The second-ranked University of Mount Union football team scored a late fourth quarter touchdown to rally and defeat Baldwin-Wallace College, 25-20 on Saturday in an Ohio Athletic Conference game at Mount Union Stadium.

The Purple Raiders clinched their 20th straight OAC title, won their 61st straight regular season game and improved to 9-0 overall and 8-0 in the OAC. B-W is now 7-2 overall and 6-2 in the OAC and ends its regular season next Saturday when it hosts cross-town rival John Carroll University in the Annual Battle for the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy on Tressel Field at The George Finnie Stadium at 1:30 p.m.

Elyria’s Tyler Almeida connected on a 26-yard field goal and a 25-yarder as time expired in the second quarter to give the Purple Raiders a 6-0 lead at halftime.

Down 19-0, Midview’s Josiah Holt returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown with 4:19 left in the third quarter. The touchdown was the third career kick return score for Holt.

B-W continued to cut into the lead when junior quarterback Andrew Dziak scored on a three-yard touchdown run at 14:53 of the fourth quarter. Mohler tacked on the extra point to cut the lead to 19-14.

B-W took its first lead of the game when Dziak scored his second touchdown of the game on an one-yard dash with 5:53 left in the game. The two point conversion by Avon’s Ryan O’Rourke gave the Yellow Jackets a 20-19 advantage. The lead by the Yellow Jackets marked the first time the Purple Raiders trailed in a game since September 10, 2009 when Capital University lead the Purple Raiders 21-14 early in the fourth quarter.

The Purple Raiders won the game when Denton caught his second touchdown pass of the game on a 29-yard pass play from Piloto on a fourth down and 11-yards to go play with 2:14 remaining.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Avon graduate Ryan O’Rourke was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Football Offensive Player of the Week for his performance during Baldwin-Wallace’s 35-20 home and OAC-opener victory against Heidelberg University.

This is the second time in O’Rourke’s career that he has earned the weekly honor.

O’Rourke completed 24 of 29 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns. He threw TD passes of four yards to freshman running back Willie Jackson, seven yards to senior wide receiver Troy Van Meter and 14 yards to Midview’s Josiah Holt.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Baldwin-Wallace lost to Ohio Athletic Conference rival and 13th-ranked Ohio Northern University, 41-21 at Dial-Roberson Stadium in Ada. The loss snapped a five-game Yellow Jacket win streak.

With its win, Ohio Northern is now 5-1 overall and 4-1 in the OAC. The Yellow Jackets are now 5-1 overall and 4-1 in the OAC.

Down 7-0, Avon’s Ryan O’Rourke threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to St. Ignatius’ Kevin Johnson to tie the game at 7.

Down 14-7, O’Rourke scored on a 7-yard TD run, capping a 13-play, 60-yard drive.
Ohio Northern then scored 21-straight points to close out the half with a 35-14 lead.
In the third quarter, North Ridgeville’s John McGraw scored on a 1-yard TD run, capping a 12 play 93-yard drive, making the score 35-21.

O’Rourke completed 12 of 23 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. McGraw rushed for 44 yards and one TD. Midview’s Josiah Holt caught four passes for 33 yards.

On defense, Amherst’s Ryan Kish led the Yellow Jackets with nine tackles and two tackles for loss.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Midview’s Josiah Holt returned one of two kickoffs and Avon’s Ryan O’Rourke threw for a touchdown as Baldwin-Wallace pulled out a one-point victory over Ohio Athletic Conference rival Otterbein University, 35-34 Saturday on Tressel Field at The George Finnie Stadium.

With the Yellow Jackets trailing 34-28, B-W went on an 8-play, 59-yard game-winning drive that was capped when Parma’s Tim Miker scored on a 23-yard run to tie the score at 34-34. Then, following an Otterbein timeout, Brecksville’s Brad Pollock kicked the game-winning point for the win.

With its victory, B-W is now 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the OAC. The 5-0 start is B-W’s first since 2004.

The Yellow Jackets opened the scoring in the first quarter, taking a 7-0 lead when O’Rourke threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Edison’s Josh Oswald.

Holt returned a kickoff 90 yards for the third kick return for a touchdown of the game. That gave the Yellow Jackets a 21-20 lead.

The Yellow Jackets were led offensively by Miker with 70 rushing yards in 10 attempts, including the game-tying TD, North Ridgeville’s John McGraw with 53 yards in 12 attempts and O’Rourke who completed 9 of 18 passes for 103 yards and a TD.

The defense was led by Amherst’s Ryan Kish, the reigning OAC Defensive Player of the Week, with nine tackles, three tackles for loss and one quarterback sack.

The Yellow Jackets are back in action next Saturday, Oct. 16 when they travel to Ada, Ohio to play 16th-ranked Ohio Northern University at Dials-Roberson Stadium at 1:30 p.m.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Avon’s Ryan O’Rourke completed 20 of 29 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown, while also running for another as Baldwin-Wallace remained unbeaten at 4-0 overall with a 39-9 victory on Saturday over Marietta on Tressel Field at The George Finnie Stadium in Berea.

The Yellow Jackets remained in first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference with a 3-0 league mark.

O’Rourke put the Yellow Jackets up 16-3 with a one-yard quarterback sneak then helped extend the lead to 26-9 when he threw a 25-yard TD pass to North Ridgeville’s John McGraw.

Midview’s Josiah Holt tied for the team lead with six catches. Amherst’s Ryan Kish was the leader defensively with 12 tackles, including 2.5 quarterback sacks and 3.5 tackles for lost yardage.

swalker@MorningJournal.com