Late Field Goal Lifts Battling Bishops Past Spartans, 17-14

DELAWARE, Ohio – Sophomore running back Manny Sicre (Miami, Fla./Belen Jesuit Preparatory) posted a season-high 123 yards rushing on a career-high 32 carries, but the Case Western Reserve University football team fell via a 17-14 score as Ohio Wesleyan University's Miles MacKenzie kicked a game-winning 46-yard field goal with 4.4 seconds left in regulation on Saturday evening at Selby Stadium.

Despite the loss, Case Western Reserve (2-2) sits at 26-2 in its last 28 road games dating back to 2007. Ohio Wesleyan improves to 3-0 overall and evens the all-time series with the Spartans at 9-9.

Both teams failed to score on their initial drives. However, the Battling Bishops got on the scoreboard first on a Scott Jenkins one-yard rush, and Miles MacKenzie tacked on the point after to make the score 7-0 with 3:54 left in the opening period.

Following a Spartan turnover and an Ohio Wesleyan punt, Case knotted the contest at 7-7 with 11:54 left in the second quarter. Senior quarterback Erik Olson (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) found Sicre on a seven-yard touchdown pass to cap a five-play, 47-yard drive that spanned just 1:46. Freshman placekicker Won Kun Park (Daejon, South Korea/Kimball Union Academy, N.H.) tacked on the extra point.

OWU retook the lead and made it 14-7 with 6:30 left in the opening half when running back Calvin Cagney scored from three yards out. MacKenzie tacked on the extra point for the hosts.

Neither team scored during the remainder of the half, and the Battling Bishops took that 14-7 lead into the intermission.

The score remained 14-7 in favor of the Battling Bishops until midway through the fourth quarter. Spartan sophomore running back Ricky Hanzlik (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) recorded his first career touchdown, a one-yard scamper over right tackle, capping off a 17-play, 80-yard drive that consumed 7:43 off of the clock. Kun Park converted the PAT to tie the contest at 14-14 with 5:42 left.

Following a missed Spartan field goal attempt with 1:06 left, the Battling Bishops took over at their own 20 yardline. The hosts then drove down the field and called their final timeout with 4.4 seconds left and the ball on the Spartan 29. MacKenzie then drilled the game-winner from 46 yards out to hand the Spartans their second-consecutive loss.

For the game, Sicre also had five catches for 65 yards and a score to go along with his 123 on the ground. Over the past two games, Sicre has 174 and 188 yards from scrimmage, respectively. Sophomore wide out Sean Lapcevic (Presto, Pa./Chartiers Valley) caught seven passes for a team-high 62 yards.

Defensively, senior outside linebacker Ryan Ferguson (Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis) recorded a team-high nine tackles, while senior linebacker Kevin Nossem (Munster, Ind./Munster), senior linebacker and captain Wade Self (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Lake Zurich) and senior cornerback Brandon Flick (Butler, Pa./Knoch) each tallied seven stops.

Ohio Wesleyan was led by wide receiver Kevin Herman with eight catches for 72 yards and Jenkins with seven grabs for 61 yards. Quarterback Mason Espinosa was 28-of-42 through the air for 235 yards. Defensively, Justin Segal led four Battling Bishop defenders in double-figures with 13 tackles.

The Spartans return home to the confines of Case Field next Saturday, September 29 versus Wittenberg University at 1:00 p.m. as part of CWRU's annual Homecoming Weekend festivities.