WAYNESBURG, Pa. (October 19) – The Waynesburg University football team turned in a complete performance in front of a Homecoming crowd as the Jackets downed Bethany 34-14 on Saturday afternoon at John F. Wiley Stadium.
Waynesburg rises to 2-4 on the season and in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play. Bethany falls to 0-6. The victory marks Waynesburg's first Homecoming win since 2019.
Running back Zayne Cawley (Huntingtown, Md. / Huntingtown) rushed for 249 yards and three touchdowns. Defensive back Quilik Wooten (Landover, Md. / Charles Herbert Flowers) forced a fumble, intercepted a pass and blocked a field goal.
Both teams marched the length of the field for touchdowns in their first possession with Bethany opening the game with a 16-play touchdown drive. Waynesburg answered with an 89-yard drive of its own with a Samuel Barber (Johnstown, Pa. / Greater Johnstown) 41-yard completion to Tyler Richmond (Carmichaels, Pa. / Carmichaels) setting up a one-yard Cawley touchdown plunge. After a missed PAT, Bethany led 7-6.
The Bison drove to the Jackets' five yard-line before back-to-back false starts backed them up to the 15. Ultimately Bethany had to settle for a field goal, but that field goal attempt was blocked and recovered by Wooten.
A 36-yard pass from Barber to Isaac Trout (Ruffs Dale, Pa. / Southmoreland) put the Jackets inside the Bethany 10 and Cawley scampered for a seven-yard touchdown to give Waynesburg a 13-7 lead midway through the second quarter.
Waynesburg's defense notched its first takeaway of the ballgame two snap into Bethany's next drive as Wooten knocked the ball free and Sebastian Ross (Hollidaysburg, Pa. / Hollidaysburg) recovered on the Bethany 41.
Multiple face mask penalties by the Bethany defense aided an 89-yard scoring drive as the Jackets extended to a 20-7 lead in the second quarter. Cawley scored from two yards out with 3:52 left in the half.
Bethany made its way inside the Waynesburg red zone in the final minute of the first half. Waynesburg stuffed the Bison on a third-and-one from the Waynesburg two yard-line and on fourth down, Wooten intercepted a pass in the end zone for a touchback. The Jackets carried a 20-7 lead into halftime.
The third quarter included just three drives as Waynesburg punted from the Bethany 43, the Bison turned the ball over on downs at the Jacket 27 and the Jackets were driving into Bethany territory as the period expired.
The Jackets capped a 14-play, 73-yard drive with Barber touchdown pass to Trout on third-and-goal from the nine early in the fourth. Bethany scored on its next possession to narrow the margin to 27-14 before Waynesburg recovered an onside kick and ran the ball on seven-straight plays, the last of which was a five-yard touchdown run by Carson Shriver (Fairview, W. Va. / Clay-Battelle).
Waynesburg stopped Bethany on fourth down for the third time in the ballgame with less than two minutes left in regulation. The Bison used a timeout after a Waynesburg kneel down on first down and Cawley proceeded to rip off a 57-yard rush down the right sideline, to put him over 200 yards for the ballgame. The Jackets sent the Homecoming crowd home happy with a 34-14 final.
Waynesburg's offense set season highs in points and yards (424). The Jackets ran for 299 yards and four touchdowns on the day. The Jackets scored five touchdowns in as many red zone appearances. The Waynesburg defense had two takeaways, two red zone stops and three fourth down stops in the ballgame. The Jackets were flagged just three times and blocked a field goal in the win.
Barber finished 8-of-11 passing for124 yards, a score and was not sacked in the ballgame. Trout had four catches for 60 yards and a touchdown. Richmond had 48 yards on one catch.
Jemuel Cypress (Seat Pleasant, Md. / Charles Herbert Flowers) made a dozen tackles, eight solo, and had a tackle for loss. Diontae Givens (McKees Rocks, Pa. / Sto-Rox) added eight stops while Ross had seven and a fumble recovery.
The Jackets travel to Allegheny next Saturday for a 5 p.m. kickoff. The Game will be streamed on KDKA plus.