Sports

The Times Leader Staff

LANCASTER – Wilkes’ first trip to the postseason since 2006 ended in heartbreaking fashion.

Needing to just sustain a long drive while holding a one-point lead late in the game, the Colonels could only get 6 yards on three plays.

Franklin & Marshall capitalized on Wilkes’ sputtering offense to score on its next drive and pull out a 29-24 victory in the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl on Saturday at Sponaugle-Williamson Field.

The Colonels, who end their season at 6-5, held a 24-10 lead entering the fourth quarter, but the Diplomats (9-2) quickly turned things around. John Kaschak caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from John Harrison at the 14:04 mark to cut the Wilkes lead to 24-17.

After getting the ball back, the Diplomats scored what could have been a game-tying touchdown as Kaschak capped an eight-play, 86-yard drive with a 5-yard TD rush. A two-point conversion attempt failed and Wilkes was clinging to a 24-23 lead with 7:04 remaining.

That’s when Wilkes’ drive resulted in a three-and-out and the Diplomats got the ball back on their own 30 with 4:34 left in the game.

Franklin & Marshall needed just nine plays to find the end zone as Harrison connected with Ryan Murray for a 2-yard score and F&M took a five-point lead with eight seconds left in the contest. The big play of the drive was a 44-yard pass from Jarrell Diggs to George Eager.

Wilkes had one last chance to try to find the end zone, but one pass was completed for only 8 yards before an incomplete pass ended the game.

Wilkes opened the game’s scoring with a 37-yard field goal by Chris Horn at the 10:08 mark in the first quarter. F&M answered that tally with a 16-yard TD pass from Harrison (28-for-37, 225 yards, 3 TDs) to Michael Deutch as it took a 7-3 lead with 1:21 left in the first quarter.

After that, Wilkes appeared to be in a groove. The Colonels held the Diplomats in check for the rest of the first half and the third quarter.

Wilkes QB Rob Johnson (14-for-22, 243 yards, two touchdowns) hooked up with Shawn Gregson for a 26-yard TD that gave Wilkes a 10-7 lead on the first play of the second quarter. The Diplomats tied the score at 10 on a 20-yard field goal by Mike Shin on their next drive.

A Zach Tivald 7-yard touchdown run gave Wilkes a 17-10 lead with 1:11 remaining before halftime.

Johnson then connected with Gennaro Zangardi for an 81-yard scoring strike early in the third quarter as Wilkes opened a 24-10 lead at the 12:28 mark of the third.

The Colonels’ defense, which compiled three sacks and two interceptions, made big plays all afternoon as Kevin Gerhart had two interceptions, including one in the end zone. Tim Lombreglia had two of the three sacks for Wilkes, which only allowed 124 rushing yards after allowing nearly 400 on the ground in last week’s loss to King’s.

Notes: Eager, an F&M receiver who entered the game with more than 1,000 yards receiving, caught 10 balls for 126 yards but was held out of the end zone ... Zangardi tied Eager for game-high receiving yardage with 126 on just four catches ... Tivald finished with a team-high 41 rushing yards for Wilkes .... The Colonels fell to 3-4 in ECAC bowl games .... The Diplomats improved to 4-3 in ECAC games ... This was the first meeting in school history between the schools, who are only separated by approximately 100 miles.