(LATROBE, Pa.) – The 12th-ranked Thomas More College football team rallied from an early 14 point deficit to defeat Saint Vincent College, 42-28, today (Saturday, October 17, 2015) in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game at Chuck Noll Field in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
With the win, the Saints remain undefeated at 7-0 in the PAC and 5-1 in the PAC. With the loss, the Bearcats fall to 3-3 overall and 2-2 in the PAC.
Saint Vincent led 14-7 after one quarter, Thomas More led 28-21 at halftime and the game was tied at 28-28 after three quarters.
Saint Vincent took a 7-0 lead with 11:51 to play in the first quarter when Dalton Dietrich scored on a 30-yard pass from Tyler Donahue and Steven Scherer added the point-after attempt.
The Bearcats extended the lead to 14-0 when Shavonta Craft scored on a 30-yard run and Scherer added the PAT with 8:28 to play in the first quarter.
Thomas More cut the lead to 14-7 with 3:47 to play in the first quarter when sophomore running back C.T. Tarrant (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) scored on a five-yard run and senior kicker Tommy Budke (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) added the PAT.
Senior wide receiver Goose Cohorn (Independence, Ky./Dixie Heights) scored on a 58-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jensen Gebhardt (Kings Mills, Ohio/Kings) and Budke added the PAT as the Saints tied the game at 14-14 with 12:47 to play in the second quarter.
Saint Vincent answered with an 88-yard touchdown run by Donahue and Scherer added the PAT to give the Bearcats a 21-14 lead with 11:53 to play in the first half.
Thomas More tied the game at 21-21 with 8:32 to play in the second quarter when Gebhardt connected on a 43-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Tyler Vogelpohl (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) and Budke added the PAT.
The Saints then took a 28-21 lead at halftime when Tarrant scored on a two-yard run and Budke made the PAT with 6:12 to play in the second quarter.
In the third quarter Saint Vincent tied the game at 28-28 with 13:01 to play in the quarter when Renny LaRue-Holloman intercepted a Saints' pass and returned it 45-yards for a touchdown and Scherer added the PAT.
Thomas More regained the lead with 10:47 to play in the game when junior fullback Colin Justice (Park Hills, Ky./Beechwood) scored on a nine-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Brenan Kuntz (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) and Budke added the PAT for a 35-28 lead.
The Saints closed out the scoring with 3:33 to play in the game when senior defensive back Trey Wells (Louisville, Ky./duPont Manual) intercepted a Bearcat pass and returned it nine-yards for a touchdown and Budke added the PAT for the final score of 42-28.
Thomas More out-gained Saint Vincent 512 yards (207 rushing/305 passing) to 314 yards (260 rushing and 54 passing).
Gebhardt was 14-of-25 passing for 235 yards and two touchdowns and had three rushes for 45 yards. Kuntz came in the game in the third quarter and was four-of-seven passing for 70 yards and a touchdown. Tarrant finished the game with 27 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Two wide receivers finished with 100 yards each as Cohorn had eight catches for 132 yards and a touchdown and Vogelpohl had four catches for 113 yards and one touchdown.
Senior defensive lineman Erick Butler (Eminence, Ky./Henry County) anchored the defense as he had eight tackles (six solo, two assisted), including three tackles for a loss and two sacks. Senior defensive back Kyle Fuller (Taylor Mill, Ky./Holy Cross) had five tackles (four solo, one assisted), including one tackle for a loss, junior linebacker DJ Powell (Erlanger, Ky./Covington Catholic) had four tackles (three solo, one assisted) and sophomore defensive lineman Spencer Hemmer (Fort Mitchell, Ky./Covington Catholic) had four tackles (one solo, three assisted, including one and a half tackles for a loss and one sack. Wells finished the game with three tackles (two solo, one assisted) and two interceptions.
Thomas More returns to action next Saturday (October 24) when it is in Grove City, Pennsylvania to play Grove City College. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Robert E. Thorn Field.