SXU Athletics
The race to the finish line for the Cougar football team on Saturday was a rocky one—more start-and-stop than a glide to the tape.
But the most important thing is that Saint Xavier got the win over the William Penn University Statesmen in a thrilling 48-46 game in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
The Cougar defense had trouble with the Statesmen and their option offense all day, including when William Penn recovered an onside kick with 3:21 left in the game.
The Statesmen were down two points and recovered at their own 45-yard line. They moved down the field to the Saint Xavier 21-yard line with 14 seconds left.
On came kicker Ante Rogic, who had not been called on to try a field goal. He did already have two blocked extra points in the second half. The Cougars took a timeout in an attempt to ice Rogic.
This time, the blocking was good and Rogic got the ball in the air quickly, with plenty of distance, but the ball sailed wide right. Saint Xavier took over with 10 seconds left and took a knee, moving their record to 5-2 and dropping the Statesmen to 5-3.
For much of the game, no one could stop any scoring, and the first half Cougar offense was largely a result of junior receiver and return specialist Randall Wells.
Wells took the opening kickoff from five yards deep in the end zone and weaved his way through traffic all the way in for a score. After a missed extra point, the Cougars led 6-0 with just 20 seconds off the clock.
After William Penn got out to a 14-6 lead, Wells was the player to answer with a big play.
On first-and-10, sophomore quarterback John Rhode dropped back and found Wells deep over the middle of the field. Wells went up to make the catch, then slithered through a couple defenders for a 42-yard score.
After a second-quarter takeaway in the Statesman red zone, Rhode rifled a ball to Wells in the back of the end zone to take a 32-21 lead.
Rhode had his second-straight great performance, racking up 417 yards and three touchdowns on a 27-for-38 passing day.
Wells likewise had another huge game. He caught four passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns, plus the return touchdown that opened play.
The Statesmen had big play after big play in the first quarter on the dive run to fullback Michael Thomas. By the time that quarter ended, William Penn had already put up 21 points.
The Cougars regrouped on defense beginning in the second quarter. Senior defensive end Greg Hayward forced a sideways intentional grounding on a sack, and junior linebacker Dan Fitzgerald pounced on the live ball for the first takeaway of the game.
Saint Xavier then forced a pair of turnovers before the half expired. Senior defensive lineman Tom Hitz recovered a fumble that led to a Cougar touchdown.
On the ensuing kickoff return, Freddy Griggs coughed up the ball. Freshman special teamer Robbie Brindley recovered, but the drive stalled and freshman kicker Abdul Mahdi missed a 27-yarder just wide to the left.
William Penn reestablished the big play early in the second half. Thomas had rushing gains of 17 and 21 yards on the opening second-half drive that cut the Cougar lead to 34-28.
Then the Statesmen went to the outside and let their speedsters get in space. Nathan Tvedt had a 23-yard run and Sam Tvetd had a 29-yard run. Those set up Tyler Hafner’s second passing touchdown of the day to Jatavius Stewart, a touchdown that tied the game at 34-34.
The Saint Xavier defense, working mostly one-on-one with Stewart so safeties could work inside to stop the option, had not remedy for the Hafner-to-Stewart connection. Stewart finished the game with six catches for 175 yards and four touchdowns.
Rhode responded almost immediately with a 28-yard touchdown strike to senior receiver Nick DeBenedetti.
Then, early in the fourth quarter, the Cougars extended their lead on a reverse from Rhode to receiver-quarterback Mark Strbjak.
Strbjak got away from pressure long enough to get off a 13-yard touchdown of his own to DeBenedetti, stretching the Cougar lead to 48-34.
A 28-yard touchdown and a 60-yarder to Stewart got the Statesmen within two, but the Cougar defense held on a two-point conversion attempt before the missed Rogic kick.
With the win, Saint Xavier remains the No. 9-ranked team in the NAIA top-25 coaches’ poll.
Saint Ambrose University, which has fallen out of the top-25, is the next opponent.
That game will be a 1 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Deaton Memorial field. Grab a radio and catch the broadcast on WXAV 88.3 FM Chicago.
Tim Carroll
Senior Sports Editor
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