The Alma College football team hosted MIAA foe Olivet College on Saturday afternoon, marking the final home game of the 2011 season at Bahlke Field. Today's contest recognized 18 seniors who wore a Scots home jersey for the final time in their career.
With the win, Alma is now 2-7 on the season and 1-4 in the league, while the Comets leave town with a 2011 mark of 1-8 and 1-4 in the MIAA. The Scots will conclude their season next Saturday afternoon when they travel to Adrian to take on the Bulldogs in a 1:00 p.m. contest.
On a sunny but cool 44 degree day at Bahlke Field, the Scots persevered in a game that saw some unusual plays, some sloppy plays and some very good individual defensive performances. In the end, the bottom line was that the home team walked off the field with the win, and that is all that matters.
After an 11-play, 59-yard drive, the best of the day for the Scots, Alma scored on a nice 38-yard touchdown pass from So. QB Jarrett Leister (St. Louis, Mich./Mt. Pleasant) to Sr WR Austin Montgomery (Charlotte, Mich./Charlotte) with 2:22 left in the first quarter. After a missed extra point, the score was 6-0.
Austin Montgomery caught a 38-yard TD pass in win over Olivet on Saturday
After a snap over Olivet P Anthony Edwards' head gave the ball to the Scots at the one-yard line, Jr. RB Ed Mason (Grand Rapids, Mich./Creston) plunged into the end zone. The lead was 12-0 when the point after went wide right with 10:10 to go in the half.
Another punt miscue by Olivet gave the Scots the ball on the Comets' 28-yard line, and Alma made the score 18-0 when Sr. RB Matt Ruhlman (Freeland, Mich./Freeland) ran 10 yards for the score. A two-point conversion was unsuccessful with 3:55 left in the half.
The Scots took a 24-0 advantage in the third quarter after a series of plays not seen very often. Again, a snap went over Olivet's punter's head giving the ball to Alma at the Comets' 10-yard line. The Scots fumbled on the very next play, followed by a Olivet turnover on their very next play - all happening on the 10-yard line.
Personal foul and unsportsmanlike penalties on Olivet followed that third turnover, giving the Scots the ball on the three-yard line. Two plays later, Jr. RB Aaron Hahn (St. Louis, Mich./St. Louis) scampered three yards for a touchdown, and after a missed extra point, the Scots led 24-0.
A late Olivet touchdown to make the final score 24-7 did not diminish the very positive defensive performance by the Scots. Sr. LB Anthony Sabatella (St. Clair Shores, Mich./De La Salle), the MIAA's leading tackler, led the home team with 17 tackles, with one for a loss.
Anthony Sabatella, the MIAA's leading tackler, had 17 against the Comets on Saturday
Sr. LB Conrad Bovee (Ithaca, Mich./Ithaca) was next with nine tackles and a quarterback hurry, while both Sr. DL Ed Raby Jr. (Reed City, Mich./Reed City)and Sr. DL Tony Galarno (Saginaw, Mich./Saginaw Heritage) each had seven tackles, 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss.
In addition, two seniors had big interceptions in the win for the Scots. DB Brian Halas (St. Charles, Mich./St. Charles) and DB Scotty Cole (Alma, Mich./Alma) each had one, with returns of 71 and 24 yards respectively.
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