Edwardsville, PA (9/7/02) — BRETT TRICHILO rushed for 158 yards and scored two touchdowns as Wilkes University topped Montclair State, 31-7 in the season opener for both teams at Ralston Field on Saturday afternoon.
MATT KASKIE threw a pair of touchdown passes for the Colonels (1-0), who avenged a 28-0 loss to the Red Hawks (0-1) at Sprague Field last season. The loss was the first in the season opener for MSU since the 1997 season when they fell to SUNY Cortland, 28-14.
Senior co-captain
ERIC MAGRINI had eight catches for 75 yards and the lone MSU touchdown. The TD catch was the 143rd career for Magrini - a new Montclair State record. He surpassed the mark of 142 held by Bryan Scipio (1983-86). Magrini has 149 catches in his career.
Wilkes took the opening kickoff and went 62 yards in five plays to take a 7-0 lead. Trichlio capped the drive with a 17-yard reception from Kaskie. However, MSU came right back as the marched 79 yards in seven plays to tie the score. Magrini hauled in a 22-yard pass from freshman quarterback
JOHN DIGIROLAMO.
But the Colonels took the lead for good as they scored twice in the final 3:08 of the half. Kaskie connected with BOBBY THOMPSON on a 46-yard TD pass with 3:08 to go. The Colonels then took a 21-7 advantage with 1:02 to play as Trichilo scored from a yard out. That TD was set up after TROY WILSON intercepted a DiGirolamo pass on 4th-and-4 and raced 52 yards to the one yard line, setting up the run.
In the third quarter, the Colonels extended the lead to 24-7 with 10:56 to play as WIL McLAUGHLIN booted a 24-yard field goal. That was set up by a blocked punt by DAVE FLYNN. The final touchdown was scored with 3:48 in the period as JOHN ZELENA hauled in a 38-yard pass from DURAN PORRINO.
DiGirolamo, making his first career start, completed 27-of-46 passes for 278 yards. Junior linebacker
RAY MEYER made 15 tackles for the Red Hawks, while
KEITH MIGLIORINO added 10.
The Red Hawks were outgained, 429-305, including 233-27 on the ground. Last year, MSU held Wilkes to minus-28 rushing.
