DOYLESTOWN, PA (September 23, 2023) -- In their biggest test so far in the 2023 season, the King's College football team dropped a 28-0 decision on the road at Delaware Valley University on Saturday afternoon. With the loss in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) match up, the Monarchs pick up their first loss of the season and fall to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in MAC play, while the Aggies improve to 3-1 and remain unbeaten at 3-0 in the MAC.
The first quarter was a battle of top-ranked MAC opponents on a treacherous weather day in Doylestown. Neither team could find the end zone in their possessions amid some great defensive stops on both sides as the game remained scoreless heading into the second.
The Monarchs were driving to start the quarter, but the Aggies defense remained steady to regain possession with 13:04 to play in the half. It was on this drive that the Delaware Valley (3-1, 3-0 MAC) offense broke the stalemate, putting together an 11-play, 60-yard drive to put up the first score in the contest and take the 7-0 lead with 7:02 to go before the break. King's (3-1, 2-1 MAC) had two more opportunities to tie the contest, but each time the Aggies defense had an answer as the teams went into the locker rooms with Delaware Valley ahead, 7-0.
The host Aggies did not wait long to put another score on the board in their home opener, finding the end zone on a three-yard run from Luan Avdijaj to push the Delaware Valley lead to 14-0 with 11:44 remaining in the third. Both teams traded three-and-outs before King's regained possession with 6:30 left in the period. The Monarchs offense seemed to find their rhythm, stringing together a seven-play, 38 yard drive to the Delaware Valley 29-yard line, but the Aggies defense picked off a pass and gained possession heading into the fourth quarter.
The King's defense delivered again, using some costly Aggie penalties and some great stops from Jassiem Lettsome and Amir Gibson to force a Delaware Valley punt that gave the Monarchs the ball at midfield. Runs by Shemar Ellis and Russell Minor-Shaw and completions to Mike DiGregorio and Jake Feese saw King's with a great look at a scoring drive, but the Aggie defense delivered a stop again to thwart the Monarchs offensive attack.
An empty Aggies possession put the ball back in the hands of the Monarchs with 9:34 to play, but another King's miscue and a seven-yard run from Louie Barrios IV allowed the hosts to tally a pair of scores and push their advantage to 28-0 with 2:53 left on the game clock. The King's offense had one more opportunity to put points on the board, but it was the Delaware Valley defense that forced another Monarchs error to hand King's the 28-0 loss in a rainy MAC match up.
Mike DiGregorio led the King's offense with 92 yards on seven catches, while Tyler Carey added three receptions for 33 yards. Russell Minor-Shaw found three other receivers in the loss, completing 13 passes for 131 yards. The King's defense was led by Jake Ruppert with six tackles, including four solo and 1.0 tackle for a loss of a yard, while Joe Carchio posted five tackles, 1.0 tackle for three-yards lost, and a pass break up. Additionally, both Alex Tristan and Jamil Thomas recorded five tackles. On special teams, Anthony Prato punted six times for 219 yards, recording two over 50 yards and placing three inside the 20.
Delaware Valley's offense was led by Jay White who rushed for 99 yards on 17 carries, while Louie Barrios completed six passes on 11 attempts for 91 yards while running for 75 yards on 11 carries with a touchdown. The Aggies defense was paced by Anthony Puntolillo with nine tackles, 2.0 sacks for a loss of 16 yards, two forced fumbles, and a quarterback hurry.
As a team, the Monarchs had the edge in passing yards in the game, throwing for 131 yards compared to just 91 by the Aggies.
King's will observe their bye week next Saturday and will return to play on Saturday, October 7 as they host FDU-Florham. The MAC contest will also be the Monarchs' Hilinski's Hope and Morgan's Message dedication game with a 12:00 p.m. kickoff at McCarthy Stadium.
Monarchs Drop MAC Match Up to #25 Delaware Valley
/seasons/2023/boxscores/20230923_xrul.xml
2023
King's
0
Delaware Valley
28
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King's (3-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 25 Delaware Valley (3-1) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
Sep 23, 2023
--MONARCHS--