HIRAM, Ohio – The Saint Francis football team faced its first road test of the season Saturday, falling to Hiram College, 46-10, in the Red Wolves' second game as a member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
Hiram (4-0, 1-0 PAC) wasted no time. Sean Tejeda hit Kevin Dycks for a 75-yard touchdown on the game's first snap.
The Terriers would extend the lead to 19-0 before Saint Francis found its footing in the second quarter. Facing 4th-and-5 from its own 33, punter Cole DeLattre faked the punt and ran 17 yards for a first down. Lance Jones took over at quarterback on the next snap, and the Red Wolves later cashed in. Ryyan Brown blocked a Hiram punt, Eli Woomer recovered at the Hiram 21. A few plays later, Jones found DeLattre for a 12-yard touchdown with 4:34 left in the half. DeLattre finished with four catches for 34 yards, the 17-yard run and a 37.2-yard punting average on five punts, with a long of 49.
The ground game was a bright spot. Saint Francis ran 46 times for 167 yards and held the ball for 34:04, compared with 25:56 for Hiram. Elijah Villarrial led the way with 46 yards on eight carries, including a 23-yard scamper. Jonathan Delia added 44 yards and Caden Sumeriski had 34 on the ground. Villarrial's 23-yard run sparked an eight-play, 31-yard drive in the fourth quarter that ended with Ian Palilla's 27-yard field goal.
The defense had its moments too. Early in the first quarter, the Red Wolves stopped Hiram on downs at the SFU 13, with Grayden Lewis breaking up a pass in the red zone. Kent McMahon led the team with seven tackles. Brown added a sack to go with his blocked punt, and Ed Raptosh blocked a Hiram extra-point attempt in the fourth quarter.
In the end, Saint Francis struggled to stop the Hiram passing attack and that will be one of the things the team look to improve upon before they hit the road against next Saturday. The Red Wolves travel back to Ohio for a contest with Case Western Reserve. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Red Wolves fans can catch the game on FloSports. There will also be a pregame tailgate for SFU fans. Click here for more information.
