LA PLUME, Pa.- The Keystone College football team kicks off their second NCAA season this Saturday, Sept. 3 at 1 p.m. when they welcome Wilkes University to La Plume, Pa. Last season the Colonels defeated the Giants in their 2021 season opener.  

Scouting the Giants 

Coming off their inaugural season, the Giants return a strong core of their roster from last season. On the offensive side, Keystone returns sophomore running back and ECFC First Team selection Mujaheed Muhammad (Philadelphia, Pa./Paul Robeson). Last season, Muhammad rushed for 769 yards and seven touchdowns. The Giants run game also returns senior Kevin Lewis (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter). Like Muhammad, Lewis had seven rushing touchdowns last season. He scored the first Keystone touchdown in program history. Keystone also brings back two All-Conference offensive linemen in Jon Naniewicz (Greenfield Twp., Pa./Lakeland) and Josh Moore (Clinton, Md./Wise). 

The Giants had great success from the defensive side last year as they led the ECFC in fumble recoveries with 10. Key returners for the Giants defense include linebacker Sean Tocci (Lodi, N.J./Lodi), an All-ECFC Second Team Selection. Linebacker Frankie Vega (Edison, N.J./Edison) led the team last year in fumble recoveries while defensive back Dontez Crawford (Baltimore, Md./Pennsauken) led the team in interceptions and pass breakups.  

From the special teams' side, Zac Cost (Dalton, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) had 44 punts with three of them landing inside the opponent's twenty-yard line.  

Scouting the Colonels 

The Wilkes University Colonels finished their 2021 season with a 6-4 record. The Colonels have a slew of returners from last year's squad as well as a talented recruiting class coming into the 2022 campaign. Sophomore running back Elijah Jules is coming off a successful first collegiate season. He scored five touchdowns with 442 yards on the grounds. The New Jersey native had two 100-yard games last season. Senior wide receivers Jason Schweizerhof and Corey Pelzer are looking to make a strong contribution in the air attack this year. 

Wilkes's defense returns defensive tackle Angel Ramos who had 15 solo tackles last season and defensive back John Washington who broke up three passes and intercepted the ball twice. In addition, they also have linebackers Brandon Holcomb and Nick Troutman who bring tons of experience to the Colonels' defense.  

The Colonels return their All-Mac Honorable Mention punter Alex Orlando. Orlando enjoyed a stellar freshman campaign in the blue and gold. Last season, Orlando punted the ball 36 times for 1,454 yards. He had three punts that were 50 yards or longer.  

What's Next 

Following their season opener, the Giants will take a short trip to Dallas, Pa. to face off against Misericordia University on Sept. 10. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.