SAN ANTONIO – The #15/18 Trinity University football team finished off its regular season home schedule with an impressive 76-17 win over Sewanee (TN) on Saturday afternoon.
Trinity (7-1, 4-1) scored the second-most points in school history in today's win over Sewanee (1-7, 0-5), and it is the most points scored for a Trinity team in its Division III history. The only other time a Tiger team scored more points than today's result was an 80-point game against North Dakota State University in 1958. Trinity had 48 points in the first half alone, which is the most points in a half in the modern era as well. The Tigers piled up a season-best 646 yards of total offense that included 402 yards passing – the most by a Trinity team since 2023.
The two teams opened the game with 38 combined points in the first quarter alone and Trinity's score with under three minutes left gave them a 21-17 lead. The Tiger defense pitched a shutout over the final three quarters, allowing just 176 yards of offense after that flurry of scoring in the opening period.
Hondo Franklin (Allen, Texas / Lovejoy) completed 6-of-10 through the air for 192 yards and two touchdowns, while
Welker Horn (Lubbock, Texas / Lubbock Christian) connected on 7-of-9 passing for 90 yards and three scores.
Davis Roup (Katy, Texas / Cinco Ranch) also threw for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 8-of-11 passing. Horn also piled up 44 yards rushing and another touchdown on just three carries, while
Jack Kayser (Austin, Texas / Westlake) led the team with 77 yards and a touchdown on seven rushes.
Hunter Pavlicek (San Antonio, Texas / Churchill) and
Luke Sams (Jacksboro, Texas / Jacksboro) also scored rushing touchdowns.
Alejandro Tavarez (San Antonio, Texas / Johnson) had a big game receiving with five catches for 115 yards and two scores.
Maddox Morkovsky (New Braunfels, Texas / New Braunfels) finished with 82 yards and a touchdown on two receptions, while first-year
Canaan Factor (Ft. Worth, Texas / Country Day) caught two passes for 41 yards.
Tyson Hancock (Smithville, Texas / Smithville) had five receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown, while
Chase Ravain (Covington, La. / Saint Paul's School) and
Giania Pisano (Needville, Texas / Needville) also caught touchdown passes.
TJ Scannell (San Antonio, Texas / Reagan) led Trinity's defense with 10 tackles that included a sack, while also picking up a fumble and returning it 10 yards. That was one of five turnovers forced by Trinity's defense.
Diego Davila (Spring Branch, Texas / Smithson Valley) had six tackles and a sack of his own to go with two forced fumbles and two pass breakups.
Anthony Njoku (Richmond, Texas / Travis) and
Dorien Hill (Buda, Texas / Hays) both had five tackles and one interception, with
Joshua Hanson (Round Rock, Texas / Westwood) also picking off a pass.
Parker Moeller (Spring Branch, Texas / Smithson Valley) also recovered a fumble for the Tigers.
Jackson Runyan (Frisco, Texas / Rick Reedy) also made 8-of-9 PATs in the game, falling one short of the all-time Tiger record for a single game.
The Rundown
The game started off fast and furious as Sewanee covered 75 yards in just five plays to knock Trinity's defense back and stun the home crowd. Trinity made a statement of its own on offense, though, scoring on its second play from scrimmage to level the score. After a short run on first down, Franklin found a wide open Morkovsky for a 68-yard score. Sewanee continued to thrive against Trinity's defense, this time covering 75 yards in just four plays to continue to shock those in attendance. Trinity once again matched Sewanee's output, needing just four plays of its own to tie things up at 14-14. This time Franklin found Tavarez for a 58-yard scoring strike with 9:01 remaining on the clock in the opening quarter. Sewanee made its way into the red zone on its third drive of the game when Trinity's defense finally found its footing. The TU Tigers stiffened and held Sewanee to a 38-yard field goal and a 17-14 lead. Trinity got a nice return from Sams on the ensuing kickoff and a penalty put the ball in Sewanee territory to start the drive.
Jamel Nickerson (Cypress, Texas / Cy-Fair) went for 17 yards on the ground to start the drive, then Hancock caught a 14-yard pass for another first down. Nickerson had another five-yard run to push inside the 10 and then Sams punched it in from five yards out for a 21-17 Trinity lead with 2:58 still left in the quarter. Sewanee's first turnover of the game came on the next drive as Hill stepped in front of a pass near midfield and returned it to the visitor's 19 yard line.
After one quick play to end the quarter, Trinity was in the end zone quickly once again to start the second quarter. Horn connected with Tavarez from nine yards out to finish the drive and give Trinity a 28-17 lead and all the momentum. Trinity's defense forced its first three-and-out after that and the offense had its longest drive of the day to that point after taking over at its own 33. Five different players ran the ball on the drive and Pavlicek plunged across the line from a yard out to make it a 35-17 game. Runyan then surprised everyone with an onside kick that was recovered by Trinity near midfield. The TU Tigers were eventually stopped for the first time in the game, but the two drives chewed up nearly nine minutes of the quarter to keep Sewanee's offense from even attempting a rally. Trinity was stopped from the one yard line on three straight rushes, but it left Sewanee's offense pinned inside its own one on the ensuing drive. That drive was a three-and-out and a short punt under a heavy rush put Trinity back on offense just 21 yards from the end zone. Horn found Ravain for a 21-yard touchdown on the first play, and even though the extra point was blocked, Trinity still led 41-17 with just over two minutes left in the quarter. Sewanee was able to find some traction on its next drive, crossing midfield before Davila forced a fumble that was covered by Moeller at Trinity's 29 yard line. Trinity took over with under a minute to go before halftime and still managed to score again – and in just four plays again. Kayser had a 22-yard reception from Horn, then Horn ran for 29 yards and another first down. Horn hit Tavarez for 19 yards to the one yard line and then found Hancock for a short TD pass to make it a 48-17 lead with just 18 seconds left in the quarter. Sewanee got within striking distance for a hail mary play to end the half, but it fell to the ground and Trinity took its 48-17 lead into the half.
After Trinity marched down the field to start the third quarter, Sewanee found a bit of life with an interception that kept Trinity from another score. Any momentum was short-lived though, as Davila recorded a sack-fumble just three plays later and Scannell returned the loose ball to the Sewanee 11. Nickerson had two four-yard runs and then Horn took it himself for a three-yard score and a 55-17 lead. Njoku picked off another pass on third down on the next drive and Trinity's offense went back to work. The TU Tigers covered 37 yards in six plays, capped by a one-yard TD run from Kayser and a 62-17 lead with under five minutes left in the quarter. Sewanee had another promising drive to close the third quarter, crossing midfield as the game moved into the final 15 minutes.
Moving inside Trinity's 40, Sewanee hit a wall and then a penalty turned 3rd-and-7 into 3rd-and-17 and forcing a punt. After the teams traded two more punts, Roup got himself going with his first scoring drive. He led the team to an 80-yard drive across nine plays, hitting Factor for 41 yards on two catches to account for just over half of the yardage. Roup hit Pisano from eight yards out and a 69-17 lead. Trinity's third interception came on the ensuing drive and Hanson set the offense up inside the 30.
Blake Burdine (Aledo, Texas / Aledo) caught both passes of the drive, covering 29 yards in two plays and ending with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Roup with just over three minutes left in the game. Sewanee ran out the clock from there and Trinity wrapped up its historic 76-17 win.
Up Next
Trinity will be on the road for its final two games of the regular season, beginning at 1:00 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, November 7, at Centre College (KY).
