#8 Capital 37, #24 John Carroll 13
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) - A stifling defensive effort paced the way for the No. 8 Capital University football team to post a 37-13 Ohio Athletic Conference victory over visiting No. 24 John Carroll University Saturday at Bernlohr Stadium.
The Crusaders (5-0, 4-0 OAC) defense finished with a season-best nine sacks, 16 tackles for losses, and held the Blue Streaks (3-2, 2-2 OAC) to just 137 yards on offense, including minus-9 yards rushing on 31 attempts.
Capital's defense was led by senior corner Matt Coleman (Westerville/Westerville South) and junior linebacker Pete Ankrom (Springfield/Springfield North), who each had a team-best seven tackles. Freshman linebacker Sam Jacobs (Columbus/Bishop Watterson) and senior defensive end Zac McKenzie (Hilliard/Hilliard Darby) led the sack parade with two each, and sophomore linebacker Matt Heagen (New Concord/John Glenn) tallied five tackles, a sack and an acrobatic, one-handed interception in the second quarter.
Senior All-American kicker Matt Spitz (Xenia/Xenia) booted a 32-yard field goal for the only scoring in the first quarter, and hit two more field goals (39, 32) in the second to erase a 7-3 John Carroll lead. Capital responded in the second half with 21 unanswered points to take a 30-7 lead.
Sophomore running back Matt Merritt (Cincinnati/Indian Hill) had touchdown runs from 14 yards and one yard in the third quarter, and freshman receiver Matt White (Mason/Mason) fought his way into the end zone from 11 yards out for a touchdown. After a Blue Streaks touchdown pass late in the fourth, Merritt capped off the scoring with a leaping one-yard touchdown plunge.
In his first start with the Crusaders, junior quarterback Wade Bartholomew (Williamsport/Westfall) completed 10 of his final 11 passes and finished 18-of-29 overall for 161 yards and a touchdown. He was not sacked on the day. Bartholomew's leading receiver on the day was senior Kevin Brackman (Coldwater/Coldwater), who finished with six catches for 67 yards. Merritt had 66 yards on 21 carries, and his three touchdown performance was the most by a Capital player since Jeremy Mulkey scored four times last year in the season opener against Wittenberg.
Capital plays host to another nationally-ranked opponent next week as Ohio Northern University (4-1, 3-1 OAC) visits for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Bernlohr Stadium.