Ashley Ferguson
Sports Editor
The Black and Gold edged out Allegheny College last Saturday as Wooster took on the Gators in the North Coast Athletic Conference opener in Meadville, Penn.
Though Allegheny took the lead at the outset, Wooster’s defense forced a fumble that altered the course of the game and put the Scots ahead with a little under two minutes to go in the first half. Wooster scored 21 points in the second quarter to pull ahead 28-21 at the half.
Making up for Allegheny’s 14-7 lead in the first quarter, Wooster banded together in the second quarter, initiated by Beau Greenwood ’21, who captured the ball from the Gators to position the Scots at the 40-yard line. A key pass from team captain Gary Muntean ’18 to Nick Strausbaugh ’20 covered 37 yards, setting Muntean up for a quick dash to the end zone with less than a minute left in the second quarter.
According to Defensive Back Coach Julius Higginbotham, the turnover just before halftime was the main highlight of the game, putting the offense in a good scoring position and taking charge of scoring going into halftime.
“I think the highlight of the game was our defense getting a key turnover early in the first half,” Muntean agreed. “This turnover gave us the chance to take the lead, and we never looked back.”
Allegheny took its turn trying to oust the Scots in the second half, with a two-yard pass between their QB and running back snagging a decided touchdown, tying the teams up at 28 points apiece.
However, Antonio Bailey ’19 took home a series of seven plays spanning 65 yards with his 10-yard touchdown halfway through the third quarter, giving the Scots a 35-28 lead. They next scored 21 unanswered points, aided by Muntean’s wide-open pass to Strausbaugh that covered 21 yards for another touchdown very early in the fourth quarter. The play brought the Scots to a 49-28 lead.
In the end, the Scots had a 49-35 victory over the Gators (1-1, 0-1 in NCAC play), marking Wooster’s (2-0, 1-0 NCAC) first two-win season kickoff since 2008. But the team is still looking to solidify each practice and work up to those wins.
“It’s always good to start the season off 2-0,” said Higginbotham. “But we know it’s a long season and we have to win each day.”
The Scots are slated for NCAC competition throughout the rest of the season, continuing with a homecoming match-up against the Ohio Wesleyan Bishops on Saturday.
“Every conference game is important, obviously, and with that being said, no team can be taken lightly,” said Muntean. “Although we are only two games into the season, I am excited about the direction of this team and where we can finish.”
“We are taking the season practice by practice, focusing on winning each day,” said Higginbotham.
On the defensive side, Robert Alvarez ’20, Christian Santos ’20 and Marcus Bowers ’19 helped to finish off Allegheny with seven tackles apiece. Danté Fair ’21 led the Scots with a team high of eight tackles and a pass break-up.
The Fighting Scots will face off against Ohio Wesleyan tomorrow at 1 p.m. at John P. Papp Stadium as Wooster alumni, parents and students will gather to celebrate Black & Gold Weekend.