It was a cold Saturday afternoon at Deaton Field as the #22 ranked Saint Xavier Cougars welcomed the St. Francis (IL) Fighting Saints on Senior Day.
The Cougars came into the game with a 6-3 record, fresh off of a 34-20 victory over Saint Ambrose University last week. The Fighting Saints entered the game with a 2-6 record and were coming off of a disappointing 28-42 defeat to Olivet Nazarene University last week.
In front of 1,200 fans, the game kicked off with St. Francis getting the ball.
After a failed Fighting Saints drive, the Cougars got the ball for the first time and marched down the field, eventually kicking a 46-yard field goal to put them up 3-0.
St. Francis tried to get on the board, but SXU defenseman Josh Hettiger intercepted a pass and returned it all the way to the Saint Francis 15-yard line.
After SXU quarterback Justin Hunniford ran the ball to the goalline, SXU running back Vance McShane ran the ball in to put the Cougars up 10-0.
St. Francis failed to do much of anything on their next drive and punted the ball back to SXU.
The Cougars marched down the field and Justin Hunniford eventually threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Harold Davis, putting the Cougars up 17-0 and ending the first quarter.
The second quarter began with the Fighting Saints marching down the field.
Eventually, St. Francis quarterback Jordon Smith threw a five yard touchdown pass to make the score 17-7 in favor of SXU. The Cougars got the ball back and after a long drive, Justin Hunniford threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Vance McShane to put SXU up 24-7.
With that, the first half of the game came to a close with SXU up 24-7.
After a failed Cougars drive to start the second half, the Fighting Saints took advantage and scored a touchdown, making the score 24-14 in favor of SXU.
The Cougars immediately responded when Hunniford threw a touchdown pass to Elliot Pipkin to put the Cougars up 31-14.
SXU finished the quarter by kicking a 34-yard field goal to put them up 34-14.
The fourth quarter started with SXU padding their lead by kicking a 21-yard field to goal to put them up 37-14.
The Fighting Saints responded by marching down the field and throwing a 50-yard touchdown pass to make the score 37-20 in favor of the Cougars.
SXU immediately responded with running back Eric Williams Jr. scoring a 22-yard touchdown to put them up 44-20.
St. Francis scored a touchdown to make the score 44-28 in favor of SXU, but time expired before they could get the ball back and the game was over.
The Fighting Saints fall to 2-7 on the year and face Robert Morris University next week.
The Cougars improved to 7-3 and will travel to Bourbonnais, Illinois next week to play Olivet Nazarene University in the final game of the regular season.
Chris Leonchik
Sports Editor
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