LATROBE, Pa. -- Senior wide receiver Scott Fraser (Butler, Pa./Knoch) set the Grove City College single-game record for receiving yards Saturday afternoon while junior linebacker Ben Bladel (Coraopolis, Pa./Moon) became the Wolverines' all-time leader in quarterback sacks as Grove City rolled to a 56-7 road win over Saint Vincent in Presidents' Athletic Conference action at Chuck Noll Field.
Fraser caught 10 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. He broke the previous mark of 239 yards, set by Cody Gustafson in Grove City's 41-38 win over R.P.I. in the ECAC James Lynah Bowl in 2019.
Bladel, meanwhile, recorded one of the Wolverines' four quarterback sacks Saturday. He now has 25.5 sacks, surpassing the mark he shared with Ryan Fleming, who recorded 24.5 quarterback sacks from 2019 to 2023.
Defensively, the Wolverines limited Saint Vincent to 94 yards, five first downs and a 1-for-10 performance on third down. Meanwhile, Grove City's offense amassed 606 total yards, 30 first downs and 36:49 of time of possession.
Senior quarterback Logan Pfeuffer (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) completed 12 of 20 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns. Senior running back Nico Flati (Aliquippa, Pa./West Allegheny) rushed for a team-leading 96 yards on 18 carries while junior Ian Demeri (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn-Trafford) added 77 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.
Grove City finished with 330 rushing yards, which is the most for the Wolverines since amassing 356 rushing yards November 13, 2021 at Thiel. The 606 total yards are the most for the Wolverines since amassing 629 yards November 20, 2021 in an ECAC bowl victory over Utica.
Pfeuffer opened the scoring by bulling in on a one-yard sneak with 8:47 left in the first quarter. The first of Demeri's two four-yard touchdown runs extended the lead to 14-0 with 9:26 left in the half. That touchdown drive began at the Saint Vincent 13 after Bladel stripped quarterback Israel Reed and junior linebacker Jack Jollie (Jeannette, Pa./Penn-Trafford) recovered the fumble.
The Wolverines broke open the game with two touchdowns in the final two minutes of the half. Demeri scored on a four-yard run with 2:00 remaining while Fraser's 37-yard touchdown reception with 15 seconds left gave Grove City a 28-0 halftime lead.
Pfeuffer fired a 51-yard touchdown strike to Fraser 4:13 into the third quarter. Pfeuffer capped his afternoon by throwing an 18-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Ryan Heckathorn (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) with four minutes remaining.
Sophomore running back Chase Rankin (Coventry Township, Ohio/Coventry) and junior running back Eli Jones (Liberty Township, Ohio/Trenton Edgewood) both scored on one-yard runs in the fourth quarter.
Senior defensive end Bryce Spolnik (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) helped lead the defense with 1.5 sacks. Jollie also recorded a sack and junior linebacker Micah Walizer (Loganton, Pa./Central Mountain) shared a sack with Spolnik.
Junior linebacker Caleb Brubaker (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) led Grove City with eight tackles. He also forced a fumble. Senior safety Jason Muench (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) recorded an interception late in the first quarter.
Grove City (2-0, 2-0) will host Allegheny next Saturday night at 7 p.m. in the annual night game at Robert E. Thorn Field. It will be Allegheny's first visit to Grove City in 38 years.
Record-Setting Win For No. 9 Grove City
/seasons/2024/boxscores/20240921_wtmw.xml
2024
Grove City
56
St. Vincent
7
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 12 Grove City (2-0) | 7 | 21 | 14 | 14 | 56 |
| St. Vincent (1-2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Sep 21, 2024