LATROBE, Pa. – For the second straight week, the Geneva College football team came up just short in the final moments on Saturday, with the Golden Tornadoes undoubtedly kicking themselves for several missed opportunities in a 24-21 loss at Saint Vincent. Geneva dropped to 3-4 overall, 2-3 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
The Golden Tornadoes opened the scoring eight minutes into the game when senior Caleb Romano connected with sophomore Damien Lacks for a 37-yard touchdown pass. On Geneva's next possession, the Golden Tornadoes were stopped a yard short at the Saint Vincent 20-yard line, turning the ball back over to the Bearcats on downs.
The defense came up with another three-and-out on Saint Vincent's next possession, but on the ensuing punt, the Golden Tornadoes fumbled the ball. The Bearcats took advantage of the turnover and pulled even with a touchdown.
The Geneva offense stalled on its next drive, and another special teams mistake led to a blocked punt, which the Bearcats picked up and returned for a touchdown. The Golden Tornadoes had a chance to get on the board late in the half, but a bad snap on a field goal attempt ended the threat and sent the teams into half with Saint Vincent lead 14-7.
The Bearcats extended their lead on the opening drive of the second half with a field goal. Geneva tried to answer on its next drive, but a 37-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left.
The defense came up with a big play on Saint Vincent's next possession as junior AJ Baker forced a fumble that sophomore Christian Hunter fell on. Four plays later, Romano snuck into the end zone from one yard away to pull the Golden Tornadoes within 17-13 after the extra point was blocked.
Saint Vincent answered two plays later, though, when Saint Vincent's wide receiver Chris Downs got behind the Geneva secondary for a 69-yard touchdown pass, putting the Bearcats up 24-13 early in the fourth quarter.
Geneva responded quickly, though, with Romano leading a 70-yard drive that culminated in a 14-yard touchdown pass to Kamden Wright, and Geneva added a two-point conversion from Romano to sophomore Brady Davis to pull the Golden Tornadoes with 24-21 with 11 minutes left.
The Golden Tornadoes had two chances to win the game late. The first time Geneva was stopped on downs inside the Saint Vincent 20-yard line with seven minutes remaining, but the defense forced a stop and got the offense that ball back with three minutes left.
Geneva pushed the ball all the way down to the Saint Vincent 13-yard line with 35 seconds left, but Romano's pass into the end zone on first down was picked off, sealing the win for the Bearcats, 24-21.
Romano finished the day with 441 yards passing and two touchdowns. Freshman receiver Jerry Davis had another big day, totaling 11 catches for 170 yards. The offense finished with 445 yards, compared to just 327 for Saint Vincent.
Junior Noah Hutcherson led the team with 11 tackles and 2.5 TFLs. Senior Coltin Hill added five stop and 2.0 sacks. Junior Wyman Shaheen also finished with five tackles, along with a sack.
Geneva will try to rebound next Saturday when the Golden Tornadoes host Allegheny at 7:00 p.m. The 2026 Geneva Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted prior to the game.
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).
