ALLIANCE, Ohio — The Baldwin Wallace football team earned a huge 27-21 victory over the University of Mount Union tonight afternoon at Kehres Stadium, securing the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) championship for the first time since 1994 and the first outright time since 1991. With the win, the Yellow Jackets improve to 9-0 overall and 7-0 in OAC play with the win, and secure a spot in the NCAA DIII tournament.
After a scoreless first quarter, BW opened the scoring midway through the second quarter after a Mount Union muffed punt gave the Yellow Jackets possession at the Purple Raiders' five-yard line. Two plays later, quarterback Charlie Bubonics connected with Xavier Balson for a three-yard touchdown pass to give BW a 7-0 lead. Owen Warrick added a 41-yard field goal with 1:52 remaining in the first half to extend the advantage to 10-0.
The Yellow Jackets carried that momentum into the second half, but Mount Union cut the deficit to 10-7 with a 19-yard rushing touchdown on its opening possession of the third quarter. BW answered immediately as Bubonics found Seandelle Gardner for a 49-yard touchdown pass, pushing the lead back to 17-7.
Mount Union responded with a 55-yard touchdown pass to make it a 17-14 contest, but the Yellow Jackets put together a 12-play, 80-yard drive to regain control. Bubonics capped the possession with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Colin Quinlan, giving BW a 24-14 advantage late in the third quarter.
After a scoreless start to the fourth quarter, Warrick connected on his second field goal of the afternoon, a 43-yarder, to extend the lead to 27-14 with 5:49 remaining. Mount Union answered with a 17-yard touchdown pass just 37 seconds later, trimming the deficit to 27-21.
The Purple Raiders had one final opportunity to take the lead, but the BW defense came up with a critical stop. After Mount Union moved into Yellow Jacket territory in the closing minutes, the defense forced four consecutive incomplete and unsuccessful plays to turn the ball over on downs. BW took possession with 48 seconds remaining and ran out the clock to secure the victory.
Bubonics completed 21-of-30 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns. Balson led the receiving corps with nine catches for 88 yards and a touchdown, while Gardner added four receptions for 59 yards and a score. Quinlan also hauled in four passes for 36 yards and a touchdown.
On the ground, George Linberger led the Yellow Jackets with 128 yards on 28 carries, while Boston Mulinix added 68 yards on 20 attempts. Defensively, JD Crouse recorded five tackles, three tackles for loss and three sacks, while Kyle Langenbrunner added five tackles and two tackles for loss. As a team, BW totaled six sacks and forced four Mount Union turnovers, including three fumble recoveries.
The victory marks a historic accomplishment for the Yellow Jackets, who claim their first OAC championship since 1994 and their first outright conference title since 1991.
Looking Ahead
Baldwin Wallace will return to action on Saturday, November 14 when they conclude their regular season at home against Muskingum at 1:30 p.m. From there, they will turn their attention to the NCAA Division III Football Championship, with the selection show scheduled for Sunday, November 16 at 5:00 p.m.
