GREENVILLE, Pa. – Sophomore middle linebacker Jake Elk (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) intercepted two passes and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 62-yard fumble return to lead the Thiel Tomcats to a 28-23 win over the Grove City Wolverines Saturday at Alumni Stadium.
 
With the victory the Tomcats retained possession of the hallowed Mercer County Cup for the second year in a row.
 
Grove City scored first Saturday with 7:05 remaining in the first quarter when Steve Maskrey plowed into the end zone from two yards out to cap off a 10-play drive that covered 80 yards in a little over four minutes.
 
Ryan Radke (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster Central) tied up the game for the Tomcats on their next possession when he sprinted into the end zone from 19 yards out on a fourth-and-four play. Thiel went 67 yards on 10 plays in a little more than four minutes on the touchdown drive.
 
The Tomcats went on to take the lead 14-7 when Kevin Daly (Sharon, Pa./Oil City) scored on an eight-yard pass from Radke with just 48 seconds remaining before halftime. Daly's touchdown catch ended an 87-yard march that took 19 plays and absorbed a little more than 11 minutes of the game clock.
 
The Wolverines refused to give in and managed to tie up the score 14-14 at halftime when Josh Peach caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Jakiel as time expired.
 
The Tomcats earned the win in the third quarter. After receiving the opening kickoff in the second half, they embarked on a 75-yard drive in 11 plays, which ended with Radke's second touchdown pass of the game, this one to Alex Horvatits (Lancaster, N.Y./Saint Mary's ) from 19 yards out, to claim a 21-14 lead.
 
Thiel took all the momentum on Grove City's ensuing drive when senior defensive end Reily Shane (Tarentum, Pa./Highlands) came up with a strip-sack, which was recovered by Elk at the Thiel 38-yard line and returned 62 yards to the house for what would turn out to be the game-winning touchdown.
 
In addition to his fumble recovery and touchdown Saturday, Elk picked off two passes, broke up a pass and recorded three tackles. Playing in his last game for the Tomcats, Shane recorded 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. He also recorded an interception, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and recorded one quarterback hurry.
 
The Wolverines made it interesting down the stretch. They cut the Tomcats' lead down to seven points midway through the fourth quarter when Deion Minor scored on a 60-yard fumble recovery.
 
Grove City also picked up two points as time expired when Thiel sacrificed a safety to end the game when punter Dylan Squires (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) walked out of bounds from the end zone on a fourth down situation from the Thiel 16-yard line.
 
Radke led the Tomcats with 174 yards passing and 71 yards rushing. He threw two touchdown passes and scored another touchdown on the ground. Horvatits led Thiel's receivers with 71 yards on seven receptions, one of which was a 19-yard touchdown catch.
 
Doak Walker Jr. (Canton, Ohio/Canton McKinley) led Thiel with 11 tackles while also recording one pass breakup. Tyron Bynum (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) made eight tackles, 1.5 of which were behind the line of scrimmage, while also forcing a fumble and breaking up a pass.
 
Jakiel completed 16 passes for 233 yards for Grove City. He threw one touchdown pass and three interceptions. Jakiel and Maskrey ran for 69 and 47 yards, respectively. Peach paced the Wolverines with six catches for 93 yards while Bobby Tuttle made 14 tackles.