The weather was cloudy and gloomy but the Alma College football team attempted to breakthrough that darkness and secure a MIAA win at host Albion College on Saturday afternoon. In a fight to the finish, the Scots came up short however, losing to the Britons by a score of 28-24 in a back and forth affair.

With the loss, Alma is now 0-4 in the MIAA and 0-8 overall, while Albion improved to a league-best 3-0 record and 5-2 for the 2013 season.

Albion took a 7-0 advantage five minutes into the first quater on a 22-yard scoring strike from QB Dominic Bona to WR Cody Crawford. Alma answered on their next drive to tie it at 7-7 as Sr. QB Jarrett Leister (St. Louis/Mt. Pleasant) hit Jr. WR Tyler Watters (Williamston/Williamston) on a 68-yard touchdown play, finishing on a three-play, 70-yard drive.

In a display of nothing to lose, Alma Head Coach Greg Pscodna ordered a onside kick that was successful, giving the ball back to the Scots. Alma then drove down the field and took a 10-7 advantage on a 25-yard field goal by Sr. Jack Pryde (Royal Oak/Royal Oak). Albion made it 14-10 before the end of the quarter s Bona threw a 12-yard TD pass to WR Zachary Brewer.

Midway through the second quarter, Albion fumbled a punt return and the Scots recovered on the Britons 15-yard line. It took Alma just three plays before Leister again connected with Watters, this time from 10 yards out, for the visitors to regain the lead at 17-14 lead. The Britons would finish the half with a 21-17 advantage after Bona and Sage Alward combined for a three-yard score, culminating a nine-play, 75-yard drive.

After a scoreless third quarter, Albion went ahead 28-17 as they drove 49 yards on eight plays and scored when Bona hit WR Zach Brigham on a 21-yard score. The Scots responded on their next drive by going 51 yards on six plays, finishing with a 31-yard rushing touchdown by Sr. RB Jon Bricker (Yale/Yale) with 11:02 left in the game. The score cut Alma's deficit to 28-24, but that is the closest the visitors would come on this day.

Alma would have three additional possessions in the game, but would not be able to score. One ended with a Leister interception in the Albion end zone, and the other two were turnover on downs with incompletions. The Britons ultimately ended the game with quarterback kneel plays to close out the four-point victory.

The Scots ran 76 plays for 306 total yards while Albion had 389 yards of total offense on 82 offensive plays. The Britons outgained the Scots in passing yards (240-223) and rushing yards (149-83) but Albion had 11 penalties to Alma's eight during the afternoon.

Leister finished the day with 20 completions on 43 attempts for 218 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss. Watters led all receivers with seven catches for 125 yards and two scores, while Jr. WR Erik Hines (Menominee/Menominee) was next with six grabs for 50 yards. Bricker was the Scots' leading rusher with 42 yards on 10 carries, while So. RB Robert Gibson (Royal Oak/Royal Oak) finished with 11 attempts for 27 yards.

Defensively, Jr. LB Sam Young (Lowell/Lowell) led Alma with 15 total tackles, including one sack and 2.5 tackles for loss. So. LB Gavin Smith (Westphalia/Pewamo-Westphalia) had nine total tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss, while So. DB Fabrice Constant (Miami. Fla./Felix Varela) was next with eight total tackles, two for loss. Additonally, Jr. DB Brandon Wegenke (DeWitt/DeWitt) finished with five tackles, one for loss, one forced fumble and three pass breakups.

Alma was an off week next Saturday before resuming play on Saturday, November 9 at Kalamazoo College. The Scots will then close out the 2013 season on November 16 when Trine University comes to town for a 1:00 p.m. game at Bahlke Field.