BOX SCORE
(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 17)—The McKendree University football slipped to 0-2 on the season following a 33-7 loss in the Bearcats' 2011 road opener Saturday at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Ind.
The host Cougars broke open a close game with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull away for the victory. McKendree also had three turnovers in the contest, one of which was an interception returned 62 yards for Saint Francis' final score of the day.
Senior wide receiver Myron Hicks (Sauk Village, IL/Bloom Trail) (Sauk Village, Ill./Bloom Trail) etched his name into the Bearcats' record books late in the fourth quarter when he became the team's career receptions leader. Hicks finished the day with three catches, boosting his career total to 72. That surpasses the previous record of 70, which was established by Byron Gettis (Cahokia, Ill./Cahokia), who had 70 career catches in his McKendree career from 2008-10.
Trailing 19-0 in the third quarter, McKendree used a 16-play, 71-yard drive to post its only points of the day. Sophomore running back Stephen Wallace (Chester, IL/Chester) (Chester, Ill./Chester) capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run, and the extra point by junior kicker Josh Pruitt (Orlando, FL/Boone) (Orlando, Fla./Boone) brought the Bearcats within 19-7.
But Saint Francis, the No. 2-ranked team in the NAIA, sealed the victory with two touchdowns in the early stages of the fourth quarter. Quarterback Justin Boser scored on a one-yard quarterback keeper with 12:36 left to extend the Cougars' lead to 26-7. Later in the quarter, Ross Bauman picked off a pass by McKendree senior quarterback Austin Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) (Washington, Ill./Washington) and raced 62 yards for a score.
The Cougars' Frank Wolfe scored on a 10-yard touchdown run on the first offensive series for Saint Francis to put the host team in front 7-0. Wolfe appeared to be heading for another score with a 12-yard burst down to the three-yard line. But senior linebacker Reggie Cloyd (Danville, IL/Danville) (Danville, Ill./Danville) stripped Wolfe of the ball at the Bearcats' three-yard line. Sophomore defensive back Michael Romshek (Gibson City, IL/Gibson City-Melvin Sibley) (Gibson City, Ill./Gibson City-Melvin Sibley) picked up the loose ball and returned it to the 17-yard line to end the scoring threat.
Saint Francis (2-0) scored on a 33-yard touchdown strike from Boser to Austin Coleman with 1:10 left before halftime to give the Cougars a 13-0 advantage. Senior defensive lineman Anthony Brown (Swansea, IL/Belleville West) (Swansea, Ill./Belleville West) blocked the extra point attempt for the Bearcats.
Senior running back Chris Montgomery (Avondale, AZ/Mascoutah) (Avondale, Ariz./Mascoutah) led McKendree with 58 rushing yards on 18 carries. Fisher finished the day by completing 6-of-19 pass attempts for 44 yards, while junior David Bergschneider (Pleasant Plains, IL/Pleasant Plains) (Pleasant Plains, Ill./Pleasant Plains) came on in the fourth quarter and was 2-of-7 for 13 yards.
For the second straight game, senior linebacker Brandon Nigro (New Lenox, IL/Lincoln-Way Central) (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) led the defensive charge for McKendree with a team-high 13 tackles. Sophomore defensive back Jamison Wilson (Country Club Hills, IL/Hillcrest) (Country Club Hills, Ill./Hillcrest) added seven stops, while Cloyd finished with six tackles. Senior linebacker Jason Rejfek (Arlington Heights, IL/John Hersey) (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey) added an interception in the contest for McKendree.
The Bearcats will look for their first victory of the 2011 season next Saturday – Sept. 24 – when they travel to Oskaloosa, Iowa, to take on William Penn University. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
