Wittenberg Keeps Postseason Hopes Alive with 58-17 win at Ohio Wesleyan

DELAWARE, Ohio - Since losing a North Coast Athletic Conference game for the first time in nearly five years two weeks ago, the Wittenberg Tigers have been painfully aware of the fact that every week is do-or-die, back-against-the-wall, etc. Pick a clich, and it works.

On Saturday, the Tigers made a second straight statement on an opponents' Homecoming Weekend, this time trouncing the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops 58-17. The game was surprisingly lopsided from the outset, made possible by a tremendous defensive effort spearheaded by senior defensive end Jim Lackmeyer (Cincinnati, Ohio/Purcell Marian) and a potent aerial attack led by senior quarterback Greg Cornett (Franklin, Ohio/Franklin).

Lackmeyer posted 10 total tackles, including six solos and 5.5 for a whopping loss of 21 yards. He was one of three Wittenberg players to finish in double-digits in tackles - the others being senior linebackers Dustin Goldsbury (Columbus, Ohio/Ready) and Gary George (Cincinnati, Ohio/Purcell Marian). The Tigers gave up 357 total yards on 82 plays, including 218 yards on 55 rushing attempts, but the defense was opportunistic, intercepting two passes and limiting the Bishops to 6-of-17 on third-down conversions.

The scoring started on a 28-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Jacob Thomas (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) at the 12:33 mark of the first quarter, a score set up by a 55-yard pass play between Cornett and junior wide receiver Skip Ivery (Columbus, Ohio/Groveport-Madison) on the game's first play from scrimmage. Less than two minutes later, after an interception by senior safety John Hauser (Columbus, Ohio/Hartley), sophomore tailback Alex Smith (Blue Bell, Pa./Germantown Academy) went into the end zone from nine yards out to stake the Tigers to a 10-0 lead.

After an OWU field goal to end the first-quarter scoring, Wittenberg scored on its first three possessions of the second stanza, all on picture-perfect passes by Cornett. The first was a two-yard lob to senior tight end Erich Schoeneberger (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum), his first catch of the year and first touchdown of his career. The second was a nine-yard pitch to senior wide receiver Adrian Crane (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis). And the third was a 42-yard bomb down the sideline to senior wide receiver Josh McCoy (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster). After the Bishops scored a TD, Cornett operated the two-minute drill to perfection, nailing Crane with another scoring pass with just 11 seconds left in the half.

The second half opened with three more Wittenberg scores as sophomore fullbackRaymar Hampshire (Lima, Ohio/Elida) had a one-yard scoring plunge, Smith added a five-yard burst and freshman Adam Hewitt (Piqua, Ohio/Lehman Catholic) rounded things out with a fine 17-yard scoring jaunt two minutes into the fourth quarter. OWU capped things with a five-yard TD.

Individually, it may have been Cornett's finest game under center. He finished with 16 completions in 19 attempts for 262 yards and a career-high tying four touchdowns. He continues on pace to break several of Wittenberg's single-season passing records currently held by National College Football Hall of Famer Charlie Green. His favorite target was Ivery, who had 111 yards on six receptions, while Crane finished with five catches for 83 yards and two scores. The leading rusher on a day when Wittenberg's running backs managed just 122 yards, Hampshire topped the team with 42 yards on eight carries.

Wittenberg is now 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the NCAC, and more importantly the Tigers remain very much alive for either the conference title or one of three at-large berths in the NCAA Division III tournament, while OWU dropped to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the conference. Wittenberg, the five-time defending NCAC champion and the 12th-ranked team in the nation in the latest American Football Coaches Association poll, returns home for another crucial match-up against Allegheny next Saturday.