NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (Oct. 18) – The way Saturday's Presidents' Athletic Conference matchup between Waynesburg and Westminster concluded was an appropriate finish to a less than flawless performance put together by both teams at Harold Burry Stadium. However, when all was said and done, the Yellow Jackets pulled out a crucial 26-21 victory over the Titans.
 
The victory, combined with a Bethany loss, moved Waynesburg (6-1, 4-1) into a three-way tie for second place in the PAC standings. The loss dropped Westminster to 1-6 overall and 1-4 in conference action.
 
After the Titans won the kickoff and deferred to the Jackets, Waynesburg's offense drove right down field on its opening possession and grabbed a 6-0 lead. Senior quarterback Carter Hill capped a seven-play, 68-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to senior Willie Leavell. Unfortunately, the extra point attempt failed after the score and kept the Jacket lead at 6-0.
 
After a combined three punts and a four-and-out between the two squads, Westminster was able to take its first lead of the game (7-6) with around 2:35 remaining in the opening quarter. The slim Titan advantage remained in place until the second quarter, when Hill struck for his second touchdown pass of the game, this time finding senior tight end Zac Capan on a 15-yard strike with around 6:45 showing on the second-quarter clock. After the senior signal caller notched his 20^th scoring throw of the year and junior kicker Scott Lewis connected on his first extra point of the afternoon to move Waynesburg back ahead 13-7.
 
Unfortunately, the Jacket lead was short-lived as Westminster found the end zone for a second time on its next possession. Waynesburg countered the touchdown with one of its own after receiving the kickoff. The Jackets needed nine plays to traverse 69 yards for their third score of the day. Hill fired in touchdown pass number three of the first half when he found senior wide receiver Andrew English with just 36 seconds showing on the second-quarter clock. Lewis' second successful kick of the day gave the Orange and Black a 20-14 lead, which was also the score at halftime.
 
The third quarter came and went with no points being added to either team's respective total. Westminster ran 20 plays over two possessions, while the Yellow Jackets logged 12 snaps on its only full possession of the period. The Jackets got a 23-yard running play from senior Jake Forsythe before the start of the fourth quarter, but the drive eventually stalled at the Jacket 43.
 
Momentum took a big swing in Westminster's favor late in the fourth quarter, when the Titans were able to regain the lead at 21-20 with around four minutes left to play in regulation. However, the veteran Jackets weren't ready to give up the game to a very young, but feisty Titan squad.
 
The home team looked like it had possibly sealed up the win when Hill was unable to find sophomore wide receiver Tim Cooper on a fourth-and-six situation. However, the Titans were hit with a defensive holding penalty that not only kept the ball with the Jackets, but gave them a first down at the home team's 44.
 
Waynesburg moved the ball to the Westminster 20-yard-line, where it faced a third down and 10 situation. The veteran Hill showed his savvy by finding Cooper for 19 yards and a first down just outside the Titan goal line. Hill concluded the 12-play, 58-yard drive by sneaking into the end zone to put the Jackets back ahead at 26-21. Waynesburg was unable to convert the two-point try, and the stage was set for a climactic drive by the Titans.
 
With just 39 seconds left to play, Westminster was able to squeeze in nine plays that combined for 59 yards and put the ball at the Yellow Jacket six. Waynesburg appeared to finally put the game away when a Titan pass sailed high of its intended target in the end zone. However, a defensive holding penalty gave the host squad one last shot at victory. Luckily, Westminster's second chance also missed the mark and brought the heated struggle to a close.
 
The Waynesburg offense featured Forsythe piling up the yardage, while Hill took care of the scoring. The burly running back pounded a personal-best and season-high 222 yards on a workman-like 33 carries. His counterpart at quarterback played a role in all four of his team's touchdowns. He completed 19-of-33 pass attempts for 191 yards with three touchdown passes and two interceptions.
 
Senior linebacker Kyle Richey paced the Waynesburg defense with nine tackles, all solo stops, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
 
The Yellow Jackets will go for a fourth-straight victory next weekend when they travel to Greenville, Pennsylvania to tangle with Thiel. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.