LA PLUME, PA- The Giants stunned the Golden Wolves of Alvernia University after a thrilling hail mary at the last second connects with Ethan Sadler (Endwell, N.Y./Maine-Endwell) to win the game 25-21. Keystone fell behind late in the contest, facing a 21-19 deficit with less than two minutes remaining. The Giants began their drive deep in their own territory, where Frankie Leyshon (Lake Ariel, PA/Western Wayne) led a game winning drive to clinch the Giants first win of the 2026 season.
Alvernia started the game with a commanding drive spanning nearly four minutes. The four play drive was capped off with a Golden Wolves touchdown to take the early 7-0 lead. The Giants answered immediately, leading an 11 play drive right down the field. Malakai Dickens (Baltimore, Md./Owings Mills) earned his first touchdown pass of the season, passing the ball to Johann Hennigan (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) scoring from six yards out.
Both of the team's defenses stood tall for nearly the remainder of the game, with the Keystone defense forcing multiple turnovers throughout the first half. The Golden Wolves second drive of the contest showed promise, driving down the field before stalling out on the Keystone 15. The Wolves lined up for a field goal attempt to regain the lead, but was denied by a streaking Charles Camara (Silver Springs, MD/James Hubert Blake) coming off the corner, blocking the first field goal attempt of the year for the Giants opponents.
The Giants defense one more came up on top, as the Golden Wolves drove down the field on their third drive of the game. Alvernia was knocking of the Keystone doorstep on a 2nd and goal from the Giants one yard line, where Jayvon Swann (Chesapeake Beach, MD/Northern) came up and stopped the streaking Golden Wolves running back. Eric Simmons (Philadelphia, PA/Simon Gratz) broke up the third and goal pass, before Joshua Coffee (Philadelphia, PA/West Philadelphia) earned the final tackle of the drive on the Keystone one, regaining possesion of the ball deep inside of their own territory.
Keystone's offense remained unable to find an answer for the Alvernia defense on the ensuing drive. Alvernia once again drove down the field before the Keystone defense took control, stalling the team once more deep inside Keystone territory. The Golden Wolves lined up for their second field goal attempt of the afternoon at the Keystone nine, where Charles Camara (Silver Springs, MD/James Hubert Blake) once more came streaking from the side of the line, blocking the go-ahead field goal.The Giants remained unable to find the offensive spark to gain their first lead of the contest for the remainder of the first half.
The first half ended once more in Keystone's favor, as the Golden Wolves drew penalties and drove down the field. Alvernia once again coughed up the football as the senior star linebacker, Nicholas DeFrancesco (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco), knocked the ball loose from the Golden Wolves running back, Daniel Crawford. DeFrancesco pounced on the ball, giving the Giants one last drive before the break.The Giants and the Golden Wolves remained deadlocked at 7-7 heading into the break, where both team's offenses found a spark.
The first few drives of the third quarter were much of the same, with both team's defenses giving the offenses fits throughout the contest. Alvernia broke through midway through the third quarter, capping off a drive with touchdown to regain the lead 14-7. The third quarter remained in the favor of the Golden Wolves as the visitors took a 14-7 lead into the final frame of the game.
Keystone's first drive of the final quarter resulted in an offensive spark, as the team commanded an impressive drive down the field, capped off with a Frankie Leyshon (Lake Ariel, PA/Western Wayne) and Ethan Sadler (Endwell, N.Y./Maine-Endwell) touchdown pass and catch. Alvernia remained ahead by one point after blocking the extra point, clinging onto a 14-13 lead. The Alvernia offense struck once more, taking an eight point lead into the final 10 minutes of regulation.Â
The Giants answered immediately, keeping the game close. KC began their second to last drive on their own 33 yard line, taking a nine play, 4:08 drive down the field to cut the lead to two. The Golden Wolves defense stood tall with the Giants two-point conversion attempt, forcing Keystone to remain trailing with 4:05 seconds remaining.
The Golden Wolves next drive ended at the two-minute warning, giving KC enough time with no timeouts to set up a game winning drive. Keystone began the final drive of the game at their own 14, where an Ethan Sadler (Endwell, N.Y./Maine-Endwell) rush up the middle resulted in a one yard gain. Leyshon completed a pass to Dymear Hill (Camden, NJ/East Side) down to the KC 26 yard line, resulting in a first down for the home team. Johann Hennigan (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) caught a 14 yard pass to push the ball to their own 40 yard line. The Giants found themselves facing a 3rd and 10 from their own 40 yard line, where a pass from Leyshon found the outstretched hands of Carly Merise (Seaford, DE/Sussex Academy) for a 15 yard gain. With time winding down in the game the Giants were faced with a 4th down and 6 from the Alvernia 41, where an incomplete pass would end the game. Frankie Leyshon (Lake Ariel, PA/Western Wayne) rushed up the middle for 11 yards to extend the game, spiking the very next play with 13 seconds remaining in the contest. Leyshon's next pass was errant, giving the Giants five seconds and one play to win the game.
With five seconds remaining in the game, Frankie Leyshon (Lake Ariel, PA/Western Wayne) loaded up and sent a hail mary to the back right corner of the endzone, connecting with Ethan Sadler (Endwell, N.Y./Maine-Endwell) as time expired to stun the Alvernia University Golden Wolves. Keystone won the game 25-21 to earn their first victory of the 2026 season.Â
Keystone looks to maintain their momentum as the team heads to Washington and Jefferson College for a week two match up against the Presidents on September 12 at 1:00 PM.
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