Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Akron police investigate teen mob attack on family
Woman, 75, charged with beating fawn to death
Akron woman found dead at Brimfield Township store
Man shot in back near Akron park
Man shot outside his Akron home during robbery attempt
Man admits repeatedly biting 2-year-old
Tragic day puts man on path to be Pinnacle owner
Blogs:
Pets:
Dogs' Bark: Not fair! Study shows pups get jealous
The Heldenfiles:
Who Will Get the Michael Media Treatment Next?
Patrick McManamon:
More on Varejao
Akron Zips:
Opponent outlook: Kent State
Browns Bulletin:
Quick thought on Browns rookies
Tribe Matters:
Wedge challenges relievers
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth test showed marijuana
Kent State Sports:
Men's Basketball Scheduling update
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Andy’s Signed According to ESPN
All Da King's Men:
Does Medicare Have Lower Administrative Costs ?
Blog of Mass Destruction:
CIA Did Mislead Congress
Akron Law Café:
Breaking Story: CIA Lied to Congress about Secret Program
Varsity Letters:
East basketball update
See Jane Style:
Oh Baby!
Car Chase:
Where do We Go from Here?
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Closings….Not the Good Kind!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Margy inquires-when is a Taste of Hudson?
Sound Check:
LeVert II live performance Saturday night — "Dedication" album due July 13,
HRLite House:
DDI One of Best Places to Work
Akron Gamer:
First 24 'Guitar Hero 5' songs announced
Short-handed Bethel no match; Purple Raiders in title game
By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal sportswriter
POSTED: 07:00 p.m. EST, Dec 08, 2007
ALLIANCE: It's tough enough to beat Mount Union playing at your absolute best. Try knocking off the Purple Raiders amid a bevy of turnovers and without a starting quarterback and defeat is likely.
Visiting Bethel (Minn.) learned that lesson quickly Saturday, as the Purple Raiders took advantage of several Royals' miscues in a 62-14 victory at Mount Union Stadium in the Division III semifinals.
The Purple Raiders (14-0) advance to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl on Saturday, where they will face the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, a 16-7 winner over Mary Hardin-Baylor, for the national championship.
The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN. It will be the third consecutive season that Mount Union and Whitewater will be facing each other for the championship, so far resulting in back-to-back championships for the Purple Raiders.
The Warhawks advanced to the championship after a close game, but the Purple Raiders had all but wrapped up their rout by the end of the first half.
Mount Union scored on its first seven possessions to take a 41-0 halftime lead. A handful of those points were set up by Bethel mistakes, and the Royals played a majority of the game without their Most Valuable Player, quarterback Ben Wetzell.
‘‘It's a real deficit to face when you lose your senior quarterback and your league's best player,’’ Mount Union coach Larry Kehres said. ‘‘I admire Ben for trying to play with a separated shoulder ` he gave it a great effort.’’
The Purple Raiders wasted little time getting on the board, needing just three plays to march 60 yards on the opening drive for their first touchdown ` a 46-yard pass play from quarterback Greg Micheli to wide receiver Pierre Garcon.
A few possessions later, a botched Bethel punt gave Mount Union a short field and resulted in a Micheli 7-yard touchdown pass to Chad Reynolds to push the Raiders' lead to 17-0.
‘‘Today we flubbed up some things we usually don't, and they jumped right on it,’’ Bethel coach Steve Johnson said. ‘‘We needed some good stuff to happen, and instead, we had too many unforced errors.’’
Early in the second quarter, a Royals fumble was recovered by Pat McCullough to set up the second Mike Zimmerman field goal of the game.
It seemed that halftime couldn't come soon enough for the reeling Royals, who had their most productive drive of the tumultuous half slowed by a false-start penalty then halted by an interception.
Craig Nickoli’s first interception of the game set up a two-minute, 86-yard Mount Union drive that was completed just before the first half expired thanks to a Micheli 8-yard quarterback keeper into the end zone. Nickoli's second interception came later in the fourth quarter, a ball that he returned for a 20-yard touchdown.
In the second half, Mount Union's offense looked a little like Bethel's, committing turnovers on its first two possessions. But unlike Mount Union's quick-score offense, Bethel could not take advantage of the gifts against the stingy Purple Raiders defense ` resulting in a punt and a missed 37-yard field goal.
