Week nine football preview: Thomas More
With sole possession of second place in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference on the line as the regular season hits its home stretch, the Waynesburg University football team will welcome the Thomas More Saints to John F. Wiley Stadium for its ninth game of the regular season. The last time the Jackets welcomed the Saints to their home field, then-sophomore special teamer Willie Leavell propelled the Orange and Black to a 14-10 upset over the 23rd-ranked Saints, thanks to a punt block return for a touchdown. With PAC Championship aspirations on the line for Waynesburg, here are a few story lines going into Saturday’s contest.
Respect the Rivalry
While Waynesburg head coach Rick Shepas said that every PAC match-up is a rivalry week-in and week-out, Saturday’s game adds a new chapter to the 10-year history of back-and-forth battles with the Saints since Thomas More joined the conference in 2005. Last season, Waynesburg carried a 3-0 record into Crestview Hills, Kentucky, before surrendering the most amount of points that they would give up in one game all season in a 49-28 loss. A year before the Willie Leavell punt block, the Jackets upset Thomas More, the then-number-six team in the country, 26-23. Since the PAC series began, Waynesburg has won four of the nine match-ups, but the point differential in those nine games haven’t been very far apart (214-175). The series also includes six games that were within eight points.
“Every single year, Coach Shepas does a great job with his program,” said Thomas More head coach Jim Hilvert. “You know you’re in a dog fight every time you play those guys. Our guys know what to expect when they play Waynesburg — and that is a hard fought battle.”
Ground Game Giants
Saturday’s contest will boast two of Division III’s best in the run game. Thomas More senior Domonique Hayden (1,109) and Waynesburg senior Jake Forsythe (1,050) are third and fifth in the nation in rushing yards this season, respectively. After missing Thomas More’s week seven game, Hayden responded last week by tearing up Grove City’s defense for 174 yards and five touchdowns on 21 carries. Jacket fans remember in last year’s contest how Hayden was able to carve Waynesburg’s defense for 212 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.
“It was great to get [Hayden] back last week against Grove City,” said Hilvert. “We’re a physical team that likes to get the ball to best football player, and obviously, we like to run. When we establish the run, it opens up avenues to be able to throw the football to our receivers.”
Last week, for the second week in a row, Forsythe ran for 200 yards, and was a critical playmaker in Waynesburg’s 35-32 win versus Thiel on the road. He also amassed 1,000 yards rushing on the season, and he is the first Yellow Jacket to do so since Robert Heller rushed for 2,176 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2007.
“Jake’s worked hard; he’s a humble guy; he’s earned everything he’s got this year,” said Shepas. “It was not something predestined for him to be a 1,000 yard rusher. He earns it. He’s made significant gains in the way he runs the ball and the way he utilizes his balance.”
Thomas More also adds freshman CT Tarant, who in the last three weeks while substituting for Hayden, has rushed for 319 yards on 50 carries and scored five touchdowns.
“Both of those guys wear on defenses,” said Hilvert. “It’s tough tackling those guys for a full 60 minutes of football. I know [Tarant will] do a great job for us.”
Limit Gebhardt’s Gains
In last season’s match-up then-sophomore starting quarterback Jensen Gebhardt made a living off completing passes downfield off play-action for Thomas More’s offense. He was able to pass for 236 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 completions.
“I think taking care of the football is the big thing, and being able to take our chances downfield when defenses load the box to stop [Hayden],” said Hilvert. “It all starts with the run.” Despite allowing a big game to Thiel starting quarterback Ryan Radke last week, the Waynesburg defense has traditionally played well against pocket passers. Gebhardt has had his troubles against talented defenses like Waynesburg’s, who comes into Saturday’s game with the third-best scoring defense and sixth-best total defense in the conference. Case in point: the Washington & Jefferson game, in which Gebhardt threw two interceptions and was pulled late in the game, while Hayden still recorded 183 yards rushing. If Hayden is going to continue his senior campaign with another solid performance, Waynesburg’s defense will have to play well in coverage.
“I’m not foolish to believe that we are going to shut them out,” said Shepas. “We have to contain the quarterback. We’re improving in the secondary. When we entered the season, we knew that’s where we were going to need to really play well. They have to go out and compete.”
The Saints Go Marching Home
Coming into Saturday’s game, Thomas More boasts the best scoring defense (19 points/game) and the best total defense (282.2 yards/game) of any team in the PAC. In the last three weeks, the Saints have allowed just 17 points total. While the success of the defense has been a collective effort, one name worth noting on the Thomas More defense is junior defensive lineman Erick Butler, who has recorded 54 tackles on the season and is tied for second-most in the PAC with 6.5 sacks.
“He’s a guy that has the whole package,” said Hilvert. “He’s a guy that can get to the quarterback, while stopping the run. He flies all over the field. Our guy’s feed off of him on the defensive side of the ball.”
Despite throwing his eighth interception of the season last week against Thiel, Waynesburg starting quarterback Carter Hill comes into Saturday’s game leading the PAC in touchdown passes (23) and is second in the conference in passing yards per game (243.8). Last season, Hill carried the offense against the Saints, passing for 334 yards and three touchdowns, while also throwing his first interception. With all of Waynesburg’s wins versus the Saints being historically close on the score board, Hill will have to be mistake free against one of the PAC’s elite defenses.
“[He has to] make good decisions with the football like he always has, and make sure that we protect the ball,” said Shepas. “I think this [past] week, [Hill] did an exceptional job playing quarterback for us.”