Babson Park, FL – The Webber International Football team traded early blows with visiting St. Thomas, but a massive second quarter from the Bobcats proved to be the difference as the Warriors fell 55–21 in a conference matchup Saturday afternoon at home.
After St. Thomas opened the game with a 13-play, 82-yard march capped by a 29-yard touchdown run from Isaiah Lopez at the 8:16 mark, Webber answered immediately. Kendall Johnson ignited the Warriors with a 64-yard kickoff return down to the St. Thomas 26-yard line, setting up a heavy dose of D'Markus Mathis. The senior back carried the ball on five of the next seven snaps and powered in from two yards out to tie the game at 7–7 with 4:15 left in the first quarter.
The second quarter swung firmly toward the visitors. Short fields and turnovers put the Webber defense under constant pressure, and St. Thomas capitalized with 27 unanswered points before halftime. Bobcat quarterback Keely Watson tossed three touchdown passes in the period — a 4-yarder and 17-yarder to David Hayes and a 55-yard strike to Dreylan Martin — while Lopez added a 3-yard scoring run to send Webber into the locker room trailing 34–7. Two Warrior fumbles in the quarter halted promising drives and helped fuel the Bobcats' momentum.
Webber responded out of the break with its most methodical drive of the day. The Warriors opened the third quarter with a 14-play, 68-yard march that chewed 7:31 off the clock, mixing Mathis and Quinton Moore on the ground before quarterback Trent Grotjan plunged in from a yard out to cut the deficit to 34–14 at the 7:21 mark. The defense then forced a field-goal try and watched a 31-yard St. Thomas attempt sail wide, briefly keeping the door open heading into the fourth.
St. Thomas' explosive passing game, however, put the contest out of reach in the final frame. Watson connected with Jaden Fox Harrington on touchdown passes of 49 and 60 yards and later found Jaelyn Thomas for a 30-yard score as the Bobcats stretched the margin. Webber continued to battle, piecing together a 12-play, 75-yard answer punctuated by Mathis' second rushing touchdown of the afternoon — a 1-yard dive with 5:51 remaining — to reach the final 55–21 score line.
Despite the result, the Warriors controlled possession and leaned on a productive rushing attack. Webber finished with 300 yards of total offense on 69 plays, including 194 yards on the ground and 21 first downs, while holding the ball for 35:13. Mathis led the way with 22 carries for 81 yards and two touchdowns, Moore added 61 yards on six attempts and 21 receiving yards, and Grotjan contributed 28 rushing yards and a score while going 10-for-20 through the air for 82 yards. Johnson highlighted special teams with two kick returns for 80 yards, including his 64-yard burst that set up the Warriors' first touchdown.
Defensively, Webber was on the field against a Bobcat offense that finished with 492 total yards and six passing touchdowns, but several Warriors turned in notable efforts. Linebacker Caden Marsh paced the unit with eight total tackles, while Devin Collado, James Moore and Aaron Williams each added seven stops. Tyler Powell and Isaac Dorlean recorded interceptions, with Powell also contributing a tackle-for-loss and Dorlean adding a pass breakup in the secondary.
Key Team Stats
- Total Offense: Webber 300 yards (194 rush, 106 pass); St. Thomas 492 yards (94 rush, 398 pass)
- First Downs: Webber 21 (14 rush, 6 pass, 1 penalty); St. Thomas 24 (6 rush, 18 pass)
- Third/Fourth Down: Webber 5-of-16 on 3rd, 3-of-4 on 4th; St. Thomas 7-of-9 on 3rd, 1-of-1 on 4th
- Time of Possession: Webber 35:13; St. Thomas 24:47
- Turnovers: Webber 3 (2 fumbles lost, 1 interception); St. Thomas 2 (both interceptions)
- Red Zone: Webber 3-of-3; St. Thomas 3-of-5
Webber Individual Leaders
- Rushing: D'Markus Mathis – 22 carries, 81 yards, 2 TD; Quinton Moore – 6 carries, 61 yards
- Passing: Trent Grotjan – 10-for-20, 82 yards; Jaxson Rivera – 1-for-1, 24 yards; Johnny Lewis Jr. – 1-for-2
- Receiving: Terrell Holt – 4 receptions, 24 yards; Cory Conklin – 2 receptions, 24 yards; Matthew O'Donnell – 1 reception, 24 yards; Quinton Moore – 2 receptions, 21 yards
- Defense: Caden Marsh – 8 total tackles; Devin Collado, James Moore, Aaron Williams – 7 tackles each; Tyler Powell – 4 tackles, 1 INT; Isaac Dorlean – 3 tackles, 1 INT
- Kick Returns: Kendall Johnson – 2 returns, 80 yards (long 64); team – 3 returns, 107 yards (long 64)
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