|
|
| www.MtUnionFootball.com | Main Page Email |
 |
Mount Union 61 Heidelberg 0 by Dick Ross |
Heidelberg College credits its establishment to the Reverends Reuben and Jeremiah Good of the German Reformed Church, known these days as the United Church of Christ, and opened its doors November 11, 1850. With an enrollment of just under 1,000, it is now the smaller of the two colleges in Tiffin. For those who are interested in American history and archaeology, Heidelberg has started the "Center for Historic and Military Archaeology" and is involved in summer field studies at Johnson's Island Civil War Military Prison site and at the Fallen Timbers and Buffington Island Battlefields, within Ohio. Many years later, the anniversary of
Heidelberg's founding date, November 11th, marked the end of World War One.
Fred Ballreich, of Tiffin, was one of many WW1 vets who returned from the
war and was unable to find work. He decided to try producing potato
chips, a skill that he had learned working in a With the help of his wife, Fred
started his business in a dirt floor garage. Try running that past the
various regulatory authorities, today. Wasn't long before "Ballreich
Brothers" was born, moved to improved By 1940, when the company was producing 450 lbs. of chips per day from 1,500 pounds of potatoes, it became obvious that mechanization was necessary. Today, Ballreich's daily consumption is up to nearly 50,000 lbs. of Norchip, Snowden and Atlanta potatoes, many produced locally. The potatoes used are low in sugar and the only additive is salt, and these days - even salt can be omitted. There is almost no waste, as the "snibbles and goop" (peelings and scraps) are in high demand by local hog farmers. This week, due to commitments in Alliance, I made the trip down and back in the dark, so I can't really comment on fall colors, other than that the "Sunburst Locusts" in my neighborhood have returned to their springtime suits of daffodil yellow.
On a misty gray morning in Alliance, I was reminded that there's almost no place in town where you can't hear the trains that really built the city. I made my first "M" club meeting in some time. I wanted to be present for the initiation of Ric Brienza, creator of this site, and George Weimer '54 as Honorary Members of the Club. Also honored, with the club's lifetime achievement "Award of Excellence" were William C. Davis, '61, already a member of several Athletic Halls of Fame; Brian Stafford '69, who still owns at least one Mount Union football record, and is currently head of the U.S. Secret Service; and President Emeritus Ron Weber '38, ATO contemporary of my Dad, College Librarian Yost Osborn and Dr. John Saffell. Dr. Weber must have run out of wall space, long ago, for all of his plaques, honors and degrees from Mount Union, Baldwin-Wallace, Ohio Northern and others. Hall of Fame inductees, honored for
their athletic accomplishments, included Ron Collins '73, bantam weight
wrestler; Frank Maietta '76 football center; Sean Malottke '87, swimmer;
Dave Scarpitti '78, basketballer; and Scott Woolf '86, football, the
quarterback of Mount's first perfect regular season and post season playoff
appearance. Malottke must have continued to grow, after graduation.
Prior to the introductions, I thought that he had been the offensive
lineman. Following the "M" club breakfast, having already eaten enough for two, I snuck into the brunch, just to visit, but still had a great time, before walking over to the stadium. During the first half, I sat next to the south tunnel with Kathleen Butera '86, marking her first Alumni Council meeting. Kathleen was the gal you did not see on the "Today" show, last Thursday, but she was the one holding up the "Go Mount Union" sign. Heidelberg, the team formerly known as the "Student Princes" arrived in two buses marked "Bluebird" and "Bliss" but unfortunately, for them, "Happiness" was unable to make the trip. The team now known as "The 'Berg" took the field in solid white, with red and black trouser stripes and a stylized lowercase burnt orange "h" on their black helmets. Mount wore their usual solid purple, at home. The forecast 70 degree sunshine never
materialized, through the gray overcast, but the major rain bearing cold
fronts, which might produce freezing temperatures and fall colors by next
weekend, held off until well after dark.
