Wheaton (Ill.) 59, Wabash 28

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — Wheaton College ended Wabash’s playoff run Saturday, 59-28, at Little Giant Stadium. The Little Giants scored the game’s first touchdown but the Thunder answered with 29 straight points.

Wabash grabbed the game’s first lead when David Mann picked off a Sean Norris pass to put the Little Giants in business. After a tough first three downs, Evan Sobecki inched in from the one-yard line to give Wabash the early momentum. But it didn’t last long.
Jeff Lake caught a 12-yard Norris pass to tie the game then All-American defensive back and return specialist Pete Ittersagen returned a punt 70 yards to give Wheaton control. Rocky Gingg ran one in from seven yards early in the second period then Alex Pokorny caught a 14 yard pass for another Wheaton score, 28-7.

Kody LeMond caught a 4-yard pass with under a minute to play in the half to cut the lead in half, 28-14.
Wheaton came out and added four more scores to salt the game away in the third and early part of the fourth period. The Little Giants got a 2-yard run from Bobby Kimp and Brock Graham caught a 16-yard pass for the other score and the 59-28 final.

"I’m frustrated with the loss certainly but they beat us in every phase of the game," head coach Erik Raeburn said. "Our guys played hard but we just didn’t execute well enough.

Wheaton out-gained the Little Giants 504-266. They were 4-of-7 on third down conversions compared to Wabash’s 3-of-12. They threw for 300 yards to Wabash’s 230. Still the rushing numbers really told the story.

Gingg finished with 111 yards and one score on the ground for the Thunder. Norris threw for 277 yards on 21-of-30 passing with four TDs and one interception. Pokorny grabbed ten of those passes for 152 yards and two scores.

Brady Young had a 23 yard rush on an end-around and late in the game Derrick Yoder broke a run for 17 yards for the Little Giants, but the no gains and tackles for loss gave Wabash only a net 36 yards for the contest.

Hudson did throw the ball 43 times and completed 22, but his biggest connection was a 23-yarder to LeMond. Young’s 23 yards, on the one run, led the Little Giants rushing.

Defensively, Brian Hollett and Tyler Langs paced Wheaton with eight stops apiece. Wabash defenders Rich Lehman and Jared Lange each finished with eight tackles, as well. Mann had two interceptions to go with his four tackles.

The Thunder will travel to Franklin College Saturday to play the Grizzlies in the regional final.


Press release submitted by on Nov 29, 2008 at 05:20 PM Eastern