Tigers Polish Off Wooster, Claim Outright NCAC Title
The Wittenberg Tigers followed their game-winning formula to perfection on Senior Recognition Day at Edwards-Maurer Field, punishing arch-rival Wooster defensively and putting together an efficient, balanced offensive effort that added up to a 42-6 victory.
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg Tigers followed their game-winning formula to perfection on Senior Recognition Day at Edwards-Maurer Field, punishing arch-rival Wooster defensively and putting together an efficient, balanced offensive effort that added up to a 42-6 victory.
The win was sweet for a variety of reasons for the Tigers, starting with the fact that Wittenberg put the finishing touches on a perfect 2009 regular season that featured records of 10-0 overall and 7-0 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). It was the Tigers' first NCAC title since 2006, their first outright conference crown since 2001 and the program's first undefeated regular season since 2000. The NCAC crown is Wittenberg's ninth all-time - tying the Tigers with Allegheny for the most in the conference's 26-year history - and the perfect regular season was the program's 18th since the first scores were recorded in 1892.
Finally, the win avenged a 27-6 season-ending loss from a year earlier, when an injury-depleted Wittenberg team was manhandled on a cold, wet afternoon in Wooster. The loss extended the Scots' amazing run of futility in Springfield - a place where Wooster has not won a football game since 1949. In their last three games at Wittenberg, the combined score is 145-13.
Wooster became the ninth team in 10 regular season games against Wittenberg to go without a point in the first half as the Tigers rolled to a 21-0 lead. Three drives of 11 plays or more resulted in touchdowns - a 17-yard shovel pass from senior quarterback Aaron Huffman (Newark, Ohio/Newark) to junior tailback Corey Weber (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) in the first quarter, followed by a pair of Huffman touchdown runs.
Things became a bit more interesting at the start of the second half when the Scots converted a fumble on the opening kickoff into six points on a 14-yard touchdown run by receiver Luke McCann on a reverse. After the two teams played the rest of the third quarter to a standoff, the Tigers struck for three scores in a span of eight minutes, starting with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Huffman to sophomore wide receiver Josh McKee (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh) just six seconds into the fourth. That was followed by an interception and a 32-yard touchdown pass from senior wide receiver Patrick Williams (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) to sophomore tailback Conner Warye (Maineville, Ohio/Kings) and a 16-yard touchdown run by senior tailback Jeff Wilbur (Ann Arbor, Mich./Community).
The final team statistics illustrate Wittenberg's defensive dominance, despite the fact that Wooster became just the second team in 2009 to reach 200 yards in total offense (206). The Scots managed just two first downs in the first half and nine in the game, compared to 30 for the methodical Tigers.
Individually, the defense was led by junior linebacker Brad McKinley (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) with six tackles and junior defensive end Eddie Vallery (South Solon, Ohio/Madison Plains) with five tackles, including one for loss, his 20th on the season. Sophomore safety Seth Parker (DeGraff, Ohio/Riverside), sophomore safety Mike Box (Littleton, Colo./Hyde School (Maine)) and senior safety Trent Brunic (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian) each intercepted a pass, while senior defensive end Taylor Scherer (Crestwood, Ky./S. Oldham County) added a sack and a pass break-up.
Offensively, Huffman was tremendous, finishing 24-of-31 for 270 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more - giving him five rushing scores in the last two games. His favorite target was sophomore wideout Michael Cooper (Springfield, Ohio/South), who finished with eight receptions for 98 yards. The biggest receiving story, however, was provided by Williams, who hauled in five passes for 73 yards. That gave him 167 career receptions, moving him into a tie for first place in Wittenberg's record books with Jered Glover, who had 167 catches between 2002 and 2005.
Finally, senior kicker Zack Harris (Plain City, Ohio/Jonathan Alder) set a record of his own with a perfect 6-for-6 on extra points. He now has 40 consecutive successful PATs, moving him ahead of Conrad Hindert, who made 38 in a row in 2003.
The Tigers will now play in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Ranked No. 2 in the most recent Great Lakes Region poll, Wittenberg will learn its postseason fate during the selection show on ESPNews at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15.