WESTMINSTER TITANS (5-2, 6-3)

vs.

GENEVA COLLEGE GOLDEN TORNADOES (3-4, 3-6)

Saturday, Nov. 12, 1 p.m.

Reeves Field, Beaver Falls, Pa.

QUICK FACTS

Name of School … Westminster College

City/Zip … New Wilmington, Pa. 16172

Founded … 1852

Enrollment .. 1,400

Nickname … Titans

School Colors … Blue and White

Affiliation … NCAA Division III

Conference … Presidents' Athletic (PAC)

President … Dr. Kathy B. Richardson

Athletic Director … Jason Lener

Athletics Department Phone … 724-946-7307

Stadium … Harold Burry Stadium/Memorial Field

Capacity/Surface … 4,500/FieldTurf

HISTORY

First Year of Football … 1891 

All-time Bowl/Playoff Record … 35-13 (.729) 

Years in postseason play … 23

Last NCAA/NAIA appearance ........... 1996 (NAIA Quarterfinals,, Lost to Findlay (Ohio), 28-9

Last postseason appearance … 2021 (ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl, Lost to Hobart, 21-3)

PAC Championships … 2 (2020, 2021)

Last PAC Championship …  Won, 27-20, over Washington & Jefferson

National Championships … 1994, 1989, 1988, 1977, 1976, 1970

Head Coach … Scott Benzel (9th, 62-27, 69.6%)

Alma Mater … Mercyhurst, 1997

Office Phone … 724-946-7310

Email … benzelsr@westminster.edu

TEAM INFORMATION

Basic Offense … Multiple

Basic Defense … Multiple

Starters Returning/Lost … 16/6

Offense … 7/4

Defense … 8/1

Specialty … 1/1

2021 Overall Record … 8-3

Home/Away/Neutral … 4-2/4-1

2021 PAC Record … 8-1

Home/Away … 4-0/4-1

2021 PAC Finish … 1st (tie)

2022 SCHEDULE

9/3 … at Delaware Valley … L, 8-22

9/10 … BETHANY … W, 42-3

9/17 … ALLEGHENY* … W, 42-14

BYE

10/1 … at Carnegie Mellon* … L, 10-0

10/8 … WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON* … L, 17-14

10/15 … THIEL* (Homecoming) … W, 41-6

10/22 … at Grove City* … W, 24-17

10/29 … at Waynesburg* … W, 30-10

11/5 … CASE WESTERN RESERVE* (Senior Day) … W, 14-13

11/12 … at Geneva* … 1 p.m.

2021 RESULTS

9/4 … No. 1 MOUNT UNION, L, 7-48

9/18 … at Case Western Reserve* W, 34-12

9/25 … GROVE CITY* W, 33-32

10/2 … at Thiel* W, 49-14

10/9 … at Carnegie Mellon L, 10-34

10/16 … WAYNESBURG* W, 66-14

10/23 … at Washington & Jefferson W, 23-18

10/30 … at Bethany* W 42-6

11/6 … SAINT VINCENT* W, 41-6

11/13 … GENEVA* W, 31-6

11/20 … HOBART 

(ECAC Asa S.Bushnell Bowl) L, 3-21

*PAC Game; Home games in CAPS

COACHING STAFF

Head Coach … Scott Benzel (9th)

Record … 62-27 (69.6%)

Alma Mater … Mercyhurst, 1997

Office Phone … 724-946-7310

Email … benzelsr@westminster.edu

Twitter Handle … @coachbenzel

Assistant Coaches: David Blake (Asso. HC, co-OC, QBs), Colyn Haugh (co-OC/run game coordinator, OL), Jared Heck (Special Teams, DBs), Michael Bongivengo (pass game coordinator), David Jamieson (DL), Rashad Wheeler (DL), Pat Mineok (LBs, Special Teams), Josh Wrightson (offensive asst.), Nick Marmo (TEs), Corey Oaks (DBs), Garvey Biggers (Specialist coach, Recruiting coordinator), Jim Mohr (chaplain).

GAME NOTES

THE SERIES

In a geographical rivalry that commenced Aug. 29, 1891, Westminster has amassed a cumulative 69-38-8 won-lost ledger (54-34-8 at home; 15-4 on the road; 11-4 in conference contests).

Westminster has won the last 9 consecutive meetings: 2021 (31-6), 2020-21 (52-21), 2019 (28-25), 2018 (21-7), 2017 (20-14), 2016 (24-0), 2015 (32-0), 2014 (38-3) and 2013 (30-27). Geneva garnered back-to-back wins in 2012 (33-14) and 2011 (23-10).

LAST SEASON

The Titans triumphed, 31-6, on Nov. 13, 2021 in New Wilmington. Cole Konieczka (Coraopolis, Pa./Moon Area High) threw for 304 yards – 142 of which was hauled in by Tylon Eilam (Sharon, Pa./Sharon High). Also, Nicholas Treloar (New Castle, Pa./New Castle High) was credited with a safety, Brice Butler (Farrell, Pa./Farrell High a 22-yard Pick-Six, and Brayden Thimons (Natrona Heights, Pa./Highlands High) caught a 3-yard TD from Frank Antuono.

LAST WEEK

Geneva's 57-20 win at Thiel College's Alumni Stadium in Greenville was highlighted by Brutus Ogilvie's 1- and 2-yard TD runs and TD tosses of 68 and 42 yards, respectively, to Logan Kent and Hilton McClain Jr. Following a scoreless 1st frame the Golden Tornadoes tallied 31 second-period points.

Westminster won, 14-13, over Case Western Reserve University to celebrate Senior Day.

