Riding a four-game winning streak, the Lycoming College football team is set to host Washington & Lee University in the Cape Charles Bowl at noon on Saturday, Nov. 22, at David Person Field at Girardi Stadium as past of the Chesapeake Challenge between the Landmark Conference and Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

The Warriors earned the right to host the game after finishing second in the Landmark Conference, posting a 5-5 overall record and a 5-1 mark in the Landmark, the school’s best record since the league formed in 2023. The Generals earned their berth in the Cape Charles Bowl after finishing tied for second in the ODAC, posting a 6-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in league play.

Shenandoah (8-2, 6-2) will host the other bowl in the Chesapeake Challenge, the Cape Henry Bowl, facing Wilkes (6-4, 4-2), as Shenandoah earned the right to host the bowl thanks to a 17-14 win over Washington & Lee in the season finale.

Lycoming, which has posted a 11-7 record in three years of Landmark Conference play, is playing in the Chesapeake Challenge for the second time, as it beat Washington & Lee, 20-17, in the inaugural Cape Henry Bowl in 2023.

Washington & Lee is appearing in the challenge for a third straight year, as it rebounded from the loss to Lycoming in 2023 by beating Wilkes, 40-21, in the 2024 Cape Charles Bowl.

After a 1-5 start, which included two three-point losses, the Warriors rebounded with four straight wins, with it’s offense jumping from an average of 20.7 points per game to 33.8 and the defense dropping from an average of 34.8 points allowed to 18.2.

Junior Terrence Oliver (Sharon Hill, Pa./Academy Park) has paced the offense all year, rushing for 1,222 yards on 190 attempts, leading the league in rushing by more than 300 yards and finishing second with nine rushing touchdowns. He also finished tied for the league lead with 10 touchdowns and led the league with 139.3 yards of all-purpose yardage.

Sophomore Joe Lyons III moved into the starting quarterback slot and found his rhythm once Landmark Conference play started, finishing second in league games with 101 completions, 10 touchdowns, a 142.6 passing efficiency rating and a 63.1 completion percentage. He was third with 1,216 yards passing.

Senior Karson Kline is the team’s top receiving target, posting 37 receptions for 523 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Dawson Debebe finished sixth in the league with 461 yards on 26 catches, while his five touchdowns were tied for fourth in the league. Senior Brendan Clark, a Loyalsock graduate, is one of the top receiving tight ends in the Landmark, having posted 26 catches for 262 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, the Warriors have been paced by its linebacking corps, with sophomore Daniel Atsou fifth in the league in tackles (8.4), sophomore Khalil Johnson 10th (6.6) and senior Matt Trolinger 11th (6.4). Atsou is also second in the league with 1.4 tackles for loss per game and Johnson is fourth with 1.13, while senior defensive lineman Michael Sipps, a Cowanesque Valley graduate, was 11th (0.80). Senior Mario Samony is tied for third in the league with two interceptions and Atsou is tied for the league lead with two fumble recoveries.

The Generals, who averaged 30.0 points per game, are paced by its rushing game, with Ryan Clemens rushing for 898 yards and eight touchdowns and Anthony Crawford adding 701 yards and nine touchdowns. Quarterback Ty Collins finished 74 of 129 for 980 yards and seven touchdowns with his favorite target, Teddy Sparrow, who notched 14 catches for 340 yards and three scores.

Brennan Stout leads the defense, which allowed 20.0 points per game, after posting 103 tackles. Will Knight added 9.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks and both Will Mahmud and Gabe Joyner had two interceptions.