Senior kicker Anthony Sanfillipo (Delaware/Hayes) kicked a pair of field goals during the second quarter en route to one of the best kicking days in Ohio Wesleyan history, and sophomore quarterback Zane Ries (Barberton) ran for one touchdown and threw for another in a span of one minute later in the period to help the Bishops post 27 second-quarter points on the way to a North Coast Athletic Conference win over Oberlin this past Saturday at Selby Stadium.
The win was the third a row for Ohio Wesleyan to open the season, the Bishops’ first 3-0 start since 2012.
The Bishops took the lead just over a minute into the game as senior wide receiver Gabriel Miller (Delaware/Buckeye Valley) returned the opening kickoff to the Ohio Wesleyan 40 and a face mask penalty set the hosts up at the Oberlin 45-yard line. Ries found sophomore wide receiver Kenny Streb (Willowick/Eastlake North) twice for 15 yards, and after a 2-yard completion to senior wide receiver Mher Tcholakian (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington), it was Reese and senior wide receiver Justin Lowry (Litchfield/Buckeye) connecting on a 28-yard touchdown pass with 13:52 left in the first quarter.
Oberlin answered with a long drive, moving the chains 3 times on completions by Chris Allen Jr. to Brian Colarusso and Tim Martin, but on fourth-and-7 from the OWU 19, the Yeomen elected to go for the first down and Allen’s pass fell incomplete.
The Yeomen assembled a lengthy drive on their next possession as well, converting a fourth-and-6 call with a 15-yard strike from Allen to Colarusso and getting new life when a 30-yard field goal try was blocked but the Bishops were offside on the play, resulting in a first-and-goal from the OWU 8. On fourth down from the Bishop 2, Christian Arnold came on and kicked a 19-yard field goal that brought the visitors within 7-3.
Junior running back Trey Dixon (Atlanta, Ga./Westlake) broke loose on a 43-yard run on the Bishops’ first play from scrimmage after the ensuing kickoff, leading to a 22-yard Sanfillipo field goal, and on Oberlin’s first play from scrimmage after that, junior linebacker Cody Streit (Griffin, Ga.) forced a Kobe Brooks fumble, with junior cornerback Cole Nixon (Pataskala/Watkins Memorial) recovering at the Oberlin 33.
The Bishops found the end zone 2 plays later, with Ries running for 23 yards and senior running back Carlos Cintron (San Diego, Calif./Countryside) covering the final 10, and Sanfillipo’s conversion extending the Ohio Wesleyan lead to 17-3.
On Oberlin’s first play from scrimmage after the kickoff, Allen lost the handle on the snap and junior linebacker Lucas Cooper (Hurricane, W.Va.) recovered at the Oberlin 19 to set up a 37-yard Sanfillipo field goal.
Ries scored on a 2-yard run with 2:21 left in the first half, and after the Bishop defense forced a 3-and-out and gave the offense the ball at the Oberlin 30, it was Ries connecting with Streb for an 8-yard score. Sanfillipo’s point-after stretched the margin to 34-3 and closed out a 27-point second quarter for Ohio Wesleyan.
Senior running back Curtis Duren (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty) scored on a 10-yard run, sophomore quarterback Hunter Davis (Monterey, Tenn.) found senior wide receiver Sasoun Tcholakian (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington) for a 9-yard touchdown pass, and Dixon went over from 8 yards out during the third quarter to wrap up the Bishop scoring.
Ries completed 13 of 17 passes for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns. Streb caught 5 passes for 40 yards and a touchdown, and Sasoun Tcholakian had 5 receptions for 39 yards and a score. Dixon led the Bishops with 73 yards on 7 carries.
Sanfillipo scored 13 points by kicking, tying for third place on the Bishop single-game list. His 7 extra points tied for fifth place on the Ohio Wesleyan single-game list.
Defensive standouts for the Bishops included junior linebacker Shane Quin (Chardon), who led the Bishops with 10 tackles, including one for loss; senior safety Nick Heidel (Cincinnati/Indian Hill), who made 7 stops; and junior defensive end K.D. Melton (Warner Robins, Ga./Houston County), whose 5 tackles included a sack and 2 for loss.
Allen completed 15 of 27 throws for 158 yards. Martin finished with 7 catches for 62 yards. Ryan McCrum ran for 66 yards on 14 carries. Jabree Hason led the Yeomen with 10 tackles.
