Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets at Heidelberg University Student Princes
Saturday, November 10, 2012
1:30 p.m.
Mayer Field
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RADIO -- BW campus radio station WBWC, 88.3 FM, broadcasts all home and away Yellow Jacket football games. You also can listen to the games live via the WBWC Internet Web site atwww.wbwc.com. The pregame show generally starts 20 minutes prior to kickoff. For more information, please call the station offices at (440) 826-2145 or its listening line at (440) 826-2187. Senior Kelly Rosemond (krosemon@bw.edu) is the Sports Director.
Today's Game -- The 24th-ranked (American Football Coaches Association poll) Baldwin Wallace University Yellow Jacket football team closes out the regular season when it travels to Tiffin to face 11th-ranked Heidelberg University. BW can play the "spoiler" by beating the Student Princes and possibly keep them out of next week's NCAA Division III Playoffs. In addition, a BW win would forge a second place tie with Heidelberg and possibly Otterbein University, which enters its game versus John Carroll University this Saturday tied with BW for third place.
The Yellow Jackets enter this game with a 7-2 overall and 6-2 OAC mark following their 38-7 loss to No.1-ranked University of Mount Union last Saturday at The George Finnie Stadium in Berea. BW and Otterbein are tied for third place and one game back of Heidelberg and two games back of Mt. Union.
The Student Princes enter this game with an 8-1 overall and 7-1 OAC record following a 31-10 victory last Saturday against fifth place JCU at Mayer Field in Tiffin. A Heidelberg victory would solidify its argument for an NCAA Playoff berth. And, if JCU were to upset Mt. Union in University Heights, it would give the Student Princes a share of the OAC regular season title.
Series Notes -- BW has played Heidelberg more than any other opponent in football. The Yellow Jackets and Student Princes have previously met 65 times on the gridiron with Baldwin Wallace holding a 46-19 series lead, including wins in 19 of the past 22 meetings. BW has beaten Heidelberg by back-to-back 35-20 scores the past two seasons, including two years ago in Tiffin, but the Student Princes have won three of the past five contests, including three straight from 2007-2009. The series began in 1897 when the Yellow Jackets defeated the Student Princes, 36-0.
Last Meeting -- The last time BW and Heidelberg met, on September 17, 2011 at The George Finnie Stadium in Berea, the Yellow Jackets defeated the Student Princes, 35-20, for the second straight year. Heidelberg led 13-3 after one quarter and 20-16 at halftime. In the second half, BW shut out the Student Princes and scored 19 unanswered points to earn the victory. BW outgained Heidelberg, 431-297, in total offense.
For BW, the offense was led by current senior CAPITAL ONE Academic All-District 7 quarterback Ryan O'Rourke (Avon) who completed 24-of-29 passes for 279 yards with three TD's. Current senior All-OAC running back Tyler Lohr (Kent/Roosevelt) ran for a then career-high 119 yards and two TD's. The receiving corps were led by current junior All-OAC flanker/ kick return specialist Josiah Holt (Elyria/Grafton Midview), graduated wide receiver Dan Turner and current senior tight end Josh Masters (Akron/Archbishop Hoban) who each caught four passes. On defense, BW was led by graduated All-OAC linebacker Brett Thompson with eight tackles.
For Heidelberg, its offense was led by current sophomore QB Michael Mees who completed 11-of-23 passes for 167 yards and a TD. Departed All-OAC RB Germany Woods, who has since transferred to Mount Union, had 83 yards in 19 attempts with a TD. Current sophomore RB/ kick return specialist Cartel Brooks ran back a kickoff 85 yards for a TD. The defense was led by current junior LB Dawson Gore's 14 tackles.
Scouting the Yellow Jackets -- Offensively, the Yellow Jackets average 32.2 points and 354.9 yards of total offense per game, including 174.3 yards rushing and 180.6 passing yards. O'Rourke runs the offense and has completed 112-of-195 passes for 57.4 percent for 1,555 yards with 18 TD's and eight interceptions. He also ran the ball 53 times for 59 yards and three TD's. In addition, sophomore Michael Slack (Casselberry, Fla./Pine Castle Christian Academy) and senior Andrew Dziak (Maple Heights/Padua Fransiscan) also see action in the "wildcat" QB role. Slack is 3-of-6 passing for 32 yards and has rushed for 194 yards in 37 attempts with three TD's. Dziak, who also sees plenty of action at safety on defense, has completed 5-of-6 passes for 38 yards and has rushed for 88 yards in 11 attempts. In the backfield, Lohr combines with sophomores Sebastian Zuluaga (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast) and Nolan Sordyl (Gurnee, Ill./ Warren Township) and freshman Isaac Reed III (Lehigh Acres, Fla./Lehigh). Lohr tops the team with 396 yards in 91 attempts with two TD's. Zuluaga is second with 302 yards in 73 attempts with three TD's. Reed is third with 259 yards in 42 attempts with two TD's. Sordyl, who is utilized near the goal line, has 140 yards in 29 trips with three TD's. The receiving corps are led by Holt, Masters, senior TE Aaron Manders (Toledo/Cardinal Stritch) and junior WR Gabe Adams (Hudson). Holt has a team-leading 38 catches for 607 yards and five TD's. Masters has 14 grabs for 160 yards and two TD's. Manders has 13 catches for 217 yards and four TD's. Adams has 12 grabs for 180 yards. The line is anchored by senior Academic All-OAC tackle Clay Wolf (Parma Heights/Padua Franciscan) and junior guard Jason Cook (Streetsboro).
