WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Sept. 17) – Sun-drenched John F. Wiley Stadiumwas the site of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) opener for both the Waynesburg University football team and one of its best-known rivals, Geneva. The game was chocked full of action, excitement and big plays as the two squads slugged it out in search of an early league win.
 
After seeing a first half dominated by the two offenses, the two defensive units took control of the final 30 minutes of competition. One of those impactful plays, a safety with 5:41 left in the fourth quarter, helped seal the Jackets' 37-30 victory.
 
Saturday marked the first conference victory for first-year head coach Dr. Cornelius Coleman. It was also the first time Waynesburg (2-1, 1-0) won its PAC lid-lifter since 2014, when the Yellow Jackets defeated Geneva (0-3, 0-1) in a 44-38 overtime thriller. The Jackets' most recent win snapped a three-game losing streak to the Golden Tornadoes.
 
The game played out like two different contests separated by the halftime break. In the first half, the two teams combined for 52 points on close to 600 yards of total offense. Over the final 30 minutes of play, the two squads tallied just 15 points, including two in the fourth quarter.
 
Despite that offensive slowdown over the third and fourth quarters, Waynesburg still leaves week three of the 2022 season as the second-highest scoring offense in the PAC (40.0 ppg).
 
Both teams showcased their quick-strike abilities by posting a pair of first-quarter touchdowns over just 2:18 of play. Following a two-play drive by the visitors, the Jackets answered and their first of many big plays on the afternoon came courtesy of freshman quarterback Thomas Burke III (West Leechburg, Pa. / Leechburg), who was starting for usual starter Tyler Raines (Columbia, Md. / Long Reach). After a pair of runs by graduate student running back Nick Hall (Fayette City, Pa. / Belle Vernon) brought up a third-and-four situation, Burke slipped a pass out to sophomore wide receiver Ke'AnDre Hollis (Boynton Beach, Fla. / Lakd Worth), who turned up field and took off on a 66-yard catch-and-run that ended in the Geneva end zone.
 
Junior kicker Ricco Sastoque (Concord, N.C. / Northwest Cabbarus) converted his first of five extra point tries to tie the score at 7-7.
 
Geneva fired right back to take a 14-7 lead on its next possession, before the Jackets went back to work on offense. Two more big plays by the host squad powered a four-play, 75-yard scoring drive. After sophomore wide receiver Dakota Romantino (Charleroi, Pa. / Charleroi) picked up a 25-yard run on a reverse and Burke hit a short pass Hollis to nudge the line of scrimmage to the Geneva 49-yard-line. Senior running back Justin Flack (Derry, Pa. / Derry) blew through the defense to the tune of a 49-yard touchdown run with 8:04 showing on the first-quarter clock. Another Sastoque PAT tied the score at 14-14.
 
After the two teams traded touchdowns over the game's first four possessions, the Yellow Jacket defense was able to rise up on a third-and-four situation to force Geneva into a field goal try, which it converted to regain the advantage at 17-14.
 
The big plays just kept coming as junior Monroe Mohler (Union, W.Va. / James Monroe) took the ensuing kickoff back 41 yards to set the Waynesburg offense up at midfield. After the Jackets found themselves in a fourth-and-15 situation at the Geneva 30, Burke gave the home fans a tantalizing glimpse of his potential by buying time to throw and hitting fellow freshman Jonathon Frishkorn (Frederick, Md. / Oakdale) on a 21-yard pass that put the ball at the Golden Tornado nine-yard-line with a fresh set of downs to open quarter number two.
 
Two plays later, both runs by graduate student running back Nick Hall (Fayette City, Pa. / Belle Vernon), Waynesburg had its first lead at 21-17.
 
The advantage was short-lived, however, as Geneva struck pay dirt after piecing together a 13-play, 60-yard possession that made the score 24-21. The home team answered the marathon drive with another explosive play. After Mohler ran the back to the Waynesburg 37, sophomore running back Hunter Cameron (Armagh, Pa. / United) exploded through a hole in the line of scrimmage and sprinted 63 yards for a Jacket score that gave them the lead back at 28-24.
 
The Waynesburg defense produced an impact play of its own on the ensuing drive, which ended with freshman Emanuel Meyers (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Brashear) jarring the football loose and allowing senior Tyler Metzger (Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville) to scoop it up and give the Orange and Black possession at its 30. Though the Jackets were unable to convert the turnover into points, it set the table for a second half that was very different from the first 30 minutes.
 
The Jackets had one more explosive play in their repertoire, as senior running back Justin Flack (Derry, Pa. / Derry) gave Waynesburg another one-play drive thanks to a 75-yard scoring sprint that gave the home team the largest lead of the day for either team at 35-24.
 
Both defenses showed off the adjustments that were made halftime, as the next four combined possessions yielded zero points. Geneva brought the game back to a one-score affair in its last drive of the quarter after scoring it final touchdown of the afternoon. A missed two-point attempt brought about a 35-30 score.
 
Working with just a five-point cushion, the Jacket defense showed its mettle by first forcing a punt and then coming up with the play of the game on Geneva's second drive of the fourth. After forcing the Golden Tornadoes into a fourth-and-17 situation, freshman Austin Derr (Mifflintown, Pa. / Juniata) knifed into the backfield and recorded his first collegiate blocked punt. The ball bounded into the Geneva endzone, resulting in a Waynesburg safety that put the host squad back up by seven points.
 
After a Yellow Jacket punt gave the ball back to Geneva, Waynesburg's defense put another entry into the highlight reel on the next play from scrimmage. This time it was sophomore James Davis (Kersey, Pa. / Saint Mary's) who stripped the football from the Golden Tornadoes. Senior Joel Zellem (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Riverside) recovered the loose ball and set up the offense at the Geneva 23.
 
Waynesburg managed to run off 1:35 of game time before attempting a field goal that missed the mark. With just 1:23 left in the game, the Geneva offense as forced into a do-or-die situation at its own 20-yard-line. Though it wasn't nearly as exciting as the majority of the second half, the Jacket defense allowed the GT's to complete just one-of-four pass attempts for seven yards and give the ball back to Waynesburg with a turnover on downs.
 
After being thrust into the starting role, Burke was given the honors of kneeling on the football twice to run out the clock and bring an exciting Saturday to an end.
 
When looking at the final statistics of Saturday win, two of them stand out more than the rest when it comes to illustrating how the Jackets' bevy of big plays won the day against Geneva's methodical triple option attack. The Jackets possessed the football for just 21:37 and record just 11 first downs. However, Waynesburg outrushed Geneva by 35 yards (323-to-288) bested the visiting team in total yards by 27 yards (453-to-426).
 
Burke earned his first collegiate win after completing seven-of-14 passes for 130 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Hollis reeled in a game-high three catches for 71 yards and a touchdown.
 
Flack paced all ball carriers with 170 yards and two scores on just 10 totes. Cameron had the most productive day of his young collegiate career after going for 77 yards and a score on just four carries.
 
Sophomore Isaac Huey (Klymer, Pa. / Purchase Line) spearheaded the Waynesburg defense with a game-high 10 tackles, five of which were solo stops, and a tackle for loss. Derr and senior Jesse Cain (Hedgesville, W.Va. / Hedgesville) chipped in nine tackles each, while Metzger and sophomore Brennan Boron (St. Mary's, W.Va. / St. Mary's) logged eight total stops each.
 
Waynesburg will look to go to 2-0 in PAC play next week, when it travels to Allegheny to face the Gators. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.