WILKES-BARRE, PA (October 19, 2019) -- The King's College football team took a commanding 28-7 lead into halftime Saturday in a Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) matchup with visiting Alvernia University and held off the charging Golden Wolves late in the fourth to earn a 35-28 victory in conference play from McCarthy Stadium. With the win, the Monarchs moved to 4-2 overall, and evened their record in the MAC to 2-2. 

The Monarchs got the opening kickoff and senior Jordan Downes started the game with a 36-yard kickoff return to put the Monarchs at their own 48-yard line to start play from scrimmage. The drive would stall though, but a punt from Joe Carchio was downed at the Alvernia 2 to pin the Golden Wolves deep. This would prove beneficial for the Monarchs, as King's earned a safety after Alvernia quarterback Darius Sample couldn't corral a low snap and eventually had to fall on the ball in the end zone. 

After the free kick, the Monarchs needed just three plays before sophomore Tyler Moore connected on a 31-yard pass to senior Jayner Gorospe in the back of the end zone to put King's up 9-0 after less than five minutes of action. 

The Golden Wolves would respond with 5:00 remaining in the first quarter, as Sample found Antwaan Cade on the right sideline at the King's 20 and he scampered past three Monarchs into the end zone for the touchdown. On the ensuing drive, King's worked the ball down to the Alvernia 3, and junior receiver Gabe Boccella took the direct snap and pushed in for score to make it 15-7 to finish a nine-play, 60-yard drive that lasted 3:34. 

After a defensive stop, King's started its next scoring drive with 14:00 remaining in the first half and the Monarchs had another long march that ended on a Downes 10-yard rushing touchdown carry to make the score 21-7. After the Monarchs forced a 3-and-out, KC chalked up another scoring drive, cashing in on a Moore touchdown pass to Downes. On the play, Moore rolled right and tossed back to Downes, who had a clear path to paydirt thanks to a great block by Boccella that took out two Alvernia defenders to make it 28-7 King's. 

After halftime, Alvernia pulled to within 14 with 4:19 remaning in the third quarter, as Sample hit Otis Harold down the right sideline from 32 yards out. That's how the score would stand until just into the fourth quarter, when Moore pushed in on a quarterback keeper from the 1-yard line to make it 35-14 with 14:17 to play in regulation. The Golden Wolves wouldn't go away though, as Sample finished a 5-play, 80-yard drive over 1:36 on a 7-yard carry. After King's fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Alvernia pulled to within a touchdown at 35-28 as Sample hit Owen Morton on a 12-yard seam route with 5:30 to go. 

The next drive for King's would stall at midfield, but Carchio once again pinned the Golden Wolves deep as his punt was downed at the AU 1-yard line. The Golden Wolves were faced with having to go 99 yards over the last 1:51 of the game, but Alvernia would only get to its own 44-yard line before Sample's hail mary on the final play of the game was batted down by Jaret Horn to secure the win. 

King's outgained their visitors Saturday 390-285, and outgained the MAC's leading rushing attack on the ground 247-86. King's held a 32:00-28:00 time of possession edge as well. 

Moore finished 12-of-17 on the day, as King's established the run game mostly throughout the game. The Monarchs signal caller still threw for 143 yards, including two scores, while rushing for his first career touchdown. Downes was once again an all-purpose monster for King's, finished with 132 yards on the ground, along with five catches for 72 yards, 84 return yards and two touchdowns. 

Gorospe was King's leading receiver with three grabs for 42 yards, and Boccella added a pair of catches of 11 yards. Carchio was stellar as he helped King's shift field position, averaging 42 yards on five punts, including pinning AU inside the 20 three times. 

Defensively, Charles McCall led King's with seven tackles including 1.5 tackles for loss. and Myles Shelton had his best game as a Monarch with five tackles. three sacks and a forced fumble. Elijah Demosthene added six stops, and Brandon Mozeleski posted five tackles and a tackle for loss. Jassiem Lettsome and Mike Karycinski each had three stops and shared a tackle for loss, and Horn added three tackles and an interception. 

Sample finished with 199 yards passing, along with 26 yards on the ground. Malcom Carey added 52 yards rushing for Alvernia, and Christian Francis had 10 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. 

King's will look to get over .500 in conference play next Saturday, October 26 at 1 p.m., traveling to Owings Mills, MD to take on Stevenson University.