St. Joe locks up share of conference title with third shutout victory (Full Story)

St. Joe defeated Portage Central 15-0 on Friday’s regular season finale to claim a share of the SMAC-West conference title.

The Bears (8-1) and Mustangs (6-3) cruised through the first quarter, locked in a defensive battle. Neither team scored in the first 12 minutes, but the Bears gained some momentum with a goal-line stand after an interception on the first play from scrimmage.

Early in the second quarter, St. Joe quarterback Davis Crossman connected with Bobby DeLong on a seven-yard touchdown to take an 8-0 lead.

With just two minutes left in the first half, St. Joe took a 15-0 lead with a five-yard scamper by Dylan Chapman.

Neither team scored in the third quarter, but Portage Central was on the move to start the fourth quarter.

The Bears, however, stood up to the threat with their second goal-line stand of the game. From there, St. Joe iced the clock to earn their second straight win after an upset loss against Mattawan.