Slow start for Thomas More leaves the second-half Saints with an opening loss to Davenport

By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter

It wasn’t the start the Thomas More Saints hoped for in their home opener Saturday — for the game – or the 2024 season.

Falling behind 21-0 to Michigan’s Davenport University, the Saints (0-1) will have to be satisfied with winning the second half, 17-3, which left TMU with a 24-17 loss in front of a crowd of 1,457 at Republic Bank Field. It’s the second straight season TMU has opened with – and lost to – the team from Grand Rapids that’s tied for No. 31 in the NCAA’s Division II poll.

Two quick first-quarter touchdowns – a 56-yard TD pass from Mike O’Horo to Kendal Williams followed by another Williams score with 8:04 left in the quarter had TMU quickly in the hole, down 14-0, the halftime margin after a scoreless second quarter.

That Davenport got on the board first after intermission on an O’Horo run from the one-yard line to put TMU down, 21-0, made it a tough challenge for the Saints. Not that they didn’t try.

Grad student Rae’Von Vaden got things going for the home team when the Louisville Moore grad delivered a 66-yard TD strike to Evan Brown out of Lexington Christian followed by Scott High alum Luke Iden’s PAT to make it 21-7.

TMU came back for a second quick score in the third on a 26-yard Vaden to tight end Mike Kirch that made it 21-14 with Iden’s PAT with 4:56 left in the quarter.

The teams would each score field goals late in the fourth quarter with Davenport’s coming first from 29 yards out with 7:59 left to make it 24-14. Iden’s 31-yarder with 4:58 left closed out the scoring at 24-17.

For the game, Vaden would throw for 160 yards on 10 of 19 passing and the two touchdowns. He added 55 rushing yards for 215 yards. He was aided on offense by the team-high 90 yards receiving by Eavn Brown on his three catches.

On defense, sophomore Trey Weems out of Griffin, Ga., led the way for TMU with six tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.

The Saints were outgained on offense, 367 yards to 277 with the difference almost entirely on the ground where Davenport had a 191-102 edge. One phase of the game where both teams struggled was with penalties, where they combined for 24 flags for a combined 232 yards of markoffs. Davenport had 15 for 130, TMU nine for 102.

Thomas More returns to Republic Bank Field for its second of seven home games this Saturday at 7 p.m. against Kentucky Christian.

SCORING SUMMARY
DAVENPORT 14 0 7 3—24
THOMAS MORE 0 0 14 3—17
DAVENPORT – Williams,Kendall 56 yd pass from O’Horo,Mike (Gielow,Brandon kick)
DAVENPORT – Williams,Kendall 24 yd run (Gielow,Brandon kick)
DAVENPORT – O’Horo,Mike 1 yd run (Gielow,Brandon kick)
TMU – Brown,Evan 66 yd pass from Vaden,Rae’Von (Iden,Luke kick)
TMU – Kirch,Mike 26 yd pass from Vaden,Rae’Von (Iden,Luke kick)
DAVENPORT – Gielow,Brandon 29 yd field goal

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