CANTON, Ohio–The Westminster College football program earned a 27-13 victory over Marietta College in the Extra Points Bowl Saturday night at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
The Extra Points Bowl was part of the inaugural Opendorse Bowl Series, which also included Saturday’s ForeverLawn Bowl. Hanover College from the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) posted a 13-10 win over Wabash College from the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) on Clint Hearne’s walkoff 37-yard field goal.
Westminster wrapped up its season with an 8-3 record. It is the fifth season winning eight or more games under 11th-year head coach Scott Benzel. Marietta, the Ohio Athletic Condference (OAC) representative, fell to 8-3.
Westminster scored touchdowns on offense, on defense and on special teams Saturday. Freshman Andrew Caranna (Copley, Ohio, Revere) also drilled field goals from 33 and 30 yards, respectively. His nine made field goals are the most by a Westminster player since Justin Dahl went 15-of-20 in the 2016 season.
Junior running back Gavin Greaves (Miami, Fla., Felix Varela) staked Westminster to an early lead after returning a punt blocked by freshman defensive back Cayetano West (Cranberry Township, Pa., Seneca Valley) 14 yards for a touchdown just one minute, 35 seconds into the opening quarter. It was Greaves’ second blocked punt returned for a score this season.
Leading 7-3, graduate student running back Ryan Gomes (Tampa, Fla., Walter L. Sickles) scored from 7-yards out to extend the lead to 10, 13-3, with just over seven minutes to go in the first. Junior quarterback Ty McGowan (Moon Township, Pa., Moon) fired a 17-yard completion to junior wide receiver Taite Beachy (Moon Township, Pa., Moon) before connecting with senior wide receiver Jalen Washington (Orlando, Fla., Dr. Phillips) on a 25-yard strike during the scoring drive.
Gomes’ touchdown was the 25th rushing score–and the 30th total–of his career. He’s tied with Nick McKolosky (2006-09) for No. 5 on the College’s all-time touchdowns list. McCloskey finished with 26 rushing touchdowns and four receiving scores. Gomes now ranks sixth on the program’s all-time rushing yards list (2,999) and is seventh in career carries (683).
Westminster went into halftime leading 16-6.
Midway through the third quarter Vante’ Hodges capped a 10-play, 53-yard drive after scoring from a yard out to cut Westminster’s lead to three, 16-13.
Freshman defensive back Deshawn Vaughn (Youngstown, Ohio, Austintown Finch) opened the fourth with an interception of Connor Vierstra on Marietta’s third play of the quarter. It was Vaughn’s first career interception. Caranna’s 30-yard field goal midway through the fourth pushed the Titans’ lead to six, 19-13. With just over two minutes left in regulation, senior defensive lineman Jean Garry Joseph (North Miami, Fla., Ebenezer Christian) snagged a one-handed takeaway, returning the Connor Vierstra interception 11 yards for a score. It was Joseph’s first career interception. Senior quarterback Billy Levak (Macedonia, Ohio, Nordonia) found Beachy for the two-point conversion.
Gomes finished with 21 carries for 55 yards and a score. It was his second game of the season totaling 20 or more carries. Washington caught five passes for 50 yards. He has 106 catches for 1,418 yards and 12 touchdowns in 39 career games. Washington is the 14th player in program history to eclipse 100 career receptions.
Junior linebacker Dylan Sleva (Moon Township, Pa., Moon) registered a career-high 16 tackles (10 solo) while posting two tackles for loss, a sack, a fumble recovery and a pair of pass breakups. He is Westminster’s first player with 16 tackles since Bryce Thomas against Grove City College on Sept. 25, 2021. Senior defensive back Brice Butler (Farrell, Pa., Farrell) had seven stops (5 solo) and four pass breakups. Freshmen linebackers Aiden Fletcher (Pittsburgh, Pa., Deer Lakes) and Ricky Cooper (Port St. Lucie, Fla., Port St. Lucie) also had seven stops. Fletcher added 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble while Cooper intercepted Vierstra with just over five minutes left in the third. It was Coopers’ first career interception.
Marietta outgained Westminster 380-170. The Titans’ defense racked up 6.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.