Football team loses to Albion, 36-19, in season-finale

The Olivet College football team fell to Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Albion College, 36-19, this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. With the loss, the Comets end their season with a 5-5 overall record and 4-3 MIAA mark.

Albion (7-3, 6-1 MIAA) scored a touchdown on its first possession of the game when Steve Wasil connected with Josh Silvernail from five yards out. Olivet answered with an eight-play, 71-yard drive, which was capped off by a 15-yard touchdown run by senior Travis Sleight (Battle Creek/Lakeview). Senior Justin Hunwick (Sterling Heights/ Stevenson) made the PAT kick.

The Britons were forced to punt on their next possession. Olivet grabbed a 10-7 lead on a 39-yard field goal by Hunwick with 31 seconds left in the opening quarter. Albion took a 21-10 lead on a pair of touchdown passes, the first was Wasil to Troy Rundle and the second was Wasil to Peter Shaw.

As the first half clock was running out, the Comets cut their deficit to eight points when Hunwick split the uprights on a 35-yard field goal, his eighth of 2005. With the field goal, he breaks the college's single-season record. Hunwick previously held the record of seven during 2003 and 2004.

Olivet took advantage of an Albion fumble deep in its own territory. Freshman Lonnie Jones (Niles) scampered into the endzone from five-yards to make the score, 21-19. The Comets' two-point conversion pass attempt was batted down by a Briton defender.

At the 2:42 mark of the third quarter, Albion pushed its lead back out to eight points on a nine-yard touchdown pass by Wasil to Shaw. The Britons sealed their victory with nine points in the fourth quarter. The first three points came on a 27-yard field goal by Brian Balzerini and the other six points were on a four-yard touchdown pass by Wasil to Rundle.

For the game, the Comets had 271 yards of total offense. Sleight led the ground attack with 17 carries for 87 yards. Jones carried the ball eight times for 35 yards. Chris Quackenbush (Waterford/Mott) completed 10-of-22 passes for 108 yards. Junior Chris Smith (Diamondale/Holt) was the leading receiver with six catches for 65 yards.

Defensively, sophomore Marc Miller (Sunfield/Lakewood) recorded 13 total tackles. Seniors Steve Critchlow (Olivet) and Ryan Hayes (Livonia/Franklin) had seven tackles apiece.

Wasil completed 15 passes for 272 yards and five touchdowns. Shaw made four catches for 105 yards and two scores, and Rundle hauled in four passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Kyle Klyn and Wasil had 62 and 61 rushing yards, respectively. Tim Gough and Tommy Lefere shared team-high honors with nine tackles each.