/playoffs/2015/roundup-second-round

Wabash wins an epic; Wesley holds on; Tommies roll Johnnies again

More news about: Linfield | St. Thomas | Wabash | Wesley

Ryan Bradley takes a pass from John Gould 42 yards for a touchdown for St. Thomas vs. St. John's.
Photo by Caleb Williams, d3photography.com
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Wabash knocked the ball loose in overtime and Ethan Buresh returned it 76 yards for the winning touchdown.
Photo by Steve Frommell, d3photography.com
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Ethan Buresh returned a fumble 76 yards for a touchdown in overtime as Wabash rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to end Thomas More's run, 33-27. St. Thomas rolled past archrival St. John's, while UW-Whitewater kept its title defense alive as two WIAC teams remained in the playoffs. 

The Little Giants (12-0) trailed 27-13 early in the half after Thomas More posted a 21-point second quarter. But Andrew Tutsie hit two field goals, sandwiched around a 31-yard strike from Connor Rice to Mason Zurek to tie the game with 55 seconds left.

Thomas More (11-1) got the ball first in overtime and Tyler McCullen strip-sacked Brenan Kuntz, followed by Buresh's scoop, sprint and score to end the game. The Little Giants overcame four interceptions by Rice, including one at the end of regulation.

St. Thomas made it 2-for-2 vs. its archrival, St. John's, as Jordan Roberts ran for three touchdowns in the first half to lead the Tommies to a 38-19 win. Already down 29-7, the Johnnies lost starting quarterback Nick Martin to injury and Johnny Benson threw two interceptions in relief.

Jordan Ratliffe ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns and the Warhawks (11-1) overcame 16 tackles by Wheaton linebacker Adam Dansdill as the No. 5-ranked Warhawks defeated the No. 6-ranked Thunder 31-17. UW-Whitewater got four fourth-down stops in the second half. The Thunder cut their deficit to two possessions with a field goal at the 7:42 mark in the fourth, but defensive lineman John Flood posted a sack on fourth down to give UW-Whitewater the ball back with 4:02 to play.

Sam Riddle didn't make it to the second half, but it didn't keep Linfield from advancing as the Wildcats defeated Cortland 38-22. Tom Knecht came on in relief and was 10-for-16 passing for two touchdowns, while the Linfield defense picked off Cortland quarterback Steven Ferreira three times and recorded eight sacks in the win. Riddle was injured late in the first half and came out of the locker room on crutches.

Brett Kasper threw for four touchdowns and Dylan Hecker ran for 98 yards and two scores as UW-Oshkosh advanced to the national quarterfinals with a 42-7 win vs. Ohio Northern. Ricardo Johnson was held to 71 yards on 10-for-20 passing and 153 yards of total offense in the loss. 

Wesley held on as Johns Hopkins scored 20 points in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines won 42-37, overcoming three early interceptions from Joe Callahan. Callahan completed 34 of his 47 passes for 469 yards and four touchdowns in the victory.

Zach Anderson threw for 293 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 78 yards and another score as Mary Hardin-Baylor defeated Huntingdon 43-23. The Hawks returned the opening kickoff to the 45-yard line and scored seven plays later to take an early lead and the Cru didn't put them away until Anderson found Wykeyhe Walker for a touchdown pass with 4:50 left in the game.

Mount Union advanced to the quarterfinal once again, rolling past Albright 66-7. Logan Nemeth ran for 185 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. Mike Vidal, Mike Furda and Tom Lally each had two and a half sacks, part of an 11-sack performance for the Purple Raiders defense.

Dec. 15: All times Eastern
Final
Cortland 38, at North Central (Ill.) 37
@ Salem, Virginia
Video Box Score Recap Photos
Dec. 9: All times Eastern
Final
North Central (Ill.) 34, at Wartburg 27
Box Score Recap
Final
Cortland 49, at Randolph-Macon 14
Box Score Recap Recap Recap Photos
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