(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – The Thomas More University football team dropped a nail biter to the University of Pikeville Bears Saturday afternoon, 28-24. The Bears caught fire in the fourth quarter, scoring 21 points and snatching the game from the Saints.
Just like in their last home game against the Cumberland Phoenix, the second play of the game for the Saints brought fireworks.
Blaine Espinosa caught the Bears hibernating, finding
Robert Borneman over the middle, as he went 69 yards untouched into the endzone to give the Saints a 7-0 lead.
Thomas More wouldn't find themselves in Bears territory again until the start of the second quarter, but were unable to find points.
Later in the second quarter, the Saints would block a Bears field goal attempt from 32 yards.
Diante Lesperance darted around the right edge unblocked before
Chaz Lumpkin picked the ball out of the air for the return. This is the third straight home game that Thomas More has blocked a field goal attempt. The Saints would take advantage of the solid field position, as
Luke Iden would make a 41-yard field goal to make it 10-0, which was the score heading into the half. This is Iden's second 40 plus yard field goal this season, with the other coming at Faulkner from 43 yards.
Out of halftime, Thomas More would score on their first possession, manufacturing an 11-play, 67-yard drive that ended with a
Maleek Jarrett 23-yard touchdown on a screen pass from Espinosa. Jarrett split a few UPIKE defenders as he made his way into the end zone for his first receiving touchdown of the season to make it 17-0.
Late in the third, the Bears scored their first touchdown and sent it to the fourth at 17-7.
The drive for Thomas More that started at the end of the third and went into the fourth was set up by great field position.
Freddie Johnson had a solid return after the Bears touchdown and a personal foul set them up in UPIKE territory. On the second play of the drive, Borneman had his second huge play of the game with a 38-yard catch down to the Bears four-yard line. Thomas More was forced to go for it on the one-yard line and Espinosa found the end zone to make it 24-7.
The Bears responded right back with a touchdown of their own that was set up by a 42 yard catch by Derrick Griffith, but a missed extra point kept it at 24-13.
However, an interesting play followed on the kickoff as the Bears kicked what seemed to be an unintentional onside kick that looked like it would go out of bounds. It didn't though and ended up in the hands of UPIKE and gave them the ball back with 12:26 to play. They then scored on a trick play where Dasani Tate found Rashad Brown in the end zone and a successful two-point conversion made it 24-21.
Thomas More couldn't get any points on their next drive, and UPIKE had good field position at their own 41 after forcing a turnover on downs. Xavier Malone would eventually give the Bears the lead on a 22-yard touchdown run and it was 28-24 with 5:18 to play. The Saints had two more drives but couldn't come up with points and dropped the game.
- Espinosa threw for a career-high 329 yards, while also tossing two touchdowns and running for one.
- Borneman led the team with 107 receiving yards, the first 100 plus yard game of his career.
- Del Thomas had a game-high 11 tackles (eight solo, three assisted), his third game this season with double-digit tackles.
- Jack Milton and Jackson Gear both had sacks, and both had four tackles.
- Kolton Reeves and Lumpkin both had tackles for loss.
Thomas More travels to Georgetown College next week to take on the Tigers, who are currently ranked 18th in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll. The Saints lost to Georgetown last season, 27-17.
