By Chris Dugan, Sports Editor

dugan@observer-reporter.com

GROVE CITY - All around him there was chaos. Linemen were scrambling to get into position. Officials were hurrying to mark the football. Quarterback Andy Lauterbach was directing players. Precious time was bleeding off the clock.

Through it all, Waynesburg University freshman tailback Robert Heller remained clam. He had one thought:

"Snap the ball and get out of my way."

Heller got his wish. The Ringgold graduate took a handoff from Lauterbach and dove over the goal line from one yard out with 13 seconds remaining to give Waynesburg a wild 27-23 victory over Grove City in a Presidents' Athletic Conference game Saturday night at jam-packed Robert E. Thorn Field.

It was Heller's third touchdown of the game and capped a six-play 36-yard drive that gave the Yellow Jackets their first 3-0 start since 2004.

The first night home game in Grove City's football history, which dates back to the 1890s, was filled with excitement. There was free admission and a postgame fireworks show, which helped draw a record crowd of 5,000. The fireworks on the field, however, were just as spectacular as the postgame pyrotechnics.

Grove City (1-1, 1-3) overcame a 14-point first-quarter deficit to take a 23-20 lead on a 49-year field in the fourth quarter. After struggling offensively for much of the second half, Waynesburg finally got going on its final drive. Out of timeouts, the Yellow Jackets benefited from two costly Grove City penalties and scrambled to get off the game-winning run.

"Chris Smith, Grove City's coach, told me before the game that it was going to be a great night, with all the extras they had added for the game and the new lights," Waynesburg coach Rick Shepas said. "He was right on with that.

"We knew Grove City would be ready and be a physical defense. But if there is one trademark of this team, it's our guys have resolve. That's what keep us in it."

Waynesburg (1-0, 3-0) raced to a quick 14-0 lead, then saw Grove City convert three turnovers into 17 second-quarter points.

A five-yard touchdown run by Heller, his second of the game, had Waynesburg in front 20-14 late in the second quarter. Grove City's Chris Haley then gave the Wolverines a 23-20 advantage by kicking three field goals - 27, 26 and 49 yards - the later coming with 9:11 remaining.

Waynesburg, which overcame a 21-point halftime deficit in its last game to win at Wooster, self-destructed for much of the night and generated little in the passing department to take the pressure off Heller, who entered the game leading NCAA Division III in rushing (253.5 yards per game) and scoring (30 ppg).

Lauterbach and starter Kyle Kyper combined to complete only 7 of 18 passes for 141 yards with three interceptions. Waynesburg also lost a fumble and committed a whopping 12 penalties for 113 yards.

But it was penalties against Grove City that aided Waynesburg's game-winning march. The Wolverines, who were flagged only once in the first three quarters, were penalized 15 yards for fair-catch interference on a punt, which gave Waynesburg the ball at the Grove City 36-yard line with 1:37 left.

Lauterbach scrambled for nine yards and passed for seven more to Andy Hodanich to put the ball on the 20.

Heller then gained 11 yards on two carries, giving Waynesburg a second down at the Wolverines' five with less than a minute remaining. That's when Grove City cornerback Mike Baker, who had two interceptions for the second week in a row, picked off another Lauterbach pass at the goal line that seemingly secured the win for the Wolverines. Grove City, however, was flagged for both pass interference and roughing the passer, putting the ball at the two-yard line and giving the Waynesburg another first down.

The Jackets weren't thinking about a field goal that would have sent the game to overtime.

"At that point, we had to call two plays and give the ball to Heller both times," Shepas said.

Heller, who finished with 211 yards on 39 carries, was stopped at the one on first down. With the clock churning and after the Jackets scrambled to get set, Heller ran behind right guard on second down, jumping over a pile at the line of scrimmage and landing in the end zone.

"We got a break because the pass play with the interference call was supposed to be a run play," Heller said. "I kept saying, 'Don't change it. Let's run it.' Stupid penalties, though, were what was killing us. It shouldn't have come down to that final play, but we put ourselves in the hole. Coach Shepas kept telling us not to quit."

Heller opened the scoring with a 23-yard TD run on his first carry. Fullback Aaron Davis' one-yard scoring plunge after an interception by Jacques Newberry gave Waynesburg a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

"I think we did as good a job as possible of containing Heller," Smith said. "We only let him spring a few long runs."

Grove City was able to rally behind the play of sophomore quarterback Andrew DiDonato, who completed 17 of 23 passes for 128 yards. A South Fayette graduate, DiDonato connected with Upper St. Clair's Jay Yanak for a 21-yard touchdown, and Matt Weil had a four-yard TD run that made it 14-14 midway through the second quarter.

Extra points

Waynesburg's defense sacked DiDonato eight times with D.J. DeWitt being credited with 4 1/2 and Mike Czerwein 2 1/2. ... Waynesburg linebacker Brendon Steele (Canon-McMillan) had a game-high 15 tackles. ... Waynesburg freshman Ray Hightower caught a 74-yard pass from Lauterbach. It was the Jackets' longest pass play since 2002. ... For the season, Heller has 718 rushing yards on 117 carries. ... Grove City was held to 98 rushing yards.

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