Box Score The Delaware Valley University football team erased a nine-point second half deficit to earn a 30-22 victory at Bridgewater College in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Division III football playoffs, and advance to the second round where it will face Wesley College. The Aggies will find out tomorrow morning whether it will be home or on the road.

It is the first time in three attempts that DelVal has won a road NCAA playoff game as it improved to 10-8 all-time in NCAA play. For sixth year head coach Duke Greco, he is now 3-3 all-time in the NCAA postseason.

The Aggies won the opening toss and elected to receive. They converted two third downs and junior John Davis accounted for 40 yards on two receptions and one run. He capped the drive with a 13-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Anthony Fontana, and senior Nick Restaino added the extra point for a 7-0 DelVal lead with 8:30 left in the first quarter.

Bridgewater wasted no time in response as Jarrod Denham took the ensuing kickoff and went 87 yards the other way to tie the game at 7-7.

On the Aggies next drive, they faced a 3^rd-&-1 from their own 44-yard line and wide receiver Juwan Manigo took the snap under center and tried to fall forward for the first down, but was stuffed, and DelVal was forced to punt.

The Eagles took over at their own 22-yard line and went 78 yards on 13 plays for another touchdown. They had a 1st-&-goal from the one-yard line and DelVal was able to hold them twice before quarterback Jay Scroggins finally punched it in. Bridgewater went for two-points after the ball was moved to the one-yard line due to an Aggie penalty, but DelVal stuffed the run and kept it a 13-7 game.

Then in the second quarter, the Aggies worked the ball into the red zone as Davis had two more receptions for 22 yards. DelVal eventually got a 1^st-&-goal from the nine yard line, but only managed four yards and faced fourth down from the five yard line. The Aggies elected to go for the touchdown, and Fontana dropped back to pass but had nowhere to go, and was sacked 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage, and the Eagles took over.

DelVal quickly forced Bridgewater to punt to get the ball back, but on 3^rd-&-13, Fontana tried to thread a pass over the middle and it was picked off to put the Eagles offense back on the field in Aggie territory, just over midfield.

The defense for DelVal was equal to the task again, as it forced a 36-yard field goal attempt that missed wide left to keep it a six-point game with under two minutes left in the first half. The offense got to the 48-yard line but were forced back five yards after a false start penalty. Facing 2^nd-&-10 with 24 ticks left in the half, Fontana tried a deep pass down the sideline for Dan Allen but it was intercepted for the third turnover of the half and the score remained, 13-7, at the break.

DelVal ran nine more plays than Bridgewater in the first half and outgained the Eagles 136-99.

On the first drive of the second half, Scroggins completed six passes for 50 yards but the Aggies held them to a 32-yard field goal attempt. This time, Logan Weis' boot split the uprights and made it a 16-7 Bridgewater lead early in the third.

DelVal used a run-heavy attack on its next drive as it ran the ball nine times for 43 yards. On 3^rd-&-3 from the Eagles' 11-yard line, they handed the ball to Davis but he could not make the line to gain. The Aggies sent out Restaino for a 27-yard field goal attempt and the senior connected to make it 16-10.

On the ensuing kickoff, Denham broke another big gain as he picked up the squib kick and took it all the way to the DelVal 25-yard line. The defense forced another field goal attempt and this time Weis was good from 39 yards to make it 19-10.

The Aggies went to the air attack on their next drive as Fontana hit senior Juwan Manigo for a 19-yard chunk. Two plays later, Mario Nigro caught a ball out of the backfield, spun off a tackle, and sprinted down the sideline for a 48-yard touchdown to make it 19-17 going into the fourth quarter.

The defense forced a big three-and-out and DelVal's offense got the ball at its own seven-yard line after the punt.

On the first play, Barksdale took a handoff and sprinted for 35 yards and a late hit penalty tacked on 15 more to put the ball in Bridgewater territory. On 3^rd-&-15 from Eagles 19-yard line, Fontana delivered a perfect pass over the middle to Davis in the end zone for his second touchdown catch of the day and to put DelVal back on top. The Aggies went for two, but could not convert, and DelVal held a 23-19 lead with 10:47 left in regulation.

The Eagles drove 49 yards and faced a 2^nd-&-10 from the Aggies 35-yard line when Scroggins dropped back to pass and Anthony Nobile applied pressure. The pass was deflected by a DelVal defender and Blaine Netterman snatched it out of the air for his team-leading fifth interception of the year and the Aggies took over with 6:46 to play.

DelVal picked up one first down, but was forced to punt the ball and Bridgewater took over at its own 26 with 4:40 to play and still trailing, 23-19.

On the first play of the drive, Anthony Nobile got in the backfield again and forced Scroggins to scramble. The senior got out of the pocket, but dropped the ball and senior linebacker Vincent DiLeo was there to scoop it up and run it 16-yards for an Aggie touchdown to make it a 30-19 game with just over four minutes left in regulation.

Bridgewater drove the other way on its next drive, and Weis hit his third field goal of the game, a 42 yarder, to make it 30-22 with 2:45 left in regulation.

The Eagles attempted an onside kick, but the Aggies recovered and needed just one first down to run out the clock. Donte Simmons took the first carry for seven yards, and Nigro pounded out three more yards for the first down that secured the 30-22 road victory and propelled DelVal into the second round of the NCAA Playoffs.

Davis finished the game with five receptions for 68 yards and two scores and Manigo had five catches for 56 yards. Fontana finished 17-for-26 for 218 yards while the Aggies ran the ball 44 times as a team for 170 yards. Simmons had 16 carries for 64 yards and Nigro toted the rock 11 times for 46. Nigro's biggest play of the game was his only reception that he took 48 yards for the score.

Anthony Tedesco led the defense with 12 tackles and Michael Nobile finished with seven including three tackles for loss and two sacks. Senior linebacker Billy Walsh finished with eight tackles and Ryan Barrett added seven himself. DelVal had 24 first downs to Bridgewater's 18 and outgained the home team, 388-258, in total yards.

Scroggins was 19-for-33 throwing the ball with 227 yards and he was sacked four times. Demetreus Jalepes rushed the ball 12 times for just 20 yards as the Aggies the Eagles to just 31 rushing yards for the game. Devonte Smith caught five passes for 57 yards and Denham finished with 224 all-purpose yards.

The Aggies will now have their sights site on avenging the four-overtime week two loss to Wesley as it prepares for the second round game on Saturday, November 30. Kickoff will be at 12 p.m.