Junior cornerback Nick Heidel (Cincinnati/Indian Hill) intercepted a pass and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown to give Ohio Wesleyan a 17-9 lead early in the third quarter, but Allegheny rallied for a North Coast Athletic Conference win over the Bishops on Saturday in Meadville, Pa.

The Bishops trailed, 9-3, at halftime but on the opening possession of the second half, freshman quarterback Kameron Smith (Smyrna, Ga./Campbell) found sophomore wide receiver Aaron Fields II (Dayton/Vandalia Butler) on a 48-yard scoring play that tied the game, and the conversion by freshman kicker Gabe Philhower (Reynoldsburg) put Ohio Wesleyan ahead, 10-9.

On the second play from scrimmage after the ensuing kickoff, Heidel recorded the pick-6 and Philhower's second PAT in less than a minute was good for a 17-9 Bishop lead.

Allegheny answered with completions from Logan Lee to Tristan Rhoades and Alex Victor for 12 yards apiece, and a 16-yard burst by Tyler Balla moved the ball into Ohio Wesleyan territory.  On the next play, Lee connected with Rhoades for a 35-yard touchdown pass.  The Gators went for a game-tying 2-point conversion, but Rhoades' rush attempt was stopped.

After forcing a punt, the Gators got the ball back and assembled an 11-play, 87-yard drive to take the lead, covering the final 17 yards on a pass from Lee to Ben Bachik.  Zach Bednarowicz converted the PAT kick for a 22-17 Allegheny advantage.

Bednarowicz added a 41-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to extend the margin to 25-17.

Ohio Wesleyan threatened midway through quarter, with Smith finding junior wide receiver Sasoun Tcholakian (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington) for 13 yards on a fourth-and-12 call from the Bishop 26, but the drive ended when Smith's 6-yard run on fourth down was short of the line to gain with 3:25 left in regulation time.

With the Bishops looking for the tying score, junior wide receiver Jonah Markovits (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner) came up throwing the ball on an end-around play but had his pass intercepted by Charles Ross at the Allegheny 42.  Ohio Wesleyan forced a punt and got the ball back, then moved the chains with an 11-yard strike from Smith to junior wide receiver Mher Tcholakian (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington), but on the game's final play, Smith's pass was picked off by Zach Martin.

The Gators had taken a 3-0 lead in the first quarter.  Corey Laskey recovered a fumble and returned it 32 yards to the Ohio Wesleyan 25, but the Bishop defense held firm, and Allegheny settled for a 40-yard Bednarowicz field goal.

After sophomore defensive end Alec Varteressian (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) forced a Greer fumble, with junior strong safety Ryan Rubel (Toledo/St. John's) recovering at the Bishop 5-yard line, Smith broke loose for 37 yards on the first play from scrimmage.  A 19-yard toss to junior running back Curtis Duren (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty) moved the ball to the Gator 15 and a pass interference penalty put the ball at the Allegheny 3, and on fourth down from the 4, Philhower came on for a 22-yard field goal that tied the game at 3.

Allegheny answered with a 17-play, 83-yard drive, with Balla going over from 1 yard out to make it 9-3, and the score remained there when Bednarowicz misfired on the point-after try.