The Wittenberg Tigers ambushed a second straight opponent,
streaking out to a 21-0 lead before the end of the first quarter en
route to a 52-0 whitewashing of visiting North Coast Athletic
Conference (NCAC) rival Ohio Wesleyan.
Wittenberg improved to 2-0 on the young season, while the Battling
Bishops dropped to 0-2. It was the fourth straight win by
Wittenberg over Ohio Wesleyan, and the third consecutive shutout in
the series. It was the widest margin of victory in the series,
which dates back to 1894, since a 63-0 Wittenberg win in 2003.
Plenty of different Tiger players got into the act, starting with
senior tailback Corey Weber on a three-yard run to cap a 71-yard
drive at the 10:12 mark of the first quarter. Weber went on to add
a touchdown run late in the first quarter and a 28-yard touchdown
reception midway through the second quarter.
Weber was outdone, however, by senior wide receiver Anthony
Kralich, who enjoyed his most productive day as a collegian. It
started with a 96-yard touchdown catch at the 8:56 mark of the
first quarter and it continued with a seven-yard scoring catch that
made it 35-0 late in the second quarter. He finished with four
catches for 150 yards and his first two touchdowns since his
freshman year.
Rounding out the scoring were junior tailback Conner Warye and
sophomore tailback Josh Boggan, in addition to sophomore kicker
Sean Williams, who tacked on a 20-yard field goal.
Weber, Warye and Boggan were part of a rushing attack that
accumulated 234 yards on 47 carries, with 24 of those coming from
junior quarterback Ben Zoeller. He did most of his damage, however,
through the air, posting his first 300-yard passing game on just 13
completions. In addition to Kralich, he kept junior wide receiver
Josh McKee busy with five catches for 100 yards.
The Tiger defense was outstanding, holding its second straight
opponent to less than 150 yards in total offense. Senior linebacker
Brad McKinley led with 10 tackles, while senior linebacker Ben
Maxwell added seven tackles, including a sack, and a pass broken
up. Also of note was the play of sophomore defensive back Karlos
Marshall, who registered his first collegiate interception to go
along with a pair of pass break-ups.
Wittenberg wraps up a season-opening three-game homestand on
Saturday, Sept. 18, against Washington University. Kick time is
noon.