NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The Westminster College football team won, 16-10, over Washington & Jefferson College at home on Saturday for the Titans' first win over the Presidents since becoming active NCAA Division III members.
Westminster's (6-1, 4-1 PAC) previous win over Washington & Jefferson (5-2, 3-2 PAC) came in 2000 (19-17). The win on Saturday was also the Titans' first ever over the Presidents in New Wilmington, Pa.
The Titans out-gained the Presidents 337 yards (233 rushing, 104 passing) to 262 (71 rushing, 191 passing). Titan juniors
Dominique McKinley (Greensburg, PA / Greensburg-Salem) and
Paul Columbo (Boca Raton, FL / West Boca Raton Community) both surpassed 100 yards on the ground. McKinley ran for a season-high 126 yards, while Columbo tallied 107. Columbo also passed Joe Micchia (1987-89) for fourth place in career passing yards in school history with 4,630, after going 10 of 19 with 104 through the air.
The Titan defense registered a season-high six sacks, led by junior
CJ Armstrong (Lake Worth, FL / Park Vista) with 1.5. Senior
Bobby Noble (Greensburgh, PA / Greensburg Central Catholic), sophomore
Miguel Luis (Hollywood, FL / Mater Academy), junior
Tyler Beatrice (Monaca, PA / Central Valley), and senior
David Jamieson (Brookfield, OH / Brookfield) each had a sack. Sophomore
John Fitzgerald (Youngstown, OH / Youngstown East) added a half sack. Senior
Wayne Seamans (New Castle, PA / Union) and Armstrong each had a team-high seven tackles.
Titan senior
Justin Dahl (Cochranton, PA / Maplewood) finished three-for-three in field goals (39, 26, 40). Dahl now has a career-high nine made field goals this year, tying him with Rob Dancu (1991) and Zac Henry (2011) for third all-time in school history for most field goals in a season.
Dahl scored the first points of the game with a 39-yard field goal on Westminster's first drive of the game. Senior
Gator Phillips (Deland, FL / Deland) put the Titans in good field position at Washington & Jefferson's 37-yard line after picking off Presidents' Pete Coughlin's pass on the first play of the game.
Washington & Jefferson responded on its ensuing possession with a 7-play, 58-yard drive, capped off with a six-yard touchdown run by Coughlin. An extra point by Ted Ford put the Presidents ahead 7-3 with 6:47 on the clock.
On the Titans' next drive, McKinley put Westminster back in front with a 13-yard touchdown run, capping off a 8-play, 75-yard drive. After a Dahl extra point, Westminster led 10-7 with 2:42 remaining in the first.
W&J threatened on its next drive with a third-and-goal at Westminster's five-yard line, however Titan junior
Todd Jeter (Monroeville, PA / Gateway) intercepted Coughlin's pass in the end zone. On Westminster's ensuing drive, Dahl connected on his second field goal of the game, this time from 26 yards out, putting Westminster ahead 13-7 with 11:04 to play in the second quarter.
In the second half, the Presidents cut Westminster's lead to 13-10 after a 29-yard field goal by Ford with 4:35 to play in the third.
Dahl made his third field goal on the day, a 40-yarder, to extend Westminster's lead to 16-10 with 6:13 remaining in the game.
Westminster sealed the victory after sophomore
Marvin Liberiste (Naples, FL / Lely) picked off Coughlin on third down with just over a minute to go.
The Titans will next play at Carnegie Mellon University Saturday, October 29 with a 1 p.m. start time.
