Seniors Go Out In Style As Tigers Cruise Past Allegheny

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers outgained visiting Allegheny by more than 400 yards and seven different players reached the end zone in a 63-0 Senior Recognition Day whitewashing.

The win was Wittenberg's 37th in the four-year career of 18 seniors who were honored prior to the game. For the first time in their careers, however, those seniors were not in possession of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championship trophy at season's end, but they can take solace in the fact that they rallied the Tigers to a season-ending five-game winning streak and into a second-place tie in the final league standings.

Wittenberg finished the 2015 season with an 8-2 overall record, including a mark of 7-2 in the NCAC. Allegheny, which was playing for the final time under the direction of long-time head coach Mark Matlak, finished with records of 0-10 overall and 0-9 in the league.

After the Gators put together a promising drive to open the game, the Tiger defense stiffened in the Red Zone and Wittenberg took over on downs. Three plays and 83 yards later, the tone for the rest of the game was set.

That drive featured two completions covering 81 yards from senior quarterback Zack Jenkins (Frostproof, Fla./Frostproof) to senior wide receiver Corey Stump (Lima, Ohio/Central Catholic) and a two-yard touchdown run by senior running back Jimmy Dehnke (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson).

By the end of the first quarter, Wittenberg's lead had ballooned to 21-0 on a 45-yard touchdown run by senior tailback Sean Gary (Indianapolis, Ind./Decatur Central) and a 39-yard connection from Jenkins to Stump. The Tigers added 28 more points before halftime as senior defensive lineman Josh Bannick (Enon, Ohio/Greenon) was rewarded for his hard work in the trenches with a one-yard TD plunge, followed by a 39-yard burst by Dehnke, an 18-yard scoring strike from Jenkins to junior wide receiver Luke Landis (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville) and a 68-yard scamper by Gary.

Wittenberg added one touchdown in each quarter during the second half, starting with a 27-yard interception return by senior linebacker DeVonta Anderson (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster) in the third quarter, and culminating with a 60-yard run by freshman tailback Cole Johnson (Germantown, Ohio/Valley View) in the fourth.

Wittenberg finished with a 578-177 advantage in total yardage despite running 15 fewer plays. The Tigers averaged a whopping 10.3 yards per play in the game.

Jenkins finished 14-of-16 through the air for 221 yards, putting him in the top five in program history for career yards, completions, attempts and touchdowns. He also ranks No. 1 in program history with a career completion percentage better than 64 percent. He was relieved in the second half by freshman Jake Kennedy (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine), who completed all six of his throws for 52 yards.

Gary finished with a season-high 148 yards on eight carries to lead seven different Wittenberg tailbacks to register at least one carry in the game. Stump finished his career with five receptions for 137 yards to rank among the top 10 in both categories in school history.

The Tiger defense registered its second shutout of the season, led by junior linebackers Dustin Holmes (Springfield, Ohio/Tecumseh) and Josh Link (Granville, Ohio/Granville) with 14 and 13 tackles, respectively. Anderson, senior cornerback Ryan Myers (Palm Harbor, Fla./University) and junior safety Jay Mastin (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) each made an interception and freshman cornerback Rashon Edwards (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) was credited with three pass break-ups.

Written By: Ryan Maurer