Defensively, BW allows 21.1 points and 336.9 yards of total offense per game, including 148.8 rushing and 188.1 passing yards. BW has forced its opponents into making 16 turnovers for a plus-four (+4) in the giveaway-takeaway catagory. The line is led by returning senior All-OAC tackle Max Wagner (Mentor) and senior end Joe Fitch (Elyria/Elyria Catholic). Fitch tops all linemen with 37 tackles and leads the team with 11.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 QB sacks. Wagner has 27 tackles and three QB sacks. Junior MLB Michael Stacchiotti (Girard) tops all tacklers with 72 stops and is followed by senior Academic All-OAC safety Tom Goebel (Brunswick/Padua Franciscan) with 54 tackles and senior Academic All-OAC LB Nick Milano (North Royalton/ Padua Franciscan) with 44 tackles. Junior safety Zach Barley (Hudson) leads the secondary with 44 tackles and three interceptions.
On special teams, Josiah Holt and starting cornerback Kevin Johnson (Maple Heights/St. Ignatius) are two of the best kickoff return men in Division III. Most teams either kick short or kick away from them. Holt averages 27.3 yards in 10 returns and has three career kick return TD's. Johnson averages 26.9 yards in 11 attempts with one kick return TD this season and two in his career. Senior backup WR Pat LaGuardia (Brunswick/Padua Franciscan) has returned 12 punts for a 7.0-yard average. Junior placekicker Chris Moehler (Kent/Roosevelt) is solid and been made 33-of-35 PAT kicks and 7-of-11 field goals for a team-leading 54. Junior Matt Harmon (Canfield) is the punter after averages 36.1 yards per punt with 11 landing inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
BW's Last Game -- In BW's last game, a 38-7 loss to No.1-ranked the University of Mount Union at Finnie Stadium on November 3, the game was scoreless after one quarter before Mt. Union had leads of 21-7 at halftime and 31-7 after three quarters. The Purple Raiders outgained the Yellow Jackets, 519-159, and allowed BW Just 72 yards of offense after the first period.
Scouting the Student Princes -- Offensively, Heidelberg averages 37.7 points and 477.1 yards of total offense per game, including 235.3 rushing and 241.8 passing yards. Michael Mees is the key to the offense as he has completed 139-of-243 passes for 1,947 yards for 57.2% with 19 TD's and 10 interceptions. He also has rushed for 97 yards in 25 attempts with two TD's and has only been sacked six times all season. The top receivers are seniors C.J. Powell and Mario Escalante and sophomore Donteea Dye. Powell has 43 catches for 678 yards and six TD's. Dye and Escalante are tied second with 24 grabs apiece. Dye has 24 for 497 yards and four TD grabs and Escalante has 24 for 272 yards and two TD's. Also, sophomore flanker Robert Gray has 20 grabs for 208 yards and two TD's. Cartel Brooks is one of the top RBs in the OAC and has 1,299 yards in 208 attempts with 16 TD's. In addition, freshman RB Bryan Lacey is second with 408 yards in 65 attempts with three TD's and freshman Dontez Smith has 251 yards in 69 attempts with a score.
Defensively, the Student Princes allow 11.1 points per game and 301.4 yards of total offense, including 103.7 rushing and 197.8 passing yards. Heidelberg has forced 27 turnovers for a plus-9 (+9) in the giveaway-takeaway category, including 21 interceptions. The Student Princes are led by junior LB Dawson Gore with 60 tackles, three sacks and seven tackles for loss. Senior LB Craig Sykes has 59 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss, and two interceptions. Junior LB Adam Cepik is third with 60 tackles, two QB sacks, six tackles for loss and three interceptions. Sophomore DL Ben Poirier leads the team in QB sacks with 10.5 and tackles for loss with 20.5. Senior DL Stephen Fejedelem has 42 tackles and is second on the team in sacks with 7.5 and tackles for loss with 10. In the secondary, senior Justin Suddeth has a team-leading four pickoffs.
On special teams, senior Dan Kilger is the PK and sophomore Colin Bultinck handles the punting duties. Kilger is a perfect 43-of-43 in PAT kicks and 3-of-6 in field goal attempts. Bultinck averages 37.7 yards per punt in 38 attempts with 11 landing inside the opposition's 20-yard line. Gray and Brooks returns kickoffs. Gray averages 28.6 yards in 11 returns and Brooks averages 29.0 in eight returns. Powell returns punts and averages 12.1 yards in 17 attempts with a TD.
Heidelberg's Last Game -- In Heidelberg's last game, a 31-10 victory against John Carroll University at Mayer Field in Tiffin on November 3, the Student Princes trailed 3-0 after one quarter, led 14-3 at halftime and 28-10 after three quarters. The offense was led by Michael Mees, Cartel Brooks and C.J. Powell. Mees completed 16-of-31 passes for 281 yards with two TD's and two interceptions. Brooks ran for a game-high 134 yards in 29 attempts with two TD's. Powell caught a game-high 10 passes for 192 yards and a TD. The defense was led by Adam Cepik with 12 stops.
