Box Score

WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Sept. 6) – During the 2013 season, the Waynesburg offense, particularly the passing attack, received most of the attention from the media and the opposition. During Saturday's 2014 season opener, the Yellow Jacket attack showed that it hadn't lost any of its potency. The big surprise came from the Jacket defense, which pitched its first home shutout since 2004 in a 33-0 blanking of the Muskies.
 
The rebuilt defense, which featured just five returning starters from last year, held Muskingum (0-1) to just 278 yards of total offense and forced two turnovers. The biggest star of the unit was first-year starting cornerback Josh Mundell. A native of nearby Carmichaels, Pennsylvania, the sophomore intercepted two passes, one of which he ran back for a touchdown, forced a fumble and made three tackles, all solo stops.
 
After a scoreless first quarter, the Waynesburg offense was finally able to break through for its first touchdown of the season around four minutes into the second period. The Jackets were aided by the Muskies' shortest punt of the day, a 10-yard boot that fluttered out of bounds at the Muskingum 21-yard-line. The home team took advantage of the excellent field position and needed just three plays, all runs by junior running back Jerry Lawman, to find pay dirt. Lawman's final run of the possession was a four-yard tote that put his team up 6-0 with 11:19 to play in the first. Junior kicker Scott Lewis banged through the extra point to make the score 7-0.
 
With the first touchdown of the day in the books, Waynesburg took over control of the contest and didn't relinquish it throughout the afternoon. After the Jacket defense forced the Muskies into a three-and-out situation, the offense took over at its own 47-yard-line. Facing a third-and-six, senior quarterback Carter Hill notched his first big play of the year when he hooked up with senior tight end Zac Capan on a 49-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown with 7:31 to play in the half. After the extra point attempt was unsuccessful, the Jackets took a 13-0 lead, which was also the score at halftime.
 
The 20-minute break for the half didn't seem to slow the home team down. Muskingum took the opening kickoff of quarter number three and was stonewalled by the opposing defense. Following another punt by the visiting squad, Waynesburg set up shop at its own 20-yard-line. On the first play from scrimmage, Hill hooked up with his favorite receiver from last year, senior Bernie Thompson, on a short pass that was turned into a 77-yard sprint to the Muskie three-yard-line. Two plays later, Hill took the ball himself and plunged into the end zone for a one-yard scoring play. Lewis tacked on the PAT to make the score 20-0 after the three-play possession that lasted just 53 seconds.
 
Waynesburg really took the air out of the Muskingum sails on the ensuing possession, when Mundell stepped in front of a pass and took it 41 yards the other way for his first collegiate touchdown. Lewis' final successful kick of the day widened the Jacket lead to 27-0 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter, which was also the score by the time the fourth quarter came around.
 
Waynesburg put the final nail in Muskingum's coffin early in the fourth. Hill and the Jacket offense overcame two costly penalties, one of which negated a highlight reel catch by senior Andrew English, to put up touchdown number five on the day. Facing a third-and-23 situation, Hill hooked up with senior Willie Leavell for a 25-yard play that set the Jackets up with a first-and-goal at the six. Forsythe got the honor of scoring the day's last touchdown on a six-yard run. After the burly back's score, the two teams went deep into their respective benches down the remainder of the contest.
 
Along with Mundell's breakout performance, another first-year starter, junior linebacker Aaron Palmer, led Waynesburg with eight total tackles. Junior defensive anchor Jordan Voitus, who spent last year as a tight end, made two stops in the Muskingum backfield, including his collegiate sack. Waynesburg totaled eight tackles for loss in the win.
 
Hill led the offense with 248 yards passing on 13-of-22 passing to go along with two total touchdowns. Thompson set game highs for both catches (four) and receiving yards (119). He also averaged just over nine years per punt return.
 
The home team added a respectable 129 yards rushing to its day, including a team-best 71 yards on just 12 totes from Lawman. The Jackets totaled 405 yards of total offense, which gave them a significant advantage over Muskingum's 278 combined yards.
 
Waynesburg is back in action with a second of three-straight home games next Saturday, when Saint Vincent College comes to John F. Wiley Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.