ERIE, Pa. - Jonathon Jones' (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas) two-yard touchdown reception from Zach Boedicker (Northfield, Ohio/Nordonia) with 57 seconds left in regulation capped a 13-point fourth-quarter rally as the Gannon football team stunned Lake Erie 35-34 Thursday night in the season opener before a capacity crowd at Gannon University Field.

Lake Erie scored on its first possession and never trailed until late in the fourth quarter. The rally started after some bad luck for the visiting Storm. Following Tony Howard's one-yard touchdown run with 13:48 to play, kicker Samuel Marcotte slipped on the extra point. The kick sailed wide right and Marcotte left the game with an injury. The missed boot left the Storm with a 34-21 lead.

The two teams traded punts, before Gannon embarked on a six-play, 60-yard scoring drive. A roughing-the-passer penalty on third-and-eight kept the Gannon drive alive. Boedicker later hit Jon Richardson (Warren, Ohio/Warren G. Harding) with 25-yard pass down to the four-yard line. Richardson punched the ball into the endzone on the next play, drawing the Golden Knights within 34-28 with 6:36 remaining.

Lake Erie picked up four first downs on its next possession and looked to be running out the clock when the tide turned again. Storm quarterback Sean Bedevelsky narrowly missed throwing an interception on first down, before Howard was dropped for a one-yard loss. Bedevelsky narrowly escaped another interception on third down when John Chisolm (Trenton, N.J./Burlington Township) was unable to hold onto a pass into the endzone.

Back-up kicker Cameron Szatala then missed a 27-yard field goal wide right with 2:54 to play, setting up the dramatic finish.

The drive had an inauspicious start until Boedicker made the play of the game. On fourth-and-15 from his own 15-yard line, Boedicker escaped a strong Lake Erie rush, rolled to the right, and found Jerry Smith (Westland, Mich./John Glenn) for a 44-yard reception to the Lake Erie 41-yard line.

Two plays later, Boedicker nailed Jones with a 35-yard pass that took the Golden Knights down to the six-yard line. Richardson rushed for four yards, before Boedicker hit Jones with a fade pattern towards the right corner of the endzone. Jeremy Ditzler's (Erie, Pa./Iroquois) extra point with 57 ticks left on the clock sent the packed stadium into a delirium.

However, Lake Erie still had one last shot. The Storm took over at its own 40-yard line after a 15-yard kickoff return. A 33-yard pass from Bedevelsky to Dave Romeo brought the Storm to the Gannon 33-yard line. Two plays later, Tony Poma (Swartz Creek, Mich./Powers Catholic) called off the Storm warnings with a interception at the eight-yard line.

Richardson led all rushers with 129 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. It marked his eighth career 100-yard game and the second time he had scored three touchdowns in a game.

Boedicker was stellar in his opening game, connecting on 16-of-22 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns. The junior added 81 rushing yards, but was credited with 66 after losing 15 yards on sacks.

Levar Goff (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) led the receivers with five catches for 65 yards. Jones added four receptions for 61 yards while Smith hauled in three aerials for 52 yards.

Defensively, Matthew Neal-Mink (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) led all tacklers with 13 stops and two tackles for a loss. Khayree Connors-McChristian (Sicklerville, N.J./Winslow Township) chipped in nine tackles, including eight solo stops.

Gannon improved to 1-0 with the season-opening victory. Lake Erie dropped to 0-1. The Golden Knights continue a season-opening three-game homestand Saturday, September 5 against East Stroudsburg. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m.

For a complete box score from Thursday's Gannon-Lake Erie football game, please click here.