If you believe in moral victories then King’s came out with a win on Saturday.
On the final drive down by three against No. 18 Delaware Valley, King’s kicker Mikhial Kniaziewicz attempted a 39 yard field goal that fell just a few yards short marking the Monarchs second heartbreaking loss in as many weeks.
After the first quarter the Aggies had a 14-0 lead and Rasheed Bailey was up to his old tricks. The star wideout had 73 yards and two scores. It looked like Kings had no hope, and little chance to get back in the game, but then a kid named Dan Kempa struck again.
The stud receiver caught a 49 yard post corner and took it the distance cutting the lead to 17-7. Once again Kempa had a good game but more importantly he restored hope on the King’s sidelines. Fast-forward the game to the third quarter and hard nose running back Kyle McGrath was putting on a show.
Carry after carry he was plowing kids over and racking up first downs. McGrath eventually found pay dirt, scoring from a few yards out to draw King’s to within three. Just like Kempa, who instilled hope, McGrath provided heart. Every time the senior touched the ball, he refused to get tackled, and the King’s bench and the stands were loving it.
Not only was the offense rolling but so was the defense. Holding a Del-Val led offense to just 24 points was a feat of its own. The Aggies haven’t scored less than 30 points all year, and that came way back in Week 1. Quarterback Aaron Wilber struggled all day, completing less than 50% of his passes.
The Aggies offense was largely led by Division II transfer Chris Smallwood, who had 30 carries, for a 169 and one stop to the end zone. King’s, who struggled to get the quarterback all day, and everytime they had a chance the left tackle would be called for a hold, didn’t record a sack.
On the other hand, Tyler Hartranft, who was sacked four times, was being pressured every time he dropped back to pass. This was evident as he finished with 12 carries. King’s offensive line struggled all game and that is a cause for concern for the coaching staff.
Overall, I thought King’s played a heck of a game, and showed a lot of people what they are capable of. If you are coach Knarr you have to be encouraged by the way your team has played over the past five weeks, but wins are wins, and losses are losses, and at the end of the day, winning is all that matters.