Box Score
Ohio Wesleyan 22, Otterbein 10
Sophomore quarterback Zane Ries (Barberton) and sophomore running back Marty Sesma (San Diego, Calif./Sweetwater) scored touchdowns as Ohio Wesleyan rang up 16 points during the final 90 seconds of the first half and went on to defeat Otterbein in the season opener for both teams on Saturday at Selby Stadium.
The game opened with a tribute to Otterbein nose guard Nigel Chatman, who was killed in a car accident on Friday. The Cardinals lined up with 10 players on defense and placed Chatman's jersey in his nose guard position, and players from both teams took a knee.
The Cardinals put together a drive late in the first quarter, with quarterback Bryce Hall coming up with multiple key plays on third-down situations. Hall found Dom Ross for 26 yards on a third-and-10 call from the Otterbein 20, connected with Dylan Tuggle for 15 yards on third-and-7 from midfield, and facing a third-and-25 from the Ohio Wesleyan 37, found Ross for 20 yards to bring the visitors into field goal range. David Hoyle then converted a 35-yard try to give Otterbein a 3-0 lead in the final seconds of the opening quarter.
Midway through the second period, Ohio Wesleyan took over with a short field after a Luke Green-Lauber punt was downed at the Cardinal 42. A 19-yard strike from Ries to sophomore wide receiver Kenny Streb (Willowick/Eastlake North) and an 8-yard connection to junior running back Trey Dixon (Atlanta, Ga./Westlake) helped the Bishops to a first down at the Otterbein 10, and senior kicker Anthony Sanfillipo (Delaware/Hayes) eventually came on for a 20-yard field goal to tie the score.
Ohio Wesleyan took over at its own 7-yard line on its next possession after a Hall quick kick. Sesma moved the chains with a pair of carries for 11 yards before Ries hit senior wide receiver Sasoun Tcholakian (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington) for 11 yards and senior wide receiver Mher Tcholakian (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington) for 8 more. Ries later found Streb for a 22-yard gain to the Otterbein 20, and one play later, Ries covered the final 20 yards on his own for the Bishops' first touchdown of the season. Sanfillipo's extra-point kick was blocked, leaving the score 9-3 with 1:29 left in the first half.
On the first play from scrimmage after the ensuing kickoff, the ball slipped out of Hall's hand on a pass attempt and into the hands of junior linebacker Cody Streit (Griffin, Ga.) for an interception, with Streit returning the ball to the Otterbein 2-yard line before Hall brought him down. Sesma went over from there on the next play, and Sanfillipo's point-after was good for a 16-3 Bishop lead with 1:18 remaining.
The Bishop defense forced a 3-and-out, and gave the ball back to the offense at the Ohio Wesleyan 45 with :47 on the clock. Ries wasted no time in finding Streb for 45 yards on the first play from scrimmage, giving the Bishops a first-and-goal at the Otterbein 10. Dixon picked up 7 yards on first down, but facing fourth-and-goal from the 2, Sanfillipo came on and converted a 19-yard field goal with :12 left for a 19-3 lead.
Otterbein assembled a 65-yard, 13-play march to open the third quarter, with Hall converting a pair of third downs with a 14-yard completion to Brian Jennings and a 3-yard pass to Tuggle to set up Matt Webb's 3-yard scoring run.
The Cardinals looked to pull closer in the fourth quarter, driving to a first-and-goal at the Bishop 10, but trailing, 19-10, midway through the period, Otterbein elected to go for the field goal, and Hoyle's 20-yard attempt hit the left upright.
Ohio Wesleyan took nearly 5 minutes off the clock on its next possession, and after freshman cornerback Ian Riddle (Perrysburg) returned an interception to the Cardinal 15-yard line, Sanfillipo's 28-yard field goal wrapped up the day's scoring.
Ries completed 22 of 31 passes for 211 yards and led the Bishops with 31 yards on 12 carries. Sasoun Tcholakian caught 5 passes for 38 yards.
Defensive standouts for the Bishops included senior safety Mario DeJoy (North Olmsted), who shared the team lead with 7 tackles, recovered a fumble, and broke up a pass; junior linebacker Shane Quin (Chardon), who shared the team lead with 7 tackles; senior nose guard Nate Lee (Oxford, Mass./Saint John's), who shared the team lead with 7 stops, including half a tackle for loss; Streit, whose 7 tackles included half a sack and 1 for loss along with an interception; and senior defensive end Kyle Hogan (Centerburg), who shared the team lead with 7 tackles and broke up a pass.
Hall completed 19 of 35 throws for 222 yards. Tuggle caught 4 passes for 54 yards and Ross made 4 catches for 52 yards. Webb picked up 57 yards on 19 carries. Niall Lewison led the Cardinals with 15 tackles, broke up a pass, and blocked a kick.
Box Score
