BEREA, Ohio –The Baldwin Wallace University football team defeated Capital University in Ohio Athletic Conference and Past Captains Day game by a final score of 52-34 on the Tressel Field inside Finnie Stadium.
BW (5-3, 4-3 OAC), who scored a season-high tying points, improved to 37-12 in the all-time series, including winning five of the last seven meetings. Capital (1-7, 1-6 OAC) lost its sixth straight game.
The Yellow Jacket offense was led by junior quarterback Jake Hudson (East Lake, Fla.) as completed 20 of 32 passes for 255 yards with two touchdowns. Senior All-OAC running back Austin Smith (Broadview Heights/North Royalton) led the ground attack with a career-high 131 yards on 16 carries with a 60-yard touchdown. Junior wide out Chad Steinwachs (Buffalo, N.Y./Williamsville North) and junior wide receiver Rob Wolfington (Rapids City, Mich./Elk Rapids) led the receiving corps. Steinwachs made six catches for 67 yards with one touchdown and Wolfington had five grabs for 77 yards with a 48-yard touchdown. Defensively, senior All-OAC linebacker Sam Groff (Waynesburg/Sandy Valley) made a game-high 14 tackles. Senior strong safety Trypp Washington (Eatonville, Fla./Orlando First Academy) had nine tackles with two interceptions.
The Capital offensive attack was led by junior quarterback Thomas Wibbeler as he completed 20 of 35 passes for 286 yards with four. touchdowns. Junior Nateshawn Hargrove led the rushing game with 69 yards on 15 carries with one touchdown. Junior wide out Dartavius Stanford and sophomore wide receiver David Barnett led the air assault. Stanford caught four passes for 140-yards with one touchdown. Barnett made nine catches for 99 yards with three touchdowns. Defensively, senior defensive back Eric Storski made 12 tackles with one pass break up.
In the first quarter, the Yellow Jackets opened the scoring at 7-0 when Hudson rushed up the middle for a one-yard keeper at the 9:09 mark. Freshman kicker Brandon Vollmer (Pickerington/Central) added the extra point. The Crusaders answered back when Wibbeler hooked up with Barnett on a four-yard pass at 3:26. Freshman Blake Middleton tacked on the extra point. BW closed out the opening quarter scoring at 14-7 when Smith broke a 60-yard rush to the end zone at the 2:12 mark. Vollmer added the point after.
Capital tied the game at 14-14 to open the second quarter when Wibbeler and Barnett connected for the second time on a 10-yard pass at 12:34. Middleton added the extra point. The Crusaders took their first lead of the game at 21-14 when Stanford caught a 50-yard touchdown from Wibbeler at the 9:39 mark. Middleton tacked on the extra point. The Yellow Jackets tied the game back up at 21-21 when Hudson scored on a six-yard run at 6:44. Vollmer added the point after. BW closed out the first half scoring at 24-21 when Vollmer nailed an 18-yard field goal at the 1:55 mark.
The Yellow Jackets scored all the points in the third quarter to take a 45-21 lead. Junior wide out Chad Steinwachs (Buffalo, N.Y./Williamsville North) caught a 17-yard pass from Hudson at the 11:13 mark. Wolfington caught a 48-yard pass play from wide receiver Matt Lowry (Rocky River) at 5:36. Sophomore wide receiver Deion Greer caught an eight-yard pass from Hudson at the 1:34 mark. Vollmer added all three extra points.
Capital opened the final scoring at 45-28 when Hargrove scored on a three-yard run at the 10:37 mark. Middleton added the extra point. BW scored its final points of the game at 52-28 when sophomore running back Niejel Henderson (Pittsburgh, Pa./The Kiski School) rushed for 27-yards to pay dirt at 7:08. Vollmer added the extra point. The Crusaders closed out the scoring at 52-34 when Barnett caught his third touchdown of the game on a 39-yard pass play from Wibbeler at the 6:25 mark. The two-point conversion failed.
The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Saturday, October 28 when they close out the home portion of their schedule when they hosts an OAC game against Heidelberg University on Seniors' and Parents' Day at 1:30 p.m.
