Football
2004 News Releases
All Releases Written by: Ryan Maurer
Director of Sports Information
E-Mail: rmaurer@wittenberg.edu
December 21, 2004
Football Standouts Cap Season With Regional And National HonorsSPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Wittenberg University football standouts Brad Kassner, Jacob Thomas and Will Block earned All-North Region honors, and Kassner went on to earn All-America honors for the second straight year. Read More ...
November 24, 2004
Football Standout Brad Kassner Selected To Participate In 2004 Aztec BowlSPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Wittenberg University offensive lineman Brad Kassner has been selected to play for the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III All-Star team that will represent the United States against the Mexican National Team in the 2004 Aztec Bowl at 4 p.m. (CST) Saturday, Dec. 11 in Cancun, Mexico. Read More ...
November 23, 2004
Twenty-Eight Wittenberg Student-Athletes And Two Coaches Earn Fall Sport Postseason AwardsSPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Another banner fall sports season has reaped rich rewards for 27 Wittenberg University athletes who were selected to All-North Coast Athletic Conference teams over the last two weeks. Read More ...
November 19, 2004
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Jered Glover |
That record is deceiving because the Tigers were essentially two plays away from their customary position atop the NCAC standings. In back-to-back road losses to Ohio Wesleyan and Wooster, the Tigers were beaten on late touchdowns both times, with a combined margin of defeat of 10 points. Against OWU, the Tigers rallied to take a 24-21 lead before the Bishops converted three fourth downs on a winning drive that ended with a touchdown inside of the two-minute mark of the fourth quarter. Against Wooster, the Tigers rallied from a 48-17 third-quarter deficit, only to fall in overtime.
Against Allegheny, there was no such heartbreak, just a feel-good Senior Recognition Day victory that the coaches hope will serve as a springboard to next season when a majority of the team's starters and letterwinners are slated to return. The Tigers put together their most complete game of the 2004 season and cruised to the victory. The win ended Wittenberg's first two-game losing streak since 1992.
This game was essentially decided before halftime after the Tigers exploded for 35 points in the first half. Junior wide receivers Braden Freeman (Prospect, Ohio/Marion Pleasant) and Jered Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown) both scored a touchdown rushing and a touchdown receiving and junior tailback Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh) added a three-yard rushing touchdown with 15 seconds left in the second quarter to stake the Tigers to an insurmountable 35-7 advantage.
In the second half, Wittenberg stretched the lead to 42-7 in the third quarter on Murray's second touchdown run, but in the fourth quarter the Tigers couldn't generate any more points as many different players rotated in and out of the game.
Murray carried the offensive load for the Tigers as he rambled for 249 yards on 35 carries. Senior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda) had one of his finest days under center, throwing for 238 yards and two touchdowns on 17 completions in 25 attempts. Glover, seemingly near full speed for the first time in three weeks after suffering a foot injury against Wabash on Oct. 23, finished with three receptions for 67 yards.
Defensively, sophomore safety Mitch Fonseca (Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus) was the leader for a third straight game in double figures for tackles with 11, including a team-best five solos. Sophomore linebacker Matt Saurer (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster) and junior linebacker Anthoni Fazio (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) chipped in with eight stops apiece. Junior cornerback Brandon Slade (Louisville, Colo./Monarch) , making his first start of the season, had a big game with a forced fumble and an interception.
Murray's 249 yards rushing was the seventh-best for a game in Wittenberg history, and he finished with 1,320 yards on the season, the seventh-highest total in school history. His 283 all-purpose yards is the third-highest total in school history, and his 1,712 all-purpose yards for the season ranks third in school history as well.
Glover finished with 37 receptions for 511 yards and seven touchdowns on the season, running his career totals to 133 receptions, 1,881 yards and 20 touchdowns. He will open his senior season with the opportunity to shatter school records in all three categories, as he already ranks among the top four in each. Holmes topped the 2,000-yard mark for passing yards in a season and 4,000-yard mark for passing yards in a career. His 2,132 passing yards was the third-highest total in school history, while he stands fifth in Wittenberg annals with 4,017 career passing yards. He also has career totals of 278 completions (fourth in school history), 471 attempts (sixth) and 41 passing touchdowns (third).
