King's, which reinstated varsity football in 1993
after a 29-year absence, captures its first MAC title just one week after
playing its 100th game since the rebirth of the sport.
The win also gave the Monarchs its third straight
triumph in the Mayor's Cup Game with Wilkes. Established in 1996, the
Colonels won the first four contests and holds a 4-3 series lead.
