12/11/07

Lee helps USA win Bowl

CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO - Thomas More offensive lineman Brandon Lee (New Albany, IN/New Albany) helped the United States to the 37-19 victory over the Mexican National Team in the 2007 Aztec Bowl. USA now leads the series, 10-1.

     Lee was part of the offensive line that helped the team chew up 7:37 on 16 plays over two fourth-quarter drives to pull away from Mexico.

     The offensive lineman was the fourth Thomas More player in the school's 17-year football history to play in the game, and the second straight. Linebacker Mark Carlisle was second on the team with eight tackles last season. Lee was one of three players from the Presidents' Athletic Conference to play in the game.

11/26/07

Lee selected to Aztec Bowl

WACO, TX - Thomas More offensive lineman Brandon Lee has been selected to play for the American Football Coaches Association's Division III all-star team that will represent the United States against the Mexican National Team in the 2007 Aztec Bowl on December 8 in Chihuahua, Mexico.

      Lee, who will be the fourth Thomas More player to play in the game, was a first team All-Presidents' Athletic Conference selection for the Saints in 2007. He anchored an offensive line that helped Thomas More average 320.4 yards per game this season. This marks the second straight season Thomas More will be represented in the Aztec Bowl as linebacker Mark Carlisle played in last season's event. Carlisle was second on the team with eight tackles.

     He is one of 50 NCAA Division III seniors from around the country who will make up this year's team. Former Widener, Delaware Valley and LaSalle Head Coach Bill Manlove will coach this year's team.

11/12/07

TMC nets three first-teamers

WEXFORD, PA - Seniors Terence Toone (Columbus, OH/South) and Brandon Lee (New Albany, IN/New Albany), along with sophomore Cordario Collier (New Albany, IN/New Albany) earned first-team Presidents' Athletic Conference honors Monday in a vote by conference coaches.

     The trio is a part of 11 Thomas More players that earned conference honors.

     Collier became the first Thomas More running back to surpass the 1,000-yard plateau since Tyran Thompson in 2003.  He finished the season with 1,099 yards on 230 carries for an average of 4.8 yards per carry and five touchdowns. His yardage total was second in the PAC. Lee was one of the offensive lineman that keyed Collier's 1,000-yard season.

     Toone, who earned second-team honors two seasons ago, had 46 tackles on the season.

     Sophomore Tyler Grant (Wurtland/Raceland) and freshman Matt Clark (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) earned second-team honors for the Saints. Clark finished the season with a PAC-high 108 tackles, and he became the first TMC true freshman to record 100 tackles. Grant, in his first season as a starter, became a force upfront for the Saints. He had 46 tackles and three sacks for Thomas More.

     Seniors Kyle James (Ft. Thomas/Highlands), Rashawn West (Oxford, OH/Talawanda) and David Dransman (Cincinnati, OH/Colerain), junior Nick Dew (Newport/Newport Central Catholic), and sophomores Brandon Kohrs (Newport/Newport Central Catholic) and Andy Poe (Reading, OH/Reading) all were named honorable mention.

     Thomas More finished the season at 4-6 overall, 2-4 in the PAC.

11/10/07

Collier break 1,000 in TMC loss

CINCINNATI, OH - Sophomore running back Cordario Collier (New Albany, IN/New Albany) went over the 1,000-yard plateau for the first time in his career as he rushed for 139 yards

on 29 carries. It was the first time since Tyran Thompson broke the 1,000 barrier in 2003 that a Thomas More running back eclipsed the mark.

     However, it wasn't enough as Thomas More fell to Mount St. Joseph Saturday, 35-14, at Schueler Field in Bridge Bowl XII. It was the third time in four years the Lions have won the annual rivalry.

     Collier wasn't the only Saint to reach a plateau as freshman Matt Clark (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) recorded a team-high 11 tackles to become the first true freshman in Thomas More history to have more than 100 tackles. He finished his rookie season with 108 tackles. Senior Les Colegrove (Raceland/Raceland) and sophomore Brandon Kohrs (Newport/Newport Central Catholic) also had 11 tackles for Thomas More.

     Two quarters - the second and third - have continually plaqued the Saints all season long, and Saturday's games wasn't any different as 28 of the Mount's 35 points came over those two periods.  The Mount scored on their first two second quarter drives to claim a 14-point lead.

