JOLIET, Ill. – The St. Francis football team moved to 2-0 in Mid-States Football Association Midwest League play with a 43-31 victory over Olivet Nazarene.
After scoring one defensive touchdown in its first six games, USF (3-4, 2-0 MSFA Midwest) had two today. On the first possession of the game, Josh Woodard (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville) converted on a 92-yard scoop-and-score. Then, Arthur King (Jacksonville, Fla./Forrest) sealed the game with a 97-yard interception return to the end zone. King's interception return is now the longest play in school history.
Offensively, Lexus Jackson (University Park, Ill./Crete-Monee) caught a pair of passes for 40 yards and a touchdown. With his 36-yard score in the first half, Jackson broke the school record for career receiving yards with 1,968. Jalen Moore (Northlake, Ill./Leyden) had his first two touchdowns as a Saint, including a 77-yard scoring reception from Aaron Ellis (Valparaiso, Ind./Boone Grove).
On Olivet Nazarene's first drive of the game, USF's defense bent but did not break. After nine plays and 65 yards, a bad snap put the ball on the ground. Woodard picked up the loose ball and ran 92 yards for a score to put USF up 6-0. On the ensuing point-after attempt, Ellis found Alex Zlomie (Wilmington, Ill./Wilmington) wide open in the end zone for the two-point conversion.
The Tigers (4-4, 1-2 MSFA Midwest) knotted up the score on another impressive drive, this time charging 75 yards on 12 plays. However, USF's defense held the ONU to just 114 yards in the rest of the half.
A personal foul penalty pushed the Tigers back on its next possession and a short punt into the wind set up the Saints offense with good field position. On fourth-and-10 from the ONU 36-yard line, Ellis hit Jackson on a deep post for the record-breaking score.
Olivet Nazarene added a field goal late in the half to cut its deficit to four at 15-11. The Saints were outgained 254-67 in the first half, but the big plays by Woodard and Jackson kept USF in front at the break.
After stopping ONU on a fourth down in its own territory, the Saints extended their lead with a five-play, 69-yard drive. On the third play of the drive, Ellis hit Moore on a 43-yard strike to set up USF inside the red zone. Moore capped the drive with a three-yard run on a sweep play.
The Saints defense held strong again on ONU's next drive. The Tigers converted its first fourth-down try, but USF forced them into another fourth-down situation. This time, Tariq Thurman (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest) induced an incomplete pass by applying pressure on ONU's quarterback Jordan Lawton.
St. Francis' offense converted its biggest play of the day less than a minute later. Ellis hit Moore in stride down the left sideline for a 77-yard touchdown to give USF a 29-11 lead.
USF capitalized on another ONU turnover to extend its lead. A bad toss set up Luke Mander (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic) to scoop up the ball and rumble 27 yards to the Tigers' 12-yard line. On the fourth play of the ensuing drive, Michael Johnson (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic) plunged into the end zone from one yard out.
The Tigers made the game interesting late, scoring a pair of touchdowns, but St. Francis sealed the game on King's pick-six.
Moore finished the game with 120 receiving yards and two total touchdowns, while Ellis threw for 174 and a pair of scores. Johnson paced the Saints with 49 rushing yards.
Big plays from King and Woodard led the USF defense. Malik Thurman (Bellwood, Ill./Proviso West) totaled a career-high 20 tackles, while Antonio Lemon (Franklin Park, Ill./East Leyden) added 10.
Lawton led the Tigers offensively with 308 yards through the air and 55 on the ground.
The Saints host Saint Xavier next Saturday, October 28 at 1:00 p.m. The Saints and the Cougars are the two remaining unbeaten teams in MSFA Midwest League play.
