Dover High School grad Cole Jesmer clinches pivotal football win for Wilkes with pick-6

Dover High School graduate Cole Jesmer has been named the Middle Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

The Wilkes University junior linebacker earned the MAC honor, and the Mayor's Cup MVP award, after Wilkes captured a 24-14 win over rival King's on Saturday.

Jesmer finished the game with seven tackles, two tackles-for-loss, one sack and the game-clinching 95-yard interception return for a touchdown with 30 seconds remaining in the game. King's was threatening to score on its final drive with Wilkes leading 17-14, before the interception gave the Colonels a 24-14 lead.

For the season, the 6-foot, 220-pound Jesmer is third on the team with 66 tackles and second with 37 solo tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss.

Wilkes (8-2) has earned its first-ever trip to the Centennial/MAC Bowl Series. The Colonels will travel to No. 1 seed Susquehanna University on Saturday. Wilkes finished the season in third place in the (MAC), earning the No. 2 seed and its first bid in program history into the fifth-annual bowl series. Susquehanna (9-1) is making its third appearance in the bowl series after posting a 17-7 victory last year over Stevenson in the event.

Wilkes enters the postseason after finishing with the most wins since 2006 when the Colonels went undefeated in the regular season while winning the MAC championship and earning an NCAA Division III berth.

Reach Steve Heiser at sheiser@yorkdispatch.com.