Westminster 28, Pace Academy 16

On the drive Harber completed a 22-yard pass to senior John Izlar for a key first down. Hallmark had a 10-yard run for a first down, and Weatherington picked up 33 yards on five carries. Harber’s 1-yard plunge through a gassed Pace defensive line made it 21-7 midway through the third quarter.

“I wasn’t sure if we could wear them down because they’re so well coached and we have several kids going both ways as well,” Wildcat head coach Gerry Romberg said. “When we got a lead we wanted to come out and run the ball a little more in the second half and we were able to do that.”

Though it was an unusually muggy night for this late in the season, and the Knights feature a roster of less than 40 players, Pace head coach Chris Slade would have nothing to do with those being reasons for the loss Friday night.

“It’s the same roster we beat [Class A No. 1 and three-time defending state champion Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy] with. The same roster we beat [Class AAAAAA] New Manchester with,” Slade said of his team, ranked No. 9, and now 4-3, 2-1 in the region. “[Westminster] outplayed us. Give them credit. We made too many mistakes. We dropped a touchdown pass. We had a good play called that we could have scored with and we had the wrong personnel group in. But give them credit for taking advantage of our mistakes.”

The first quarter ended scoreless as Westminster dodged a huge bullet when a fake punt by the Wildcats from their 28-yard line on fourth-and-three went nowhere. But the Pace offense went backwards and was forced to punt instead of going for a 55-yard field goal.

Pace struck first with a little less than 5 minutes before halftime when Patrick Markwalter drilled a 23-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. The Knights’ drive started on their 27-yard line and picked up 54 yards quickly when senior Jared Rayman avoided the rush, stepped up in the pocket and found freshman Jae Williams in the middle of the Westminster defense.

Four plays later, Markwalter nailed a 43-yard field goal but Westminster was called for roughing the kicker. Slade elected to take the three points off the board and try for seven, but the Wildcat defense stiffened, forcing the 23-yard field goal.

Westminster responded almost immediately. The Wildcats took the ensuing kickoff and drove 80-yards in just three plays – all passes – and 33 seconds. Hallmark tossed a halfback pass to senior Nance Hill for 30 yards. Harber hit Izlar deep over the middle for a 25-yard gain, and then hit Grant Matzigheit down the far seam for a 25-yard touchdown to give Westminster a 7-3 lead after Charlie Ham’s point-after conversion.

A dropped pass snuffed out Pace’s next possession, and the Westminster offense went back to work with a little less than two minutes before the half. The Wildcats went on another 80-yard drive and finished it with another touchdown pass – a 6-yarder from Harber to Luke Jannetta that was tipped before he hauled it in for a 14-3 lead at the break. The scoring march got a huge boost from two Knight penalties – roughing the passer and pass interference.

Westminster will now face No. 2 Cedar Grove (6-1, 3-0), which has beaten its last three opponents by a combined score of 177-0, including Friday night’s 80-0 massacre of Towers.

“This was a big win on the road against a good, well-coach opponent and we were fortunate to get a win,” Romberg said. “Now we just have to get back to work and get ready for one of the best teams in the state in any classification. We have a lot we need to work on. We have to be ready to come out and execute.”