Wooster Looks to Retain Baird Brothers Trophy in Game at Case

Austin Holter

The College of Wooster will attempt to hold on to the Baird Brothers Trophy for an 11th-straight time in its annual rivalry game with fellow northeast Ohio institution Case Western Reserve University (3-0) this Saturday, Sept. 22. It marks the 20th playing of the Baird Brothers Trophy game (see below). The Fighting Scots will be Case’s fourth consecutive opponent out of the North Coast Athletic Conference, as the Spartans, who were formerly part of the NCAC (1984-1999) before joining up with the University Athletic Association in 2000, have trounced Oberlin College 37-15, Denison University 45-6, and Kenyon College 49-26 to start the year. Wooster has been the thorn in Case’s side, as the Scots have not lost to the Spartans since 1994, including knocking them from the ranks of the undefeated in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006. Wooster will look to repeat that feat on Saturday, beginning at 7 p.m., at 2,400-seat Case Field.   

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 Dan Earich and Ron Hamilton.

Additionally, Case will be providing a live audio and video Webcast of Saturday night’s game. To view it, log on to http://www.case.edu/athletics/varsity/broadcast/index.htm.

Baird Brothers Trophy: One of the most unique trophies, as noted by Sports Illustrated in 1995, in college football rivalry games is presented to the winner of the Case-Wooster game. It is a golden fishing stringer that holds carved bass fish, named the Baird Brothers Trophy after its creators. Bill and Bob Baird were long-time economics professors at Wooster and Case, respectively, as well as ardent fishermen. The winning team adds a fish, which symbolizes some aspect of how that year’s game was played. The tradition began in 1984, and the trophy currently sports a flounder, a carp, a bluegill, a pike, a walleye, a rainbow trout, a catfish, a sturgeon, a sucker, a crappie, a muskie, a sheepshead, a gar, a largemouth bass, and a smallmouth bass.

All-Time Series: Since 1984, the Scots are 13-6 against Case. The Spartans had won the Baird Brothers Trophy the first five times only to see Wooster prevail in 13 of the last 14, including a current streak of 10 in a row following last season’s 21-7 win. Prior to the modern era, the Scots were a frequent opponent from 1902-1945 of both Case Tech and Western Reserve. Case Tech compiled a 26-13-4 advantage over Wooster and the Scots were 9-8-2 versus Western Reserve before the two schools merged into one in 1967.

Last Game: On Sept. 8, Austin Holter (Johnstown, Ohio / Johnstown-Monroe) threw three long touchdown passes and rushed for another, leading the Scots to a 28-7 halftime lead, but Waynesburg University turned the tables and then some in the second half, scoring five touchdowns and spoiling Wooster’s 2007 home opener with a 45-35 comeback victory.

The first half was all Scots. On their second drive, Holter threw a deep ball down the left sideline, which was tipped initially by a Waynesburg defender and then hauled in by Jordan Ferns (Canfield, Ohio / Canfield) for a 37-yard touchdown. The Yellow Jackets tied it right back up on a five-play, 79-yard drive only to see Holter find Ferns again on a deep pass three offensive plays later, connecting for a 51-yard touchdown, which completed the scoring in the first quarter.

On the second play of the second quarter, Wooster extended its lead to 21-7 when Holter made another big play, this time a 44-yard touchdown pass to Will Miska (Hillsborough, N.J. / Hillsborough) on 3rd-and-8. The Scots had another quick drive on their next possession, as they went 63 yards in five plays, with Holter running it in on a quarterback keeper from 13 yards out for a three-touchdown advantage. Waynesburg appeared to blow a couple of golden opportunities to get back in the game late in the first half, first fumbling on the Wooster 1-yard line and then after getting the ball back on a Scot turnover the Yellow Jackets threw an interception at the Wooster 11. Forcing the fumble was defensive tackle Aaron Patterson (Steubenville, Ohio / Steubenville) and recovering it was defensive back Jeff Geffert (Mentor, Ohio / Mentor), while linebacker Trey Simmerman (Clarksburg, W. Va. / Notre Dame) had the key interception.

Trailing by 21 at halftime, Waynesburg, with the assistance of two blocked punts, scored three times during the third quarter, to pull within 28-24. Another special teams’ miscue helped allow the Yellow Jackets take their first lead early in the fourth quarter, as a bad snap on a punt attempt resulted in a short field and another Waynesburg touchdown.

The Scots answered with their best drive of the second half, marching 59 yards over 12 plays, capped by a Dustin Sheppard (Johnstown, Ohio / Johnstown-Monroe) one-yard touchdown run to go back ahead (35-31). On the ensuing kickoff, Waynesburg appeared it may be returning it for a touchdown, but right after the returner crossed midfield, Scot kickoff specialist Kevin Friedman (Pepper Pike, Ohio / St. Peter Chanel) forced a fumble and recovered it himself with 7:34 to go.

Wooster attempted to work the clock down a little bit, but turned it over on downs when the Yellow Jackets stopped a 4th-and-inches play. The two teams then exchanged punts, and it appeared Waynesburg would have one more opportunity, getting the ball back around midfield with one timeout and 2:38 remaining. But, it only took them two plays to go the distance, as a screen pass to the tailback turned into a 52-yard touchdown, giving the Yellow Jackets a 38-35 lead. Wooster had one more chance, taking over on its 38-yard line with 1:50 left, however, penalties on two of the first three plays of that series pushed the Scots back and they eventually turned the ball over on downs.Individually for the game, Holter ended up completing 16-of-28 passes for 255 yards and was also the Scots’ leading rusher, netting 21 yards. Ferns had a career-high 117 receiving yards. Linebacker Greg Schermbeck (Holly Springs, N.C. / Whitmer – Ohio) led the defense with 12 tackles.

This and That: Over the last 34 non-conference games, the Scots are 28-6 overall (.824), including the two NCAA Div. III playoff games in 2004 ... There were a few changes on Wooster’s depth chart this week. After logging most of the playing time at right tackle the first two games, sophomore Todd Spillman (Zoar, Ohio / Tuscarawas Valley) will start at left tackle this week and senior Geoff Cooper (Reisterstown, Md. / Danville – Ohio) is listed as the starter at right tackle. On defense, sophomore Chris Wade (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Penn Hills) will make his first career start at defensive end after missing the first two games due to injury.