Fighting Scots, Gators Both Trying to Stay in NCAC Title Contention

Will Miska

Two of the top teams in the North Coast Athletic Conference will battle this Saturday, Oct. 20, when The College of Wooster visits Allegheny College (4-2, 2-1 NCAC). Both enter the week in a tie for third-place in the league standings and still hold outside chances of earning a share of the NCAC championship. Revenge may be on Allegheny’s mind, as the Fighting Scots have won this match-up in the final seconds each of the last two seasons, using a 32-yard field goal with :02 left to prevail 37-34 in 2005 and a 43-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass as time expired to triumph by a 27-21 count in 2006. Kickoff at the Gators’ 3,500-seat Frank B. Fuhrer Field is at 1 p.m. EDT.

On the Air: Wooster’s football games can be heard live each week in the Wooster area on WKVX 960 AM, or anywhere in the world on the College’s Web site (www.wooster.edu/interactive/). This week’s game will be called by Ron Hamilton and Randy Worrell.

All-Time Series: Allegheny and Wooster have played 29 times on the gridiron, including every year since the NCAC was formed in 1984. Overall, the Gators lead the series 17-12, but the tide seems to have turned of late, with the Scots winning four of the last five. Also of note, home-field advantage has not meant much between these two, as Allegheny holds an 11-6 edge at John P. Papp Stadium and the teams have split 12 games in Meadville, Pa.

Last Week: On Oct. 13, Wooster scored two touchdowns early in the fourth quarter to take control against Hiram College, and the home-standing Scots went on to secure a 24-17 victory.

Hiram owned a 10-9 lead late in the third quarter. The game started to turn when defensive end Chris Wade (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Penn Hills) intercepted a pass at the line of scrimmage, giving Wooster the ball on the Terriers’ 42-yard line. On the very next play, Dustin Sheppard (Johnstown, Ohio / Johnstown-Monroe) burst to the right for a 17-yard run. Another first down came when Austin Holter (Johnstown, Ohio / Johnstown-Monroe) found Will Miska (Hillsborough, N.J. / Hillsborough) over the middle for 10 yards on 3rd-and-7. Three plays later, Holter fooled the Hiram defense with a no-look pitch to Sheppard, who got into the end zone untouched. Another Holter-to-Miska connection on the ensuing two-point conversion made it a 17-10 Scot lead.

The Wooster defense held Hiram to a three-and-out on the next drive, allowing the offense to take over on its 37-yard line. The Scots then reeled off four plays of 10 yards or more, including a 13-yard quarterback keeper by Holter and a 23-yard rush by Orlando Jones (Elyria, Ohio / Elyria) on the final two plays of the possession. It marked Jones’ first touchdown of the season and third of his career, as Wooster went ahead by 14 (24-10).

The Terriers would score their first offensive touchdown of the day late, but Luke McCann (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Keystone Oaks) recovered the ensuing on-side kick to seal the win.

During the first half, the Scots hurt themselves, turning the ball over four times. Wooster outgained Hiram by 78 yards (163-85), however, all it could muster was a 26-yard field goal by Andy Milligan (Orrville, Ohio / Orrville) midway through the first quarter. Following the Scots’ second interception, the Terriers had a short field to work with, but Wooster limited them to a 22-yard field goal for a 3-3 halftime tie.

Early in the third quarter, the Scots committed their fifth turnover and this time Hiram returned the pick 55 yards for a touchdown and a 10-3 lead. Wooster responded well, marching 59 yards over six plays, capped by a 29-yard touchdown reception by McCann from Holter. A bad snap on the point after, though, allowed the Terriers to keep the lead (10-9). The two teams would then exchange punts before Wade’s interception gave the Scots the momentum.

Statistically for the game, Wooster totaled 334 yards to Hiram’s 196. Sheppard was the workhorse, as he bettered his season-high from last week with 131 yards on 33 carries, while Jones netted 61 yards on eight rushes. Holter completed 11-of-17 passes for 131 yards, with four going to Miska for 61 yards.

On defense, sophomore linebacker Matt DeGrand (Stow, Ohio / St. Vincent-St. Mary) led the way with 11 tackles, including eight solos, as well as a fumble recovery. In addition to the interception, Wade had a career-high five tackles and a forced fumble.

Team Award Winners: For the second week in a row, junior Dustin Sheppard (Johnstown, Ohio / Johnstown-Monroe) was named the team’s Offensive Player of the Week, while on the other side, sophomore Chris Wade (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Penn Hills) earned the Defensive Player-of-the-Week and the “Gamebreaker” awards from the coaching staff. Senior Keith Adams (Mogadore, Ohio / Field) picked up the Special Teams Player-of-the-Week honor after returning five punts for 63 yards and senior right tackle Geoff Cooper (Reisterstown, Md. / Danville – Ohio) won the “Mule” after grading out as the squad’s best offensive lineman.