Box Score

SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

KING'S FOOTBALL DROPS 9-3 HEARTBREAKER TO WILLIAM PATERSON ON TD WITH 0:07 LEFT

WAYNE, NJ – Ryan Gresik hit Howard Davis with a 26-yard touchdown pass with 0:07 left in the contest as host William Paterson University posted a dramatic 9-3 victory over King's College in the 2012 season-opener for both teams Saturday at Wightman Stadium.

The past two seasons, the teams played closely contested contests with the Pioneers posting respective 14-7 and 13-6 victories. This season would be no exception.

With the game seemingly headed for overtime, William Paterson took possession at the King's 49 following a punt and put together the game-winning drive. After an incomplete pass on first down, Gresik found Dawys German out of the backfield for six yards to the King's 43 with 0:25 to play. Gresik would then avoid a sack and scrambled for 12 yards to the King's 31 with 0:17 to go. Two plays later, Gresik found Davis at the goal line, and the junior receiver managed to get one foot just inside the pylon with 0:07 left to put the Pioneers on top 9-3.

After the extra point failed, King's had one last chance on the ensuing kickoff but Steve Duncan returned the WPU squib kick to the Monarch 44 as time ran off the clock.

Paterson had the game's first scoring chance on its third possession when the Pioneers started at the King's 24 following a bad snap on a Monarch punt attempt. The King's defense would hold firm as a 40-yard field goal Robert Sinegra bounced off the cross bar.

King's looked to counter on the next possession when Monarch quarterback Tyler Hartranft found Duncan out of the backfield for nine yards and a first down at the King's 35. The sophomore transfer from Susquehanna then delivered a 17-yard completion to Matt Henry at the Pioneer 48, followed by a personal foul penalty on William Paterson, moving the ball to the 30. Judens Goimbert carried for three yards before McGrath burrowed ahead for six to set up a third-and-two at the Pioneer 21. Hartranft then hit Duncan again for 17 yards and a first-and-goal at the Pioneer eight. From there the drive stalled and Lance Williams' 24-yard field goal attempt sailed wide as the game remained scoreless with 9:04 left in the second quarter.

Following a Pioneer punt, King's assumed possession at its own 20. Hartranft drove the Monarchs again, starting with a 13-yard pass to Dan Kempa to the King's 47. Goimbert followed with a six-yard run to the Pioneer 47. After a one-yard pickup, Hartranft connected with Duncan again for 24 yards to the WPU 22. The drive stalled and the Monarchs were once again foiled when Williams' 36-yard field goal was blocked by Stanley Howard, giving William Paterson possession at its own 20 with 1:47 left in the first half.

On the ensuing possession, WPU faced a second-and-four from its own 40 and, after an incomplete pass, King's was flagged for a crucial personal foul penalty, giving Paterson a a first down at the Monarch 45. The penalty proved costly as the Pioneers followed up with a Gresik eight-yard scramble to the King's 37. After Dawys German added a five-yard run to the 32. Gresik hit Joe Cordato for 12 yards to the King's 21. With 0:03 on the clock, Sinegra connected on a 38-yard field goal to give the Pioneers a 3-0 half-time lead.

Midway through the third quarter King's would force a punt and assumed possession at the Pioneer 45. Following a first-down incompletion, McGrath carried for eight yards to the WPU 37. After a Hartranft pass was batted down at the line, King's would bypass the punt and elected to go for the first down. There, McGrath burst off right tackle for 15 yards and a first-down at the WPU 22-yard line. Hartraft then connected with Richemli for seven yards to the 15, followed by a nine yard carry by McGrath to give King's a first-and goal-at the six. The drive would stall but Williams made good on a 20-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3 with 5:19 remaining in the third quarter.

The Pioneers attempted to counter on its next possession when Gresik found Brian Winfield on a 25-yard completion at the King's 49. Two plays later German rushed for 25 yards to the King's 24. Two running plays would net seven yards, forcing the Pioneers into a third-and-three situation from the 17. The Monarch defense would stand firm, stuffing Dwaine Dabney for no gain and forcing the Pioneers to send in the field goal team. There, Sinegra's 33-yard attempt sailed wide right as the game remained tied at 3-3 with 2:33 left in the third period.

Midway through the fourth quarter King's had its final scoring chance when the Monarchs drove to the Pioneer 46. But a costly unsportsmanlike penalty on King's following the play pushed the ball back to the Monarch 38. King's could muster just six yards on the next three plays and were forced to punt. The Monarchs, however, caught a break when the Pioneers were flagged for being offside on the punt, giving King's a first down at its own 49. After two plays netted just three yards, Klein was sacked on third down as King's was forced to punt.

Neither team could move the ball, trading punts as William Paterson assumed possession at the King's 49 with 0:42 left, setting up the Pioneers' game-winning heroics.

Offensvely, King's managed 288 yards of total offense while WPU registered 251. The Monarchs rushed for 149 yards and passed for 139 while the Pioneers passed for 147 and rushed for 104.

Individually, McGrath rushed for 108 yards on 27 carries while Goimbert added 30 on five attempts. Hartranft completed 7-of-16 passes for 96 yards and an interception while kelin was 5-of-8 for 43 yards but was sacked three times. Jordan Buford led King's with three catches for 24 yards while Duncan and Kempa caught two passes each.

For WPU, Gresik was 15-of-27 for 147 yards with one touchdown. German rushed for 79 yards on 15 carries while Brian Winfield posted three catches for 45 yards.

King's will return to action Saturday when the Monarchs make their home debut with a 1:00 p.m. matchup with nationally-ranked Widener University at McCarthy Stadium in the Betzler Athletic Complex. Widener defeated Western Connecticut 63-17 in its season-opener Saturday.