     Thomas More used a little trickery to trim its deficit in half heading into the locker room. Facing a fourth down on the 17, senior John Resch (Louisville/Trinity) connected with senior Kyle James (Ft. Thomas/Highlands) for the touchdown on a fake field goal with a little more than a minute remaining in the half.

     An interception and punt return helped set the Lions up for its two third-quarter scores. The two drives went for seven and 34-yards, respectively.

     James hauled in his second score of the game as freshman Joey Zerhusen (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) connected with a senior fullback from three yards out. Zerhusen finished the game 9-of-29 for 80 yards and one touchdown, while sophomore Jeff Brinck (Cincinnati, OH/Elder) hauled in a team-high three catches for 49 yards.

     Thomas More (4-6 overall, 2-4 PAC) ended the season on a four-game losing streak

11/8/07

Kohrs Nets Academic Honor

Sophomore linebacker Brandon Kohrs (Newport/Newport Central Catholic) earned an academic honor from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

     Kohrs was named 2007 ESPN The Magazine second-team academic all-District IV in his first season as a starter for the Saints. The District IV college division consists of non-Division I schools from Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.

     He is second on the team and third in the Presidents' Athletic Conference with 88 tackles. The NewCath product leads the team with three interceptions and is tied for the team lead with four sacks. Kohrs is coming off a career-high 16 tackles, two for loss and two quarterback hurries in the Saints' loss to Washington & Jefferson. 

     He was named the PAC Academic Honor Roll last season, and has been on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll in both his collegiate semesters.

     Thomas More (4-5 overall, 2-4 PAC) will close out its season Saturday when they travel to Cincinnati, OH for Bridge Bowl XII.

11/3/07

TMC loses to W&J

EDGEWOOD - Sophomore Cordario Collier (New Albany, IN/New Albany) accounted for 115 of Thomas More's 235 offensive yards as the Saints fell to No. 7 Washington & Jefferson Saturday, 42-0, at Dixie Heights High School.

     An interception on the game's first offensive play set the tone for the entire contest as the Saints never really got into an offensive rhythm.

     Collier finished the game with 92 yards rushing, bringing him to 960 yards on the season. He added a reception for 23 yards.

     Freshman quarterback Josh Gauger (Avon, IN/Avon) came on in the second half to throw for 59 yards on 5-of-10 passing and one interception. Junior Nick Dew (Newport/Newport Central Catholic) had three catches for 22 yards.

     Defensively, sophomore Brandon Kohrs (Newport/Newport Central Catholic) led the Saints with a career-high 16 tackles, two for loss and two quarterback hurries. Sophomore Andy Poe and freshman Matt Clark - the PAC's leading tackler - each had 10 for the Saints.

     Thomas More (4-5 overall, 2-4) will look to end the season at .500 as they travel across the river for Bridge Bowl XII. The Saints will lock up with Mount St. Joseph at 1:30 at Schueler Field.

10/27/07

Saints fall to .500

BETHANY, WV - Thomas More dropped its second straight game to fall to .500 as the Saints lost to Bethany Saturday, 35-14, in Presidents' Athletic Conference action.

     The Bison scored the game's first 28 points, all in the first half, before Thomas More finally got on the board with 32 seconds remaining in the half. The scoring drive had freshman quarterback Joey Zerhusen (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) connecting with senior Kyle James (Ft. Thomas/Highlands) on three straight completions, including a 22-yarder for the score. James completed the game with a team-high 94 yards, while senior John Resch (Louisville/Trinity) hauled in a team-high eight passes for 72 yards and a score.

     Zerhusen finished the contest 24-of-51 for 313 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The 54 pass attempts were just three off the Thomas More single-game record set by John Paul Case in 1990, and ties Dustin Hicks for second. His 313 yards were the fifth-highest game total in TMC history.

     Freshman Matt Clark (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) recorded 14 tackles to lead the Saints. Senior Les Colegrove (Raceland/Raceland) finished with 11 tackles, a forced fumble and interception, while sophomore Andy Poe (Reading, OH/Reading) and junior Tyler Grant (Wurtland/Raceland) finished with 10 tackles each.

     Thomas More (4-4 overall, 2-3 PAC) will wrap up its Presidents' Athletic Conference and home portion of the schedule when they host Washington & Jefferson 1:30 Saturday at Dixie Heights High School.

