Box Score
Ohio Wesleyan 35, Wabash 28
Sophomore running back T.J. Weems (Inverness, Fla./Citrus) scored on a 10-yard run in overtime to put Ohio Wesleyan ahead to stay, and the Bishop defense closed out a North Coast Athletic Conference win over Wabash on Saturday at Selby Stadium.
The win was Ohio Wesleyan's first over Wabash at Selby Stadium since a 35-22 verdict on Oct. 24, 1970, snapping a 12-game winless skein.
Ohio Wesleyan had taken a 26-14 lead on a 12-yard pass from senior quarterback Zane Ries (Barberton) to freshman running back Jackson Gifford (Ross/Hamilton Ross) late in the third quarter, and after a Wabash penalty on the touchdown pass was enforced on the point-after try, Gifford ran for a 2-point conversion to extend the margin to 28-14.
Wabash answered with a lengthy drive, but senior defensive end K.D. Melton (Warner Robins, Ga./Houston County) intercepted a Liam Thompson pass at the Ohio Wesleyan 9-yard line to end that threat, and the Bishops countered by taking more than 6 minutes off the clock with a 63-yard march, but senior kicker Gabe Philhower (Reynoldsburg) saw his 40-yard field goal attempt sail wide to keep the game at 28-14.
On the next play from scrimmage, junior cornerback Ian Riddle (Perrysburg) picked off a Thompson pass at the Wabash 25-yard line, but the drive stalled at the Little Giant 15. Philhower came on for a 33-yard field goal try, but the kick was blocked and Wabash took over at its own 37-yard line. This time, Thompson found Derek Allen for 38 yards and Nick Hamman for 14 yards before an 11-yard pass to Jackson Clayborne brought the visitors within 28-20 with 4:36 left in regulation time. Jacob Handley's point-after kick was wide, however.
The Little Giants forced a punt and got the ball back on their own 27-yard line with 3:03 to play. Thompson moved the visitors downfield with throws of 13 and 14 yards to Allen, then connected with Hamman for 23 yards to set up a first-and-goal from the 7 before finding Donovan Snyder for a touchdown with :32 remaining. Wabash then tied the score on Heisman Skeens' pass to Thompson for a 2-point conversion.
The Bishops got the ball first in overtime, and Ries came through with a 15-yard strike to sophomore wide receiver Jay Hines (Covington, Ga./Newton) to move the chains before Weems took the ball the final 10 yards on the next play. Philhower's point-after kick made it 35-28.
Wabash got a 17-yard throw from Thompson to Allen on the first play of its overtime possession, but the Bishops forced an incompletion on second down, a holding penalty moved the visitors back to the 17-yard line, junior cornerback Nick Cianciola (Massillon/Canton Central Catholic) broke up a pass on third down, and sophomore defensive end Marquel Henry (Dayton/Chaminade Julienne) sacked Thompson on fourth down to end the game.
Philhower drilled a 31-yard field goal to put the Bishops on the scoreboard on the opening possession of the game, but the Little Giants took the lead on a 30-yard throw from Thompson to Cooper Sullivan early in the second period.
Ries fired touchdown passes of 34 yards to junior wide receiver J.T. Dozier (Dayton/Huber Heights Wayne) and 5 yards to Hines as the Bishops took a 17-7 halftime lead, and Philhower added a 22-yard field goal to make it a 20-7 game midway through the third quarter.
The visitors closed to within 20-14 on Thompson's 2-yard run, only to see Ohio Wesleyan answer with the Ries-to-Gifford connection and the 2-point conversion.
Ries completed 25 of 41 passes for an even 300 yards and 3 touchdowns. Dozier made 9 catches for 153 yards and a score. Senior running back Trey Dixon (Atlanta, Ga./Westlake) ran for 113 yards on 28 carries. Senior linebacker Shane Quin (Chardon) recorded a team-high 10 stops, including a sack.
Thompson completed 26 of 46 throws for 375 yards and 2 TDs. Sullivan caught 10 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown. Snyder picked up 33 yards on 13 rushes. Casey Crozier led Wabash with 17 tackles.
Box Score
