DREAM SEASON COMES TO AN END FOR SPARTANS...
CLEVELAND, OH (November 24, 2007) - For the first time this season, the Case Western Reserve University football team ended a Saturday without a victory, as the Little Giants from Wabash College (11-1) came up big, upending the Spartans (11-1), 38-23 (BOX SCORE) , at Case Field to move on to the third round of the Division III NCAA Playoffs. The loss snaps a 12-game winning-streak for the Spartans and ends their record setting season.
The Spartans battled from behind all game, trailing 21-0 at one point before pulling within eight points at 31-23 with 4:33 remaining in the fourth quarter, but Wabash quarterback Matt Hudson hit wide receiver Bart Banach on a 68-yard bomb on the ensuing drive to ensure a 38-23 victory for the Little Giants.
The Spartans managed 229 yards of total offense, but couldn't find a way to penetrate the Wabash rush defense, as Case Western Reserve was held to minus-29 yards on the afternoon. The Little Giants gained 156 yards on the ground, with Evan Sobecki picking up 113 on 22 carries.
“I was proud of the way we fought and came back and we definitely made a game out of it in the fourth quarter,” said Case Western Reserve Head Coach Greg Debeljak. “[Wabash] did a great job rushing the ball against us and had a very good plan of attack against us on both sides of the ball.”
Wabash struck early in the first, as Hudson led the Little Giants on a 12-play, 68-yard drive, capping it off with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mike Russell to give his team a 7-0 advantage. Hudson, who threw for 308 yards and five touchdowns in the game, would connect with Brock Graham and Andrew Rode for two more scores in the second quarter to extend the Wabash lead to 21-0.
Sophomore quarterback Dan Whalen (Willoughby, OH) would get the Spartans on the board just before the half when he connected with senior wide receiver Jeff Mayer (Vermillion, OH) for a 45-yard touchdown pass to limit the Wabash lead to 21-7 at intermission. Whalen finished the game with 303 yards through the air on 24-of-49 passing, throwing three touchdowns and one interception. Whalen finished his sophomore season with 28 total touchdowns (23 passing, five rushing) and 2,390 yards passing.
Senior linebacker Tom Brew (Mentor, OH) played his final game for the Spartans this afternoon, and the Gagliardi Trophy finalist finished with 16 tackles (4 solo, 12 assisted), including one tackle for a loss of three yards. Classmate and defensive back John Tiemeir (Cincinnati, OH -pictured on page one ) finished with a game-high 18 tackles (1 solo, 17 assisted) and two pass break-ups in his last game for the Spartans.
Freshman wide receiver Shaun Nicely (Willoughby, OH) finished with a game-high nine receptions for 145-yards, while sophomore Ryan Kolesar (Mentor, OH) finished with seven catches for 72-yards and a touchdown.
Wabash totaled 464 yards of total offense on the afternoon, and completed 8-of-16 third down conversions, while holding the Spartans to only two in 15 attempts. Hudson completed 33-of-46 passes and was intercepted once. Graham caught nine passes while Banach had six catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns.
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