SEPTEMBER 15, 2007
HAMPDEN-SYDNEY POSTS WILD 35-33 WIN OVER KINGS
COLLEGE
WILKES-BARRE -- Corey Sedlar hit Drew Smith with a
47-yard touchdown pass with 6:02 remaining and Thomas Hovis registered a
game-saving interception in the final minute of play as Hampden-Sydney
College escaped with a wild 35-33 non-conference victory over host
King’s College Saturday at Betzler Fields.
With the win, Hamden-Sydney improved to 2-1 on the year while King’s
fell to 0-3.
King’s trailed 29-14 at the half-time break but dominated the second
half of play. The Monarchs fought all the way back to take a 33-29 lead
when Jeramia Jones scored on a 35-yard run with 6:25 left in the
contest.
The Tigers however, would return the ensuing kickoff to its own 39-yard
line. Sedlar would hook up with E.K. Smock for a 14-yard pickup to the
King’s 47. On the next play, Sedlar lofted a pass down field to Smith
who caught the ball at the Monarch five and raced into the end zone for
the go-ahead score. Mike Lovett would block the point after attempt as
the Tigers held a 35-33 lead with 6:02 left in the game.
After the teams traded possessions, King’s would mount its last drive
from its own 20-yard line. The Monarchs would use three Jeff Searfass
pass completions to Brandon Murray to pick up a first down at midfield.
On the next play, Searfass was flushed from the pocket and, rather than
throw the ball away, looked downfield. The senior signal-caller would
throw into tight coverage and Hovis would step in front of the pass to
secure an interception and end the King’s scoring threat with just 0:47
remaining.
The game was a tale of two half as Hampden-Sydney used a variety of
gadget plays to control the first half of play. On the opening
possession of the game, the Tiger used a hook-and-lateral play with
Justin Curtis running the final 36 yards to the King’s 39. Five plays
later Drew Walker would score on a five-yard run to get the Tigers on
the board. Hampden-Sydney would attempt a two-point conversion and
Walker would race into the end zone for a quick 8-0 Tiger lead.
King’s responded with a 13-play drive as Searfass completed six
consecutive passes for the Monarchs. John Cataldo would later score on a
three-yard carry as King’s cut into the Tiger lead. Tim Lust added the
point-after as King’s trailed 8-7 with 5:56 left in the first quarter.
The Tigers would counter with a five-play, 65-yard drive, capped by an
18-yard touchdown run by Zach Miller on a reverse. T.C. Stevens would
kick the extra-point to give the Tigers a 15-7 lead with 4:17 remaining
in the first quarter.
Midway through the second quarter, Hampden-Sydney would use an
eight-play, 68-yard drive to 1extend the lead when Smith scored on a
30-yard pass from Sedlar. Stevens point after upped the Tiger lead to
22-7 with 8:52 left in the half.
Following a King’s punt, Hampden-Sydney would march 87 yards and
stretched the lead to 29-7 when Sedlar found Curtis for a 24-yard
scoring pass with 5:21 left in the half. King’s would cut into the lead
when Jones capped a 53-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run with
2:49 remaining and Lust kicked the extra-point to bring the Monarchs to
within 29-14 at the break.
The second half would take a dramatic turn as the Monarch defense would
turn away the Tigers time after time, but was unable to take advantage
of its own opportunities. Twice in the third quarter King’s would drive
within the Tiger 30 but was unable to score as Hampden-Sydney stopped
the Monarchs on downs while also blocking a 31-yard field goal attempt
by Lust.
Neither team would score in the third period, but the Monarchs attempted
a furious rally in the final quarter of play.
Brian Mitros would intercept Sedlar, giving the
Monarchs possession at the Tiger 26. The Monarchs used eight plays and
were aided by a pair of Hampden-Sydney penalties to move the ball to the
Tiger one. From there Searfass would score on a quarterback keeper and
Lust’s conversion kick would bring King’s to within 29-21 with 13:46
remaining in the contest.
Following a Hampden-Sydney punt, King’s struck
again when Searfass found Bob lane for a 65-yard gain to the Tiger 16.
After a 12-yard pass from Searfass to Doug Mucha moved the ball to the
one, Searfass would score again on a keeper. The two-point conversion
failed but the Monarchs clawed to within 29-27 with 10:17 remaining.
The Tigers would come up with a big defensive special teams play when
King’s Jay Torres was stripped of the ball during a return and Andrew
Sellers recovered for Hampden-Sydney at the King’s 33. The Monarchs,
however, would come up with a big defensive play of their own when Shane
McNamara intercepted Sedlar at the King’s five and returned the ball 36
yards to the Monarch 41.
Searfass would hit Lane for a 19-yard completion before a five-yard run
by Jones moved the ball to the Tiger 35. On the next play, Jones would
break a tackle at the line of scrimmage and rumbled 35 yards down the
left sideline for the go-ahead score. Lust’s conversion would give
King’s a 33-29 lead with 6:25 left.
But Hampden-Sydney would go back on top just 0:22 later when Sedlar
found Smith behind the Monarch secondary for what proved to be the
winning score.
King’s would register 27 first downs compared to
19 for the Tigers. The Monarchs would out gain Hampden-Sydney 448-to-368
in total yards, including a whopping 285-to-68 advantage in the second
half in which the Monarchs held the Tigers to just three first downs
over the final 30 minutes of play.
Searfass completed a school-record 26 passes in 39 attempts for 267
yards but threw two interceptions. Jones rushed for 113 yards on 21
carries with two touchdowns while Cataldo added 63 yards on 18 attempts.
Rick Ritter caught seven passes for 43 yards while Murray added five
catches for 57 yards. Chris Maloney added four receptions for 43 yards
while Lane chipped in with two catches for 84 yards.
For Hampden-Sydney, Sedlar was 13-of-14 for 217 yards with three
touchdowns and three interceptions. Walker rushed for 86 yards on 12
carries while Smith had seven receptions for 114 yards and two
touchdowns.
King's will enjoy a bye week before opening up MAC play September 29 at
1:00 p.m. at Delaware Valley College in Doylestown.
