BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College Yellow Jacket football team was shut out, 24-0, against the defending NCAA Division III National Champion Mount Union College in front of a record setting crowd of 8,732. The Yellow Jackets, now 1-1 on the year, will return home next week to face Heidelberg at the George Finnie Stadium.
On offense, senior quarterback Dan Larlham (Brimfield/Walsh Jesuit) led the team with 51 rushing yards on 21 attempts. He also threw for 160 yards completing 16 of 32 passes including an interception. Mark Anders (North Olmsted) was held to only 38 rushing yards on 11 attempts. Receiver Dave Ehrman (Strongsville) caught six passes for 74 yards including a 27 yard pass completion, his longest of the game.
Senior All-American safety Greg Koch (Olmsted Falls) had a team-leading 14 tackles (seven solo, seven assisted) on defense including three tackles for a loss of eight yards. Joe George (Massillon/Perry) added seven total tackles and Matt Walker (New Middletown/Springfield Local) and Nate Mitchell (Butler, Pa./Butler) each had six tackles. Mitchell also had three tackles for a loss of 16 yards. Sophomore linebacker Justin Princehorn (Massillon/Washington) had two tackles including an interception.
Senior punter Rob Becker (Dover) had a career day with four punts for an average of 44.8 yards per punt including a career-high 57 yarder. Larlham also had a punt that went 50 yards on a third down play that backed the Purple Raiders to their side of the field. Mount Union took a 14-0 lead into the half before adding 10 more points en route to the 24-0 shutout and remain a perfect 2-0 on the season.FOR MORE INFORMATION ON B-W FOOTBALL AND OTHER ATHLETICS, Please contact B-W SID Kevin Ruple by either telephone by calling (440) 826-2327 or by FAX machine by calling (440) 826-2329. Kevin Ruple can also be reached via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu.
B-W head football coach John Snell can be reached by calling (440) 826-2069 or athletics secretary Jackie Ryan at (440) 826-2184. The Athletic Department FAX machine can be reached at (440) 826-2192. John Snell can also be reached via e-mail at jsnell@bw.edu.
Game Notes vs. Mount Union
The BALDWIN-WALLACE COLLEGE YELLOW JACKET football team opens the 2003 Ohio Athletic Conference schedule on Saturday, September 20 when it travels to Alliance, Ohio to play OAC rival Mount Union College at Mt. Union Stadium at 1:30 p.m. Mount Union and B-W were picked first and second, respectively, in the OAC preseason Coaches' and Media polls.
RADIO -- B-W campus radio station WBWC, 88.3 FM, will carry the game live from Alliance with the pre-game show starting at 1 p.m. Sports Director Pete Goche will call the play-by-play. WBWC broadcasts all home and away Yellow Jacket games. The live broadcast can also be heard live via the internet at www.bw.edu/athletics. In addition, WTOU, 1350 AM, will carry the game with Adam Mandoza calling the play-by-play and carmen Angelo doing the color analysis.
TELEVISION -- WBNX, TV-55 of Cuyahoga Falls will air the game on taped delay in the Greater Cleveland area on Saturday night at 11:00 p.m. Broadcasters for the game are Joe Tait and Harry Paidas. For more information, please call Dean Marini at Image Video at (330) 494-9303.
BALDWIN-WALLACE COLLEGE
LOCATION : Berea, Ohio
NICKNAME: Yellow Jackets
2003 RECORD: 1-0
2003 OAC RECORD: 0-0
TWO WEEKS AGO: Beat Allegheny (Pa.), 45-26, in Berea.
