Saint Francis University Athletics

LORETTO, Pa. - There was no shortage of significance surrounding Saint Francis' return to the football field Saturday.

The Red Wolves opened their first season of NCAA Division III competition and their first season as a member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference against Grove City at DeGol Field.

The result was not what Saint Francis hoped for as the Wolverines earned a 36-6 victory, but head coach Chris Villarrial said he was pleased with the effort and that this is just the first step.

"Now these players know there is a standard to get to. There is a bar now. Average isn't good enough," Villarrial said. "If you want to be good, you got to be able to play with the competition that's in this conference."

Grove City controlled the game early, taking a 10-0 lead after the first quarter before adding two touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 24-0 advantage into halftime. The Wolverines added a safety and another touchdown in the third quarter before a field goal early in the fourth made it 36-0.

The Saint Francis defense did a good job limiting Grove City in the second half. Villarrial's team continued to battle. With 38 seconds remaining, the Red Wolves found pay dirt when quarterback Ashton Walk connected with Cole DeLattre on a 19-yard touchdown pass, capping an eight-play, 73-yard drive. Walk completed 9 of 18 passes for 82 yards and rushed for 22 yards, while Jerome Ross led the Red Wolves on the ground with 47 yards on six carries.

Dawson Welch had Saint Francis' longest reception of the afternoon, a 33-yard catch, while DeLattre finished with two catches for 30 yards and the touchdown.

Defensively, Kent McMahon led the Red Wolves with 10 tackles, followed by Gavin Hockenberry and Colin Gibbons with nine each.

A great crowd was on hand to also see the return of the 2016 NEC championship team. Saint Francis invited the team back for a 10th anniversary celebration of the first title in program history. It was an opportunity for these young players to connect with alumni. Villarrial said it's also a reminder that building a championship program takes time.

"The 2016 team that won it went through a year like this," Villarrial said. "You've got to stick together. These lumps will make champions out of them."

Saturday's attendance at DeGol Field was 1,853. Villarrial said he and the university appreciate the support.

"It was awesome. This is the culture we want to build. We will be back. We will build this thing."
 

Saint Francis returns to action next Saturday at Hiram College. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Red Wolves fans, you can catch the game on the PAC Digital Network.