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Lycoming falls to Delaware Valley
Guy Cipriano Sun-Gazette
Staff
No words were needed to tell the
story of Lycoming’s fifth game of
2003.
With 30 seconds remaining Saturday
against Delaware Valley, quarterback Phil Mann, tossed a 6-yard
touchdown pass to Ricky Lannetti. Instead of celebrating, Mann and
Lannetti slowly walked to the sideline with their heads
down.
For the first time this season, a
Warrior touchdown had little meaning.
By
the time Lycoming scored its final touchdown, it had already been
defeated. Delaware Valley scored 21 points earlier in the fourth
quarter on its way to a 38-27 victory at David Person Field.
The defeat represented Lycoming’s (4-1)
first setback this season. The defeat also represented Lycoming’s
second straight setback in a homecoming game and its first to
Delaware Valley since 1982.
“Devastating,” said senior offensive
lineman Matt Mendola, one of the Warriors’ three captains. “But we
will come back from it. It’s as simple as that. We have to keep our
heads up.”
Despite the defeat, Lycoming
will enter its final four games tied with Delaware Valley for first
place in the Middle Atlantic Conference. Had the Warriors defeated
the Aggies (5-1, 4-1 MAC), they would have taken a commanding
two-game lead in the 11-team
conference.
“I wish we would have played
our best,” senior fullback Robert Miller said. “I just don’t think
we came out and played as a team like we should have. But we have a
long season ahead, and we have to do what we have to do, and we will
be fine.”
Saturday, the Warriors were
fine until the fourth quarter.
Lycoming
took a 21-17 lead with 1:37 remaining in the third quarter when
Lannetti leaped over Delaware Valley defensive backs Carlo DeAngelo
and Matt Murphy for a 14-yard touchdown. Less than two minutes
earlier, Mann tossed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Sean Hennigar.
Still, the Warriors could not carry its
third-quarter momentum into the
fourth.
Delaware Valley reclaimed its
lead when quarterback Adam Knoblauch rolled left and hit Nick Brady
for an 68-yard touchdown 13 seconds into the quarter. Brady’s catch
came six plays after Lannetti scored his first
touchdown.
Three players later, a Mann
pass bounced off wide receiver Brandon Johnson and into the hands of
DeAngelo. Mann’s second interception — and Lycoming’s fourth
turnover — resulted in Delaware Valley taking a 31-21 lead with 9:59
remaining.
“It certainly was a game of
ups and downs,” Lycoming coach Frank Girardi said. “I give Delaware
Valley all the credit in the world. They played well and they played
hard, but we just didn’t seem to be on the top of our game on
offense, defense and special
teams.”
Three of Lycoming’s mistakes
proved costly as Delaware Valley scored 21 points off turnovers. The
four turnovers were a season high for Lycoming.
“Our turnovers really hurt us,” Girardi
said. “When you make that many turnovers it’s tough to overcome. We
just couldn’t overcome that many
turnovers.”
Although he threw two
interceptions to DeAngelo, Mann completed 30 of 50 passes for 280
yards. Mann’s 50 attempts represented a school record. Lannetti also
broke a school record, catching 16 passes. Lannetti finished with
106 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Lycoming outgained Delaware Valley,
387-340. But Knoblauch, a sophomore, completed 20 of 36 passes to
nine different receivers for 267 yards and four touchdowns.
Knoblauch also ran for 33 yards and scored on a 4-yard run with 3:08
remaining.
Knoblauch’s lone blunder came
with 6:49 remaining when Lycoming linebacker Kevin LeSage
intercepted a pass intended for tight end Kevin Moloney. Delaware
Valley had 145 offensive yards in the quarter, including 81 on the
ground.
“In the fourth quarter, their
d-line was sucking gas pretty good,” Delaware Valley coach G.A.
Mangus said. “We ran the football up and down the field and took
down the clock. Besides the interception, it was a picture perfect
fourth quarter for us.”
It also was a
fourth quarter Lycoming will have to find a way to
forget.
“We just didn’t play up to our
ability,” Mendola. “We missed a lot of opportunities. It’s as simple
as that.” |
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Sports Date Posted:
10/19/2003 |
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As appearing in Sunday - October 19, 2003 edition of
The Sun-Gazette
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