WILKES-BARRE, PA (September 4, 2021) -- Junior placekicker Kyle Prescavage connected on a 24-yard field goal with 59 seconds to play and the King's defensive unit blocked a late field goal attempt to secure a 13-10 season-opening win over Moravian University in action from McCarthy Stadium Saturday.
With the victory, the Monarchs (1-0) picked up a win over the Greyhounds for the third time in the last four seasons while knocking off Moravian in back-to-back games for the first time since 2002-03. The win was the second-straight victory over the Hounds by three points.
The contest was decidedly a defensive battle, as the senior-laden squads on both teams stifled the offensive units. King's got on the board first in middle of the first quarter, as Prescavage nailed a career-long 43-yard field goal to cap a seven-play drive.
Moravian would deadlock the game at three at 10:25 of the second quarter, as Trevor Yacuboski connected on a 39-yard field goal after the Greyhounds went 36 yards over 11 plays. MU took its first lead of the game on the next drive, wasting no time after an interception hitting on a 74-yard touchdown pass from Christopher Mills to Trevor Cunningham for a 10-3 lead.
King's posted its first touchdown of the 2021 season just before halftime, as senior Tim Costantino caught a deflection off the hands of senior Brandon Cohen in the back of the end zon to cap a 11 play, 74-yard drive with 2:23 to go in the half.
The two teams would then tighten up defensively, as the squads combined for three punts and three turnover on downs in the third quarter to send the game into the fourth still tied at 10.
In the fourth, King's was driving early and moved the ball down to the Moravian 9, but senior quarterback Tyler Moore coughed up the ball pushing forward for more yardage and the loose ball was recovered by Moravian at its own nine-yard line to stop the push for KC.
Four plays later the Greyhounds got another huge play, as Nate Boyle bounced a big gainer down to the King's 28 for 52 yards. The Monarch defense would force a field goal attempt, and Yacuboski's attempt faded wide left to waste a good opportunity for MU.
Feeling the momentum of the missed kick, the Monarchs picked up two huge third-down conversions to keep the drive going and then Moore hit Costantino with a long bomb for 42 yards to put King's in field goal range. After two runs by junior Enzo Poulson got the Monarchs down to the Moravian 7, Prescavage came on and drilled the field goal for the eventual game-winner.
Moravian wouldn't go lightly though, as Mills connected on a 37-yard play to Nick Petros on 4-and-10 to push the ball to the King's 35-yard line with just over 20 seconds to go.
The most controversial play of the game came on 2nd and 10 with 14 seconds to go, as Petros and junior Teone Sherrod both grabbed the pass from Mills at the King's 23. The referees huddled and reversed the initial call of an interception to a competed pass.
Two plays later, Moravian brought Yacuboski on to tie the game but his attempt was partially blocked by Colin Hazelton and fluttered short of the crossbar to give the win to King's.
Moore finished 24-of-46 for 256 yards and a touchdown, while Poulson led all KC carriers with 34 yards on nine carries. Costantino posted six catches for 98 yards and a score, and Gabe Boccella had a strong game with nine grabs for 75 yards while adding four punt returns for 70 yards.
Cohen had three grabs for 23 yards, and first-year Brennan Robinson also collected 41 yards on three receptions. Defensively, Brendan Mozeleski had seven tackles while Joseph Carcio also posted seven tackles. Dallas Solomon posted a sack and six tackles, while Myles Shelton had a sack, 2.5 tackles for loss and four total stops.
Moravian was led by 80 yards on the ground from Boyle, and Mills finished 12-for-30 for 182 yards and a touchdown. King's posted a 290-284 edge in total yardage, while holding Moravian to just 12 first downs.
The Monarchs will have the next week off before returning to play September 18 at 1 p.m. against Lycoming College for Homecoming 2021. Moravian will take on Gettysburg College at 1 p.m. in Gettysburg, PA September 11.
--MONARCHS--