10/20/07

TMC Falls in Defensive struggle

EDGEWOOD - In a battle of two of the top three defenses in the Presidents' Athletic Conference, Thomas More came up short, falling to Geneva, 10-9, in non-conference action. Geneva, a member of the PAC, is a provisional NCAA Division III member - therefore the game does not count toward PAC standings.

     The Thomas More defense appeared to have turned the tide early in the fourth quarter when freshman Matt Clark (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) caused an apparent fumble that was recovered at returned to the Geneva 15 by freshman Aaron Monk (Cincinnati, OH/Elder). However, after a long deliberation, the play was called an incomplete pass. Thomas More never drove that deep into Golden Tornadoe territory again.

     Although, the Saints managed to pressure Geneva's top-ranked defense once again. Following a 26-yard reception by junior Nick Dew (Newport/Newport Central Catholic), and two five-yard runs by sophomore Cordario Collier (New Albany, IN/New Albany) - TMC was knocking on the GC 38. However, an incompletion and 16-yard sack forced a TMC punt with four minutes remaining.

     Freshman Joey Zerhusen (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) gave Thomas More the early lead as he capped the game's first drive with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Dew.

     Special teams helped put the Saints defense - that yielded just 62 first half yards and forced a turnover - in a hole late in the first quarter as a bad punt snap had the Golden Tornadoes knocking on the door of the equalizer. But, Thomas More held strong and forced a field goal. Just as special teams put the Saints in a hole, they came up big on the Saints next score. A punt had Geneva pinned deep in its own territory, and sophomore Brandon Kohrs (Newport/Newport Central Catholic) sacked the GC quarterback in the endzone for a safety.

     The lead remained at six until the Golden Tornadoes put together its only drive of the game. Geneva drove 68 yards on 12 plays, largely thanks to its quarterback, who accounted for 50 of the yards, for the winning score.

     Clark spearheaded the defensive charge with a career-high 17 tackles, six solos, and a pass breakup, while Kohrs added nine tackles, two for loss, and a sack.

     Collier finished with 68 yards on 19 carries, while Zerhusen was 7-of-27 for 80 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

     Thomas More (4-3), which has lost three of their four games in the state of Kentucky, will travel to Bethany, WV Saturday for a Presidents' Athletic Conference game with the Bison.

10/13/07

34 unanswered lifts Saints

LATROBE, PA - Thomas More scored 34 unanswered points, including 27 in the fourth quarter, to keep Saint Vincent winless, beating the Bearcats, 44-17, at Chuck Noll Field.

     Freshman quarterback Joey Zerhusen (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) threw for three touchdowns and ran for a 67-yard touchdown to lead the Saints. He was 17-of-27 passing for 187 yards with zero interceptions and 89 yards rushing. In his two starts this season, the young signal caller has accounted for seven touchdowns.

     After Zerhusen connected with senior receiver John Resch (Louisville/Trinity) for a 10-yard score to give Thomas More the early lead, SVC responded to score 17 of the next 20 points. However, Zerhusen drew the Saints even with a 17-yard strike to junior Nick Dew (Newport/Newport Central Catholic) with seven minutes left in the half.

     The score remained knotted up until the first play of the fourth quarter when the Zerhusen to Resch connection resurfaced - this time for an 11-yard touchdown.

     Thomas More iced the game with three consecutive rushing scores. Sophomore Cordario Collier (New Albany, IN/New Albany), who reached the 100-yard plateau for the fourth time this season, went for 23, followed by Zerhusen's touchdown jaunt and the firsr career score for freshman Robby Beckman (Reading, OH/Reading). Beckman capped the scoring with a little more than two minutes left on a 15-yard rush.

     Sophomore Andy Poe (Reading, OH/Reading) led the defensive effort that held the Bearcats scoreless for the better part of three quarters. Saint Vincent's last score, a 41-yard field goal, came three minutes into the second quarter. Freshman Matt Clark (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) added eight tackles for the Saints.

     Resch and Dew each finished the game with five receptions for 55 yards. Resch hauled in two touchdowns, while Dew had just one.

     Thomas More (4-2 overall, 2-2 PAC) will return home Saturday to face PAC-member Geneva in non-conference action.

