UPLAND, Ind. -- Running back D'aries Davis ran for three touchdowns as the Siena Heights football team won their fourth straight game in a 48-26 victory over Mid-States Football Association Mideast League opponent Taylor, on Saturday.
The Saints (4-2, 1-0 MSFA Mideast) opened the scoring in the first quarter as Davis made a one-yard run and Brady Tanguay successfully converted the PAT for a 7-0 lead. Quarterback Lucas Barner Jr. threw the next two touchdowns for SHU to Braelen Bader and Damon Wright Jr. to go up 21-0 over the Trojans with 12:33 left in the second quarter.
Taylor went on to score three unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter, starting with a five-yard pass from Everett Pollard to Grant Hohlbein with 6:02 remaining in the quarter. Siena Heights' Izayah Newsom blocked an Austin Gunderso PAT attempt to hold Taylor at 21-6. Pollard had a five-yard rushing touchdown along with a successful PAT from Gunderso to make it 21-13 with 3:06 left on the clock. A one-yard run from Taylor's Drew LeFever with 00:34 remaining made it 21-19, after a failed Pollard two-point conversion, heading into halftime.
The Trojans (2-3, 0-1 MSFA Mideast) took their first lead of the day as LeFever scored on a one-yard run and a successful Gunderso PAT, making it 26-21 with 7:09 remaining in the third. Siena Heights fought back, answering with a 19-yard run from Davis to take the Saints' a 28-26 lead, after a good Tanguay PAT, giving SHU the lead for good with 4:59 left in the third quarter.
SHU scored three more touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the first coming from an Deontae' Rush as he caught an eight-yard pass from Barner. Tanguay's PAT was no good, keeping the SHU score at 34-26. Davis had a six-yard run into the endzone prior to Dahvon Washington making an eight-yard run to score after Nick Stalworth earned an interception to give SHU possession. Tanguay converting both PATs to make the final 48-26. It the Trojans final posession of the game, Logan Smith intercepted a Pollard pass with 1:38 remaining in the fourth quarter to cement the Saints' victory.
Leading the Saints' offense with 199 yards was D'aries Davis in 31 carries with a long of 33 yards. Quarterback Barner threw for 182 yards in 15 completions, including a long of 33 yards to wide receiver Adam Glanders. Rush led the receivers with 58 yards in four completions. TU quarterback Pollard threw for 184 yards in 20 completions. Holder Hodge had four completions for 49 yards. The lead rusher for Taylor was LeFeer with 15 carries for 46 yards.
On defense, Stalworth managed 12 tackles, including a sack for seven yards and an interception. Logan Smith and Da'Quan Butler each earned six tackled while making an interception for SHU. Jace LaMunyon took down 11 Saints to lead Taylor.
Siena Heights will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 14, for the homecoming contest against NAIA top-ranked Saint Francis (Ind.) in a MSFA Mideast League match-up. Kickoff for the Saints' lone night game of the season is set for 7 p.m.
