Last Saturday, the Spartans hosted their first home game of the season on DiSanto Field, where they were defeated 23-28 by the Westminster College Titans from New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.
This season, the Spartans have played two non-conference games, both of which were plagued by weather delays. On Saturday, after falling early in a difficult first half, the defense was able to shut out Westminster from scoring in the second half. Unfortunately, the Spartans were unable to bring the game back, leaving the Spartan’s record now at 0-2-1 with a 0-1 record in conference.
The game began with the Spartans going three and out on the first drive of the game. After an out of bounds punt from first-year punter Nick Delfau, Westminster started with good field position which led to the first touchdown of the game at the 9:51 mark for the Titans. While CWRU responded with a kick return, it was called back due to a holding penalty which effectively ended their chance to equal the score in the first quarter.
Early into the second quarter, the Titans extended their lead with a three-yard touchdown. CWRU was able to get on the board after third-year quarterback Sam DeTillio completed a 24-yard pass to third-year wide receiver Liam O’Brien who fumbled the ball at midfield, but fortunately it was recovered by second-year running back Andy Kavcic who carried it in for the score.
The Spartans celebrations were cut short after a pivotal mistake on the kickoff resulted in a 100-yard touchdown for Westminster with six minutes left in the half. Thankfully, the Spartans were able to recover when DeTillio completed a 40-yard pass over the middle to fourth-year wide receiver Dylan Cave to cut the Titans’ lead to seven. The Titans’ wide receiver Brite Cannon was able to continue his solid game by catching an 80-yard touchdown from quarterback Sean O’Shea to keep putting pressure on the Spartans before the end of the half.
At halftime, the CWRU marching band, joined by the Spartan Dance Team, took the field to put on a worldwide performance. The CWRU baseball and softball teams were also recognized at half for their achievements last spring before the game resumed.
In the third quarter, after both teams struggled converting their first drives, Delfau pinned Westminster on their own one-yard line with a dart to the far corner. In the closing minutes of the quarter, the Spartans set themselves up well for a 22-yard field goal made by third-year kicker Gabriel Petrozzi to slow down the Titans’ lead.
The Spartans trailed until DeTillio led a 93-yard drive that ended with a three-yard run by second-year defensive back Jake Kavcic to make the score 23-28. CWRU attempted to make it a one score game but could not convert a two point attempt. An onside kick recovered by Westminster allowed them to run out the clock and steal the victory from the Spartans.
Although the Spartans struggled, DeTillio stepped up to the plate after playing back up for 2024 quarterback Alex Fromberg, who graduated last year. He managed to throw a career high of 386 yards. For the offense, receivers Cave and O’Brien broke the 100-yard mark with a touchdown for Cave. The Kavcic twins were also standout players during the game scoring two touchdowns total. On defense, co-captain and fourth-year linebacker Daniel King continued his recent success recording 15 tackles, a forced fumble, a pass breakup and 1.5 tackles for loss.
The Spartans will begin a two-game road trip where they can hopefully improve upon their record in the PAC. To open this stretch, the Spartans will face Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia. CWRU has a strong 9-1 record against the Bison in their previous meetings.
The Spartans have faced adversity this season. The Spartan defense lost eight out of their eleven starters from the past season, leaving a large gap to fill. The team is still adjusting to major player changes and injuries and are still finding how to promote team synergy. It won’t be until Oct. 11 before the Spartans return to DiSanto Field, where they will face the Allegheny College Gators for CWRU’s Homecoming Game.