Box Score
Ohio Wesleyan 14, Wittenberg 7
Junior quarterback Kaden Buza (Winchester, Va./Millbrook) ran for one touchdown and threw for another to help Ohio Wesleyan to a 14-0 lead, and the Bishops went on to defeat Wittenberg in North Coast Athletic Conference action on Saturday in Springfield.
The win was Ohio Wesleyan's first over Wittenberg since Oct. 21, 2006, snapping a 13-game losing streak to the Tigers.
The Bishops put together a lengthy drive to open the game, with Buza finding freshman wide receiver Josh Hurst (Port Clinton) for 14 yards to move the chains on third-and-5 from the Tiger 37, then connecting with junior wide receiver Jakii Alston (Pickerington/North) for 5 yards on fourth-and-4 from the Wittenberg 17. The drive stalled, however, and on fourth-and-6 from the Tiger 8, Buza's pass fell incomplete.
Wittenberg drove into Ohio Wesleyan territory late in the quarter, but sophomore safety Drew Thornton (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) picked off a Miles Johnson pass at the OWU 27 and returned it to the Wittenberg 45, setting up the Bishops' first score. Buza found Hurst down the sideline for 25 yards on a fourth-and-4 call from the Tiger 38, and after a couple of carries by sophomore running back Jackson Gifford (Ross/Hamilton Ross) moved the ball to the 2, Buza went over from 4 yards out for the touchdown.
Senior cornerback Ian Riddle (Perrysburg) ended one Tiger threat by intercepting a Johnson pass at the OWU 22 after the Tigers had recovered a Gifford fumble at the OWU 30.
After taking over on downs at the OWU 36 with 2:56 left in the first half, Buza moved the Bishops again, finding Alston for 12 yards on third-and-10 from the OWU 3 and Alston for 10 more yards on a third-and-8 from the Wittenberg 40. Buza and Alston would connect once more, this time for 25 yards and a touchdown, and senior kicker Tyler Shuster (Sunbury/Big Walnut) followed with the conversion for a 14-0 lead in the final minute of the half.
The Bishop defense turned away a pair of Wittenberg drives into the Ohio Wesleyan side of the field during the second half, forcing a punt from the OWU 44 late in the third quarter and getting a stop on fourth-and-4 from the OWU 25 early in the fourth period.
The Tigers narrowed the deficit to 14-7 with a 65-yard, 8-play drive that included a 13-yard strike from Collin Brown to Tyler May and a 27-yard completion from Brown to Drew Sterett, with the latter setting up the hosts with a first down on the OWU 4. On the next play, Garrett Gross ran for the final 4 yards, scoring with 5:21 left in regulation time.
Buza picked up 15 yards to move the chains on the Bishops' following drive, then found Hurst for 12 yards on a third-and-3 play from the OWU 46. Gifford picked up 18 yards and another first down at the Tiger 23, allowing Ohio Wesleyan to run more time off the clock, and the Bishops downed the ball 3 times.
Wittenberg got the ball back on its own 44 with a single second left on the clock, and Hurst picked off Brown's pass to end the game.
Buza completed 12 of 21 throws for 154 yards and a touchdown. Alston made 6 catches for 63 yards and a score. Gifford led the Bishops with 66 yards on 26 rushes. Senior linebacker Trevar Meese (Wooster) led the Bishops with 11 tackles, including half a tackle for loss.
Box Score
