Tigers Take Hard Earned Overtime Victory

The heroes were many in this one for the Tigers, the No. 5 seed in the North Region bracket who were surprisingly forced to take the longest road trip in school history. 

Wittenberg made its first counter-punch with 3:26 left in the first quarter as junior tailback Daniel Grove (Uhrichsville, Ohio/Claymont) rambled four yards to paydirt to knot the score at seven. The score capped an eight-play, 94-yard drive that was highlighted by a big pass play from junior quarterback Greg Cornett (Franklin, Ohio/Franklin) to senior wide receiverMichael Aljancic (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville).

Using its punishing ground game to churn up both minutes and yards, Grove powered into the end zone twice in the third quarter to tie the score again, scoring from 18 yards out with

Grove, the North Coast Athletic Conference leader in scoring and touchdowns during the regular season, had three TDs in the game, the fifth straight time in 2001 that he has found the end zone at least three times. It was also the sixth straight 100-yard game for Grove. 

The Tigers responded to yet another seven-point deficit with a 25-yard TD strike from Cornett to Aljancic six minutes later, capping a six-play, 60-yard drive that was set up by an interception by senior linebacker Nic Black (Piqua, Ohio/Piqua). 

After HSU once again pulled ahead by a touchdown, the Tigers took over at their own 17-yard line, and offered yet another reply. This time, Wittenberg methodically worked the ball downfield and finally punched it in on fourth down on a five-yard scoring pass from Cornett to Aljancic. Sophomore kicker Conrad Hindert (Terrace Park, Ohio/Mariemont) tied the game with an extra point, setting the stage for overtime. The Tigers stopped the Cowboys on their first possession of overtime and then ran the ball three times to set up a game-winning 24-yard field goal by Hindert.

The win was Wittenberg's fourth straight in first-round NCAA Division III Playoffs. It was the second overtime game in school history, and the second time that the Tigers had prevailed against a favored playoff opponent in OT - the previous time being a 1988 first-round defeat of the University of Dayton. Grove finished with 170 yards on 32 rushes, Cornett wound up 18-of-29 for a career-high 315 yards and three touchdowns. And Aljancic had one of the greatest receiving days in Wittenberg history, snagging 10 passes for 214 yards and two scores. 

Defensively, junior linebacker Andy Pope (Hamilton, Ohio/Lakota East) and senior defensive tackle Juan Howard (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster) each had 10 tackles to pace the Tigers, while Black had nine, including two for loss, and that all-important interception.

The Tigers, and many of their fans who were unable to make the long trip to Texas, now turn their attention to another school that Wittenberg has never faced on the gridiron, the Thomas More College Saints. Five-hundred tickets for the game will be on sale at Wittenberg from 5 p.m. until the end of the men's basketball game on Tuesday, Nov. 20 and from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 21, in the HPER Center lobby. 

The stadium at Thomas More offers just 1,000 seats in its limited bleachers area, with all seats being general admission. Ticket prices are $8 for adults and $4 for students and children under the age of 18. Gates open at 10 a.m. Anyone unable to find a seat will have to watch the game from lawn chairs that spectators are permitted to bring with them or by standing.

There will be a Wittenberg tailgate prior to the game, starting at 10 a.m. in the lawn area in front of the Connor Athletic Center on the Thomas More campus.