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#4 Wesley Finishes Off #7 Hobart; Advances to 6th NCAA Semifinal

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DOVER, Del. – Wesley College's fourth-ranked football team scored 21-straight points to end the game and defeat No. 7 Hobart, 41-13, on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Scott D. Miller Stadium.  The Wolverines improve to 12-1 on the season and advance to their sixth NCAA Semifinal next Saturday, December 13 where they will take on third-ranked Mount Union at 12 pm.  The loss was the Statesmen first of the season and they finish the year at 12-1.

After Hobart cut Wesley's lead to 20-13 with 5:42 remaining in the third, Joe Callahan orchestrated a nine play drive that traveled 64 yards and took nearly five minutes before hitting Steve Koudossou for a 60-yard touchdown pass. 

Hobart recovered its own fumbled snap on their next play from scrimmage but linebackers Sosthene Kapepula and Jordan Wescott made tackles on the next two plays to force a three-and-out. The bouncing punt gave Wesley the ball at the 10-yardline but Callahan once again led a long drive for a touchdown.

Matt Bundy drew a pass interference call on the Wolverines first play of the drive and caught a nine yard pass to get the ball to the 39-yardline.  From there, running back Jamar Baynard and Callahan ran five-straight plays before a 37-yard strike to Koudossou from Callahan got Wesley inside the 5-yardline.  Baynard then took the handoff three yards for his second score of the game.

Defensive backs Leroy Cheatham and Joe Brown intercepted Hobart quarterback Patrick Conlan on back-to-back drives and Callahan made the Statesmen pay once again, hitting Kyle George from 19 yards out with 3:01 left in the game to finish off Hobart for good.

Callahan threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns on the day, breaking Chris Warrick's single-season record for passing yards (3,750).  Callahan also extended his own single-season record for touchdown passes (45) while Koudossou, Wesley's all-time leading receiver, caught five passes for 125 yards and a score. Bryce Shade (5 rec., 68 yds) and George (4 rec., 48 yds) also came up big on the receiving end.

Running the ball, Baynard took 21 carries for 78 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Picking off Conlan (8-of-24, 74 yards) three times as well as Sean Hopkins' 42-yard fumble return for a touchdown late in the first quarter, Wesley now has a school-record 29 interceptions and 51 takeaways.  Parker Thelander, Hobart's punter, led the Statesmen with 39 yards rushing with 41 of those yards coming on a fake punt. Hobart finished with just 163 yards of total offense.

Following Hopkins' return for a score to make it 10-0, Hobart answered with a touchdown but Baynard answered with a touchdown run just before the half to make the score 17-6 at the break.  Eric Speidel drilled a 24-yard field goal, his second of the game, with 10:26 remaining in the third before Hobart closed to within seven on its next possession.

Kapepula led Wesley with a season-high 13 tackles while tying Wescott (eight tackles) with a team-high 1.5 coming for a loss. Payton Rose and Aamir Petrose also had a TFL apiece while combining for 12 tackles.

Hobart was led defensively by Tyre Coleman who recorded six tackles for loss with a pair of sacks and a forced fumble.

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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