Round Up: Tigers Take Eighth Straight NCAC Opener
The Wittenberg football team rode the broad shoulders of junior tailback Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh) to a 47-21 victory over Denison last Saturday.
The Wittenberg football team rode the broad shoulders of junior tailback Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh) to a 47-21 victory over Denison last Saturday. The Tigers improved to 3-1 overall and won their North Coast Athletic Conference opener for the eighth straight year. It wasn't easy, however, as the Big Red took a 14-13 first half lead, the first time that Denison has held a lead of any margin against Wittenberg since 1990.
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.