CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. – The University of Pennsylvania sprint football team had an early lead but couldn't hold on in a 27-10 defeat to Chestnut Hill on the road Friday evening at Garthwaite Stadium.
 
The Quakers drop their season opener to fall to 0-1 overall and in CSFL South division play, while the Griffins begin the year 1-0.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*On defense, sophomore Charles Tauckus picked up where he left off from 2022 with a team-leading 10 tackles, six solos and two TFLs. Matt McKillop finished with nine total stops, while Ryan Horvath had eight.
 
*Junior Adrian Montemayor was excellent on both defense and special teams, making six tackles while forcing and recovering a fumble and blocking a punt. He also drilled a 22-yard field goal to bring the Quakers back within three points in the closing stages of the second quarter.
 
*Making his first career start under center, Ty Scherer rushed 22 times for 65 yards, while passing for 130 yards on 10 completions. He also threw a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions.
 
*Freshman Andy Falletta was a key part of the passing game with three catches for 54 yards in his collegiate debut, including a 46-yard reception earlier in the contest. Danny Coale also had three grabs for 50 yards.
 
*Penn gained 222 yards of total offense (130 pass, 92 rush), while converting on 12 first downs. The Quakers went 4-for-16 on third downs while the defense stopped the Griffins on third down all nine times.
 
How It Happened
Penn's first drive was a simple three-and-out as Ty Scherer threw two incomplete passes to force a punt.
 
Chestnut Hill picked up the ball with 13:57 on the clock in the quarter and drove 65 yards down the field on 12 plays, erasing nearly 6:47 off the clock and scored a seven-yard passing touchdown to go ahead, 6-0.
 
Both offenses didn't do much of anything on their next drives, but the Quakers put together a solid effort with 3:28 to go after Scherer threw a 41-yard pass to Danny Coale down to the CHC five-yard line and Tom Rebstock punched it in for the score, taking a 7-6 lead.
 
On the very first play from scrimmage in the second quarter, Adrian Montemayor forced and recovered a fumble to give the Quakers solid field position at the CHC 15. Penn ended up falling victim to a goal-line stand for the Griffins' defense, unable to add points.
 
The very next play was a 99-yard pass completion from Chestnut Hill's Anthony Cancellare to Kindirik Branch as the Griffins took a 13-7 lead with 10:21 to play in the half.
 
Highlighted by a 46-yard pitch-and-catch from Scherer to Andy Falletta, Penn used a good spot to send Montemayor up for a field goal, converting on a 22-yard try to make it a three-point game, now 13-10.
 
With 4:50 to play in the half, Cancellare upped the Chestnut Hill lead to 20-10 on his second long TD pass, this time a 74 yarder to enter the locker room with a 10-point cushion.
 
The Quakers received a gift to open the third quarter after Chestnut Hill drove 51 yards down the field over six minutes, only to result in a missed field goal attempt to keep it a two-possession lead. With 6:23 to play in the frame, Penn had a nice nine-play drive going until Scherer was stopped at the eight-yard line on fourth down, resulting in a turnover on downs.
 
With under five minutes to go, Scherer had two costly mistakes—one, a 30-yard pick six to give the Griffins a 27-10 edge and the other an interception with 19 seconds left on the clock—which let Chestnut Hill come away with the victory.
 
Up Next
Penn begins its home slate at Franklin Field next Friday against Ivy League rival Cornell at 7 p.m. The matchup will be streamed live on ESPN+.