Box Score

LATROBE, Pa. (Oct. 30) – The Waynesburg University football team won a thrilling Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) clash at Chuck Noll Field on Saturday against Saint Vincent.

The Yellow Jackets broke up a 21-21 fourth-quarter tie with a pair of late touchdowns, both of which the Waynesburg defense was heavily involved in, to down the Bearcats 34-28. With the win, the Jackets' fourth in a row, Waynesburg (6-2, 4-1) stayed in position to make a run at a PAC title. Saint Vincent dropped to 2-6 and 2-3 in conference play.

The Jackets got off to an outstanding start by taking a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. On the first possession of the game, Waynesburg traversed 66 yards in seven plays to take a 7-0 lead. Freshman running back Bertrand Ngampa took off on a 35-yard touchdown sprint to open the scoring. Sophomore kicker Jon Storck tacked on the extra point 3:20 into the game.

Waynesburg jumped out to a two-score lead on its next possession, which was an 11-play, 73-yard marathon march down the field. Junior safety, and former quarterback, Ryan Williams lined up in the signal-caller position, took a snap and went two yards for the score. Another Storck PAT put the visitors up 14-0 with just under five minutes remaining in the half and it looked like it would be an easy win for the Jackets.

However, the Bearcats rebounded with 14 points of their own in the second quarter and tied the game up at 14-14 before halftime. The scoring died down in a big way during the third quarter, but Saint Vincent was able to take its first lead of the contest at 21-14 towards the end of the period.

The Jackets didn't allow their opponents to enjoy their lead long as the visitors were able to tie the game right back up on the possession following the Bearcats' go-ahead score. Senior quarterback Brad Dawson was the catalyst of the drive, passing on 10-straight plays to get his team down to the Saint Vincent one-yard line. From there, freshman running back Dominick Moore pounded in his team-leading eighth touchdown run of the season to cut the deficit down to one point. Storck's PAT tied the game up at 21-21 early in the fourth.

After the Jacket offense tied the game back up, their defensive counterparts regained the lead for the visiting team. For the second time in as many weeks, sophomore defensive back Bryan Gary intercepted a pass and took it all the way back for a touchdown. This time, Gary went 80 yards for a score to move his team ahead 27-21. Another successful try by Storck made it 28-21 Jackets.

After the defense forced a Bearcat punt on the ensuing drive, Waynesburg's offense was able to put together its fourth scoring drive of the day and score the eventual game-winning points. Working with a short field, Waynesburg went 34 yards in just four plays to go ahead 34-21. Williams scored for the second time on as many carries, this time from three yards out, to put the cap on the possession.

After the Jackets scored 20 straight points to erase the seven-point deficit, Saint Vincent battled back to cut the lead to 34-28 with just over five minutes remaining in the game. The Bearcat defense forced a Waynesburg punt and gave the home team the ball back with one last shot to tie or pull out a home victory. However, Saint Vincent quarterback Aaron Smetanka's pass on fourth-and-seven fell incomplete with just under two minutes showing on the score board. The Jackets were able to drain the final seconds off the clock to preserve the win.

Dawson had a busy day, completing 25-of-40 pass attempts for 254 yards. Sophomore tight end Adam Moses was the senior's favorite target on the day, which he illustrated by pulling in a game-high nine catches for 98 yards. Ngampa led the Waynesburg rushing attack with 96 yards on 15 carries.

Smetanka threw for 303 yards and two touchdowns in the loss, while running back Mike Kale piled up a game-high 133 yards and a score on 24 carries. Wide out Chace Ginyard racked up a game-high 161 yards and two scores on four catches.

While Saint Vincent out-gained the Jackets in total yardage (451 to 340), Waynesburg won the turnover battle (3-2) and got the big defensive play from Gary. Junior Sean Hunt also intercepted a pass, his PAC-leading eighth of the season, giving a pick in each of his last five games. Sophomore linebacker Alex Menton led the Waynesburg defense with a team-high nine tackles, including a game-high six stops.

The Jackets face their biggest challenge of the season next week, when they return home to face 10^th-ranked and undefeated Thomas More at John F. Wiley Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.