Wabash won its first North Coast Athletic Conference in school history on Saturday with its 54-7 victory over the Hiram Terriers. The Little Giants won a school-record 16th consecutive victory and won its 13th consecutive NCAC game. The Little Giants finished the conference season 7-0, the second time in school history that a Wabash team has run the table in conference play. Wabash is 9-0 overall with one regular season game remaining.
Wabash scored 33 points in the first quarter and 40 in the first half on the way to its fifth football conference championship. The Little Giants won Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference titles in 1991 and 1992 and tied for the ICAC title in 1994. Wabash won the 1998 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football title, going 7-0 in conference play.
The Wabash defense forced seven turnovers, scoring on two of the Hiram miscues. Senior Mark Balawender (LaPorte, IN/LaLumiere) picked up a fumble on a kickoff, returning it seven yards for a first quarter touchdown. Freshman Tamarco White (Flora, MS/Madison Central) raced 58 yards for an interception return for a touchdown for the final score of the game. Senior Chad Springer (Bringhurst, IN/Carroll) led the team in tackles with seven tackles.
The Terriers scored with 4:58 remaining in the third quarter on a halfback option pass thrown by Tim Anderson and caught by Niarchos Kincaid for their only score of the game.
Junior receiver and kick returner Josh Bronaugh (Crawfordsville, IN/North Montgomery) answered the Hiram score on the next kick return. Bronaugh raced the length of the field, setting the school record with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The previous record was 97 yards set by Stan Huntsman ’54 during his senior season in 1953.
Senior quarterback Jake Knott (Lafayette, IN/Jefferson) completed eight of nine passes for 118 yards and four touchdowns. He throw scoring tosses to Nick Dawson (LaFontaine, IN/Southwood), Ryan Short (Indianapolis, IN/Perry Meridian), Brandon Clifton (Lafayette, IN/McCutcheon) and Bronaugh in the first quarter. Short’s TD receptions was his 12th of the season, putting him one TD reception short of tying his school and conference single-season record of 13 touchdown receptions.
Junior quarterback Dustin DeNeal (Muncie, IN/Delta) was 3-for-6 for 26 yards.
Chris Ogden (Schererville, IN/Lake Central) led the Little Giants on the ground with 102 yards. It is the first time that Ogden has topped 100 yards in a game. Matt Boston (Lafayette, IN/McCutcheon) added 47 yards and one touchdown to the Wabash rushing attack.
Wabash will finish its regular portion of the season schedule on Saturday, November 16 in the 109th Monon Bell Classic. Wabash will play host to DePauw University in a 1:08 p.m. kickoff at Byron P. Hollett Little Giant Stadium. The game is sold out.