MONMOUTH, Ill. — For only the second time
since 1994, the Fighting Scots football team has started a season
1-0. For the first time since 1988, Monmouth College can boast of
eight consecutive gridiron victories.
But all that means nothing to coach Steve
Bell and company unless the Scots can get off on the right track in
Midwest Conference play Saturday at Ripon, Wis. – a place that
Monmouth hasn’t won since a memorable 3-2 triumph in 1989.
“We don’t win a non-conference
championship,” said Bell, in reference to his team’s 52-39 victory
last Saturday in Mequon, Wis., against Concordia.
Ripon’s Red Hawks (0-1) are looking up at
the rest of the league after a last-minute 27-24 loss at Grinnell.
The host Pioneers rallied from a 21-6 halftime deficit, thanks in
part to Sean Pfalzer’s 321 yards through the air.
Ripon’s successes in the game were keyed by
a ball control offense that featured fullback Tom DePietro, who had
30 carries for 137 yards. Quarterback Bob Faulds ran for two
touchdowns and opened the scoring with an 18-yard TD strike to
tailback Collin West.
The Scots are familiar with West, who had an
88-yard kickoff return and a 23-yard scoring run the last time
Monmouth played at Ripon. For the most part, though, this is a
new-look Red Hawk team that may be in a bit of a rebuilding mode
after finishing out of the top three in the league for the first
time since it switched to its current format in 1998. Defensive back
Ryan Morgan is the lone returner from last year’s first and second
team All-MWC squads. Wide receiver Jacob Banks was an honorable
mention selection.
“Ripon always has good athletes, and they’re
one game better playing in their new offensive and defensive
systems,” said Bell, who reported that the Red Hawks have switched
to a double-wing option on offense and used a 3-5-3 defensive scheme
against Grinnell. “What concerns me about Ripon is that they’re
coming off a loss, they’re playing at home and they’re a
well-established program. They’re probably not too happy with the
way the game ended Saturday.”
Monmouth is now the team that is hoping to
make the top of the conference their permanent domain, and the Scots
have won 13 straight games in the league against teams not named St.
Norbert. Their victory over Concordia, although not pretty, should
give the Scots even more confidence. Despite being outgained by 191
yards, Monmouth found a way to win, returning two interceptions for
TDs and also posting a safety.
“It was a typical first game in that we made
quite a few mistakes,” said Bell. “But we did beat a very quality
opponent, and the kids should be proud of that. Concordia was
extremely athletic, and they were a playoff team last year.”
The game’s turning point came in the third
quarter, when linebacker Justin Zigler stripped Concordia’s Immanuue
Mills at midfield after a 15-yard gain. Adam Troll recovered the
ball, halting what would have been a go-ahead drive by the hosts.
“That was a huge play, and so was getting 16
points in 25 seconds,” he said, referring to a safety and two TDs in
the last minute of the third quarter.
Defensively, Zigler led the Scots with nine
solo tackles and Troll, a defensive lineman, had also come up big
earlier in the game, returning an interception 15 yards for a
touchdown. A lineman running to paydirt is a rare play, but it was
repeated later in the game when Chris Inniss forced an errant pass
and Zach Kirchner recorded a 20-yard TD runback. The score put MC
ahead 44-25 and marked the final points of Monmouth’s 16-point
blitz.
Other stars included Ed McCracken, who had
an explosive day, gaining 112 yards on 13 carries. He had 69 yards
at halftime and added a 43-yard TD on his lone second-half attempt.
Todd Sabean, meanwhile, rushed for 61 yards on 22 carries.
“The way Ed ran the ball carried over from
the way he was running in two-a-days,” said Bell. “He was extremely
physical, and his hard work over the summer really showed. He’s much
quicker, and his cuts are much sharper.”
Two other heroes for the Scots were
quarterback Mitch Tanney and wide receiver Evan Haffner, who were
both making their first MC starts. The pair hooked up on a 37-yard
score, one of Tanney’s two TDs on the day, and Haffner finished with
four catches for 73 yards. He also averaged 24.8 yards on five
kickoff returns.
Another difference-maker was new
kicker/punter Nate Palkovic. The freshman specialist got off to a
very impressive start, converting all four of his PATs, punting for
a 44.8-yard average on six boots and knocking two kickoffs into the
end zone for touchbacks.
“He was the MVP of the game,” said Bell.
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