WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Oct. 11) – It was a historic 2014 homecoming game for the Waynesburg University football team under mild, sunny skies at John F. Wiley Stadium on Saturday, as the Yellow Jackets matched up with Case Western Reserve for the first time in the program's 119-year history. Waynesburg combined a solid defensive effort with four touchdown passes from senior quarterback Carter Hill to improve to 1-0 all-time against the Spartans following a 35-15 victory.
 
Things started slowly for the Jackets (5-1, 3-1), who fell behind 3-0 when Case (2-3, 2-3) kicked a field goal with no time left in the first quarter. The Spartan lead lasted roughly 21 seconds, as senior Willie Leavell brought the homecoming crowd to its feet with an electrifying 86-yard kick return for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff. Junior kicker Scott Lewis connected on his first of five extra point attempts to give his team a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter.
 
Leavell's return opened the flood gates for the Yellow Jackets, who out-scored the opposition 21-6 in the period. Case managed to grab the lead one last time on its next offensive possession to go up 9-7 after a 20-yard touchdown pass and a blocked extra point. However, Waynesburg fired right back on its next drive with its first offensive score and never looked back from that point forward.
 
Following the Spartan score, the Jackets took over at their own 36-yard-line and drove down to the Case 24-yard-line, where they faced a fourth-and-six situation. Rather than attempt a long field goal, Waynesburg kept the offense on the field and Hill made the coaching staff's decision pay off with his first scoring pass of the day, this one going to senior wide receiver Bernie Thompson. Lewis' second extra point gave the Jackets a lead they never relinquished at 14-9.
 
Three drives later, the Orange and Black got another big play from Leavell to set up touchdown number three on the day. The senior speedster used a 47-yard run to move the football from the Waynesburg 46 to the Spartan seven to set up a first-and-goal situation. Hill hooked up with Thompson for a second time in the end zone to extend the Jacket lead to 20-9. Another Lewis PAT moved the score to 21-9 with just over 10 seconds to play until halftime. Case kneeled on the football to send both teams to their respective locker rooms.
 
An extended homecoming halftime did little to slow down the Waynesburg momentum, as the defense forced the Spartans into a turnover on downs at the Jacket 20-yard-line during the first possession of the third quarter. After a Yellow Jacket punt gave possession back to the visitors, the Waynesburg defense came up with another big play. The Jackets ended a one-play Case drive when senior defensive end Josh Tolliver forced the ball loose from the arms of a Spartan ball carrier. Junior cornerback Dontae Gibson pounded on the loose pig skin to get his offense back on the field at the home 46.
 
The Jackets made the turnover pay off by using four plays to reach the end zone, the last two of which were 22-yard completions by Hill. The senior signal-caller dropped in his third touchdown pass of the afternoon, this one to senior wide receiver Andrew English, to extend Waynesburg's lead to 28-9, which they carried into the fourth quarter.
 
The Yellow Jackets capped the day's scoring midway through the final period, when Hill found senior tight end Zac Capan in the end zone to cap a short four-play, 19-yard possession that was set up by a John Sikora sack on fourth-and-one for Case Western. The 15-yard touchdown toss, combined with another successful Lewis extra point, put the Jackets up 35-9.
 
Case was able to score one last touchdown before the final whistle to bring about the final score of 35-15. The large lead allowed Waynesburg to dig into its bench and allow some of the team's younger plays gain valuable snaps against live competition.
 
Even though Hill threw for his lowest yardage total of the season (173 yards), he was able to overcome a bit of a slow start to throw for at least four scores and no interceptions for a second-straight game. A game-high six of his 17 completions went to Thompson for a contest-best 67 yards and two scores. English reeled in five balls for 53 yards.
 
The Waynesburg running game, which went for 159 yards on just 26 carries (6.1 ypc), was led by senior running back Jake Forsythe, who racked up a game-high 19 carries for 72 yards. Leavell needed just three totes to pile up 62 yards.
 
The Jacket defense featured four players recording a team-high eight tackles each, including senior safety Mike Lopuchovsky, who added a tackle for loss and an interception during a very productive day. Tolliver also had eight tackles, seven of which were solo stops, and a sack. Senior defensive lineman J.T. Thompson notched seven total stops, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Senior linebacker Kyle Richey picked up five tackles and blocked both of Case's extra point attempts.
 
Waynesburg picked up the victory despite being out-gained 403-to-333 in total yardage and possessing the ball for just 24:45. The home team was also hit for 10 penalties totaling 95 yards, while Case gave up just 25 yards on three flags.
 
The Jackets will go for their third-straight win on Saturday, Oct. 18, when they travel to New Wilmington, Pennsylvania to face Westminster. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.