Box Score (INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Sept. 22)—The McKendree University football team was defeated in Great Lakes Valley Conference play on Saturday evening at the University of Indianapolis, 45-15.
 
The host Greyhounds outscored the Bearcats 31-8 in the final 30 minutes of play to pull away for the victory. With the loss, McKendree drops to 0-4 on the year and 0-2 in GLVC action. The Bearcats will be in Owensboro, Ky., next Saturday (Sept. 29) for another league contest against Kentucky Wesleyan College. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
 
Both McKendree quarterbacks that saw playing time on Saturday figured in the McKendree scoring at Indianapolis. Senior David Bergschneider (Pleasant Plains, IL/Pleasant Plains) tossed a 21-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Joe Santiago (Elmhurst, IL/York) midway through the second quarter, while freshman Issac Fisher bowled into the end zone from a yard out in the fourth quarter.
 
“That first half was one of the best we've played all season long,” said McKendree head football coach Carl Poelker. “We were firing off the ball on both sides, and played with a great deal of intensity. What hurt us in the second half was the lack of detail, and good teams like Indianapolis will take advantage of that.”
 
Indianapolis (2-2, 2-0 GLVC) struck first in the final minute of the first quarter when Klay Fiechter scored on a 15-yard TD run to give the Greyhounds a 7-0 lead. McKendree took the ensuing kickoff and marched 79 yards in 14 plays. Bergschneider scrambled from the pocket on the last play of the drive and lofted a pass towards Santiago in the near right corner of the end zone. Santiago wrestled the ball away from two Greyhound defenders for the 21-yard TD catch. Senior Matt Kendall (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon) added the point after to knot the score at 7-7.
 
On that scoring drive, McKendree converted a trio of third-down plays, and were also successful on a fourth-and-one play near midfield.
 
With the clock ticking down on the first half, Indianapolis quarterback Chris Mills drove the Greyhounds down the field, and connected with Mar'Quone Edmonds on a 12-yard TD pass with 43 seconds on the clock to push the hosts back in front, 14-7. That momentum spilled over into the second half as Indianapolis scored on five of its six possessions in the last 30 minutes of play.
 
Fisher relieved Bergschneider midway through the fourth quarter and directed the Bearcats on their final scoring drive of the night. Fisher was 6-of-7 on the drive, hitting sophomore wide receiver Pat Doty (Springfield, IL/Springfield) on a 14-yard pass play to set McKendree up at the Greyhounds' one-yard line. Two plays later Fisher bobbled the snap from center but picked up the loose ball and plunged into the end zone. Fisher and Doty then connected on the two-point conversion to bring the Bearcats within 38-15 with just over four minutes left.
 
Fisher was 6-of-10 for 74 yards, while Bergschneider went 4-of-10 for 33 yards. Senior wide receiver Nick Lutker (Dupo, IL/Dupo) caught five passes for 64 yards. Freshman running back Jeruel Taylor (University Park, IL/Marian Catholic) rushed for a team-best 59 yards on 14 carries for the Bearcats.
 
Junior linebacker Javar Murphy (Chicago, IL/Marian Catholic) registered a team-high 13 tackles against Indianapolis, while sophomore linebacker Bryce Colvin (East Peoria, IL/East Peoria) was next with 11 stops. Senior defensive lineman Sherrod Stancil (Naperville, IL/Waubonsie Valley) posted three tackles for loss out of his eight tackles.