Tank Mason vs. Northwood
Bryce Dolak
28
Winner Northwood NOR 1-0 , 0-0
14
Gannon GAN 0-1 , 0-0
Winner
Northwood NOR
1-0 , 0-0
28
Final
14
Gannon GAN
0-1 , 0-0
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
NOR Northwood 0 14 7 7 28
GAN Gannon 0 0 0 14 14

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

Mason enjoys career night but Golden Knights drop season opener to Northwood

THE GAME FACTS
Final Score: Northwood 28, Gannon 14
Records: Gannon (0-1, 0-0 PSAC West) I Northwood (1-0, 0-0 G-MAC)
Date: Thursday, September 5, 2024
Location: Erie, Pa. I McConnell Family Stadium
 
ERIE, Pa. – Donell "Tank" Mason enjoyed a career night but it was not enough to avert a season-opening loss for Gannon on Thursday night. The Golden Knights suffered a 28-14 loss to Northwood at McConnell Family Stadium in the 2024 season opener for both teams.

The Gannon offense finally found some rhythm in the second round behind redshirt freshman quarterback Jayden Whitaker (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg). But by that time the Golden Knights found themselves trailing 21-0.

Whitaker and Mason combined for a 61-yard scoring strike early in the fourth quarter to pull the Golden Knights to within 21-7. Whitaker added a second touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter connecting with Braeden Soboleski (Erie, Pa./McDowell) on a 17-yard TD pass.

Mason posted a career-high 181 yards on eight receptions. It was the junior's second career 100-yard game.

Gannon was opening the season on a Thursday night for the fourth straight year.

GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
Box Score: Click Here

HOW IT HAPPENED
The two teams battled to a scoreless tie after one quarter but Northwood grabbed a 7-0 lead on the second play of the second quarter. Jacob Barlage found Braylon Gardner behind the Gannon secondary for a 70-yard scoring strike with 14:18 left in the second quarter.

The Wolverines boosted the lead to 14-0 on their next possession thanks to nine-play, 79-yard drive that ended with an eight-yard TD run by Devin Brown with 7:59 left in the half. Brown made it 21-0 on the opening drive of the third quarter with his second touchdown, this one from a yard out on fourth-and-goal. The Wolverines drove 65 yards in 13 plays.

Gannon put together its first serious drive of the night late in the third stanza keyed by a 33-yard completion from Whitaker to Mason. The Golden Knights reached the five-yard line but on second-and-goal Whitaker was intercepted in the end zone.

The Golden Knights reached paydirt on their next possession, moving 95 yards on just five plays. After converting on 3rd-and-8 from their own seven on a Whitaker-to-Soboleski 16-yard gain, two plays later Whitaker and Mason combined on the 61-yard scoring strike with 10:13 left in the game.

Unfortunately, Northwood answered with six-play, 65-yard scoring drive on the ensuing possession. Bryan Kinley reached the end zone on a 30-yard pass from Barlage to make it 28-21 with 7:57 yo play.

Gannon added one last score following the kickoff. Whitaker directed a 10-play, 75-yard drive, converting on a pair of third downs. Following a 13-yard completion to Michael Watkins III (Pompano Beach, Fla./American Heritage School) and a 19-yarder to Napoleon Harris (Columbus, Ohio/Eastmoor Academy), the redshirt freshman lofted a beautiful pass over a defender in the right corner for a 17-yard TD to Soboleski.
     
BY THE NUMBERS
Northwood ended the night with 430 yards in total offense as the Timberwolves passed for 289 yards and ran for an additional 141 yards. Gannon also threw for 289 yards but could never get the ground game going, ending with 36 yards for 325 total yards.

Both teams struggled with penalties in the opening game of the season. Gannon was whistled for nine penalties for 75 yards while Northwood finished eight penalties for 52 yards.

Donell "Tank" Mason enjoyed a career night with 181 yards receiving on eight catches. The 181 yards eclipsed his career high of 164 yards vs. Clarion last year.

Braeden Soboleski (Erie, Pa./McDowell) caught three passes for 43 yards, with his 17-yard TD reception the second of his career.

Jayden Whitaker (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) made his third career start at quarterback and set career highs for completions (18), attempts (32), and yards passing (289). He threw 2 TDs along with an interception. The redshirt freshman added 20 yards rushing on 12 carries.

Hayden McDonald (Tigard, Ore./Tigard) led the defensive effort with a career-high 17 tackles. The redshirt senior linebacker had four solo stops and 13 assists. Fellow redshirt senior linebacker Trey Baker (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering Fairmont) also finished in double digits with 10 stops.

David Francis Jr. (North Hollywood, Calif./Ulysses S. Grant) and Sir Jerome Treadwell (Washington, D.C./Archbishop Carroll) each had a sack as Gannon finished with two sacks on the night.

Freshman Bryson Costa (Windber, Pa./Windber Area) handled all of the kicking duties. He converted both of his extra point attempts. Even more impressive, he averaged 50.3 yards on seven punts.   

Northwood's Jacob Barlage threw for 289 yards, completing 17-of-23 passes with 2 TDs. Devin Brown led the ground game with 88 yards and 2 TDs on 17 carries.

THE RECORD BOOK
Donell "Tank" Mason is climbing up the career receiving charts after just two years and one game. The junior is now 16th in career receptions with 74, and has moved into 13th place in career receiving yards after topping 1,000 yards for his career. He now has 1,127 career yards receiving.
 
Freshman punter Bryson Costa (Windber, Pa./Windber Area) averaged 50.3 yards on seven punts. His 352 yards rank sixth in a game and the 50.3 yard average is second.

UP NEXT
Gannon begins PSAC crossover action with a challenging contest at East Stroudsburg. The Warriors were 9-3 a year ago, earning a berth in the NCAA Division II Playoffs. ESU was picked to finish third in the PSAC East in the preseason poll. They opened the season with a 24-12 win at Edinboro a week ago and on Thursday night defeated Pace 41-6 to improve to 2-0.
 
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