Titans survive Thiel’s challenge

Westminster escaped Thiel, 20-16, to guarantee a non-losing season.

By BILL ALBRIGHT

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

NEW WILMINGTON — Saturday’s Presidents’ Athletic Conference game between Thiel and Westminster wasn’t for the conference championship, but the way the two clubs went after each other for 60 minutes, anyone who saw the game never would have guessed that is was just another regular season game.

Playing toe-to-toe for 60 minutes, the Titans survived, 20-16, Saturday afternoon at Harold Burry Stadium.

The Titans (5-4, 2-3 PAC) assured themselves of at least a .500 season with next week’s season finale against Waynesburg remaining.

“That [guaranteeing a non-losing season] was important, but most importantly it was a big win for us on senior day,” said Westminster coach Jeff Hand. “We have a great group of seniors who hung in there and it was a great victory for them.”

Although the Titans held a 7-3 lead at halftime, they missed numerous opportunities to put points on the board, causing concern for Hand.

“We missed a field goal in the first half and later had one blocked and we turned the ball over once,” said Hand. “Those were three times in the red zone that we came away with nothing.”

Field position played a big role in the first half and the Titans, thanks to the effort of punter Dusty Rhodes, had the better of that facet of the game. Twice Rhodes pinned the Tomcats inside their 2-yard line.

“Early that was a big factor,” said Hand. “When you are starting a drive on your own 1-yard line, you don’t have your whole offense at your finger tips. No phase of our game was perfect today, but he [Rhodes] did a great job for us.”

After coming up short on several early opportunities, the Titans finally took advantage of good field position at the Thiel 39. Five plays and two minutes later, Titan tailback Nick McKolosky scored the game’s first touchdown on a 7-yard run. Fred Romeo’s (Poland) PAT made it 7-0.

McKolosky finished with 105 yards on 34 carries and the one score.

With the Titans clinging to the 20-16 lead midway through the final period and Thiel driving, Titans defensive back Eric Brown (Rayen) made possibly the biggest play of his career.

Faced with a fourth-and-4 at midfield, Thiel quarterback Marc LaScola took the snap, rolled to his right, reversed his field and headed for the first down marker. Brown came up and met LaScola head on, driving him out of bounds 6 inches short of the chains.

“I saw him [LaScola] rolling out and my man went deep,” explained Brown. “When I saw that, I figured he was going to run so I just came up and made the tackle. I always play the sticks, but I really didn’t know where he was. I just hoped that I got him before he reached the sticks.”

Forced into a punting situation on their next possession, the Titans again found themselves with their backs to the wall as Thiel took over on the Westminster 36.

However, once again the Titan defensive unit stood tall as after a Thiel first down to the 19, the unit turned the Tomcats away from the end zone on four plays to seal the win.

“I thought we were going to win the football game,” said Thiel coach Jack Leipheimer. “I never had a doubt about it, but then we got sacked at the end to put us in long yardage and we just didn’t get it done.”