The Titans tallied TDs on Brayden Thimons' 13-yard run and Corte Williams' (Sharon, Pa./Sharon High) 33-yard Pick-Six.

Led by its third starting quarterback this season – sophomore Billy Levak (Macedonia, Ohio/Nordonia High) – Westminster went for only 122 total yards and 5 first downs; however the Titans' defense limited CWRU's prolific offense to 255 total yards, 1 TD and 2 field goals. The Titans twice turned over the Spartans. 

THIS SEASON

Led by Geno DeMarco (30th season, 158-146, 52%) – the winningest head coach in program annals – the GT's have won back-to-back games over Bethany College (34-6) and Thiel.

Geneva suffered 4 consecutive season-opening setbacks – The College of Wooster (33-25), Grove City College (55-17), Waynesburg University (37-30), and Case Western Reserve (34-7) – but has won 3 of its last 5, including Allegheny College (35-21), Bethany and Thiel. Other losses include Saint Vincent College (41-25) and Carnegie Mellon University (41-0).

Geneva is averaging 25.6 points and 366.3 yards-per-game (230.9 rushing; 135.4 passing), but permitting 32 ppg. and 405.4 ypg. (177.6 rushing; 227.9 passing).

The Golden Tornadoes' triple-option ground game has been led by Josh Syster (97 carries, 457 yards, 4.7 per-carry, 3 TDs), Kent (61-464, 7.6, 4 TDs), Ogilvie (109-423, 3.9, 7 TDs), and Gino Mavero (56-154, 2.8, 2 TDs).

Senior signal-caller Ogilvie was selected as the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Offensive Player of the Week after orchestrating the offense to last week's win at Thiel (the most points in program annals since a 77-14 win over Olivet Nazarene in 2001). Ogilvie completed just 4 of 7 passes, but for 202 yards and 2 TDs, and also rushed for 57 yards and 2 TDs on only 9 carries. 

It was the second such honor for Ogilvie, who has passed for 1,194 yards and 8 TDs (2 interceptions) and rushed for 423 yards and 7 scores.

His top target has been McClain (29 receptions, 719 yards, 24.8 yards-per-catch, 5 TDs).

Defensively, the GT's have been paced by Nicholas Ottaviani (72 tackles, including 29 solos), Gabe Trexler (63/29), Damien Lomeli (PAC-best 7 interceptions), Brandon Graham (5 pass break-ups, 2 interceptions), Ray Richard (6 PBUs), and Kiefer Mandagelo (2 interceptions).

Westminster has won 4 consecutive contests after sitting 2-3 at mid-season following back-to-back losses to Carnegie Mellon (10-0) and Washington & Jefferson College (17-14).

The Titans' lone losses have occurred to nationally-ranked (American Football Coaches Assn. Division III poll) Delaware Valley University (9-0), CMU (9-0) and W&J (7-2) – teams with an aggregate 25-2 won-lost ledger. Carnegie Mellon's current 16-game win streak is the longest in the  NCAA (all-divisions). CMU – in spite of being on its bye week – captured the 2022 PAC crown with Westminster's win over Case Western Reserve. CMU travels to University Heights, Ohio this week to meet CWRU.

In spite of injuries to 18 players including quarterbacks Konieczka and first-year standout Tyler McGowan (Coraopolis, Pa./Moon Area High) the Titans tally 23.9 ppg. and 316.3 ypg. (150.6 rushing; 165.7 passing). 

The offense has been paced by senior running back Ryan Gomes (Tampa, Fla./Walter L. Sickles High), who is the circuit's 2nd-ranked rusher (102.3) and is approaching the 1,000-yard plateau (921 on 200 carries, 4.6, with 5 TDs, plus 2 receiving TDs). Eilam and sophomore Jalen Washington (Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips High) have hauled in 25 and 22 passes, respectively, for 376 and 297 yards (15.0 and 13.5 per-catch). They have evenly divided a half-dozen TDs.

The Titans tout the PAC's 2nd-leading defense (12.4 ppg.) and Westminster is permitting just 227.1 ypg. (96.4 rushing; 130.7 passing).

Brayden Thimons (56 tackles, including 41 solos; 15 tackles-for-loss, including 8.5 sacks) leads the tenacious Titans. He has been complemented by several senior classmates, including linebackers Treloar (55 tackles, 22 solos, 1.5 sacks) and Ian Barr (State College, Pa./State College High), 54 tackles, including 33 solos; tackle Tyree Reeder (Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline High), 10 TFL, including 4.5 sacks; end Daniel Thimons (Tarentum, Pa./Highlands High), 8 TFL, including 4.5 sacks, and safety Luca Botti (Ellwood City, Pa./Ellwood City-Riverside), with 6 pass breakups. Sophomore safety Butler boasts 5 interceptions.

Senior linebacker Jarred Kohl (York, Pa./York Catholic), sophomore lineman Carter Chinn (Grove City, Pa./Grove City High), and first-year linebacker Dylan Sleva (Coraopolis, Pa./Moon Area High) all have made contributions, as have secondary standouts Bryce Thomas (Saint Marys, Ga/Camden County High) and Williams, a senior and junior, respectively. 

BOWLING

Since 2015 Westminster has competed in a handful of Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) postseason bowl games (Asa S. Bushnell, Clayton Chapman, James Lynah). Westminster won in 2019 (35-24, Morrisville, N.Y.), 2016 (33-6, Utica), and 2015 (42-21, St. John Fisher). The Titans were topped in 2021 (21-3, Hobart) and 2018 (42-34, Wesley).