Box Score
In the 61st annual Shriner's Pretzel Bowl, the Albright College football team fell 20-10 to 10th-ranked Delaware Valley College. Albright's struggles on offense continued as the Lions gained just 82 yards on the ground and 176 through the air.
The first score for Delaware Valley came on a 16-yard pass from freshman quarterback
Aaron Wilmer to
Chris Ruiz, capping a ten play drive and making it 7-0 Aggies.
Wilmer then took a quarterback sneak into the end zone on a second quarter 4th-and-goal play. The run completed a 12-play, 80-yard drive, including a 17-yard run by
Kyle Schuberth, making it a two-score football game.
A methodical first half ended with Del Val up 13-0. The Aggies slowly but surely dominated the first half of play, almost doubling Albright in total yards.
The Aggies were set to receive in the second half but after the first play from scrimmage they would lose possesion. The Lions took over after DVC's first down run ended with a fumble by Schuberth.
The Lions ended a seven play drive with a touchdown after quarterback T.J. Luddy scrambled into the end zone for six more points and made it a 13-7 game following the extra point.
After a turnover on downs at the Albright 2, the Lions marched into Aggie teritory with a 20 yard run by
Marty Reinhardt. A fourth down pass from Luddy to
Josh Bakala for 11 yards picked up a first down to continue the drive and kicker
Jordan Loiodice added three more to the Lions' total with a 38 yard field goal, making it 13-10 Delaware Valley.
Schuberth went into the fourth quarter having already eclipsed the 100-yard mark and took control of the game with two back-to-back double digit gains on the ground to move the Aggies inside the red zone. It was
Tyler Neal who ended the drive with a 14 yard run to the end zone, capping an 80-yard drive and putting Delaware Valley ahead 20-10.
After an Albright timeout
TJ Luddy scrambled for 12 yards on a fourth down play to pickup an Albright first down. The following completion to
Josh Bakala put Albright inside the red zone and looking to threaten the Aggies' lead, but a third down fumble and sack on Luddy by Delaware Valley linebacker Ken Fowlkes helped keep the Lions' out of the end zone.
After Albright got the ball back, Fowlkes recorded his second sack of the day on the first down plass play.
Scott Pillar picked up eight yards on the second down play and on fourth down, a pass to
Caleb Shilko got the Lions to the fifteen for a first down.
The final minute heroics were not enough for Albright to overcome the deficit however, as for a second consecutive week the Lions ended the game with a fourth down incompletion in the opposition red zone.
Ryan Ott earned Most Valuable Player honors for Albright with eight tackles. Delaware Valley linebacker Ken Fowlkes had 11 tackles and two sacks with a forced fumble, earning him the honors for the Aggies.
The Lions' struggles continued on offense as they totaled just 82 yards on the ground and were sacked five times. Defensively, Albright's inability to force turnovers kept them from limiting Delaware Valley's chances.
Scott Pillar led the Lions with seven catches for 92 yards and Luddy was 14-of-27 through the air. Luddy was able to reach the end zone once on the ground with a third quarter scramble for a touchdown.
Albright (4-3, 2-3) will travel to FDU-Florham on Friday.
