Football

Wilkes University 36, Delaware Valley 19
Aggies Fall Out Of First Place With Loss

WILKES-BARRE (PA) - Wilkes University junior running back Brett Trichilo rushed a career-high 41 times for 207 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Colonels to a key 36-19 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) win over Delaware Valley College.

The win improves the Colonels to 7-2 overall and 6-2 in conference play. The Aggies, who came into the week tied for the top spot in the conference with Lycoming, falls to 7-2 overall and 6-2 in the MAC. Lycoming remained in first place with a 45-22 win over Widener while Delaware Valley, Wilkes and King's all stand a game behind.

Delaware Valley now needs help if it is going to capture a share of its first-ever MAC title. The Aggies must win at three-time defending champion Widener next Saturday and have Lycoming lose at home to archrival Susquehanna University. That would create a three way tie at the top and tri-champions in Delaware Valley, Lycoming and the winner of the Wilkes/King's contest.

The team that would receive the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III playoffs would be determined by a tiebreaker (which would depend on where other MAC teams finish in the standings or possibly a point differential).

Wilkes got on the board first thanks to a big defensive play. The Aggies had the ball at their own 42 when Thaddeus Shockley forced a fumble by Delaware Valley running back Taylor Ramos. Julian Morales picked up the loose ball and raced to the end zone for his third defensive touchdown this season. The extra point attempt was wide and Wilkes had a 6-0 lead with 12:08 left in the opening stanza.

Delaware Valley responded with a 10-play, 92-yard drive, to take their only lead of the afternoon. Starting at its own eight-yard line following a penalty, quarterback Adam Knoblauch went to the air and hit Don Marshall for a 41-yard completion that moved the ball to the Aggie 49. Later in the drive, Steve Cook bulled his way into the end zone from a yard out with 8:23 showing on the clock in the first quarter. Bill Miller nailed the extra point to give the Aggies a 7-6 advantage.

The Wilkes defense set up the Colonel's next score early in the second quarter when Mike Fox recovered a Knoblauch fumble at the Delaware Valley 40-yard. Eight plays later, Trichilo scored on a one-yard run. Devlin tacked on the extra-point for a 13-7 lead with 12:02 left in the second.

The game would stay that way until the opening drive of the second half when Wilkes embarked on a nine-play, 66 yard drive that resulted in a score. Colonel quarterback Duran Porrino capped the drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to fullback Kyle Gallagher. The two-point conversion attempt failed and Wilkes led 19-7 with 10:20 left in the third.

The Aggies looked like they were going to make it a one-score game immediately following Gallagher's touchdown. Ramos racked up consecutive runs of 23 and 44 yards to give Delaware Valley a first-and-goal situation from the seven-yard line. However, three pass attempts fell incomplete and Miller slipped on his 24-yard field goal attempt as it the hit the crossbar and fell to the ground.

Wilkes then made it 29-7 early in the fourth on Trichiol's three-yard touchdown run and Devlin's 23-yard field goal.

Delaware Valley fought back to make it a 10-point ballgame with a pair of touchdowns in a three-minute span. Knoblauch hit senior tight end Kevin Moloney for a 16-yard touchdown pass with 7:47 remaining. The catch moved Moloney into sixth place on the Aggie all-time receiving list with 92 catches.

On Wilkes' next possession, Porrino was stripped of the football by Anthony Silver. Freshman Jesse Leonard grabbed the loose ball at the 29 and went into the end zone for touchdown and a 29-19 score with 4:41 left. Lenzie Davis' tried to run for the two-point conversion, but he was stopped short.
Wilkes recovered the onsides kick attempt following the score and Trichilo put the game away with a nine-yard touchdown run.

Knoblauch completed 21 of 45 passes for 234 yards as the sophomore became only the second quarterback in Aggie history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a career (4,167). Marshall caught a career-high seven passes for 124 yards while Davis had five grabs for 35 yards.

Defensively Carlo DeAngelo led Delaware Valley with 12 tackles while Clint La Stella and Robert Wilkins had nine tackles apiece. Josh Trinkleback had two interception and two pass breakups in the contest.