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WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – It took just nine plays for the Lycoming College football team to score 14 points in the first half and in the second half, senior Josh Kleinfelter (Bellwood, Pa./Bellwood-Antis) bruised for 170 yards and two touchdowns to salt away a 40-10 victory over Westminster College in the PAC/MAC Challenge at David Person Field.
"We've been preaching from the beginning that if we can just get a little bit better everyday in practice then we have a chance to be very, very good week to week," Lycoming head coach Mike Clark said.
Kleinfelter finished the game with 209 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries, as he averaged 6.3 yards per game to move his career total to 2,753 yards, just 115 away from the second spot in school history, currently held by Tim Deasey (1998-01). The Warriors posted a hefty 466 yards of total offense in the game with the team’s rushers accounting for 308 yards.
"It's been awhile and I take pride in anytime that we can have a big rushing day," Kleinfelter, who last ran for 200 yards against Susquehanna in 2008, said. "We came out and thought we could run the ball and we did it."
The Warriors (1-1 overall) started quick against the Titans, as sophomore #Parker Showers# (Aspers, Pa./Biglerville) ran the kickoff back 58 yards to the Westminster 31. On the first play from scrimmage, sophomore Zach Klinger (Halifax, Pa./Halifax) lofted a pass to senior #Ryan Wagaman’s# (Aspers, Pa./Biglerville) right shoulder and Wagaman brought it in for the score to give Lycoming the early seven-point lead.
"That's what we planned for," Klinger said. "We had the first 15 plays scripted. We were a little too close for the plays that we were gong to run but, we still came out throwing the ball in the beginning. It was great, we expected to score on the first play really. We had great field position. I can't ask for anything else."
On the ensuing kickoff, the Warriors recovered a fumble, as freshman Kabongo Bukasa (Sharon Hill, Pa./Academy Park) forced it and sophomore Josh Borrelli (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) picked it up at the Westminster 37. Eight plays later, the Warriors hit paydirt again, as Klinger found senior #Mark Ryan# (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) in the left corner for a 20-yard touchdown.
Westminster (1-1 overall) controlled much of the rest of the first quarter, rolling on a 15-play, 57-yard drive that resulted in a 20-yard field goal from Trevor Young. After a pair of punts, senior #T.J. Chiarolanza# (Warminster, Pa./William Tennet) hit a 29-yard field goal with 7:40 left in the second quarter to cap an eight-play, 31-yard drive.
The Titans cut the lead to a touchdown later in the second half, as Shawn Lehocky found Collin Wallace on a 17-yard pass and the teams headed to the locker room with Lycoming leading 17-10.
The Warriors came out ready to go in the second half, as the defense thwarted the Titans’ opening drive in five plays and Kleinfelter began his punishing domination of the game, rushing the ball nine times on an 11-play drive that started on the Lycoming 20-yard line and resulted in his first touchdown on a 1-yard run. The extra point was blocked, though, to keep it a 23-10 game.
After a three-and-out, the Warriors ate the final five minutes of the third quarter thanks to the feet of Kleinfelter. Although the 14-play, seven-minute drive stalled at the eight-yard line, Chiarolanza hit his second field goal of the game from 26 yards.
The defense again held the Titans to five plays on their ensuing drive and once again, the Warriors ground the ball again, rushing the ball seven times in a row in route to the touchdown, again on a 1-yard run by Kleinfelter to take a 33-10 lead.
After another Westminster drive ended in an interception in the end zone by junior Ray Bierbach (Hunlock Creek, Pa./Northwest), Kleinfelter ran for 35 yards on the first play of the drive to go over 200 yards in the game on his last carry. Sophomore Caleb Shertzer (Mifflintown, Pa./Juniata) picked it up from there, rushing seven times for 45 yards and taking in the final rush nine yards for the touchdown, rounding out the Warriors’ 40-point day.
Klinger finished 13-of-21 passing for 158 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite target was Wagaman, who posted five receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown. Ryan finished with 38 yards and a touchdown.
The defense was led by 11 tackles from senior Chuck Bellitto (New Holland, Pa./Garden Spot), as the senior safety added 1.5 tackles for a loss and two breakups. Both sophomores #Matt Talerico# (Moosic, Pa./Riverside) and #Roger Jayne# (Harvey’s Lake, Pa./Lake Lehman) added seven tackles and sophomore #Ryan Fenningham# (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) added six tackles, two for a loss and a fumble recovery.
Both junior Anthony Marascio (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) and sophomore #Nate Oropollo# (Aldan, Pa./Cardinal O’Hara) contributed sacks.
Lehocky finished 19-of-31 for 156 yards and a touchdown for the Titans. Logan Belinda ran for 48 of the Titans’ 98 yards and Collin Wallace, Connor Kobis and Geno Pasquinelli each had four catches, with Wallace finishing with 57 yards and a touchdown.
Derrick Orloski posted 10 tackles to lead the Titans and both Joe Ross and Jake Brown each contributed eight.
After a bye week, the Warriors will get back on the field on Saturday, Sept. 25 when Ithaca College comes to David Person Field for a 1:30 p.m. game as part of Family Weekend.
Notes
- This was Lycoming’s first win over Westminster as the Titans hold a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Warriors last played the Titans in 1971, with the Titans posting a 25-13 win. The only person still associated with the Warriors from that team is assistant head coach Steve Wiser, who was a player on the 1971 Warriors.
- Before the game, Lycoming had a moment of silence for longtime PA announcer Dick Zimmerman, who passed away on Aug. 28. Zimmerman was the voice of Warrior football for 37 years.
