NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The Westminster College football team gutted out a thrilling 20-16 win over Thiel Saturday at home in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC). With the win, the Titans clinch their first non-losing season since 2004 and their 51st in the last 56 years as they improve to 5-4 on the season and 2-3 in the PAC with one game remaining. The Tomcats drop to 2-7 overall and 1-5 in the league.
The Titans commanded the pace of the game, running 84 plays for 316 yards (217 passing) and holding possession for 40:45.
Sophomore quarterback Kevin Franz (Finleyville, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) completed 27 of 38 passes for 217 yards and one touchdown for Westminster. Franz's touchdown was a 15-yard pass to senior wide receiver Jason Discello (New Kensington, Pa./Valley) in the fourth quarter. Franz moves into second place on the school's all-time completions list with 366 (122 away from James Graham's record of 488 from 1997-2000).
Senior wide receiver Brett Ziegler (Somerset, Pa./Somerset) caught 11 passes for 102 yards as he moved into second place on Westminster's all-time receptions list with 137 (3 away from Matt Dvorsak's record of 140 from 1995-99).
Sophomore tailback Nick McKolosky (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop) rushed for 105 yards on a career-high 34 attempts for his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season and his career, including his third straight. McKolosky scored the game's first touchdown with a 7-yard run with 5:19 left in the second quarter.
After Thiel scored on a 42-yard Sammy Koyl field goal as time expired in the first half, Westminster took a 14-3 lead when Franz scored on a 1-yard run on the Titans' first drive on the third quarter.
Thiel then answered as quarterback Marc LaScola scored on a 17-yard run at the 5:38 mark in the third quarter to cut the Titan lead to 14-10.
LaScola wound up completing 12 of 23 passes for 129 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Wagner at 8:21 in the fourth quarter. Thiel finished with 236 yards of offense (129 pass, 107 rush). Dan Hess led the Tomcats with 57 rushing yards on 18 carries.
Thiel threatened with two possessions late in the game after Wagner's touchdown cut Westminster's lead to 20-16. First, Thiel failed to convert a fourth-down and 4-yards to go when LaScola scrambled but was stopped 1-yard short at the Titan 47-yard line by senior cornerback Eric Brown (Youngstown, Ohio/Rayen).
The Tomcats then got the ball back with 1:16 remaining on the Titan 36-yard line when Westminster botched its snap on a punt exchange. Thiel advanced to the Titan 19-yard line before sophomore Brad Meehan (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) sacked LaScola for an 11-yard loss. Two plays later the LaScola completed a 9-yard pass to John Adams, and, after a sequence of four laterals to four different players, Hess was stopped at the Titan 18 to end the game.
Junior linebacker Jordan Blinn (Industry, Pa./Western Beaver) led the Titans with seven tackles and forced fumble. Other notables include junior linebacker Scott Brucker (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) with a sack of 11 yards to go with three tackles (2 for loss), and also freshman linebacker Adam Falkowski (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) with six tackles, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
Westminster goes for its first winning season since 2002 (6-4) as it travels to Waynesburg on Saturday, Nov. 11, for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.
About Westminster College...
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College is ranked 15th among liberal arts colleges, according to the Washington Monthly 2007 Annual College Guide. Westminster is a national leader in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News Guide to America's Best Colleges, and is one of the most affordable national liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania. Westminster is also honored as one of "The Best 366 Colleges" and "Best in the Northeast" by The Princeton Review, and was recognized by the Templeton Guide as a "Character Building College."
Nearly 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students benefit from individualized attention from dedicated faculty while choosing from 41 majors and nearly 100 organizations on the New Wilmington, Pa., campus.
