The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Sprint Football team continues their 2024 campaign on Saturday, October 12at 1:00 p.m. (ET) as they travel to Bellarmine for a road contest against the Knights.The game will be held at Page Stadium on the campus of St. Xavier High School in Louisville.
The game will be broadcast live nationally on ESPN+as well as WNDI 95.3 FM on the radio with the legendary John Montgomery describing the action.
SMWC continues its third season of competing in sprint football. The Pomeroys are 16-3 all-time in the sport -- all under the direction of third-year head coachBlaine Powell. The Pomeroyswill put theirperfect 9-0 all-time record away from home on the line against Bellarmine. SMWC is riding a three-game winning streak to open the season.
Bellarmineenters the contest with an overall record of 3-1 and are playing for the fifth consecutive week to begin the season. They are under the direction of head coach Harold Davis and after opening the season with three consecutive victories dropped a 24-18 overtime decision last week at Calumet College of St. Joseph. CCSJ and SMWC are currently tied at 3-0 atop the MSFL standings with the Knights just one half game behind as we enter the homestretch of the regular season. While the top four teams advance to the postseason playoffs, only the top two seeded teams will host opening round playoff games.
The Pomeroys are 1-1 all-time against Bellarmine with each team picking up wins on the others home field so far. SMWC last visited the Knights on October 15, 2022 and earned a 33-10 victory while Bellarmine was a 56-50 victor in double overtime last season at Jay Barrett Field.
The Pomeroys won the 2022 Midwest Sprint Football League Championship with a 23-7 win at CCSJ in the league's championship game which was played in Whiting, Ind. In 2023, SMWC reached the MSFL Championship Game but fell to CCSJ in that game at Jay Barrett Field to finish as league runner-up. It was the first college football playoff contest to be held in Vigo County since 1984. In 2024, the Pomeroys were named the MSFL Preseason favorite.
Marques Reesewas theMSFL Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a kickoff for an 83-yard touchdown for the Pomeroys first points of the season in the opener against Midway. Reese also caught seven passes for 85 yards in the contest.
Junior quarterbackJeremiah Tosky(El Paso, TX/Andress) completed 18-of-28 passes in the contest for 276 yards with two touchdowns. He came back the following week at Quincy to throw for over 340 yards and five touchdown passes to be named the MSFL Offensive Playe of the Week in Week 2. The Pomeroys lead the MSFL with a 44.5 points per game average.
The Pomeroy defense did not allow a single point in the second half of the 41-19 season opening win over Midway. Only a surrendered safety in the fourth quarter kept SMWC from recording a full second half shutout. SMWC scored 28 unanswered points to turn a slight deficit into a commanding second half advantage. In the season's second game at Quincy, the Pomeroys once again were stingy on defense after falling behind 13-0, they only allowed a score before halftime and another in the waning moments to Quincy.
Through three games this season, SMWC is averaging 42.0 points per game which leads the league. Bellarmine checks in at second with an offense that is averaging 32.8 per contest. SMWC leads the league also witha total of 404 yards per game while the Knights are second at 387.8. Bellarmine owns a 281-247 advantage in the air for the league lead while in rushing the two teams are second and third with SMWC checking in second at 156.7 yards per game on the ground.Derron Hazzardis averaging 85.0 yards per game rushing which leads the MSFL.
Both the Knights and Pomeroys are allowing 15.0 points per game. SMWC is coming off a 37-0 Homecoming shutout victory over Oakland City last week. The game d orew a school record 1,215 fans to watch the contest and celebrate the history of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
The Pomeroys will remain on the road next week as they travel to Walsh (Ohio) for a rare Friday night college football game. The two teams will meet at 7 pm (ET) in North Canton, Ohio on Friday, October 18.