The first round of the Division 3 Football playoffs took place on Saturday. Each game’s recap is below and at the bottom are the matchups for the second round next Saturday, November 29.
Wisconsin-Whitewater Bracket
Macalester (9-1) at Wisconsin-Whitewater (10-0)
If it were not for a safety, Wisconsin-Whitewater (11-0) would have posted their third shutout of the 2014 season. Still, they will probably be happy with the 55-2 beatdown they put on Macalester (9-2) and a trip to the second round.
The Warhawks started with Jordan Ratliffe’s 2 yard touchdown run, but Macalester had a chance to get points. Samson Bialostok had a fourth and 10 from the Whitewater 14 yard line, but his pass was incomplete. The Warhawks turned that into a touchdown with Matt Behrendt finding Ricky Finco for a 24 yard touchdown pass. Another Ratliffe two yard run made it 21-0 by the end of the first quarter.
Macalester moved well into Whitewater territory, but another turnover on downs left them without points. That turned into a 17 yard touchdown run by Ratliffe before Behrendt hit Joe Worth for a one yard score to make it 34-0. The extra point was no good, but that would not matter in the end. Macalester actually moved the ball back near the red zone, but Bialostok was picked off at the 13 yard line to keep it 34-0 going into halftime.
The third quarter saw an early safety by Whitewater to give Macalester their only points of the game. The following drive for the Scots ended with Bialostok losing the ball and Whitewater turning it into a touchdown. That would be Behrendt to Worth from 13 yards out for the second time. The third quarter ended with Whitewater holding a 41-2 lead.
With the backups in, Whitewater’s Ryan Givens ran for two touchdowns; one from 24 yards and the other from 56 yards to cap the scoring and the 55-2 thrashing of Macalester.
Samson Bialostok went 20 of 49 for 232 yards with no touchdowns, one interception, and a lost fumble. He also ran for 68 yards on the ground. Zandy Stowell had 14 carries for 50 yards. Sam Bordo caught 3 passes for 43 yards while Ben Hillmann had 7 catches for 42 yards.
Whitewater was led by Matt Behrendt who went 17 of 21 for 213 yards and 3 touchdowns. Jordan Ratliffe ran 13 times for 100 yards and 3 scores. Ryan Givens had 8 carries for 97 yards and two scores with Dennis Moore chipping in with 65 yards on 7 carries. Joe Worth was the top receiver with 8 catches for 90 yards and 2 touchdowns. Justin Howard caught 6 passes for 84 yards as well.
Franklin (8-2) at Wabash (9-1)
Wabash (10-1) trailed 7-0 early, but made up for it by outscoring Franklin (8-3) 33-7 to win 33-14. Tyler Holmes ran for 107 yards and a touchdown to help Wesley move on to the second round.
Franklin opened up the game with an 83 yard drive capped off by Joey Pasquale from a yard out to take a 7-0 lead. After that first drive, Franklin would only get 232 yards for the rest of the game. The Wabash defense would get the team on the board after Connor Karns sacked Grant Welp for a safety. The ensuing drive led to a 28 yard touchdown run from Mason Zurek to make it 9-7 and the Little Giants never looked back.
Wabash missed a 35 yard field goal early in the second quarter as both teams struggled to move the ball deep into the opponent’s territory. The second quarter ended scoreless and Wabash clung to a 9-7 lead at the break.
The third quarter started much like the second quarter with Andrew Tutsie missing a field goal for Wabash. However, the defense would give the offense a boost when Austin Brown picked off Grant Welp in Franklin’s half of the field. 5 plays later Michael Putko ran in for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 16-7. Tutsie redeemed himself on the next drive by hitting a 24 yard field goal to make it 19-7. Franklin came back down the field with Welp hitting Mason Deal for a 33 yard touchdown to make it 19-14 Wabash after three quarters.
Wabash came out in the final quarter and made it known they were not going to lose this game. Putko threw a 15 yard touchdown pass to Sammy Adams to extend the lead back to 12 points at 26-14. The defense forced an incompletion on fourth and 12 for Franklin at the Wabash 20 yard line. Tyler Holmes’ 6 yard touchdown run under four minutes left no doubt about the outcome.
Franklin’s Grant Welp went 28 of 53 for 267 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Kole Stogner was the top rusher with 36 yards on 3 carries while Joey Pasquale had 7 rushes for 11 yards and a score. Kendal Butler caught 9 passes for 83 yards with Mason Deal catching 5 passes for 77 yards.
