Your ticket to the Best Seat in the House since 1992

WATCH
NEWS
LINKS
JOIN OUR TEAM

Your ticket to the Best Seat in the House since 1992

Balanced Attack on Display as Crusaders Rout Trojans

by | Sep 17, 2017 | Headlines, RRSN News | 0 comments

Balanced Attack on Display as Crusaders Rout Trojans

 

The Valparaiso University football team entered the win column in resounding fashion on Saturday afternoon, pulling away for a 44-10 victory over Trinity International at Leslie Frazier Field in Deerfield, Ill. Sophomore Cody Boxrucker (West Chester, Ohio / Badin) had three touchdown runs, senior Frank Catrine (Springboro, Ohio / Bishop Fenwick) scored twice and senior Jarrett Morgan (Cooper City, Fla. / Cooper City) shattered a career high with 127 rushing yards. The Crusaders utilized a balanced attack, rushing for 266 yards and passing for 252 to total 511 yards of offense.

 

How It Happened

  • The Crusaders (1-2) wasted no time in scoring on the opening drive, which culminated with Boxrucker bulldozing his way into the end zone from 1-yard out with 9:40 left in the first.
  • The Trojans (1-2) scored to tie it on a big fourth down play as Mikale Hill hauled in a 30-yard pass from Chris Wolcott with 2:41 to go in the first.
  • Catrine scored a 49-yard touchdown on a jet sweep to put the Crusaders back in front. The Crusaders received good blocking on the right side of the field, and Catrine made the most of the space. That came on the final play of the quarter, giving the Crusaders a 14-7 edge after one.
  • Bailey Gessinger (Napanee, Ind. / Northwood) had a 46-yard punt return early in the second quarter, taking it all the way to the Trinity International 34-yard line, where the Trojans’ punter made an open field tackle.
  • Catrine went up in traffic and came down with his second touchdown of the day, as Jimmy Seewald (Livonia, Mich. / Divine Child) threaded it into a tight window for a 12-yard score to boost Valpo’s lead to 21-7 with 10:59 left in the second quarter.
  • Sophomore kicker Dimitrios Latsonas (Westmont, Ill. / Westmont) crushed a 38-yard field goal into the wind with plenty to spare, building Valpo’s edge to 24-7 with 2:18 remaining until halftime.
  • The Trojans marched down field and pulled back within two touchdowns after a long field goal right before the half, making it 24-10 at the break. Carter Andrade put it through the uprights from 48 yards out.
  • The Crusaders went for it on fourth-and-three from the Trinity International 9-yard line, and Boxrucker rushed for 4 yards to move the chains and create first-and-goal from the 5. Two plays later, Boxrucker’s 1-yard TD run increased Valpo’s lead to 30-10 with 10:51 left in the third. The extra point was no good.
  • Morgan over doubled his season rushing total on a single play – an 86-yard run on first-and-10 from Valpo’s own 2.
  • Boxrucker notched his third TD of the day from 2 yards out with 6:21 left in the third, finishing the drive ignited by Morgan with a score.
  • Seewald completed a 39-yard touchdown pass to Gessinger in coverage, allowing the Crusaders to cap a 95-yard TD drive and make it 44-10 with 9:41 left in the fourth. That proved to be the final points of the game by either team.

