Gavin Vondercrone
Sports Editor
Warriors football cruised to victory this past Saturday, winning 24-7 in their home opener against Gannon University.
Led by another dominant performance from their defense, the Warriors would handily win in this cross-state matchup. This is now the third straight game in which the Warriors have held their opponent under 100 yards rushing
“The biggest factor in the success of the defense as a whole has been communicating, making sure everyone is getting the call,” said defensive end Terrell Reynolds. “The formation is set right, that’s a major part of a defense and also being more physical than our opponents all four quarters, never letting up.”
With the win, the Warriors advance to 3-0 to begin the new season, good enough for first in the PSAC East.
Despite the final score, the Warriors would get off to a slow start in this one.
Gannon would dominate on their opening drive, marching down the field with relative ease. A four-yard touchdown run from senior running back David Morgan Jr. would give the Golden Knights a quick 7-0 lead with 8:49 left in the first quarter.
Careless penalties plagued the Warriors’ offense throughout the first half. Multiple big plays were brought off the board due to sloppy play, with the most significant being a potential long touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Randy Fizer.
The Warriors’ defense quickly returned to smothering form following a terrible opening drive. A pair of fourth down stops would help provide a jolt of energy to the Warriors’ sideline.
The offense would tie the game up at seven early in the second quarter, as junior quarterback Sean McTaggart would flip the ball to sophomore fullback Matt Frame for a four-yard touchdown pass.
A big stop from the defense would set up the Warriors to score on a (yard) field goal from sophomore kicker Ty Quintos, making the score 10-7 with 53 seconds left in the second.
Gannon would fail to produce anything on their final drive of the half, giving the Warriors’ a three-point lead heading into the break.
The Warriors’ offense would come out of the gates firing in the third quarter. A pair of receptions from senior wide receiver John Siggins would help set up a 27-yard touchdown run from junior running back Tahir Mills, extending their lead to 17-7.
After another stop from their defense, the Warriors’ would tack on another touchdown on a drive led by senior running back Tyriq Lewis, making the score 24-7 heading into the fourth quarter.
Gannon would struggle mightily in the final quarter of play. Their offense only produced a lost fumble and a missed field goal as time wound down, cementing a victory for the Warriors.
The game saw another excellent performance from Reynolds. The redshirt-freshman managed to record another sack to bring his total to 3.5 on the season, standing out amongst a defensive front that has been dominant through their first three games of the season.
“The key to my success has been knowing my assignments and keys on every play while also executing them to my best ability,” said Reynolds. “Just really working hard, never getting complacent, staying hungry and wanting more.”
The Warriors will get the next week off, as they head into their first bye week during the regular season since 2007.
Reynolds and the Warriors will return to action on Saturday, Sep. 28, at 6:05 p.m. in a home game against Kutztown.