It was not an overwhelming performance by Wabash’s Michael Putko. He went 13 of 20 for 139 yards and a touchdown, but did not have a single turnover. Holmes ran for 107 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries and Mason Zurek added 91 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Drake Christen caught 10 passes for 99 yards to lead the Little Giants in receiving.
St. Scholastica (10-0) at St. John’s (MN) (9-1)
It was not always pretty, but St. John’s (MN) (10-1) got the job done in a 35-7 win at home over St. Scholastica (10-1). Sam Sura ran for 147 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Johnnies while the defense picked off St. Scholastica 8 times.
There was no scoring in the first quarter, but that did not last long into the second quarter. On the second play of the second quarter, Sura ran for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 7-0. Sura added a second rushing touchdown with 23 second left in the half to make it 14-0.
The third quarter saw the Johnnies score on their first possession with Nick Martin hitting Zack Sundly for a 9 yard touchdown and a 21-0 lead. St. John’s had a chance to make it 28-0 after one of Tyler Harper’s picks, but they failed to convert on fourth and goal from the four yard line. Harper was picked again on the next drive with Sura pounding the ball in from a yard out to make it 28-0. Yet another Harper pick was turned into a touchdown when Martin connected with Rob Voshell for a 34 yard touchdown. That made it 35-0 after three quarters, which was more than enough for the Johnnies.
The Saints scored their only points of the game when Preston Robinson ran in for a 33 yard touchdown to make it 35-7. However, it was far too little and far too late as the Johnnies won 35-7.
Tyler Harper had a game to forget by going 18 of 39 for 146 yards with no touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Yes, 8 interceptions. Preston Robinson had 10 carries for 67 yards and a score. Mitch O’Neil caught 4 passes for 50 yards and Andrew Smith had 4 catches for 46 yards.
The Johnnies were led at quarterback with Nick Martin’s 9 of 13 performance for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns. Sam Sura carried the offense with 28 carries for 147 yards and 3 touchdowns. Evan Clark was the top receiver with 1 catch for 36 yards.
St. Thomas (MN) (8-2) at Wartburg (10-0)
Wartburg (11-0) won a thrilling game at home against St. Thomas (MN) (8-3). Brandon Domeyer had 138 yards and 3 touchdowns to lead the Knights to the second round.
Wartburg started off with a touchdown on their first drive, as Domeyer ran in from 4 yards out. After an interception thrown by St. Thomas’ John Gould, Wartburg ran in another touchdown courtesy of Logan Schrader from 5 yards out. The extra point was no good and the Knights led 13-0.
The second quarter began with the Tommies’ Nick Waldvogel running in for a one yard touchdown to make it 13-7. After forcing a punt, the Tommies took a 14-13 lead with Brenton Braddoc running in for an 11 yard touchdown. The Knights reclaimed the lead right away with Domeyer pounding it in from 3 yards out. The score at the break was 20-14 Wartburg.
Wartburg’s opening drive resulted in a 25 yard field goal from Michael Bohlke to make it 23-14. The Tommies would not go away, as John Gould completed a 15 yard touchdown pass to Charlie Dowdle to make it 23-21.
The fourth quarter began with Domeyer’s third rushing touchdown, this one from a yard out to restore the lead at 9 points. Gould and Dowdle cut the deficit back to 2 points with a 48 yard touchdown connection. The Knights claimed a 37-28 lead when Schrader hit Will Ebert for a 10 yard strike with 4:30 left in the game. The Tommies came back with a 28 yard field goal to make it 37-31 and St. Thomas also recovered the onside kick. Gould went up top and into the end zone, but was picked off by Logan Pitz.
St. Thomas was led by John Gould, who went 20 of 37 for 279 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Gould also ran for 49 yards. Brenton Braddoc ran for 64 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Charlie Dowdle caught 7 passes for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Wartburg’s Logan Schrader had a solid game though the stats will not show it. He went 11 of 21 for 168 yards and a touchdown while committing no turnovers. He also ran 12 times for 80 yards and a score. Domeyer had 27 rushes for 138 yards and 3 scores. Taylor Jacobsmeier caught 7 passes for 109 yards to lead the Knights in receiving.
Mary Hardin-Baylor Bracket
Muhlenberg (9-1) at Widener (10-0)
Widener (11-0) escaped their first round matchup against Muhlenberg (9-2) on a late 32 yard field goal from Ryan O’Hara. Widener won 36-35 and will move on to face the winner between Christopher Newport and Delaware Valley in the second round.
