#4 Capital 32, Wittenberg 14
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)--Capital University senior quarterback Rocky Pentello (Columbus/Westerville South) and senior wide receiver Mike Niedzwiecki (Norwalk/Norwalk St. Paul) each had career days as the Crusaders posted a 32-14 victory over Wittenberg University in the first round of the NCAA Division III Football Championship Saturday in Columbus.
Pentello, who moved into fourth all-time in NCAA Division III history with 11,815 passing yards, had his first-ever 400-plus yard passing game with 423 yards, while Niedzwiecki was his favorite target with a career-best 12 catches for 232 yards receiving. Senior tight end Dylan Kelly (Hilliard/Hilliard Darby) had 101 yards receiving and runningback Charlie Smith (Westerville/Big Walnut) had a game-high 103 yards rushing for a Capital offense that had a season-high 566 total yards.
Capital, ranked No. 4 in the nation, moves to 10-1 overall and matches its school-record for wins in a season and will play North Central (Ill.) College, who defeated Concordia (Wis.) University, 35-6, next Saturday. Wittenberg, which lost to Capital 57-7 the first week of this season, ends its season at 7-4.
The Capital defense was equally impressive after Wittenberg took the opening drive 80-yards and got a Tristan Murray one-yard touchdown run to take a 7-0 lead. The Crusaders allowed only 64 more yards the rest of the first half and Wittenberg only got inside the Capital 20-yard only one other time on the final drive of the game. Senior Marty O'Malley (North Olmsted/North Olmsted) led Capital with nine tackles and 1.5 sacks.
"The defense did a great job shutting them down after that first drive," stated Capital head coach Jim Collins. "We had some great individual effort on offense and great players executing."
Trailing 7-0, Capital tied the game on the first play of the second quarter when Pentello and Niedzwiecki hooked up on a 29-yard scoring pass. Three minutes later the duo got together again this time from 33 yards out to give the Crusaders their first lead of the game, 14-7 with 11:43 left in the half. Smith then tacked on an 11-yard touchdown run, but the extra point was missed, to make it 20-7 with four minutes before halftime. Capital was on the drive again just before halftime and the drive stalled at the two-yard line setting up a 19-yard field goal attempt. The snap was botched and Wittenberg's Joe Brumfield recovered the football on the Capital 35-yard line and scampered 65 yards to bring the Tigers to within six points at the half, 20-14.
Pentello then found Kelly from nine yards out for his third touchdown pass of the game and pushed the score to 26-14 with just over four minutes to go in the third quarter. Smith ran in a four-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter for the 32-14 final.
"Their overall speed and quarterback was the difference," commented Wittenberg head coach Joe Fincham.
Wittenberg runningback Tristan Murray had a team-high 91 yards but ended his streak of 100-yard games at nine. Murray was also the leading receiver with four catches for 44 yards. Tiger quarterback Aaron Huffman was 15-for-29 for 125 yards passing.