Online Video
The game will be streamed live and for free via Wilkes.
 
On the Radio
The game will be broadcast on the Flying Dutchmen Radio Network on WMSS 91.1 FM in Middletown and WWSM 1510 AM in Lebanon County. John Wilsbach and Brian Keyser will call the action. The game will be streamed live and for free on the TuneIn app, as well as WMSSFM.com and GoDutchmen.com.
 
Weather Forecast
(FORECAST) It's looking like another great day for football in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, with a 50% chance of showers and a high temperature of 70 degrees.
 
Going to the Game
Driving directions and tailgaiting policy can be found here.
 
Series History
Saturday's game between the Dutchmen and Colonels will the 48th meeting all time. Wilkes holds a slim series lead at 25-22. In the teams' last eight meetings, LVC holds a 7-1 record. Seven of the last 12 games in the series have been decided by one score or less. In 2017, LVC blanked Wilkes 36-0 in Wilkes-Barre, but a season ago, the Colonels got the best of the Dutchmen with a 30-27 overtime victory in Annville.
 
Last Year
Lebanon Valley's home opener was spoiled by Wilkes back on Sept. 8, 2018, as the Colonels erased an early deficit and escaped Arnold Field with a 30-27 overtime victory. The Flying Dutchmen looked poised to pull off the comeback victory after scoring the game-tying touchdown with less than 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter but as he did all afternoon, WU quarterback Jose Tabora led the way during the visitors' game-winning touchdown drive in overtime. With the Colonels trailing 27-24 following Nick Bentz's 42-yard field goal that capped LVC's only overtime possession, Tabora completed two passes of 10-plus yards before sneaking across the goal line from one yard out to finish off Wilkes' OT drive and give the visitors their first win over the Dutchmen in eight years. The loss was especially hard to take after Lebanon Valley put together a clutch 10-play, 61-yard drive that began with Dre Burch's 27-yard kick return with 3:15 remaining and ended when quarterback Kody Kegarise connected with wide receiver Dallas Arner for a two-yard touchdown in the left corner of the end zone with just 22 ticks left in the fourth quarter. The Dutchmen took control in the early going, with Kegarise hooking up with new favorite target Tyeair Diggs for a 46-yard touchdown on the sixth play of the game. The defense kept the momentum rolling when linebackers Tyler Lutz and Alex Trujillo combined to stuff the Colonels on a 4th-and-1 attempt inside the LVC red zone on WU's first drive. Then it was running back Ryan Fink getting into the scoring act when he capped LVC's ensuing 11-play drive with a 24-yard touchdown scamper that increased the lead to 14-0 at the 4:07 mark of the first quarter. Wilkes' offense tapped into the deep ball to move into position to score its first touchdown on the final play of the third quarter and Tabora showed off his arm strength during the team's game-tying TD drive midway through the second period as well. LVC responded with a 10-play drive that resulted in a 40-yard field goal by Bentz with 4:36 remaining in the first half and the defense made another big play when pressure by safety Anthony Jenkins forced Tabora to misfire on a 4th-and-1 attempt from the Lebanon Valley six-yard line just before the break. A strip-sack of Tabora by defensive end Wyett McLeod and fumble recovery by Jacob Whitfield early in the third quarter was negated when the Dutchmen fumbled the ball back to the Colonels two plays later. Wilkes proceeded to march 46 yards in five plays and take its first lead of the afternoon when Tabora threw his third touchdown pass of the game. The Colonels had a chance to put the home team away late in the fourth quarter but the LVC defense made another key stop in holding the visitors to a field goal following a 20-play, 80-yard drive that chewed up more than 10 minutes in the fourth quarter. Safety Zachary Adams hit Tabora for a loss on 3rd-and-goal from the three-yard line, forcing a field goal and giving the offense the time it needed to convert the game-tying score before the end of regulation.
 
