Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
GREENVILLE, Pa. -- The Grove City College football concluded the first 10-0 regular season in program history Saturday afternoon by earning a 31-0 victory at Presidents' Athletic Conference rival Thiel in the 39th Mercer County Cup game. Grove City clinched the outright conference title and retained possession of the prestigious Mercer County Cup with the victory.
The Grove City defense recorded seven total sacks and limited Thiel to 56 total offensive yards. Sophomore linebacker Ben Bladel (Coraopolis, Pa./Moon) recorded a career-high four sacks while junior defensive end Bryce Spolnik (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) notched two sacks. Sophomore linebacker Jack Jollie (Jeannette, Pa./Penn-Trafford) also had a sack while senior safety Dominic Magliocco (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour) picked off a pass.
Offensively, the Wolverines piled up 225 rushing yards. Junior running back Nico Flati (Aliquippa, Pa./West Allegheny) ran for 105 yards on 22 carries, giving him a conference-best 1,065 rushing yards this season.
Senior running back Clayton Parrish (Mercer, Pa./West Middlesex) ran for 75 yards and three touchdowns on his 15 carries. Parrish now has 52 career rushing touchdowns.
Parrish gave Grove City a 7-0 lead with 2:48 left in the first quarter as he slammed in from the 3. The play capped a 15-play, 86-yard drive that consumed 7:29.
The lead swelled to 14-0 with 6:22 left in the first half as Parrish scored on another three-yard run. Grove City then pushed the lead to 21-0 with 1:13 remaining in the half as junior quarterback Logan Pfeuffer (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) fired a 20-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Ryan Heckathorn (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk).
Parrish scored on a 19-yard jaunt with 11:21 remaining in the third quarter. Sophomore kicker Caleb Kuechly (West Chester, Ohio/Mars Hill) closed the scoring by drilling a 37-yard field goal with 2:56 left in the period. Kuechly also went 4 for 4 on extra points.
Pfeuffer completed 9 of 20 passes for 154 yards. Senior wide receiver Scott Fraser (Butler, Pa./Knoch) caught four passes for 78 yards. Grove City finished with 379 total yards and 23 first downs. The Wolverines owned a 34:09-25:51 edge in time of possession.
Jollie led the defense with seven tackles. Spolnik had six stops.
Grove City now leads the Cup series, 27-12. It is Grove City's sixth straight Mercer County Cup game victory.
The Wolverines have qualified for the NCAA Division III playoffs by virtue of winning the conference title. The 32-team playoff field and pairings will be announced Sunday at 5 p.m.