(PIKEVILLE, Ky.) – The Thomas More University football team's comeback came up short tonight (Friday, March 12, 2021) as it fell, 35-27, to the University of Pikeville in a Mid-South Conference Bluegrass Division game at Hambley Athletic Complex in Pikeville, Kentucky.
- Thomas More took a 7-0 lead when sophomore quarterback Jay Volpenhein (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) scored on a 12-yard run and junior place kicker Alexander Haley (Lebanon, Ohio/Lebanon) at the point-after-attempt with 11:22 to play in the opening quarter.
- UPIKE tied the game at 7-7 with 8:07 to play in the first quarter when Trevon Wofford connected on a 16-yard touchdown pass to Randy Ramanon and Jakob Headley added the PAT.
- The Bears made the score 14-7 with 1:11 to play in the first quarter when Alexander Shelton scored on a one yard run and Headley added the PAT.
- The Bears extended the lead to 21-7 at halftime when Wofford found Damion Sutton for a nine-yard touchdown pass and Headley added the PAT with 47-seconds to play in the quarter.
- First-year quarterback Blaine Espinosa (Cookeville, Tenn.Cookeville) connected on a 12-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Charles Gaines (Elsmere, Ky./Lloyd Memorial) and Haley added the PAT to cut the lead to 21-14 with 12:06 to play in the third quarter.
- With 7:09 to play in the third quarter the Saints cut the lead to 21-20 when Espinosa found junior wide receiver Craig Wills (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) in the endzone for a 26-yard touchdown pass and Haley's PAT was no good.
- UPIKE's Jamarion Sanders scored on a 31-yard touchdown run and Headley added the PAT to increase the lead to 28-20 with 4:20 to play in the third quarter.
- The Bears extended the lead to 35-20 with 2:48 to play in the game when Wofford connected on a 49-yard touchdown pass to Sutton and Headley made the PAT.
- With 50-second to play in the game Espinosa connected on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Gaines and Haley added the PAT to cut the lead to 35-27.
- The Saints converted the on-side kick and drove to UPIKE's three-yard line before time expired and the Bears won the game 35-27.
- The Saints fall to 2-2 on the season.
- UPIKE improves to 1-2.
- Thomas More out-gained the Bears 415 yards (138 rushing/277 passing) to 337 yards (173 rushing/164 passing).
- Espinosa was 13-of-28 for 188 yards and three touchdowns and had six rushes for 43 yards.
- Volpenhein was seven-of-18 for 89 yards and had two rushes for eight yards and a touchdown.
- Gaines the receiving corps with nine catches for 103 yard and two touchdowns.
- Willis had four catches for 60 yards.
- Senior running back Monalo Caldwell (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) had 13 carries for 73 yards.
- First-year defensive lineman Tanner Lawrence (Melbourne, Ky./Campbell County) had 13 tackles (six solo/seven assisted), including one tackle for a loss.
- Sophomore linebacker Del Thomas (Fairfield, Ohio/Fairfield) had 10 tackles (four solo/six assisted), including two tackles for a loss and had a forced fumble and a fumble recovering.
- Junior linebacker Peyton Van Horn (Hebron, Ky./Conner) had eight tackles (three solo/five assisted), including a half tackle for a loss.
- The Saints return to action next Friday (March 19) when they travel to Columbia, Kentucky to play fourth-ranked Lindsey Wilson College at 6 p.m. Central/7 p.m. Eastern.