OSKALOOSA, Iowa- The Statesmen from William Penn University (1-0) got the best of William Woods University (0-1) in what was otherwise a historic night for the Owls.
William Woods, for the first time in its 154-year history, fielded an intercollegiate football team tonight in their contest against William Penn University. The Owls program opened their season with a booming kick through the back of the endzone by kicker Justin Sharkey to set up the first drive of the game for the Statesmen offense. William Penn tallied 14 plays on their drive ending in the first points of the game setting the score to 7-0.
The Owls offense looked to respond in the following drive but were cut short after a 16-yard run by QB Gabe Serri ended in a fumble. The Statesmen offense were driving down the field until a tackle for loss by freshman defensive lineman Sovereign Morton stopped them in their tracks.
The William Penn defensive front proved to be too much for The Woods as they did not allow William Woods to cross the goal line for the duration of the game. There were several bright spots for coach Julian Mendez's young corps as QB Gabe Serri threw for over 140 yards and receivers Troy Oliver and Jalen Becerra were both over 50 yards receiving for the game.
"I am very proud of my guys for the efforts tonight, they fought until the very end. Their efforts on the field did not represent the score tonight, but I know that we will continue to grow as a program and look for opportunities to get better." added Coach Mendez, "I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to lead a first-year program at such a historic institution as William Woods, and want to thank my guys for making that dream a reality for so many in the Owls family."
The stout William Penn defense allowed under 175 total yards, adding 11 tackle-for-loss, three fumble recoveries and one sack. The final score ended 59-0 in favor of William Penn University dubbing them the 2024 Billy Bowl Champions.
The Owls look to bounce back next week in a tough matchup against #5 ranked Grandview, who is coming off a historic season where they made it to the NAIA national semifinal game. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 7, in West Des Moines, Iowa.
