Coughlin throws record 7 TDs in Presidents’ win
Washington & Jefferson’s Pete Coughlin throws a first-quarter pass Saturday against Grove City. Coughlin threw seven touchdown passes to lead the Presidents to a 65-13 victory.
Washington & Jefferson’s Ryan Snedeker sacks Grove City’s Brett Laffoon during the first half of Saturday’s game.
Grove City head coach Andrew DiDonato talks to one of his players during a game against W&J. DiDonato is trying to build the program into a winner.
W&J’s Jesse Zubik scores a 68-yard touchdown pass during the first quarter Saturday against Grove City.
Washington & Jefferson’s Anthony Keriotis celebrates after catching a 47-yard touchdown pass for the Presidents’ first score of the game Saturday against Grove City.
There was no better way to prepare for next week’s big game than the way Washington & Jefferson College’s football team performed against Grove City.
The Presidents rode the arm of quarterback Pete Coughlin to a 45-point halftime lead, then he sat out the second half, watching from the sidelines as W&J finished off Grove City, 65-13, on a steamy Saturday afternoon at Cameron Stadium.
Next up for the Presidents: Thomas More, the defending champion of the PAC in Crestview Hills, Ky.
Coughlin set a school record and tied a Presidents’ Athletic Conference mark in the process against the Wolverines by throwing seven touchdown passes in a little less than 28 minutes to build a 58-13 lead at halftime. Three of the touchdown passes went to Jesse Zubik and two each went to Dante Luther and Anthony Keriotis as W&J moved to 2-0 on the season.
“It was a lot of fun out there,” said Coughlin. “I knew I had six before, so I knew it was a record. Once I got to seven, it was a pretty cool thing to break the record. We got the looks we were looking for. Jesse got some one-on-one situations and we took advantage of it. It was a little windy in pregame and I thought that might affect the ball. But we got the wind in the first quarter.”
Coughlin, a senior from Upper St. Clair, had seven touchdowns on just 12 completions and 337 yards. Coughlin previously shared the school record of six TDs in a game with Bobby Swallow, Brian Dawson and Chris Edwards.
“It was an amazing stat: we had 58 points at the half and had the football for only 8:01,” said W&J head coach Mike Sirianni. “I’ve never seen anything like that in a football game. I’m proud of the offense. They took what (Grove City) gave us.”
Interestingly, this was labeled the PAC Kickoff Classic though the game was a nonconference encounter. Because of the 11-team conference, teams play at least one game per season against a PAC member that does not count in the conference standings.
Zubik caught a 68-yard TD in the first quarter and added two more in the second, one from 13 yards, the other from 31.
“They were rolling the safeties down and biting hard on the run,” said Zubik. “That left me one-on-one and we took advantage of that. It’s a great feeling when you break by them and it’s just you and the end zone.”
Luther had his best game as a President and his first start of his college career, catching four passes for 124 yards and the two TDs. He caught a 23-yarder and one from 65 in the second quarter that extended the W&J lead to 58-13.
“I had a decent game last week and I started taking reps with the first team throughout the week of practice,” said Luther, a Hempfield graduate. “I went out with the first team (for this game) and no one said anything, so I just stayed in.”
Luther seemed to develop a good rapport with Coughlin on his touchdowns.
“He definitely did well,” said Coughlin. “He reacted well to our scramble drill. That was what his two touchdowns were on. He did what I told him to do: if I run toward him, go deep.”
W&J’s offense rolled up 655 yards, 490 through the air. Alex Rowse replaced Coughlin at the end of the second quarter and finished completing 11 of 17 passes for 117 yards.
Grove City had 217 yards total offense and quarterback Brett Laffoon hit wide receiver Nick Ponikvar with a 21-yard touchdown in the first quarter to cut W&J’s lead to 16-7. Ponikvar, a South Fayette graduate, finished with five receptions for 60 yards after a 14-catch day in an season-opening loss to Juniata.
“W&J is very fast, uptempo, so we had to practice at that speed,” said Grove City first-year head coach Andrew DiDonato. “It’s hard to replicate that. Once they get going – and you allow them to play at that pace – this is what happens.”
The Wolverines gave up a safety after freshman Wyatt Hetrick made a poor decision to return the opening kickoff, which made it to the five. Three plays later Laffoon was sacked in the end zone for a safety.
“You can’t open a wound for them because they are too good; they will make you pay for it,” said DiDonato.
Wesley Schools, another freshman, led the Wolverines with 78 yards on 20 rushing attempts. … Wash High’s Jordan West rushed for 18 yards on three carries and Fort Cherry’s Matt Heslin, W&J’s fourth quarterback, completed one of two passes for nine yards.