WILKES-BARRE, PA (September 28, 2019) -- When it mattered all game Saturday at McCarthy Stadium, in front of a raucous Homecoming crowd, the defense made a play. Thanks to that stellar defensive output, the King's College football team moved to 3-0 for the first time in program history Saturday with a 19-13 win over Lycoming College in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) opener for the Monarchs. 

It didn't look like points would be hard to come by early on in the game, as sophomore signal caller Tyler Moore connected on a 52-yard touchdown pass with Gabe Boccella for the third straight game to make the score 6-0 after a missed extra point. In all three games this year for King's, Boccella has caught a TD reception for over 50 yards in the contest's first four minutes of the game. 

The Monarchs would see their lead cut in half with 5:27 to go in the first quarter, as Jamie Fisher connected on a 35-yard field goal following a interception by Austin Rowley of a Boccella pass. Early in the second quarter, Fisher would tie the game on a 39-yard field goal, as he became the all-time leader in field goals made at Lycoming with his attempt. 

Both defenses would start to settle in from that point, as Lycoming forced King's into a punt before King's returned the favor to get the ball back at the Monarch 35-yard line with 11:45 to play in the half. The Monarchs would put together a nice drive over the next 3:27, highlighted by a 17-yard carry by senior Jordan Downes followed two plays later by a 19-yard tote. 

After Downes was forced to leave the game, sophomore back-up Quincy Clark filled in more than adequately, gaining 14 yards to set up King's at the Lycoming 10. On 2nd and Goal, Moore hit junior Tim Costantino on a crossing route and he jogged into the end zone for the score to make it 13-6. 

On the next drive, King's defense produced yet another turnover in a year where they've been coming frequently. After Lycoming moved the ball to the King's 31, junior Jaret Horn picked off Elijah Shemory at the 25-yard line to end the Warriors (1-3, 0-2 MAC) drive. King's had a chance to score before the half, but a holding penalty late in the drive thwarted that effort sending the game to halftime with the hosts up 13-6.

After halftime, the first three possessions of the half produced only 19 total yards and three punts for the teams combined before King's go something going midway through the period. Taking over at their own 20, the Monarchs marched 71 yards over nine plays before taking a 10-point lead on a Justin Timonte field goal from 26 yards out. 

The Warriors wasted no time answered the field goal, hitting a 76-yard bomb to Stephen Toczylousky to make the score 16-13. Lycoming would force another three-and-out, but King's answered that with a defensive stop, led by a strong pressure from Myles Shelton off the edge for KC. 

King's added to its lead with a 25-yard field goal with 4:53 to go in the third, taking advantage of an overturned interception due to defensive pass interference. On the next drive, Lycoming tried to go up top but Horn intercepted his fourth pass of the last two weeks and the second of the day to give the ball back to King's. 

Lycoming's defensive unit was up to the task the next time out for King's, but freshman Joe Carchio hit a booming punt that was covered brillantly by Mando Sallavanti and Brendan Mozeleski to back the Warriors up. The two teams would exchange punts again before the Warriors got the ball back with 10 minutes to play on their own 40. 

The visitors started to drive and had the ball deep in King's territory, but senior Mikal Butler picked off Shemory for King's third interception of the game. Butler returned the ball to the King's 40-yard line. The Monarchs wouldn't be able to do much with the ball, but forced a punt once again thanks to a sack during the sequence by freshman Jassiem Lettsome. 

After another three-and-out for KC, Lycoming got the ball back with 2:34 to play at its own 18-yard line. Lyco moved the ball to their 43-yard line but four straight incompletions including a hurried throw by Lettsome on 4th and 9 sealed the win for King's. 

It was a special defensive display for the Monarchs, considering that King's held on for the victory after posting seven three-and-outs in the second half. King's allowed only two drives over four plays in the second half, and forced five punts and added two picks down the stretch. 

Moore finished 17-of-35 for King's, collecting 214 yards and two touchdowns. Boccella tallied his second straight 100-yard performance, going for a career-high 129 yards on six catches including that first-quarter touchdown. Junior Brendon Cohen posted four receptions, and freshman Joe Herman also made a pair of catches for 24 yards. 

Downes missed time all game, but still racked up an impressive 157 yards rushing on 29 carries, averaging 5.3 yards per contest. Carchio had a strong game as well, averaging 40 yards per punt including putting three of his seven kicks inside the 20. Timonte made both of his field goal attempts for King's Saturday.

Defensively, Sallavanti posted nine tackles and one pass breakup, and Charles McCall had his second straight strong game againt Lycoming, totaling seven tackles and a sack. Butler posted six tackles in addition to his interception, and Horn had three tackles and a hurry along with his two picks. Lettsome finished with 1.5 tackles for loss, and Dallas Solomon also posted a tackle for loss for King's. 

Shemory was 20-of-39 for 229 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions for Lycoming. The Warriors managed only 38 yards rushing on Saturday, led by the 14 yards on the ground by Keith Batkowski. 

The Monarchs will look to keep their perfect record alive next Saturday, heading to local rival Misericordia University Saturday, October 5 at 1 p.m. in Dallas, PA on Mangelsdorf Field.