CHESTER, Pa. – First Fall game of the season ends in a double overtime thriller as Widener Football falls in a close game.
Following a 27-24 loss, the Pride fall to 3-2 in the season and 2-2 in MAC play.
BY THE NUMBERS
- The Pride offense racked up over 400 yards with 412, 19 first downs, and dominated time of possession with 32:21 minutes.
- Chase Diehl added a touchdown with 233 completed yards on 29 attempts.
- Shawn Thompson rushed for a season high 148 yards on 23 carries with a long of 36.
- Zack Vanscovich and Isaac Hostetter each grabbed five receptions and totaled 75 and 71 yards respectively.
- On defense, Joshua Salter recorded seven tackles and a pass breakup while Kevin Davis and Colin Murt added six tackles.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Pride opened the game following a Lebanon Valley lost coin toss with a commanding drive which unfortunately ended with a fumble after 5 plays 41 yards. A battle in the trenches began as the first quarter showed the defensive battle as both teams punted the ball away on their next few possessions.
- Ryan Pattison would break the defensive battle with a 27-yard field goal to cap off a 9 play 53-yard drive.
- Another defensive battle would keep the game at three until 2:23 remaining in the half as the Flying Dutchmen would score a touchdown and a then kick a field goal as time expired. The Pride headed into halftime down seven.
- Coming out of halftime, the Pride found some momentum and scored the only points of the third off a Pattison 35-yard field goal to push the score to 6-10.
- As the clouds covered Hirschmann Field in the fourth, the Pride dug in for what would become a crucial drive. An 8 play, 71-yard drive would end in a Bryce Casey touchdown from Diehl to put the Pride down three. An attacking Flying Dutchmen drive would be ended by a missed field goal off the left upright. An intense final few final minutes led to a game tying Pattison 40-yard field goal to send the game to OT.
- The first OT period saw scoring drives from both teams, but a pulled field goal right set the Flying Dutchmen up to knock a 20-yard field goal through the uprights to end the game 27-24 in favor of Lebanon Valley.
UP NEXT
Widener will turn around next week for their Homecoming game against the 2-3 (2-2 MAC) Misericordia Cougars. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. with the annual Homecoming Broom Drill happened pre-game.