LORETTO, Pa. – Seeking an identity, Saint Francis delivered its most competitive performance of the season Saturday but came up short in a 17-14 loss to Saint Vincent. A crowd of more than 1,800 people came out for Homecoming Weekend and was treated to a tough, physical brand of football.
The Red Wolves took an early lead and held the Bearcats scoreless through the first half, but Saint Vincent scored 17 unanswered points before Saint Francis mounted a late rally. The Red Wolves found the end zone late in the fourth quarter to pull within three, but the Bearcats held on for the victory.
Running back Elijah Villarrial led Saint Francis on an impressive opening drive. The Red Wolves marched 67 yards on 15 plays before being stopped on fourth-and-1 at the Bearcats' 5-yard line.
Saint Vincent fans who made the trip to Loretto didn't have much of a chance to celebrate. On the very next play, running back Matthew Davis fumbled, and Dawson Gaillot pounced on the loose football to give the momentum right back to Saint Francis.
Jonathan Delia capitalized with a 2-yard touchdown, and Saint Francis took a 7-0 lead.
After putting up 62 points a week ago, Saint Vincent struggled to find any rhythm. In that game against Thiel, the Bearcats rushed for 320 yards, but Saturday in Loretto, they were held to just 66 yards.
It was a total team effort from the Red Wolves defense. Gavin Hockenberry led the team with seven tackles. Kameron Chisholm, Ryyan Brown and Collin Glassmyer were on the prowl, combining for two sacks and five tackles for loss.
In the second quarter, the dark side defense stepped up again. Saint Vincent intercepted a pass from Ashton Walk and returned it to the SFU 18-yard line. After forcing a field goal attempt, Grayden Lewis came up with a big block to keep the Bearcats off the scoreboard.
The Bearcats regrouped in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 7-3 on a 22-yard field goal before taking a 10-7 lead on an 11-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jake Phillips.
Saint Vincent extended its lead to 17-7 early in the fourth quarter when Tristan Doy hauled in a 75-yard touchdown pass from Phillips.
The Red Wolves answered with a determined drive, covering 65 yards in eight plays. Cam Wagner capped the possession with a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:55 remaining, and Ian Palilla added the extra point to make it 17-14.
Saint Francis was unable to recover an onside kick, and the Bearcats ran out the clock to hang on for the win.
The Red Wolves finished with 334 yards of total offense, including 168 rushing yards, and held an advantage in first downs, 18-12. Saint Francis also controlled possession for 37:50 compared with 22:10 for the Bearcats.
Ashton Walk led the Red Wolves through the air, completing 10 of 19 passes for 148 yards. Scott Raymond led Saint Francis with 102 receiving yards, including a 43-yard reception, while Elijah Villarrial carried the ball 22 times for 109 yards.
With the win, Saint Vincent improves its overall record to 3-2 (1-2 PAC). Next week, Saint Francis (0-4) travels to Westminster.
