(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) - The Thomas More College football team clinched at least a share of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship today (Saturday, November 9, 2013) with a 49-14 win over Bethany College at The Bank of Kentucky Field in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
With the win, the Saints improve to 8-1 overall and finish the PAC at 7-1. With the loss, the Bison fall to 3-6 overall and 3-4 in the PAC.
Junior running back Domonique Hayden (Lexington, Ky./Lexington Christian Academy) rushed for 152 yards to set the new Thomas More single-season rushing record with 1,801 yards.
The game was tied at 7-7 after one quarter and then Thomas More led 28-14 at halftime and 42-14 after three quarters.
Bethany took a 7-0 lead with 3:44 to play in the opening quarter when Jaylen Jennings scored on a three-yard touchdown pass from Matt Grimard and Dez Ball added the point-after-attempt.
The Saints tied the game at 7-7 when junior wide receiver Bobby Leonard (Edgewood, Ky./Dixie Heights) scored on a 34-yard touchdown run and senior place kicker Tim Gormly, Jr. (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas) added the PAT with 2:54 to play in the first quarter.
Bethany retook the lead at 14-7 when Grimmard connected on two-yard touchdown pass to Eric Blinn and Ball added the PAT.
With 6:22 to play in the second quarter, Leonard caught a 26-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Jensen Gebhardt (Kings Mills, Ohio/Kings) and Gormly added the PAT as the Saints tied the game at 14-14.
Thomas More took its first lead of the game when Hayden scored on a 16-yard run and Gormly added the PAT with 3:11 to play in the first half.
The Saints took a 28-14 at halftime as Hayden scored from six-yards out and Gormly added the PAT with 37-second to play in the second quarter.
Thomas More increased the lead to 35-14 with 11:47 to play in the third quarter when Hayden scored on a seven-yard run and Gormly added the PAT.
Gebhardt connected on a 12-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Goose Cohorn (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) and Gormly added the PAT and the Saints led 42-14 with 7:46 to play in the third quarter.
The Saints closed out the scoring with 13:08 to play in the fourth quarter when Hayden scored on a two-yard run and Gormly added the PAT to extend the lead to 49-14.
Thomas More out-gained the Bison, 563 yards (244 rushing, 319 passing) to 159 yards (19 rushing, 140 passing).
Hayden finished the game with 19 carries for 152 yards and four touchdowns and had one catch for 12 yards. Gebhardt was 16-of-26 passing for 297 yards and two touchdowns and also had two carries for 27 yards. Leonard led the wide receiver with five catches for 108 yards and one touchdown and also had two carries for 37 yards and one touchdown, while Cohorn had six catches for 85 yards and one touchdown.
Senior defensive back Adam Rauch (Yorkville, Ind./East Central) led the defense as he had eight tackles (six solo, two assisted). Sophomore defensive back Kyle Fuller (Taylor Mill, Ky./Holy Cross) had seven tackles (five solo, two assisted), while sophomore defensive back Trey Wells (Louisville, Ky./DuPont Manual) had six tackles (three solo, three assisted), senior linebacker Alex Taylor (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) had six tackles (three solo, three assisted0, including one tackle for a loss and one interception and freshman linebacker Austin Copeland (Cincinnati, Ohio/Kings) had six tackles, including one tackle for a loss.
The Saints close out the regular season next Saturday (November 16) when they travel to Cincinnati, Ohio to play across-the-river rival, the College of Mount St. Joseph in Bridge Bowl XVII. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Schueler Field.