Madonna can’t hang on as Defiance cruises to a 55-27 victory

DEFIANCE, Ohio - After two-consecutive away losses, the Defiance Yellow Jackets bounced back at home as they put up their highest score of the year on conference foe Madonna, escaping the winless Crusaders 55-27 Saturday. 

Despite its season-long difficulty of scoring first, Madonna (0-8) came out firing on its first possession. Crusader Parker Heidt converted a fourth down at the Defiance 41-yard line, setting up Nah'shon Williams for a 38-yard rush to the house, putting Madonna up by six early. However, its perfect plan was spoiled by Defiance's Jerry Addo-Boateng who blocked William Stoyano's extra-point attempt, turning the ball over to the home team. 

The Yellow Jacket's (3-5) drive was riddled with incompletions prompting them to punt on their first possession. As the ball returned to Madonna, a third offsides penalty on Defiance was called to recall a Yellow Jacket Kyran Hawkins interception, giving the ball back to the Crusaders. As they marched down the field, Kwame Miller fumbled the football at the Defiance 20-yard line, which was then recovered by Tyquez Douglas of the Yellow Jackets, which equalized the scoring at six, as Zeke Sanchez's kick was no good. 

After its first score, Defiance remained in the driver's seat as it put up 29 unanswered points to close out the half and were set to receive the ball to start the third quarter. 

On the first play out of the break, Garret Bogart found Tawann Rome for a 65-yard touchdown, making the score 35-6 Yellow Jackets after a blocked Sanchez extra point. 

Madonna and Defiance put up back-to-back scoring drives, the Yellow Jackets then led 41-13. With 2:14 remaining in the third quarter, Defiance's Jehlani Warren found Rome for a 4-yard score. Not going down without a fight, the Crusaders found the endzone twice in the following four minutes due to a touchdown preceded by a successfully recovered Madonna onside kick. 

In their final drive, the Yellow Jackets scored once more to put up over 50 points for the first time since Nov. 4, 2023 — a 33-yard Bogart pass complete to Shonjae Gibson. 

This win confirms the Yellow Jacket's first winning record at home since the 2010 season as it is now 3-1 at Justin F. Coressel Stadium with one contest remaining in Defiance. 

THE TURNING POINT

Tyquez Douglas' 80-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown near the two-minute mark of the first quarter became a momentum shift for the Yellow Jackets. Having given up a score to the Crusaders in under two minutes to begin the contest and about to go up by another six points, Defiance brought the pressure, allowing Kwame Miller to be dropped seven yards and lose control of the ball. Following Douglas' return to the house, the Yellow Jacket offense went up 35-6 until the defense eventually let up in the third quarter. However, it was too much of a deficit for Madonna to overcome. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Defiance put up over 50 points for the first time this season

• Tawann Rome had a career-high receiving touchdown game with three

• In only his second collegiate game, quarterback Garret Bogart had a career-high 199 passing yards and four touchdowns

• Running back Cameron Turner had his second-best game with 64 rushing yards and a score

• The Yellow Jackets had seven rushers for 153 total yards, Madonna outran Defiance with 218 rushing yards

• There were a combined 21 penalties for 204 yards

• Madonna won time of possession by two minutes

• The Yellow Jackets converted 100% of fourth downs going 3-for-3

UP NEXT

The Yellow Jackets will hit the road again for a 1 p.m. matchup against Taylor on Saturday at Turner Stadium.

-JACKETS-