With the 7-3 final record, the Tigers extended their streak to 13 straight winning seasons and 48 in the last 50 years. The only exceptions were 1989, when the Tigers finished 4-5 overall and 1991, when Wittenberg wound up 5-5. In 16 seasons in the NCAC, the Tigers have never posted a losing record.
Next: Season Complete
November 11, 2004
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Ryan Holmes
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They are quarterback Ryan Holmes (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda), wide receivers Ryan Barksdale (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) and Joe Rumschlag (Maumee, Ohio/Toledo Christian), offensive linemen Corey Chatman (Mansfield, Ohio/Senior), Brad Kassner (Circleville, Ohio/Circleville) and Brandon Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh), kicker/punter Jacob Thomas (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany), defensive linemen Jarrett Brown (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles), Jamie Hoover (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North), Joe Torrens (Utica, Ohio/Utica) and Chris Vennefron (Somerville, Ohio/Edgewood), linebacker Andrew Nichols (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay) and defensive back Kyle Keriazes (Springfield, Ohio/North).
Against Ohio Wesleyan, the young, shorthanded Tigers were stunned 28-24 by Ohio Wesleyan. Wittenberg was missing key players in every facet of the game, most noticeably junior wide receiver Jered Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown), and it showed by game's end.
Offensively, the Tigers moved the ball fairly well, but they lacked the big-play capability that Glover, the team's leading receiver each of the last two seasons, possesses. Junior tailback Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh) tried to pick up the slack as he finished with 28 carries for 123 yards and two touchdowns, but the OWU defense had the luxury of keying on him on a windy day that made the passing game that much more treacherous.
Defensively, Wittenberg gave up a whopping 364 rushing yards, out of 397 total yards for the Battling Bishops. OWU converted three fourth downs on its final drive, the last one culminating in a game-winning three-yard touchdown run with just over two minutes remaining.
Wittenberg's scoring came courtesy of a 33-yard field goal by freshman Mark Porter (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland), a seven-yard touchdown run by Holmes and a pair of second-half touchdown runs by Murray.
Holmes threw for 165 yards, and he spread the ball around to seven different receivers, led by junior wideout Braden Freeman (Prospect, Ohio/Marion Pleasant) with four receptions for 69 yards. Defensively, sophomore safety Mitch Fonseca (Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus) accounted for a game-high 15 tackles, and junior safety Adam Hewitt (Piqua, Ohio/Lehman Catholic) contributed 11 tackles and a fumble recovery.
Against Wooster, the Tigers again came up just short, this time falling 64-58 in overtime. In losing back-to-back games for the first time since 1992 and the first time ever under ninth-year Head Coach Joe Fincham, the young Tigers showed the kind of heart and spirit that will be necessary if Wittenberg is to return to its championship form in 2005. Wittenberg rallied from a 48-17 third-quarter deficit by feeding off a defense that came up with a couple of key stands as the game wound to a close.
First-half scoring for the Tigers included a rushing touchdown by Murray, a field goal by Porter and a 16-yard touchdown connection between Freeman and Holmes. After Wooster scored 35 straight points in the second and third quarters, Wittenberg rallied as Murray scored two touchdowns in a three-minute span, Freeman caught a 36-yard touchdown pass, junior tailback Will Block (Troy, Ohio/Troy) ran a kickoff back a school-record 98 yards for a touchdown, sophomore Eric Kubilus (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) caught a 27-yard touchdown pass and Holmes tied the game on a three-yard scoring run on fourth down with 15 seconds remaining.
In overtime, an interception on the Tigers' first play from scrimmage led to a game-winning touchdown for the fifth-ranked Scots and just their second win over Wittenberg since 1949.
