LEBANON, Tenn. – The Drew Davis era got off to a winning start as St. Thomas Football opened the season with a commanding 27-6 victory over Cumberland (Tenn.) in Davis' first game as the Bobcats' head coach.
St. Thomas used explosive plays on offense, a dominant defensive effort and a strong performance from kicker Jay Giunta to pull away from Cumberland and secure the season-opening victory.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Bobcats broke through early in the second quarter. Jalen Daniels connected with Geno Lubin on a 32-yard touchdown pass, giving St. Thomas a 7-0 lead with 10:05 remaining before halftime. Giunta added the extra point to put the Bobcats on the board.
The Bobcats continued to build momentum later in the quarter. Isaiah Lopez capped a six-play, 50-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown run, extending the St. Thomas advantage to 14-0.
Giunta added to the lead just before halftime, connecting on a 42-yard field goal with 16 seconds remaining in the second quarter to send the Bobcats into the locker room with a 17-0 advantage.
Cumberland got on the scoreboard midway through the third quarter with a 30-yard field goal, but the St. Thomas defense continued to keep the home team out of the end zone.
The Bobcats answered early in the fourth quarter with an impressive 15-play, 63-yard drive that consumed more than six minutes of game time. Giunta finished the drive with a 29-yard field goal to push the St. Thomas lead to 20-3.
Cumberland added another field goal to cut the deficit to 20-6 with just over 10 minutes remaining, but Lopez delivered the decisive blow less than six minutes later.
On the first play of the drive, Lopez broke free for a 61-yard touchdown run, racing into the end zone to seal the 27-6 victory. Giunta's extra point capped the scoring and put the finishing touch on Davis' first victory as head coach.
Lopez finished the afternoon with two rushing touchdowns, including the explosive 61-yard score, while Daniels and Lubin connected for the Bobcats' first touchdown of the season.
St. Thomas controlled the game in all three phases, using timely offense and a stingy defensive performance to keep Cumberland from finding the end zone.
For Davis and the Bobcats, the victory marked an exciting beginning to a new chapter for St. Thomas Football.
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