Box Score
Otterbein 10, Ohio Wesleyan 7
Junior wide receiver Sasoun Tcholakian (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington) hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Jax Harville (Marion/River Valley) to even the game at 7-7 midway through the fourth quarter, but Otterbein rallied for a go-ahead field goal, then blocked a potential game-tying field goal in the final seconds to hold on for a non-conference win over Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday in Westerville.
The game featured 2 weather delays totaling nearly 3 hours.
Ohio Wesleyan trailed, 7-0, in the fourth quarter when Otterbein's David Hoyle sent a 40-yard field goal attempt wide right. On the second play from scrimmage, Harville found senior wide receiver Deji Adebiyi (Canton, Mich./Plymouth) for 25 yards to move the ball to the Otterbein 45, but lightning was spotted in the area and play was halted for nearly 2 hours.
When the game resumed, the Bishops moved the chains when Harville connected with sophomore wide receiver Aaron Fields II (Dayton/Vandalia-Butler) for 3 yards on fourth-and-3 from the Cardinal 38, and one play later, Harville hit Tcholakian in the end zone. Freshman Gabe Philhower (Reynoldsburg) connected on the PAT to knot the game at 7-7 with 9:11 left in regulation time.
Otterbein's Fred Hardgrove returned the ensuing kickoff 49 yards to the Bishop 44, and Dakota Smith turned in a pair of 12-yard rushes to give the hosts a first down at the Ohio Wesleyan 13. Smith picked up 6 yards on first down, but the Bishop defense stiffened there, and Hoyle converted a 24-yard field goal try for a 10-7 Cardinal lead.
The hosts had a chance to increase the lead when Blayne Voorhees picked off a Harville pass and returned it 22 yards to the Bishop 31-yard line with 4:45 left, but on second-and-11 from the OWU 17, Smith fumbled a lateral pass and senior cornerback Natrone Barnes (Deerfield Beach, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) picked up the loose ball and returned it 43 yards to the Otterbein 29.
Harville found Adebiyi for 10 yards, and an Otterbein pass interference penalty set up a first down at the Cardinal 17. Harville hit Tcholakian for 6 yards, then ran for 3 himself, and facing a third-and-1 from the Cardinal 8-yard line, the Bishops used their final timeout. On third down, Harville was stopped short of the first down marker, and the field goal team came on for a 25-yard attempt, but Otterbein's Niall Lewison blocked the kick and Voorhees recovered the loose ball to seal the outcome.
Both teams opened the game with lengthy drives, with the Bishops marching 55 yards on 15 plays before turning the ball over on downs at the Otterbein 20, and the Cardinals countering with an 11-play, 44-yard march that ended on downs at the Bishop 36.
Early in the second quarter, Otterbein's Siraj Muhammad picked up first downs with carries of 9 and 16 yards, giving the hosts the ball on the OWU 13. A pass interference penalty gave the Cardinals a first down at the OWU 4, and two plays later, Dakota Smith went over from 3 yards out for a 7-0 Otterbein lead.
Junior punter Nick Heidel (Cincinnati/Indian Hill) connected on a 71-yard boot during the third quarter, pinning the Cardinals on their own 12-yard line, and the Bishop defense forced a 3-and-out to give the ball back to the offense on the Otterbein 41. Sophomore running back Trey Dixon (Atlanta, Ga./Westlake) broke loose for 21 yards and senior running back Jesse Beachy (Plain City/Jonathan Alder) moved the ball inside the red zone, but the possession ended when Philhower's 36-yard field goal attempt hooked wide left.
Barnes kept the game close by intercepting a Bryce Hall pass in the end zone during the final seconds of the third quarter.
Harville completed 18 of 34 passes for 189 yards and a score. Adebiyi and Tcholakian each caught 6 passes for 62 yards. Dixon led the Bishops with 36 yards on 7 rushes.
Sophomore defensive end Kor'Darius Melton (Warner Robins, Ga./Houston County) and sophomore linebacker Cody Streit (Griffin, Ga.) had 9 tackles apiece, with Streit splitting a sack and adding 1½ for loss and Melton adding half a tackle for loss. Sophomore end Alec Verteressian (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) and junior strong safety Ryan Rubel (Toledo/St. John's) added 8 stops apiece, with Vateressian contributing a sack and 1½ for loss.
Steven Irwin completed 11 of 23 throws for 62 yards for Otterbein. George Redding had 5 catches for 39 yards, and Smith caught 5 passes for 21 yards and ran for 45 yards on 22 carries. Ryan Tuchow made 10 tackles, including 2 sacks and 3½ for loss.
Box Score
