Quakers fall to top ranked Purple Raiders 49-7

Jones returns kickoff for a touchdown in team's only points

[Box Score]

October 9, 2004

ALLIANCE — The Wilmington College football team fell to Mount Union College on Saturday, the unanimous #1 team in Division III football by a 49-7 score. The Quakers got their only points of the game when Marque Jones (Wilmington/Wilmington) returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown, the second consecutive week the Quakers returned a kick for a score.

The Purple Raiders struck first in the game, as they put up 14 points in the first quarter, the first touchdown on a Zac Bruney-to-Scott Casto, Bruney's first of four passing touchdowns on the day. 1:35 later, Jason Cavell returned a Drew Springer (Clayton/Northmont) punt 61 yards, giving the hosts a 14-0 lead in their homecoming game.

Mount Union erupted for 28 points in the second quarter, with the first three scores coming on Bruney passes, the first from 14 yards out to Jeff Strauch, the second to Aaron Robinson from 14 yards away and the fourth passing touchdown to Rick Ciccone from 11 yards out. The Purple Raiders got their final points of the half when Shawn Spisak picked up a blocked field goal and scampered into the end zone, giving the hosts a 42-0 halftime lead.

The Purple Raiders scored on their next drive when Robinson rushed in from 15 yards away before Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 93 yards, ending the shutout bid for Mount Union. The two teams played to a scoreless fourth quarter, giving the game its 49-7 final score.

Leading the way for the Quakers in the game was running back Schuyler Streber (Wilmington/East Clinton) who rushed 13 times for 44 yards while Jermaine Isaac (Eastpointe, MI/Renaissance) had five yards on seven carries. MUC's Ciccone had 41 yards on seven carries while Robinson had 37 yards on seven carries to go with his touchdown.

Cam Marsh (Hillsboro/Hillsboro) was 9-of-21 passing for 71 yards while Andrew Hamel (Tracy, CA/Tracy) was 4-of-11 for 29 yards. The Purple Raiders' All-American quarterback Zac Bruney was 17-of-24 passing for 229 yards in the first half.

Deon Short (Cincinnati/Mt. Healthy) hauled in a game-high five passes for 44 yards while three others, Brent Scherz (Wilmington/Clinton-Massie), Jones and Ben West (Springfield/Northeastern) each had two receptions. Ciccone and tight end Drew Hanley each had four receptions, Ciccone for 53 yards and Hanley for 41.

Cory Norvell (Dayton/Dunbar) led the defense with 12 tackles, eight of them solo, while Taylor Clark (Morrow/McCallie School) had 10 stops on the game. Shaun Spisak had seven tackles for Mount Union, as the team had nine sacks on the game, three by Justen Stickley.

With the loss, the Quakers fall to 2-3 and 2-2 in the OAC while Mount Union has now won 99 consecutive regular season games, standing at 5-0 on the season and 4-0 in the OAC.

The next game for the Green and White is on Saturday, October 16 as the team travels to University Heights, Ohio to face off against the Blue Streaks of John Carroll University with kickoff set for 1:30 p.m.