Football rolls to 58-21 victory at Capital

By Tim Glon

BEXLEY — Ohio Northern got four touchdown runs from freshman Christiaan Williams (Sidney/Anna) and three TD passes from sophomore Will Freed (Carlsbad, Calif./San Marcos) to post a 58-21 victory at Capital in an Ohio Athletic Conference football game on Saturday afternoon at Bernlohr Stadium.

The Polar Bears improve to 2-3 overall and are 2-2 in OAC play, while the Crusaders fall to 3-2, 3-1.

Williams ran 23 times for 127 yards and four scores and Freed completed 16-of-26 passes for 195 yards and three TDs for ONU.

Williams has now rushed for more than 100 yards in all five of his collegiate games. 

Northern got on the board first, marching 45 yards in just four plays on its opening possession. Williams plowed in from 4 yards out and ONU led 7-0 with 2:53 gone in the contest.

Capital tied the game at 7-all on the first play of the second quarter when Thomas Wibbeler hit David Barnett on a 5-yard touchdown pass.

The Polar Bears quickly responded, marching 71 yards on eight plays and went back up 14-7 when Williams again banged in from four yards out with 11:41 left in the half.

Two plays later, senior Dan Eller (Medina) returned an interception 38 yards to the CU 9-yard line. Freed hit sophomore Chad Rex (Bradenton, Fla./Lakewood Ranch) on the next play and it was 21-7 Polar Bears with 10:47 left in the half.

Rex finished the day with a career-high 83 yards rushing and caught four passes for 47 yards for 130 all-purpose yards.

Freed hit sophomore Brenden Hadley (Bradenton, Fla./Lakewood Ranch) on a 20-yard touchdown pass (the first TD catch of Hadley's career) on a 3rd and 16 to make it 28-7 with 3:21 remaining in the half.

Freed drove the Polar Bears 78 yards in six plays and connected with senior Reed Allen (Whitehouse/Anthony Wayne) on a 24-yard score to give the visitors a 34-7 lead with 10.9 seconds left before intermission.

After CU pulled within 34-14, Williams capped a 75-yard drive with a 12-yard TD run and it was 41-14 with 4:59 left in the game.

Williams picked up his fourth score of the day on a 2-yard run with 10:45 left to give ONU a 48-21 lead.

Sophomore Joe French (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward Central Catholic) made a 20-yard field goal with 6:50 remaining to put ONU ahead 51-21.

After a short punt into the wind, Northern's reserves moved 45 yards in eight plays and scored on a 2-yard run by freshman David Haseleu (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) with 1:29 remaining to wrap up the scoring.

Ohio Northern out-gained Capital 497-310 in total offense. 

Junior Zach Schmerge (Wapakoneta) had 15 tackles and a half sack and senior Nathan Kaszei (Brook Park/Padua Franciscan) had a career-high 10 tackles in his first career start for the Northern defense.

The win was the ninth consecutive for ONU in the series and the 58-point effort was the most in a game at Capital since a 70-38 victory in 1998.

The Polar Bears will return home next Saturday to host John Carroll under the lights at 6 pm at Dial-Roberson Stadium.