Inside the Game

  • Catrine notched his first rushing touchdown of the season and his first receiving touchdown of the year. The rushing touchdown was the third of his career, while the receiving TD was his seventh.
  • Boxrucker’s trio of rushing scores lifts his career total to 12 as only a sophomore. He has five TDs in three weeks this season.
  • Morgan’s 86-yard run was the longest of his Crusader career, surpassing his previous career long of 52. Morgan was tracked down at the end of the run. Had he scored, he would have shattered the Valpo record for longest scoring run from scrimmage of 86, set by Joe Pahr in 1949. As it was, it went as Valpo’s longest rush in at least 12 years and Valpo’s longest play since an 86-yard pass in 2013.
  • Latsonas improved to 4-for-4 on field goals this season, with his first three makes coming at Montana.
  • Seewald’s TD pass was his fifth of the season and the 18th of his Crusader career.
  • Gessinger’s TD snag was the first of his career.
  • The 266 rushing yards mark the most Valpo has racked up in a game since totaling 281 in 2014 against Missouri Baptist.
  • The Crusaders have totaled 450 yards or more in each of the first three weeks of the season.
  • Seewald went 17-of-22 for 238 yards and two TDs, while freshman Donny Navarro (Naperville, Ill. / Neaqua Valley) was Valpo’s leading receiver with six snags for 54 yards.
  • Drew Snouffer (Columbus, Ohio / Upper Arlington) led the way with 10 tackles for the Crusaders.
  • The 10 points were the fewest Valpo has allowed in a game since Nov. 8, 2014, a 17-3 victory over Butler.

Thoughts from Head Coach Dave Cecchini

Thoughts on the Game: “The word of the week was maturity. We talked about us being a more mature football team and what mature football teams do in games like this. As the game went on, it unfolded the way we wanted it to. We did have some lapses, but it’s hard to talk about maturity when the guys making the mistakes are the freshmen and redshirt freshmen, some of them playing in their first game. It was a solid performance. The veterans made plays, and some young guys also stepped up and made plays.”

On Jimmy Seewald: “What you worry about for a sophomore quarterback who played well as a freshman is a sophomore slump, and he is the opposite of that. He gets better each week. He’s confident, but he’s not cocky. He knows his limitations, and he has a burning desire to be the best player he can be. He’s not going to go out there and say we have to throw the football every play; he knew today we needed to get our running game going as well. He keeps his cool and he’s a great leader.

On the defense: “We missed JJ (Nunes) today, particularly on the one touchdown throw. That was the biggest hiccup defensively. We played a solid football game aside from that one breakdown coverage wise. Jay Slone played one of his best games for us. Mike Wheeler stepped up and played extremely well today.”

 

Up Next

The Crusaders will open up Pioneer Football League action next week with a visit to Drake. The game will kick off at 1 p.m. CT. Links to live video, audio and stats are available on ValpoAthletics.com.

 

Related Content

By
Dec 09 2023

University of Oregon Center Jackson Powers-Johnson Named 2023 Rimington Trophy Winner

University of Oregon Center Jackson Powers-Johnson Named 2023 Rimington Trophy Winner Announced tonight on the virtual Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN,...
Read More
By
Dec 09 2023

