(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) - Junior running back Adam Rauch (Yorkville, Ind./East Central) had 181 rushing yards to lead the Thomas More College football team to a 54-18 win over Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) rival today (Saturday, October 6, 2012) on Homecoming at The Bank of Kentucky Field in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
With the win, the Saints improve to 2-3 overall and 2-2 in the PAC. The win also marks the Saints' fifth consecutive win over the Presidents, which is the first time a team has been W&J five straight times since Carnegie Mellon University defeated them 12 times from 1972-1983. With the loss, the Presidents fall to 4-2 overall and 3-1 in the PAC.
Thomas More never trailed in the game as it led 3-0 after one quarter 27-0 at halftime and 33-10 after three quarters.
The Saints took a 3-0 when junior place kicker Tim Gormly, Jr. (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas) made a 26-yard field goal with 7:25 to play in the opening quarter.
Thomas More extended the lead to 10-0 with 11:42 to play in the second quarter when senior wide receiver Tony Bell (Cincinnati, Ohio/Northwest) scored on a 17-yard pass from freshman quarterback Jensen Gebhardt (Kings Mills, Ohio/Kings) and Gormly added the point-after-attempt. The Saints increased the lead to 17-0 with 7:45 to play in the first half when Rauch scored on a one-yard run and Gormly added the PAT. Gormly made a 21-yard field goal to increase the lead to 20-0 with 6:23 to play in the second quarter. The Saints took a 27-0 lead into halftime when Rauch scored on a 95-yard run and Gormly added the PAT with 1:31 to play in the second quarter.
W&J cut the lead to 27-7 with 10:35 to play in the third quarter when Dion Wiegand scored on a four-yard pass from Matt Bliss. The Presidents cut the lead to 27-10 when Eric Eberle made a 40-yard field goal with 1:47 to play in the third quarter. Thomas More answered when Rauch scored on an 81-yard run and Gormly missed the PAT to extend the lead to 33-10 with 1:28 to play in the third quarter.
The Saints increased the lead to 40-10 with 14:53 to play in the fourth quarter when sophomore wide receiver Al Upshaw (Cincinnati, Ohio/Gamble Montessori) scored on a 36-yard pass from Gebhardt and Gormly added the PAT. With 13:35 to play in the game, the Thomas More extended the lead to 47-10 when sophomore running back Landon Savoy (Radcliff, Ky./John Hardin) scored on a 55-yard swing pass from Gebhardt and Gormly added the PAT. Thomas More increased the lead to 54-10 with 4:08 when freshman running back Scootie Middleton (New Albany, Ind./New Albany) scored on a five-yard run and freshman place kicker Trevor Black (Louisville, Ky./Christian Academy) added the PAT. W&J 's Jeff Davis scored on a four-yard run and the President's converted the two-point conversion with 1:48 to play in the game for the final score of 54-18.
Rauch finished the game with nine carries for 181 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Saints' offense. Gebhardt was 11-of-24 passing for 237 yards and three touchdowns, while Savoy had 11 carries for 92 yards and had two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown. Middleton had 10 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown and senior wide receiver Mercier Doucette (Florence, Ky./Boone County) had two catches for 49 yards.
The Saints' defense was led by senior linebacker Nick Gramke (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder), who had 12 tackles (six solo, six assisted), including two tackles for a loss and a forced fumble. Senior defensive lineman Jay Volker (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) had 11 tackles (eight solo, three assisted), including a sack and five tackles for a loss and had a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, while freshman defensive back Kyle Fuller (Taylor Mill, Ky./Holy Cross) had eight tackles (four solo, four assisted) with a fumble recovery and two interceptions.
Thomas More returns to action next Saturday (October 13) when it hosts Thiel College at 1:30 p.m. at The Bank of Kentucky Field.