LYCOMING SHUTS OUT SUSQUEHANNA; WINS CONFERENCE TITLE

Quarterback Phil Mann dives for a touchdown on a fourth-and-goal play from the one.

WILLIAMSPORT, PA – The Lycoming College football team (8-1) claimed their 13^th Middle Atlantic Conference championship, Saturday afternoon, by shutting out Susquehanna University (4-6), 38-0. The Warriors forced seven turnovers and held the Crusader offense to just 236 yards, while Lycoming’s offense found the endzone five times and compiled 426 total yards. The victory gives the Warriors an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Playoffs beginning Saturday, November 22.

Junior quarterback Phil Mann (Mill Hall, Pa.; Central Mountain) completed 13-of-18 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns to lead Lycoming’s offense. He also added 47 yards rushing and another pair of touchdowns. Ricky Lannetti (Sr./Philadelphia, Pa.; Father Judge) was the game’s leading receiver with six catches for 141 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown reception. Drew Corsilli (Jr./Manville, N.J.; Manville) was the Warriors’ leading rusher with 62 yards on 11 carries, including one score.

Defensively, Lycoming recorded five interceptions and two fumbles, while limiting Susquehanna to 236 yards of total offense including just 25 yards rushing. Brian Kaspick (Jr./Clearfield, Pa.; Clearfield) led the way with seven tackles and a pair of interceptions. Sean McGinley (Sr./Croydon, Pa.; Conwell-Egan) added five tackles and a game-high three sacks. Tim Schmidt (Sr./Philadelphia, Pa.; Roman Catholic), Matt Murdock (Fr./Elysburg, Pa.; Southern Columbia), and Kevin LeSage (So./Darby, Pa.; Monsignor Bonner) each intercepted a pass for the Warriors.

For the Crusaders, Craig Ulrich (Sr./Milton, Pa.; Milton) completed 13-of-39 passes for 196 yards. His favorite target was Mark Bartosic (Sr./Northumberland, Pa.; Shikellamy) who caught eight passes for 131 yards. Defensively, Larry Cannon (Jr./Hatfield, Pa.; North Penn) recorded a game-high 11 tackles.

Lycoming opened the scoring on their very first possession, marching 64 yards on five plays for a touchdown. Corsilli ran for 36 of the 64 yards on three running plays, including a 27-yard sprint for the score. Chris Schrader (Fr./Glenolden, Pa.; Monsignor Bonner) added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

The Warriors scored their second touchdown later in the quarter. Garrett Zoschg (Sr./Emporium, Pa.; Cameron County) gave the offense great field position by recovering a Susquehanna fumble on the Crusader 35-yard line. Lycoming then gained eight yards on three plays to set up a fourth-and-two from the 27. Mann called his own number on a draw play and scampered 27 yards to paydirt. Schrader again added the point after.

On their first possession of the second quarter, the Warriors stretched their lead to 21-0 with a 52-yard, seven-play drive. Mann again capped the drive himself, this time diving into the endzone on a fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line. A 25-yard completion from Mann to Lannetti keyed the drive.

Lycoming forced the Crusaders to punt after four plays on the ensuing possession. Lannetti mishandled the punt but recovered it himself on the Warriors’ 20-yard line. He quickly made up for his near-mistake. On the very first play from scrimmage, Mann lofted a pass deep down the sideline and Lannetti ran under it at the Susquehanna 40-yard line before out-sprinting his defender to the endzone for the 80-yard scoring strike. Schrader’s extra-point made the score 28-0 with seven minutes to play in the half.

Schrader added three more points to Lycoming’s total in the closing seconds of the first half by connecting on a career-long 42-yard field goal.

In the second half, the Warriors again scored on their first possession. LeSage set up the drive by intercepting a pass and returning it to the Crusader 31-yard line. Six plays later, Mann found Sean Hennigar (Sr./Philadelphia, Pa.; Father Judge) for a nine-yard touchdown pass. Schrader added his fifth extra-point of the afternoon to cap the scoring.

Lycoming will now wait to find out their first-round opponent in the NCAA playoffs and where the game will be played. The entire bracket for the Division III playoffs will be announced live on ESPN-News at 1 p.m. eastern time on Sunday afternoon.

Notes: Lannetti’s six receptions give him 65 for the season – a new single-season record for the Warriors … Lycoming possessed the ball for 37:24 to Susquehanna’s 22:36 … The Warrior defense held the Crusaders to just 122 yards of offense through three quarters before giving up 114 in the final quarter … Bartosic, the only player in NCAA history to record four consecutive 1000-yard receiving seasons, was held to just one catch for 11 yards in the first half and three catches for 54 yards through three quarters. He added five receptions for 77 yards in the fourth quarter and was the intended receiver on 10 of Susquehanna’s final 16 pass attempts. … The 38-0 final was the first shutout of a Crusader team since 1999 and it was the first time Lycoming has shut Susquehanna out since 1979.

Free safety Brian Kaspick intercepted two passes and led the Warriors with seven tackles Saturday afternoon.