WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Delaware Valley football overcame an 11-point halftime deficit, scoring 42 points in the second half to defeat King's College, 61-35, on Sunday afternoon.
The Monarchs took advantage of receiving the opening kickoff, as Auguste found the end zone on a 10-yard run to put King's ahead 7-0. On the Aggies' first possession, completions to John Dzielawa, Joel Perez, and Marc Peterson moved the chains before Justin Brown punched it in from one yard out. Brendan Hazell's extra-point attempt was no good, leaving DelVal trailing 7-6. King's answered with a two-play scoring drive, highlighted by a 60-yard run followed by an 18-yard touchdown pass to Duana to make it 14-6.
Early in the second quarter, Perez caught a short pass over the middle and broke free for a touchdown. Sebastian Swiatek converted the extra point to bring the Aggies within one. King's responded with a 53-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Mims, extending its lead to 21-13 with 11:51 remaining in the half. On the ensuing drive, Perez caught an 11-yard pass on third down before Galasso connected with Mike Dunn at the King's 15-yard line. Dunn made his way down to the one, setting up Brown for another rushing touchdown. The Aggies went for two but could not convert, leaving the score at 21-19. The DelVal defense forced a fourth-and-three near midfield, but an offsides penalty gave the Monarchs a fresh set of downs. Mims appeared to add another touchdown with a run from the 21-yard line, but the score was called back for holding. King's eventually found the end zone after a personal foul penalty moved the ball to the three, where Auguste scored on a run up the middle. Late in the half, Galasso connected with Kenny Montgomery for a 24-yard gain on third-and-20, but the Monarchs forced a turnover on downs. King's took a 28-19 lead into the break.
Zaire Fields opened the second half with a 78-yard kickoff return, setting up the Aggies in excellent field position. Just three plays later, Brown scored his third touchdown of the afternoon to bring DelVal within two points. King's answered after a DelVal penalty, with Mims completing a 56-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead. Following a pair of scoreless possessions, Galasso found Dzielawa on a short pass before the senior broke free for a 58-yard touchdown. Hazell added the extra point to make it 35-33. The Aggies then forced a three-and-out, and Will Almeyda returned the punt 29 yards. Dunn and Brown moved the ball down the field before Dayshon Jackson punched it in from the one-yard line, giving DelVal its first lead of the afternoon at 40-35. Jo'zyiah Brown added a sack of Mims on third-and-10 to close out the third quarter.
DelVal continued to build its lead in the fourth. Receptions by Montgomery and Almeyda moved the Aggies into the red zone, where Galasso connected with Dunn for another touchdown. The Aggies extended their advantage to 12. On the ensuing kickoff, Jackson forced a fumble that Adam Rodgers Jr. recovered for DelVal at the King's nine-yard line. Goffney-Fleming picked up a pair of short gains before Dzielawa hauled in a touchdown pass to extend the lead. The Aggies forced another turnover when Clarke fumbled after a catch, with Wyatt Younes recovering for DelVal with 5:57 remaining. AJ Darr entered at quarterback and picked up a first down on the ground before Galasso returned and connected with Marc Peterson for a 34-yard touchdown reception, bringing the score to 61-35. The DelVal defense quickly ended the Monarchs' final possession when Michael Sassono intercepted Mims, allowing the Aggies to run out the remaining 3:05.
With 42 points in the second half, DelVal improves to 6-2 overall and 6-1 in MAC play. The Aggies return home next Saturday, Nov. 7, to host Alvernia for Senior Day.
