MEADVILLE, Pa. (October 26) – The Waynesburg University football team prevailed 44-41 in a wild Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game at Allegheny on Saturday evening.
The contest featured seven lead changes as both teams scored three unanswered touchdowns each in the second half. Waynesburg (3-4, 3-4 PAC) surged ahead 33-20 in the third quarter after touchdowns by Sekye Miles (Philadelphia, Pa. / Imhotep Charter), Isaac Trout (Ruffs Dale, Pa. / Southmoreland) and Zayne Cawley (Huntingtown, Md. / Huntingtown). Allegheny (1-7, 1-7 PAC) answered with a touchdown pass, a blocked punt and return for a score and a pick-six to lead 41-33 with four minutes left in regulation
Samuel Barber (Johnstown, Pa. / Greater Johnstown) connected with Tyler Richmond (Carmichaels, Pa. / Carmichaels ) up the left seam for a 62-yard touchdown with 2:31 left in the fourth quarter and Barber tied the game at 41 with a quarterback draw on the ensuing two-point conversion.
Ewing Jamison (Jefferson, Pa. / Jefferson-Morgan) intercepted the Gators' Trevor Brncic on fourth down to give the Jackets the football on the Waynesburg 31 with 1:38 left. Barber hit Richmond and Isaiah Fields (Cumberland, Md. / Allegany), both on the left sideline, for 20 and 24 yards to move Waynesburg inside the Allegheny 20.
Drew Pinkerton (Fayetteville, Pa. / Chambersburg) converted a 32-yard field goal with 15 seconds left and the Jackets escaped Meadville with its first win over the Gators in program history.
The Waynesburg defense notched four takeaways, three in the third quarter, in the second half of the win. Brennan Boron (St. Mary's, W.Va. / St. Marys) forced a pair of fumbles on consecutive defensive possessions in the third quarter with Jemuel Cypress (Seat Pleasant, Md. / Charles Herbert Flowers ) and Kevin Willis (Donora, Pa. / Ringgold) recovering.
Cawley buoyed the Waynesburg offense early has he accounted for over 80 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on the Jackets' opening drive and took a screen pass 69 yards for a score on their second possession. His third touchdown gave the Jackets their largest lead of the night (33-20) with 4:41 left in the third quarter.
The Gators used a blocked punt for a touchdown and interception for a touchdown to go ahead 41-33 late before Barber, Richmond and Pinkerton delivered the Jackets to victory.
Barber turned in a career day as he completed 17-of-22 passes for 355 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Cawley had 262 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns as he rushed for 150 yards and caught six passes for 112 yards.
Richmond had a career-high team and team season-high 143 receiving yards on five catches and a touchdown. Miles bowled over a defensive back to score his first career touchdown as a Jacket in the second quarter on an 18-yard catch-and-run.
Boron had eight total tackles and forced two fumbles. Cypress added eight tackles, four solo, and Brandon Tyson (Upper Marlboro, Md. / Frederick Douglass) led the team with nine stops. Jamison and Quilik Wooten (Landover, Md. / Charles Herbert Flowers) each had an interception. Jamison finished with seven tackles and Wooten added two pass break ups and half a tackle for loss. Diontae Givens (McKees Rocks, Pa. / Sto-Rox) had a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and four total tackles.
The contest was Waynesburg's highest-scoring outing since scoring 52 points in the Jackets' 2022 season opener at Gallaudet. With the victory, the Jackets surpassed last season's win total with three games left to play and are winners in consecutive weeks for the first time since 2022.
Waynesburg scored touchdowns in three-of-four trips to the red zone with the only trip without a touchdown being Pinkerton's game-winning field goal.
The Jackets welcome No. 15 Grove City to John F. Wiley Stadium next Saturday.