Wabash 42, Ohio Wesleyan 28

Sept. 23, 2006

Dustin Huff threw for 416 yards and 5 touchdowns, overshadowing a record-setting performance by senior halfback Nick Rice (Dublin/Scioto), as Wabash defeated Ohio Wesleyan in the North Coast Athletic Conference opener for both teams on Saturday in Crawfordsville, Ind.

Huff showed signs of things to come when he connected with Ray Green for a 78-yard touchdown on the second play from scrimmage.

Later in the first quarter, Huff hit Mike Russell for 28 yards, giving the Little Giants a first down at the Ohio Wesleyan 12-yard line, and on the next play, Huff took it in himself for a 14-0 Wabash lead with 1:55 left in the period.

Rice broke loose for a 48-yard gain on Ohio Wesleyan's next possession, then it was junior quarterback Steve Hymes (Barberton/Massillon Washington) connecting with junior split end Zach Dennis (Jefferson) for 14 yards and a first down at the Wabash 11. Hymes later ran for 8 yards and a first down at the Little Giant 1, and Rice got the final yard to put the Bishops on the scoreboard. The conversion by sophomore kicker Chris Kras (Aurora) brought the Bishops within 14-7.

Wabash turned aside an Ohio Wesleyan drive midway through the quarter when Matthew Kraft intercepted a Hymes pass at the Little Giant 15-yard line.

The Bishop defense returned the favor, ending Wabash's ensuing drive when junior linebackers Bo Mayer (Hilliard/Davidson) and Chad Ellis (Dublin/Scioto) dumped Billy King for a loss of 3 yards on a fourth-and-3 call from the Ohio Wesleyan 9-yard line with :58 left in the half. On third-and-2, sophomore linebacker Tommy Saunders (Gallipolis/Gallia Academy) had tripped up King for a loss of 1 yard. The defensive stand kept Ohio Wesleyan within a touchdown at 14-7 at the intermission.

Kraft foiled another Ohio Wesleyan drive in the third quarter, recovering Hymes' fumble at the Wabash 30 as the Bishops were threatening to go in for the tying score.

The Little Giants moved into Bishop territory when Huff found King for 35 yards, Huff later capped the drive with a scoring pass to Graham Nelson on third-and-2 from the Ohio Wesleyan 9.

Rice silenced the partisan Wabash crowd, however, by returning the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, once again bringing the Bishops within 7 points. Rice's scoring jaunt equals the longest kickoff return on record at Ohio Wesleyan, matching the 95-yard gallop by Bob McFarland against Otterbein on Oct. 4, 1947.

Wabash struck back nearly as quickly, with Huff finding Mike Russell for a 47-yard scoring play on the second play from scrimmage.

The Bishops answered with a trademark Ohio Wesleyan drive, covering 79 yards in 13 plays and chewing more than 6 minutes off the clock. Hymes finished off the march with a 7-yard scoring run that brought Ohio Wesleyan within 28-21 on the first play of the fourth quarter. Key plays during the drive included a pair of third-down rushes by Rice that netted first downs, one for 10 yards on third-and-5 from the Wabash 42 and one for 3 yards on third-and-1 from the Little Giant 10.

Huff and Geoff Walker teamed up for a pair of completions on Wabash's next drive, starting the possession with a 20-yard pass play and ending it with a 21-yard scoring play that increased the Little Giant lead to 35-21 with 11:38 left in regulation time.

After forcing the Bishops to punt, the Little Giants tacked on some insurance when Huff and Nelson again teamed up for a pair of completions, the second of which covered 22 yards for a touchdown that gave Wabash a 42-21 lead with 5:44 to go.

Hymes marched the Bishops downfield once more, along the way finding Dennis for 11 yards on a third-and-5 play from the Wabash 21, before connecting with sophomore halfback Joey Riley (Grove City) for a 6-yard touchdown that accounted for the 42-28 final.

Huff completed 22 of 28 passes for 416 yards and 5 touchdowns. Seven completions went to Walker for 96 yards, while Russell caught 7 passes for 127 yards and Nelson had 3 catches for 45 yards and 2 touchdowns. King led the Little Giants with 70 yards on 11 rushes.

Hymes had an outstanding day as well, completing 16 of 20 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 78 yards on 18 carries. Dennis caught 6 passes for 77 yards and sophomore tight end Terrance Raeford (Brookline, Mass./Chesire Academy) had 5 receptions for 27 yards.

Rice led all rushers with 101 yards on 17 carries, and returned 5 kicks for a school-record 144 yards.

Defensive standouts for the Bishops included senior defensive back Kyle Sherman (Plain City/Dublin Scioto), who had a team-high 10 tackles; Saunders, who made 8 stops; senior end Owen Case (Marion/River Valley), who had 7 tackles, including a sack; and sophomore cornerback Ryan Ellis (Columbus/Dublin Scioto), who had 6 tackles and an interception.

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