9/6/25

SCRANTON, Pa. -- Jacob Tiberi threw five touchdown passes and Lackawanna College football overcame a slow first half to score 25 straight in the second half and win, 45-21, against Sussex County CC on Saturday afternoon in their home opener at PenFed Field at Scranton Memorial Stadium.
 
The #13 Falcons (1-0) had the offense humming early, scoring three straight touchdowns after a few empty possessions, but the Skylanders (0-2) were keeping pace. A first quarter that only saw the Falcons score gave way to a wild second, where four touchdowns were scored within the first five minutes of game time.
 
Tiberi (Smyrna, DE) hit receiver Carmelo Taylor (Roanoke, VA) for a 31-yard score on the first play of the second quarter to give the Falcons a 13-0 lead. Less than 15 seconds later, Sussex answered with a 75-yard pitch-and-catch to get itself on the board. Tiberi connected on the next series, this time for a 47-yard score with Khi'Lee Patterson (Fox Chapel, PA) to make it 20-7, but Sussex once again answered, picking its way down the field and scoring on a 21-yard pass to get within 20-14.
 
Sussex later took the lead on a third touchdown pass, this from nine yards out, taking a 21-20 advantage into halftime.
 
The Falcons started the second half with a line drive kick that bounced off one of the up-men from Sussex and bounded into the waiting arms of a Falcon. A few plays later, Tiberi stepped up in the pocket, took a low hit, but still managed to sling his fourth touchdown pass, this time to Christian Harrison (Temple Hills, MD) for a 21-yard score, giving the Falcons the lead back at 27-21.
 
On the next drive, the Skylanders fumbled the ball near midfield, and Lackawanna recovered it. A few plays later, Joseph Bivins (Brick, NJ) scored from two yards away to make it 35-21 with 6:15 to go in the third.
 
On the next kick, defensive player Jordan Dowdy (Odenton, MD) provided a highlight play on special teams, whacking the kick returner and popping the ball free, which was recovered by the Falcons. Tiberi would later throw his fifth touchdown, this a seven-yarder to Clifton Miller (Woodbridge, NJ), that made it 42-21.
 
Kicker Isiah Rodriguez (Old Forge, PA) made a 17-yard field goal to cap the scoring at 45-21 late in the fourth quarter and send Lackawanna to its first win of the year.
 
After getting gashed in the first half, the Lackawanna defense was great in the second, forcing three turnovers and blocking a punt, while holding the talented Sussex quarterback in check.
 
The Falcons are back to work on Saturday, September 13^th, when they travel to Detroit, Michigan to take on the Detroit Community Christian College Lions. Kickoff is set for 1:00pm ET at Renaissance HS in Detroit.