PHOTO GALLERY

The Scots of Alma College defeated Saint Vincent by a score of 40-34 in a close battle at Chuck Noll Field.

The visitors got on the board quickly, covering 76 yards in eight plays on their opening drive, culminating in a Dylan Zaborowski to Alex Yancy 21-yard scoring pass, helping to make it a 7-0 game at the 12:06 mark of the first quarter.

However, the Bearcats answered back in just one play.  Jhanard Dorsett took a handoff on the right side and went the distance for a 68-yard scoring run.  The Sam Elliott extra point tied the game with 11:49 remaining in the first.

After Alma was forced to punt, they got the ball back quickly as Zac Peterson intercepted a Michael Navarro pass near midfield.  That set up a 12-play, 47-yard drive as Yancy again caught a touchdown pass, this one from Mason Ippel covering 11 yards.  The visitors were up 14-7 with just under three minutes left in the first quarter.

Early in the second, Navarro threw his first collegiate touchdown pass, connecting with Ariel Martinez for a 48-yard scoring play, tying the game at 14-14.

Later in the first, Zaborowski threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Chase Hinkle, but AJ Jean-Baptiste blocked the extra point attempt, leaving the score at 20-14.  Another Alma interception let to a score with just one minute remaining in the half, and the Bearcats went into the locker room trailing 27-14.

SVC countered quickly to start the third quarter.  Navarro threw to DJ Oceant-Kelly for 16 yards on the first play of the half, then Dorsett ran for 12 yards on the next play.  After a Navarro keeper for 9 yards, Dalton Dietrich caught a 24-yard pass to move the ball to the Alma four yard line.  Dorsett took it the rest of the way on the ground.  After the extra point attempt hit the upright, the score was 27-20.

The Scots completed back-to-back passes of 21 and 24 yards on the next drive, eventually pushing into the end zone on a Caleb Reinhart 1-yard run, to take a 34-20 lead with 10:06 left in the third quarter.

Near the end of the third, SVC drove to the Alma 4-yard line for a first and goal, but failed to get into the end zone on 7 plays, aided by a pass interference call in the end zone.  The defensive stand by the visitors was answered by the Bearcats, as Dean Wilk forced a fumble near the 1-yard line and Cameron Mack recovered the ball in the end zone for a Bearcat defensive touchdown that made it a 34-27 game.

In the fourth quarter, SVC's defense forced the Scots to punt from deep in their own territory.  Damon Black Jr fielded the ball at the Alma 45 and returned the ball down the left side of the field to the 5.  After a pair of penalties dropped SVC back to the 20, Navarro threw a strike to Oceant-Kelly in the end zone with 10:36 to go.  Elliott's point after tied the game, 34-34.

However, just three plays later, Zaborowski threw a pass down the left side to Chase Hinkle, who took it the rest of the way for a 71-yard score that would prove to be the game winner.

SVC still had two more opportunities, taking the ball to the Alma 25 on a 13-play drive, but a fourth down pass to Martinez fell short of the first down.  After the defense forced a punt, SVC had one last chance, taking over on their own 20 with 3:24 to go.  Passes to Oceant-Kelly, Black Jr and Dorsett moved the ball ot the Alma 44, but Navarro was stopped on a fourth-and-one rushing attempt, turning the ball over with less than a minute remaining.

The statistics showed that the game was evenly played.  SVC held a slight advantage in first downs, 21-19, while Alma led in yards rushing, 173-169.  SVC had 21 more yards in passing, for an overall 404-387 edge in yardage.

Navarro was 22-for-38 through the air for 235 yards and a pair of touchdowns.  Dorsett led the running game with 157 yards on 21 carries, tying the fourth-highest rushing total since the return of the program in 2007.  Oceant-Kelly caught 6 passes for 75 yards, while Black Jr had 5 catches for 46 yards.

For the Scots, Zaborowski was 10-22 for 203 yards, while Reinhart had 22 carries for 99 yards.

Defensively, SVC was led by Kim Ornis, who had 10 tackles.  Hauns White recorded 9, while Sherby Saimplice tallied 8.

The Bearcats will play at home again on Saturday, September 9, hosting Thiel College at 1PM.