WILMINGTON, Ohio -- It is quite a recipe.
Mix equal parts potent rushing offense and dangerous passing offense. Combine mixture with an opportunistic and tenacious defense. Let simmer for 6 days, bring to boil on Saturday afternoon.
Through three games, Heidelberg University’s football team has followed the recipe to perfection.
Sophomore running back Cartel Brooks (Kokomo, IN/Galion) rushed for a career-high 227 yards and three touchdowns, as Heidelberg (3-0, 2-0 OAC) defeated Wilmington College (0-3, 0-2 OAC), 56-2.
The Student Princes pounded out 695 yards of total offense, the most in the history of the program. The old record, 674 total yards against Ohio Northern in 1994, was one of several records broken on a windy day in Wilmington.
Defensively, Heidelberg held the Quakers to 228 yards of total offense and forced five Quaker turnovers. The defense did not allow points for the second time this season. Junior William Nunnally (Euclid) led the team with 11 tackles.
On the opening drive of the game, Brooks put Heidelberg on the scoreboard with a five yard touchdown rush. Senior Dan Kilger (Novi, MI) added the extra point.
Following a Wilmington punt, Brooks scored his second touchdown, a 21 yard scamper.
In the second quarter, sophomore quarterback Michael Mees (North Ridgeville) connected on a 21 yard touchdown pass to senior Mario Escalante (Highland Hts., KY / Newport Central Catholic).
The defense forced a quick three-and-out, which gave the offense the ball on the Wilmington 40 with 1:12 left in the first half. Mees fed three passes to sophomore Donteea Dye (Fairfield), who scored on a two yard pass with 33 seconds to play in the half. The touchdown put Heidelberg up 28-0.
On the first drive of the second half, the Quakers had their best drive of the game. Starting on their 25 yard line, Wilmington moved the ball down to the Heidelberg 1. On a quarterback sneak on fourth and goal, the ‘Berg defense knocked the ball out of the hands of Wilmington’s Brandon Arehart. A Wilmington player recovered the ball in the end zone, but by rule, the ball could not be advanced. The play resulted in a turnover on downs, and Heidelberg took over at their 1.
In the ensuing possession, Mees threw an incompletion on first down. On second down, Brooks flashed through the right side of the line, broke toward the sideline and raced 99 yards for a touchdown. That rush broke a 55 year old Heidelberg record, set on a 98 yard run by Walter Livingston in 1956.
A pooch-punt on the next Wilmington drive pinned Heidelberg deep in their own end again. This time, the Quaker defense prevailed, tackling freshman Bryan Lacey (South Euclid/Benedictine) in the end zone for a safety.
Heidelberg added another touchdown in the third quarter, as Mees found sophomore Christian Dominguez (Miami, FL/Ferguson) in the right corner of the end zone. Kilger added his sixth extra point of the contest.
In the fourth, the Heidelberg offense continued their success rushing the ball. Freshman Dontez Smith (Avon Lake) scored from 27 yards out and Lacey scored from 16 yards out. Freshman Harry Stickelman (Mansfield/Ontario) added the extra points on both fourth quarter touchdowns.
Lacey finished with 109 yards on 13 carries. Smith totaled 96 yards on 11 carries.
Sophomore Henry Thigpen (Plainfield, IL/Central) and freshmen Adrian Lopez (Tampa, FL/Sickles) and George Pendleton (Toledo / Central Catholic) each had an interception.
“I’m really happy where we are at right now,” said sixth-year head coach Mike Hallett. “Cartel is running the ball really well. Our defense puts us in position to be successful. We are solid on special teams.”
“Everybody we brought to Wilmington got to play today,” Hallett continued. “There are a whole lot of guys in good spirits.”
After opening up with three straight games on the road, the Student Princes host Marietta College on September 29 at 1:30 p.m.
“Mayer Field is going to be electric,” said Hallett. “Absolutely electric.”