WILKES-BARRE, PA (September 14, 2024) -- An all-around team effort propelled the King's College football team in a dominant 41-14 win over Misericorida University on Saturday afternoon at McCarthy Stadium. The Monarchs open their Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) schedule 1-0 and improve to 1-1, while the Cougars drop to 1-1 and 0-1 in the MAC. The win also marks the first for Head Coach Mike Cebrosky.
 
A chaotic start to the game saw Misericordia (1-1, 0-1 MAC) get on the board first with a six-yard run from Jacob Hunter with 11:56 to play. After a pair of empty drives by the Cougars and a scoreless possession from King's (1-1, 1-0 MAC), the Monarchs got into their groove, putting together an 11-play, 78-yard drive over 5:35 of the game clock. A 24-yard rush from Jayon Hailey kick started the drive before Russell Minor-Shaw connected with EJ Schreiner from 10-yards out to tie the game, 7-7, heading into the second.
 
It was all King's from there as they forced a turnover on downs to start the period before marching down the field behind 66 rushing yards from Brennan Robinson on three carries. It was the Minor-Shaw to Schreiner connection again, this time on a six-yard gain, that put the Monarchs ahead, 14-7, with 11:55 to go in the half.
 
Misericordia seemed to have a response on their 12-play, 34-yard drive over 7:37 of the game clock, but King's came up big defensively again to force another turnover on downs and get the ball back with 4:18 left in the second. The Monarchs continued their momentum, marching 80 yards down the field on nine plays, fueled by a 37-yard catch from Mike DiGregorio. For the third time in the half, Minor-Shaw threw the touchdown pass to Schreiner for a 14-yard score as King's held the 21-7 advantage heading into the locker room.
 
King's got the ball to start the second half and benefited from a 57-yard kickoff return from Tony Brinson and a personal foul on Misericordia to start their drive on the Cougars 20 yard line. Robinson took the first three carries 29 yards to set up a five-yard run from Hailey as the Monarch lead swelled to 28-7 with 12:59 left in the third.
 
Another Misericordia turnover on downs set up the Monarch's fifth scoring drive of the afternoon. A 26-yard run from Minor-Shaw midway through the drive got King's just outside of the red zone, and a few quick gains by the backfield duo of Hailey and Robinson provided the spark to set up a 7-yard touchdown catch by Ryan McCombs as King's posted a 34-7 lead with 3:50 on the third-quarter clock.
 
Misericorida did not go away just yet, scoring in the final seconds of the third to close within 34-14, but the momentum stalled there as both teams were kept out of the end zone in their first two possessions of the fourth. King's put the exclamation mark on the game thanks to an interception by Zach Barber that he returned 20 yards to the Misericordia 25-yard line. An eight-yard gain from Robinson and a 17-yard scoring run from Minor-Shaw allowed King's to put the game away, 41-14, and secure the win in their MAC opener.
 
Minor-Shaw remained efficient in the game, completing 12-of-18 passes for 169 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for 61 yards and a score. Robinson led the run game with 118 yards on 13 carries, while Hailey added 91 and a touchdown on 18 attempts. DiGregorio was the team's leading receiver with 69 yards on three catches, while Schreiner totaled 67 yards on six grabs with three touchdowns, tying the single-game record for touchdown receptions.
 
A balanced defensive effort was led by Jared Reto with six tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss, while Jake Ruppert posted five with a break up. Both Joachim McElroy and Nathan Taylor added five tackles, while Sean Lavine totaled three with a 14-yard sack and two hurries. Barber added to his interception with three tackles and three break ups.
 
On special teams, McElroy punted once for 46 yards, and Delany Hilferty remained perfect with her 5-for-5 effort on extra-point attempts.
 
For the Cougars, Jacob Hunter completed 17-of-32 for 149 yards, while Davon Reams was the leading rusher with 27 yards on seven carries. LT Messick posted a team-best 56 receiving yards on five catches, and Gavin Morris led the defense with 10 tackles.
 
The Monarchs dominated inside the box score, holding a 24-11 edge in first downs and a 465-202 advantage in total offense. King's was a force in the run game, rushing for 296 yards while limiting the Cougars to just 53 yards on 24 attempts. While the hosts only went 3-for-9 on third-down conversions, they were efficient on fourth down, going 2-for-3, and in the red zone with six scores on eight trips.
 
King's looks to continue their good fortune in their first road test of 2024 next weekend, September 21, at Alvernia University. Kickoff in Reading, Pa. is set for 1:00 p.m.