The Old Forge-to-King’s College football pipeline continues to produce.
Senior Tyler Carey and junior Mike DiGregorio have each been prominent in both the passing and return games for the Monarchs, who took a 3-0 record into Saturday’s showdown with defending Middle Atlantic Conference champion Delaware Valley.
The wide receivers and former Blue Devils accounted for one touchdown in each of the three wins.
Both Carey and DiGregorio rank among the top four receivers, both in terms of catches and yards, in a passing attack that is clicking at a 66.7 percent completion percentage. They also are big factors in the kicking game.
Carey surpassed 1,000 yards receiving for his King’s career Sept. 16 in a 56-0 rout of Albright. He had three catches for 62 yards and a touchdown in the game, boosting his career totals to 1,022 yards on 61 catches and season numbers to 109 yards on nine catches. Carey caught 39 of those passes for 789 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
DiGregorio is second on the team with 11 catches for 116 yards. He had a season-high five catches against Albright after scoring touchdowns in each of the first two games.
Before the team posted blowout wins in the second and third games, it was DiGregorio who gave King’s its first lead of the season. He had 53 receiving against rival Wilkes, including an 8-yard touchdown pass with five seconds left in the third quarter. King’s turned a 10-point halftime deficit into a 27-23 victory.
DiGregorio caught 40 passes for 497 yards last season while also averaging 21.7 yards on kickoff and 6.3 yards on punt returns.
Carey was a second-team, All-Region selection as a kick returner last season when he averaged 29.3 yards on kickoffs. He has returned three kickoffs for 55 yards this year and been in on two tackles.
DiGregorio averages 15.7 yards on his six punt returns and covered 30 yards on his only kickoff return this season.
