WASHINGTON D.C. – Sophomore quarterback Joe Lyons III (Margate City, N.J./Atlantic City) finished 22-of-30 for 251 yards and a career-high four touchdowns to lead the Lycoming College football team to a 38-12 Landmark Conference win over the Catholic University of America on Saturday, Nov. 1, at Cardinal Stadium to clinch a postseason berth for the third time in five seasons.
 
The win ensures that Lycoming (4-5 overall, 4-1 Landmark) will enjoy a postseason berth for the third time in the last four years. The team is not mathematically eliminated from a Landmark Conference Championship and a berth in the NCAA Division III Championship, but have also wrapped up a berth in the Chesapeake Bowl Series – the postseason challenge between the Landmark and the ODAC scheduled for Nov. 22. The series features two games between the Landmark's top finisher to not reach the NCAA Championship hosting the ODAC's second-best finisher to not reach the tournament and the ODAC's top finisher hosting the Landmark's second-best.
 
Senior Dawson Debebe (Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) caught seven passes for a season-best 116 yards and two touchdowns and senior Karson Kline (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield Area) had eight catches for 82 yards to lead the receiving corps. Junior Spencer Ferguson (Downingtown, Pa./Coatesville Area) had four catches for 29 yards and a score and he rushed 15 times for 47 yards. First-year Elijah Jordan (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore Area) had six rushes for 44 yards and a touchdown.
 
Junior Khalil Johnson (Laurel, Md./Atholton) notched a career-high 13 tackles, two for loss, as the defense forced four pass breakups, picked up two fumbles and enjoyed four sacks.
 
Catholic (3-6 overall, 2-2 Landmark) drove 68 yards on their first drive to score a touchdown, but the Warriors responded with 24 straight points to close the first half. Senior Michael Sipps (Lawrenceville, Pa./Cowenesque Valley) started the momentum change by picking up a Catholic fumble at the 42 and eight plays later, Lyons found Debebe to give Lycoming a 7-6 lead.
 
After a Catholic 3-and-out, the Warriors embarked on a 12-play, 62-yard drive that set up a 21-yard field goal from first-year Vasco Granitto (Dover, Del./Polytech). When the next Catholic drive ended at the 39 thanks to Johnson and Sipps stuffing a Cardinal rusher on 4-and-1, Lyons hooked up with Debebe for a 61-yard touchdown. Lycoming's next drive was an 11-play, 76-yarded, with Jordan rushing in from 13 yards out with 1:18 left in the half to make it 24-6.
 
Catholic scored on its first drive of the second half to make it 24-12 and then nearly had a fumble recovery on Lycoming's first play of the ensuing drive, but a replay ruling overturned the call on the field and changed it to an incomplete pass.
 
That was enough of an opening for the Warriors, as Lyons hooked up with Ferguson on an 18-yard wheel route to cap a 47-yard drive with the second play of the fourth quarter to make it 31-12. A fumble forced by senior Matt Trolinger (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) and recovered by sophomore Cam Tolbert (Suitland, Md./Suitland) on the first play of the next drive led to a 27-yard touchdown drive, capped by a two-yard pass to senior Brendan Clark (Montoursville, Pa./Loyalsock Township) to cap the scoring.
 
Charles Gulbin was 17-of-31 for 196 yards and a touchdown and Daequan Harvin rushed 11 times for 53 yards and a score. Cade Chrebet caught four passes for 61 yards. Michael Hopkins had 12 tackles, one for a loss and a breakup.
 
The Warriors will enjoy a late bye week before wrapping up the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 15, with a trip to Juniata College for a 1 p.m. Landmark Conference game.