Last Week
Lebanon Valley fell 35-20 in its 2019 opener to Franklin & Marshall back on Sept. 7. After the Flying Dutchmen's (0-1) defense forced a three-and-out in the visitor's opening drive, the offense showed itself for the first time in a regular season game and didn't disappoint. Hunter Wilson began the drive with a seven-yard rush to LVC's 15, and on the very next play, Wilson broke loose and outraced the defense for an 85-yard touchdown that rocked the crowd and gave the home squad a 7-0 advantage after Nick Bentz's good point-after attempt. On the visitor's ensuing drive, the stout Dutchmen defense stood tall and forced another punt, but on LVC's next drive, Thomas Downs picked off Kody Kegarise at the LVC 46 on a 4th and 8 play. F&M took advantage of the Dutchmen miscue and capped off a four-play, 46-yard drive with a 33-yard rushing touchdown by Keshon Farmer to even the game at 7-7 with 7:08 remaining in the opening quarter. On the Dutchmen's next drive, the Diplomats' Downs again intercepted a Kegarise pass and returned it seven yards to the Dutchmen's 33-yard line. Once again, the visiting squad turned an LVC turnover into points, as Joe Hartley-Vittoria registered F&M's second rushing TD of the afternoon with a 7-yard run, putting the Dips ahead 14-7 with 5:39 left in the first. On LVC's final drive of the first, the Dutchmen put together a long drive, including 49 rushing yards from Hunter Wilson and eight more from Michael Are. On the first play of the second quarter with the Dutchmen at F&M's one-yard line, Kegarise snuck it in for the touchdown. Despite the missed PAT, LVC was just a point behind F&M at 14-13 early in the second. Later in the second quarter, F&M kept its offense on the field for 5:31 with a 12-play, 56-yared drive, capped by QB Garrett Perschy's one-yard run from the goal line to put the visitors ahead 21-13. After LVC's ensuing drive stalled out, the Dips had 2:14 left on the clock to try to increase their lead, but on fourth down and 16 at LVC's 30, Perschy tossed a pass to the endzone and Anthony Jenkins picked him off as time expired in the second quarter, keeping LVC down by just eight at halftime. Early in the third quarter, the visitors distanced themselves from LVC with Farmer's second rushing TD of the game, this time a one-yard run. The Dutchmen had an answer, however, as Wilson continued his best game wearing a Dutchmen uniform and received a pass from Kegarise on a wheel route and Wilson juked the defense and scored on a 39-yard pass from Kegarise, bringing LVC back to within eight points at 28-20 with 6:08 to go in the third. From there, the Dutchmen were unable to generate anymore offense for the remainder of the third quarter and the fourth. On the Diplomats' opening play of the fourth, they went ahead by 15 at 35-20 on Farmer's third rushing TD of the game, putting the game out of reach.
 
Road Opener
This weekend's matchup with Wilkes is LVC's 2019 road opener. The Dutchmen have gone 2-4 in their last five road openers.
 
History
The series between LVC and Wilkes has a way of producing long winning streaks from one side and agonizing losing skids for the other. From 1955-1964, Lebanon Valley won eight straight against the Colonels. From there, Wilkes won the next eight meetings between the squads. The Dutchmen took the next five meetings before the Colonels reeled off the next 13 between 1993 and 2007. The pendulum swung back in favor of LVC as the program road a six-game win streak, but Wilkes snapped the streak a season ago with its overtime win.
 
Previewing with Coach Buehler
Head coach Joe Buehler '89 sat down for an interview to discuss last week's hard-fought loss to F&M, and a look ahead to Wilkes this weekend.

 
LVC's Offense
Lebanon Valley's offense got off to a tremendous start against F&M last week before eventually being stifled by one of the Centennial Conference's best defenses as the game wore on. On LVC's third play on offense of the game, Hunter Wilson broke off for an 85-yard touchdown that electrified the whole stadium. On the ground, Wilson finished the game with a career high 21 rushes for a career-best 169 yards to go along with one TD. Kody Kegarise went 12-for-18 throwing the ball for 149 yards and a touchdown. Michael Are impressed in his collegiate debut and rushed three times for 19 yards. Tyeair Diggs led the offense with six receptions for 66 yards and Wilson added a touchdown catch for 39 yards.
 
LVC's Defense
LVC's defense was all over the field this past Saturday and limited the Diplomats' yards after the catch. Tyler Lutz made five solo tackles and had 14 total, while fellow inside linebacker Dillon Estes made 11 total tackles. Safety Anthony Jenkins was also in double digits in tackles with 10 and he added an interception and a pair of pass breaks ups. Safety Brendan Yetter also enjoyed a solid outing this past week, making five solo tackles.
 
Special Teams
Last week against F&M, Diggs gave LVC solid field position with a 21-yard return, while Dre Burch returned three kickoffs for 58 yards, including one 31-yard return.
 
Scouting Wilkes
The Colonels won their 2019 opener at Hartwick College by a 38-21 margin this past Saturday. The always-dangerous Jose Tabora was the star, as he threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception on a 21-for-36 line. He also rushed for a team-high 65 yards and found pay dirt on the ground once. He made several connections with top wide receiver Nick Yanik, as Yanik caught 10 balls for an impressive 228 yards and a TD. Defensively, Bud Moyer paced the Colonels' defense with 13 total tackles, including eight solo stops.
 
Who's Next?
LVC returns to the friendly confines of Arnold Field on Saturday, Sept. 21 when the Dutchmen face off against Alvernia University at 1 p.m.
 
Stay Connected
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