WILKINSBURG, Pa. — The Imani Christian Academy Saints (3-0) are off to their best start since 2018 after defeating the Beaver Bobcats (2-1) on Friday night at UPMC Graham Field, 42-28. The Saints are now rolling as they head into their conference schedule after downing a playoff-caliber opponent in the Bobcats.
The game started off just about as one would expect with the two well-oiled football machines going head-to-head. Each team’s first offensive drive ended as a three-and-out.
The Saints flipped the switch on their second drive as Stephen Vandiver found David Davis for a 62-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive.
This was the beginning of the end for the Bobcats as two plays later, Travis Clear’s pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by Maurice Williams.
The Saints capitalized on this turnover because of Vandiver’s athleticism. On the drive, he had rushes of 14 yards and 10 yards before running in the touchdown from 9 yards out.
Then things went from bad to worse for the Bobcats. On the first play of their third offensive drive, the exchange was fumbled and the Saints recovered on the plus-38. Vandiver cashed in on the ground for the second time of the night as he zig-zagged across the field in route to his 38-yard score.
Things were looking scary for the Bobcats as the Saints led 22-0 and it was not even the second quarter yet. Just then, the Bobcats offense found some rhythm as Clear started connecting with his top two targets, Brady Mayo and Amari Jackson.
Clear led the Bobcats down the field and found Drey Hall on a running back screen that he rumbled in from 14 yards away on to give to Bobcats their first points of the night.
The Saints quickly answered with a 2-yard touchdown run by Anthony Portis.
The Bobcats looked to make it manageable heading into the second half after Clear hit Mayo on an 8-yard slant route that ended up in the endzone with just over two minutes left in the half.
That was until David returned the ensuing kickoff all the way down to the Bobcats’ 13-yard line. The Saints would go onto score their fifth touchdown of the first half.
The Saints led at halftime, 34-14.
To the Bobcats’ credit, they came out of the locker room with a little extra juice as they used their Mayo and Jackson to march downfield. The drive ended off with Clear hitting Jackson in the corner of the endzone for a touchdown. This score cut into the Saints’ three-possession lead.
Unfortunately for the Bobcats, the Saints offense answered when David punched in his second touchdown of the night. This re-established the Saints’ three-score lead just before the end of the third quarter.
The Bobcats scored one touchdown in the fourth quarter but it ultimately did not matter in regard to the final outcome of the game.
Next week, the Saints open up their conference play on the road against Valley while the Bobcats return home to play Hopewell in a conference showdown.
