Lyco hopes to open Landmark Play strong | News, sports, jobs

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Lycoming defenders tackle Hilbert quarterback John Whitaker (30) during a game in late September. The Warriors host Wilkes today in a Landmark Conference game.

After the bye week, Lycoming (2-2) enters conference play in a much different position than last season. In 2023, he entered his first landmark match against Wilkes with a 0-4 record, confident and rested but desperate for a win. In this case, the Warriors have gained a bit more security and confidence from several dominant wins in their early resumption.

Nevertheless, that does not diminish the importance of the road test on Saturday.

With each landmark win, the organization is in a better position to compete for a conference championship and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. And no one on the Warrior side expects Wilkes (3-2) to give them an easy win.

Quite the opposite.

The Colonels have a 5-2 record in matchups since 2016, most recently defeating Lycoming 48-35 at Girardi Stadium. The Warriors haven’t beaten Wilkes in Edwardsville or Wilkes-Barre since 2014, a year in which they went 8-2 and finished third in the MAC.

“They are a good team; They are a good program. They are a resilient group and are well coached.” Lycoming head coach Mike Clark said of Wilkes. “We will have our hands full but I think if we play well we certainly have a chance of winning the game.”

“You have to travel and play, and these things get worse when you make mistakes. So we have to make sure we get off the bus, go out there and perform at a high level.” he added while talking about the drought on the roads.

Although Lyco won’t have to face Isaiah Rodriguez again, who previously torched the Warriors through the air for 230 yards and three touchdowns, their job will still be to slow down senior running back Elijah Jules, who has 19 total touchdowns Their last attempt managed 164 yards.

Jules has two first-team all-conference selections under his belt and was named the 2022 MAC Offensive Player of the Year. And in the last two games against St. John Fisher and Juniata, he has rushed for a total of 302 yards and 100 yards, four touchdowns on 43 carries (seven yards per attempt). He currently ranks fourth in the conference in both rushing yards (438) and touchdowns (6).

“I don’t think they’re going to completely close their traffic jam.” Clark said to Jules. “Elijah is a really good player, a multiple all-conference player.”

He’s also not the only one on the team who can run the ball effectively.

After serving as a change-of-pace quarterback last season and rushing for 300 yards and five touchdowns, senior Xavier Powell has excelled both on the ground (48 carries, 328 yards) and through the air (66 of-110 for 901 yards). ) as a starter. At 6’2″ tall and weighing 220 pounds, he’s difficult to bring down and is definitely a goal-line threat.

“Coach Wise emphasizes staying in the pocket, putting pressure on him and attacking deep.” said defensive tackle Jake Welch when talking about Powell. “He’s a big, mobile QB, so you have to attack deep, huddle together and just try to contain him as best you can. Make them one-dimensional and we have to stop the run.”

“The quarterback is also a good runner, the O-line is pretty solid. I think if we can limit their ability to pass the ball to us and get them to throw it, that would certainly be a big part of it.” Clark emphasized. “You have to eliminate the big games and tackle them. Cortland had way too much success (against us). I think it’s always better if you can limit people’s ability to play football.”

For Lycoming, the hope going forward is to recreate the consistency it showed in its opening win over Widener and carry the momentum it gathered against Hilbert into the landmark game.

While the 48-0 win combined with the 2-2 record gives the team some confidence, there is an urgent need to maintain that confidence alongside recent changes. Every conference matchup is treated with the utmost importance, and setting the tone here could certainly prove useful.

“We just need to find our identity, find confidence in ourselves, stay consistent, improve every day and just focus on ourselves and not our opponent.” Welch said. “Just focus on one week at a time, don’t look forward, don’t look back. It’s a conference game from here on out, which increases the intensity for everything.”

“It’s much better to stay in contention for a conference championship when you’re 1-0 after your first conference game than when you’re 0-1.” Clark said. “To stay in the running for any kind of postseason opportunity, you need every win you can get.”

The game is scheduled for Saturday at 12 p.m. at Schmidt Stadium.

Remarkable

As it stands, Lyco still plans to use its two-quarterback system on Saturday, with Will Fish and Jay Huber each expected to see significant time. They are coming off a game in which they totaled 241 yards and three touchdowns.

“I don’t expect any change in your practice representatives” Clark said of the quarterback situation. “At this point, they’re both getting very similar amounts of work.”

As for injuries, receiver Billy Coppock (heel) and linebacker David Schley (turf toe) each practiced all week and are considered likely against Wilkes. Tight end Brendan Clark (foot) had not practiced before Thursday, but there is a chance for him to see the field as well.

The return of these three guys would be huge for the team as Coppock was second on the team in receptions (10) and third in receiving yards (112), Schley was second on the team in total and solo tackles (23, 10) and Clark scored against Hilbert the best receiving performance of his career (4 receptions, 44 yards).

Additionally, Terrence Oliver and Quasim Benson have continued to make an impact in the backfield, with Oliver recording 100-yard outings against Widener and Hilbert and the pair combining for 486 yards on 105 carries in four games. In receiving, Dawson Debebe leads the team in all categories with 12 receptions for 188 yards and three touchdowns.

For Lycoming, a win over Wilkes on Saturday would be the team’s first win against the Colonels since 2021. Entering the weekend, Lycoming holds a 41-22 record in the matchup.