LATROBE, Pa. (September 28) – The Waynesburg University football team scored 21-unanswered points after facing an early deficit to earn its first win of the 2024 season, 21-7, at Saint Vincent on Saturday.
The Jackets and Bearcats exit the game with identical 1-3 records overall and in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play.
Saint Vincent marched 91 yards for a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead with 7:54 left in the first quarter. The Jackets responded with touchdowns in each of the first three quarters while holding the hosts off the scoreboard the rest of the way.
Zayne Cawley (Huntingtown, Md. / Huntingtown) accounted for 56 yards on the ensuing Jacket possession and capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run to knot the game at seven with 2:14 remaining in the first quarter.
After a Saint Vincent three-and-out, the Jackets began their next possession at the Saint Vincent 45. The Waynesburg offense used 13 plays, over seven minutes of clock to and cashed in with a three-yard touchdown pass from Samuel Barber (Johnstown, Pa. / Greater Johnstown) to Nehemie Marc (Plantation, Fla. / South Plantation) to give the Jackets a 14-7 edge.
Saint Vincent looked primed to tie the game late in the first half, after a roughing the passer penalty on a Waynesburg fourth down stop, placed Bearcats inside the Waynesburg 20 with a fresh set of downs. The Saint Vincent offense made its way to the Waynesburg two yard-line by the two-minute timeout. The Jackets stuffed the Bearcats twice from inside the five and Saint Vincent missed a 23-yard field goal wide left. Waynesburg carried its 14-7 edge into halftime.
The Jacket defense opened the second half with a three-and-out and then stopped the Bearcats on fourth down with JaVionne Smith (Warren, Ohio / Sharon (Pa.)) making a diving deflection to force a turnover-on-downs on their next possession.
Barber found Tyler Richmond (Carmichaels, Pa. / Carmichaels) for a 32-yard gain and two plays later Cawley scored on a six-yard rush to push the Waynesburg lead to 21-7 with 2:02 to play in the third.
Saint Vincent ventured into Jacket territory early in the fourth quarter but a sack by Jemuel Cypress (Seat Pleasant, Md. / Charles Herbert Flowers) after a mishandled snap preceded an interception by Smith on a third-and-21 for the Bearcats.
The Jacket defense rose to occasion again the fourth quarter as John Stewart (Lancaster, Pa. / JP McCaskey) broke up a Bearcat pass on fourth down from the Waynesburg 24 with 3:22 remaining. The Jackets picked up two first downs to salt away the ballgame and clinch the 21-7 win.
The Waynesburg defense notched its first two sacks of the season, notched a season high five tackles for loss, intercepted a pass and posted a pair of fourth down stops.
Cawley accumulated 192 yards from scrimmage as he rushed for 149 and two touchdowns on 29 carriers. He reeled in four passes for 43 yards.
Barber completed 13-of-15 passes for 114 yards and a score. Richmond led Waynesburg receivers with his 32-yard catch. Marc had four receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown.
Sebastian Ross (Hollidaysburg, Pa. / Hollidaysburg) led the Jackets with seven total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Stewart, Cypress, Jeremiah Hall (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Pittsburgh Perry) and Diontae Givens (McKees Rocks, Pa. / Sto-Rox) each had five stops.
Waynesburg converted eight-of-12 third downs and did not turn the ball over for the first time this season.
The Jackets travel to No. 15 Carnegie Mellon next Saturday.