10/6/07

Stout "D", steady "O" Guides Saints

EDGEWOOD, KY - It could be the type of game that gets a young team rolling as Thomas More evened its Presidents' Athletic Conference record at 2-2 with an impressive, 34-7, win over Westminster Saturday at Dixie Heights High School.

     The Thomas More defense kept the conference's second-ranked pass offense under wraps, limited the Titan aerial attack to 180 yards - more than 50 yards under their average. In addition, the Westminster offense sputtered for the majority of the contest, accumulating 150 of its 260 yards after the Saints had built a 31-0 lead.

     Senior David Dransman (Cincinnati, OH/Colerain) turned in a career performance aiding the TMC defense with two sacks, a forced fumble and an interception to go along with his six tackles. Sophomore Andy Poe (Reading, OH/Reading) led the Saints with nine tackles, while sophomore Brandon Kohrs (Newport/Newport Central Catholic) added eight tackles and an interception for TMC.

     The hogs upfront - sophomore Sean Keith (West Chester, OH/Lakota East), junior Keith Lageman (Hebron/Conner), junior Clayton Garrigus (Indianapolis, IN/Ben Davis), senior Brandon Lee (New Albany, IN/New Albany) and senior Keith Cureton (New Albany, IN/New Albany) - paved the way for the Saints to rush for 140 yards and two touchdowns against a defense that was yielding just 70 yards per game on the season. Freshmen Dwayne Curry (Cincinnati, OH/Colerain) and Joey Zerhusen (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) both found the endzone for the first time in their collegiate careers.

     Sophomore Cordario Collier (New Albany, IN/New Albany) led the Thomas More ground attack with 76 yards on 17 carries.

     Zerhusen, who made his first start at quarterback, finished the game 17-of-26 for 184 yards and two scores in the Thomas More win. His first scoring strike culminated the Saints' opening drive as he found senior John Resch (Louisville, KY/Trinity) from 22-yards out. He added a touchdown pass to senior Andrew Carpenter (Reading, OH/Reading) at the front pylon for the only third quarter points.

     Freshman Dustin Zink (Newport/Newport Central Catholic) drilled his first two career field goals and was 3-for-3 on extra points in the victory.

     Thomas More (3-2 overall, 2-2) will travel to Latrobe, PA to face Saint Vincent 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

09/29/07

TMC falls to Yellow Jackets

09/22/07

Historic Victory

09/15/07

Late TD Sinks Saints

09/01/07

Saints Gauge(r) Hanover

08/10/07

A Season of Change

     A season of change has arrived at Thomas More College. A new coach, a new field, and a renewed sense of excitement about TMC football has created a buzz on campus, and it will be the team’s response to all of these changes that will dictate their success in 2007. The Saints now enter into their third season as members of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC).

     The biggest change comes at the top, as Jim Hilvert takes over the reigns of the Thomas More football program. Hilvert comes to the College after serving as defensive coordinator for archrival Mount St. Joseph. “We will play a physical, exciting brand of football here,” said Hilvert. “This team will be aggressive on both sides of the ball.” (more)

08/01/07

Saints picked Fourth

LATROBE, PA - The Thomas More football team was selected to finish fourth at the annual Presidents' Athletic Conference Media Day at Saint Vincent College.

     Defending PAC champion Washington & Jefferson was picked to repeat, marking the fifth straight season the reigning champion has been marked to stay atop. However, the four previous attempts to repeat have been thwarted.

     Thomas More finished 2-4 in the PAC, 6-4 overall in 2006, and will be under the direction of first-year head coach Jim Hilvert.

07/18/07

Changes made to Schedule

Due to construction on The Bank of Kentucky Field, Thomas More has made some adjustments to its 2007 football schedule.

     The home opener against Grove City on September 15 has been moved to Beechwood High School in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky, while home games against Waynesburg (September 29), Westminster (October 6) and Geneva (October 20) have been moved to Dixie Heights High School in Edgewood, Kentucky. The schedule start time for the games at Dixie Heights has been moved back to 2:30 p.m.

     The Bank of Kentucky Field is scheduled to be opened on November 3 when the Saints host Washington & Jefferson.

05/30/07

Recruiting Class Up to 44

Thomas More head football coach announced his first recruiting class is up to 44 players, including 31 from the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area. Ten of the 31 local prducts represent Greater Catholic League schools with Elder hauling in a high of four, while McNicholas has two.

     For a full list, click here.

2006 Archive