Oberlin 28, Ohio Wesleyan 15

Oct. 4, 2008

Senior running back Kyle Adams (North Canton/Hoover) scored on a 2-yard run to bring Ohio Wesleyan within 21-15 late in the third quarter, but Oberlin repelled a Bishop threat and added an insurance score to hold on for a North Coast Athletic Conference win on Saturday in Oberlin.

The Bishops took an early 6-0 lead late in the first quarter when freshman running back Raymon Beach (Landover, Md./Crossland) scored on a 7-yard run, capping an 81-yard drive. Sophomore quarterback Mike Fisher (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) had kept the drive alive with a 9-yard strike to sophomore tight end Danny Flanegan (Mansfield/Ontario) on third-and-7 from the Ohio Wesleyan 22, and Fisher moved the chains with an 11-yard run, a 38-yard connection with freshman tight end Pat Embleton (Chesterland/Gilmour Academy), and another 11-yard run of his own for a first down at the Oberlin 11. Adams moved the ball to the 7 before Beach went over from there with 3:12 left in the first quarter. Senior Chris Kras (Aurora) misfired on the point after try and the score remained 6-0 in the Bishops' favor.

Oberlin tied the game on a 40-yard run by running back R.V. Carroll early in the second quarter, capping a 49-yard drive in which Carroll gained all 49 yards. The Yeomen went for 2, with quarterback Bryan Thompson scoring on the conversion for an 8-6 lead with 11:37 left in the half.

The Yeomen took the lead for good later on in the period, assembling a 78-yard, 17-play drive. Taking over on their own 22, the Yeomen got a first down on a pass interference penalty, then moved the chains again on Carroll's 5-yard run on second-and-4. Quarterback Greg Mangan found tight end J.J. Hepp for 15 yards and a first down in Ohio Wesleyan territory before Carroll reeled off an 11-yard gain for a first down at the Bishop 30. Facing a third-and-11 from the 31, Mangan found Mike Loll for 10 yards, with junior safety Daniel DeLay (Pine, Colo./Conifer) and freshman cornerback Eli Cowan (Galena/Columbus DeSales) making the stop short of the first down, but the Yeomen went for it on fourth down, with Carroll picking up 5 yards to the Bishop 16-yard line. Mangan found Loll for a first down at the Ohio Wesleyan 5, and after a pass interference penalty, connected with Loll again for a 1-yard touchdown pass with :12 left before halftime. The Yeomen went for 2 again, but Thompson's pass attempt failed, and Oberlin led, 14-6, at the intermission.

Ohio Wesleyan took the second half kickoff and marched down the field, with Beach rumbling for 17 yards and a first down before Adams exploded for 29 yards and a first down at the Oberlin 19-yard line. The Bishop drive stalled at the 12-yard line, and Kras came on to boot a 29-yard field goal that brought the Bishops within 14-9.

Oberlin answered with a scoring drive of its own, picking up 29 yards on 4 straight carries by Carroll before Mangan took over, hitting running back Wayne Mundekis for gains of 9 and 3 yards before finding Loll on a 17-yard scoring play for a 20-9 Oberlin lead midway through the third quarter. Zach Richard's successful point after gave the Yeomen a 21-9 advantage.

Not to be outdone, the Bishops countered with another scoring drive. Fisher picked up 8 key yards on third-and-8 from the Ohio Wesleyan 40, then hit Flanegan for 6 yards and another first down before a 10-yard gain by Adams moved the ball to the Oberlin 30. A personal foul on Oberlin moved the Bishops to the Yeomen 16-yard line, and a pair rushes by Beach set up first-and-goal at the Oberlin 2, with Adams going over from there to bring Ohio Wesleyan within 21-15 with 3:46 left in the third quarter. Kras came on to kick the point after, but his try failed.

Oberlin got the better of a trade of punts, with the Yeomen downing the ball at the Ohio Wesleyan 1-yard line early in the fourth quarter, but Fisher worked the Bishops out of that jam with a 29-yard gain on first down, moving the ball out to the 30-yard line. Two plays later, however, sophomore running back Mickey Gies (West Palm Beach, Fla./Seminole Ridge) fumbled at the 33-yard line, Oberlin linebacker Austin Richards recovered the ball and returned it for a touchdown. Richard's conversion kick gave the Yeomen a 28-15 lead with 9:26 to go in regulation time, and while the Bishops would have 3 more possessions, they were not able to drive into Oberlin territory.

Adams led the Bishops with 100 yards on 15 carries, while Fisher finished with 71 yards on 14 carries and completed 9 of 20 passes for 107 yards. Embleton caught 3 passes for 51 yards, while Beach caught 3 passes for 14 yards.

Defensive standouts for Ohio Wesleyan included junior safety Rylan Mitter-Burke (Marlborough, Mass./Marlboro), who led the Bishops with 10 tackles and broke up a pass; sophomore linebacker Pete Merkle (Loveland), who made 9 stops; senior linebacker Tommy Saunders (Gallipolis/Gallia Academy), whose 7 tackles included 1 1/2 for loss; and Cowan, who had 7 tackles, including 1 for loss, and broke up a pass.

For Oberlin, Carroll led the way with 147 yards on 23 carries. Mangan completed 14 of 23 passes for 116 yards and 2 scores, with 7 of those passes caught by Loll for 55 yards and both touchdowns.

LaKristopher Devant led the Oberlin defense with 14 tackles, including a sack and 2 for loss, and broke up an Ohio Wesleyan pass.

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