2002 RECORD: 8-2
HEAD COACH: John Snell
ALMA MATER/ YEAR: Baldwin-Wallace / 1989
YEAR AT B-W: Second
B-W RECORD: 9-2
CAREER RECORD: same
SERIES BEGAN: 1896
SERIES STANDING: B-W leads, 21-19-1
LAST METING: 2002, MUC won, 28-21, in Berea
SERIES STREAK: MUC, eight straight
NEXT GAME: Sept. 27 HOST HEIDELBERG
MOUNT UNION COLLEGE
LOCATION: Alliance, Ohio
NICKNAME: Purple Raiders
2003 RECORD: 1-0
2003 OAC RECORD: 0-0
TWO WEEKS AGO: Beat Wisc. Whitewater, 40-17, in Alliance.
2002 RECORD: 14-0
HEAD COACH: Larry Kehres
ALMA MATER / YEAR: Mt. Union, 1972
YEAR AT MUC: 18th
MUC RECORD: 193-17-3
CAREER RECORD: same
SERIES BEGAN: 1896
SERIES STANDING: B-W leads, 21-19-1
LAST METING: 2002, MUC won, 28-21, in Berea
SERIES STREAK: MUC, eight straight
NEXT GAME: Sept. 27 AT MUSKINGUM
BEREA, OHIO -- B-W will face three-time NCAA Division III National Champion Mt. Union in Alliance in a contest that is billed by Sports Illustrated as one of the top small college games of 2003.
The Purple Raiders and Yellow Jackets are both nationally-ranked and Mt. Union was picked first and B-W second, respectively in both the OAC Coaches and Media preseason polls. Both teams enter this game with 1-0 records as well as winning streaks.
B-W has won seven straight games dating back to last year. Mt. Union has won 43 straight games, 85 consecutive regular seaason games and 77 straight OAC contests. The last team to beat Mt. Union during the regular season was B-W in 1994 by a score of
23-10 in Alliance. At home, the Purple Raiders have won 24 straight contests.
B-W vs. Mount Union Series Notes -- Baldwin-Wallace leads the all-time series between the two schools, 21-19-1, but Mt. Union has won eight straight games, including a 28-21 victory a year ago in Berea. Two years ago, the Purple Raiders defeated the Yellow Jackets, 17-3, in Alliance.
Last Year: Mount Union --28, Baldwin-Wallace -- 21 in Berea, Ohio on September 21, 2002 -- Before 9,127 fans at The George Finnie Stadium in Berea, the game came down to the final play and Mount Union All-American cornerback Chris Kern intercepted a pass in the endzone and the Purple Raiders held off the Yellow Jackets, 28-21.
In a game in which the lead changed hands on three separate occassions and was tied on two others, B-W opened the scoring on its first possession as current senior quarterback Dan Larlham (Brimfield/ Walsh Jesuit) scored on a one-yard run and senior placekicker Kevin Hille (Willoughby/ Lake Catholic) booted the extra point for a 7-0 lead. In the second quarter, Mt. Union tied the game at 7-7 on a one-yard run by Dan Pugh and the PAT kick. B-W responded when current senior running back Mark Anders (North Olmsted) ran four yards to paydirt and Hille's second PAT gave the Yellow Jackets a 14-7. With just 26 seconds left before halftime, Mt. Union tied the game at 14-14 on a seven-yard Pugh TD run. Mt. Union then would build a 28-14 advantage when they scored on their first possession in the third and fourth quarters. The first came on Pugh's third TD run of the night -- a one-yarder. The second was on a 21-yard pass to wideout Randall Knapp. Anders then moved B-W to within 28-21 when he scored from 13 yards and Hille tacked on the PAT. That setup the final play in the endzone.
For the game, Anders led B-W on the ground with 131 yards in 12 attempts and two TD. He also caught two passes and overall accounted for 210 all-purpose yards. Larlham ran for 64 yards in 18 attempts and completed 11-of-20 passes for 121 yards. Current senior defensive end Nate Mitchell (Butler, Pa./ Butler) led all tacklers in the game with 13. Mt. Union was led by Pugh, who ran for a then career-high 210 yards in 40 attempts. Zac Bruney was 11-of-15 passing for 175 yards. Three separate players tied for the tackling lead with seven.
