BUENA VISTA, VA- The Keystone College football team battled throughout Saturday afternoon's road contest against Southern Virginia University, with the Giants continuing to compete through all four quarters in a 38-14 setback at Knight Stadium.
Keystone opened the afternoon with a strong offensive possession, moving 56 yards on its opening drive and picking up four first downs. The Giants moved into the Southern Virginia red zone behind a 28-yard run from quarterback Frankie Leyshon (Lake Ariel, PA/Western Wayne) and a 24-yard run from Zamir Poteat (Philadelphia, PA/West Philadelphia), but the Knights turned away a 21-yard field-goal attempt with 10:13 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Keystone defense responded with a big play on Southern Virginia's ensuing possession. Azmir Ludvig (York, PA/Central York) brought down Southern Virginia quarterback Devin Watson for a five-yard loss, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Justin Beazer (Philadelphia, PA/Argyle Secondary) at the Keystone 31-yard line.
The Giants continued to move the football on their next possession, putting together an eight-play drive that included a pair of first downs from Ethan Sadler (Endwell, N.Y./Maine-Endwell). Keystone eventually punted from its own 42-yard line, with Karl Oliver delivering a 56-yard punt that pinned Southern Virginia at its own two-yard line.
Southern Virginia worked its way down the field and threatened again early in the second quarter, eventually taking a 3-0 lead on a 19-yard field goal with 12:47 remaining in the half.
The Knights added a pair of touchdowns later in the second quarter to take a 17-0 lead into halftime.
Keystone came out of the locker room with an immediate response.
After Southern Virginia opened the third quarter with a 77-yard touchdown drive, the Giants answered with a three-play, 60-yard scoring drive. Poteat broke loose for a 32-yard run to the Southern Virginia 7-yard line before Leyshon connected with Jasiah Holt (Norwood, NC/South Stanly) for a seven-yard touchdown with 10:03 remaining in the third quarter. Jaedyn Sanchez (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Wilkes-Barre) added the extra point to make it 24-7.
The Giants' defense then forced Southern Virginia to punt on its next possession, giving Keystone another opportunity to build momentum.
Keystone's offense continued to push the ball downfield throughout the second half. Leyshon connected with Holt for a 13-yard gain during a later fourth-quarter drive, while Emmett Smith (Toledo, OH/Toledo Rogers) contributed a pair of receptions for 21 yards on the Giants' final scoring possession.
Keystone's second touchdown of the afternoon came after an 11-play, 73-yard drive that covered 4:36. The Giants converted multiple third and fourth downs during the possession before Leyshon found Johann Hennigan (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) for a 23-yard touchdown with 10:19 remaining in the fourth quarter. Sanchez's extra point brought the score to 38-14.
Hennigan finished the afternoon with three receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown, including his 25-yard reception earlier in the fourth quarter. Holt added three catches for 25 yards and a touchdown, while Poteat totaled five receptions for 30 yards and carried the ball five times for 39 yards. Sadler led the Keystone rushing attack with 42 yards on 13 carries.
Leyshon completed 19-of-38 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns while adding 15 net rushing yards. The Giants finished with 261 yards of total offense, including 165 through the air and 96 on the ground.
Defensively, Nicholas DeFrancesco (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco) led Keystone with 13 total tackles, while Jayvon Swann (Chesapeake Beach, MD/Northern) recorded 13 tackles, including four tackles for loss and three sacks. Mahkai Allen (Wilmington, DE/William Penn) added 11 tackles, with Elijah Houdershieldt (Carbondale, PA/Carbondale Area) contributing eight.
Keystone's defense also recorded five sacks as a team, with the Giants totaling 11 tackles for loss.
Southern Virginia finished with 445 total yards, including 288 passing yards and 157 rushing yards. Watson completed 21-of-29 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns, while Brandon Dupaix carried 35 times for 170 yards.
