Alma Loses Season Opener To Cornell College, 32-31
Box ScoreALMA, Mich. – It the end, it was an inch that made the difference.
In the fourth quarter Alma College made a goal line stand against the Cornell College Rams and denied the Rams when Matt Stempki (St. Ignace/LaSalle) stopped them at the three-inch line on second and third downs. It was on fourth down that the Scot defense was called for an offsides penalty, giving Cornell half the distance to the goal. They converted on the second fourth down attempt.
Out of the pre-season and into the fall, Alma College football opened its 2006 campaign Saturday against Cornell College of Iowa. The Scots lost to Cornell 32-31 to fall to 0-1 on the season while Cornell improves to 2-0. Josh Brehm (Ithaca) was 21-33 for 275 yards and two touchdowns on the day while junior receiver Joe Cline (Ithaca) had a career day with 13 receptions for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Kyle Ryan (Reese) had 82 yards and a touchdown on the game. Defensively, the Scots were led by Adam Korson (Gaylord/St. Mary’s) with six tackles, including an assit on a tackle for loss. Kyle Percival’s (Lansing/Waverly) five tackles – three solo – along with a 24 yard interception and a pass break up also led the Scots.
To open the game, the Scots stormed the field, marching 63 yards in four plays in just over one minute. Josh Brehm proved that he is one of the most formidable quarterbacks in the nation, placing his first deep pass perfectly, gently into the arms of junior receiver Joe Cline. Dan Seals (Ithaca) converted on the extra point to put the Scots ahead 7-0.
But nearly as quickly, Cornell responded with a eight-play, 70-yard drive resulting in an Alex Macey touchdown reception from quarterback Ryan Mills with 9:43 remaining in the first quarter. Anthony Kobler’s PAT evened the score at 7-7.
With the ball in possession, the Maroon and Cream watched as co-captain Brehm placed passes to Nate Jervey (Harbor Springs) and Cline. The Scots marched to the Cornell 38 before a holding penalty called the action back to Alma’s own 44 and the Scots couldn’t manage to continue down the field as Matt Brown (Midland/Dow) punted, giving the Rans the ball on their own 33 yard line.
Cornell then saw Josh Youngblood catch and run, putting the Scots against the wall in the red zone. The defense made a stand and held the Rams to a 27-yard field goal to go ahead 10-7.
Alma continued to overcome significant gains with penalties. A 21-yard reception by Joe Cline was called back with an offensive face mask penalty on the ensuing drive. A reception by Matt Brown would have given the Scots a first down, but the Scots were caught with an illegal procedure. Brehm found Jervey on third and long and Jervey was down for the first down, but the ball squirted away and the Rams recovered at the Alma 49 yard line to take over.
To start the second quarter, despite a stand by the Alma defense, Cornell’s Travion Hardman found a corner from two yards out while Kobler converted on the PAT to give the Rams a 17-7 advantage after their six-play, 49-yard drive, using 2:44 off the clock.
The Scots could not find the end zone on the next drive, but on the boot of Matt Brown, the Scots pinned the Rams at their own four yard line. And for the first time in the game, the Cornell punter Jesse Struble took the field and placed the ball at the Alma 13 yard line where Brehm and the Scots took over.
Again, the offense proved powerful yet powerless against penalties. A Kyle Ryan rush followed by a reception moved the Scots from the 13 to the Cornell 48 before a penalty for a block in the back moved the Scots to their own 38 yard line. Ryan came out of an Alma timeout, gaining 16 yards on the ground to move the Scots across midfield. A five-yard reception by Joe Cline set up Ryan as he gained the first down at Cornell’s 32 yard line. Brehm kept the ball for the second down and passed to Cline who gave the Scots another first down inside the red zone. With third and seven at the 17, Brehm looked for Jervey but the Rams committed pass interference, moving the Scots half the distance to the goal at the 10 yard line.
With second and goal to go, the ball sailed through Jervey’s hands and third down was incomplete with a pass intended for Joe Cline. The scoring was left in Dan Seals’ hands as he made the 27-yard field goal to put the score at 17-10 in Cornell’s favor.
On the ensuing kick, Garrett Weddle took the ball at the Rams’ seven-yard line and returned the ball to the 18 but the spot was at the 10 after an illegal use of the hands penalty was called against Cornell. An illegal procedure on first and 10 sent the Rams back to their own five yard line where their drive began. They were unable to make anything happen with short time prior to the halftime break.
