10/6/23

SCRANTON, Pa. -- Lackawanna College football is set to celebrate its sophomores and to raise money to stop cancer this weekend, while also playing a key football game against its rival Monroe College this Saturday night. 

Kickoff between the two squads is set for a 6:00pm ET start at PenFed Field at Scranton's Memorial Stadium in the Electric City. The game will have a video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network HERE. Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will handle the play-by-play duties, while Assistant Athletic Director Josh Pardini will provide the color commentary. Pre-game, the Falcons will be celebrating their sophomores with their annual Sophomore Day event. Throughout the night, Lackawanna College is partnering with Schiff's and with Michele's Ladies In Pink to help Pink Out Cancer, with T-Shirts for sale (While supplies last), as well as donation areas and a special 50/50 drawing.

The Falcons (4-1) come into the contest after an impressive home victory over Sussex County CC last weekend, 59-24. Lackawanna gained 672 yards of offense and piled up 28 first downs, scoring three straight touchdowns to begin the game and never look back from there. Hamas Duren (Sophomore; Sicklerville, NJ) passed for 298 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for another, while Terrez Worthy (Sophomore; Salisbury, MD) ran for 174 yards on 19 carries. Duren found Kyree Hinton (Sophomore; Somerville, NJ) for an 86-yard touchdown pass on just the fourth play from scrimmage to get the Falcons off and running in the first quarter. On the next possession, leading 7-3, Lackawanna capped a drive with a one-yard dive from Duren, then scored again on its next possession when Duren found Petey Tucker (Sophomore; Baltimore, MD) over the middle for an 18-yard score. Duren had touchdown passes to Robert Rossi (Sophomore; Scranton, PA) and Maxwell James (Sophomore; Burke, VA), while Markell Holman (First Year; Philadelphia, PA) and Edward Sirleaf (First Year; Gaithersburg, MD) added touchdown runs, and Jack Borel (Sophomore; Lanoka Harbor, NJ) booted a 46-yard field goal. Linebacker Terence Folkes (Sophomore; Belleville, NJ) also scored, scooping up a fumble after a sack from Antonio Alfano (Sophomore; Colonia, NJ) and racing 62 yards the other way for a touchdown. Nyair Graham (First Year; Camden, NJ) led the defense with eight solo tackles and three tackles-for-loss, while Folkes finished with seven total tackles and 5.5 tackles-for-loss. Read the full recap HERE.

Monroe (3-1) enters the game after a bye week. The Mustangs were previously in action on September 23rd, when they fell 22-16 to Georgia Military College in Milledgeville, GA. Monroe got a pair of punt return touchdowns to keep themselves in the game, but the offense couldn't sustain any drives against the Bulldogs' defense, and Georgia Military scored the final 12 points of the game to grab the lead and pull out the win. Mysonne Pollard had a 68-yard punt return TD in the second quarter, boosting the Mustangs to a 9-0 advantage. Military hit a 53-yard touchdown run to get on the board, then kicked a field goal towards the end of the half to make it 10-9 at the break. Pollard struck again, this time on a 63-yard return in the third, that put Monroe up at 16-10. Military responded with a touchdown drive to make it 17-16, then got two points when a fourth-down snap sailed over the punter's head and into the end zone for a safety. The Bulldogs added a field goal late in the third to make it 22-16, then held the Mustangs scoreless through the final quarter. Mason Boothe was 20-for-37 for 166 yards and an interception, while the Mustangs offense had just 179 yards of total offense, and just 13 yards rushing on the day. 

This will be the 12th all-time meeting between Lackawanna College and Monroe. The Falcons lead the series, 8-3, and have won seven of the last eight match-ups, including both of last year's games. In the first match-up last season, Lackawanna broke open a tight game to win 28-13 on the road in New Rochelle, NY. The Falcons would go 2-for-2 with a win at home in late October, 21-14, in a tight contest in Scranton. 

You can read the full games notes for this week's contest HERE.

Lackawanna College is next in action on Saturday, October 14th, when the Falcons are set to take on Hocking College. It will be Homecoming Weekend, as well as Falcon Fest at the institution. Kickoff is set for 1:00pm ET at PenFed Field at Scranton's Memorial Stadium.