WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Oct. 28) – The Waynesburg University football team hosted Geneva on Saturday for a senior day Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) showdown. It looked like there was going to be plenty to celebrate, as the Yellow Jackets led by 12 heading into the fourth quarter. However, multiple and costly miscues and an injury to starting quarterback Samuel Barber (Johnstown, Pa. / Greater Johnstown) led to a final 15 minutes that saw Geneva (4-4, 4-4) outscore the home team 29-3 and steal a 43-29 win.
 
Twice Waynesburg (1-7, 1-7) was flagged for penalties that gave the ball to Geneva in Jacket territory on punt attempts in the fourth quarter. Geneva also recovered an onside kick that gave them the ball on the home team's side of the 50. The road team converted all three of those opportunities for touchdowns and found the endzone on a possession that began in the third quarter.
 
Waynesburg's only points of the final 15 minutes came on a field goal by sophomore Ricco Sastoque (Concord, N.C. / Northwest Cabbarus). Sastoque also set a new school record by belting a 78-yard punt that ended the second quarter and allowed the Jackets to enter halftime with a 20-14 lead.
 
Geneva grabbed a 7-0 lead on a touchdown on its first drive of the game. Waynesburg responded with an impressive 12-play, 75-yard drive that featured Barber going five-for-five through the air and completing passes to three different receivers. Senior running back Justin Flack (Derry, Pa. / Derry) also carried the ball seven times for 38 yards and a one-yard touchdown plunge that tied the score at 7-7.
 
After the defense forced a Golden Tornado punt on the next drive, Barber brought the home crowd to its feet by dropping a deep pass over the middle to junior wide receiver Dakota Romantino (Charleroi, Pa. / Charleroi) in between three defenders. Romantino then eluded the potential tacklers and raced 83 yards for a score that gave the Orange and Black its first lead at 14-7.
 
After another GT punt, the Jacket offense orchestrated another impressive possession, this one spanning 85 yards on 11 plays. Barber opened it with a 22-yard completion to sophomore Isaac Trout (Ruffs Dale, Pa. / Southmoreland) and ended it with a 19-yard scoring toss to Trout that put the home team up 20-7.
 
After the two teams exchanged punts, Geneva ended Waynesburg's 20-0 run with its second score of the day. The GT defense managed to force the Jackets into a punt of their own from the 17-yard line, before Sastoque unleashed his record-setting boot. The visitors kneeled on the football to bring the first half to an end.
 
The halftime break didn't slow Waynesburg's offensive momentum, as it came out of the locker room and produced an eight-play, 76-yard scoring drive. Barber hit a 27-yard pass to sophomore Dagyn Williams (Leslie, Ark. / Marshall) on the second play of the possession, before finding Trout on a 26-yard catch and run that ended with him stretching the ball over the goal line for his second touchdown of the day. The Jackets went for two, but were unable to convert and Waynesburg's lead stood at 26-14.
 
The Jackets looked like they were about to put the game out of reach when junior Brennan Boron (St. Mary's, W.Va. / St. Mary's) forced a fumble that was recovered by classmate John Stewart (Lancaster, Pa. / JP McCaskey) at midfield. Unfortunately, the following drive not only resulted in a punt, but saw Barber's final play before leaving the game.
 
The Waynesburg defense forced a punt and a turnover on downs in Geneva's next two drives, before the GTs began their 29-3 game-ending run.
 
Before being forced out of the game, Barber produced arguably his best effort as a Yellow Jacket. He completed 12-of-16 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Trout was also at the top of his game, as he reeled in a personal-best and game-high 11 receptions for a contest-best 139 yards and two scores. Romantino also eclipsed the century mark in yardage (114) on five catches.
 
Flack paced the Waynesburg rushing attack with 81 yards on 21 totes.
 
Senior Jaquaivis Valle-Smith (Orlando, Fla. / Winter Park) paced the Jacket defensive effort with a game-high 10 tackles, including a contest-best seven solo stops. Boron forced two fumbles and broke up a pass.
 
Waynesburg will try to bounce back from Saturday's gut wrenching fourth quarter before traveling to Bethany on Saturday, Nov. 4. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.