OCTOBER 1, 2010
KING'S FOOTBALL TEAM TO OPEN MAC PLAY AT LYCOMING
WILKES-BARRE -- The King's College football team will open its Middle Atlantic Conference slate on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. when the Monarchs travel to Williamsport to face Lycoming College in a 1:00 p.m. matchup at David Person Field.
Lycoming has set ticket prices at $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and studentes ages 13 and older. Children under age 12 will be admitted free.
The contest will be the first MAC game for Monarch rookie head coach Jeff Knarr who took over at King's in February after an 11-year stint as an assistant coach at fellow NCAA Division III member Muhlenberg College.
King's enters the game looking to reach the win column as the Monarchs went 0-3 in their three non-conference games in preparation for the opening of MAC play. After a 31-7 loss to powerful Springfield College on opening day, the Monarchs have fallen painfully short of victory in their last two contests. A 31-28 loss to Bethany on a missed last-second field goal in week-two, was followed by a 14-7 loss to William Paterson on a 35-yard touchdown on a fumble return with 3:16 left in the contest.
The three non-conference game, however, have no bearing on the MAC standings as the conference champion at the end of the season will receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Playoffs. For all intents and purposes, all MAC teams are essentially 0-0 as the most significant portion of the season begins this weekend.
ON THE AIR:
The game will be broadcast locally over the radio by WRKC, 88.5 FM. An Internet voice stream of the broadcast will be available on the WRKC LIVE link at: http://www.kings.edu/IITS/index.htm.
The game will also be available on the Internet via LiveStats at the following link:
http://www.lycoming.edu/livestats/
ABOUT THE GAME:
The game marks the opening of the 2010 Middle Atlantic Conference schedule for both schools, which will play each of their final seven games against conference opponents.
ABOUT THE SERIES:
This is the 19th meeting between the teams with Lycoming holding a 13-4-1 advantage. Last year the visiting Warriors rallied from a 21-10 deficit over the final 5:39 of the game to post a stunning 24-21 win over the Monarchs at McCarthy Stadium. King's last win over Lycoming was a 24-7 decision at home. The Monarchs have never won at Person Field since varsity football returned to King's in 1993.
THE COACHES:
Monarch mentor Jeff Knarr (0-3) is in his first season at King's after spending the previous 11 years as an assist at Muhlenberg College. Lycoming head coach Mike Clark is in his third season and owns a current 13-11 record.
LAST WEEK:
King's did not play last week as the Monarchs enjoyed a bye week. King's previous game was a 14-7 loss at William Paterson College in Wayne, NJ on September 18. Lycoming, meanwhile, used a field goal with 0:07 left in the contest to post a 26-24 upset over then 13th ranked Ithaca College at home on Person Field.
KING'S ON OFFENSE: MULTIPLE - I
The Monarch offense is averaging 229.0 yards per-game of total offense, including 97.3 rushing yards and 131.7 passing yards per-game. Senior quarterback Corey Lavin completed 35-of-77 passes for 395 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. Lavin has also rushed for 80 yards on 37 carries.
Sophomore wide-out David Abdalla leads the receiving corp. with 11 catches for 233 yards while topping the MAC with 77.7 receiving yards per-game. Junior Glenn Ford follows with five receptions for 1226 yards and one touchdown. Senior split end Jay Torres has four catches for 30 yards while senior tight end Ken Loomis has caught four balls for 19 yards.
King's will welcome back tailback Eric Ofcharsky to the lineup after the sophomore missed the last seven quarters with an injury. Ofcharsky enjoyed a fine opening game against Springfield when he rushed for 136 yards on 26 carries while catching three passes for 47 yards, earning MAC “Offensive Player of the Week” honors. But a first-quarter injury in week-two during a 31-28 loss to Bethany relegated the Monarch starter to the sidelines. Junior Matt Spencer has 59 yards on 16 carries but was injured against William Paterson and could miss Saturday's contest. Senior Brandon Murray will be the likely second-stringer and has 42 yards on 16 carries.
LYCOMING ON OFFENSE: MULTIPLE PRO STYLE
The Warriors are third in MAC total offense with 364.0 yards per-game and are second in scoring at 27.7 points per-game. Lycoming tops the MAC in rushing with 217.7 yards per-game while ranking fourth in passing at 146.3 yards each game. Senior tailback Josh Kleinfelter leads the conference with 164.3 rushing yards per-game with thee touchdowns. Sophomore Parker Showers follows with 66 yards on 21 carries with one score. Senior Ryan Wagaman tops the receivers with 11 catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Fellow senior Josh Dixon follows with seven receptions for 68 yards. Senior Mark Ryan adds five catches for 60 yards and one score.
KING'S ON DEFENSE: MULTIPLE 3-4
King's allowed 352.3 yards of total offense to date, including 222.7 rushing yards and an MAC-best 97.3 yards through the air. Sophomore linebacker Ryan Kelly tops the squad with 29 total tackles with one quarterback sack. Fellow sophomore linebacker Ryan Cordingly follows with 27 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. Junior safety Edwyn Edwards adds 21 tackles, including a team-high 17 solo stops. Sophomore linebacker Matt Henry contributes 16 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss. Senior defensive end Ryan Nelson has posted 15 tackles with two tackles for loss while senior end Craig Geibert has 14 tackles with 2.0 for loss. Senior nose-guard Nick Beinke has registered 12 tackles and a sack while junior cornerback Quincy Frederick chips in with 10 tackles.
LYCOMING ON DEFENSE: 4-3
The Warrior defense stands fourth in MAC total defense, allowing 273 yards per-game while ranking second in fewest points allowed at 19.3 per-game. Lycoming is third in rushing defense, allowing just 80.7 yards per-game while standing sixth against the pass at 192.7 each contest. Senior safety Chuck Bellitto has a team-high 26 tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss. Junior defensive tackle Anthony Marascio follows with 16 tackles and 3.0 sacks for 25 lost yards. Junior safety Ray Bierbach adds 15 tackles with two interceptions and six passes defended. Sophomore cornerback Matt Talerico contributes 15 tackles with six passes defended while sophomore defensive tackle Roger Jayne chips in with 15 stops.
NEXT WEEK:
King's will play at home for the first time since September 11 when the Monarchs host Widener University on Saturday, October 9 at 1:00 p.m. on King's Homecoming Day at McCarthy Stadium in the Betzler Athletic Complex.
