William Penn Overwhelms Threshers 54-0
William Penn Football 2012 (file photo)
North Newton, Kan.–In one of those games that are basically over before they even start, the Statesmen football team drilled an under-manned Bethel (Kan.) squad 54-0 in non-conference action Saturday.
#14 William Penn (2-0) kicked off to start the game and immediately made its presence felt, forcing a turnover on the return. A few plays later, after the offense stalled, Marcus Kerrigan (Jr., Cary, Ill., Cary-Grove HS) made it 3-0 with a 34-yard field goal.
Bethel (0-1) did not have issues on the second return as it was a touchback, but on just their second play from scrimmage, the Threshers coughed up the pigskin again. This time Jacob Batterson (Jr., Eddyville, Eddyville-Blakesburg HS) was there to scoop it up and take it back 24 yards for the first touchdown of the day.
The visitors, who dominated to a 474-49 advantage in total yards, were far from done in the first stanza.
The Threshers lost possession on downs in their own territory on the following drive, and William Penn made them pay with a ten-yard scoring pass from Taylor Parsons (Jr., The Woodlands, Texas, College Park HS) to Chris Crawford (Sr., Muskegon, Mich., Grand Valley State). The only thing Head Coach Todd Hafner could complain about would come on the next play as William Penn failed to get an extra point attempt off. That unfortunately happened twice in the win as either a poor snap or bad handle prevented a kick by Kerrigan.
The first quarter scoring concluded with Evan Ressler (So., Cascade, Cascade HS) and Tye Sparks (Jr., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS) both crossing the goal line from one yard out. Sparks, in his first action at the varsity level, was the team’s workhorse Saturday, tallying game highs in rushes (20), yards (127), and touchdowns (2). Ressler finished the day with 53 yards.
Parsons then tallied a one-yard score, while the Statesmen recorded their third safety of the young season to make it 38-0 at intermission.
Sparks scored his second TD in the third quarter, while back-up quarterback Tyler Hafner (Fr., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS), who notched 42 rushing yards, also joined the scoring crew in that stanza.
The cherry on top came courtesy of Kerrigan’s leg as he booted a career-long 52-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. It ties for third-longest in school history and is the longest since Tom Fulcher also hit a 52-yarder against Buena Vista in 1990.
A week after not completing a single pass, Parsons was 6-of-12 for 109 yards. Dalton Phelps (Sr., Tipton, Tipton HS) picked up 43 yards on one grab, while Aaron Broyles (Jr., Escondido, Calif., Escondido Charter HS) was Parsons’ target twice.
The defense was incredibly stingy as Bethel’s 49 yards were the fewest allowed by William Penn since joining the NAIA in 2001. The Statesmen forced four turnovers, including three fumbles. For the second week in a row, Brock Peery (Jr., Payson, Utah, Payson HS) and Scott Adams (So., Park City, Utah, Park City HS) topped the navy and gold with five stops apiece. Joseph Frye (So., Detroit, Mich., Highland Park HS) recorded a third-quarter interception.
Next: William Penn returns to Oskaloosa next Saturday for its home opener, hosting Luther in non-conference action at 3 p.m.