Muhlenberg showed their inclusion was not a mistake with a 14-0 lead in the first quarter after Nick Palladino threw a 19 yard touchdown pass and punched in another one from a yard out. Widener did respond late in the first quarter with Robert Getz running the ball in from 14 yards out to make it 14-7 after one quarter.
Palladino began the second quarter with a 5 yard rushing touchdown to extend the lead back to 14 points at 21-7. Widener would strike back twice to tie the game before halftime. First, Couve LaFate pounded it in from a yard out and then Seth Klein hit Blaine Price for a 4 yard touchdown pass in the final minute of the half to even the score.
Widener took their first lead of the game after Palladino threw an interception. Ameer Sorrell picked the ball off at the 13 yard line and returned it to the Muhlenberg one. After three straight rushing attempts from the one yard line were stuffed, Klein hit Haydn Warren on fourth and goal to take a 28-21 lead. The Mules came back to tie the game at 28 with Palladino hitting Michael Long for a 34 yard touchdown. The final play of the third quarter was Klein hitting Montrell Hicks-Taylor for a 57 yard gain to the Mules’ 4 yard line.
The Mules stiffened after the big gain with O’Hara hitting a 20 yard field goal to take a 31-28 lead. With under 5:30 remaining, Palladino ran in for another score, this time from a yard out to give Muhlenberg a 35-31 lead. Widener was driving into Muhlenberg territory when Klein threw an interception to Chris Flynn. That interception would not hurt Widener as Palladino threw one three players later to give them the ball back at the 5 yard line. Widener would end up being stopped on five rushes (one extra due to a penalty on the Mules) and turned the ball over on downs at the one yard line with 1:54 remaining.
On third and ten from the one yard line, Max Cepeda was stopped in the end zone for a safety and Widener trailed 35-33. The ensuing kick gave Widener the ball at the 39 yard line. The Pride moved down the field and O’Hara hit the 32 yard field goal to give them the 36-35 win.
Nick Palladino went 35 of 47 for 388 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Mules. He also ran 9 times for 25 yards and 3 touchdowns. His top target was Michael Long with 11 catches for 159 yards and 2 touchdowns. Widener was led by Seth Klein who went 28 of 47 for 364 yards with two touchdowns and one pick. Anthony Davis was the top receiver for the Pride with 7 catches for 114 yards while Blaine Price caught 6 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Christopher Newport (7-3) at Delaware Valley (9-1)
Christopher Newport (8-3) rallied from a 19 point deficit with Mason Studer hitting a 38 yard field goal as time expired to give the Captains the 29-26 win over Delaware Valley (9-2).
Delaware Valley kicked off the scoring with Aaron Wilmer running in for a 5 yard score to take a 7-0 lead. The Captains answered right back with Daquan Davis‘ 11 yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7. Delaware Valley fumbled at the CNU 45, but the Captains 47 yard field goal was blocked. Delaware Valley turned that blocked kick into a score with Wilmer again running in. The extra point was missed and the Aggies held a 13-7 lead at the end of the first half.
There was not much scoring in the second quarter, but the Aggies took a 20-7 lead after Chris Smallwood ran in for a 7 yard touchdown. Both teams had trouble sustaining drives, but Delaware Valley held a 20-7 lead at the break.
That lead ballooned to 26-7 with Smallwood getting another rushing touchdown, this time from 6 yards out. However, the extra point was blocked. CNU desperately need a score and they got that. Davis ran for his second touchdown, but they too missed the extra point and it was a 26-13 game after the third quarter.
The Captains made it a 26-20 game with Marcus Morrast finding Rudy Rudolph for a 10 yard score. The Captains then went for an onside kick and recovered it. They would tie the game at 26 with Morrast plunging in for a one yard score. However, Studer missed the extra point and the game was all square at 26 with over 6 minutes remaining. CNU had a chance to go ahead on their next drive, but Morrast’s pass to was incomplete at the Delaware Valley 29 yard line. CNU got the ball back with 1:24 left in the game. Morrast ran for the first 32 yards on the drive and the Aggies had a facemask penalty to put CNU at the 34 yard line. After a couple of rushes by Storm Parker, Mason Studer came in and drilled the 38 yard field goal to win the game for the Captains 29-26.
