FOOTBALL: Alma vs. Wisconsin Lutheran Preview
Alma College (1-4, 1-1) vs Wisconsin Lutheran College (1-4, 0-2)
The Match-Up
The Scots and the Warriors both come into this match-up having lost last week by large margins and both teams are in need of a win to stay in the MIAA Championship race. The Scots fell to Hope College by the score 60-34 after putting up a goose egg in the first half and was unable to close the gap in the second half. The Warriors had no more luck as they played Albion hard but the Brits pulled away in the second half to take home the 35-16 win.
Scouting Wisconsin Lutheran
The Warriors have had a rough go of it so far this season as they have been outscored 205-58 and find themselves last in the MIAA in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The stats on Wisconsin Lutheran are somewhat skewed as they have been playing from behind most of the season, however, they have maintained a balance attack; attempting 187 passes to 165 rushes. Defensively, the Warriors have struggled against the run allowing 275 yards/game on the ground and having their opponents score 20 touchdowns through the rushing attack. The stats show that Wisconsin Lutheran is third in the league in pass defense, allowing 180 yards per game. This stat could be somewhat misleading as in lop-sided games, the team with the lead usually stops passing the ball and the Warriors have been on the wrong side of lop-sided games a few times this year.
OFFENSE: T.J. Bodnar leads the offense for the Warriors and brings a 45 completion percentage into this week’s game. Bodnar has completed 70 of 155 attempts for five touchdowns and 713 total yards. Bodnar has also tossed eight interceptions in the first five games. Bodnar’s favorite target is Eric Treske who has caught almost twice as many balls as anyone else on the team and has been on the receiving end of three of Bodnar’s five touchdown passes. Mark Peterson has only caught 12 passes for the Warriors but has proven to be a big play threat as he averages close to 17 yards a reception. The Warrior’s rushing attack is led by Larry Hairl who has gained 328 yards on 76 attempts.
DEFENSE: Defensively, Colin Makepeace is a tackling machine for Wisconsin Lutheran, piling up 29 solo and 43 total tackles on the season. Kaylan Gaines is second in the team in total tackles with 30 and has also gotten to the QB twice this season for sacks. Brad Marshall has been a solid player for the Warriors, getting in on 27 tackles, recording a sack, and picking off two passes. Micah Adams has been a play-maker all season for the Warriors as he has four takeaways in the form of three picks and a fumble recovery. Adams has also made 20 solo tackles, good for second on the squad.
Last Week’s Action: Alma 34, Hope 60
The Alma College Football Team traveled to Holland today to take on Hope College on their Homecoming. The Scots came out of the gates and despite scoring 34 points in the second half, fell to the Dutchmen by the score 34-60.
The Scots first half was one that all those associated with the team will be happy to forget as they traded off turning over the ball and punting in all nine of their first half possessions, thus spotting the Dutchmen a 27-0 lead going into the half.
Alma came out and played much better offensively in the second half, scoring 34 points. However, untimely turnovers and shotty kickoff coverage, left the defense with a short field for much of the half and Hope was able to score 33 points of their own to protect their lead and take home the 60-34 win.
Sophomore QB Mackenzie McGrady (Portland/Portland) was on the run for most of the game today and took some monsterous hits that left him on the sidelines for groups of plays. Despite the pressure he faced, McGrady netted 290 total yards, going 17-40 through the air with two touchdowns and running for 81 yards on 16 carries. Joe Cline (Ithaca/Ithaca) had another ridiculous game catching nine passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. With the touchdown, Cline passed Mark Boehms '02 on the Alma College All-Time Receiving Touchdown List and now sits alone with his 25 career TDs. Kyle Ryan (Reese/Reese) ran hard and scored two touchdowns in seven carries for the Scots.
The Scots' defense was against the wall all day today and fought hard considering. Zach Comer (Alma/Alma) had another great game for the Scots, racking up 11 total tackles. Travis Martin (Fenville/Fenville) and Nick Merlo (Rochester/Rochester) each played solid out of the safety position for Alma and both recorded nine tackles.
Posted: Thu, October 11th, 2007 at 8:41AM
