Statesmen Cruise 68-10 Over Waldorf
The William Penn Statesmen made Saturday evening miserable for the visiting team from Waldorf
Oskaloosa–The visitors kept pace early, but the William Penn football team was just too much, posting a 68-10 win against Waldorf in Midwest League play Saturday.
#6 William Penn (4-0, 2-0 MWL), who is on a seven-game winning streak, now prepares for one of its biggest challenges of the season next weekend. The Statesmen will be seeking revenge against McKendree (0-2) after the Bearcats kept the navy and gold out of last year’s NAIA postseason with a 24-14 loss, their only setback of 2010. The programs square off at 1 p.m.in Oskaloosa.
The hosts scored on their first seven possessions Saturday night and were never really threatened against the Warriors (0-3, 0-1 MWL).
William Penn outgained Waldorf 565-125, including 470 on the ground, but the first touchdown ironically came through the air as Taylor Parsons (So., The Woodlands, Texas, College Park HS) found Chris Crawford (Jr., Muskegon, Mich., Grand Valley State) for a 37-yarder just 3:47 into the evening.
Parsons completed five of his nine passes for 89 yards and two scores.
The Warriors responded with a field goal, but that stood to be the last time they would be within single digits.
Only 3:02 later, Dalton Phelps (Jr., Tipton, Tipton HS) flew around the left edge from seven yards to make it 14-3 and the rout was on. Phelps finished with 40 yards on six rushes.
Marcus Kerrigan (So., Cary, Ill., Cary-Grove HS) added the first of his two field goals later in the first stanza, a 29-yarder. He also knocked through a 33-yarder in the second quarter.
Perhaps the best play of the night did not come by design and exemplified the kind of night it was to be for William Penn. After being stopped for the first time, the Statesmen were forced to punt, but kicker Jason Johnson (So., Geneseo, Ill., Geneseo HS) bobbled the snap. As he attempted to retrieve the pigskin, he looked downfield and saw very few white Waldorf jerseys, so he tucked the ball in and decided to run for the first down eight yards away. The sophomore easily picked up the necessary yardage and then executed moves that even his runningback teammates would be proud of as he scampered 55 yards for his first collegiate touchdown.
At that point, it was 24-3, but the first half was far from over. Parsons eluded defenders on the next drive and ran 51 yards to paydirt and with 12:25 still on the clock, William Penn led 31-3. The sophomore took the ball eight times for 88 yards and two endzone celebrations.
Waldorf put its final points on the board in the next possession, only to have Kerrigan hit his 33-yarder and Parsons connect with DeMarco Sanders (Sr., Horn Lake, Miss., Horn Lake HS) on a 15-yard TD pass to make it 41-10 at the break.
Parsons began the third with an 11-yard score and Nate Wilmes (Fr., Carlisle, Carlisle HS) ended it with his first collegiate tally, a 21-yard rush with 16 ticks still on the scoreboard.
Evan Ressler (Fr., Cascade, Cascade HS), with a six-yarder, and Larry Reed (Fr., St. Louis, Mo., Parkway West HS), on a 17-yarder, also joined the touchdown club in the fourth period. Reed contributed 61 yards and Ressler managed 57.
Shawn Davis (So., Hamersville, Ohio, Western Brown HS) did not score, but was again near the century mark with 18 rushes for a team-best 92 yards.
The defense, led by seven tackles from Sean Colemon (Sr., Burlington, Burlington HS), forced three turnovers to keep the Warriors at bay. Ivan Kindell (Sr., Belleville, Mich., Belleville HS) intercepted a pass and returned it 28 yards to begin the final stanza.
Travis Provo (So., Leesville, La., Leesville HS) was influential on the line with two sacks and a fumble recovery. Jordi Vernor (Sr., Ripley, Miss., Northeast Mississippi CC) was credited with the other recovery.
