The 2013 season officially kicked off on Thursday night and the PSAC West saw some success. Edinboro and Gannon picked up wins, while Seton Hill was tagged with a loss.
Edinboro 35, Walsh 34
Edinboro quarterback Cody Harris started his senior season off with a bang. Harris completed 36 of 47 passes for 306 yards and 4 touchdowns in the season opener. Walsh’s starter threw 67 passes, completing 39 of them for 289 yards and 3 touchdowns in the one point loss.
After punting on their first drive and falling behind, the Scots would score on their next two, taking a 14-7 1st quarter lead.
The game was a battle to the end. Edinboro tried to put the game out of reach with a late field goal, but it was blocked, giving Walsh another chance.
Walsh quarterback Paul Kempe drove his team 90 yards down the field for a score. They went for a two-point conversion but failed, putting them down by only a point. After recovering the onside kick, it looked like Walsh had yet another shot to win it, but they couldn’t find the endzone on a hail mary pass as time expired.
For Edinboro, Kevin Sonnie hauled in seven passes for 57 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Ben Eisel brought in 11 passes for 84 yards. Jeremy Donaldson led the Scots in rushing with 34 yards and a score. Devin Ghafoor led the team defensively with 12 total tackles. Delano Fabor had 7 tackles and the lone interception.
The Scots play next Saturday against Bloomsburg at home at 12 p.m.
Gannon 36, Erie 34
Gannon broke the school record for total offense en route to a 36-34 comeback victory over Erie to retain the Ship’s Wheel trophy Thursday night.
Gannon took the ball with 4:28 left to play in the game, trailing 33-29. Sophomore quarterback Liam Nadler led his team 75 yards down the field and then took the ball across the goal line himself for the victory.
Erie was left with one last shot, but missed a last second field goal that would’ve sent the game into overtime. They were led by Anthony Bilal’s 222 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground and Brendan Gallagher’s strong night. Gallagher threw for 276 yards and ran for another 103.
Overall, Gannon had 639 total yards of offense, setting a new mark.
For Gannon, Nadler finished 25 of 49 for 398 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also added 20 yards and a score on the ground. Running back Jansen Jones set a career high for rushing yards after tallying 219 yards and a score on the ground to go with a 15-yard touchdown reception. Three receivers, Justin Caliste, Abraham Ocasio, and Quad Law each went over 100 yards receiving for the Knights, but none had touchdowns. Mike Zanders and Rico Wright II each had 10 tackles to lead the defense.
The Knights play next Saturday on the road against West Chester at 12 p.m.
Fairmont State 37, Seton Hill 29
With another comeback attempt in the PSAC West Thursday, Seton Hill fell to Fairmont State Thursday night.
Trailing 37-10 in the 3rd quarter, Seton Hill went on the offensive. The Griffins scored three straight touchdowns to bring their team within 8 points but ultimately fell short.
Redshirt-Sophomore Nick Halfhill did all he could to fight for the Griffins. As they trailed, Halfhill completed a 5-yard strike to Norman Darden, their second hook-up of the game, to bring the score to 37-16. The two would connect for a third score again in the 4th quarter to cut the lead to 37-13. Halfhill would do it again, this time to Lance Williams for the final score of the game.
With Fairmont State trying to lock the game up, the Griffins defense forced a punt to get the ball back one final time.
With just under a minute left, the Griffins weren’t able to get into the endzone, falling 37-29.
Halfhill finished 27 of 42 for 305 yards and 4 touchdowns and an interception. He also led the team in rushing with 76 yards. Darden caught 8 passes for 123 yards and three scores. Defensively, Tyler Zimmer led the Griffins with 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks. The defense also forced two fumbles and picked a pass off.
The Griffins play next Saturday at home against East Stroudsburg at 6 p.m.
Photo Credits: Edinboro Athletics, Gannon Athletics, Seton Hill Athletics
