WILKES-BARRE, PA (October 10, 2026) -- The King's College football team returns to action this afternoon, traveling to Eastern University for a pivotal Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) matchup. The Monarchs enter following a bye week after rallying from a fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Widener University, 18-13, on Homecoming and Family Weekend. Trailing 13-10 early in the final quarter, King's used a safety and a late touchdown drive to secure its first conference victory of the season. Eastern comes off the bye after a 21-7 road win at Delaware Valley University on September 26. The Eagles used a pair of first-half touchdowns and a dominant defensive effort to remain unbeaten and move into sole possession of first place in the MAC standings.
 
Event Details:
Opponent: Eastern (3-1, 3-0 MAC)
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time: 12:30 p.m.
Location: Radnor, PA - Football Facility at Valley Forge
Tickets: $10 for Adults, $5 for Seniors and non-Eastern students
Live Coverage: (Live Video) // (Live Stats)
 
Things to Know:
King's vs. Eastern Game Notes
Fan Policies
 
The Coaches: Mike Cebrosky is in his 17th season as a member of the King's football coaching staff and his third season as head coach of the Monarchs. Through his first two years at the helm, Cebrosky has guided King's to a 15-7 overall record and a 14-4 mark in Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) play, highlighted by the program's first outright MAC championship and an appearance in the NCAA Division III Football Championships in 2024. During his tenure as head coach, the Monarchs have produced 27 All-MAC selections, eight D3football.com All-Region honorees, and one D3football.com All-American. Cebrosky was named the 2024 MAC Coach of the Year after leading King's to a 10-2 overall record, a perfect 9-0 conference mark, and the longest winning streak in program history. Billy Crocker enters his fourth season as head coach at Eastern University after being hired in December 2021 to build the Eagles' football program from the ground up. He directed every aspect of the program's launch, including assembling the coaching staff, recruiting the inaugural classes and establishing the culture and foundation of Eastern football. After a 2-8 debut season in 2023, Crocker guided the Eagles to a 5-5 mark in 2024 before leading a historic breakthrough in 2025. In just the program's third varsity season, Eastern posted a 10-2 record, captured the MAC Championship and earned its first NCAA Division III Tournament berth. The Eagles defeated No. 16 Franklin & Marshall for their first postseason victory before advancing to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Following the season, Crocker was named MAC Coach of the Year and D3football.com Region 1 Coach of the Year. Before arriving at Eastern, Crocker spent three seasons as defensive coordinator at Elon University, helping the Phoenix earn victories over nationally ranked opponents while developing several standout defensive players. He previously served as defensive coordinator at UConn for two seasons and spent 12 years on the staff at Villanova University, including five as defensive coordinator. During his tenure with the Wildcats, Crocker was part of the 2009 FCS National Championship team and multiple NCAA playoff appearances.
 
Looking at Eastern: The Eagles enter this week's MAC matchup riding a three-game winning streak after opening the 2026 season with a loss to nationally ranked No. 24 Endicott College. The Eagles received six votes in the d3football.com Top 25 Week 5 poll. Eastern returns from the bye week following a 21-7 road win over Delaware Valley two weekends ago. Through four games, the Eagles are averaging 356.5 yards of total offense per contest, including 275.3 rushing yards and 81.3 passing yards per game. Graduate student quarterback Brett Nabb, now in his third season as Eastern's starter, has completed 26 of 46 passes for 325 yards and one touchdown while adding a significant rushing threat. On the ground, senior running back Jeremiah Avrilien has paced the offense with 612 yards and seven touchdowns on 82 carries, while Nabb has added 378 rushing yards and three scores on 72 attempts. In the passing game, senior wide receiver Devon Johnson leads the team with nine receptions for 117 yards. Chris Rivera, Avrilien, Elijah Morales and senior Malachi Wyche have also been regular targets, with Wyche hauling in Eastern's lone receiving touchdown of the season. The Eagles have found success in the red zone, converting 10 of 14 opportunities into touchdowns and scoring on 71 percent of their trips inside the 20-yard line. Defensively, Eastern has limited opponents to 222.8 yards per game through the first four contests. The Eagles have recorded three interceptions, with sophomore linebacker DonJuan Clark, senior linebacker Chris Forte and senior linebacker Saadiq Simpkins each registering one. Clark leads the team with 21 total tackles and shares the team lead in sacks with one alongside sophomore defensive lineman Wayne Clark. On special teams, senior kicker John Nolek is 10-for-13 on extra-point attempts and is still seeking his first field goal after two attempts. Junior punter Curtis Johnson has placed four of his 13 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line, with a season-long punt of 47 yards.
 
Road Threads: The Monarchs will hit the turf sporting white jerseys with white pants along with their traditional gold helmets.
 
Captains This Saturday: Representing the offense for this week's coin toss will be Joey Rehberg and Kyle VanConia. Joining them from the defense are Jayson Howarth and Tarylle Stewart.
 
Single Digit Tough: The Monarchs award single digits, and now double digits to offensive linemen, based on merit and leadership and are retained throughout their time at King's.  The 2026 roster returned four single-digit members from 2025 in Xander Murray, Michael Richino, James Mangine and Kaleb Beers and have added one so far in 2026. The Monarchs now have five Single Digit Tough players: Xander Murray (0), Nick Hoffman (7), Michael Richino (8), James Mangine (9) and Kaleb Beers (55).
 
A Look at the Monarchs:

• The Monarchs have reached the postseason in three of the last four seasons and look to continue that trend in 2026.
• King's returns a trio of All-MAC honorees from 2025 while looking to replace First Team running back Brennan Robinson and wide receiver Jayon Hailey along with Honorable Mention Zach Hulsizer.
• The staff stands at 13 members, including six alumni in Ben Bakanas, Matt Blakemore, Mike Karycinski, Sean Lavine, Brendan Mozeleski and Brennan Robinson.
• King's was predicted sixth in the MAC Preseason Poll, just four points behind Lebanon Valley and Stevenson who are tied for fourth.
• The Monarchs earned their first victory and first MAC win of the season with an 18-13 Homecoming victory over Widener University.
• King's rallied from a 13-10 fourth-quarter deficit against the Pride, scoring the game's final eight points to secure the comeback win.
• The Monarchs rank fourth in the MAC in total offense, averaging 341.7 yards per game through three contests.
• King's enters the week ranked third in the conference in rushing offense at 148.3 yards per game.
• Quarterback Jaelin Mims has completed 56 passes for 580 yards and six touchdowns through three games.
• Reynaldo Carter is averaging 109.0 rushing yards per game after totaling 327 yards on the ground through the first three weeks.
• Kival Clarke leads the Monarch receiving corps with 12 catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns.
• King's leads the MAC in kickoff return average, recording 23.1 yards per return.
• Linebacker Jacob Mullery paces the Monarch defense with 22 total tackles through three games.
• Xander Murray leads the team with 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks while helping anchor the Monarch defensive front.

 
Up Next: The Monarchs return home to McCarthy Stadium next weekend for their Mental Health Awareness game against Lebanon Valley College. Kickoff against the Flying Dutchmen is slated for 1:00 p.m.