The Captains were led by Marcus Morrast who went 15 of 28 for 216 yards and a touchdown. He also ran 20 times for 108 yards and another touchdown. Daquan Davis had 80 yards and 2 touchdowns via the ground game. Rudy Rudolph caught 5 passes for 79 yards and a touchdown while Matt Kerr caught 3 passes for 62 yards.
Delaware Valley’s Aaron Wilmer went 12 of 26 for 164 yards with no touchdowns or turnovers. Wilmer also ran for 42 yards and 2 scores. Chris Smallwood had 22 carries for 92 yards and 2 scores. Rasheed Bailey caught 5 passes for 73 yards and Jermel Lee had 3 catches for 62 yards.
Champan (8-1) at Linfield (8-1)
Linfield (9-1) put up 28 first quarter points in their obliteration of Chapman (8-2) 0n Saturday. Sam Riddle threw four touchdown passes to lead Linfield to the 55-24 win over Chapman.
Linfield started strong by scoring on their first three possessions of the first quarter. Sam Riddle ran for a touchdown from a yard out, Spencer Payne ran for a 6 yard touchdown, Jordan Giza returned a punt 67 yards for a score, and Riddle hit Charlie Poppen for a 4 yard score at the end of the first quarter. It was 28-0 at the end of the first quarter and Chapman had only 34 yards of total offense.
Linfield made it 35-0 when Riddle connected with Evan Peterson for a 4 yard touchdown. Chapman finally got on the board in the final 80 seconds with Markus Trujillo hitting a 34 yard field goal. Linfield answered with a field goal of their own as time expired in the first half to claim a 38-3 lead going into the break.
The third quarter opened up with Linfield continuing to score. Riddle hit Peterson for a 26 yard touchdown to make it 45-3. Chapman scored their first touchdown on the following drive with Michael Lahey running in from 3 yards out. Lahey scored on the next drive as well for Chapman from 28 yards out to make it 45-17.
Linfield opened the fourth quarter with a touchdown on the fifth play. Riddle hit Payne for a 14 yard gain to the one, but Payne fumbled the ball with Poppen recovering the ball in the end zone. Lahey would score later in the quarter with a touchdown pass to Kean Stancil. Michael Metter’s 40 yard field goal with 2:48 left in the game ended the scoring.
Chapman’s Michael Lahey went 14 of 28 for 206 yards and a touchdown pass, but also ran 14 times for 60 yards and two scores. Cody Chapple had 11 carries for 51 yards as well. Blayr Jimmerson led Chapman in receiving with 4 catches for 65 yards and Spencer Jordan caught 2 passes for 62 yards.
Sam Riddle went 22 of 36 for 279 yards and 4 touchdowns passes for Linfield. Riddle also ran 9 times for 62 yards and another score. Spencer Payne was the top rusher with 86 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries and also had 3 catches for 31 yards. Tavon Willis had 75 yards on 18 carries. Charlie Poppen had 10 catches for 158 yards and 2 touchdowns and Evan Peterson caught 4 passes for 50 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Texas Lutheran (9-1) at Mary Hardin-Baylor (10-0)
The game between Texas Lutheran and Mary Hardin-Baylor was delayed from Saturday to Sunday due to lightning. The game got underway twice on Saturday before lightning strikes forced the game to be finished on Sunday.
Mary Hardin-Baylor (11-0) survived a stern test from Texas Lutheran (9-2) with a interception on the final play to preserve the 27-20 win.
The portion on Saturday got started with TLU moving down the field on the opening drive of the game with Trenton White hitting Caleb Oliver for a 40 yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. The Crusaders responded right away with Zach Anderson and Wykeyhe Walker connecting on a 73 yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7. The Cru appeared to have taken the lead with a pick six by Kris Brown, but a holding call took that off the board and TLU would hit a 39 yard field goal later in the drive for a 10-7 lead.
The Crusaders struck quickly again to start the second quarter. Anderson found Kamray Runnels for a 33 yard touchdown to take a 14-10 lead. A few minutes later, the game would be delayed for the first time due to a lightning strike. Over 6 hours later, play resumed only to be delayed again due to more lightning. The game was postponed with Texas Lutheran at the UMHB 28 yard line.
Once play began again, TLU tried a 45 yard field goal but it was short. The Bulldogs had another chance at the end of the first half, but the 30 yard attempt was wide right. At halftime the Crusaders held a 14-10 lead.
