WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – A 17-point first quarter aided by great field position and another dominating defensive performance helped lift the Lycoming College football team to a 23-10 win over Lebanon Valley College in the Middle Atlantic Conference opener for both teams on Saturday, Sept. 15, at David Person Field.
 
The Warrior defense forced two turnovers and allowed just 206 yards and 10 first downs to the Flying Dutchmen (0-3 overall, 0-1 MAC). The defense also notched four sacks and allowed just 60 yards passing. Senior Jarrell Payne (Jersey City, N.J./Liberty) led the defense with six stops, 0.5 for loss and a breakup. Freshman Willie Garner (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) had five stops and a sack and sophomore Mike Kalyan (Auburn, Pa./Schuylkill Haven) had five stops, two for a loss. Freshman Matt Stankiewicz (Olyphant, Pa./Mid Valley) also had five tackles and half a sack. Senior D.J. Boyd (District Heights, Md./Fairmount Heights) and junior Jeff Coplin (Philadelphia, Pa./Central) each had interceptions.
 
Lycoming's offense was again dominated by its ground game, as it rushed the ball 44 times for 166 yards, with junior Jacob Fimbres (La Habra, Calif./Sonora) rushed 24 times for 94 yards and a touchdown and junior Keith Batkowski (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville) rushed 14 times for 80 yards.
 
Freshman Elijah Shemory (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore Area) finished 10-of-22 passing for 133 yards and a touchdown. He was intercepted once. Senior Nick Costello (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) caught three passes for 35 yards and a touchdown and junior Christoff Minott (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) had a 45-yard reception.
 
The Warriors (2-1 overall, 1-0 MAC) got on the board with their second drive of the game after Coplin's interception gave them the ball at the LVC 37. Using Fimbres' legs on three of the five plays in the drive, he hit paydirt from 14 yards out to make it 7-0.
 
A 41-yard punt return by sophomore Tyjah During (Accokeek, Md./Surrattsville) put the ball at the Lebanon Valley 38 on Lycoming's next drive. After two Batkowski runs got the ball inside the 20, Shemory found Costello in the end zone for an 18-yard score to make it 14-0. Another 3-and-out by Lebanon Valley put Lycoming back in business, as the team drove to the 22 before a holding penalty stalled the drive. Still, junior Jamie Fisher (Folsom, Pa./Ridley) drilled a 44-yard field goal to make it 17-0.
 
Lebanon Valley got on the board with a 50-yard TD rush by Hunter Wilson late in the first, but Lycoming kept winning the battle of field position in the second quarter to get six of those points back. Boyd's interception return to the LVC 35 set up a 34-yard field goal from Fisher with 9:15 left in the quarter and a drive started at the LVC 42 led to a 27-yard field goal from Fisher with five seconds left in the half.
 
In the second half, Lebanon Valley scored on the opening drive thanks to a 32-yard field goal from Nick Bentz, but Lycoming allowed just three first downs after that. Lycoming held the ball for nearly nine minutes in the fourth quarter, driving inside the LVC 30 on their final sustained drive before the drive stalled.
 
Kody Kegarise rushed 12 times for 74 yards and finished 9-of-21 passing for 60 yards and two interceptions for Lebanon Valley. Wilson rushed seven times for 57 yards and a touchdown. Tyeair Diggs caught three passes for 15 yards.
 
Alex Trujillo led the Dutchmen defense, posting nine tackles, 0.5 for loss. Tyler Okomba had a sack and Tyler Lutz added an interception and a breakup.
 
The Warriors get back on the field on Saturday, Sept. 22, when they head to FDU-Florham for a 12 p.m. MAC contest.