GREENWOOD, Ind. – Week three of the football season brought about mixed results for participating Great Midwest Athletic Conference schools.
Kentucky Wesleyan College snapped a 17-game losing streak with a 49-7 rout against Trinity Bible. The potent offense of Alderson Broaddus University stalled as the Battlers fell for the first time this year after receiving votes in numerous national coaches polls.
Meanwhile, in Soldier Field, home of the NFL’s Chicago Bears, Central State University’s defense could not stop the passing attack of Morehouse College as the Marauders fell to 1-2 on the season.
Kentucky Wesleyan’s last win came 23 months ago on October 20, 2012, but that changed on Saturday as Panthers found their offense in North Dakota. The victory marks the first time Panthers have scored over 40 points since that 2012 victory against Lindenwood-Belleville.
It was also the highest point total the Panthers have scored in four years.
Kentucky Wesleyan 49, Trinity Bible 7
A very balanced Panther offense didn’t get going until the second quarter on Saturday, but once it did, the Lions of Trinity Bible gave little resistance as the Panthers scored touchdowns on five straight possessions in the second half. Ten different Panthers carried the ball for Kentucky Wesleyan as they amassed over 180 yards on the ground. Through the air, three different Panthers passed for over 100 yards led by freshman Eman Westmoreland’s 136 yards. All three combined for six touchdowns which tied a single-game school record.
Both teams traded a couple of punts and an interception a piece in the first quarter until the Panthers finally broke through in the second as junior quarterback Shon Chisolm found his junior tight end Roger Beets for a 10-yard passing play. Later on in the second quarter, Chisolm struck again as he hit sophomore wide out Keelan Cole for a 26 yard pass-and-catch.
It was Westermoreland’s time in the second half as he threw scoring strikes to eventually put Wesleyan up 35-7 early in the fourth quarter. Trinity Bible never scored again as the Panther defense held the Lions to just 26 yards on the ground led by Jalen Cooper.
The freshman defensive back led the team in tackles and also set up the first scoring drive for Kentucky Wesleyan with his first career interception.
Saint Joseph’s (Ind.) 42, Alderson Broaddus 17
After averaging 590 yards of offense in their first two games, Alderson Broaddus was slowed down on Saturday as their 386 yards wasn’t quite enough to keep pace with the Pumas.
The Battlers started hot with an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter due to a 23-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Wilson Vaughn to sophomore tight end Jacob Miller for the game’s first score. On the ensuing drive, the Battler defense blocked a punt four yards from the Saint Joseph’s end zone and recovered it for a touchdown.
The Battlers were up 17-7 late in the first when the Pumas rattled off 35 unanswered points.
Vaughn, who passed for five scores last week, found pay dirt once against the Pumas and was also sacked four times. He finished 14-for-30 for 200 yards with a single touchdown and interception. Sophomore running back Brandon Jones rushing for 119 yards in the losing effort, his third straight game toppling the century mark.
The Battlers will try to right the ship against Limestone College on Saturday. Limestone just recorded the program’s first ever win last week.
Morehouse College 43, Central State 9
In a game played at Soldier Field in Chicago, the Central State Marauders fell behind quickly and early in the first quarter and fell to 1-2 on the season after a 43-9 final at the hands of Morehouse College.
The Marauder defense allowed over 400 yards of passing and four touchdowns in the defeat.
Freshman running back Isiah Grooms was a bright spot for Central State as he ran for 110 yards in the loss.