BETHANY, W. Va. (Nov. 4) – When sophomore running back Zayne Cawley (Huntingtown, Md. / Huntingtown) stepped off the bus prior to today's Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) matchup at Bethany, he couldn't have known the day that he was about to have against the Bison. Cawley broke Waynesburg's single-game rushing record by running over, around and through the Bethany defense to the tune of 336 yards and four touchdowns on 41 carries to almost single-handedly carry his team to a 35-26 win over the Bison.
 
Cawley broke Robert Heller's 16-year-old record of 312 yards, which he set against Westminster in 2007. Cawley's monster effort produced just the second 300-yard rushing effort in program history.
 
After both teams punted on their opening drives, the Waynesburg (2-7, 2-7) defense forced the host squad to punt yet again. Senior Jaquaivis Valle-Smith (Orlando, Fla. / Winter Park) slashed into the Bison backfield and blocked the attempt allowing junior Brennan Boron (St. Mary's, W.Va. / St. Mary's) to recover the loose ball at the Bison 43.
 
Cawley scored his first touchdown on the ensuing play, which saw him sprint 43 yards for the score. Sophomore Ricco Sastoque (Concord, N.C. / Northwest Cabbarus) tacked on his first of five successful extra point tries with 11:55 remaining in the first quarter.
 
Waynesburg took its 7-0 edge into the second quarter, when Bethany (0-9, 0-9) got on the board with an interception return for a touchdown. After missing the PAT, the Bison trailed 7-6 with 6:53 remaining in the half.
 
The Jackets wasted little time in responding to Bethany's challenge, thanks to a seven-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Cawley ran the ball four times for 78 yards on the possession. His final tote came from two yards out and resulted in his second touchdown of the day.
 
Trailing 14-6, Bethany managed to post three points on a field goal with just seconds remaining in the quarter. Waynesburg didn't yield any more points in the half, and it took a 14-9 lead into the break.
 
After the two teams combined for 23 points in the first half, they posted 24 in the third quarter alone. A 21-yard touchdown run by Cawley put his team up 21-12. The Bison brought their home crowd to its feet with back-to-back trips to the end zone that gave them their first lead of the day at 26-21.
 
However, just as the third belonged to Bethany, Waynesburg controlled the final 15 minutes of the game. Sophomore quarterback Thomas Burke III (West Leechburg, Pa. / Leechburg) didn't have many opportunities to throw the football, but early in the fourth quarter, he hooked up with junior wide receiver Dakota Romantino (Charleroi, Pa. / Charleroi) from eight yards out to cap a 12-play, 68-yard drive that gave the Orange and Black the lead back at 28-26.
 
The Jackets put the finishing touches on the win with just under three minutes left in the contest. Not surprisingly, it was Cawley who did the honors, this time sprinting in from nine yards out to conclude an eight-play, 32-yard possession.
 
Bethany got the ball back, but its chance for a miracle comeback ended when the Waynesburg defense forced a turnover on downs at the Jacket 39.
 
Freshman running back Carson Shriver (Fairview, W.Va. / Clay-Battelle) complemented Cawley's historic day by setting personal collegiate highs in carries (seven) and yards (38).
 
Burke completed five-of-11 passes for 38 yards with a touchdown and an interception. All five grabs were pulled in by Romantino.
 
Waynesburg was led defensively by Valle-Smith, who added a game-high 11 total tackles (five solo) and a pass breakup to his blocked punt.
 
The Yellow Jackets wrap up the 2023 season on Saturday, Nov. 11, when they travel to Washington & Jefferson. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.