MEADVILLE, Pa. - The puzzle pieces that make up the 2014 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) football title chase are all now in place. For the 13th time overall, and the fifth time in the last six years, the final piece was locked in by the Wittenberg Tigers, who secured the league's outright championship with a 52-21 win at Allegheny in the regular season finale.
The win was Wittenberg's ninth straight since opening the campaign with a non-conference loss to Butler. It was also the Tigers' 22nd in a row against NCAC competition, dating back to a 2012 defeat at the hands of Wabash, which finished second in the league standings thanks to a loss at Wittenberg a week earlier.
That win earned Wittenberg the NCAC's automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament, which kicks off with games on Saturday, Nov. 22. The Tigers will learn their postseason fate during the NCAA's Division III Football Selection Show at 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23.
The win over Allegheny, which ended the season with a 1-9 overall record and a mark of 1-8 in the NCAC, was Wittenberg's sixth straight in the once-heated series. The Tigers piled up 426 yards of total offense while holding the Gators to 230, and Wittenberg once again made game-changing plays on defense, forcing two turnovers, and on special teams with an 89-yard kickoff return for a score by junior Armon Murray (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike), who broke his own school record for return average in a game with 44 yards per attempt.
Despite the unseasonably cold temperatures, blustery conditions and snow showers, Wittenberg did most of its damage through the air as junior quarterback Zack Jenkins (Frostproof, Fla./Frostproof) threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns on just 23 attempts. He opened the scoring with a 68-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Luke Landis (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville) and kept it rolling from there, despite the fact that he connected successfully with just three different receivers.
His favorite target was junior Zach Culvahouse (Estero, Fla./Fort Myers), who hauled in seven passes for 116 yards and two scores. In the process, Culvahouse broke a four-year-old school record for receptions in a season with 71, four more than Josh McKee had in 2010. Landis finished with four catches for 98 yards and junior Corey Stump (Lima, Ohio/Central Catholic) finished with five receptions for 62 yards.
On the ground, the Tigers managed 139 yards, led by junior Jimmy Dehnke (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) with 83 yards on 14 carries and junior Sean Gary (Indianapolis, Ind./Decatur Central) with 44 yards on 15 totes. Dehnke, Gary and Jenkins all contributed a rushing touchdown to Wittenberg's attack.
The defense was sparked by senior linebacker Caden Leichty (Versailles, Ohio/Versailles) with nine tackles and sophomore linebacker Dustin Holmes (Springfield, Ohio/Tecumseh) with eight tackles. Both players had a tackle for loss in the game, while senior cornerback Victor Banjo (Sugarland, Texas/Stephen F. Austin) added an interception.
Written By: Ryan Maurer