Football falls to Wheaton
The Monmouth College football team knew they would have a tough game on their hands when No. 22-ranked Wheaton College visited April Zorn Memorial Stadium.
Wheaton was incredibly successful last year, posting an 8-2 record and beating the Scots on their home field.
While this was the case, the Scots’ bid for revenge was unsuccessful in a 38-0 home defeat.
The Thunder were propelled by 20 first downs, as opposed to Monmouth’s three.
The first half proved to be tight. The Thunder struck first with a five yard touvhdown pass with thirty-seven seconds left in the first quarter. With that being said; however, the Scots forced Wheaton to punt five times, only allowing fourteen points in the first half.
Most notable for the Scots’ defense was Clark Gaden’s 10 tackles, along with seven each from Aubrey Vaughan, Nick Miyler, and Naulon Simms.
In the second half, the Thunder expanded their lead, scoring another touchdown in the third quarter and an additional seventeen points in the fourth. Penalties proved to be costly for the Scots, as the penalty marker was thrown eleven times for one-hundred and twenty-three yards. Moreover, the Thunder controlled the pace of the game, having a time of possession of thirty-three minutes compared to Monmouth’s twenty-seven.
The historically tough Wheaton team put up a monstrous 403 total yards on the day, showing why they are ranked No. 22 in Division 3.
While the Thunder proved to be too strong, the Scots have several positives to take from the defeat. The first half defense was stout; as long as the Scots can limit turning the ball over, they will be successful in forcing teams into much longer drives.
The Thunder were an abysmal 1-13 on third down. This lock down defense will prove to be important as the Scots transition into Midwest Conference play.
Up next for the Scots is another tough matchup against Wartburg College. Last year, Monmouth was able to defeat the Knights at home in a hard-fought game. Wartburg will have the home-field advantage this year, in a rare night game beginning at 7 p.m. this Saturday.
Riley Dulin - Sports Editor