(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) - The 10th-ranked Thomas More College football team fell, 31-29, to Johns Hopkins University on a field goal as time expired today (Saturday, November 28, 2009) in a second round game of the NCAA Division III Football Championship Playoffs at The Bank of Kentucky Field in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.

With the win the Blue Jays improve to 10-2 and will play Wesley College next Saturday (December 5) in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III Football Championship Playoffs. With the loss the Saints end the season 11-1 for only the second time in school history.

Johns Hopkins never trailed as it led 7-3 after the first quarter, 21-3 at halftime and 28-17 after three quarters.

The Blue Jays took a 7-0 lead when Dan Crowley caught a 63-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Porco and Alex Lachman added the point-after-attempt with 9:41 to play in the first quarter.

Thomas More then cut the lead to 7-3 with 5:42 to play in the first quarter when junior place kicker Dustin Zink (Cold Spring, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) connected on a 30-yard field goal.

With 6:54 to play in the second quarter the Blue Jays extended their lead to 14-3 when Hewitt Tomlin threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Brian Hopkins and Lachman added the PAT.

Johns Hopkins took a 21-3 lead at halftime when Andrew Kase scored on a one-yard touchdown run and Lachman added the PAT with 15-seconds to play in the half.

The Saints cut the lead to 21-10 with 9:15 to play in the third quarter when senior quarterback Trevor Stellman (Burlington, Ky./Conner) threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Nick Olthaus (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) and Zink added the PAT.

On its next position Thomas More cut the lead to 21-17 when Stellman connected on a 15-yard pass touchdown pass to senior running back Cordario Collier (New Albany, Ind./New Albany) and Zink added the PAT with 6:32 to play in the third quarter.

The Blue Jays then extended its lead to 28-17 with 3:51 to play in the third quarter when Kase scored on a one-yard run and Lachman added the PAT.

Thomas More then cut the lead to 28-23 when Collier scored on a one-yard touchdown run and the Saints' two-point conversion failed with 14:56 to play.

With 51-seconds to play in the game the Saints' took their first lead of the game at 29-28 when Stellman connected on a 23-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Jeff Brinck (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) and the two-point conversion failed.

John Hopkins then drove 44-yards in nine plays and Lachman made a 43-yard field as time expired to give the Blue Jays the 31-29 victory.

Offensively the Saints were led by Stellman, who was 15-of-24 passing for 202 yards and three touchdowns and also had 24 rushes for 26 yards. Sophomore running back Kendall Owens (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) had 16 carries for 85 yards, while Brinck had four catches for 84 yards and one touchdown and Collier had six catches for 70 yards and one touchdown.

Defensively, senior linebacker Brandon Kohrs (Newport, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) led the Saints with 10 tackles, including one for a loss. Junior defensive back Aaron Monk (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) finished with nine tackles and junior defensive lineman Justin Smith (Fort Thomas, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) had six tackles, including one sack and two tackles for a loss, while freshman defensive back Jamaal Herring (Indianapolis, Lawrence Central) finished with five tackles and two interceptions.