(Crestview Hills, KY) – The Thomas More University football team dropped a thrilling season-opener Saturday night at Republic Bank Field to the visiting Bluefield University Rams, 42-35. The Saints held a 21-0 lead with 1:35 to play in the first quarter, but the Rams turned the jets on offensively at the end of the first and made the comeback. The Saints drop to 0-1 to begin the 2022 season.
Blaine Espinosa found Craig Wills Jr. for 43 and 11 yards during the first drive which set them up at the Bluefield 27-yard line. The Saints would work their way into the end zone with 7:51 to play on a two-yard Espinosa run to make it 7-0.
A Rams pass interference and Roques Dowdy 30-yard reception set the Saints at the Rams 18 during their second possession. Thomas More would work the ball down to the nine and Maleek Jarrett would take it from there and make it 14-0 with 3:51 left in the first.
After another Bluefield punt near the end of the first quarter, the Saints found themselves with good field position at their own 49. Dre Cissell would pick up 14 yards on two plays before a Rae'Von Vaden 37-yard touchdown pass to Dowdy made it 21-0 Thomas More.
However, the Rams would use a pass interference on the Saints in their next possession and eventually find Thomas Lee for a 50-yard strike to get on the board at 21-7.
Both quarterbacks got intercepted early in the second quarter but neither team would take advantage. The Rams would get good field position midway through the quarter at their 48 and would later find Lee for a 52-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 21-14.
After a Saints punt, Bluefield moved quickly on their next possession. A 26- and 46-yard pass to a pair of Rams receivers set them up at the Saints four and James Thomas ran it in to tie the game with 6:13 left to play in the half. That is where the score would stand heading into the break.
The Rams struck first in the third quarter with the Saints deep in their own territory. A Kasean Ridgel interception and a 22-yard return resulted in a pick-six and a 28-21 Rams lead, their first of the game. The Rams would strike again later on a beautiful JaQuan Ebron six-yard snag in the left corner of the end zone to give them a 35-21 lead.
Thomas More would not go away quietly, however. The Saints worked their way down to the Rams seven-yard line, aided by a few Bluefield penalties and highlighted by a 24-yard Dowdy reception. Espinosa would make it 35-28 after a six and one-yard run, respectively.
Colton Sandhas would give Thomas More some momentum with a huge interception on the first play of the Bluefield drive and put the Saints at the Bluefield 49-yard line. Aided by a Rams roughing the passer penalty, the Saints rushed their way to a tie game on a Vaden two-yard run to make it 35-35.
However, Bluefield took the lead for good on the following possession on an Ebron 40-yard touchdown to go ahead 42-35. The Saints would get a pair of chances to tie the game, but the final possession saw an interception in Rams territory and Bluefield won the game 42-35.
Thomas More hits the road for the next three games, beginning with a matchup at Kentucky Christian next Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in Grayson, KY.
- Blaine Espinosa threw for 218 yards and rushed for another 36 with two touchdowns on the ground.
- Dowdy caught seven passes for 141 yards and a touchdown.
- Sandhas had two interceptions while Diante Lesperance grabbed one for the Saints.
- Lesperance, Trey Brausch, and Seth Noel all had five tackles in the game.
