(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – The 15th-ranked Thomas More College football team opened Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play with a 60-12 win over Thiel College today (Saturday, September 19, 2015) on Homecoming at BB&T Field in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
With the win, the Saints improve to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the PAC. With the loss, the Tomcats fall to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in the PAC.
Senior wide receiver Goose Cohorn (Independence, Ky./Dixie Heights) set a new Thomas More single-game reception yardage record with 216 yards on a school-tying 10 catches.
Thomas More never trailed in the game as it led 7-0 after one quarter, 24-0 at halftime 47-6 after three quarters.
Thomas More took a 7-0 lead with 4:52 to play in the first quarter when Cohorn scored on a 45-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jensen Gebhardt (Kings Mills, Ohio/Kings) and senior place kicker Tommy Budke (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) added the point-after-attempt.
Budke connected on a 25-yard field goal to give the Saints a 10-0 lead with 8:06 to play in the second quarter.
The Saints extended the lead to 17-0 when sophomore running back CT Tarrant (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) scored on a 37-yard run and Budke added the PAT at the 5:53 mark of the second quarter.
Thomas More took a 24-0 lead at halftime when Gebhardt connected on a 10-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Daylin Garland II (Newport, Ky./Newport) and Budke added the PAT with 1:15 to play in the half.
The Saints increased the lead to 31-0 lead with 12:13 to play in the third quarter when Gebhardt threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Tyler Vogelpohl (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) and Budke added the PAT.
Sophomore quarterback Brenan Kuntz (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) scored on a 37-yard run and Budke added the PAT and the Saints led 38-0 with 10:17 to play in the third quarter.
Junior running back Myron Fears, Jr. (Atlanta, Ga./Heritage) recovered a block punt in the end zone and Budke added the PAT with 9:20 to play in the quarter as the Saints increased the lead to 45-0.
Thiel cut the lead to 45-6 when Alex Horvatits scored on a 25-yard touchdown pass with 5:10 to play in the third stanza. Junior defensive back Lemuel Weyer (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) returned the blocked PAT for two points to make the score 47-6.
Thiel's Ryan Radke scored on a three-yard run with 10:17 to play in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 47-12.
Thomas More increased the lead to 53-12 with 8:41 to play in the game when Cohorn scored on a 28-yard pass from Gebhardt and the PAT kick failed.
The Saints closed out the scoring with 4:24 to play in the game when freshman running back Luke Zajac (Edgewood, Ky./Dixie Heights) scored on a one-yard run and sophomore place kicker Zach Bryant (Milford, Ohio/Milford) made the PAT for the final score of 60-12.
Thomas More out-gained Thiel 568 yards (220 rushing/348 passing) to 245 yards (80 rushing/165 passing).
Gebhardt was 18-of-25 passing for 320 yards and four touchdowns. Tarrant led the team on the ground with 115 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries. Cohorn led the receivers with the record-setting 216 yards and two touchdowns on a record-tying 10 catches.
Sophomore linebacker Tre' Tunstill (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) led the defense with 10 tackles (seven solo, three assisted), including a half tackle for a loss. Senior defensive back Ian Gunn (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) finished with seven tackles (four solo, three assisted), including a half tackle for a loss and junior linebacker Austin Copeland (Cincinnati, Ohio/Kings) added six tackles (three solo, three assisted).
Thomas More returns to action next Saturday (September 26) when it travels to New Wilmington, Pennsylvania to play Westminster College at 1 p.m.