Game Book | 8-Game Season Stats
TIFFIN, Ohio—Sophomore running back/kick returner Cartel Brooks (Kokomo, Ind./Galion) and sophomore second-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference running back Germany Woods (Cleveland/Lakewood St. Edward) put up 100-yard rushing games for the second consecutive week and combined for 361 of Heidelberg University’s 447 rushing yards to lead the Student Princes past Wilmington College, 49-20, today in an OAC game at Mayer Field in Tiffin, Ohio. The win was the sixth of the season for Heidelberg, which secured its first winning record since 1994 when it went 7-3.
The Berg moves to 6-2 overall and 5-2 in the OAC. Wilmington falls to 0-8 overall and 0-7 in the OAC.
The Student Princes put up 400 rushing yards for the second consecutive week following a school-record 456-yard performance at Marietta, and totaled a season-high 662 yards of offense in just under 26 minutes of possession. The Berg is averaging 268.9 rushing yards per game in 2011.
Heidelberg scored 14 points in each of the first three quarters and added another score in the final period.
Brooks averaged 12.9 yards per rush with a game-high 181 yards on just 14 carries, including touchdown runs of 10 yards and one yard, and an 82-yarder, one short of his season long. Woods totaled 180 yards on 19 carries and eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season. He also scored on runs of 23 yards and one yard.
Woods has rushed for 100 yards or more in six of eight games this season and in 10 of his last 12 contests dating back to 2010, and has 2,127 career rushing yards in just 18 games. His 1,093 yards this season already bests last year’s total by 59.
Despite an explosive ground attack, freshman quarterback Michael Mees (North Ridgeville) threw for 215 yards—his third 200-yard passing game of the season—on nine-of-14 passing and had TD passes of seven and 76 yards to senior wide receiver James Sheahan (Painesville/Lake Catholic) and junior wide receiver Mario Escalante (Highland Heights, Ky./Newport Central Catholic), respectively.
Woods opened the scoring with his 23-yard scamper with 8:15 to play in the first quarter to cap a lengthy, eight-play and 87-yard drive. Junior kicker Dan Kilger (Novi, Mich./Novi) added the point-after-touchdown for a 7-0 lead.
The Quakers answered right back, going 69 yards in nine plays on a drive that took 5:28. Tyrell Richardson tallied 67 of his team-high 82 rushing yards on the drive, including a four-yard TD rush. Max Gabbard’s extra point tied the score, 7-7, at the 2:41 mark of the opening period.
A Mees 37-yard pass to Sheahan set up the Berg’s next score, a 10-yard run by Brooks with 1:30 on the clock. Kilger’s PAT gave the Student Princes a 14-7 lead.
In the second quarter, Wilmington again tied the score, 14-14, with just under 12 minutes to play when quarterback Brandon Arehart found Kyle Akers open for a 22-yard TD pass. Gabbard’s PAT was good.
The Quakers would not score again until late in the fourth quarter.
After trading possessions, Heidelberg traveled 86 yards in 11 plays and took the lead for good at 21-14 when Woods scored his second TD of the day with 2:16 to play in the first half. The drive spanned 4:17.
The Berg took a 28-14 lead into halftime on the last play from scrimmage of the first half when he found Sheahan for a seven-yard scoring strike. Kilger added the extra point.
On its first possession of the third quarter, the Tri-Color took over at its own four-yard line, but a 22-yard rush by Woods moved the offense toward midfield before Mees hooked up with Escalante, increasing the lead to 35-14. Kilger again provided the PAT.
On Heidelberg’s very next drive, Brooks rushed on all five plays to total 91 yards before scoring on a one-yard plunge. Kilger’s PAT moved the Student Princes out in front, 42-14.
With a healthy lead, fifth-year head coach Mike Hallett inserted freshman Colin Bultinck (Lafayette, Ind./Jefferson) under center to start the fourth quarter. On Bultinck’s first drive at quarterback, freshman running back Jake Jarbo (Gratis/Valley View) led the offense on a three-play, 47-yard scoring jaunt in under one minute, tallying all 47 yards himself and scoring his first career TD from two yards out. Kilger’s extra point gave the Berg its largest lead of the day at 49-14.
Wilmington closed the gap to the 49-20 final score with only 6:53 to play when Arehart hit Malcolm Heard with a 66-yard TD strike on the first play of the drive. Gabbard made the PAT.
The Berg was led defensively by senior defensive lineman Jacob Mitchell (Wyandotte, Mich./Wyandotte) with a season-high 12 tackles, including four for loss and two sacks. Junior defensive lineman Stephen Fejedelem (Ravenna) notched 10 tackles with two coming behind the line of scrimmage. Six more Student Princes had six or more stops, including senior linebacker Andy Fadenholz (Grafton/Keystone), who recorded a season-high 2.5 sacks.
Sheahan led the ‘Berg offense with three catches for 63 yards, while Escalante hauled in two passes for a team-high 92 yards.
For Wilmington, Richardson’s 82 yards came on 28 carries. Arehart was 13-of-20 passing for 233 yards and two TDs. Malcom Heard pulled in three receptions for a game-high 100 yards.
Devon Burton totaled a game-high 16 tackles, including three for loss, while Jamar Roberts notched 10 hits to lead the Quaker defense.
The Berg returns to the gridiron Saturday, Nov. 5 when it faces John Carroll University (5-3, 5-2 OAC) in an OAC game at Don Shula Stadium at Wasmer Field in University Heights. Earlier today, JCU defeated Capital University, 37-24, at home.