Mary Hardin-Baylor started brightly in the second half, but a failed fourth down attempt at the TLU 25 resulted in no points. The Crusaders would extend the lead to 21-10 with Runnels returning a punt 65 yards for a touchdown. The Bulldogs added a 30 yard field goal at the end of the third quarter to make it 21-13.
The Crusaders turned a Trenton White interception into a touchdown with Duane Thompson running in from three yards out. That made it 27-13, but the Crusaders had to sweat it out. Texas Lutheran took their following drive down the field for a score thanks to White’s 5 yard touchdown pass to Colby Ginn. However, it took 9:31 off the clock and left just 1:36 on the clock. The ensuing onside kick was recovered by the Crusaders, but TLU had one final chance. After getting down to the UMHB 31 yard line, White put up a pass that was intercepted at the two yard line by Kris Brown.
White went 12 of 28 for 144 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He had 12 carries for 67 yards, but Marquis Barrolle was a workhorse for the Bulldogs. He carried the ball 50 times for 224 yards and caught 6 passes for 40 yards. The top receiver for TLU was Caleb Oliver with 4 catches for 90 yards and a score. The Bulldogs held the ball for 48:22 of the 60 minutes, but the Crusaders were efficient with their offense.
Zach Anderson went 6 of 12 for 166 yards with 2 touchdowns. He was also the leading rusher for UMHB with 7 carries for 54 yards. Malcolm Miller had 5 carries for 48 yards. Wykeyhe Walker’s one catch for 73 yards and a touchdown was enough to lead the team. Kamray Runnels also caught 3 passes for 61 yards and a score while also returning a punt for a touchdown.
Wesley Bracket
Hampden-Sydney (7-3) at Wesley (9-1)
Wesley (10-1) dropped 42 points in the first quarter to coast home to a 52-7 victory over Hampden-Sydney (7-4) in their first round matchup. Joe Callahan threw 5 touchdown passes, 4 of those to Steve Koudossou, to lead Wesley to the easy win.
The Wolverines got 4 touchdown passes from Callahan while the defense had two pick sixes in the first 15 minutes to route the Tigers. The first touchdown was Callahan to Steve Koudossou from 25 yards out. The next touchdown was the same two hooking up, but this time for 75 yards. Sosthene Kapepula picked off Nash Nance’s pass to return the ball 44 yards for a touchdown. Callahan made it 28-0 with his 9 yard touchdown pass to Xavier Allen, which was followed up by Brenton Barnes’ 18 yard pick six. Callahan and Koudossou connected for a third time in the first quarter, this time from 59 yards out, to complete the first quarter destruction of the Tigers.
The second quarter was far less exciting though Hampden-Sydney finally got on the board early in the quarter with Nance hitting Joey Kernan for a 13 yard touchdown. That would be cancelled out late in the first half with Callahan finding Koudossou for the fourth time in the half from 79 yards out.
The only scoring of the second half fell to Wesley’s field goal kicker Eric Speidel knocking the ball through from 31 yards to take the game to 52-7.
Nash Nance was completely ineffective for Hampden-Sydney by going 17 of 43 for 181 yards. He threw one touchdown pass, but threw SIX interceptions including two for touchdowns. The top rusher for the Tigers was Brady Macko at 13 yards on 9 carries. Austin Perryman had 3 catches for 57 yards.
Wesley quarterback Joe Callahan went 14 of 28 for 336 yards with 5 touchdowns and one interception. Ben Martin ran 12 times for 103 yards, but the best stat line of the game (and day) went to Steve Koudossou. He caught 4 passes for 238 yards and 4 touchdowns!
MIT (9-0) at Husson (8-1)
MIT (10-0) needed overtime to beat Husson (8-2) on the road 27-20. Peter Williams‘ 13 yard touchdown pass to Seve Esparrago ended up being the difference.
MIT’s first playoff appearance got off to a rocky start with Williams throwing a 47 yard pick six to Husson’s Kenny Sweet on the third play from scrimmage. That bad play was cancelled out by Justin Wallace’s 72 yard scamper on the next drive for MIT to tie the game at 7. Both teams settled down on defense after that to end the first quarter in a 7-7 tie.
Husson’s first drive of the second quarter resulted in a touchdown pass from Joe Seccareccia to Deon Wiggins from 33 yards out to take a 14-7 lead. MIT answered back with a 24 yard field goal from Tucker Cheyne to make it 14-10. The MIT defense intercepted Seccareccia at the MIT 6 yard line to keep the game at 14-10 going into the halftime break.