Buckeyes Men’s Hockey Fall Short Against No. 10/9 Gophers, 5-4 Ohio State wraps up first-half schedule with game two Saturday Release Online | Box Score | Rohlik and Brickey Postgame Press Conference COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State men’s hockey team dropped its series-opener to No. 10/9 Minnesota, 5-4, Friday in Value City Arena. Ohio State led early but trailed 3-2 after the first period and 4-3 through 40 minutes. The Gophers pushed the advantage to 5-3 with a power play goal in the third period. The Buckeyes drew within one with less than five minutes left but could not pull even. The Buckeyes (5-8-3, 0-8-1, 0-0-1 B1G) and Gophers (9-5-3, 5-4-2, 1-0-0 B1G) will face off in game two at 8 p.m. Saturday in Columbus. The game closes the first half of the season for the Buckeyes. A buy one ticket, get one free Holideal is available for the game vs. Minnesota, as well as contests vs. Mercyhurst Dec. 30 and Bowling Green Jan. 5, HERE. Parking is free for all men’s hockey games in Value City Arena. The contest is the second annual Pucks ‘n Paws Night. For more information on tickets for humans and dogs, click HERE. Each dog in attendance will receive a free Ohio State collapsible dog bowl upon arrival. The Short Story The Gophers opened the scoring with an unassisted goal at 4:06, answered by Cam Thiesing for the Buckeyes just 12 seconds later. Patrick Guzzo put the Buckeyes in the lead with a power play goal at 7:57 but back-to-back Minnesota goals, on a major power play at 9:58 and even strength at 16:58, gave the Gophers a 3-2 lead. Each team scored once in the second. Stephen Halliday knotted the score at 12:36 but the Gophers responded just over four minutes later and carried a 4-3 lead into the third. Minnesota pushed the lead to two for the first time with a power play goal at 7:28 of the third and at 15:14 Buckeye Damien Carfagna again made it a one-goal game (5-4). The Buckeyes skated with the net empty for much of the final two minutes but were unable to get the equalizer. Shots were 38-25 in favor of Ohio State, with the Buckeyes ahead 29-12 in the final 40 minutes. How it Happened • Minnesota’s Jimmy Snuggerud scored unassisted at 4:06 following a turnover in the Buckeye defensive zone to open the scoring. • Just 12 seconds later Ohio State deadlocked the game, when Thomas Weis picked off a clearing attempt along the wall by the Gopher goalie and found Cam Thiesing in front. • After review, a Buckeye was assessed a major penalty and Minnesota took advantage, tallying just eight seconds into the major power play. Ohio State killed off the rest of the five-minute chance, allowing just one shot on goal. • At 16:58 Rhett Pitlick put the Gophers ahead, scoring on the rush. • In the second, Buckeye Stephen Halliday made it a 3-3 game, as he put in the rebound of a Davis Burnside shot at 12:36. Nathan McBrayer had the second assist, his first point as a Buckeye. • Minnesota responded at 16:37 as Connor Kurth tallied and put the Gophers up 4-3. • Ohio State outshot Minnesota, 17-8, in the second period. • At 7:28 Brody Lamb gave the Gophers a 5-3 advantage with a power play goal. • Buckeye Damien Carfagna’s shot at 15:14 from the faceoff circle got through the Gopher goalie for a 5-4 game. Caden Brown and Brent Johnson assisted on the tally. • Ohio State pulled its goalie with a little more than two minutes remaining but the comeback fell short. Shots were 12-4 in favor of the Buckeyes in the third. • For the game, Ohio State had the shot advantage, 38-25. Logan Terness played the first period for Ohio State in goal and had 10 saves on 13 shots. Kristoffer Eberly came in at the start of the second and had 10 saves on 12 shots in 38:11. • Ohio State blocked 11 Gopher shots, led by Ryan Gordon with three. • The Buckeyes were 1-for-2 on the power play and the Gophers were 2-for-4. Buckeye This and That • McBrayer is the 20th Buckeye to record a point this season. • Halliday has a team-high nine assists and 13 points. He is tied with Burnside and Johnson for third on the team with four goals each. • Guzzo moved into a share of the team lead with his fifth goal of the season. He is first on the squad with four power play tallies and has a goal in three of the last four games. • Brickey also has five goals this year and he is third with 11 points. • Burnside is tied for second in assists with a career-high eight and is second with 12 points. He has a point in four of the last five games. • Wallberg also has eight assists on the year. #GoBucks

MHKY: Buckeyes Fall Short Against No. 10/9 Gophers, 5-4 Ohio State wraps up first-half schedule with game two Saturday COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State men’s hockey team...
Read More
By
Dec 09 2023

QUARTET INDUCTED INTO NFCA HALL OF FAME

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Dec. 8 2023) – Lonni Alameda (Florida State), Carol Bruggeman (NFCA), John Byrne (Moravian, retired) and Kim Wilson (Rowan) were inducted into the NFCA...
Read More
By
Dec 09 2023

No. 6 Badgers men’s hockey capture No. 17 Nittany Lions, 6-3

No. 6 Badgers capture No. 17 Nittany Lions, 6-3 Carson Bantle nets first-career hat trick MADISON, Wis. – A hat trick from Onalaska native Carson Bantle on 'Wisconsin...
Read More
By
Dec 07 2023

Former Pilot Erica Dregits to be new Women’s Volleyball Head Coach

MISHAWAKA, Ind. --- The Bethel University Athletic Department hired former three-time NCCAA All-American and 2007 NCCAA Women's Volleyball National Champion Erica...
Read More