CHESTER, Pa. – The Geneva College football team's season opener at Widener on Saturday afternoon got off to a rough start, and the Golden Tornadoes fell into a hole too deep to climb out of in falling 44-18.
Nothing went right for the Golden Tornadoes in the early going. Widener scored quickly on the opening drive of the game, and a fumbled kickoff gave the Pride the ball back deep in Geneva territory, which Widener converted into another score to put the Golden Tornadoes into a 14-0 hole before the offense had touched the ball.
Geneva's offense struggled early on once the Golden Tornadoes did get the ball, and Widener added a field goal and another touchdown before the end of the first quarter. The Pride then returned an interception for a touchdown early in the second quarter to extend their lead.
The offense finally got some positive momentum going on its next drive, and junior Caleb Romano capped off the drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to senior Keaton Baker to get Geneva on the board.
The Golden Tornado defense forced a three-and-out on the next possession, and the offense capitalized with another touchdown drive. Romano hit senior Seth Tyson for a 22-yard touchdown pass for Geneva's second score, but Widener added one more score to take a 41-12 lead into the break.
The Golden Tornadoes scored again on the opening possession of the second half, with Romano hitting Baker for a 34-yard touchdown pass. After that score, both offenses slowed down, and a Widener field goal was the only score the rest of the way.
Geneva's offense showed a renewed focus on the passing game in its first game of the year, with Romano leading the offense with a 27-for-45 passing effort, throwing for 259 yards and three touchdowns. That was the most pass attempts the Golden Tornadoes have had in a game since 2015. Tyson led the receivers with ten catches for 82 yards and a touchdown, while Baker caught four passes for 62 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, sophomore Noah Hutcherson led the team with ten tackles, including 2.0 tackles-for-loss. Senior Nicholas Ciriello totaled nine stops, while junior Coltin Hill added eight tackles. Freshman Demarean Frazier picked off a pass.
Geneva will try to rebound next Saturday when the Golden Tornadoes host Shenandoah on Reeves Field at 7:00 p.m.
Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).
