WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Junior Will Fish (Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg) became the seventh player in Lycoming College football history to throw five touchdown passes in a game and just the second to throw for 31 completions, but a late rally fell short as Wilkes University posted a 48-35 win in Lycoming's debut in the Landmark Conference on Saturday, Oct. 7, at David Person Field at Girardi Stadium.
 
Fish finished 31-of-57, tying the school-record with 31 completions in a game, for 336 yards and the five scores, distributing the scores to four different receivers as nine Warriors (0-5 overall, 0-1 Landmark) finished with a catch in the game. Sophomore Dawson Debebe (Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) had seven catches for 90 yards and two scores and junior Billy Coppock (Collingdale, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) added seven catches for 74 yards and senior Brandon Timothy (Woodland Park, N.J./Passaic Valley) had six catches for 49 yards and a score. First-year Ross Eyer (Muncy, Pa./Muncy) had four catches for 58 yards and a score and sophomore Brendan Clark (Montoursville, Pa./Loyalsock Township) had three receptions for 20 yards and his first career touchdown.
 
First-year Terrence Oliver (Sharon Hill, Pa./Academy Park) had 11 rushes for 41 yards and first-year Quasim Benson (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) added 10 carries for 24 yards.
 
The Warriors drove 71 yards on 18 plays to open the game, with Clark hauling in a six-yard touchdown pass to cap the drive before Wilkes (2-4 overall, 2-0 Landmark) scored the next three touchdowns. Fish found Timothy for a 17-yard score to cap a 42-yard drive and later in the quarter, he found Debebe down the sideline for a 56-yard touchdown, but Wilkes took a 41-21 lead with 10:12 left in the third quarter.
 
The Warriors responded with a 14-play, 73-yard drive, with Fish finding Debebe for a nine-yard score and then after a missed Wilkes field goal, the Warriors closed within six with a seven-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 33-yard touchdown pass to Eyer with 10:59 left in the fourth quarter.
 
Lycoming had two chances to tie the game, but a fumble and a turnover on downs thwarted the late rallies before Wilkes scored with 49 seconds left to make up the final margin.
 
Sophomore Jake Welch (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) notched 10 tackles, 0.5 for loss, senior Austin Rowley (Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) added nine stops and one tackle for loss, and senior Kevin Gianoni (Quakertown, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) posted nine stops, four for loss, 0.5 sacks and two breakups. Sophomore Ryan Pentz (Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain) notched seven stops, one for loss, and had an interception and a hurry. Sophomore Elisha Carothers (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) had five tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
 
Isaiah Rodriguez finished 20-of-30 for 232 yards and three touchdowns for the Colonels. Jimmy Johnson led receivers with five catches for 53 yards. Elijah Jules rushed 17 times for 135 yards, JayJay Jordan added 10 carries for 74 yards and a score and Xavier Powell had five carries for 46 yards and two touchdowns.
 
Jesse Addesso led the Colonels with seven stops, two for loss and Tallen Murray had three tackles and two interceptions.
 
The Warriors are back on the field on Saturday, Oct. 21, when they head to Keystone College for a 1 p.m. Landmark Conference game.