Niagara Cup Celebration
31
Winner Gannon GAN 4-4 , 4-1
28
Mercyhurst MER 2-6 , 1-4
Winner
Gannon GAN
4-4 , 4-1
31
Final
28
Mercyhurst MER
2-6 , 1-4
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
GAN Gannon 7 14 7 3 31
MER Mercyhurst 7 7 14 0 28

Game Recap: Football | | Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon Retains Niagara Cup as Scarpino Drills Game-Winning Field Goal

Freshman Jayden Whitaker accounts for three TDs in first career appearance

THE GAME FACTS
Score:  Gannon 31, Mercyhurst 28
Records: Gannon (4-4, 4-1 PSAC West), Mercyhurst (2-6, 1-4 PSAC West)
Date: Saturday, October 21, 2023
Location: Erie, Pa. – Saxon Stadium
 
ERIE, Pa. – A banged-up Gannon team retained the Niagara Cup thanks to the showing of some unlikely heroes on Saturday afternoon at Mercyhurst's Saxon Stadium. It's the first time the Golden Knights have claimed the trophy emblematic of the win in the crosstown rivalry in back-to-back years since 2010-11. Gannon began the season with three straight losses in games decided late in the fourth quarter. They finally found a way to win in the waning moments thanks to a freshman quarterback playing in his first game and a placekicker enjoying a record-setting season. Jayden Whitaker (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) made his first career appearance with just under ten minutes remaining in the second quarter and Gannon trailing 14-7. He immediately guided the Golden Knights to back-to-back touchdown drives. At the end of the day he threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third. While he didn't score on the final drive, he marched Gannon from its own 39 to the game-winning field goal with six seconds remaining. With time running redshirt senior Eric Scarpino (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) calmly drilled a 32-yard field goal for the winning points. He still has not missed a kick this season. The victory keeps the Golden Knights in second place in the PSAC West a game behind Slippery Rock.  
 
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Box Score:  Click Here
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Despite a 2-5 record coming in Mercyhurst served notice immediately that this was going to be your typical rivalry game. The Lakers forced a three-and-out then drove 45 yards on six plays following a short punt. Dustin Shoaf, a bruising running back who been out for several weeks with an injury, was the focal point of the drive. He gave the Lakers a 7-0 leads just over three minutes into the game, taking a pass in the left flat the hurdling a Gannon defender at the 15 to complete a 24-yard touchdown pass from Adam Urena.

The Golden Knights responded with a grueling 15-play, 75-yard scoring drive that ate up 9 minutes, 1 second. The drive appeared to be stalled after three plays, but Gannon executed a fake punt to perfection to convert on 4th-and-4 at their own 31. Punter Donovan Warren (Santa Cruz, Cal./Santa Cruz County Office of Education) ran for 15 yards to the 46. The Golden Knights later benefited from a roughing the passer penalty on 3rd-and-12 at their own 44. Donny Marcus (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) eventually carried on four straight plays for 16 yards to the Mercyhurst one. On 3rd-and-goal tight end Jonathan Bowden (Palm Bay, Fla./Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy) went in motion, stopped and went under center and followed the middle of the line for his first career rushing touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 with 2:57 left in the opening quarter.

The teams exchanged punts before Mercyhurst put together its own long drive, going 71 yards in 13 plays to grab a 14-7 lead with 10:11 left in the second quarter. Shoaf again did the honors, scoring from ten yards out. The Lakers converted on either third or fourth down three times.

That touchdown signaled the start to Jayden Whitaker's (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) career. The freshman signalcaller from Indiana took over on the next series and promptly drove the Golden Knights 48 yards on six carries following a 48-yard kickoff return by Joshawn Lewis (Lorton, Va./South County), the longest of the season for Gannon. On Whitaker's very first play he drilled a 20-yard completion to Ke'John Batiste (Covington, La./Covington). Marcus followed with a 10-yard run and he later converted a 3rd-and-1 with a four-yard run to the five. Whitaker followed with a keeper for a five-yard touchdown with 6:44 remaining until the half, the first of his career.

Mercyhurst put together another time-consuming drive but a bad snap over Urena's head led to a punt. Gannon took possession at its own 22 with 1:24 remaining as Whitaker came in for his first two-minute drill. Eight plays and 78 yards later Gannon took a 21-14 lead with just 12 seconds remaining in the half. Whitaker completed five-of-eight passes in the drive, including an 11-yarder to Marcus and a 37-yarder to Batiste that put Gannon at the Mercyhurst 30. An 11-yard completion to Braeden Soboleski (Erie, Pa./McDowell), the first catch of his career, put the Golden Knights at the 11, and after an incomplete pass he rifled an 11-yard TD pass to Batiste.   

Mercyhurst tied the game at 21-21 on a 57-yard pass from Urena to Joe Kerbacher five minutes into the third quarter, but Whitaker drove the Golden Knights 75 yards on seven plays to regain the lead at 28-21 with 7:17 left in the third quarter. The first six plays were runs, with Marcus carrying four times for 50 yards. The last play was the second touchdown pass of Whitaker's career and the first for Soboleski. He found the redshirt sophomore running down the seam for a 17-yard score.

The Lakers made it three touchdowns in three possessions for the two teams on another long pass, this one covering 43 yards from Urena to Braydon Black. With 3:53 left in the third quarter it was 28-28.

