Wabash 29, Ohio Wesleyan 7

Oct. 1, 2005

Wabash used a pair of gadget plays to take a 13-0 halftime lead and the Little Giants went on to defeat Ohio Wesleyan in the Bishops' North Coast Athletic Conference opener on Saturday at Selby Field.

Pinned on their own 15-yard line after a Bishop punt, the Little Giants assembled an efficient drive on their first possession of the game. Wabash converted a pair of third-down situations and picked up another first down when Russ Harbaugh connected with Kyle Piazza for 14 yards to put the ball at the Bishop 38-yard line. After Don Juan Brown picked up 2 yards on first down, the Little Giants handed the ball to Brandon Roop running left, but Roop pulled up and threw a halfback option pass to Mike Russell down the left sideline for 36 yards and a touchdown to cap a 10-play, 85-yard drive. Chad Finley's conversion kick gave Wabash a 7-0 lead.

Ohio Wesleyan picked up a first down on each of its next 2 possessions, but the Bishops could not sustain a drive to even the score.

Late in the period, Harbaugh led Wabash on another drive, converting 3 straight third-down opportunities, including a 19-yard completion to Brown on third-and-19 from the Wabash 46. The drive ended, however, when senior tackle Steve Greene (Mansfield/Senior) recovered Brown's fumble at the Ohio Wesleyan 18-yard line.

With time running out in the first half, Wabash got the ball on its own 36-yard line. On first down, Harbaugh fired a pass to Geoff Walker, who got loose for 46 yards down the left sideline, moving the ball to the Bishop 18. The drive bogged down there, though, and facing a fourth-and-6 from the Ohio Wesleyan 14-yard line with just over a minute left in the half, the Little Giants brought on the field goal team.

Piazza, who was lined up on the left end of the Wabash line for the field goal attempt, instead cut across the middle, took a shovel pass from holder Geoff Walker and found his way into the end zone to give the Little Giants a 13-0 lead. Finley's conversion kick was wide, and the score stayed at 13-0.

On Ohio Wesleyan's next possession, junior halfback Nick Rice (Dublin/Scioto) rushed for 6 yards on third-and-8 from the Bishop 17, and the Little Giants called time out with :27 left to force the Bishops to punt.

The move backfired, though, when Walker fumbled Smiley's punt at the Little Giant 39-yard line and freshman linebacker Kenny Williams (Queens Village, N.Y./Christ the King) recovered at the Wabash 43 with :19 to play.

On first down, senior quarterback Ryan Sir Louis (Hinckley/Highland) looked for freshman fullback Calvin Willis (Hanford, Calif./West) over the middle, but Wabash's Billy King went up with Willis at the Wabash 20 and ended up with the ball, ending the Bishop threat.

Wabash got the ball to open the second half and struck quickly, with Harbaugh connecting with Eric Summers down the right sideline for 58 yards and a score. The Little Giants went for a 2-point conversion, but the try failed when Harbaugh lost his balance after the snap, keeping the score at 19-0.

The Little Giants assembled another lengthy drive later in the period, eating up 8:04 during a 16-play, 73-yard march that culminated in a 24-yard Finley field goal that gave Wabash a 22-0 lead.

Wabash added a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The Little Giants recovered a Sir Louis fumble at the Ohio Wesleyan 20, setting up a 7-yard run by Chris Ogden.

Ohio Wesleyan answered with a long march of its own, with sophomore quarterback Steve Hymes (Barberton/Massillon Washington) picking up 10 yards on third-and-7 from the Ohio Wesleyan 30, then finding Rice for 5 yards on fourth-and-4 from the Wabash 43. Hymes connected with sophomore split end Zach Dennis (Jefferson) for 19 yards to move the ball to the Wabash 1-yard line, setting up a 2-yard plunge by freshman fullback Evan Walker (Fairlawn/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy).

Sir Louis completed 4 of 9 passes for 15 yards, while Hymes completed 5 of 7 throws for 38 yards. Rice caught 5 passes for 17 yards and Dennis had 3 catches for 19 yards. Hymes also led the Bishops with 17 yards on 6 rushes.

Junior end Owen Case (Marion/River Valley) led the Bishops with 12 tackles, including 2 for loss and a sack. Sophomore cornerback Josh Wheeler (Columbus/Dublin Scioto) had 11 stops, sophomore linebacker Chad Ellis (Dublin/Scioto) made 9 tackles; senior safety Jeff King (Sidney/Piqua) contributed 7 tackles and broke up a pass; and senior end Cisco Clervoix (Naples, Fla.) had 6 tackles, including 1 for loss.

Harbaugh completed 21 of 29 passes for 290 yards, with Summers making 5 catches for 101 yards and Piazza hauling in 5 passes for 56 yards. Roop led the Little Giants with 98 yards on 19 carries.

Peter Kempf led Wabash with 7 tackles, including 1 for loss and half a sack. Josh Foster had 6 stops, including 2 for loss; and Jared Lange also had 6 stops, including 2 for loss.

Back to the top Battling Bishop Athletics page
   
Season Overviews | Fall Schedules | Winter Schedules | Spring Schedules
Team Rosters | Team Statistics | Coaching Staff | Facilities & Maps
Sports Releases | History | Questionnaires | Photo Galleries | "W" Association
 
OWU Home | Search | Info & Tickets | Fall Scores | Winter Scores | Spring Scores
 
Sports Information | Tel: 740-368-3698 | E-Mail: owusport@owu.edu
Mowry Alumni Center, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH 43015
 
What do you think about this site? Fill out a quick feedback form.
 
Copyright © 2005 Ohio Wesleyan University. All rights reserved.
Send Web site questions and comments to websrvcs@owu.edu.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Issues | Affirmative Action