Tommies take down Valparaiso 20-13 in homecoming game

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St. Thomas Offensive Lineman and Tight End Max Zimmerman celebrate with Running Back Tom Loeffler after Loeffler scores the first touchdowns for the Tommies. St. Thomas took the lead in the game against Valparaiso ending the first half 7-3. (Nate Schneiderhan/TommieMedia)

A pair of touchdowns from senior running back Tom Loeffler and a late interception by senior wide receiver Isaiah Hall helped the Tommies to a 20-13 win over Valparaiso in their first Division I homecoming game Saturday at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.

The Tommies (3-2, 2-1 Pioneer Football League), who extended their regular-season home winning streak to 29 games, led 20-3 after three quarters before a pair of St. Thomas turnovers led to two Beacon scores. Valparaiso senior quarterback Ben Nimz threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Braden Contreras to make it 20-13 with 6:34 remaining.

But Hall’s interception of Nimz’s pass with 4:47 remaining stopped the Beacons’ offensive momentum.

An interception thrown and a fumble by senior quarterback Cade Sexauer allowed the Beacons (1-5, 1-2 PFL) to score 10 points and turn the game into a nail-biter as the fourth quarter closed.

A 2-yard run by Loeffler in the second quarter snapped the Tommies’ 12 possession scoring drought from last week’s 27-24 loss to San Diego before they were able to score two more touchdowns in the second half. The run was set up by a 20-yard interception return by junior defensive back Johnson Fallah.

St. Thomas came into the game averaging the fewest penalty yards per contest in the PFL, being flagged for only 35.0 penalty yards per game through its first four contests, but the game was filled with penalties from both sides. Valparaiso had 13 penalties in the game.

Loeffler’s touchdowns were his team-leading third and fourth scores of the season. Sexauer had his own 3-yard TD run with 9:11 left in the third quarter on the Tommies’ first possession of the second half.

The Tommies take on Stetson University Saturday, Oct. 16 at noon in DeLand, Florida.

Cam Kauffman can be reached at kauf8536@stthomas.edu.