BOX SCORE Loretto, Pa. - The Saint Francis football team (5-6, 3-4 NEC) sent its six seniors off with its most convincing win of the season, a 42-8 victory over the Seahawks. 

Senior linemen Christian Eubanks (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) and Alec Shriner (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo) opened up gaping holes, senior Da'Jon Lee (Falls Church, Va. /Robinson) recorded a career-high 14 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss and a sack, senior Nick Rinella (Collegeville, Pa./La Salle College) added eight tackles and returned the opening kickoff 48 yards, senior Jake Curry (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Boro) added two tackles and senior Trysten Hunt (Levittown, Pa./Truman) made a stop but it was the young guys who offered a glimpse at SFU's bright future.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Brown (Fredericksburg, Va./Chancellor) connected with classmate E.J. Jenkins for three touchdowns to break the single-season school record for passing touchdowns with 23 and junior Joel Denley (Beaumont, Texas/West Brook) added 157 all-purpose yards and a career-high three rushing touchdowns in the rout.

Rinella's big return to open the game set up SFU in plus-territory but the Red Flash drive ended with a turnover. SFU's defense responded two plays later as redshirt sophomore Gio Vonne Sanders (Jeannette, PA/Jeannette) intercepted his team-leading fourth pass of the season at the Wagner 44.

SFU failed to convert the turnover into points but got it back on its 35 on the next possession. A 43-yard pass from Brown to redshirt sophomore Brandan Lisenby (Alexandria, Va./West Potomac) on the first play moved the ball to the Wagner 22. Redshirt junior Ra'Shaun Henry (Killeen, Texas /Copperas Cove) added a 16-yard reception and the drive was finished off by Denley's first rushing touchdown from five yards out.

A three-and-out gave the ball back to the Red Flash and Brown hooked up with Denley for 40 yards down the sideline. The Texas native found himself in the end zone again on the next play, making a tackler miss and high-stepping in from nine yards out to give SFU a 14-0 lead after the first quarter. 

The teams traded punts on multiple drives before Brown and Jenkins got the offense marching again. Jenkins caught four passes on the drive for 40 yards, the last a two-yard slant for his first score of the game.

Wagner marched into SFU territory on its final possession of the half but Lee put an end to it with his 20th career sack and SFU led 21-0 at halftime. 

The Seahawks first drive of the second half ended on a sack by redshirt freshman Terrell Smith (Baltimore, Md./St. Frances Academy). Brown then hooked up with Jenkins for 41 and Denley scampered for 35 yards, the longest rush from scrimmage on the season, for his third touchdown of the game and a 28-0 SFU lead.

Wagner scored its only touchdown of the game on a halfback pass with 2:52 to play in the third quarter and converted the two-point conversion. 

Brown and Jenkins then put the game to rest in the fourth quarter with touchdown connections of 11 and 16 yards, the last to give Brown the school record.

Inside the Numbers

• Saint Francis dominated the game, outgaining the Seahawks 425-232 and racking up 126 yards on the ground and 299 through the air.
• First downs favored the Red Flash 22-15.
• The Red Flash offense averaged 7.0 yards per play while the defense held Wagner to 3.5 yards per play. 
• Saint Francis converted five of its six red zone trips into touchdowns.
• The defense recorded five sacks and nine tackles for a loss.

Notes

• In addition to setting the touchdown record, Brown moved into second place in single-season passing yards. He needs 128 yards next week at Delaware State to break the record held by Anthony Doria from 2005 and 232 yards to become the first SFU quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in a season.
• Denley became the first SFU running back to rush for three touchdowns since Jymere Jordan-Toney (Philadelphia, Pa./Franklin) did vs. Malone in 2016.
• Jenkins became the fourth SFU pass catcher to record 10 or more receiving touchdowns in a season, hauling in his ninth, 10th and 11th of the season. He is one shy of the single-season record held by Michael Caputo and Dan Mathis.
• Sanders is the first player to record four or more interceptions in a season since Lorenzo Jerome (Sunrise, Fla./J.P. Taravella) had six in 2016.
• Henry caught eight passes for 49 yards to move into third place in single-season history in receiving yards. He needs 75 next week at Delaware State for 1,000 on the season. Only Kamron Lewis (Fresno, Calif./Edison) in 2016 and Michael Caputo in 2005 have recorded 1,000 receiving yards in a season.

Up Next

Saint Francis looks to finish its season with a .500 record next Saturday, Nov. 23, at Delaware State.