Mount Union not only won the coin toss, but #7 Sr. QB Rob Adamson from Akron/Manchester made his first "on field" appearance since being injured during the opening game, in Wisconsin. After a handoff to #31 Sr. RB Dan Pugh of Norwalk/St Paul (out there near Tiffin) and three pass completions, the drive pulled up short and #11 So. PK Chad Teague, of Orrville, came on to kick a 26-yard field goal. The kick caromed through, off the left upright and the score wouldn't get any closer, on the day. #8 So. QB Zac Bruney of Martins Ferry,
down on the Ohio River, across from Wheeling, led the team, running and
passing, to its first touchdown. Dan Pugh went into the line for the
final yard. My eye saw #46, Jr. RB Brian Miller of Orrville go up and
over the pile, but his chance was yet to come. As the first quarter drew to a close
Rob Adamson returned, under center, to lead a drive which featured a 22-yard
completion to #6 Sr. WR Derrick Leach of Summerfield/Shenandoah and a 17
yarder to Brian Miller, for the touchdown. Heidelberg's next drive started at the north end 14-yard line and ended, after a single play. Looked to me like it was #89, Sr, DE Matt Campbell of Massillon/Perry who laid on the hit that knocked the ball loose and gave chase but it was #91 Jr. DT Antoine Dillard of Cleveland/Benedictine who recovered it for the Purple Gang at the two. It's tempting to use the "shadows of the goal posts" line, as Dan Pugh covered the final two for the touchdown, but the overcast afternoon left no shadows. After three plays by The 'Berg, #17 Sr. CB Chris Kern of Fairbault, MN once again stopped a third down completion, short of the sticks, and forced the punt. Adamson took over and passed the team downfield with runs by. Even an out-of-bounds "scramble" gained yards, for Rob, today. When his targets were covered, he intelligently headed for the east side, protecting the ball and using the ball to protect his hands, till he crossed the sideline. The final play of the drive was a 14-yard pass to Leach, upping the count to 31. In just a few minutes Adamson took a curtain call with an old fashioned Mount Union drive, one-play, 46-yards to #25 Jr. WR Nick Sirianni, of Jamestown, NY. Bruney returned and moved the team to
the visitors' 13-yard line with a pass to #86 So. TE Drew Henley, one of an
even dozen Raiders to pull in a pass this afternoon. Drew played his
high school ball at
HALF TIME SCORE: MOUNT UNION 41, HEIDELBERG 0 As the half ended, with a meek attempt at rain, I crossed 'round the south end to my regular seats, to catch the band show and presentations, from the covered stands. The band played and marched to an Elvis/Jerry Lee Lewis medley, President Ewing introduced the honorees, and today the half was over almost before I knew it. Heidelberg took the kick to open the second half and made it into Mount Union's end of the field, before punting. Mount dusted off the old "inside screen" play Bruney to #4 So. WR Jason Cavell of Painesville/Riverside, who went 76 yards into the northeast corner with it, before being bounced out at the four. Teague came on and added three points on first down, the second play of the drive. The 'Berg held the ball for eight
plays before Bruney reprised last week's second half, by handing off to #34
So. RB Rick Ciccone of Coshocton and making friends among the home crowd
with a toss to #83 Sr. WR Tom Sanor of Beloit/West Branch. #29 So. RB
Jeff Strauch, from Avon Lake, covered the final five THIRD QUARTER SCORE: MOUNT UNION 51, HEIDELBERG 0 Early in the final period, Bruney lead a 64-yard drive towards the Hartshorn end, burning the clock. The final 16-yard play was a very impressive run by Strauch, who hit the line, bounced back, hit it again bounced through and ran sidewinder style, leg over leg, struggling for balance until he crashed over the goal line. Heidelberg's next possession ended with an interception by our new #10, So. DB Jesse Clum of Greenville, who returned the ball to the visitor's 28. Following a brief appearance by Robert McDavid, So. from Canal Winchester/Pickerington, wearing #13 at quarterback, Teague sealed the title of leading scorer, for the day, with a 36-yard field goal (four-for-four on field goals, seven-for-seven on extra points) and got a well deserved rest as Edward Dick, Fr. kicker from Brunswick, drilled a 48-yard kickoff. I heard his name called, but didn't notice which number he'd borrowed this week. At this point, however, not many were left to cheer his work.
There was probably more suspense, later that evening, when the men's soccer team battled ONU to a scoreless tie in what the press release described as a "thrilling dual," a usage, perhaps, correct in light of the double zeros in the score, though I might have used the word "duel." Nice story about the 100th Anniversary
of the Ohio Athletic Conference in Sunday's Plain Dealer, with a photo of
Bill Borchert holding the Stagg Bowl trophy, with Reiko Golate over the
other shoulder. Also pictured are Baldwin-Wallace's Lee Tressel, Don
Shula, John Carroll '51 and John Glenn, Muskingum '43. Next week: John Carroll, in Alliance.
The Blue Streaks rolled Marietta's river men, 46-0 Saturday, to set up the
battle between the only remaining undefeated teams in the conference.
Mount Union and John John Carroll
hasn't beaten us since 1989 and will bring a tough group of seniors,
determined to break that string. Although it's only week six (of ten),
this game should be the one that determines the conference championship and
the automatic qualifier to the post season playoffs.
|
|
BERGERS AND CHIPS
facilities, and was employing most of
his 13 brothers and sisters; including one who had been disabled in the war
and who drove the company truck and one who moved on to found a second
company in Defiance, both making their signature "marcelled" (ruffled,
ribbed or corrugated) style chips.
Tiffin/Columbian,
on the same field which Heidelberg uses for its home games. The
completion brought up fourth down but Teague cashed in for a 30-yard field
goal, to close the scoring for the half.
yards for the touchdown, closing the scoring for the quarter.
Carroll are both 5-0 overall and 4-0 in conference
play. Capital, next on our schedule after John Carroll, is also
unbeaten in OAC play at 4-0, but they are 4-1 overall, at the midway point
of the season.