GROVE CITY, Pa. – Considering it was the programs' 104th meeting since 1892 and the last quartet of contests had been decided by 13 points, why was Westminster's 24-17 win over Grove City surprising?

The Titans twice took 17-point leads in the Presidents' Athletic Conference rivalry, but Grove City gallantly rallied.

It was not until 4 seconds remained when Westminster's Brayden Thimons sacked GCC quarterback Logan Pfeuffer on a 4th-and-7 play from the Titans' 15-yard line that the contest was decided.

"Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games,"  said Thimons' Titans' teammate, Nicholas Treloar.

Saturday afternoon at Robert E. Thorn Field, ironically, that twosome collaborated on the Titans' final TD just 4 ticks into the final frame as Thimons – from a Wildcat formation – handed off to Treloar, who scored from a yard out. It made Treloar 2-for-2 in career carries for touchdowns.

Grove City came into the contest pacing the PAC in offense, averaging 40.4 points and 462.6 yards per game. But the Wolverines totalled 345 yards on 78 snaps (4.4 per-play), amassing the majority of that during the 4th frame (34 plays, 188 yards).

It was the second straight win for Westminster (3-2 PAC, 4-3 overall), and Titans' taskmaster Scott Benzel said, "Complimentary football – all three phases. We executed well when we had to, so I'm really, really proud of the team.

"Brayden stepped up, and what a huge play he made for us," praised Benzel. "That really cost (the Wolverines) the game in terms of their momentum."

Following a scoreless 3rd quarter Grove City got a pair of scores on Nick Morrow's 20-yard field goal with 6:57 remaining in regulation, then Pfeuffer's 1-yard plunge with 2:42 left.

However Morrow's subsequent on-side kickoff was recovered by Westminster sophomore receiver Jalen Washington (Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips High). While Westminster went 3-and-out on its series, the Wolverines had to use all three time-outs. 

Grove City regained possession with 2:16 remaining. Joey Guida gave GCC runs of 8, 7, and 17 yards, and Pfeuffer fired passes of 20 and 12 yards to Ryan Lenhart before Thimons' titanic sack.

While Thimons (Natrona Heights, Pa./Highlands High) recorded the Titans' lone sack, Westminster's defense coerced Pfeuffer – the PAC's leading passer – into a 15-for-35, 160-yard performance. Sophomore safety Brice Butler (Farrell, Pa./Farrell) pilfered a pass for the third time in as many games 9 seconds into the 4th quarter.

"Our defense was tremendous … and I'm proud of our offense, I'm just glad we were able to finish it out," said senior cornerback Bryce Thomas (Saint Marys, Ga./Camden County High) after sharing a post-game embrace with senior linebacker and best friend Ian Barr (State College, Pa./State College High).

There were several other highlights for Westminster:

• First-year southpaw signal-caller Tyler McGowan (West Hills, Pa./Moon Area High) completed 18 of 31 pass attempts for 219 yards (1 interception), and rushed 10 times for 49 yards without taking a sack.

• Eilam ended with 6 receptions for a game-high 101 yards.

• Senior running back Ryan Gomes (Tampa, Fla./Walter L. Sickles High) posted a game-high 26-carry, 110-yard performance.

• Senior Chevy Dawson (Port St. Lucie, Fla./Centennial High) averaged 41.6 on 7 punts, launching 66- and 48-yarders during the 2nd half.

Westminster out-gained Grove City, 390-345 and consumed the clock for 33 minutes, 18 seconds, compared with 26:42 for the Wolverines.

"To be honest with you, we could've been up twenty-one to nothing, but we didn't take advantage of some things (a 2nd-and-goal situation late in the 1st quarter that resulted in Ben Bladel blocking a field-goal attempt), and it's a credit to Grove City and their ability to fight," Benzel said. "But anytime you're on the road with a 10-point lead, I'm happy with that.

The Titans took a 17-7 margin at intermission.

Following a scoreless 1st frame Brayden Thimons tallied the first TD on a 2-yard plunge with 12:46 remaining in the half. The score was set up by a 48-yard connection from McGowan (West Hills, Pa./Moon Area High) to junior wide-out Eilam (Sharon, Pa./Sharon High).

"I feel like the key today was just getting the ball to our playmakers," related Eilam. "I told Ty before the game to trust me out there, that we could make plays."

Westminster's second score – Ben Pugh's 23-yard field goal – was set up by 12- and 28-yard pass plays from McGowan to Eilam and Dawson and culminated an 11-play 70-yard drive that consumed 6:11.

Pugh (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield High), a first-year placekicker, consistently connected for touchbacks on his kickoffs, giving GCC a long field with which to work.

The Titans' third TD – McGowan's 1-yard plunge – was produced by 19- and 27-yard collaborations with junior wide receiver Marcel Smith-Austin (Sharon, Pa./Sharon High) and Eilam, as well as McGowan's 14-yard RPO sprint that put Westminster 1st-and-goal at Grove City's 3-yard line.

The PAC's most prolific offense through the season's first 6 weeks, Grove City (4-2, 6-2) gained only 110 first-half yards, 75 of which occurred on e Wolverines' lone scoring drive. Pfeuffer fired a 1-yard scoring strike to Scott Fraser with 4 seconds remaining in the half.

Conversely, Westminster went for 258 first-half yards led by the running of Gomes and passing of McGowan. Gomes gained 71 of Westminster's 109 yards rushing and McGowan completed half of his 18 pass attempts for 149 yards, including a handful of connections with Eilam for 95 markers.

"At the end of the day it's all a team effort and we all play as one – offense, defense, special teams, all working together as one," observed senior linebacker Treloar (New Castle, Pa./New Castle High). "We play with a lot of heart and pride on the defensive side of the ball. It means a lot to us.

"I think teams were kind've writing us off at this point," continued Trelora. "But coming in here and beating a six-and-one team, so I think that proves them wrong. We're still a fiercely competitive team, no matter what. At the end of the day, never count out the Titans."

"We were looking for that 'signature win,' and it's been a challenge this year due to injuries and some of the things that, unfortunately, didn't come out on our end," summarized Benzel, who was rewarded his 60th triumph as Titans' taskmaster. "But we got that 'signature win' on the road against a really good football team. It's fitting that, on the last play of the game, it was our defense against their offense. I thought that was the two best teams."

"I just feel like no one should sleep on us. We're comin and we're ready to go!" Eilam said.

"We're always dangerous," Thomas said. "Three-and-three, oh-and-seven, seven-and-oh, we're a dangerous team. I'm just glad that we were able to break (.500). We're four-and-three, and it feels great!"