WOOSTER, Ohio -- The two teams combined for 100 points and over 1,100 yards of offense as Allegheny came up short on the road in a 59-41 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) defeat at Wooster.
Declan O'Brien (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) recorded the fifth 200-yard receiving game in Allegheny football history, hauling in 10 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns. It was the most yards by a Gator since Alex Victor had 245 yards against No. 25 RPI on Sept. 1, 2018.
Jack Johnson (Hingham, Mass./Hingham/Milford Academy) broke the single-game passing record by throwing for 410 yards on the day, completing 30-of-51 passes and tossing three scores.
At halftime, the Gators trailed 31-28 after holding leads of 21-14 and 28-21. It was 14-14 through 15 minutes and O'Brien caught two scores (68 and 10 yards) in the opening period, and
Kyrie Miller (Bolivar, Pa./Ligonier Valley) gave the Gators the 21-14 lead less than four minutes into the second quarter with a one-yard scoring plunge. After the Scots answered,
John Ian Duron (Coral Springs, Fla./J.P. Taravella) also pushed in from one-yard out for the 28-21 advantage with 2:17 to play. Wooster, however, was able to add 10 more points before intermission for the halftime lead.
The opening score of the second half stretched the Wooster lead out to 38-28, but the Gators responded with a pair of touchdowns, one a Johnson-to-O'Brien 16-yarder and the other a two-yard rush by Miller, and the Blue & Gold led 41-38 midway through the third quarter. The final three scores of the game, however, were all recorded on the home side of the scoreboard and the Gators dropped their final road contest as members of the NCAC.
As a team, Allegheny put up 518 yards of total offense on 81 plays. The 518 yards were the highest offensive output for the Gators since posting 532 against Kenyon in 2018.
Defensively,
Hudson Alread (Victor, N.Y./Victor) led all players with 11 tackles, a career high and his third-straight game in double digits.
David Babb (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Chaminade Madonna) and
LJ Orbovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Carrick) were each tied for second with nine stops apiece.
Jaxon Scrutchins (Edinboro, Pa./General McLane) recorded Allegheny's lone interception.
The Gators will close out the 2021 season -- and the NCAC era -- at home when they host Oberlin at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13.
