SEPTEMBER 11, 2010
KING'S FOOTBALL TEAM DROPS 31-29 HEARTBREAKER TO BETHANY IN HOME DEBUT
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WILKES-BARRE – Visiting Bethany College (WV) overcame a 23-13 halftime deficit and host King's College missed a game-winning 35-yard field goal as time expired as the Bison handed the Monarchs a heartbreaking 31-29 defeat Saturday at McCarthy Stadium.
The game, which was part of the inaugural Middle Atlantic Conference vs. President's Athletic Conference Football Challenge Series, was the first ever meeting between the programs. Bethany improved to 1-1 with the win while King's fell to 0-2 in first-year head coach Jeff Knarr's home debut.
Bethany's spread option attack opened the scoring on the second possession of the game with a nine-play, 84-yard drive, keyed by a 53-yard run by Eric Walker, who later score from one-yard out. Adam Gibboney added the point-after kick to give the Bison a 7-0 lead.
King's countered with a 58-yard kickoff return by Eric Ofcharsky, giving the Monarchs possession at the Bison 27. The Monarchs advanced to the 11 but the drive stalled and King's settled for a 32-yard field goal by Rain Cain to cut the lead to 7-3 with3:41 remaining in the opening stanza.
Bethany responded immediately when quarterback Matt Grimald broke free for 44-yards on an option keeper to the King's two-yard line. Two plays later Walker again score from one-yard out, but Gibboney missed the conversion kick as the Bison took a 13-3 lead with 2:15 remaining in the first quarter.
The Monarchs responded with a 20-yard pass from Corey Lavin to David Abdalla (left) to move to the Bethany 37. The Monarchs took advantage of a pass interference penalty, then used then used four straight rushing plays to reach the Bison four-yard line. On the next play, Matt Spencer scored his first career touchdown with a four-yard scamper off right tackle. Cain added the point after and King's cut the score to 13-10 with 12:13 left in the first half.
After forcing a Bethany punt, the Monarchs struck again. On a third-and-10 play from their own 35, Lavin found Abdalla down the middle for a 65-yard touchdown reception. Cain's kick conversion was blocked, however, as the Monarchs took their first lead of the da6 at 16-13 with 9:08 remaining in the half.
After another Bison punt, King's assumed possession at its own 35. Facing a fourth-and-four situation, King's line duo to punt. However, punter Mike Schifalacqua executed a perfect fame and picked up the first down with a 13-yard run to the Bethany 46. On the next play, Lavin found Abdalla for a 46-yard catch-and-run touchdown to extend the Monarch lead. Cain made good on the extra-point kick with 5:17 on the clock and the Monarchs built a 23-13 advantage, a lead King's would take into the halftime break.
Bethany would receive the second-half kick0ff and gained some much needed momentum when Ed Holmes delivered an important 49-yard return to the King's 41. The Bison used five straight running plays to reach the King's 15-yard line. On the next play the Bison again went to their running game and Grimard found the end zone on a 15-yard scamper to cut into the King's lead. However, a bad snap on the point after kick forced holder Dan Pegg into a throwing situation and the ball sailed incomplete as King's maintained a 23-19 lead.
Late in the third quarter Bethany took advantage of a short King's punt to begin possession at the Monarch 37. The Bison would drive inside the King's five-yard and eventually used a three-yard touchdown pass from Grimard to Johnathan Foster to give the Bison its first lead of the second-half. Gibboney again missed on the point-after kick but Bethany led 25-23 with 12:27 left in the contest.
King's reached midfield but was forced to punt and a subsequent touchback gave Bethany possession at its own 20-yard line. The Bison used a 27-yard pass from Grimard to Marcus D'Aguiar, then hit pay dirt on the next play when Walker broke free for a 48-yard touchdown run to extend the Bethany lead. The Bison, however, failed to convert an extra-point kick for the fourth time in the game as Bethany held a 31-23 lead with 7:18 left in the game.
King's, which had been unable to muster a serious drive of its own in the second half, finally responded on its next possession. After an 18-yard kickoff return by Jay Torres gave King's possession at its own 38, Lavin once again hooked up with Abdalla, this time for a 68-yard scoring play to bring the Monarchs to within 31-29 with 7:02 remaining. King's however, committed a huge mistake immediate after the score when a Monarch player was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Needing a two-point conversion to tie the game, King's would now be forced to attempt the play from the Bethany 18-yard line. The Monarchs would appear to pull off the improbably when Lavin found Abdalla alone in the end zone to seemingly tie the game. Heartbreak would quickly follow when the play was nullified by a holding penalty, moving the ball back to the 28-yard line. King's would again go for two, but Lavin was sacked on the play.
Bethany would attempt to run out the clock but the Monarchs forced a punt and took over at its own 32-yard-line with 3:26 to play. A seven-yard run by Spencer and a nine-yard pass moved the ball to the King's 48. After two short gains set up a third-and-two play from the Bethany 44, the Monarchs caught a break when the Bison were flagged for pass interference, giving King's a first down at the Bethany 29. After a seven-yard completion to Cuiffo gave King's possession at the 15, Spencer was stuffed for three-yard loss back to the Bison 18 with 0:23 left. With only one time out remaining, the Monarchs ran the clock down to 0:02 before sending out the field goal team. With a game-winning 35-yard attempt on the line, more heartbreak would soon follow when Cain's offering sailed wide left as time expired, allowing Bethany to hold on for the victory.
Statistically, Bethany outgained King's 445-307 in total yards, including a 390-to-108 advantage in rushing yards. The Bison also amassed 18-14 lead in first downs while holding on to the football for 34:08 of the game, compared to 25:52 for the Monarchs.
Walker finished the game with 220 rushing yards on 32 carries with three scores while Grimard was equally stellar with 15- rushing yards on 20 carries while completing 8-of-16 passes for 58 yards and one score. D'Aguilar posted a team-high four catches for 39 yards.
For King's, Lavin completed 10-of-23 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns. Abdalla was outstanding for King's, making four catches for 193 yards. His three touchdown catches equaled the all-time single-game record for a Monarch receiver. Spencer led the ground game with 47 yards on 12 carries.
King's returns to the field Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. non-conference game at New Jersey Athletic Conference member William Paterson University, which will enter the game following a bye week.
