BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Thiel Tomcats were unable to spoil the Geneva Golden Tornadoes' homecoming as they dropped a 35-27 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) decision Saturday afternoon.
 
Trailing 35-20 entering the fourth quarter, the Tomcats pieced together a 13-play drive that covered 80 yards in a little more than four minutes and ended with a six-yard touchdown run by quarterback Ryan Radke (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster Central).
 
Radke's score, along with Chris Rosales (Port St. Lucie, Fla. /St. Lucie West Centennial)' extra point, sliced Geneva's lead down to eight points. Unfortunately, Thiel would get no closer.
 
After forcing Geneva to go three-and-out on the ensuing drive, Thiel started their final drive of the game at their own 46-yard line with 9:03 remaining in regulation. The Tomcats picked up a pair of first downs on the drive and got the ball down to the 23-yard line, but Radke's fourth-down throw for DeShawon Bracy (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area) fell incomplete and the Golden Tornadoes went on to run out the final 5:12 of the fourth quarter.
 
After Geneva scored on their opening possession, Radke responded on Thiel's opening drive with a 49-yard touchdown pass to Alex Horvatits (Lancaster, N.Y./Saint Mary's ). Geneva answered with two rushing touchdowns from the red zone to end the first quarter to extend their lead to 21-7 over Thiel.
 
Thiel scored again with 11:51 remaining in the first half when Geneva's punter Robert Fish muffed a punt and Jaquan Hicks (Ware Shoals, S.C./Ware Shoals) scooped up the loose ball and returned it 15 yards for a Thiel touchdown. Rosales added the point after to cut the Geneva lead down to 21-14.
 
Geneva capitalized on a Radke interception by Jared Hogue in the middle of the second quarter when Kahlil Caracter scored on a 45-yard run to push the Geneva advantage to two touchdowns.
 
Thiel's next touchdown, late in the first half, came after Trevor Martin (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) recovered a fumble by Bryan Stafford at the Geneva 13-yard line. Radke found Horvatits for his second receiving touchdown of the first half. The extra point was blocked but Thiel cut the Geneva to 28-20 heading into halftime.
 
Geneva scored first in the second half when Trewon Marshall scored his third rushing touchdown of the afternoon with a little more than seven minutes remaining in the third quarter.
 
Radke led Thiel with 198 passing yards, 78 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. Eugene Bailey (New Kensington, Pa. /Valley) and Bracy each caught five passes apiece for 68 and 59 yards, respectively.
 
Cody Wagner (Pittsburgh, Pa./Brashear) paced Thiel's defense with 12 total tackles while LaRonald Smith (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./South Plantation) had 10 tackles. Trevor Martin (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) notched nine tackles, 1.5 of which were behind the line of scrimmage. Martin also forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.
 
The Tomcats (2-2, 1-1 PAC) will try to rebound from the tough loss when they host the Washington & Jefferson Presidents in the annual homecoming game Saturday. Kickoff at Alumni Stadium is scheduled for 3 p.m.