(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – The Thomas More College football team closed out the 2014 regular season today (Saturday, November 8, 2014) as it defeated Case Western Reserve University, 66-34, in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game at The Bank of Kentucky Field in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
With the win, the Saints improve to 8-2 overall and 7-1 in the PAC. Thomas More, who is idle next Saturday, must wait until November 16 to see if NCAA Division III Football Committee awards it an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs. With the loss, the Spartans fall to 3-6 overall and 3-5 in the PAC.
Thomas More never trailed in the game as it led 19-7 after one quarter, 39-13 at halftime and 52-27 after three quarters.
The Saints took an early 7-0 lead when senior running back Domonique Hayden (Lexington, Ky./Lexington Christian Academy) scored on a two-yard run and freshman place kicker Zach Bryant (Milford, Ohio/Milford) connected on the point-after-attempt with 10:25 to play in the first quarter.
Freshman running back CT Tarrant (Pittsburgh, Pa./Hamilton (Ohio)) scored on a six-yard run and Bryant's PAT was blocked and the Saints increased the lead to 13-0 with 5:55 to play in the opening quarter.
Case Western Reserve cut the lead to 13-7 with 2:52 to play in the first quarter when Rob Cuda connected on a six-yard touchdown pass to Zech Medved and Mitch Hopkins added the PAT.
With 13-seconds to play in the first quarter, sophomore defensive back Lemuel Weyer (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) returned an interception 68-yards for a touchdown and Bryant's PAT failed and the Saints led 20-7.
Billy Beecher completed a seven-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Erb and Hopkin's PAT failed and the Spartans cut the lead to 19-13 with 11:02 to play in the second quarter.
The Saints increased the lead to 25-13 with 7:15 to play in the second quarter when Hayden scored on a six-yard run and Bryant's PAT failed.
Thomas More extended the lead to 32-13 when senior wide receiver Ryan Winkler (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) scored on a 41-yard pass from junior quarterback Jensen Gebhardt (Kings Mills, Ohio/Kings) and junior place kicker Tommy Budke (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) added the PAT.
The Saints increased the lead to 39-13 at halftime when Gebhardt connected on a 16-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Goose Cohorn (Independence, Ohio/Dixie Heights) and Budke added the PAT with 53-seconds to play in the first half.
Case Western Reserve cut the lead to 39-20 with 7:37 to play in the third quarter when Adam Hochman caught a three-yard touchdown pass from Billy Beecher and Hopkins added the PAT.
Thomas More extended the lead to 45-20 with 6:12 to play in the third quarter when Hayden scored on a 45-yard run and Budke's PAT failed.
Junior defensive back Kyle Fuller (Taylor Mill, Ky./Holy Cross) intercepted a Spartan pass and returned it 45-yards for a touchdown and Budke added the PAT to give the Saints a 52-20 lead with 5:00 to play in the third stanza.
With 33-seconds to play in the third quarter Case Western Reserve's Anthony Bianco scored on a five-yard run and Hopkins added the PAT to cut the Saints' lead to 52-27.
Hayden scored from one-yard out and Budke added the PAT and the Saints increased the lead to 59-27 with 11:58 to play in the fourth quarter.
Thomas More extended the lead to 66-27 with 2:15 to play in the game when Tarrant scored on an 82-yard run and Budke added the PAT.
The Spartans closed out the scoring with 59-seconds to play in the game when Colin MacLeod scored on a 50-yard pass from Connor Simpson and Hopkins added the PAT the final score of 66-34.
Thomas More out-gained Case Western Reserve 549 yards (313 rushing/236 passing) to 393 yards (61 rushing/332 passing).
Gebhardt was 11-of-13 passing for 178 yards and two touchdown, while also carrying the ball two times for three yards. Hayden had 26 carries for 170 yards and four touchdowns, while also pulling in two catches for 27 yards. Tarrant had four carries for 100 yard and two touchdowns. Cohorn led the receiving corps with four catches for 75 yards and one touchdown, while senior wide receiver Bobby Leonard (Edgewood, Ky./Dixie Heights) had four catches for 68 yards, while also carry the ball two times for 46 yards and Winkler had four catches for 66 yards and one touchdown.
Defensively, the Saints were led by freshman linebacker Tre' Tunstill (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) with 14 tackles (five solo, nine assisted), including one tackles for a loss. Junior defensive end Erick Butler (Eminence, Ky./Henry County) had 10 tackles (one solo, nine assisted), including a half sack, Fuller had nine tackles (five solo, four assisted) and one interception returned for a touchdown and Weyer had eight tackles (three solo, five assisted), including one interception returned for a touchdown.