NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Freshman quarterback Paul Columbo (Boca Raton, FL / West Boca Raton Community) threw four touchdowns, while guiding the Westminster College football team to a 40-28 win over the visiting Tomcats of Thiel College on Saturday in the Titans' Homecoming game.
Columbo completed a career-best 20-of-30 passes for a career-high 317 yards and a career-best four touchdowns. The win marked first-year Head Coach Scott Benzel's first of his career.
The Titans (1-5, 1-3 PAC) led 31-0 with two minutes remaining in the first half. Thiel (2-4, 1-3 PAC) got on the scoreboard with a touchdown with one second remaining in the second quarter. Westminster added three points in the third quarter. The Tomcats out-scored the Titans, 21-6, in the fourth.
The Titans scored 21 points in the first quarter. Their first score only took one play as Columbo found classmate Khurazze Williams (Lakeworth, FL / Santaluces Community) for a 31-yard touchdown on the Titans' first play of the game. Westminster led, 7-0, after an extra point from sophomore Justin Dahl (Cochranton, PA / Maplewood). The Titans had excellent field position after the Titan defense forced a three-and-out and Thiel's punt only went 17 yards.
Thiel was once again forced to punt after three downs on their next drive, which set up Westminster's second score. The Titans conducted a 9-play, 58-yard drive, capped off with another Columbo-Williams connection through the air. This time it was from 10 yards out. A Dahl extra point gave the Titans a 14-0 lead with 8:18 remaining in the first.
The Tomcats' next possession was halted after an interception by Titan freshman Mark Wagner (Hermitage, PA / Hickory) at the 50-yard line. Wagner returned the pick 22 yards to Thiel's 28-yard line. Freshman Jametrius Bentley (Lake Worth, FL / Park Vista Community) scored on an 8-yard run three plays later. Westminster led, 21-0, after a point-after-touchdown from Dahl with 5:12 on the clock.
Columbo tossed his third-straight touchdown pass of the game with 9:22 on the clock in the second quarter as he connected with junior Cody Alward (Pittsburgh, PA / Keystone Oaks) for a 48-yard touchdown. The Titans led 28-0 after an extra point by Dahl. The scoring drive took four plays for 61 yards.
A Dahl 29-yard field goal late in the third quarter on fourth-and-two extended Westminster's lead to 31-0.
Thiel spoiled the shutout on its ensuing drive as the Tomcats drove 75 yards in 10 plays, capped off with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Radke to Marcus Johnson with one second on the clock. After an extra point by Jon Fennick, Westminster led 31-7.
The Titans added to their lead midway through the third quarter when Dahl made his second field goal of the contest, this one from 28 yards.
The Tomcats started gaining momentum with touchdown passes by Radke on consecutive drives in the beginning of the fourth quarter, cutting Westminster's lead to 34-21 with 12 minutes to play.
Westminster stopped the momentum with a score on its ensuing drive as Columbo found junior Taran Sifontes-Lavine (Pittsburgh, PA / Chartiers Valley) for a 47-yard touchdown with 10:01 on the clock.
Thiel added a touchdown when Radke ran it in the end zone from two yards out with 44 seconds on the clock.
Williams led the Titans with a career-high seven receptions for a career-best 118 yards to go along with his two scores (also a career-high). Siftones-Lavine added career-highs of six catches for 94 yards in addition to his score. Bentley ran for 59 yards off 12 carries and a touchdown. Senior Justin Smith (Statham, GA / South Gwinnett) led the Titan defense with eight tackles. Sophomore Wayne Seamans (New Castle, PA / Union Area), freshman Todd Jeter (Monroeville, PA / Gateway), and junior Justin Shaw (Monaca, PA / Central Valley) added seven tackles each.
The Titans are back on the field next Saturday, Oct. 18, as they host Waynesburg University at 1 p.m.
About Westminster College...
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College is a top-tier liberal arts college and a national leader in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News Best Colleges guide. Westminster is also honored as one of "The Best 379 Colleges" by The Princeton Review, and is named to the President's Honor Roll for excellence in service learning.
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. Visit www.westminster.edu/advantage to view "Advantage: Westminster" A Strategic Plan 2010-2020.
