Box Score DOVER, Delaware – Ohio Dominican entered Saturday's regular season finale on a six game win streak and had high hopes off pulling off a colossal upset of NCAA Division III power Wesley (DE) College. With their playoff hopes on the line the Panthers needed to play the role of spoiler knocking off the No. 3 ranked and still unbeaten Wolverines on their home field in Dover, Delaware.
Wesley flexed its muscle early as Aaron Jackson capped off an eight play, 50-yard drive to give the home team a 7-0 lead. Defense took over from there as neither team was able to move the ball over the next 11-minutes of the first quarter.
The Panthers offense finally got on the move near the end of the first quarter and found pay-dirt just minutes into the second on a nine-yard scamper from running back Austin Wallace (So./Pickerington, OH; pictured). ODU went 74 yards on 10 plays and with the score Wallace scored his sixth rushing TD of the season.
The two offense powers continued to trade punches in the second quarter as they combined for a total of 24 points and Wesley headed to the intermission with a 17-14 lead. ODU's second score of the afternoon came on a 44-yard pass and catch from Billy Griffin (Jr./Columbus, OH) to Brandon Robinson (So./Eaton, OH) with 3:47 to play in the first half. Wesley scored on a nine-yard pass play from Shane McSweeny to Ellis Krout and used a 19-yard field goal as time ran out to take the 3-point lead into the half.
ODU gained their first lead midway through the third quarter as Wallace scored for the second time on the afternoon, this time from six-yards out to give ODU a 21-17 lead. The Panthers defense continued to turn away the Wolverines highly touted offense in the third quarter and just seconds into the fourth ODU extended their lead to 28-17. With 14:56 left in the game Mark Nichols (Fr./Pataskala, OH) scored from 1-yard out to give the Panthers an 11-point advantage.
From there the Wolverines would score 15 unanswered points and rally for the win. Wesley forced a punt with 10:56 remaining. The snap came in high and Mitch Croy (Sr./Ottawa, OH) made a nice play to prevent a turnover. In an effort to beat the Wolverine rush, however, his punt went just 19 yards and Wesley regained possession at the Panther 49. Wesley took advantage just four plays later when McSweeny found an open Sean McAndrews for a 38-yard TD strike to cut the lead to five. The Wolverines converted on the two-point try and trailed, 28-25, with 8:54 remaining.
Ohio Dominican again struggled to move the ball and was forced to punt. Wesley continued the comeback as they slowly but steadily moved down the field and after a 12-yard run by McSweeny moved the Wolverines to the four yard line, the quarterback kept it again and just got over the goal line for the go-ahead score with 2:09 left in the game.
A short kick and a 29-yard return by Nichols set up the Panthers at their own 47 yard line. A pair of passes from Griffin to Mike Noffsinger (So./West Branch, MI) moved the ball to the Wesley 37 and ODU was in business, but a sack and two incomplete passes set up a fourth and 21 for ODU. On the next play Griffin was picked off for the third time in the game and gave the Wolverines their perfect season.
Wesley running back Aaron Jackson and McSweeny combined for 235 of the teams 245 yards on the ground and the Wolverine quarterback was 13-for-24 for 168 yards versus the Panthers.
ODU's offense was held to just 323 yards in the game. Griffin was 20-for-32 for 222 and was held to just one TD pass and three picks. The Panthers ground attack was held in check as Christen Haywood (Jr./Hilliard, OH) rushed for a team high 35-yards. Wallace scored two TD's in the loss.
The Panthers conclude their season with their second straight 7-3 overall record and third all-time. ODU finishes 24th overall in their final season in the NAIA.
