BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College football team defeated Ohio Athletic Conference rival Capital University, 10-7, tonight (Saturday, September 11, 2010) in the OAC opener for both teams at The George Finnie Stadium in Berea before 4,507 fans.
An efficient Yellow Jacket offense and an opportunistic defense led the Yellow Jackets to their second straight victory to start the 2010 season. The B-W offense scored a touchdown and scored a field goal and the defense forced five Crusader turnovers en route to the win.
The Yellow Jackets led 3-0 after one quarter and at halftime. B-W increased its lead to 10-0 after three stanzas.
With its win, B-W is now 2-0 overall, 1-0 in the OAC and travels to Tiffin next Saturday, Sept. 18 for an OAC game at Heidelberg University at 2:00 p.m. Capital is 0-1 overall and 0-1 in the OAC and travels to Wilmington next Saturday for a 7:00 p.m. game.
Offensively, Yellow Jackets were led on the ground by junior running back Tim Miker (Parma/ Senior) with 83 yards in 15 attempts, and through the air by junior wide receiver Devon Jennings (Euclid) with six receptions for 34 yards. Sophomore quarterback Ryan O'Rourke (Avon) completed 9-of- 22 passes for 78 yards. The B-W defense was led by junior linebacker J.J. Laseak (Mentor) with 12 tackles, a QB sack, and 1.5 tackles for lost yardage. For his efforts, Laseak was named as the Dick Miller Community Day Player of the Game.
Capital was led on the ground by junior RB Garrett Bennington with a game-high 89 yards in 19 attempts. The receiving corps was led by senior WR Matt White with a game-high 10 receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown. A pair of Capital QBs combined to complete 20-of- 39 passes for 108 yards and a TD. The Capital defense was led by senior LB Sam Jacobs with 11 tackles, including 1.5 for loss.
The Yellow Jackets opened the scoring at the 5:36 mark of the first quarter when senior placekicker Brad Pollock (Brecksville/ Brecksville-Broadview Heights) kicked a 19-yard field goal to cap a nine-play and 61-yard drive in 4:43. The big plays in the drive were a 27-yard shovel pass from QB O'Rourke to RB Miker and a 29-yard Miker run that gave B-W a first-and-goal at the Capital three yard line, but the Jackets could not get into the endzone.
At the end of the second quarter, Capital had an opportunity to take the lead, but the Yellow Jacket defense was up to the challenge and stopped Capital senior RB Dominic D'Andrea for a two-yard on a fourth-and-goal situation at the one yard line.
Yellow Jackets increased their lead to 10-0 when senior RB Kyrell Crook (Columbus/ St. Francis DeSales)ran five yards to paydirt and Pollock made the point-after-touchdown kick with 8:28 remaining in the third quarter. The TD was set up by a QB sack by junior defensive end Sonny Haizelwood (Elyria/ Senior) and subsequent fumble by Capital QB Marty Assman and recovery by senior DE Keith Darbut (Miami, Fla./ Palmetto Senior) at the CU 37 yard-line. B-W then drove the 37 yards in five plays, covering 1:36 off the clock.
With 2:13 remaining in the game, Capital scored its first points on a five yard pass from junior QB Kory Hartinger to WR Matt White and PK Nick VanMeter made the PAT kick to make the score 10-7. The TD pass capped a 13 play 99 yard drive in 2:34.
Capital then attempted an onside kick and B-W recovered and ran out the clock to earn the victory.
Following its game at Heidelberg, B-W is idle on Sept. 25 and next plays at home on Saturday, October 2 when it hosts OAC-rival Marietta College at 1:30 p.m. on 'Think Pink'/ Breast Cancer Awareness Day. That contest also will be taped by S&S Video Productions and replayed on SportsTime Ohio (www.sportstimeohio.com). To watch archived Yellow Jacket football, soccer, basketball and wrestling events, please visit the B-W Web site at www.bw.edu/athletics/video/
FOR MORE BW Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information atwww.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathleticsie Stadium at 6:30 p.m.