Gannon's next drives ended in Mercyhurst territory without any points. The Golden Knights reached the Mercyhurst 25 but failed to convert on 4th-and-6 to end the third quarter. The next drive reached the Mercyhurst 36 but ended when Whitaker's pass was snatched out of the air by a Lakers' lineman.

Mercyhurst looked in position to take the lead late in the fourth quarter after taking over at the GU 44 following a punt. On a day when the Lakers consistently converted on third and fourth down, the Gannon defense stepped up and held the Lakers to just five yards on four downs.

AND THEN CAME THE GAME-WINNING DRIVE! The Gannon offense took the field with 2:49 remaining at their own 39-yard line. This time Whitaker used his legs to drive the Golden Knights downfield. His 18-yard run moved the ball into Mercyhurst territory at the 39. Two Marcus runs netted 13 yards to the 26. Whitaker had two runs for five yards, and on third down Marcus' seven-yard run put the at the 14 with nine seconds left. Out of timeouts, head coach Erik Raeburn in and the redshirt senior drilled his 11th field goal of the season from 32 yards out.

Six seconds still remained and things got a bit interesting when the ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, giving Mercyhurst the ball at the 35. After a short completion, another completion resulted in a fumble on a lateral, with Hayden McDonald (Tigard, Ore./Tigard) recovering as time ran out.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
Gannon takes home the Niagara Cup, which debuted in 2004, for the second straight year after prevailing 49-14 last year. It's the first time with back-to-back wins in the series since 2010-11. In addition, Gannon claimed the 814 title for the second consecutive season with wins over both Edinboro and Mercyhurst.
Gannon finished the game with 409 yards compared to 334 for Mercyhurst. The Golden Knights ran for over 200 yards for the third time in the last four games, finishing with 264 yards on 47 rushes. They added 145 yards through the air. Mercyhurst ended up passing for 242 yards while finishing with 92 yards rushing. It was the fourth time this year the defense held an opponent under 100 yards.

Both teams were effective on third and fourth down. Gannon converted 8-of-14 third-down plays and 1-of-2 fourth downs, while the Lakers came in at 7-of-14 and 2-of-3, respectively.   

Donny Marcus (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) continues to put up huge numbers while serving in a workhorse role. For the second straight game the transfer from Ball State played every down a running back was in the formation. He carried a career-high 30 times, bettering his total of 27 against Edinboro two weeks ago, finishing with 176 yards. It's his third 100-yard game of the season. Over the last four games the redshirt sophomore has carried 97 times for 555 yards.

Jayden Whitaker (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) took over at quarterback early in the second quarter, as the freshman from Indiana played for the first time. He completed 8-of-20 passes for 131 yards with 2 TDs (11, 17 yards) and an INT, adding 59 yards rushing and a third touchdown (5 yards) on 10 carries.

A depleted wide receiver corps left Braeden Soboleski (Erie, Pa./McDowell) seeing major snaps for the first time. The redshirt sophomore caught the first passes of his career, three for 41 yards including a 17-yard TD reception. He also played a major role on special teams with three tackles. Soboleski comes from an athletic family. He wears the same number (19) as his father Mark who played for the Golden Knights in the 1990's. His mother was a standout volleyball player at Gannon and he has two sisters who are collegiate standouts in volleyball.

Redshirt sophomore tight end Jonathan Bowden (Palm Bay, Fla./Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy) scored his first career rushing touchdown on a one-yard run in the first quarter. Bowden linede up at tight end, went in motion, reversed his field and then stopped and went under center. He took the snap and the middle of the offensive line paved his way for teh score. 

The defense used a bend-but-don't break approach. DB Chris Farnsworth (Bristol, Pa./Milton Hershey) had a season-high 12 tackles and broke up three passes, while LB Trey Baker (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering Fairmont) also had a season-high with 11 stops, eight of those solo, with 2 TFL and a sack. DB Diego Bremer (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) had an interception, broke up a pass and totaled a career-best nine tackles.

THE RECORD BOOK
Eric Scarpino (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) has yet to miss a kick in 2023. The redshirt senior is 11-for-11 on field goals and 22-for-2 on PATs. The left-footer accounted for the game-winning points when he drilled a 32-yard field goal with six seconds remaining. He now has 28 career field goal to move into third all-time. He also ranks second in career extra points with 114. He has scored 198 career points to rank sixth all-time, along with second among kickers. The 11 field goals made this season are tied for second.

Chris Farnsworth (Bristol, Pa./Milton Hershey) had 12 tackles on Saturday, a season high, to move into tenth place in career tackles with 252. A week ago the senior defense back recorded his third interception of the season and now has 10 in his career. That is tied for sixth.

Ke'John Batiste (Covington, La./Covington) caught three passes for 68 yards with a touchdown against Mercyhurst. Last week he became the ninth Gannon player to reach 100 career catches. The redshirt senior now has 103 career receptions, which moves him into eighth all-time. In addition his 1,483 receiving yards stand seventh. He also caught his 13th career touchdown pass to move into fifth in career touchdowns receiving.

UP NEXT
Gannon play the second of back-to-back road games before returning home for the final time on Saturday, November 4 to host California (Pa.). The Golden Knights play at Indiana (Pa.) on Saturday, October 28 with kickoff at 2:00 p.m.
 
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