GREENVILLE, Pa. – The 13th ranked Washington & Jefferson College football team rolled to a 64-12 victory over the Thiel College Tomcats in the Presidents' Athletic Conference opener for both teams Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium in Mercer County.
The Presidents scored early and often to earn their 15th straight victory in the head-to-head series with the Tomcats.
After Thiel fumbled the opening kickoff, W&J junior quarterback Justin Heacock (New Concord, Ohio/John Glenn) hit senior wide receiver Payton Skalos (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) for a 22-yard touchdown pass. The point after by sophomore kicker Sean Disbrow(Sykesville, Md./Liberty) gave W&J an early 7-0 lead less than 30 seconds into the game.
Following a defensive stop of the ensuing possession, W&J marched 61 yards on seven plays for another touchdown. Junior running back Joey Koroly (Washington, Pa./Trinity) capped the drive with an eight-yard touchdown run. The extra point was good by Disbrow to make the score 14-0 at the 7:54 mark of the first quarter.
The W&J defense got into the act on the following possession, as junior defensive lineman Alex Keith (Hartville, Ohio/Lake) forced a fumble which senior defensive lineman Elijah Goosby (Rochester, Pa./Rochester) picked up and returned 29 yards for a touchdown. The Disbrow point after stretched the lead to 21-0 with 5:04 left in the first quarter.
A little more than four minutes later, senior running back EJ Thompson (La Plata, Md./Thomas Stone) plunged into the end zone from two yards out. The Thompson TD capped a six-play, 58-yard drive that extended the lead to 28-0 late in the first.
The Thiel kick returner caught the ensuing kickoff and stepped out of bounds at his own five-yard line. That set Thiel up deep inside its own territory and the W&J defense took advantage. Senior defensive lineman Keith Knowell(McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) tackled the Thiel running back in the end zone for a safety.
Sophomore running back Justin Huss (Derry, Pa./Derry) raced 74 yards for a touchdown on the ensuing free kick following the safety. The PAT by Disbrow exteded the W&J lead to 37-0 at the end of the first quarter.
W&J found the end zone through the air when sophomore quarterback Colton Jones (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville) found senior wide receiver Cameron O'Brien (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) for a nine-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 43-0 with 12:18 to play in the second quarter.
Thompson and Koroly tacked on respective touchdown runs of five and nine yards to close the first half scoring. W&J led Thiel by a 57-0 score at the halftime break.
W&J collected its second defensive touchdown of the day in the early stages of the third quarter. A 32-yard interception return by sophomore linebacker Justin Johns (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) at the 10:14 mark allowed W&J to move its lead to 64-0 following another PAT by Disbrow.
Thiel recorded a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to close the scoring.
W&J held several significant stat advantages in the game: total yards (470-139), first downs (26-6) and rushing yards (179-59).
Thompson and Koroly combined to rush the ball 16 times for 112 yards and four touchdowns. Heacock completed 9-of-11 passes for 148 yards in an efficient abbreviated effort.
Defensively, Knowell, Johns and Goosby contributed scoring plays. Freshman defensive line Dawson Dietz (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton), sophomore linebacker Keaton Hall (Dover, Ohio/Dover) and Johns registered five tackles apiece.
The win moves W&J to 2-0 and drops Thiel to 0-2. W&J hosts Bethany College for its home opener at Cameron Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 18. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.