Individually, Holmes had the greatest day statistically ever for a Wittenberg quarterback as he threw for a school-record 439 yards. Murray added 107 yards rushing and 105 yards receiving, and Freeman had a career day, catching 10 passes for 177 yards. Fonseca was the top player for the Tigers defensively as he finished with 12 tackles, including a stop for a loss on third down late in the game that set the stage for the final drive.
Next: 11/13 vs. Allegheny, 1 p.m.
October 29, 2004
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Jacob Thomas
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The game-changing play in the win over Wabash was, of all things, a punt. With Wittenberg clinging to a 41-35 lead and pinned deep in its own end late in the fourth quarter clock, senior Jacob Thomas (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) booted the ball 73 yards and after the Little Giants were unable to control the ball, Tigers sophomore Joe Brumfield (Springfield, Ohio/Kenton Ridge) pounced on it for the Tigers. That led to a three-yard touchdown run by junior tailback Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh), capping a day in which he totaled 234 yards of total offense and four touchdowns.
Murray was recognized for his outstanding performance with NCAC Player of the Week honors.
Before a large Homecoming Weekend crowd, Wittenberg rallied from an early 7-0 deficit with 31 straight points before halftime, thanks to one touchdown running and another receiving for Murray, a 12-yard TD reception by junior wide receiver Jered Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown), an eight-yard scoring pass play to senior wideout Joe Rumschlag (Maumee, Ohio/Toledo Christian) and a 38-yard field goal by freshman kicker Mark Porter (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) with just three ticks left on the clock.
Wabash battled back in the second half, outscoring Wittenberg 21-7 in the third quarter to get back in the game. In the fourth quarter, Porter started the scoring with a 27-yard field goal before Wabash scored a touchdown that set up the game's aforementioned final sequence.
Wittenberg got a solid game from senior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda) as he went 22-of-35 for 197 yards and three touchdowns. Six Tiger players caught at least two passes in the game, led by Glover with six catches for 42 yards and Rumschlag with five receptions for a team-high 48 yards. Freshman cornerback Alan Tracewell (Williamstown, W.Va./Williamstown) was outstanding, contributing a game-high 10 solo tackles and 13 total tackles and he also was credited with two passes broken up. Junior cornerback Lavon Wilborn (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) added nine total tackles and a first-half interception he returned 40 yards to set up a touchdown.
Next: 10/30 at Ohio Wesleyan, 1 p.m.
October 22, 2004
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Braden Freeman
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Wittenberg, ranked 23rd in the latest American Football Coaches Association poll, is now 5-1 overall and 3-0 in the NCAC, and the Tigers must capture a victory over the visiting Little Giants to keep pace with undefeated Wooster in the conference race. Wabash, ranked 24th nationally, sports a 5-1 overall record and a 3-1 mark in the NCAC after dropping a 33-30 decision to Wooster a week ago.
Wittenberg extended its win streak to five straight with wins over Earlham and Hiram in the last two weeks by scores of 56-14 and 74-0 respectively.
Against Earlham on Oct. 9, the Tigers scored 43 points before halftime and played perhaps its most tenacious defense of the season. The Tigers spread things around as 11 different players recorded at least one rushing attempt, four different players took snaps at quarterback and nine different players caught passes. Junior tailback Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh) led the Tigers on the ground with 82 yards on 12 carries, junior wide receiver Jered Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown) topped the team with eight receptions for 121 yards and senior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda) was solid with 230 yards on 15-of-20 passing.
Freshman kicker Mark Porter (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) had three field goals in the game to go along with two touchdowns each from Glover and junior wide receiver Braden Freeman (Prospect, Ohio/Marion Pleasant). Also getting into the end zone were senior defensive end Chris Vennefron (Edgewood, Ohio/Somerville), freshman fullback Andy Vanover (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe) and Murray.
Defensively, 26 different players recorded statistics for Wittenberg, and none of them managed more than five total tackles. Leading the way were junior defensive end Dave Fleck (Enon, Ohio/Greenon) with five tackles, including 1.5 for a loss of four yards, and sophomore linebacker Joe Swanson (Germantown, Ohio/Valley View) with five tackles. Vennefron was credited with four assisted tackles, including one for a three-yard loss, and the fumble recovery.
