No. 19 William Penn Answers Loss With 41-10 Home Win Over Missouri Baptist
The short version
- William Penn, ranked 19th, beat Missouri Baptist 41-10 one week after losing 40-7 at Benedictine.
- Christian Benning hit Keithon Davis for a 68-yard touchdown on the game's first play, 16 seconds in.
- Benning passed for 254 yards; Davis had 154 receiving yards as part of a season-high 310-yard passing day.
- Emery Floyd contributed three touchdowns off the bench, and the defense shut out Missouri Baptist in the second half.
- The Statesmen visit Central Methodist on Saturday at 1 p.m. to open a three-game road stretch.
A 68-yard touchdown on the game's opening play set the tone as the Statesmen rolled past Missouri Baptist in Oskaloosa.
William Penn needed only 16 seconds to answer questions about how it would rebound from its first defeat. On Saturday's opening snap against Missouri Baptist at Community Stadium, quarterback Christian Benning connected with Keithon Davis on a 68-yard touchdown along the far sideline, launching the 19th-ranked Statesmen toward a 41-10 Family Weekend victory.
The win came one week after a 40-7 defeat at Benedictine. Davis, a sophomore, built on his first career 100-yard receiving game by catching four passes for 154 yards, including a 21-yard grab late in the opening quarter that positioned Kendrick Canon's 17-yard touchdown catch for a 14-7 lead. Benning finished 13 of 22 for 254 yards and two first-half touchdowns to Canon, the second a six-yarder that made it 21-7.
William Penn topped 400 total yards for the first time this season, with a season-best 310 coming through the air. Backup quarterback Emery Floyd threw for 56 yards, ran for 25, and accounted for three scores, including a one-yard plunge that sent the Statesmen into halftime up 27-10. His 32-yard scramble-and-throw to Shane Helmick set up another touchdown pass in the second half.
The defense held Missouri Baptist (1-2) scoreless after the break, with interceptions from Jeremiah Dennard and Chidozie Mogbo, Jr. highlighting the effort. Anthony Carey, Jr. added a 25-yard touchdown run in the closing minutes for the home team's seventh consecutive win at Community Stadium.
Next up, William Penn begins a three-game road stretch over four weeks, starting Saturday at Central Methodist in Missouri with a 1 p.m. kickoff.
Written by the Matchday Live desk from reporting by Yahoo Sports.
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