On Friday evening, the Alma College Football team traveled to Kalamazoo to take on the Hornets in an MIAA contest and lost a close 30-23 decision. With the loss, Alma is now 1-7 on the season and 0-4 in the league, while Kalamazoo is now 4-5 in 2011 and 1-4 in the MIAA.
The contest was played at Waldo Stadium on the campus of Western Michigan because of construction on Kalamazoo's field.
On a cool evening, Alma received and on the first play of the game, So. QB Jarrett Leister (St. Louis, Mich./Mt. Pleasant) hit Sr. WR Barak Henderson (Hot Springs, Ark./Oscoda, Tex.) on a 55-yard pass play. It set up a one-yard run by Jr. RB Ed Mason (Grand Rapids, Mich./Creston), for a 7-0 Scots lead.
A quick drive by Kalamazoo resulted in a field goal to make the score 7-3, before the Scots drove inside the five-yard line on their next possession. However, a fumble gave the ball back to the Hornets on their one-yard line, ending Alma's scoring opportunity.
After the Scots stopped Kzoo on the next series, Jr. LB Donald Morin (Shepherd, Mich./Vestaburg) blocked a punt that went out of the end zone that resulted in a 9-3 Alma lead. Following a short kick, the Scots were able to drive 39 yards on seven plays and went ahead 16-3, when Sr. RB Matt Ruhlman (Freeland, Mich./Freeland) plunged one-yard for a score.
However, the rest of the second quarter belonged to the host Hornets, as they scored the final 13 points, to deadlock the halftime score at 16-16.
A couple of possessions into the second half, the Hornets had the ball on the Scots' 27-yard line after a short punt and a personal foul penalty. The home team took advantage and connected on a TD pass that gave them the 23-16 lead with ten minutes to go in the quarter.
The Scots responded with a 59-yard touchdown strike from Leister to Fr. WR Tyler Watters (Williamston, Mich./Williamston) that tied the score at 23-23 with 2:13 left in the third quarter. After a long kickoff return, the Hornets regained the lead when RB Nick Jones capped a four-play, 45-yard drive with a 27-yard TD run for the game-winning score.
As what has been typical for this Scots team in 2011, they did not quit, but yet came up short. Each of Alma's three fourth quarter drives pushed inside the Kalamazoo's 25-yard line, but yet the visitors could not score, resulting in the seven-point loss.
The Scots will play their last home game of the 2011 season next Saturday, when they host Olivet College at Bahlke Field. Game is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.
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