Three Touchdowns Not Enough as Red Flash Football Falls to Morehead State 36-21
MOREHEAD, Ky. (Sept. 27, 2008) – The Saint Francis football team got touchdowns from sophomore wide receiver Omar Winston (Cleveland, Ohio/South), freshman wide receiver Anthony Howze (Upper Marlboro, Md./Riverdale Baptist) and sophomore tight end Ryan Zarnich (Rochester, Pa./Rochester Area) but never held the lead as they fell to the Morehead State Eagles 36-21 n Saturday afternoon at Jacobs Field in Morehead, Ky.
The Red Flash will travel to West Long Branch, N.J., for a 1 pm match up with Monmouth on Saturday, October 4. The team will then return home to host the Sacred Heart Pioneers at 1 PM on October 11 at DeGol Field in Loretto.
Neither team scored on their first possession. Morehead State player Nick Feldman was able to return Bobby Fuller’s (Mount Savage, Md./Beall) first punt of the game 32 yards to the Saint Francis 10 yard line. Half back Erick Fitzpatrick then rushed 10 yards for the first score of the game, putting the Eagles up 7-0 on kicker Mason Webb’s extra point.
Scoring would not resume until the second quarter, when quarterback Evan Sawyer connected with Feldman on a 42-yard pass caught in the end zone. Webb’s extra point made the score 14-0.
Winston returned Webb’s ensuing kickoff 26 yards to the Red Flash’s own 28-yard line. Junior quarterback George Little’s (Duquesne, Pa./Duquesne) 86-yard pass would be complete to Howze, who would take it into the end zone and for six points. Freshman kicker Zak Campbell (Munhall, Pa./Steel Valley) would hit the point after to put the Red Flash on the board 14-7.
The Eagles responded with a 1-yard rushing touchdown by half back Jerrod Pendleton, which would be his first of three touchdowns in the game. Webb’s point after was blocked by sophomore linebacker Scott Lewis (South Fork, Pa./Bishop McCort) to make the score 20-7.
The Red Flash went three-and-out on their next possession. Morehead State made it to the Saint Francis 28-yard line. Webb attempted a 38-yard field goal that went wide left to leave the game at 20-7 going into the locker room.
The first five drives in the second half had no results. The Eagles were able to convert their third drive of the game into a touchdown on an 11-yard pass from Sawyer to Pendleton for his second score of the day. Webb’s kick brought the Eagles to 27-7.
The fourth quarter would start off with a bang for the Red Flash, who scored on a 5-yard pass to Zarnich that was good for six. Campbell’s kick would keep the Red Flash in the game at 27-14.
Pendleton rushed three yards for a touchdown, but a failed two-point conversion would give the Eagles only six points for their efforts to bring the score to 33-14. Winston fumbled the ensuing kick, and the ball was recovered by Eagles player Ronnie McDermott to give Morehead State another chance with the ball. The drive ended in a 39-yard Webb field goal to put the Eagles up 33-14.
Saint Francis’ next drive started on the MSU 34-yard line, and would only take one play and 10 seconds. Little connected with Winston on a 43-yard pass into the end zone. Campbell’s kick was good to make the score 36-21.
The Red Flash got the ball back after only three plays and -3 yards. The drive would not be successful, and would include a sack on Little, and an interception by Derek Harkness. Morehead State then made it to the SFU 5-yard line but could not convert before the clock ran out, leaving the score 36-21.
Saint Francis had only 8 first downs to Morehead State’s 23. The Red Flash also had 177 net passing yards, and 210 total offensive yards. Sophomore linebacker Matthew Parker (Darlington, Pa./Blackhawk) led the Flash in tackles with 13 total, including 1.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. Lewis was right behind him with 12 tackles and a blocked kick. Freshman linebacker Ryan Revtai (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) had 7 tackles and 2 tackles for loss. Junior defensive back Joshua Bentley (Pittsburgh, Pa./Schenley) had the team’s only pass deflection on the day.