Sep 7, 2025 3 min read

By Joe Tuscano

For the Observer-Reporter

newsroom@observer-reporter.com

The path to yesterday wound through Albany and Robert Morris before stopping at Utica.

Tyler Szalkowski, making his quarterback debut, outplayed Washington & Jefferson’s Kellan Stahl, making his debut at quarterback for Washington & Jefferson.

But in this game, it was going to be the defense that made things happen and the Presidents were awful, How awful?

Utica was selected third in the preseason Empire 8 ranking but that should change after Saturday’s 49-31 nonconference victory over W&J.

Szalkowski completed 28 of 40 passes for a whopping 528 yards and four touchdowns.

“He’s pretty special,” said Utica head coach Blaise Faggiano. “Our quarterback coach played at Rochester and I went to Rochester. So it’s all about relationships. His family knew our family and the Division I thing didn’t work out. He just wanted a fresh start.”

Utica’s 49 points are the most scored against W&J at home since Frostburg defeated the Presidents, 46-23, in the NCAA Division III playoffs in 2017. His 528 passing yards are believed to be the most allowed by a W&J defense ever.

“It looked like the offense was battling,” said W&J head coach Mike Sirianni. “I can’t say that about our defense. It looked like we were giving up and that’s the most disappointing thing.”

The Presidents were in striking distance, trailing only by four points at halftime. That’s when Szalkowski sent the dagger into the wound. He found Brice Palmer from 6 yards out for one score then handed off to Matt Pauloras for another. Eze Frazier finished off the Presidents with a 6-yard score.

In between, Stahl found John Peduzzi for two scores. Stahl finished with 26 completions of 41 pass attempts for 330 yards.

“I think it (his effort) wasn’t good enough because we lost,” Stahl said. “I think the team played hard. We just have to go back and look at some stuff. We just weren’t executing. It’s probably my fault.”

The first half was the first act of the Tyler Szalkowski show. The Utica quarterback passes for307 yards and threw touchdown passes of 15 yards to Gabe Zawolo, and 77 yards to Antonio

Cianfarani as the Pioneers built a 21-17 lead at intermission. Szalkowski also ran for a two-yard score.

Meanwhile, W&J was breaking in a new quarterback in Kellen Stahl. He completed half of his 16 attempts for 1 04 yards and scored the game’s first touchdown on a 6-yard run with 3:28 left in the first quarter.

The Presidents opened up the running game, gaining 99 yards on 27 carries.

Utica fumbled the ball three times and lost one, at the W&J 2-yard line. W&J did not have a turnover in the first half.

Each place kicker missed a field goal

John Carroll 48, Waynesburg 14

John Carroll raced out to a 38-point lead at halftime on its way to topping Waynesburg, 48-14, Saturday.

Nick Semptimphelter connected with Kenneth Rawls on a pair of touchdown passes in the first half. John Carroll (1-0) also recorded two safeties on defense and got touchdown runs from Keller Moten, Tyren Montgomery and Quincy Newsom.

Waynesburg broke the shutout bid in the third quarter when Thomas Burke III threw a 61 yard touchdown pass to Tyler Richmond. Mutwali Stewart scored on a two-yard run in the fourth.

John Carroll outgained Waynesburg 480-150 and held the Yellowjackets to minus-10 rushing yards.