Carried home with hope

The 2006 Crusader football season came to an end Saturday in Dover, Del., but not because of lack of effort.

The Cru fell to Wesley College for the second year in a row, this time in the NCAA Division III quarterfinals with a final score of 34-20. After a powerful second half surge, the Crusaders still couldn’t capture victory and left Delaware contemplating what could have been.

With a 13-0 record, the Wolverines will advance to the national semifinals and face the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Saturday, while the Crusaders finish with 10-3 on the season and sole possession of the 2006 ASC championship.

“We knew we weren’t going to be able to run,” Wolverine Head Coach Mike Drass said. “Because nobody can (run) against Mary Hardin- Baylor.”

Throw the football effectively. That was Wesley College’s only chance at beating a dominating UMHB defense, and that’s exactly what the Wolverines did.

The Crusaders struck first with a 7-0 lead as Derrick Williams got his hands on a Chris Warrick fumble and returned it 45 yards for a Crusader touchdown early in the first quarter. With 2:13 left in the first, Warrick hit Jon Lanouette in the end zone for the touchdown. The Wolverines expanded their lead in the second on three consecutive scoring drives—a Jason Schatz 86-yard touchdown pass, a Robinson one-yard plunge and a two-yard Warrick TD pass. The score at the half was 28-7 WC.

The Crusaders came out fighting and began to gain momentum throughout the third. Beginning the quarter with a Jarvis Thrasher 14-yard rushing touchdown and closing it with an 11-yard Adrian Turner touchdown, the Crusaders dominated and cut into the Wolverine lead, 28-20 WC.

The fourth quarter would make the difference, and it did as the Crusaders were not able to capitalize on opportunities. The Wolverine defense forced a Welch fumble which resulted in a Wesley touchdown. With the score 20-34 and 6:47 left in the game, the Cru had to execute and score quickly. The Crusaders were forced to punt on their next possession, and the Wolverines began to run down the clock. With 23 seconds left in the game, the Crusaders regained possession but had no time to score. The clock ran out, and another remarkable Crusader season came to a close with a 20-34 WC victory.

It wasn’t lack of effort, just uncharacteristic first-half play and a deficit too large to overcome. “We knew that the run was there,” Welch said. “We just didn’t do a very good job of executing in the first half.”

Offensively, the Cru was led by Thrasher with a touchdown and 16 carries for 68 yards; Turner also cashed in on a touchdown and ran for 24 yards on four carries. Rollins rushed for 23 yards and added two receptions for 37 yards, including a 25-yard catch on a fake punt. As a team, UMHB rolled up 231 offensive yards with 115 coming on the ground.

Defensively, the Cru was led by Derrick Williams with ten tackles and a fumble recovery for the touchdown. Ricky Lopez and Elliot Barcak both chipped in with nine tackles each and Jerrell Freeman had eight tackles and a sack for a loss of 11 yards.

Quarterback Chris Warrick led the Wolverines to victory with 350 yards passing and two touchdowns. Wesley totaled 468 offensive yards, with 436 coming through the air.

All season the Cru has heavily relied on their running game. This time it was simply not enough.

Head Coach Pete Fredenburg said,“When you play a team like Wesley, you need to be firing on all cylinders both passing and running. We weren’t.”

As each season progresses, a team must be more than one-dimensional and a threat both in the air and on the ground.

Regardless, the Crusaders have a bright future ahead with 17 returning starters, seven defensive and 10 offensive, an undefeated junior varsity team full of potential and priceless playoff experience for a fairly young team. Next season fans can expect a more seasoned offense and offensive line, a speedy unforgiving defense as always and a team full of athleticism. Perhaps next season will hold the key and lead the 2007 Crusaders all the way to Salem, Va.

Eleven seniors finished their careers in Delaware with a four-year career record of 41-8.