SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

KING'S FOOTBALL LOOKING TO REBOUND AT LEBANON VALLEY IN MAC SEASON OPENER

WILKES-BARRE – The King's College football team will open Middle Atlantic Conference play on Saturday when the Monarchs travel to Annville to face host Lebanon Valley College at 1:00 p.m. in Arnold Stadium.

The Monarchs enter the game having enjoyed a bye week following the team's season-opening 21-19 loss to William Paterson University on September 7. After an off-week, the Monarchs are hopefully they have successfully addressed areas of concern as they head into their MAC opener.


ON THE AIR:
Fans unable to attend the game can follow in one of three ways. LVC will be providing live video over the Internet; live audio over the internet from their radio broadcast; and LiveStats. Go to the links below to access your choice(s).

Live Video - http://www.godutchmen.com/showcase/

Live Audio (LVC Broadcast) - http://www.wmssfm.com/index.php/listen-live

LiveStats - http://www.sidearmstats.com/lvc/football/


ABOUT THE GAME:
Saturday's game marks King's 2013 MAC debut. The league schedule officially opened a week earlier but the Monarchs were in their bye week.


ABOUT THE SERIES:
This will be the 15th meeting between the programs with Lebanon Valley holding an 8-6 advantage. The Dutchmen won last season's meeting 34-19 in Wilkes-Barre. The Monarchs have lost the previous six meetings with Lebanon Valley with the last King's win being a 10-0 triumph in 2006. The last time King's was victorious in Annville was in 2005 when the Monarchs posted a 27-6 road triumph.


THE COACHES:
Monarch mentor Jeff Knarr is in his fourth season of rebuilding the program at King's and owns a 4-27 career record. Jim Monos is his 21st total year at Lebanon Valley covering two different tenures and is a combined 94-108-2 with the Flying Dutchmen.


LAST SEASON:
King's finished the 2012 season with a 2-8 overall record while standing 2-7 in the MAC. Lebanon Valley was 6-4 overall and 5-5 in the MAC.


KING'S ON OFFENSE: MULTIPLE-I
In King's lone game to date the Monarchs gained 320 yards of total offense against William Paterson. King's rushed for 107 yards and passed for 213 yards while accumulating 19 first downs. Junior quarterback Tyler Hartranft completed 14-of-36 passes for 213 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Junior tailback Kyle McGrath, the MAC's second-leading rusher in was the Monarchs' top offensive contributor against William Paterson, rushing for 97 yards on 22 carries.

Senior tailback Judens Goimbert chipped in with 21 yards on six carries with one score. King's receiving corp was led by junior Dan Kempa with five catches for 105 yards while senior wide0out Josh Sanders had three receptions for 62 yards and one touchdown. Senior fullback Slade Eigenmann and freshman tight end Brian Atkinson made two catches apiece.


LEBANON VALLEY ON OFFENSE: MULTIPLE PRO-SET
In two games thus far Lebanon Valley has averaged 21.5 points and 14.0 first downs per-game. The Dutchmen have averaged 336 yards of total offense each contest, including 127.0 rushing yards and 209.5 passing yards. Junior quarterback Brian Muphy has been a dual-threat for the Dutchmen. He has completed 28-of-50 passes for 350 yards with three touchdowns and one interceptions. As a runner, he is tied for second on the team with 16 carries totaling 30 yards after losses and sacks.

Senior fullback Evan Fink has rushed for 58 yards on 16 carries with one score. Lebanon Valley thus far has played multiple players at tailback. Sophomore Matt Richmond is listed first on the depth-chart and has 45 yards on 11 carries while fellow sophomore Austin Hartman has 48 yards on 19 attempts. Freshman Brendan Irving adds 56 yards on 11 carries.

Senior wide receiver Jake Zeigler, a 2012 MAC honorable mention selection, tops the squad with 10 catches for 118 yards. Joey Miller, a 2012 MAC second-team choice, follows with six receptions for 121 yards and one score. Senior split end Tyler George and senior tight end Nate Luckenbill chip in with five catches apiece.


KING'S ON DEFENSE: MULTIPLE 3-4
Defensively, the Monarchs allowed 320 yards against William Paterson. King's held the Pioneers to just 54 yards on the ground while allowing 213 yards through the air. The Monarchs also had 5.0 quarterback sacks. Junior linebacker Nick Kaijala led the team with 10 tackles in the game while senior linebacker Jake Ksiazkiewicz followed with nine tackles and one sack.

Senior defensive end Ron Garrett posted eight tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss while junior safety Kris Matthews made eight tackles. Junior defensive lineman Peter Santorelli has registered seven tackles with one sack while senior defensive end Billy Beinke tallied six stops. Junior outside linebacker Chad Curtice chipped in with five tackles and 2.0 sacks while sophomore defensive back Anthony Martuccio also posted five tackles.


LEBANON VALLEY ON DEFENSE: 3-4
Defensively, Lebanon Valley has allowed opponents 390.5 yards of total offense per-game, including 120.5 rushing yards and 270.0 passing yards. Senior safety Brian Kasper has a team-high 20 tackles with a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Senior linebacker David Kennedy follows with 15 tackles while junior linebacker Frank Gaffney has 14 tackles including 4.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.

Senior cornerback Ryan Melley has also made 14 tackles while adding one interception. Senior nose-guard Kevin Smith has made 13 tackles while sophomore safety Kevin Antol has contributed 10 stops.

UP NEXT:
King's will celebrate Homecoming 2013 on Saturday, September 28 when the Monarchs host Albright College at 1:00 p.m. at McCarthy Stadium.