WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Zach Cernuto (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland) accounted for three first half touchdowns as the Washington & Jefferson College football team used a balanced offensive attack to overwhelm visiting Westminster College in a 48-3 victory Saturday afternoon under sun-splashed skies at Cameron Stadium.
The two teams have developed a hotly-contested rivalry over the past decade. The previous six meetings had been decided by a touchdown or less entering Saturday's contest. However, the Titans had no answers for the Presidents in the most lopsided game in the series since W&J won by a 56-21 score in 2014.
W&J surpassed the 500-yard mark for a third-straight game. The offense once again did it with balance, as the Presidents rolled up 262 yards passing and another 255 on the ground. W&J had 23 first downs, issued no turnovers and limited the Titans opportunities to make any kind of game-changing plays.
The Presidents marched 63 yards on 10 plays to open the game with a scoring drive. Cernuto capped the elongated possession with a one-yard touchdown run. Cernuto hauled in a five-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Pugh (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) to stretch the lead to 14-0 with 15 seconds left in the first quarter.
Things went from bad to worse for Westminster when Tanner Volpatti (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff return. Braden Gennock (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock) jumped on the loose ball and set W&J with the ball at the Westminster 25-yard line. Four plays later W&J found the end zone again when Cernuto plunged in from one-yard out. The point after by Ricky Hunter (Freeport, Pa./Freeport) swelled the lead to 21-0 in favor of the Presidents just a minute-plus into the second quarter.
Westminster threatened a few drives later. The Titans used a 44-yard run on its first play of a drive to push itself into W&J territory. However, W&J made a play on a 4th-and-3 play from the W&J 13-yard line. Aaron Carothers (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) punched a ball loose after Westminster's Chevy Dawson appeared to pick up the first down yardage. Avery Keith (Hartville, Ohio/Lake) recovered the football to thwart any hopes for Westminster. The Titans did eventually get on the board before halftime, as Ben Pugh converted a 30-yard field goal with 1:08 to play before halftime. The Pugh kick made the score 21-3 in favor of W&J at the break.
The Red and Black put the game away for good in the second half. Carothers came through with another defensive play. The sophomore intercepted a Westminster pass at the W&J 16 on the Titans opening possession of the third quarter. W&J stretched its lead to 28-3 just five plays later. A 54-yard pass by Pugh to Anthony Rosati (Chadron, Ohio/Perry) was the highlight of the drive, which was eventually capped by a 10-yard touchdown run by Troy Volpatti (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park). Later in the third, Pugh found Raymond Holmes (Verona, Pa./Serra Catholic) wide open in the flat for a seven-yard touchdown pass. W&J led by a 34-3 score after the Holmes TD reception.
Owen Petrisek (Ellsworth, Pa./Bentworth) was the story of the fourth quarter. Petrisek accounted for touchdown runs of 27 yards and 49 yards to swell the final margin to 48-3 in favor of the Presidents.
Petrisek finished as the leading rusher with 87 yards on six carries. Volpatti had 64 yards on 17 attempts. A total of seven Presidents recorded carries as W&J rushed 44 times for 255 yards. Pugh finished his day with 242 yards and two passing touchdowns. Rosati was the leading receiver with 95 yards on four receptions.
Defensively, Carothers put together the strongest showing forcing a pair of turnovers. Justin Johns (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) tallied a team-high nine stops. Zachai Simmons (Hawthorne, N.J./Linsly (W.Va.) produced five tackles. During the fourth quarter, John Beard (Latrobe, Pa./Ligonier Valley) recorded his first collegiate interception.
W&J improves to 3-0 overall and in the Presidents' Athletic Conference. The loss drops Westminster to 1-2 in 2023.
The Presidents host Thiel for another conference contest on Saturday, Sept. 16. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. at Cameron Stadium.