SMWC Defeats Midway To Advance To MSFL Championship Game

SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. -- The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Sprint Football team has advanced to the 2024 Midwest Sprint Football League Championship Game by virtue of Saturday's (Nov. 2) win over Midway (Ky.) by the score of 56-42 at Jay Barrett Field. 

SMWC remained unbeaten with the victory to improve to 7-0 after capturing the MSFL Regular Season Championship and winning its semifinal contest while Midway fell to 2-5 on the year. The Pomeroys will host Calumet College of St. Joseph on Saturday, November 9 at 1 pm (ET) in the 2024 MSFL Championship Game. These two teams have met in all three league title games and this marks the 2nd consecutive season that SMWC has earned the right to host the game.

Patrick Perea rushed into the end zone with 11:43 remaining in the first quarter for the early 7-0 advantage. On the second drive of the contest, Derron Hazzard scampered into the end zone from 15 yards out for the 14-0 lead with 4:55 remaining.

On the third SMWC drive of the contest, Jeremiah Tosky found Marques Reese for a 32-yard touchdown strike with 19 seconds on the clock to stretch the cushion out to 21-0. The SMWC defense held again but a muffed punt return stopped the momentum and allowed Christian Carter to score from six yards out with 9:47 left in the third quarter to cut into the SMWC lead at 21-7. Midway would score against on a 71-yard touchdown run from Quintel Thomas with 4:57 remaining before the half and the lead was down to 21-14.

Marques Reese posted an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the ensuing kick to make it 28-14 but Carter would find Preston Moore for a 40-yard scoring strike with 3:14 to go to make it 28-21. Tosky would find Reese on a 53-yard touchdown pass with 2:22 to go before the half and the Pomeroys led it 35-21 at the break.

Midway would draw within 35-28 early in the third quarter but SMWC once again had the answer as Xander Hunt went in from seven yards out to make it 42-28. Hunt would score again with 8:02 left in the contest to make it a three possession contest.

Keadre Jones rushed into the end zone from 24 yards out with just over a minute remaining to make it 56-35 and Midway tacked on a late score for the 56-42 margin.

Tosky completed 12-of-14 passes for 221 yards and a pair of touchdown passes in the win. Jones was the leading scorer with 65 yards on the ground and a score as the Pomeroys scored five times on the ground in the contest paced by two rushing scores from Hunt. Reese was the leading receiver in the game with three catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns plus the 85 yard kickoff return to put him in the end zone a total of three times.

Jake Skinner paced the Pomeroys with eight tackles in the game while Peyton Metzger and Debryan Bush each posted quarterback sacks. Kerry Lacey tallied an interception plus a 27 yard return while Vermont Johnson, Jr., recorded a pick with a 19 yard return.

The Pomeroys amassed 403 total yards in the game including 182 on the ground and 221 in the air. SMWC tallied 23 first downs in the win and converted 7-of-8 3rd down conversions.