By Matt Florjancic
D3sports.com
When Wes Chamblee was tackled on a kickoff return after Zack Harris kicked a 31-yard field goal with one second remaining in the fourth quarter, the Wittenberg Tigers became the first team in 22 regular season North Coast Athletic Conference games to defeat the Wabash Little Giants.
Ironically, the Tigers were the last NCAC team to defeat Wabash. On Oct. 14, 2006, Wittenberg won 19-17 on an Andy Vanover 13-yard touchdown run with 1:01 remaining in the game.
The last time Wabash was beaten by an NCAC team other than Wittenberg was on Oct. 30, 2004. The Little Giants dropped a 16-10 decision to Allegheny in overtime.
"It's not the first time we've beaten them," Wittenberg coach Joe Fincham joked Tuesday. "It's become the rivalry game in our league. I'm not exactly sure what our record is against them.
"I know that we've lost the last two years, but we were talking as a staff the other day," he added. "Our seniors have played them four times now and four years in a row, it came down to the last play of the game. We've won two of the last four years and they've won two. It's always a big win when you beat what's turned into our rival in the league."
With the win Saturday, the Tigers are now 7-6 all-time against Wabash.
"Coach Fincham was saying all week that this game's going to come down to about 8-10 plays depending on what happens on those plays," said Wittenberg sophomore linebacker Zach Hurtt. "We don't know what they are or when they're going to come. When I made those plays, I was pretty excited. They were big plays at big times."
The Tigers return home Saturday for their homecoming game against University Athletic Association power Carnegie Mellon.
Hurtt was a big part of Wittenberg's win over Wabash and is quietly putting together a solid season.
He had 12 tackles, including three for lost yardage against Wabash. For his efforts, Hurtt was named the NCAC Defensive Player of the Week.
Wittenberg's defense held Wabash to 29 rushing yards on 28 carries and 223 yards of total offense. The Little Giants came into the game No. 7 in the country in total offense.
"I try to keep the same routine each week," said Hurtt. "It's a big game, of course. I watched film every day, before and after practice to get to know my opponent and what they're trying to do against us. When it comes to the success that I had, I have to give all the credit to my defensive linemen and my linebacking corps. Without them taking on the offensive linemen, I wouldn't have been able to spring free and make plays."
Hurtt is second on the team in tackles. He has 35 total stops, including 23 solo tackles. Hurtt has one sack and an interception, which he returned for 15 yards in a 42-3 win over the Earlham Quakers two weeks ago.
"Zach's a young player who's had a great year," concluded Fincham. "He has a very good nose for the football. He has great football sense. He's playing with a lot of confidence right now. He tackles well and he gets himself into the right spots. He's athletic enough to make plays in space and he's physical enough to make plays off the line of scrimmage as well."
Of the final four games on Wittenberg's schedule, only one is on the road. In addition to the Carnegie Mellon game, the Tigers host Allegheny and Wooster to end the season.
The lone road game is on Oct. 31 at Denison.
"Coach has been talking about how we need to deal with our success thus far," said Hurtt. "I think Coach has done a good job of telling us that: 'We did a good job and that's behind us now. We've got to focus on the next one.' The team's being real mature about it. We're looking at the next time like it's a do-or-die situation."
"We hope there's more to come," said Fincham. "We talk as a football team about having great perspective and having maturity. As the week goes on, we'll start to rebound a little more emotionally and physically. Through the week, we'll continue to push hard from a mental standpoint and get ready for Carnegie. Hopefully, the physical and emotional stuff will continue to come back."
News and Notes
The Case Western Reserve University Spartans are off to another great start with quarterback Dan Whalen running the offense. As effective as Whalen's passing is, the Spartans used the running game to score the bulk of its points in a 55-7 victory over visiting Ohio Wesleyan last Saturday.
Case senior fullback Corey Checkan had five carries for 10 yards, but three of those runs went for touchdowns. Checkan, who checks in at 5-foot-8, 200 pounds, scored Case's first three touchdowns of the game. He now has 29 rushing touchdowns for his career.
Albion sophomore defensive back Chris Greenwood collected three interceptions in the Britons' 17-16 win over the Adrian Bulldogs. Greenwood had a 39-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter which put the Britons on the scoreboard and cut their deficit to 10-7. Greenwood closed out the victory with an interception in the game's final minute.
Olivet junior Cam Bramer had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in a loss to Trine. Bramer tied the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association record for the longest kickoff return. It was the MIAA's first 100-yard return since 1985 and only the fourth in league history.
For the second consecutive week, Ohio Northern junior quarterback Kyle Simmons was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week. Simmons completed 13 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns in Ohio Northern's 41-10 win over Marietta this past week. In a 38-7 win over Heidelberg the previous week, Simmons completed 20 passes for a career high 280 yards and one touchdown. He had ten carries for 76 yards and three touchdowns on ground.
Washington and Jefferson senior defensive tackle Brandon Bovina recovered a fumble in the end zone with 2:45 remaining in the Presidents' 21-7 victory over St. Vincent last Saturday at Chuck Noll Field. The win guaranteed Washington and Jefferson its 26th consecutive winning season.
Great Lakes Region Teams in D3football.com's Top 25
No. 1: Mount Union (OAC): No change following 44-14 win over Heidelberg
No. 10: Otterbein (OAC): Up three spots after 28-20 win over Wilmington
No. 11: Washington and Jefferson (PAC): Down two spots following 21-7 win over St. Vincent
No. 12: Case Western Reserve (UAA): No change after 55-7 home win over Ohio Wesleyan
No. 14: Capital (OAC): Up two spots following beating John Carroll 28-20
No. 18: Wabash (NCAC): Down eight spots after 10-7 home loss to No. 21 Wittenberg
No. 20: Ohio Northern (OAC): Down one spot following 41-10 win over Marietta
No. 21: Wittenberg (NCAC): Into the Top 25 after 10-7 road win at No. 18 Wabash
No. 23: Thomas More (PAC): Down two spots following 17-7 win over Grove City
Others Receiving Votes: Trine (MIAA)
Games of the Week
No. 18 Wabash (5-1, 3-1 NCAC) at Wooster (4-2, 3-0), Oct. 24, 1 p.m.: Wooster has a chance to give Wabash its first two-game NCAC losing streak in five seasons Saturday afternoon. With Wittenberg hosting Carnegie Mellon for a non-conference game, the Fighting Scots could claim a share of first place by beating the Little Giants.
No. 16 Capital (5-1, 4-1 OAC) at No. 13 Otterbein (6-0, 5-0), Oct. 24, 2 p.m. These crosstown rivals have taken turns spoiling each other's seasons in several sports over the years. Many times in the past, it was Otterbein who would rise up and defeat Capital.
Now, the Crusaders have a chance to return the favor. A win over the Cardinals would give Capital the inside track on second place in the Ohio Athletic Conference race. It would also force Otterbein into a must-win situation over the final three weeks of the season against Marietta, Mount Union and John Carroll.
