CARLISLE, Pa. - The Dickinson football team needed every second of the 60 minutes on Friday night to reclaim the beloved Conestoga Wagon from the rival Franklin and Marshall College as a two-yard toss play to running back
Diante Ball capped a 21-play, 98-yard drive that took up the final 8:40 of the game to secure a 19-17 win over the Diplomats at Biddle Field.
After Dickinson forced a three-and-out on the opening drive of the game the Red and White took over on their own 28 with 12:37 left.
Presley Egbers would find
Matt Maiona for 16, before Ball carried for 16 and six on consecutive plays to move down to the F&M34. A 13-yard pass to
Frederik Fjeldseth set the ball on the F&M21, which set the stage for
Kieran O'Neill to knock home a 36-yard field goal on fourth-and-eight for the 3-0 lead. The Diplomats would answer back on the ensuing drive as two passes and a rush by quarterback Ty Tremba advanced the rock to the F&M45. Three runs each for Mitch Wagner and Dante Wilson setup first-and-goal on the DC9. Two plays later Tremba found Gary Lewis for a nine-yard TD making it 7-3 (Laurence Miller kick) after one.
Neither team was able to do much on their first possession of the second period which gave the ball back to the visitors at their own six with 5:47 left until halftime. Wilson would be thrown for a two-yard loss on first down by
James Basilii, before two more carries resulted in fourth-and-six from the 10. Miller was brought out to punt from his own endzone. However, his kick was blocked by
Alex Merrifield who fell on the loose rock for a touchdown giving the Devils a 10-7 edge (
Justin Worobel kick). On the ensuing drive the Diplomats used an "air assault" to move down the field with Tremba finding Will Higson, Lewis, Wagner and Wilson to get down to the DC2 with four seconds left. Miller would once again enter the field and this time deliver a 19-yard field goal to tie things at the break.
To begin the third Dickinson used two Ball runs and an 18-yard completion to Maiona to get out to the F&M48. Four more carries by Ball along with passes to
Princeton Douglass and Fjeldseth left DC in a great position to get some points as it was third-and-seven on the F&M19. After an incomplete pass intended for
Noah Boyd, O'Neill was brought on for a 36-yard kick that pounded the left post to keep it at 10-10 with 9:20 remaining. Franklin & Marshall began their drive on the 20 and through three Wilson runs, a scramble for Tremba and a personal foul against the Devils found themselves on the DC45. Carries by the Wagner-Wilson duo advanced the possession to the DC15, before Tremba would find his favorite target Lewis for the TD giving F&M a 17-10 advantage (Miller kick) with three in the books.
Dickinson was in the midst of a drive to begin the fourth as they sat at second-and-seven on the F&M49. After a pass interference penalty gave DC 15 yards, back-to-back runs from Ball of 12 and three yards followed by an eight-yard scamper for Egbers got it down to the F&M11. Three plays later the Devils were forced to attempt a 29-yard field goal that Worobel was able to knock down the middle cutting the deficit to 17-13 with 11:21 to go. The Diplomats got a 44-yard pass to Lewis to start the ensuing drive, but then things would stall out forcing a Miller punt that was downed on the DC2 with 8:40 left. Two runs by Ball and one by Egbers along with a five-yard pass to Douglass got Dickinson out of the shadow of their goal line and setup third-and-five on the DC35. A six-yard rush for Egbers gave a new set of downs, followed by rushes of six and three yards for Ball bringing up third-and-seven (DC44). Coming out of a timeout, Egbers hit Douglass twice to advance the drive to the F&M20. Back-to-back Ball carries prompted another DC timeout prior to first-and-goal at the ten with 55-ticks remaining. Two plays later Dickinson thought they had reclaimed the lead, but
Kellen Boyer was tagged for offensive interference on the go-ahead TD sending it back to the 20. Two plays later, Kyle Jones was hit for roughing the passer which brought it to the 10. After a pass interference advanced the rock to the two-yardline Dickinson looked at second-and-goal with four seconds remaining. A rush by Ball went for no-gain and left F&M feeling like they had won as time appeared to expire. However, it was ruled that one second was remaining, which allowed for Ball to take the ensuing toss from Egbers around the left tackle and in for the TOUCHDOWN and the 19-17 win.
The Dickinson defense was led on the night by
Sam Orzolek who recorded a game-high 11 tackles (five solo), including three for loss and one-and-a-half sacks. The duo of
Bram Leys and Basilii each had seven stops and combined for one tackle for loss.
Brendan Walker added five hits, while
Anton Jacobs,
Neville Krueger,
Jeremy Reid and
Alex Sulin all had four stops apiece.
Next on the Field
Dickinson (3-1, 1-0 Centennial) returns to Biddle Field on Saturday, October 7th at 1pm for a matchup against the Captains of Christopher Newport University.
