NOVEMBER 15, 2003
BOB ZIADIE
WILKES DOWNS KING'S 37-0 IN MAYOR'S CUP
WILKES-BARRE -- Junior tailback Brett Trichilo
rushed for 261 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries to power host
Wilkes University to a 37-0 victory over King's in the annual Mayor's Cup
contest Saturday at Ralston Field.
With the win, Wilkes ended a three-game losing
streak to King's while improving to 8-2 overall and 7-2 in the Middle
Atlantic Conference. King's, which saw its MAC-high five-game winning
streak come to an end ass the Monarchs ended the regular-season with a 7-3
record as well as a 6-3 MAC mark
With Lycoming clinching the MAC title with a route
of Susquehanna, both Wilkes and King's will learn if they have gained an
ECAC bid on Monday.
Wilkes took a 7-0 lead on the game's first
possession when Trichilo scored from seven yards out to cap a six-play, 72
yard drive. The Colonels extended the lead to 10-0 when Kyle Devlin kicked
a 44-yard field goal with 12:52 left in the first quarter.
Wilkes would build a 17-0 lead when the Colonels
would march 53 yards, punctuated by a one-yard run by Trichilo. The
Colonels would capitalize in a turnover when Jon Jamison picked off King's
quarterback David Hessler at the Monarchs 48, Wilkes would need just two
plays when Trichilo scored from 35-yards out to give the Colonels a 24-0
lead with 5:50 left in the half.
The Monarchs missed out on a scoring chance just
before halftime when King's moved to the Wilkes eight-yard line. After
three plays netted just one yard, the Monarchs would toss a fourth-down
incomplete pass to end the drive.
In the second half, King's would again threatened
when the Monarchs marched 84 yards to the Colonel eight-yard line. But on
a third-and-goal play, Chris Oustrich picked off Hessler at the one to
thwart the drive.
After a scoreless third quarter, Wilkes would move
82 yards on 11 plays as Trichilo scored from six yards to give the
Colonels a 31-0 lead. Wilkes would close out the scoring with 6:40 left
when fullback Kyle Gallagher scored on a two-yard run to push the final
margin to 37-0.
Wilkes outgained King's 390-to-246 in total yards.
The Colonels rushed for 305 yards while limiting the Monarchs to just 121
yards.
The Wilkes defensive front controlled the line of
scrimmage as Monarch tailback Richard Jackson was limited to 80 yards on
25 carries. Jackson entered the game averaging 157-yard per-game, fourth
best nationally in Division III. Hessler was 11-of-30 for 125 yards and
two interceptions. Julian Walker led the Monarchs receivers with four
catches for 62 yards while Matt Nicodemus added four receptions for 39
yards.
Trichilo was named the Wachovia Bank Wilkes most
valuable player, while Monarch senior safety Matt VonTanhausen was named
team MVP for King's after posting a career-high 15 tackles. Geoff Ashton
added 11 tackles for the Monarchs.
