Alma Football defeats Olivet 42-23
The Alma Scots scored 35 first half points in route to a 42-23 victory over Olivet College at a cold and sometimes wet Bahlke Field. Alma is now 4-3 overall in 2009 and 2-1 in the MIAA, while the Comets dropped to 0-8 on the season and 0-4 in league competition.
Alma received in the game and took their opening drive 71 yards on six plays and went ahead 7-0, when QB Mackenzie McGrady (Portland, MI/Portland) scampered 11 yards for a touchdown. After the Scots' score, Olivet punted twice and Alma once, before McGrady was intercepted by the Comets' Jared Thornton, who gave the ball to the visitors at the Alma 18-yard line.
The Scots defense held however, and Olivet had to settle for a 32-yard field goal by Graham Lockwood that made the score 7-3 with 1:18 left in the first quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, Alma Jr. KR Andrew Schaar (DeWitt, MI/DeWitt) returned the kick 90 yards for a touchdown to put the Scots up 14-3.
With 11:35 left in the second quarter, So. DB Kyle Short (Muskegon, MI/Oakridge) intercepted Olivet QB Nick McCleary and ran it back 85 yards for a touchdown and a 21-3 Scots lead. After a Olivet punt, Alma drove 60 yards on four plays and took a 28-3 advantage, when McGrady connected with Schaar on a ten-yard touchdown strike with 7:12 remaining in the half.
Before the end of the half, Schaar scored his third touchdown of the game as McGrady threw a 39-yard score to him with just 35 seconds left in the half to put the Scots up 35-3 at the halfway point.
Andrew Schaar had three touchdowns today in the win over Olivet
The only score of the third quarter was a Sr. RB Tyler Periard (Birch Run, MI/Birch Run) two-yard run that gave Alma a 42-3 lead at the 8:51 mark. At that point of the game, the Scots emptied their bench and a lot of players were able to get some playing time the rest of the way.
Olivet outscored Alma 20-0 in the fourth quarter, but the game was well in hand and the Scots will next play at Adrian on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff for a very important Halloween game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
Schaar finished Saturday with six catches for 137 yards and the two scores, while McGrady was 10 of 18 for 176 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Periard was the leading rusher with six carries for 56 yards and a score.
Defensively, Sr. LB Brent Willis (Edmore, MI/Montabella) led the way with 5.5 tackles, including .5 for a loss, while three other players finished with 4.5 tackles on the day. Short and Fr. DB Luke Kanine (Alma, MI/Alma) each had an interception for the Scots.
Sacks on the day came from Sr. DL Eric Santure (Howell, MI/Howell), who had one, while Sr. DL Cody Stripling (East Lansing, MI/Haslett) and Jr. DL Jamie Young (Saginaw, MI/Saginaw Arts and Sciences) shared one.
Posted: Sat, October 24th, 2009 at 4:24PM