‘‘It was real difficult running on their defense,’’ said Royals running back Logan Flannery, who gained 51 yards on 19 carries. ‘‘Their front was especially tough ` they run a lot of twists and stunts.’’
With the Royals' season winding down to mere minutes and plenty of Purple Raiders subs in the game, Bethel finally got into the end zone on a 7-yard pass from backup quarterback Dan Einerson to tight end Nick Otto with 7:46 remaining. With 31 seconds left, the Royals scored on Jared Bangs' 26-yard touchdown reception from Einerson.
With 104 yards and three touchdowns, Mount Union running back Nate Kmic had his 22nd 100-yard game in 33 starts.
Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com.
ALLIANCE: It's tough enough to beat Mount Union playing at your absolute best. Try knocking off the Purple Raiders amid a bevy of turnovers and without a starting quarterback and defeat is likely.
Visiting Bethel (Minn.) learned that lesson quickly Saturday, as the Purple Raiders took advantage of several Royals' miscues in a 62-14 victory at Mount Union Stadium in the Division III semifinals.
The Purple Raiders (14-0) advance to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl on Saturday, where they will face the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, a 16-7 winner over Mary Hardin-Baylor, for the national championship.
The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN. It will be the third consecutive season that Mount Union and Whitewater will be facing each other for the championship, so far resulting in back-to-back championships for the Purple Raiders.
The Warhawks advanced to the championship after a close game, but the Purple Raiders had all but wrapped up their rout by the end of the first half.
Mount Union scored on its first seven possessions to take a 41-0 halftime lead. A handful of those points were set up by Bethel mistakes, and the Royals played a majority of the game without their Most Valuable Player, quarterback Ben Wetzell.
‘‘It's a real deficit to face when you lose your senior quarterback and your league's best player,’’ Mount Union coach Larry Kehres said. ‘‘I admire Ben for trying to play with a separated shoulder ` he gave it a great effort.’’
The Purple Raiders wasted little time getting on the board, needing just three plays to march 60 yards on the opening drive for their first touchdown ` a 46-yard pass play from quarterback Greg Micheli to wide receiver Pierre Garcon.
A few possessions later, a botched Bethel punt gave Mount Union a short field and resulted in a Micheli 7-yard touchdown pass to Chad Reynolds to push the Raiders' lead to 17-0.
‘‘Today we flubbed up some things we usually don't, and they jumped right on it,’’ Bethel coach Steve Johnson said. ‘‘We needed some good stuff to happen, and instead, we had too many unforced errors.’’
Early in the second quarter, a Royals fumble was recovered by Pat McCullough to set up the second Mike Zimmerman field goal of the game.
It seemed that halftime couldn't come soon enough for the reeling Royals, who had their most productive drive of the tumultuous half slowed by a false-start penalty then halted by an interception.
Craig Nickoli’s first interception of the game set up a two-minute, 86-yard Mount Union drive that was completed just before the first half expired thanks to a Micheli 8-yard quarterback keeper into the end zone. Nickoli's second interception came later in the fourth quarter, a ball that he returned for a 20-yard touchdown.
In the second half, Mount Union's offense looked a little like Bethel's, committing turnovers on its first two possessions. But unlike Mount Union's quick-score offense, Bethel could not take advantage of the gifts against the stingy Purple Raiders defense ` resulting in a punt and a missed 37-yard field goal.
‘‘It was real difficult running on their defense,’’ said Royals running back Logan Flannery, who gained 51 yards on 19 carries. ‘‘Their front was especially tough ` they run a lot of twists and stunts.’’
With the Royals' season winding down to mere minutes and plenty of Purple Raiders subs in the game, Bethel finally got into the end zone on a 7-yard pass from backup quarterback Dan Einerson to tight end Nick Otto with 7:46 remaining. With 31 seconds left, the Royals scored on Jared Bangs' 26-yard touchdown reception from Einerson.
With 104 yards and three touchdowns, Mount Union running back Nate Kmic had his 22nd 100-yard game in 33 starts.
Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com.
Most Commented Stories
- 72
- 59
- 55
- 51
- 41
- 36
- 29
- 25
- 23
- 23
