(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) - The 10-ranked Thomas More College football team rushed for 432 yards as it defeated Washington & Lee University today (Saturday, November 20, 2010) in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Division III Championship Playoffs at The Bank of Kentucky Field in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
With the win, the Saints improve to 11-0 and advance to the second round where they will play the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor next Saturday (November 27) in Belton, Texas. The game will kickoff at 12 p.m. Central Time (1 p.m. Eastern Time). With the loss, the Generals end the season at 8-3 overall.
Thomas More never trailed the game as it led 14-7 after one quarter, 28-7 at halftime and 35-14 after three quarters.
The Saints jumped out to an early 7-0 lead with 11:52 to play in the opening quarter when junior running back Kendall Owens (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) scored on a 17-yard run and senior place kicker Dustin Zink (Cold Spring, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) added the point-after-attempt.\
With 5:29 to play in the first quarter Thomas More increased the lead to 14-0 when Owens scored on a 31-yard touchdown run and Zink added the PAT.
W&L cut the lead to 14-7 with 3:06 to play in the first quarter when Luke Heinsohn scored on a one-yard run and Peter Alston added the PAT.
In the second quarter, sophomore quarter back Rob Kues (Fort Thomas, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) scored on a 15-yard touchdown run and Zink added the PAT to increase the lead to 21-7 with 9:36 to play in the half.
Thomas More increased the lead to 28-7 at haltime when Kues connected on an 11-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Austin Studer (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) and Zink added the PAT with 54-seconds to play in the second quarter.
In the third quarter, the Saints increased the lead to 35-7 when freshman running back Domonique Hayden (Lexington, Ky./Lexington Christian Academy) scored on a four-yard touchdown run and Zink added the PAT at the 10:15 mark of the quarter.
The General cut the lead to 35-14 when Heinsohn scored on a two-yard run and Alston added the PAT with 6:00 to play in the third quarter.
At the 13:23 mark of the fourth quarter Kues scored on a one-yard touchdown run and Zink added the PAT for the final score of 42-14.
Thomas More out-gained Washington & Lee 523 yards to 323 yards as the Saints had 432 yards rushing and 91 yards passing, while W&L had 253 yards rushing and 70 yards passing.
Offensively, the Saints had two players reach the 100 yard rushing mark as Hayden had 29 carries for 187 yards and one touchdown and Kues ahd 16 carries for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Kues was also seven-of-10 passing for 79 yards and one touchdown. Owens finished the day with nine carries for 94 yards and two touchdowns and Studer had three catches for 42 yards and one touchdown.
Defensively, the Saints were led by senior linebacker Aaron Monk (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder), who had eight tackles (five solo, three assisted) and one fumble recovery. Senior defensive end Justin Smith (Fort Thomas, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) had seven tackles (six solo, one assisted), including one tackle for a loss and senior defensive back Marcus Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Macomb Dakota) finished with seven tackles (three solo, for assisted) and one forced fumble.