The third quarter showed off both defenses again with MIT’s showing incredible resilience. A muffed punt was recovered by Husson at the MIT 23 yard line. On fourth and 8 from the 21 yard line, the Engineers forced an incompletion to get the ball back. The following Husson drive ended up at the MIT 15 yard line, but Seccareccia could not get the first down on the run and MIT continued to trail by 4 at 14-10. Those defensive stops ignited the offense to go on an 87 yard drive. Williams completed a 6 yard touchdown pass to Brad Goldsberry to make it 17-14 in favor of MIT.
The fourth quarter opened up with Husson’s defense making a big stop. On fourth and one from the Husson 14, MIT’s Justin Wallace was stuffed for a two yard loss. Just like MIT, that ignited Husson’s offense to go down the field and score. Seccareccia connected with Wiggins for a 14 yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked by Matt Iovino and that would loom large with the score at 20-17. The following drive by MIT ended in a lost fumble, but Husson’s drive ended with a turnover on downs.
With just 48 seconds left, MIT needed to get into field goal range to tie the game. Peter Williams hit Goldsberry twice in three plays to get down to the Husson 41 yard line. A 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Husson put the Engineers in field goal position. Tucker Cheyne would make the 38 yard field goal to send the game into overtime.
MIT started the OT period on offense. After a 7 yard rush by Williams on third and 5, he hit Seve Esparrago for a 13 yard touchdown and the eventual 27-20 win. Husson had a chance on their possession, but Seccareccia’s pass was incomplete to Josiah Hartley and MIT held on for the win.
Peter Williams went 20 of 29 for 291 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Justin Wallace had a big game on the ground by running for 144 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Seve Esparrago led the team with 7 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown. Harris Stolzenberg caught 4 catches for 64 yards and Brad Goldsberry had 6 catches for 58 yards and a score.
Husson’s Joe Seccareccia went 10 of 23 for 140 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception. John Smith’s massive running performance of 264 yards on 52 rushes ended up for naught with the loss. Josiah Hartley had 3 catches for 60 yards while Deon Wiggins caught 3 passes for 58 yards and 2 scores.
Rowan (7-3) at Johns Hopkins (10-0)
Johns Hopkins was able to hold off Rowan in the fourth quarter to win 24-16. Braden Anderson threw for 286 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Blue Jays to a 24-16 win in the first round of the playoffs.
The Blue Jays started the game well by taking a 14-0 lead after the first quarter. After a lost fumble by Rowan, Anderson hit Quinn Donaldson for a 31 yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. The Blue Jays should have gone up 14-0, but Brandon Cherry fumbled on the doorstep of the Rowan end zone and the ball was recovered by Rowan. The lead was eventually doubled when Anderson found Ryan Finkel for a 48 yard score.
Rowan got on the board in the second quarter with Bill McCarty hitting Russ Forchion for a 12 yard touchdown. The Profs cut the deficit to four after a lost fumble by Donaldson was turned into a 26 yard field goal by Tyler Knighten. The first half ended with the Blue Jays leading 14-10 over Rowan.
Johns Hopkins made a statement to start the third quarter with a 10 play, 65 yard drive to take a 21-10 lead. Anderson hooked up with Donaldson for the second time with an 8 yard touchdown. It would not be until late in the third quarter that the next score was on the board. JHU hit a 39 yard field goal to take a 24-10 lead into the final 15 minutes.
Rowan had a chance to get back in the game with just over 3 minutes remaining. On fourth and goal from the 7, McCarty’s pass was incomplete while JHU ran another minute off the clock. Rowan did score a touchdown on the next drive with McCarty connecting with Warren Oliver for a 10 yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked, but it would not matter as JHU recovered the onside kick.
Bill McCarty went 24 of 44 for 201 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead Rowan. Withler Marcelin had 136 yards on the ground with Russ Forchion catching 15 passes for 100 yards and a score.
Johns Hopkins’ Braden Anderson went 27 of 36 for 286 yards with 3 touchdowns and a pick. Brandon Cherry ran 13 times for 52 yards. Quinn Donaldson caught 7 passes for 105 yards and two scores while Bradley Munday had 11 catches for 77 yards. Ryan Finkel added in 3 catches for 60 yards and a score.
Ithaca (7-3) at Hobart (10-0)
Hobart erased a 12 point halftime deficit against Ithaca to win their first round matchup 22-15. Hobart was able to overcome three Patrick Conlan thrown interceptions with Conlan throwing 207 yards in the win.
