The 2013 football season came to a close on a Saturday afternoon at Bahlke Field that was cloudy and had a threat of rain. But that did not deter the Alma College football team, as they played with desire and grit from start to finish against visiting Trine University.

The Scots thumped the Thunder by a margin of 31-13 to capture their first and only win of the season, as Alma finished 2013 campaign with a mark of 1-9 overall and 1-5 in the MIAA. Trine ended their season with a final record of 5-5, including 1-5 in the league.

"It was a great win for our seniors and I am happy to see them go out on a winning note to end their careers at Alma," said Scots Head Coach Greg Pscodna. "For our program, it is a nice win to go into the offseason and get us ready to begin preparations for 2014."

It was Senior Day 2013 for a group of student athletes that wanted nothing more than to close out their collegiate careers with a victory. Slow starts by both teams did not deter those players and their collective determination would go a long way on this day.

Trine's first possession ended in a punt that was blocked by Alma So. DB Fabrice Constant (Miami, FL/Felix Varela), giving the Scots on the ball at the Thunder 41-yard line. Alma drove to the four-yard line before stalling and came away empty as Sr. K Jack Pryde (Royal Oak/Royal Oak) missed a 21-yard field goal attempt.

After the ensuing Trine drive ended in another punt, Alma got on the board when Sr. QB Jarrett Leister (St. Louis/Mt. Pleasant) connected with Jr. WR Tyler Watters (Williamston/Williamston) on a 36-yard touchdown strike. The score gave Alma a 7-0 lead and culminated a nine-play, 83-yard drive.

Midway through the second quarter, the Thunder tied the game at 7-7 as RB Frank Vuocolo rushed five yards for a touchdown. Alma responded immediately as Watters took the next kickoff and ran it 97 yards to the house, giving the Scots a 14-7 advantage just 16 seconds after Trine's tying touchdown.

The return was the fourth-longest in Alma College football history and was the team's first kickoff return for a score since Andrew Schaar had two in 2009.

Trine responded with a 31-yard field goal by K Tyler Keck to make it 14-10, and after a Scots punt, the Thunder had one more offensive chance in the half. The visitors drove down to the Alma 13-yard line before stalling and settled for a 31-yard field goal by Keck that made it 14-13 at halftime.

The Scots got the ball to begin the third quarter and after one first down, faced a fourth down and lined up to punt from the Thunder 41-yard line. However, when you are 0-9, you have nothing to lose and you pull out all the stops. The snap went to Watters, the upback, who scampered 41 yards for his third touchdown of the day, giving Alma a 21-13 advantage.

The two teams exchanged punts from there, before Trine drove to the Alma 44-yard line. QB Brandon Rooze was then intercepted by Jr. LB Sam Young (Lowell/Lowell) to end the Thunder possession. Again, the teams traded punts and the game went into the fourth quarter with Alma holding the eight point lead.

The remaining scoring happened quickly in the final frame as Sr. DB Austin McClelland (Rochester Hills/Rochester Adams) intercepted Rooze and returned it 34 yards for a pick six and a 28-13 Scots lead. Jr. LB Eric Strickler (Lapeer/Lapeer East) then intercepted Trine QB Andrew Dee two plays into their next drive. The Scots took over on the Trine 18-yard line and extended their lead to the decisive 31-13 margin as Pryde booted a 26-yard field goal with 11:37 remaining in the game.

As a team, Alma had 308 total offensive yards to Trine's 272, including a 150-129 edge on the ground. Time of possession favored the Scots by a margin of 32:56 to 27:04, but Trine did have 15 first downs to Alma's 11. A big difference in the game proved to be Alma's five interceptions, and defensively, the Scots never let Trine get into a groove.

Individually, Leister finished his collegiate career by completing 17 of 28 pass attempts with one touchdown and one interception, while Sr. RB Jon Bricker (Yale/Yale) led Alma rushers with 62 yards on 14 carries. Watters had five receptions for 61 yards and a score, while Jr. WR Erik Hines (Menominee/Menominee) added five catches for 37 yards.

Defensively, Jr. DB Adam Nelson (St. Clair Shores/U of Jesuit) led Alma with 11 total tackles with one interception and one pass break-up. Young finished with 10 total tackles with the interception and a pass break-up, while So. LB Gavin Smith (Westphalia/Pewamo-Westphalia) was next with eight total tackles, including one for loss. Strickler finished with two picks, seven total tackles and one tackle for loss, while Constant added three pass break-ups and the punt block.

The Scots are now 6-5 all-time against Trine, but today marked the first win against the Thunder since 2007, a span of five games.