Qb Karaffa, Wilkes Nip Delval

DOYLESTOWN — Hungry for a victory to stay in contention for the MAC football title, Delaware Valley got more than it could handle in a rebounding Wilkes program.
Coming back from two conference losses this season, Wilkes defeated cross-town rival King’s last week in a muddy ground game. On Saturday, Wilkes took it to the air, scoring two passing touchdowns.
The offensive shift allowed senior quarterback Al Karaffa to throw for a career-high 322 yards and account for three touchdowns, leading Wilkes in a 27-24 win over Delaware Valley at James Work Memorial Stadium.
For as many passes as Karaffa completed, the first score of the game was a 1-yard rushing TD from the signal caller to put Wilkes (4-5, 4-2 MAC) up 7-0 in the first quarter. Late in the same period, Delaware Valley (4-5, 4-2 MAC) came within four points when Aggies’ kicker Shane Toohey slotted a 35-yard field goal.
Karaffa connected with Sean Madden in the second quarter on his longest completion of the game, a 52-yard touchdown pass, to extend the Colonels’ lead, 14-3. Unfortunate for Wilkes, Delaware Valley fired back before the end of the half, scoring back-to-back touchdowns. Joel Foreman caught a 10-yard pass from quarterback Mike Isgro and on the ensuing Wilkes possession, defensive back Greg Rissinger picked off Karaffa’s pass for a 16-yard interception return.
Wilkes tight end Drew Letcavage made the score 20-17 Colonels heading into the locker room with a 14-yard touchdown catch from Karaffa with 43 seconds remaining.
In the second half, running back Matt Cook put the Aggies back on top with a 8-yard rushing score late in the third quarter. Alex Pearson gave Wilkes the final lead when, in the fourth quarter, the freshman running back punched in a 4-yard scoring run.
Delaware Valley had a chance to tie the game on its next possession, but Toohey’s 38-yard field goal went wide left of the goal post. The Aggies didn’t mount a significant threat for the rest of the game.
Isgro passed for 227 yards and a touchdown but threw two interceptions and was sacked four times by the Colonels.
Madden finished with five catches for 81 yards and Jason Prushinski had seven catches for 100 yards for Wilkes. Joel Foreman caught seven passes for 101 yards for the Aggies.

AROUND THE MAC: Senior Matt Campbell capped a solid day on an 18-yard touchdown pass to junior Tim Kilkenny with 18 seconds left, propelling Widener to a 28-24 victory over Albright at Leslie C. Quick Jr. Stadium and its 17th Middle Atlantic Conference championship. With less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the score tied at 21-21, Albright kicker John Whelan slotted a 30-yard field goal to put the Lions ahead. Tim Kilkenny sealed the game for the Pride, though, with 18 seconds left on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Campbell...Sophomore running back Charlie Parker ran for 122 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns as Lebanon Valley held off a late FDU-Florham rally to beat the Devils, 27-24, on Senior Day on Saturday afternoon. With two minutes remaining in the game, Parker punched in a 2-yard rushing touchdown, but FDU tight end Ray Kwiatkowski recovered a fumble in the end zone with :31 remaining to bring the Devils within three points.
UP NEXT

Widener (7-2, 6-0 MAC) at Wilkes (4-5, 4-2 MAC)

TIME: 1 p.m., Saturday

PLACE: Ralston Fields, Edwardsville

RADIO: WCLH 90.7-FM