DOYLESTOWN (Pa.) – The Delaware Valley University celebrated its third-straight Middle Atlantic Conference Championship as it wrapped up a perfect league season, and retained possession of the Keystone cup, with a 28-21 victory over visiting rival Widener University.

With a 9-1 overall mark and 8-0 record in MAC play, the Aggies clinched the conference's automatic qualifier bid to the 2019 NCAA Playoffs for the third consecutive year. The win over the Pride is the fifth in a row for DelVal and drops them to a 5-5 overall record and 4-4 in the MAC. It also gives DelVal its fifth straight victory in the annual rivalry for the Keystone Cup and ensures that the trophy that was established in 1981 remains in Doylestown.

Today's version of the rivalry game was played on a brisk, sunny day with high winds whipping from the east end zone to the west.

DelVal got the ball to start the game and picked up two first downs, but on a second-and-10 play, Anthony Fontana's pass went through the hands of his intended receiver and was intercepted by Matt Russo.

Widener was forced to punt after a 3-and-out, and Aggie freshman Trent Fries broke through the line to block the kick and he recovered it himself at the Pride 16-yard line. The DelVal offense capitalized on its fifth play as Fontana connected with Ezekial Ennis and the freshman skirted into the end zone for the 6-yard score, the first of his collegiate career. Nick Restaino made it 7-0 with the PAT.

Widener responded on its ensuing possession with a 10-play 75-yard drive capped by a Sean McGaughey 10-yard touchdown pass to his favorite target, James Gillespie, to tie the game at 7-7, where it remained going into the second quarter.

With 2:28 left in the second and the game still knotted at 7-7, Fontana dropped back on first down and launched a ball deep and into the wind where senior Aaron Nelson ran under it and made a nice catch en route to a 59 yard touchdown reception to put the Aggies back on top, 14-7.

The Pride received the kick with just 2:19 left in the half. They executed a well-orchestrated 12-play, 83 yard drive where McGaughey completed 6-of-10 passes. Facing a 2^nd-and-10, McGuaghey hit Ty Holbert over the middle at the DelVal 2-yard line and Widener called a timeout with just one second left. Widener elected to go for the touchdown instead of settling for the field goal, and McGaughey threw a perfect fade to Gillespie who came down with a contested catch to tie the game again, 14-14, going into the halftime break.

The Pride got the ball to start the third quarter, but went three and out. DelVal took over at their own 17 after the punt, and drove 83 yards on 11 plays in six and a half minutes for another score. Fontana was 4-for-4 on the drive including a four-yard strike to Dan Allen over the middle for the touchdown to put the Aggies back on top, 21-14. Freshman Tahmir Barksdale aided the drive with a 28 yard rush.

The game remained tied into the fourth quarter, and DelVal had a chance to extend its lead, but Barksdale was stripped at the Widener 25-yard line and the Pride took over. The Aggie defense picked up the offense on the ensuing drive as corner back Justin Harris jumped a route and took the interception 59 yards the other way for his second touchdown of the year, and a two-touchdown lead for DelVal with 7:26 left in regulation.

The Pride answered right away again as they needed less than four minutes to drive 65 yards on 10 plays and cut the deficit to 28-21. McGaughey threw his third touchdown of the day, this time to Ty Holbert for 12 yards.

With 3:47 remaining in regulation, Widener elected to try an onside kick and Michael Raczak blasted his boot into a DelVal defender and the Pride jumped on the recovery at its own 45-yard line with a chance to tie the game. On the first play of the drive, All-American defensive end Michael Nobile got loose off the edge and got to McGaughey for his first sack of the game and a five-yard loss. A Pair of penalties forced the Pride into a 3^rd-and-35, and they were forced to punt with 2:00 left to play.

DelVal ran the ball four times and senior Mario Nigro sealed the 28-21 victory with a 22-yard burst that allowed the Aggies to run out the clock on the perfect 8-0 MAC campaign as the home sideline erupted in celebration of its third conference title and NCAA playoff berth.

DelVal finished with 394 yards of total offense to Widener's 300.

Fontana completed 18-of-23 passes for 231 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Nigro led the ground attack with 81 yards on 12 carries and Allen hauled in six passes for 82 yards and a score. Nelson caught three passes for 73 yards and fellow senior Juwan Manigo caught four passes for 30 yards including one nifty stiff arm and hurdle spurt.

Michael Nobile, Anthony Tedesco, and Billy Walsh paced the defense with seven tackles apiece and a combined 3.5 tackles for loss. DelVal had 12 different players in total record a tackle.

McGaughey completed just 17-of-39 passes for 218 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Gillespie left the game with an injury in the fourth quarter, but still managed to lead the team with six catches for 79 yards and two scores. John Bauer and Chris Randle each had nine carries for 41 and 32 yards, respectively. Matt Russo led all players in the game with 11 tackles and he picked up the interception. Owen Cramer had six tackles and two tackles for loss and Mario Scotese had five tackles, 2TFL, and half a sack.

DelVal will now wait until 6 p.m. tomorrow for the announcement of who and where it will play in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs. All first round playoff games will kickoff at noon local time. The team will gather in Mandell 114 on campus to watch the show together.