BEXLEY, OHIO – Sophomore quarterback Michael Slack (Casselberry, Fla./ Pine Castle Christian Academy) ran for two touchdowns as the 20th-ranked (American Football Coaches Association poll) Baldwin Wallace University football team defeated Ohio Athletic Conference rival Capital University, 39-16, today at Bernlohr Stadium.
Slack scored on a 13-yard run in the third quarter and had a six-yard TD jaunt in the fourth as he ran for 66 yards in 14 attempts. The key for BW was outgaining Capital on the ground, 308-71, and 373-245 in total offense.
Offensively for BW, senior CAPITAL ONE Academic All-District 7 quarterback Ryan O'Rourke (Avon) completed 7-of-15 passes for 49 yards and two TD's. Senior first-team All-OAC running back Tyler Lohr (Kent/ Roosevelt) led the running attack with 86 yards in seven attempts with a TD and sophomore RB Sebastian Zuluaga (Naples, Fla./ Gulf Coast) had 73 yards in 14 attempts. Junior speedsters in first-team All-OAC wide receiver Josiah Holt (Elyria/ Grafton Midview) and Division III All-American track sprinter Kevin Johnson (Maple Heights/ St. Ignatius) each had four receptions. The defense was led by junior middle linebacker Michael Stacchiotti (Girard) and senior Academic All-OAC safety Tom Goebel (Parma/ Padua Fransiscan) each with six stops.
Offensively for Capital, a trio of QBs completed 14-of-31 for 174 yards and two TD's. The running game was led by freshman RB Bo Hardy with 34 yards in 12 attempts. Freshman WR Taylor Wellbaum led all receivers with seven grabs for 79 yards and a TD. Junior safety Dominic Hebebrand led all tacklers with 11.
In the first quarter, Capital gained a 6-0 lead at the 11:11 mark when Hardy took a screen pass from junior QB Ryan Kremchek 27 yards to the endzone, but the point-after-touchdown kick was wide left. The Cruasder drive was aided when a BW player inadvertently touched a punt by Capital and the Crusaders recovered at the BW 39-yard line.
BW gained a 7-6 lead with 2:24 left in the opening quarter when O'Rourke threw a 4-yard TD pass to senior tight end Aaron Manders (Toledo/ Cardinal Stritch) and junior placekicker Chris Mohler (Kent/ Roosevelt) booted his 22nd straight PAT this season. O'Rourke's 12th TD pass this season capped a 10-play and 71-yard drive in 4:10.
In the second quarter, Capital regained the lead at 9-7 when sophomore PK Travis Bosanac booted a 27-yard field goal at 11:30 to cap a 12-play and 70-yard drive. The Yellow Jackets then regained the lead at 10-9 four seconds before halftime when Mohler drilled a 22-yard field goal for his sixth three-pointer this season. The boot capped a 13-play and 73-yard drive in 6:28.
In the third quarter, BW increased its lead to 17-9 at the 12:02 mark when Slack scored on a 13-yard run for his second rushing TD of the season. Mohler tacked on his 23rd PAT of the season to cap a 7-play and 40-yard drive in 2:50. The TD was set up by a 50-yard kickoff return by Holt. The lead grew to 23-9 at the 5:49 mark when Lohr ran 66 yards to paydirt on the second of a 2-play and 72-yard drive. The PAT kick was no good.
In the fourth quarter, Slack scored his second TD on a 6-yard run at the 8:09 mark to run the lead to 30-9 to cap a 5-play and 40-yard drive. Mohler added the PAT. BW made is 37-9 with 6:04 left when O'Rourke tossed a 12-yard TD aerial to senior TE Josh Masters (Akron/ Archbishop Hoban) and Mohler added the PAT. The score was setup by the second interception of the game by junior safety Zach Barley (Hudson). The two thefts now give Barley a team-high three this season.
Capital finally broke its drought when freshman backup QB Bryant Bokovitz threw a 42-yard TD pass to Wellbaum with 5:01 left and Bosanac added the PAT kick to make the score 37-16. The final points were scored when junior defensive tackle John Hofer (Akron/ Springfield) tackled Bokovitz in the endzone for a safety with 2:24 remaining.
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 or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest BW athletics information at www.BWyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.