The Tigers made short work of the Hiram Terriers on Oct. 16, needing just five minutes to build an insurmountable 20-0 lead. Sophomore fullback Tyler Harmon (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian) scored three touchdowns, sophomore quarterback Chris Clark (Springfield, Ohio/South) scored a pair of touchdowns, and freshman linebacker Wade Laughrey (Mount Vernon, Ohio/Mount Vernon), Murray, Freeman, junior wide receiver Dymond McDonald (Troy, Ohio/Troy), Vanover and freshman wide receiver Jason Alonso (Tarpon Springs, Fla./East Lake) all had one score.
Junior tailback Will Block finished with a career-high 143 yards on 20 carries to lead Wittenberg to 442 rushing yards in the game. Eleven different Wittenberg players recorded at least one rushing attempt in the game, and six different players shared the eight receptions. Leading the way was junior tight end Nate Cherry (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) with two catches for 23 yards.
Next: 10/23 vs. Wabash, 1 p.m.
October 8, 2004
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Tristan Murray
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Murray continues to assert himself, as he increased his rushing total for the fourth straight game. He carried the ball a season-high 26 times, and he averaged a season-high 6.6 yards per carry, doing most of his damage in a huge first half in which he scored four touchdowns. Murray finished with 171 yards, and he increased his season rushing average to 119 yards per game with his third straight 100-yard rushing performance.
Junior tailback Will Block (Troy, Ohio/Troy), sophomore fullback Tyler Harmon (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian) and junior tight end Jon Kirkwood (Columbus, Ohio/Groveport-Madison) also scored touchdowns for the Tigers. Senior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda) had his finest overall game of the 2004 season, turning in an efficient 13-of-16, 143-yard, one-touchdown performance. He also picked up 24 yards rushing on four carries. Sophomore quarterback Chris Clark (Springfield, Ohio/South) was similarly efficient, finishing with eight completions in 11 attempts for 66 yards. Amazingly, 13 different Tiger players caught at least one pass, with the top target being junior wideout Jered Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown), who caught five passes for 47 yards, bringing him within one catch of fourth place on the Wittenberg career receiving list.
Defensively, 25 different Wittenberg players recorded defensive statistics in the game, led by junior cornerback Lavon Wilborn (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) and sophomore linebacker Devon Combs (Columbus, Ohio/South) with four solo tackles apiece. Freshman cornerback Alan Tracewell (Williamstown, W.Va./Williamstown) and Wilborn both had interceptions that led to Tiger touchdowns.
Next: 10/9 vs. Earlham, 1 p.m.
October 1, 2004
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Jered Glover
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In the win, the Tigers relied on an emerging big-play trio to get things going. Junior wide receiver Jered Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown) exploded for three touchdowns in the second half, including a 65-yard score with 10:47 remaining in the third quarter that broke the game open. Glover finished with 119 yards receiving on six receptions and a total of 193 all-purpose yards, which included a pair of kickoff returns for 71 total yards.
Senior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda) finished his day before the fourth quarter started with efficient stats of 10-of-13 passing for 176 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to his second rushing touchdown of the season. Sophomore quarterback Chris Clark (Springfield, Ohio/South) was solid in his first extended collegiate action, turning in a 6-of-9 performance that included 105 yards passing, 17 yards rushing and two touchdown passes.
The third member of that big-play troika is junior tailback Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh), who did the majority of the dirty work on the ground. Toting the ball 24 times in the game, Murray accumulated 127 hard-earned yards and scored the game's first touchdown.
In addition, freshman kicker Mark Porter (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) had his best game as a collegian, converting a pair of field goal attempts. Junior tight end Nate Cherry (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) hauled in a three-yard scoring strike from Clark to cap the scoring.