The first half was marred by turnovers, missed opportunities, and general miscues. Hobart’s Conlan fumbled the ball, but Ithaca missed a 38 yard field goal on their ensuing drive to keep it scoreless. Conlan threw an interception on the next drive that turned into a touchdown for Ithaca in the form of Tom Dempsey’s 21 yard touchdown pass to Chris Bauer. However, the extra point was no good and Ithaca led 6-0.
In the second quarter, Conlan threw a second interception, which turned into a field goal for Ithaca. It would be 12-0 on the following drive for Ithaca with Garrett Nicholson hitting a 31 yard field goal. Conlan threw his third first half interception, this time at the Ithaca 21 yard line with 1:21 left in the first half. Ithaca held a 12-0 lead at the break.
Hobart missed a field goal early in the third quarter as nothing seemed to be going their way. Things began to look up on their following drive following Alex Furtado’s one yard touchdown plunge to make it 12-7. That would be the score after the first 45 minutes, but the last quarter produced an exciting finish.
Ithaca opened the quarter with their third field goal of the game from 23 yards out to make it 15-7. Hobart responded immediately with Conlan running the ball in for a 2 yard touchdown and doing the same on the two point conversion to tie the game at 15 apiece. With 5:15 left in the game, Hobart gained possession of the ball on their own 28 following a punt. Hobart converted all three third downs including the final one with Conlan getting in from a yard out. That made it 22-15, but more importantly, they ran 5:02 off the clock to clinch the win.
Tom Dempsey led Ithaca by going 16 of 31 for 178 yards and a touchdown. Josh Oliver ran 17 times for 50 yards while Chris Bauer caught 4 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Patrick Conlan overcame his horrendous first half in which he threw three interceptions and lost a fumble by running for two scores. He went 17 of 29 for 201 yards with no touchdowns and those four turnovers. He was also the leading rusher with 62 yards and 2 touchdowns on 20 carries. Conner Hartigan added 53 yards rushing on 17 carries. Chris Cyr had 3 catches for 65 yards with John Fasano catching 5 passes for 58 yards.
Mount Union Bracket
Benedictine (IL) (6-4) at Wheaton (IL) (10-0)
Wheaton (IL) (11-0) did not have much trouble with Benedictine (IL) (6-5) as they waltzed in their first round game to a 43-14 win. Johnny Peltz had 307 yards and 3 touchdowns on offense to lead the Thunder to the second round.
After forcing a three and out, Wheaton took their first possession down the field for a score with Danny Puknaitis running in from three yards out to take a 7-0 lead. The lead became 14-0 when Peltz threw a 12 yard touchdown to Luke Thorson on the following drive.
The Thunder embarked on a 16 play, 79 yard drive to end the first quarter and start the second. Jesse Geary pounded it in from 4 yards out for a 21-0 Thunder lead. The Eagles had a chance to cut into that 21 point margin, but Ryan Keener’s pass on fourth and goal from the 5 was incomplete. They would get a score late in the first half when Keener found Greg German for a 12 yard touchdown. The Thunder cancelled that touchdown out with Peltz and Thorson connecting for a 16 yard touchdown late in the quarter. That made it 28-7 at the break.
Wheaton mustered just a field goal early in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 31-7. A Geary fumble turned into a 58 yard touchdown pass from Keener to Jake Valas. The Eagles went for and recovered the onside kick, but Kenner threw an interception to stem the momentum.
The fourth quarter began with Peltz running for a two yard touchdown and a 37-14 lead for the Thunder after a blocked extra point. Puknaitis made it 43-14 with a 2 yard touchdown run, but once again the extra point was blocked. Benedictine’s Jarrett Lecas blocked both of the extra points.
Ryan Keener went 22 of 41 for 259 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions for Benedictine. Artie Monaco was the leading rusher with just 38 yards on 11 carries. Jake Valas was the top receiver for the Eagles with 5 catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. Max Seibert had 7 catches for 67 yards.
Wheaton’s Johnny Peltz went 21 of 29 for 217 yards with 2 touchdowns. He also ran for 90 yards and a touchdown on 20 rushing attempts. Danny Puknaitis ran 18 times for 121 yards and 2 scores. Jesse Geary finished with 74 yards and a score on 12 carries. Luke Thorson was the top receiver with 111 yards and 2 touchdowns on 7 catches. Keegan Kemp had 8 catches for 76 yards.
