ERIE, Pa. — Davenport beat Gannon 21-12 on Saturday at McConnell Family Stadium. Davenport scored in each of the first three quarters, including a school record 100-yard interception return for a touchdown by
Markell Gilford, to secure the win. The Golden Knights managed two passing touchdowns but could not overcome Davenport's early lead.
In the first quarter, the Golden Knights started with a promising drive, but a false start penalty halted their progress, culminating in a punt. Davenport capitalized on a fumble recovery by
Xavier Marquez at the Golden Knights' 15-yard line.
Cephus Harris then completed a 15-yard touchdown run, putting Davenport ahead 7-0 following
Caiden Thomas' successful extra point at the 9:01 mark. The Golden Knights responded with an 87-yard drive, highlighted by Anthony Harris' passing, which included a short touchdown pass to Donell Mason at 4:12. However, their extra point attempt was blocked by
Kennedy Nelson, leaving the score at 7-6 in favor of Davenport.
In the second quarter, Davenport's
D'Wan Mathis threw an interception at 13:28, which was returned by the Golden Knights' Delvon Beam for 21 yards. The Golden Knights capitalized on the turnover and moved into Davenport territory, but Anthony Harris was sacked by
Jamon Gibson, resulting in a partially blocked punt. The punt was touched by a Panther downfield and recovered by Gannon in great field position. The muffed attempt did not hurt DU as Anthony Harris was intercepted by
Markell Gilford, who returned it 100 yards for a touchdown at 2:26, putting Davenport up 13–6.
Caiden Thomas added the extra point, extending the lead to 14–6. The Golden Knights' final drive ended with a missed 31-yard field goal by Justin Novotney with four seconds remaining, sealing the halftime lead for Davenport.
In the third quarter, Davenport increased their lead over the Golden Knights by capitalizing on a turnover. At 9:12, Anthony Harris fumbled after a 19-yard rush, caused by
Daion Johnson, and Nelson recovered the ball for Davenport at their own 22-yard line. This turnover led to a successful drive by Davenport, culminating in a 2-yard touchdown run by
Cephus Harris with 5:47 remaining, followed by a successful extra point by
Caiden Thomas.
Cephus Harris' 110 rushing yards and two touchdowns marked a stellar debut for the Panthers. The Golden Knights managed to advance into Davenport territory but were ultimately unable to score, ending the quarter with Davenport leading 21-6.
In the fourth quarter, the Golden Knights began with possession at the Davenport 16-yard line, but were quickly halted after an 8-yard completion due to a sack by
Austin Stief and
Jermaine Young, pushing them back two yards. Davenport called a timeout with 12:35 left on the clock, which was followed by
Myles Harris breaking up a pass on fourth down, resulting in a turnover on downs. Davenport's offense capitalized on their possession with
D'Wan Mathis completing a 25-yard pass to Harris and Harris added a total of 21 rushing yards to advance the ball, though the drive eventually stalled. The Golden Knights responded with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Harris to Darien Fowlkes at 2:21, narrowing the score to 21-12, but failed on the two-point conversion. With time winding down, Davenport maintained control through strategic rushing and kneel-downs to secure the victory.
Latrell Scott and
Jamar Mills, both at linebacker, recorded 10 tackles on the day.
Davenport Top Performers
Cephus Harris
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- 110 rushing yards on 14 attempts
- 2 rushing touchdowns
- 53 receiving yards on four catches
Xavier Marquez
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- 6 total tackles
- 1 fumble recovery
Jamon Gibson
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- 4 total tackles
- 2 sacks for a loss of 11 yards
Markell Gilford
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- 5 total tackles
- 1 interception returned 100 yards for a touchdown
Kennedy Nelson
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- 4 total tackles
- 1 fumble recovery, TFL, blocked PAT
Daion Johnson
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- Set a career-high with 10 tackles
The next challenge for Davenport football is a matchup against Truman State in Kirksville, Missouri, on September 13. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.
Game Notes
- Davenport is now 3-0 in the all-time series with Gannon.
- Time of possession was 41:13 to 18:47 in favor of Gannon.
