Wolverines dominate in 52-7 victory
By Reagan Thomas · Staff Writer
Wide receiver Darviae Gray receives a pass from quarterback Mike Hollomon. (Doug Nashtock)
Grove City College football continued its impressive run through the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Saturday afternoon, cruising to a 52-7 victory over Hiram College at Robert E. Thorn Field.
The game marked the Wolverines’ fourth straight win and improved their record to 4-2 overall and 3-0 in the conference.
The Wolverines controlled the game on both sides of the ball, piling up 434 total yards while limiting Hiram’s offense to 211 yards. Grove City surpassed the 200-yard mark in both passing and rushing, finishing with 233 passing yards, 201 rushing yards and 31 first downs.
Offensively, sophomore running back Braxtyn Brown led the way with two rushing touchdowns and 89 yards on 15 carries. Senior wide receivers Darviae Gray, Seth McGroerty and Luke Shuagis each found the end zone through the air, while senior running back Sutton Ellis added a rushing score.
Quarterback Mike Hollomon completed 19 of 31 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns, helping orchestrate an attack that never allowed Hiram back into the game.
The Wolverines first struck midway through the opening quarter when Brown capped a drive with a seven-yard touchdown run. Just minutes later, Hollomon connected with Gray for a six-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 14-0.
Grove City continued its fast start when senior safety Dominic DiNinno stepped in front of a pass from Hiram quarterback Sean Tejeda and returned the interception for a 77-yard touchdown, pushing Grove City’s lead to 21-0 on the first play of the second quarter.
“Before the play even started, I expected it to be a pass play because they were not running the ball too much against us,” DiNinno said. “My man ran about a 10-yard out, and once I felt like I was in a good position on him, I looked back at the quarterback and saw that he underthrew the ball. Once I caught it, I had to take advantage of the opportunity and get points for the team.”
The defensive touchdown energized an already dominant Wolverine squad.
“I think it gave us a lot of momentum,” DiNinno said. “Even though we were already up by 14 points before that, big plays like that always give the team a lot of energy, no matter what the score is.”
After a 31-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Brady Lane, Hollomon found McGroerty for a four-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the first half, sending Grove City into the locker room with a commanding 31-0 advantage.
Brown added his second touchdown of the afternoon on a nine-yard run in the third quarter. Ellis followed with a two-yard score early in the fourth quarter, and backup quarterback Bryce Graham connected with Shuagis for a 23-yard touchdown pass, Graham’s first of his collegiate career.
While the offense filled the stat sheet, Grove City’s defense also delivered one of its strongest performances of the season. The Wolverines recorded a season-high five sacks and consistently pressured Tejeda, who entered the matchup as the conference’s leading passer.
Hiram managed just 149 passing yards and converted 12 first downs. DiNinno credited the unit’s success to a strong week of preparation.
“It all starts in the week of practice that we had,” he said. “All week the linebackers and defensive linemen were focusing on how they could grow in their vision and how they could be successful on game day. When we got to Saturday, it came easy for them because they put in the work all week long.”
DiNinno believes the group’s focus on creating impact plays has fueled the success. He also highlighted the growth of a unit that has improved significantly during the team’s four-game winning streak.
“We have a lot of young guys on our defense, so every single week they are learning more and more,” DiNinno said. “Injuries have been a big part of our season, so a lot more guys have had to step up and play a much bigger role. More guys are learning how to play in our defense, and we are all making each other better every day.”
Grove City now turns its attention to a road matchup Saturday at Waynesburg, looking to extend its winning streak to five games and remain undefeated in conference play.
“The biggest challenge this week is making sure we are where our feet are,” DiNinno said. “Waynesburg is a really good team, and if we are not locked in all week, the outcome could go a way we don’t want it to go. If we stay anchored in our identity, it will allow us to play fast, full and free.”
