Saints Fall Again in Final Seconds Against Cumberland, 17-14

(CRESTVIEW HILLS, KY.) – The Thomas More University football team gave up the go-ahead touchdown with 1:27 left to play and missed a potential game-tying field goal off the upright as time expired in a heartbreaking 17-14 loss to Cumberland on Saturday (September 14, 2019) in the Saints first-ever Mid-South Conference Bluegrass Division matchup. Thomas More fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play.

• Neither team scored in the first quarter.

• Cumberland was the first to score when Joseph Rushin hit Denari Toliver for a 46-yard touchdown pass with Rob Brewington adding the extra point, which gave the Phoenix a 7-0 lead with 13:56 left in the quarter.
• The Saints responded soon after on a 28-yard touchdown run by junior Dillon Powell (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) with 11:08 remaining, and Alexander Haley (Lebanon, Ohio/Lebanon) added the kick to tie the game at 7-7, which is how the score remained until halftime.

• Thomas More took a 14-7 lead with 1:42 remaining in the third quarter when junior Monalo Caldwell (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) punched in a one-yard run and Haley made the extra point to cap off an eight-play drive that covered 75 yards.

• Cumberland cut into the lead on a Brewington field goal from 28 yards with 9:50 left in the game, leaving the Saints with a 14-10 advantage.
• Joseph Rushin scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:27 remaining on a one-yard run, and Brewington added the kick to give the Phoenix a 17-14 lead.

• Thomas More attempted a field goal to tie the game at the end of regulation, but after a penalty pushed the Saints back, the attempt hit the post as time expired.
• The Saints fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in the Mid-South Conference Bluegrass Division.
• Thomas More has held the lead and surrended the go-ahead score in the final 1:30 in both of its losses this season, losing by a combined total of eight points.
• Cumberland improved to 2-0 (1-0).
• Senior quarterback Justin Post (Macedonia, Ohio/Nordonia) finished the game 25-of-39 passing for 234 yards, adding a team-high 54 yards on the ground.
• Powell and Caldwell each rushed for 40 yards and a touchdown.
• Da'marco Canty (Bogart, Ga./North Oconee) had a team-high 56 receiving yards on five catches.
• The Saints generated 368 yards of total offense, while the Phoenix finished with 355 yards. 
• Defensively, Peyton Van Horn (Hebron, Ky./Conner) and Thomas Williams (Oregonia, Ohio/Clinton-Massie) each recorded nine tackles for Thomas More.
• Isaiah Hendley (Tallahassee, Fla./Lincoln) recovered a fumble for the Saints.

• The Saints will travel to Wisconsin-Platteville next Saturday (September 21).
• Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium.