Lebanon Valley College Athletics

ANNVILLE, Pa. – Osmany Guzman fueled a second-half rally that fell just short as the Lebanon Valley College football team battled tough in a 27-24 defeat to Stevenson University on Saturday afternoon in front of a large Homecoming crowd at Arnold Field.

The defense had a goal-line stop on fourth down to halt a long Stevenson possession early in the game.  The Mustangs grabbed the lead with a touchdown on their second offensive possession that went into the second quarter. LVC answered with a methodical drive that ended with a 25-yard field goal by Connor Hazel to make it 7-3. After a stop on defense, the offense had another great drive capped by a 20-yard touchdown pass from Osmany Guzman to Trey Freeman. Connor Hazel's extra point gave the Dutchmen a 10-7 advantage and energized the Homecoming crowd. However, the Mustangs responded right back with a touchdown to take a 14-10 halftime lead.

LVC's offense continued to create big plays throughout the second half. Ethan Heisey repeatedly moved the chains with key receptions, while Harrison Delissaint, Trey Freeman, and Jayden Stanfield provided explosive playmaking opportunities. The Mustangs scored late in the third quarter to go up by 10 as LVC blocked the extra point attempt. Stanfield was a force both on the ground and through the air, including a 20-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter that cut the deficit to 20-17.

Landen Baughman added a key interception early in the second half, and the defense twice forced Stevenson to leave points on the field, including a missed field goal in the third quarter. Brandon Choi, Jacob Karkoska, John Klein, J.D. McCallion, and the rest of the defense consistently fought to limit Stevenson's rushing attack in critical situations.

After Stevenson pushed its lead to 27-17 midway through the fourth quarter, the Dutchmen refused to back down. Guzman engineered a clutch 91-yard scoring drive in the final minutes, finding Heisey multiple times before connecting with Delissaint for a 12-yard touchdown with 1:50 remaining to bring LVC within three points.

The Dutchmen defense then delivered one last stop, forcing a punt and giving the offense a final opportunity with 1:21 to play. LVC drove from its own 5-yard line and moved the ball near midfield before time ultimately ran out on the comeback bid.

Inside the Box

• Guzman finished with 272 yards passing on 23 completions with three touchdowns. On the ground, he rushed for 42 yards on 13 carries.
• Stanfield rushed for 52 yards on 13 carries and caught seven passes for 56 yards with one touchdown.
• Heisey caught a team-high nine passes for 117 yards.
• Delissaint caught four passes for 56 yards with one touchdown, while Freeman also had a receiving touchdown and caught three passes for 46 yards.
• Choi led the defensive effort with 14 total tackles, including 1.5 tackles for a loss.
• Klein added eight tackles and a pass breakup while McCallion and Owen Chernich had five tackles apiece.
• Hazel made all three of his extra point attempts and kicked a 25-yard field goal to account for six points.
• The 288 yards passing and three touchdowns are a season-high for the Dutchmen, while the 96 yards rushing is the second-most on the year. LVC scored a season-high 24 points and recorded a season-high 23 first downs.

Up Next
Lebanon Valley will be back on the road next week as they make the trip north up I-81 to Wilkes-Barre where they will face King's College on Saturday, October 17, at McCarthy Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.