BEAVER FALLS, Pa. (Sept. 26, 2009) – Geneva took advantage of a ten-point swing in the first quarter and consistently excellent starting field position to down Thiel College, 37-13, in Presidents' Athletic Conference football action Saturday night at Reeves Field.

The Golden Tornadoes (3-0) racked up 454 yards of offense in the contest, while holding the Tomcats to 227. 

Thiel quarterback Willie Bova (Port Allegany, Pa./Port Allegany)accounted for a bulk of his team's offense going 12-for-32 through the air, while adding a team-high 32 yards on the ground.

Senior Brendan Taylor (Girard, Pa./Girard) (Girard, Pa./Girard) was the Tomcats' leading receiver, hauling in five passes for 86 yards.

Thiel (1-3; 0-1 PAC) quickly fell behind, 7-0, but its offense began to gain its footing in its second possession of the game. After some moderate success, the Tomcats had their first big play of the night on a 48-yard bomb from Bova to Taylor to move the ball to the Geneva 11.

After three consecutive one-yard losses, John Madeline (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) lined up for what would have been a 35-yard field goal attempt, but a mishandled snap turned a scoring chance into a 35-yard loss.

In business at the Thiel 49 yard line, the Golden Tornadoes turned the favorable field position into points with a 10-play drive to make the score, 14-0, in favor of the Golden Tornadoes.

Thiel hit pay dirt for the first time in the second quarter on a penalty-aided six-play, 66-yard drive.

Geneva twice committed penalties during the drive – a 15-yard pass interference marker and a nine-yard holding miscue – to set up a key 22-yard pass from Bova to freshman Tyler DeJong (Columbiana, Ohio/Columbiana) (Columbiana, Ohio/Columbiana) which put Thiel in business with a first-and-goal situation from the one-yard line.

Senior running back Dan Hess (Apollo, Pa./Kiski Area) (Apollo, Pa./Kiski Area) finished the drive with a one-yard rush to earn his first touchdown since the final game of the 2007 season.

Madeline's PAT attempt bounced off the left upright to keep the score 14-6 with 3:23 to go in the half.

Geneva made the most of the time remaining and quickly got in position to tack on a third first-half touchdown, but the Thiel defense held the Golden Tornadoes to a field goal which set the halftime score of 17-6.

To start the second half, Geneva took the opening kickoff and marched 59 yards in six plays for a touchdown to quickly extend their lead to, 24-6. Minutes later AJ Delmonico collected a 35-yard pass from quarterback David Girardi to make it a 31-6 contest.

The Golden Tornadoes added a fourth quarter touchdown to close out their side of the scoring.

Thiel managed to put together a final scoring drive in the fourth, with Ross Gargano (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) scoring his second touchdown of the season and Madeline tacking on the extra point with 7:22 to play in the contest.

Junior linebacker Bobby Shew (Mogadore, Ohio/Mogadore) (Mogadore, Ohio/Mogadore) made a team-high six tackles for the Tomcats.

Thiel returns to action on Saturday when they welcome Westminster for a 1:30 p.m. game.