WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Junior quarterback Colton Jones (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville) tossed for a career-high 359 yards and two touchdowns while the Washington & Jefferson football defense forced four turnovers in a 35-26 season-opening win over visiting John Carroll Saturday afternoon at Cameron Stadium.
The win was W&J's 12th straight in a season opener. The Presidents have won 21 of its last 23 openers overall.
The Presidents staked claim to an early lead when sophomore Zach Cernuto (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland) took a direct snap and plunged into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown run at the 4:19 mark of the first. The Cernuto score capped an eight-play, 45-yard drive that gave W&J a 7-0 lead after the extra point from freshman kicker Deven Wyandt (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle).
The visiting Blue Streaks responded with a one-yard touchdown run of its own to even the score at 7-7 with just 40 seconds remaining in the first quarter. W&J took control of things in the second quarter, as they scored all 14 points over the 15 minutes. Jones connected with sophomore Samuel Vessah (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) for a 22-yard touchdown pass, capping a lengthy 11-play, 80-yard drive, giving W&J a 14-7 lead at the 11:08 mark.
W&J's opportunistic defense doubled the advantage when senior linebacker Tanner Volpatti (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) tipped a pass that senior safety Tyler Sabo (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) intercepted and returned 49 yards for a touchdown. Wyandt's point after gave W&J a 21-7 lead with 9:21 to play until halftime. The Red and Black were able to carry the 21-7 advantage into the locker room after JCU kicker Grant Gonya failed to convert a 36-yard field goal as the second quarter clock expired.
After the W&J defense opened the third quarter with a defensive stop, W&J marched 50 yards on five plays to reach the end zone once more. Cernuto picked up his second touchdown run of the day, barreling in from two yards out to strengthen the W&J lead to 28-7 with 9:07 to play in the quarter. However, the Blue Streaks would not go quietly, as their offense was able to find life in the second half. Late in the third, John Carroll was able to take advantage of a short field and scored on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Joe Collins to Tyler Mintz. The Collins to Mintz connection came with 2:50 remaining in the third quarter.
W&J seemed poised to answer right back, as they marched into John Carroll territory. However, a fumble on a third and short play added to the Blue Streaks' momentum. Early in the fourth quarter, John Carroll trimmed the W&J lead to a single score when Collins hit Tadas Tatarunas from 18 yards out. A missed PAT by Gonya allowed W&J to hold a 28-20 advantage.
On John Carroll's ensuing possession, W&J's defense was able to create another turnover inside of opposing territory. Senior Adam Rudzinski (Export, Pa./Franklin Regional) was able to strip the ball free on a sack, which was recovered by sophomore Jaren Thimons (Valencia, Pa./North Catholic) at the JCU 21-yard line.
Jones took advantage, as he connected with junior running back Justin Huss (Derry, Pa./Derry), who found himself open out of the backfield for an eight-yard touchdown reception. The Wyandt PAT stretched the W&J lead to 35-20 with 9:18 remaining.
John Carroll managed a late touchdown when Collins hit Brennan Fugh from 14 yards out. However, a two-point try failed with 2:12 left and effectively ended any hopes for John Carroll.
The W&J offensive line was able to keep a clean pocket for Jones, as they allowed no sacks on the afternoon. Meanwhile, Jones connected with eight different receivers in the victory. His favorite target was sophomore Anthony Rosati (Chadron, Ohio/Perry), who hauled in seven catches for 96 yards. John Peduzzi (Hilton Head, S.C./Hilton Head Christian Academy) grabbed five receptions for 83 yards and Ian Hansen (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) had six catches in his W&J debut.
Defensively, senior defensive back Dillon Rebuck (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville) registered a game-high nine tackles. Senior defensive lineman Alex Keith (Hartville, Ohio/Lake) recorded 2.5 sacks and sophomore defensive lineman Dawson Dietz (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) tallied six tackles and 1.5 sacks. Sabo finished with two interceptions, as he another late in the fourth. Volpatti tacked on seven tackles and a first-half interception. Drew Ehrlich (Annapolis, Md./Gilman School) added seve tackles.
W&J travels to Saint Vincent on Saturday, Sept. 10 with a 1 p.m. kickoff. Due to the PAC's unbalanced schedule, the game will not count in the conference standings. The Bearcats dropped a narrow 25-21 decision to visiting Stevenson University (Md.) on Saturday.