Junior safety Adam Hewitt (Piqua, Ohio/Lehman Catholic) intercepted two passes in the first quarter that led directly to the first 10 points of the game. Safety Mitch Fonseca (Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus) finished with eight tackles and junior cornerback Lavon Wilborn (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) and freshman linebacker Matt Ruggles (Wheelersburg, Ohio/Wheelersburg) had seven stops each.
Wittenberg, now 2-1 overall, returns to action Saturday with a road game at Denison. It will be the North Coast Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
Next: 10/2 at Denison, 1 p.m.
September 24, 2004
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Ryan Holmes
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On Community Night at Edwards-Maurer Field, Wittenberg rallied from the brink to defeat the visiting Saints, 35-31. After 17 unanswered Thomas More points in the third and fourth quarters, Wittenberg responded at gut-check time. First, junior tailback Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh) took a swing pass 63 yards for a touchdown with 7:43 left in the fourth quarter to bring Wittenberg to within three points. Then, senior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda) led the Tigers on a victory march, directing a game-winning 87-yard, 13-play drive that culminated in a four-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Eric Kubilus (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) with just 33.6 seconds showing on the clock.
Holmes came up big, finishing 19 of 36 for 303 yards, in the process turning in just the ninth 300-yard passing game in school history and the first of his career. His four touchdown passes were a career best and one short of a Wittenberg record as well.
Murray had his biggest game in the Red & White, going for 105 yards on 18 carries and adding three receptions for 93 yards in his first start and second game overall since transferring from Brown University last winter. Holmes also had 28 yards on 11 carries, including two key fourth-down runs that kept drives alive.
The season started with a disappointing 49-16 loss at Capital on Sept. 4. In losing their first season opener since 1994, the Tigers fell behind early and were done in by turnovers and several big plays by nationally ranked Capital.
Wittenberg's offense did have its bright moments as Holmes and Murray both scored rushing touchdowns and were credited with 73 yards on the ground. In addition, junior wide receiver Jered Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown) had 28 yards rushing and 32 yards receiving.
Next up for the winningest team in NCAA Division III history is a home game against Huntingdon at 1 p.m. Saturday. Then comes the North Coast Athletic Conference schedule, opening with a road game against Denison on Oct. 2.
Next: 9/25 vs. Huntingdon, 1 p.m.
September 17, 2004
Wittenberg Welcomes Neighbors, Conducts Food Drive On Community Night Sept. 18SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Wittenberg University is hosting Community Night on Saturday, Sept. 18, at Edwards-Maurer Field. Dinner will be served from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the HPER Center as a prelude to Wittenberg's football game against visiting Thomas More College. Read More ...
August 4, 2004
Wittenberg Football Picked To Finish First In North Coast Athletic Conference Preseason PollSPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg University football team welcomes 43 letterwinners, including 17 starters, back into the fold following last year's 8-2 season, facts that helped boost the Tigers into the top spot in one of two preseason polls taken at the 21st annual North Coast Athletic Conference media day in Granville, Ohio. Wittenberg outpolled the College of Wooster in the media balloting by two points, while the Scots were the choice of the coaches by just one point. Read More ...
June 25, 2004
Wittenberg Football Team Ranked Seventh In Preseason PublicationSPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg University football team, which returns 17 starters from last year's 8-2 team, once again has experts believing they have the talent to make a run at a national championship. Read More ...
June 14, 2004
Wittenberg Football Golf Outing Photo GallerySPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Read More ...
March 22, 2004
Sixth Annual Wittenberg Football Golf Outing Set For June 12SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — For the sixth consecutive year, the Wittenberg University football program is hosting a golf outing to raise funds for the program. This year's event is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 12, at Reid Memorial Golf Course in Springfield. Lunch and registration begin at noon. Read More ...
March 16, 2004
Wittenberg University Football Selects Al Logan As New Offensive CoordinatorSPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Al Logan has been selected as Wittenberg University's new offensive coordinator, replacing Scott Isphording, who left the Tigers in December to become the quarterbacks coach at Eastern Michigan University. Read More ...
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© 2007 Wittenberg University