Centre (10-0) at John Carroll (9-1)
John Carroll (10-1) got out to a 28-0 lead by the end of the first quarter and cruised from there to a 63-28 win over Centre (10-1).
John Carroll started off as well as you could with Kelly Culbertson returning the opening kick 94 yards for a touchdown. The lead was double on Centre’s first drive with Michael Hollins taking the interception thrown by Heath Haden back for a 43 yard touchdown. John Carroll did miss a field goal on their first drive, but Mark Myers‘ 12 yard touchdown pass to Marshall Howell and Tommy Michals‘ 60 yard touchdown run made it 28-0.
Centre got on the board early in the second quarter when Nolan Coulter’s fumble was recovered in the end zone by teammate Devin Hayes. Myers to Howell for 21 yards re-established the lead at 35-7 before another Michals touchdown run from a yard out made it 42-7. John Carroll went up 49-7 after Myers hit Brendan Carozzoni for an 8 yard touchdown before Coulter ran in from two yards out to make it 49-14 at the break.
The second half produced 14 points for each team to reach the 63-28 final. Centre blocked a punt for a touchdown and that was followed up by Myers and Michals connecting on a 12 yard touchdown pass. Coulter ran in for another two yard score before Myers and Carozzoni connected from three yards out to cap the scoring.
Devin Hayes went 14 of 29 for 224 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions for Centre. Max Mazza was his top go-to guy with 9 catches for 162 yards. Amoh Kumengisa ran 18 times for 76 yards. Coulter added in 22 carries for 39 yards and 2 scores.
John Carroll was led by Mark Myers going 24 of 30 for 264 yards and 5 touchdowns through the air. Tommy Michals ran for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns on 17 carries while also catching 5 passes for 28 yards and a touchdown. Marshall Howell had 5 catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns with Brendan Carozzoni had 5 catches for 67 yards and two scores.
Washington & Jefferson (9-1) at Wittenberg (9-1)
Washington & Jefferson (10-1) got out to a 17-3 lead and did not look back against Wittenberg (9-2), though there were some nervy moments. Wittenberg’s Zach Jenkins threw 8 interceptions to aid W&J in their victory.
The Presidents started well with a 5 yard touchdown pass from Pete Coughlin to Daniel Lis on their opening drive. Their lead double two drives later with Coughlin hitting Jesse Zubik for a 45 yard touchdown pass. W&J could have extended their lead, but their fourth and one pass on the Wittenberg 23 fell incomplete.
The second quarter opened up with a 26 yard field goal from W&J thanks to a lost fumble by Wittenberg late in the first quarter. Wittenberg came back with a field goal of their own to make it 17-3 with 11:20 left in the first half. Wittenberg could have cut the deficit in half late in the second quarter, but Zach Jenkins threw an interception in the end zone, which allowed the half to end 17-3 in favor of the Presidents.
The third quarter opened up with both teams trading field goals to make the score 20-6. Wittenberg’s second drive produced a 54 yard touchdown pass from Jenkins to Corey Stump and cut W&J’s lead to 20-13. Jenkins would set up the Presidents for a touchdown when he threw an interception that was returned down to Wittenberg’s two yard line. It took one play for Ryan Ruffing to make it 27-13.
A safety early in the fourth quarter made it a 27-15 game, but Jenkins threw yet another interception. That was also turned into a touchdown courtesy of Coughlin’s 7 yard run to make it 34-15. Wittenberg hit another field goal to make it 34-18, but the ensuing kickoff was returned 95 yards by Max Creighan to put the game out of reach. Jenkins would throw a late touchdown pass to Clay Mangen from a yard out to make it 41-25, but he threw an interception on the next drive following Wittenberg’s onside kick recovery.
Pete Coughlin went 22 of 40 for 236 yards with 2 touchdowns and a pick. He also ran for a touchdown. Zack Puckett and Ryan Ruffing both had 38 yards rushing with Ruffing having a rushing score. Jesse Zubik had 5 catches for 113 yards and a touchdown while Daniel Lis had 11 catches for 71 yards and a score.
Zack Jenkins went 28 of 56 for 393 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also had 8 interceptions!! Sean Gray ran 14 times for 82 yards with Jimmy Dehnke running 13 times for 52 yards. Zach Culvahouse caught 10 passes for 169 yards, Corey Stump had 5 catches for 100 yards plus a touchdown, and Luke Landis had 7 catches for 96 yards.
Adrian (8-2) at Mount Union (10-0)