Scouting the Baldwin-Wallace College Yellow Jackets -- B-W returns 39 lettermen and 16 staters in 2003. The offense is led by Larlham, Anders and a bevy of receivers, including junior wideouts Dave Ehrman (Strongsville) and Gary Kopchak (Brook Park/ Midpark) as well as junior tandem tight ends Nate Wilder (Youngstown/ Cardinal Mooney) and Mike Brosovich (Rome/ Orwell Grand Valley). The line is led by senior Academic All-American Joe Harbour (Upper Sandusky) and returning senior starters Ian Formaz (Wadsworth) and Sean Baker (Hanoverton/ United Local). The defensive line is "rock solid" with returning starters in senior linemen Rick Schontz (Butler, Pa./ Butler) and Mitchell and junior Ryan Lewis (Holland/ Springfield). The linebacking corps are solid and return senior Jon Schmitz (North Olmsted/ Lakewood St. Edward) and sophomores Joe George (Massillon Perry) and Justin Pricehorn (Massillon Washington). The secondary is veteran with senior All-American safety Greg Koch (Olmsted Falls) and senior All-North Region cornerback Tom DeLuca (Norwalk) as its leaders. In addition, senior safety Jeff Fox (Willoughby South) and junior cornerbacks Matt Walker (New Middletown/ Springfield Local), Sean Athey ( Gahanna Lincoln) and Justin Andes (Canal Fulton/ Canton Central Catholic) all return with varsity experience. The special teams are also strong and are led by senior punter Rob Becker (Dover), Hille as well as return specialists Anders, DeLuca, Walker, Andes and senior RB Randale Richmond (Akron North).
Two Weeks Ago: B-W -- 45, Allegheny (Pa.) -- 26 in Berea -- The Yellow Jackets used solid first game performances by Mark Anders and Dan Larlham to score early and often, build a 45-10 lead midway through the third quarter and coast to a 45-26 victory on Community Night at The George Finnie Stadium in Berea. Anders ran for a game-high 167 yards in 13 attempts and scored three first quarter TD on runs of six, 56 and six yards. He accounted for 243 all-purpose yards and was named as the Dick Miller Community Night B-W Outstanding Player of the Game. Larlham completed nine-of-16 passes for 125 yards and one TD -- a 23-yard laser to Kopchak. Larlham also ran for 96 yards in 15 attempts with TD jaunts of seven and eight yards. PK Kevin Hille was also perfect on six-of-six PATs and one-of-one FGs, including a 32-yarder. On defense, Greg Koch led all tacklers with eight.
Scouting the Mount Union College Purple Raiders -- The Purple Raiders are again balanced on offense and defense and have strong special teams. At QB, juniors Jesse Burghardt (passing) and Zac Bruney (running) are a lethal combination. At RB, Ricky Ciccone and Jeff Strauch have both power and speed. In Randall Knapp and Nick Sirianni, the Raiders have two reliable receivers. The Mt. Union offensive line has two returning and three potential All-Americans and averages 6'5" and 300.6 pounds per man. It did not allow a QB sack in its opener against Wisconsin-Whitewater. On defense, the line is solid with Antione Dillard and Johnny Josef as its leaders. Both the linebacking corps, led by Shaun Spisak, and its secondary, led by the return of Mike Miller is strong.
Two Weeks Ago: Mount Union -- 40, Wisconsin Whitewater -- 17, in Alliance -- Mount Union won its 85th straight regular season game with a 40-17 win versus Wisconsin Whitewater at Mount Union Stadium on September 6. After Wisconsin Whitewater scored on its first possession, the Mt. Union defense clamped down and the offense kicked it into gear and scored on four of its next five possessions to lead 27-10. UWW got to within 27-17 before two late third quarter TD put the game out of reach. For the game, Ricky Ciccone led all Purple Raider ballcarriers with 63 yards in 18 attempts and a TD. Jesse Burghardt and Zac Bruney each scored once on QB runs. Burghardt completed 11-of-14 passes for 335 yards and three TD. Bruney was six-of-13 for 129 yards. Randall Knapp led all receivers with a career-high 11 catches for a school-record 310 yards and two TD. Nick Sirianni caught four passes for 96 yards. Drew Hanley caught Burghardt's other TD pass.
