After opening the season with three big wins against Ferrum, Otterbein, and Capital, the Muskies were shaken by a big loss against Mount Union on the road, Saturday, September 23rd. They hoped coming back home would be the best medicine to get them back on track and ready for their upcoming home stint throughout much of October, but visiting Heidelberg pulled out a last-second play that left them down 20-17 with absolutely no time on the clock.
Opening the game, both teams kept their defenses tight and didn’t allow any scoring in the first quarter of the game. Heidelberg was the first to fire as they kicked a 32-yard field goal with 14:08 left in the second quarter lighting up the scoreboard for the first time of the afternoon at 3 – 0.
The Muskies answered back with 3:29 left in the half when Doug Crawford pushed across the goal line from the 4-yard line and with Hunter Albers kick took the lead with 7 – 3 Muskingum.
With just 46 seconds left in the first half of the game, Heidelberg mounted a short touchdown off of a 3-yard pass from Drew Sims to TJ Rhamy to send the Muskies to the locker room down 10 – 7.
After halftime Muskingum’s Donald Francis took a 6-yard run into the endzone to set the score 14 – 10 Muskingum after Albers’ kick.
Just seconds later M. Yearby made a mad dash of a 76-yard run for a Heidelberg touchdown flipping the lead again at 17 -14 Heidelberg.
The defenses on both sides ramped up efforts and were able to hold off any more scoring until Hunter Albers stepped up for a 32-yard field goal with just over ten minutes left in the game evening the playing field at 17 for both teams.
Grabbing the last seconds from the clock Heidelberg’s Branden Steckel made a 20-yard field goal to end the game and take the win at 20-17.
For the game sophomore running back Donald Francis and sophomore linebacker Garrett Gurney were named Wally’s Pizza Players of the Game. Francis rushed for a career-high 115 yards and one touchdown, Gurney led the team in tackles with 10 and one quarterback sack.
Muskingum next hosts Baldwin Wallace for its 101st Homecoming on Saturday, October 14th. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Bullock Health and Wellness Complex.