No. 8 Thomas More Ends Westminster's Win Streak
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - In a game with at least a share of first place in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) standings on the line, the Westminster College football team lost to visiting Thomas More, 27-10, Saturday at Harold Burry Stadium. Thomas More, ranked No. 6 in the coaches' poll and No. 8 in the D3Football.com poll, improves to 8-0 overall and 7-0 in the PAC. Westminster snaps a three-game winning streak, it's longest since 2003, as it drops to 5-3 overall and 4-2 in the PAC.
Westminster used a 20-play, 77-yard touchdown march that took up 10:21 of third-quarter clock that culminated with senior quarterback Shawn Lehocky running in from 1 yard out to pull the Titans within seven point at 17-10 with 1:45 left in the third quarter. However, Thomas More scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Lehocky set career highs with 25 pass completions and 48 pass attempts before finishing with 225 passing yards. He threw a career high-tying three interceptions and he was sacked four times and he finished with minus-7 yards on 17 rushes.
Junior wide receiver Collin Wallace set career highs with nine catches for 112 yards, while junior Geno Pasquinelli snared six balls for 61 yards.
The Titans were victimized by five turnovers, three interceptions and two lost fumbles, as Thomas More took a 10-0 lead on scoring plays that were set up by Westminster turnovers.
Adam Rauch gave the Saints a 7-0 lead when he caught a 32-yard pass from quarterback Robert Kues, one play after Alex Taylor forced a Titan fumble in Westminster territory. Zach Autenrieb intercepted a Lehocky pass on the Thomas More 47-yard line and returned it 44 yards to the Titan 12 before Westminster held Thomas More to a 28-yard field goal by Aaron Walter that gave the Saints a 10-0 lead with 9:45 left in the second quarter.
The Titans later drove 67 yards on 14 plays before sophomore Zac Henry kicked a 25-yard field goal before halftime. Henry is a perfect 8 for 8 for field goals this year.
Kues sandwiched a pair of touchdown runs around Westminster's 20-play touchdown march in the third quarter as Kues scored on a 25-yard run with 12:11 left in the third quarter and on an 8-yarder with 11:52 left in the fourth quarter. Walter then put the game away with a 23-yard field goal with 4:49 left.
Thomas More outgained Westminster, 321-294, in total yards including Kues passing for 41 yards on 8-of-17 passing, while Domonique Hayden rushed 20 times for 99 yards.
Nick Gramke led the Saints with 14 tackles, while junior outside linebacker Aaron Nauer led the Titans by tying a career high with 10 tackles including two sacks and a forced fumble.
Westminster travels to Saint Vincent Saturday Nov. 5 at 1 p.m.