Out of halftime, the Rams marched 69 yards in four plays and two minutes to go ahead 23-10 on a Travion Hardman 37-yard rush.
Taking over, Josh Brehm found Jeremy Stephens when the Scots began their drive at their own 35 yard line. A Joe Cline reception moved the ball five yards but with a late hit, Cornell was penalized and the Scots started with a first down at the Cornell 44 yard line. An eight-yard Cline reception led to another Alma College first down. Giving the ball to Cline on the ground, he moved the ball around the corner to the 14 yard line. Josh Brehm then kept the ball and moved to the three yard line. He did it again but was stuffed at the line, bringing up second and goal, and again to give the Scots third and goal at the three. Kyle Ryan took the shuffle pass on the option and ran just across the goal line on the right side to bring the score to 24-16. The Dan Seals PAT was no good following the touchdown.
The kickoff put the Rams at their own 15 yard line. They found the first down on a nine-yard Macey reception to give Cornell a first down. Alma managed to stop Travion Hardman on first down, in fact pushing Hardman and the Rams back to their own 23 yard line for a loss of five yards. The defense put together its finest opposition to that point – holding the Rams at their own 25-yard line as Struble punted to the 46 yard line where Derek Curry (Peck) fielded the ball and the Scots took over.
With third and long up, Brehm looked to his corps of receivers and seeing no one open, rushed up the middle for the first down at the 44-yard line. Immediately, a Kyle Ryan rush was stuffed by Jeremy Day back at the 45 yard line and a ball intended for Joe Cline fell just short, bringing up an Alma College timeout. Out of the break, Brehm went deep, finding Cline for a 44-yard touchdown reception as the Scots drove 54 yards in six plays. The Scots converted on the two-point conversion when Brehm was patient and found Jeremy Stephens (Maple Rapids/Fulton). Tied at 24-24, the ball went to Cornell College and started the drive at their own 16 yard line.
Bringing up the final quarter of play and first and ten at the Alma 37, the Scots had their backs against the wall – seemingly – when sophomore defensive back Kyle Percival read the pass and picked it off at the 13 yard line, giving the Scots the ball – and the momentum – at the 38 yard line. On the next play, Kyle Ryan busted through for a 15 yard gain, moving into Cornell territory. A holding penalty sent the Scots backward to their own 44 yard line.
Then, it was the acrobatic catch by Joe Cline that moved the Scots up, giving them third and seven at the 45. Kyle Ryan took the ball to the 34 yard line and gave the Maroon and Cream the first down. A Josh Brehm keeper moved the ball to the 27 yard line before a fumble sent the Scots to the Cornell 40-yard line. Cline again was the receiver on a 13-yard pass to give Alma fourth and three at the 28-yard line.
Truly Cline’s day, he gained the first down with a five yard reception.
Derek Chamberlain (Newberry) steamrolled down to the 11 yard line on his first carry of the game, giving Alma another first down. With a delay of game penalty moving the Scots back five yards, Kyle Ryan rushed nine yards to give Alma second and seven at the 12 yard line.
Brehm literally forced his way into the end zone on the next play to give Alma the 30-24 advantage. With the Dan Seals PAT on the scoreboard and 4:19 to go in the game, Alma held the advantage, 31-24.
With Cornell taking over they brought in Kobler at quarterback and the Scots forced an incomplete pass bringing up fourth and seven at the 35. Kobler found Mike Thompson for the first down at the Cornell 48 yard line. They continued to march, moving down the field to a first and goal at the five. Thompson got to the goal line but not beyond it with a Cornell second and goal at the six-inch mark.
Matt Stempki refused to allow Nate Newmeister in on second and goal and he denied Kobler on third and goal. Cornell ran the clock down to 23 seconds and called a timeout. The Alma defense, backs against the wall, were penalized with an offsides call. For the fourth time, the Scots would have to stop the Rams – and four was too much. Cornell scored to make it 31-30 in favor of Alma. A gutsy two-point conversion would follow – and Hardman would run it in uncontested to give Cornell a 32-31 advantage.
With the NCAA rules change and the clock starting when the officials are ready for play, Alma downed the ball on the kickoff and called timeout. Brehm threw the ball to Cline who handed it to Bruno Gervasi (Trenton) and was hit with authority by Jeremy Day. Flags flew, but the penalty was waved off and Cornell too the win, 32-31.
Alma returns to action next Saturday (Sept. 16) when they host UW-Eau Claire at 12:00 p.m.
Posted: Sat, September 9th, 2006 at 3:41PM
