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Lycoming’s defense keeps Wash. & Lee at bay in Cape Charles Bowl, 20-17

By From staff reports 5 min read

LEXINGTON, Va. - As the clock ticked under 30 seconds, Washington & Lee University went for it on fourth-and-2 from the 31 and after senior Kevin Gianoni got an ankle of the runner behind the line of scrimmage, junior Joey Rivituso and senior Johnny Day dropped him at the 30-yard line, helping the Lycoming College football team upset homestanding Washington & Lee, 20-17, in the first Cape Charles Bowl at Wilson Field.

The Warriors (5-6 overall) finished the year with wins in five of their last six games and helped the Landmark Conference sweep the Chesapeake Bowl Series with the ODAC after opening the season against five other teams in the postseason this week, including two in the NCAA Championship. Wilkes won the Cape Henry Bowl, 35-17.

The Lycoming defense held Washington & Lee to fewer than 20 points for just the third time this season despite Washington & Lee holding the ball for 34 minutes and running 92 plays during the game.

The Warriors' defense bent but never broke on the Generals' last drive, when they took over at their own 24-yard line with 2:46 left after the Warriors were stopped a yard short on fourth-and-3. The Generals converted two fourth down plays to get the ball across midfield on the ensuing drive, taking the clock under a minute. On 3rd-and-6 from the 35, sophomore Matt Trolinger grabbed an ankle at the 31-yard line to save another first down and the Generals trotted out the field goal unit for a 48-yard try. However, as the play clock ticked down, Lycoming head coach Mike Clark, who won the 85th game of his 16-year career, called timeout and the Generals sent their offense on the field out of the timeout, setting up Rivituso and Day's stop.

Junior Will Fish was named the game's MVP after he finished 23-of-36 for 200 yards and a touchdown and he ran twice for 14 yards. First-year Terrence Oliver rushed 14 times for 103 yards and a score, junior Billy Coppock had seven catches for 64 yards and sophomore Dawson Debebe caught five passes for 77 yards and a score.

Just two plays after Washington & Lee took its first lead of the game, Oliver broke through the line on a draw for his longest run of the year, scoring from 75 yards out, as he outsprinted three Generals to get to the endzone and make it 20-17 with 58 seconds left in the third quarter. Three Generals' drives stalled in the fourth quarter and Lycoming drove into Washington & Lee territory twice before its drives ended.

The Warriors got on the board in the second quarter after forcing a turnover at downs at the Generals' 40-yard line, embarking on a 12-play, 58-yard drive, with Fish finding Coppock over the middle for 14 yards to get the ball to the three-yard line and set up a 19-yard field goal from senior Ian Plankenhorn, a Montoursville graduate.

The Generals got the ball to midfield on the next drive, but a high snap led to a recovery by Day at the 43-yard line. Two plays later, Fish found Debebe behind the secondary near the five-yard line before he walked in for the score, giving Lycoming a 10-0 lead.

The Generals took advantage on a personal foul to get the ball back at their own 40 with 1:20 left, and although, they only drove 28 yards, Arturo Ramirez hit a 49-yard field goal as time expired on the first half to make it 10-3 at the break.

Lycoming took advantage of another fumble from Washington & Lee in the third quarter, with sophomore Jordan Rhinehart falling on the ball at the Generals' 25-yard line. Plankenhorn canned a career-long 45-yard field goal three plays later for the 28th of his career and 10th of the season.

The Generals came back with the next two touchdowns, though, taking a 17-13 lead with 1:21 left in the third quarter.

Senior Austin Rowley led the Warriors with 15 tackles, one for loss and a breakup, junior Jake Welch, a Central Mountain graduate, added 12 tackles, one for loss, and sophomore Ryan Pentz, a Central Mountain graduate, had nine stops.

Jacob Romero rushed 27 times for 100 yards and Stephen Murrin ran 14 times for 97 yards and was 17-of-28 for 110 yards passing for the Generals. Marcus Payne rushed three times for 27 yards and two scores. Jack Johnson led the defense with 10 tackles.

Lycoming 20, Wash. & Lee 17

Lycoming 0 10 10 0 — 20

W & L 0 3 14 0 — 17

Second quarter

L-Ian Plankenhorn 19 field goal, 4:26.

L-D. Debebe 42 pass from W. Fish (Plankenhorn kick), 1:25.

WL-A. Ramirez 49 field goal, 0:00.

Third quarter

L-Plankenhorn 45 field goal, 10:37

WL-M. Payne 5 run (A. Ramirez kick), 5:27.

WL-M. Payne 19 run (Ramirez kick), 1:21.

L-T. Oliver 75 run (Plankenhorn kick), 0:58.

TEAM STATISTICS

L WL

First downs 15 26

RUshes-yds 28-132 62-299

C-A-I 23-36-0 17-30-0

Passing yards 200 110

Total yards 332 409

Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-2

Penalties-yards 8-57 2-19

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING–Lycoming, Terrence Oliver 14-103 TD; Quasim Benson 10-14; Will Fish 2-14; Brandon Timothy 1-2. Wash. & Lee, Jacob Romero 27-100; Stephen Murrin 14-97; Aden Boyd 4-44; Marcus Payne 3-27 2 TD: Anthonny Crawford 7-23; Eli Hildenbrandt 1-9; Burke Cigelske 2-8; Cameron Reed 1-3; Randolph Smith 1-1.

PASSING–Lycoming, Will Fish 23-36-0 200 TD. Wash. & Lee, Stephen Murrin 17-28-0 110.

RECEIVING–Lycoming, Billy Coppock 9-64; Dawson Debebe 8-77; Brandon Timothy 8-18; Zach Green 3-17; Ross Eyer 6-15; Quasim Benson 1-5; Brendan Clark 1-4. Wash. & Lee, Dryden Duggins 10-60; Marcus Payne 8-18; Josh Garcia 2-13; Burke Cigelske 2-10; Jacob Romero 3-9; lair Brennan 2-0; Evan NOvak 1-0.

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