NEW WILMINGTON, Pa – Westminster's wealth of weapons was on full display during Saturday evening's Presidents' Athletic Conference opener.
At Harold Burry Stadium at Memorial Field, Cole Konieczka connected with a myriad of receivers, and the Titans totalled 550 yards in a 42-14 victory over Allegheny College on "White-Out Night."
"It's nice for me. I have a ton of playmakers," commenced Konieczka, the senior signal-caller. "Ryan Gomes, running back; Ty Eilam, Jalen Washington, Jaylen Royal-Eiland, Marcel Smith-Austin. We have a ton of playmakers, so it's easy for me to get the ball out, put the ball in their hands, and let them make plays, do what they do."
Koniecka (Coraopolis, Pa./Moon Area High) connected on 23 of 36 passes for 327 yards and a trio of touchdowns – 2 to Eilam, covering 10 and 49 yards in the third quarter when Westminster went on top 42-7.
Eilam (Sharon, Pa./Sharon High) ended with 7 receptions for 139 yards. Also, Royal-Eiland (Mineral RIdge, Ohio/Mineral Ridge High), a freshman, hauled in a handful of passes for 51 yards, and Gomes garnered another 3 for 44 yards, including a 32-yard first-quarter connection with Konieczka.
Westminster's offense got a good ground game from reigning PAC Offensive Player of the Week Gomes (Tampa, Fla./Walter L. Sickles), who gathered in 79 yards on 13 carries, highlighted by a 43-yard scoring sprint approximately 5 minutes into the conference contest.
The Titans took a 21-7 margin at intermission. Senior Brayden Thimons (Natrona Heights, Pa./Highlands High) tallied the Titans' third TD of the half on a 1-yard plunge with 9:01 remaining to intermission. Thimons' tally was set up by Brice Butler's 24-yard punt return. Butler (Farrell, Pa./Farrell High) returned another earlier punt 23 yards.
In posting a second straight 42-point performance, Westminster (1-0 PAC, 2-1 overall) also dominated the second half.
Walter Phillips (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Champagnat Catholic), a sophomore, spinted 50 yards for a TD with 5:05 remaining in the third quarter, sandwiched by the pair of Konieczka-Eilam scores.Phillips finished with a game-high 99 yards rushing on only 7 carries.
For Allegheny (0-1, 1-2), the Gators got a pair of big plays for their lone scores – both courtesy of freshmen.
Former Greenville High standout Levi Swartz sprinted 89 yards with a second-stanza kickoff. That trimmed the Titans' lead to 21-7 with 8:48 remaining to intermission. In the final frame Antwan Brown burst 41 yards for a score.
But the Gators gained only 220 total yards (71 rushing).
Jack Johnson completed 16 of 26 pass attempts for 112 yards, with his top targets being Ian Durci (9 catches, 112 yards) and Declan O'Brien (7-38). However, Johnson had a pair of passes picked off by Luca Botti (Ellwood City, Pa./Ellwood City High), and Kevin Wright (West Palm Beach, Fla./Seminole Ridge HIgh), a senior and sophomore, respectively. Also, Thimons added a quarterback sack.
Coach Scott Benzel's multiple offense amassed an almost perfectly balanced 272 yards rushing and 278 passing.
"Our offensive line is great," Konieczka observed. "When we have the opportunity to run the ball really well, throw the ball really well, or both, we're gonna take it. So whatever it is we're doing really well we're going to keep doing that. If it's working, it's working, and we're not going to fix something that's not broke.
"It's nice, because we can run the ball or throw the ball and be successful with either," added Konieczka, who concluded, "We took care of business, and it was a nice team win."
