WILLIAMSPORT - There was water everywhere on Saturday, but not a drop to drink for a King's team looking to end a 10-year drought against Lycoming.

On a day where rain soaked David Person Field, the Monarchs could not overcome themselves or a fast-paced Warriors offense in the second half. Lycoming scored 22 third-quarter points and hung on for a 31-21 Middle Atlantic Conference victory that left its opponent soggy in defeat for the 11th consecutive time since football was reinstated at King's in 1993.

"We just have to find the positives from this and put them back together," said King's coach Rich Mannello. "(It's) a full-season deal in this conference. We have to fix what's wrong and move on."

That's exactly what King's (1-1, 0-1 MAC) did last season, winning six consecutive MAC games en route to its first conference title after a Week 4 loss to the Warriors (1-0, 1-0 MAC).

But beating perennial power Lycoming is one of the few things the Monarchs haven't done in the modern era of King's football, and Saturday's loss will sting, even if only for just one night, because the Monarchs were once again in position to win.

"We got pushed around," said Mannello.

A 10-yard David Hessler-to-Julian Walker scoring pass, the duo's second of the game, drew King's to within 24-21 with 9:37 left in the game. That came three plays after Hessler scrambled for 17 yards on fourth-and-10 to keep the drive alive.

The Monarchs stopped Lycoming twice and got the ball back on their 5 with 2:03 remaining, but on second down, Hessler was hit by Ryan Repko and fumbled and Lycoming's Luke Sterling recovered a bouncing ball in the end zone for the game-sealing Warriors touchdown.

Although Mannello usually doesn't discuss them, injuries, especially on defense, impacted King's.

Starting outside linebacker Geoff Ashton did not start and Pittston Area graduate Tore Alaimo, the starting inside linebacker, was knocked out of the game in the second quarter with an apparent leg injury. In the third quarter, sophomore Antonio Robinson left with an injury and was replaced by sophomore Allen Holloway, who took the field for the first time this season.

"You put your 11 best out there and they have to be ready to play," said Mannello, who also lost senior fullback and co-captain Mike Novia in the first half with what appeared to be a leg injury.

A 66-yard touchdown run by Richard Jackson on the second play from scrimmage in the second half gave King's a 14-2 lead, but Lycoming would quickly swing the momentum in its favor.

Employing a no-huddle, shotgun look with four receivers that took King's out of its extensive blitz packages, Lycoming scored on three of its next four possessions.

"Once we spread them out, it was easy to see where the blitz was coming from," said Lycoming coach Frank Girardi. "I was concerned about the weather because we have to throw the ball and we can throw it well. What we wanted to do coming out of halftime was to change the tempo."

Warriors quarterback Phil Mann completed nine of 13 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter. Lycoming scored on a 63-yard quick pass to Ricky Lannetti to draw within 14-9. After King's went three-and-out, Mann completed three consecutive passes for 34 yards, setting up a 12-yard scoring run by Robert Miller that capped an eight-play, 51-yard drive and gave Lycoming the lead for good, 17-14.

Hessler was intercepted by Brian Kaspick at the Lycoming 21 and the Warriors went 79 yards in 12 plays. Mann, who started the drive with successive completions of 26 and 17 yards to Lannetti, ran in from the 1 with 38 seconds left in the third for a 24-14 advantage.

Offensive output was about even, with Lycoming earning the edge 345-326, but the Warriors won the time of possession battle, 33:24-26:36. The run-oriented Monarchs did not sustain a drive longer than 2:19 in the second half.

Jackson finished with 157 yards on 30 carries. Hessler, who Mannello admitted was injured and "playing on one leg" and put in a "gutsy" performance, finished 12-of-33 for 145 yards and three interceptions. Walker, who gave King's a 7-0 lead late in the second quarter on a 28-yard catch and run, finished with seven catches for 105 yards.

King's missed a golden scoring opportunity midway through the second quarter. Although Walker appeared to get the required one foot in bounds, he was ruled out of bounds after hauling in a 9-yard pass in the end zone from Hessler on third down. Matt VonTanhausen then missed a 26-yard field goal.

"There's so many things that are so close," said Mannello. "We have to get over the top of that ... I don't want to bellyache about the refs, but everyone in the (press) box was saying he's in ... That's what's going to change a game when you're playing against a team like this."

The King's defense was led by outside linebacker Casey Meehan, who seemed to be near the ball on every play and finished with a game-high eight tackles (three for a loss) and an interception. Monarch tackle Tim Ryder, making his first start on the defensive line, added eight tackles.