Football Senior Team Pictures
21
Winner Davenport DAV 1-0 , 0-0
12
Gannon GAN 0-1 , 0-0
Winner
Davenport DAV
1-0 , 0-0
21
Final
12
Gannon GAN
0-1 , 0-0
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
DAV Davenport 7 7 7 0 21
GAN Gannon 6 0 0 6 12

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

Harris Impressive in Gannon Debut but Golden Knights Fall to Davenport in Opener

THE GAME FACTS 
Final Score:  Davenport 21, Gannon 12
Records: Gannon 0-1, Davenport 1-0 
Date: August 30, 2025
Location:  McConnell Family Stadium, Erie, Pa.
 
ERIE, Pa. – Gannon opened the 2025 football season on Saturday afternoon hosting Davenport. The Panthers spoiled the Senior Day festivities by a 21-12 final score while taking advantage of three turnovers.
 
Davenport took advantage of a fumble on Gannon's second possession to score on a short field for a 7-0 lead. But the real backbreaker came with the Golden Knights trailing 7-6 and driving to take the lead late in the first half. Instead, Markell Gilford returned an interception midway in the end zone for a 100-yard touchdown to give the Panthers a 14-6 lead at intermission.
 
The Panthers built the lead to 21-6 with just under six minutes left in the third quarter on their lone sustained scoring drive of the day, going 78 yards on nine players capped by a two-yard scoring run by Cephus Harris.
 
Gannon closed to 21-12 on an impressive 14-play, 95-yard march capped by a 16-yard TD pass from Anthony Harris (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) to Darien Fowlkes (Gwynn Oak, Md./New Town). But just 2:21 remained in the game and Davenport recovered the ensuing onside kickoff.
  
THE KNIGHT CAP
  • NUMBERS BELY FINAL SCORE: Gannon outgained Davenport 422 yards to 263 and had the ball for 41 minutes, 13 seconds compared to18:47 for the Panthers. The 422 total yards were more Gannon gained in any game but one a year ago.   
  • TURNOVERS THE DIFFERENCE: Three Gannon turnovers negated the huge discrepancy in time of possession and yards. They led directly to 14 Davenport points. On a positive front, after forcing just five turnovers in ten games last year Gannon covered a fumble (Damario Moore (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North)) and saw Delvon Beam (Bowie, Md./Bowie) record his first career interception.
  • GANNON COMES UP EMPTY ON DRIVES: The Golden Knights drove into Davenport territory on seven occasions but scored just twice. Gannon missed golden opportunities to score with an interception in the end zone that was returned for touchdown after reaching the two; a missed 31-yard field goal at the end of the half after reaching the DU 13; a lost fumble at the DU 24; and a turnover on downs after reaching the DU 22.  
  • HARRIS LEADS NEW-LOOK OFFENSE: Anthony Harris (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) joined the Gannon program at the beginning of the month and turned in an impressive debut. The grad transfer from Maine accounted for 370 yards of total offense, passing for 269 yards with 2 TDs and rushing for 101 yards on 20 carries. He posted the first 100-yard game for Gannon since Donny Marcus in 2023 and is the first quarterback to rush for 100 yards since Tyler Palko in 2017. Unfortunately he was guilty of the 100-yard pick six and a lost fumble following a 17-yard run.
  • MASON, FOWLKES ACCOUNT FOR GANNON SCORES: Donell "Tank" Mason scored Gannon's first touchdown of 2025 hauling in a 13-yard pass from Anthony Harris (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth). Freshman Darien Fowlkes (Gwynn Oak, Md./New Town) later scored his first career six-pointer late in the game on a 16-yard TD reception.  
  • SENIORS HONORED BEFORE GAME:  A total of 18 players and one team manager were recognized in pre-game ceremonies.
  • KENAN A DUAL THREAT AT RUNNING BACK: Tristen Kenan (Baltimore, Md./Dunbar) is another Maine transfer who played a huge role against Davenport. The sophomore finished with 32 yards rushing on 12 carries while adding four receptions for 72 yards. 
  • WOOD STEPS UP ON DEFENSE: Linebacker Bryce Wood (Erie, Pa./McDowell) led the Gannon defense with a career-high tying 12 tackles. That came after setting that career high with 12 tackles in the season finale vs. Lock Haven.
  • OH THOSE OPENERS: Gannon has now lost three straight season openers, last winning in 2022 vs. Charleston (WV).
 
FOR THE RECORD
Donell "Tank" Mason was one of the seniors recognized before the game then went out and led Gannon with 6 receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown. He moved up one spot in career receptions now sitting in fifth place with 121. In addition he is now within 55 yards of fifth place in receiving yards with his total now at 1,775 yards. 
 
UP NEXT
Gannon hits the highways for the first time in 2025 traveling to University Center, Mich. to face Saginaw Valley State on Saturday, September 6. The Cardinals opened the season on Thursday night with a 28-21 loss to Northeastern State. SVSU was picked to finish third recently in the GLIAC preseason poll.
 
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