GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Thiel Tomcats lost a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game to the Saint Vincent Bearcats Saturday at Alumni Stadium, 41-18.
Junior free safety
Trou Johnson (Penn Hills, Pa./Penn Hills) gave the Tomcats a big boost early when he scored on a pick-six with 10 minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Johnson's interception came on a second-and-seven play. He raced 17 yards down the near side of the field for the touchdown. It was his second defensive touchdown in as many weeks. The extra point failed, but Thiel led 6-0.
Saint Vincent cut into the lead with 45 seconds remaining in the first quarter when the Tomcats snapped a punt out of their own end zone.
The Bearcats took control of the game in the second quarter on three rushing touchdowns, including two by quarterback Lorenzo Cota.
Cota scored on a nine-yard run with 12:31 left in the second frame, capping off a six-play drive that covered 65 yards in 3:07. Nick Srnka added the extra point, and the Bearcats took a 9-6 lead.
Running back Mike Stasko scored on a one-yard run on Saint Vincent's next possession, completing a four-play drive in 1:32. Cota scored Saint Vincent's final touchdown of the first half on a one-yard run with 2:27 remaining before halftime. Cota's second score of the game gave the Bearcats a 23-6 lead at the break.
Thiel opened the second half on fire and got back into the game after on a pair of touchdown catches by freshman wide receiver
Caleb Shuler (New Brighton, Pa./New Brighton).
Shuler's first touchdown catch was from 19 yards out on a pass from
Marko Bakovic (Stockholm, N.J./Wallkill Valley), and it finished off a nine-play drive that covered 92 yards in 3:49.
The ensuing kickoff was muffed by the Bearcats, and
Kobe Herrick (Toronto, Ohio/Toronto) recovered for the Tomcats at the opponent 38-yard line. Thiel reached the end zone eight plays later on a four-yard touchdown pass from
Marlon Brown (White Plains, Md./St. Charles) to Shuler. The eight-play, 38-yard touchdown drive consumed 2:30 of the third quarter clock and cut Saint Vincent's lead down to 23-18.
Unfortunately, the Tomcats would get no closer.
Saint Vincent scored five more points in the third quarter to hold a 28-18 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Stasko blocked a Thiel punt out of the end zone for a safety with 4:25 left in the third frame before Srnka connected on a 33-yard field goal with 40 seconds remaining before the fourth quarter.
In the fourth, Braden Hone scored on a 38-yard touchdown pass from Cota at the 9:18 mark. Jeremy Wodarek scored the final points of the game on a 55-yard interception return with 7:28 remaining.
Bakovic completed 19-of-31 passes for a season-high 227 yards. Bakovic threw one touchdown pass and one interception. Brown completed 2-of-4 passes. He also threw one touchdown pass and one interception. Cota completed 9-of-20 passes for 163 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception.
Yoseph Bekele (Silver Springs, Md./Paint Branch) led the Tomcats with 98 yards receiving on eight receptions. Shuler caught five passes, including two touchdown receptions, for 81 yards.
Donny Pattison (Bradford, Pa./Bradford Area) chipped in with three catches for 26 yards.
Stasko led the Bearcats on the ground with 126 yards on 24 totes. Cota ran for 47 yards and two touchdowns on six carries. Sam Nowicki led Saint Vincent with four catches for 83 yards.
Cody Henry led Saint Vincent on defense with eight tackles, four of which were behind the line of scrimmage.
Cameron Prebble (Sharpsville, Pa./Sharpsville) and
Matt Crawford (Greenville, Pa./Greenville) led Thiel's defense with 10 tackles apiece. Johnson made five tackles, scored a touchdown on an interception returned, and forced a fumble.
The Tomcats will host the Westminster Titans next Saturday at Alumni Stadium. Kickoff for the PAC game is scheduled for 1 p.m.