The Yellow Jacket Notebook
The Seasonal Winning Streak -- Baldwin-Wallace College has a seasonal winning streak of 36 years. The streak is third longest in all of college football as well as NCAA Division III. B-W has not had a losing season since 1966.
Dick Miller Player of the Game -- Mark Anders earned the Dick Miller Community Night B-W Most Outstanding Player of the Game Award for the second straight year. On Sept. 6 versus Allegheny, Anders ran for 167 yards in 13 attempts and scored three TD, caught two passes for 26 yards and had 243 all-purpose yards to win the 2003 award. In 2002, against Mt. Union, Anders won the award as he ran for 131 yards and two TD, caught two passes for 30 yards and had 210 all-purpose yards.
B-W Tabbed Nationally in all Five Preseason Polls -- The Yellow Jackets are tabbed anywhere from third to 15th in the five NCAA Division III preseason polls. B-W is ranked third by the d3football.com Internet Web site, sixth by Street & Smith's magazine, eighth by Sports Illustrated, 10th by The Football Gazette and 15th by Lindy's magazine.
Returning All-American -- Greg Koch is a returning Division III All-American. He was tabbed as a second-team Football Gazette All-American and as an honorable mention Hewlett-Packard All-American in 2002.
Returning Academic All-American -- Joe Harbour (Upper Sandusky) is a returning second-team Academic All-American. Harbour carries a 3.919 grade point average in education and history.
Preseason All-Americans -- Greg Koch, Dan Larlham and Rob Becker were all tabbed as preseason All-Americans by several publications.
Returning All-Ohio Athletic Conference Players -- On offense, RB Mark Anders returns as a first-team All-OAC player from 2002 and QB Dan Larlham was a second-team choice. On defense, safety Greg Koch was a first-team pick and DB Tom DeLuca was a second-team choice.
Returning All-North Region Picks -- On defense, Greg Koch was a first-team pick at DB. On defense, Dan Larlham was a second-team choice at QB. On special teams, Rob Becker was a second-team choice at punter and Tom DeLuca was a second-team specialist.
Four Returninng Academic All-District Players -- The four Yellow Jacket players are returning Academic All-District IV players are OG Joe Harbour, backup RB Randale Richmond, and secondary players Jeff Fox and Matt Walker. Harbour, Richmond and Fox were all first-team picks. Walker was a second-team choice.
Six Returning Academic All-OAC Players -- Six Yellow Jackets are returning Academic All-OAC players. They are Joe Harbour, Randale Richmond, Jeff Fox, Justin Andes, Dave Ehrman and Nate Mitchell. Harbour was a unanimous first-team pick and joined on the first-team by Richmond and Fox. Andes, Ehrman and Mitchell were second-team choices.
They Were Most Valuable -- In 2002, Dan Larlham and Greg Koch were the B-W Ray E. Watts Most Valuable Offensive and Defensive Players, respectively.
For More On Current B-W Football -- The latest statistics and information about B-W football can be found on the B-W Sports Website at http://www.bw.edu/athletics. Offensive statistics will be posted on the website following all games and defensive statistics will be posted every Monday by 5:00 p.m.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON B-W FOOTBALL AND OTHER ATHLETICS, Please contact B-W SID Kevin Ruple by either telephone by calling (440) 826-2327 or 2325 or by facsimile machine by calling (440) 826-2329. Kevin Ruple can also be reached via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu.
B-W head football coach John Snell can be reached by calling (440) 826-2069 or 2184, by FAX machine at (440) 826-2192 or via e-mail at jsnell@bw.edu.
275 Eastland Rd.