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WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Sophomore Matt Atkinson (Media, Pa./Penncrest) did a bit of everything for the Lycoming College football team against ninth-ranked Delaware Valley on Saturday, Nov. 5, at David Person Field, rushing for 90 yards, throwing for 13 and catching five passes for 35 yards, but Aaron Wilmer carried in an eight-yard touchdown with 13 seconds left to stun an upset-minded Warrior team, 28-21, in front of 2,986 fans.
 
Down 21-14 with 5:52 left, the Warriors (7-2 overall, 5-2 MAC) got the ball back at the 32-yard line and the Warriors turned to Atkinson to move the ball, as he caught a pass for 10 yards and then ran for 18 on the next play to get the ball to the 26-yard line with 3:03 left. Junior quarterback Zach Klinger (Halifax, Pa./Halifax) continued to move the ball, completing a seven-yard pass to junior Jarrin Campman (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield) to get the ball to the 19 before freshman Craig Needhammer (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) ran for a four-yard first down. After another option run by Arkinson, junior Parker Showers (Aspers, Pa./Biglerville) plowed ahead for eight yards on a pair of carries to bring the ball to the three-yard line. Needhammer rushed to the one-yard line before Klinger broke the plane with 1:01 left, and an extra-point by sophomore Zack Czap (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Oscelola) tied the game.
 
Delaware Valley (9-0 overall, 7-0 MAC) started their winning drive in good field position, though, as a squib kick was handled by the second row of Delaware Valley kick returners and Chad Wisniewski brought the ball to the 46-yard line. After a pass from Aaron Wilmer to Rodney Blango started the drive for 16 yards, Wilmer was stopped on the next two plays to set up a third-and-10 from the 38. However, the freshman responded by completing a pair of 15-yard passes to Blango and Lewis Vincent to give the Aggies the ball at the eight-yard line, where Wilmer dove in on a draw play with 13 seconds left.
 
On the ensuing kickoff, the Warriors tried to lateral four times before Chris Vega intercepted a lateral at the six-yard line as time expired.
 
In a game against the two best defenses in the MAC, the offenses performed admirably well, with the Aggies gaining 379 yards (116 rushing, 263 passing) and the Warriors posting 280 (144 rushing, 136 passing). Lycoming held a 21-18 advantage in first downs.
 
After the first Warrior drive stalled, the Aggies came out firing, with Wilmer completing a 46-yard pass to Chris Ruiz on the second play from scrimmage and then capping the nine-play, 93-yard drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Vincent.
 
The Warriors fought right back, though, as a kickoff return to the 36-yard line set the team up on an eight-play, 64-yard run. During the drive, the Warrior quarterbacking tandem of Klinger and Atkinson rushed three times for 25 yards before Klinger found sophomore Warren Oliver (Beverly, N.J./Palmyra) on a 16-yard touchdown pass to tie the score.
 
In the second quarter, the Aggies took the lead after starting a drive with 10:34 at their own 43-yard line. The Aggies drove the ball to the 21-yard line before Kyle Schuberth ran it in from 21-yard out for the team’s seventh touchdown of the year on fourth down. Neither team held the ball for more than five plays in the remaining 5:49 of the first half.
 
In the third quarter, the Warriors started with good field position after the first of two interceptions from senior Ray Bierbach (Hunlock Creek, Pa./Northwest Area) and drove the ball to the 11-yard line, but the second of two interceptions by Chris Vega ended the drive on a pass in the end zone. From there, the Aggies drove to the 48-yard line and left the Warriors pinned in their end of the field for much of the rest of the quarter before Atkinson rushed for 10 yards on an option play and then a facemask added 15 yards to move the ball into Delaware Valley territory. As the quarter ended, the Warrior drive heated up, with Klinger finding Showers underneath for 18 yards and then Atkinson throwing his lone pass of the game, a 13-yarder to freshman John Sibel (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) that got the ball to the six-yard line. Three plays later, Klinger found Atkinson underneath for a three-yard touchdown to tie the game with 11:21 left.
 
After each team had a drive stall, the Aggies got the ball at the 50-yard line and on third-and-10, Wilmer found Vincent on a 50-yard post to give the Aggies the 21-14 lead with 6:48 left.
 
Klinger finished 15-of-28 with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Showers finished with 35 yards on 13 carries and caught three passes for 38 yards and Needhammer rushed nine times for 27 yards. Oliver caught three passes for 30 yards and a touchdown.
 
Defensively, senior Chris Kish (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial) made 11 tackles and junior Ryan Fenningham (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) made 10 tackles and had a breakup. Senior Anthony Marascio (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) made 10 tackles, one for a loss and a breakup and junior Tyler Floyd (Halifax, Pa./Halifax) notched a career-high seven stops. Bierbach posted four tackles and two interceptions and sophomore Dwight Hentz (Halifax, Pa./Halifax) made two stops and a had a sack.
 
Wilmer led the Aggies with 17-of-34 passing for 263 yards and two touchdowns. He was picked off twice. Blango notched seven receptions for 89 yards and Vincent added three receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns. Ruiz caught three passes for 69 yards and Schuberth, the league’s leading rusher, was held to 73 yards on 14 carries. He scored once.
 
Terrance Osborne, Ken Fowlkes and Ryan McCullough each had 10 tackles for the Aggies and John Marcelline notched seven stops and 1.5 sacks.
 
The Warriors wrap up the 2011 season on Saturday, Nov. 12, when they face FDU-Florham, looking for their eighth win of the year, at 1 p.m. at David Person Field.