Football team loses season finale at Wisconsin Lutheran, 45-33

The Olivet College football team fell to Wisconsin Lutheran College, 45-33, today in its season finale at Wisco Field in Milwaukee.

In the game, sophomore fullback Mick Faasen (Belding High School) rushed for 236 yards. He ends the season with 1,241 rushing yards, which breaks the Olivet single-season record. Kris Brown previously held the record with 1,235 yards in 1999.

In the first quarter, the Warriors jumped out to a 7-0 lead with 14:20 left. The Fighting Comets tied the game when sophomore Travis Sleight (Battle Creek/Lakeview High School) capped a 12-play, 79-yard drive with a six-yard run. Sophomore Justin Hunwick (Sterling Heights/Stevenson High School) made the extra point.

Olivet took a 14-7 lead on a two-yard run by Faasen and a good PAT kick by Hunwick. WLC answered with a score to tie the game. Faasen scored from four yards out at the 3:35 mark of the second quarter. The Warriors knotted the score at 21-21 with just 17 seconds left in the first half.

On its first possession of the second half, WLC took a 28-21 lead. After stopping the Warriors, the Comets recovered a fumble on their punt. On the fourth play of the drive, Faasen had a 24-yard touchdown run and Hunwick nailed the PAT kick to tie the score at 28-28.

In the fourth quarter, Hunwick made a 19-yard field goal for a 31-28 Olivet lead. WLC took the lead back on its next drive. On the ensuing kickoff, the Warriors recovered an on-side kick, but were stopped at the one-yard line. The scoring in the game ended with a safety for each team sandwiched around a touchdown by WLC.

The Fighting Comet ground attack accounted for its 481 yards of total offense – Faasen with 236, freshman Kemp Luchie (Grand Rapids/Forest Hills Northern High School) with 159, sophomore Dwight Houston (Detroit/Denby High School) with 65 and Sleight with 21. Defensively, junior Dave Trudell (Springport High School) was credited with a team-best 10 tackles, including six solo stops. Sophomore Jarrod LaRoche (Lake Odessa/Lakewood High School) and freshman Jeff LaClair (Milford High School) recorded eight tackles apiece.

The Warriors were led by quarterback Seth Fitzsimmons, who completed 25-of-38 passes for 430 yards and five touchdowns. Nate Hahm caught a team-best six passes for 228 yards. Ben Murphy had 12 tackles.