Football Ends Two-Game Skid, Posts 59 Points in Much-Needed Win
Last Saturday, October 30, the Wabash College Little Giants (6-2; 5-2 NCAC) brought home a 59-34 victory over the Kenyon Lords (2-6; 2-5 NCAC) in their last away game of the regular season, continuing a winning streak against the Lords dating back to 1947. Though impressive, the Little Giants have no room to rest, as they prepare to tackle the Wittenberg Tigers (5-3; 5-2 NCAC) tomorrow at home.
The Little Giants dominated Kenyon in every aspect of the game, from First Downs, to Total Yards, to Rushed Yards, and more. The game began with a “very exciting first half with a lot of scoring,” Don Morel, Head Football Coach, said. “Then, at halftime, we just made some adjustments. Our defense played very well in the second half, and we got super offensive performances out of Liam Thompson ‘24, Derek Allen ‘24, Cooper Sullivan ‘23, and Donovan Snyder ‘24 that led us to victory at Kenyon.”
Every game is a lesson in and of itself, and the Little Giants continue to always improve with each game for the next, in a crescendo ending with the Monon Bell Classic and the playoffs. “We can improve everywhere on this football team,” Morel said. “We played much better in special teams versus Kenyon. To beat Wittenberg, you’ve got to be great in all three phases of the game: kicking, defense, and offense. So, obviously, we need to continue to improve on defense, we can’t have turnovers on offense, and we need to play solid on special teams.”
Wittenberg is a much tougher rival than Kenyon. Wabash’s record against them is a tapestry of wins and losses that almost balance each other out. Thankfully, home turf advantage usually does play into which team wins, and Wabash has no more away games for the regular season.
“After playing five of our eight games on the road, it’s gonna be great to be home for the last two,” Morel said.
However, every game is as much psychological as it is physical. With most of the student body anxiously awaiting the Monon Bell Classic against the DePauw University Tigers, there are plenty of distractions the team faces from their game against Wittenberg. However, the players have strategies in place to overcome them. “We just take it one game at a time,” Morel said. “So, we haven’t even started thinking about the Bell game. I mean, I can tell you from past experience that it’s a huge distraction. […] Our primary goal around here this week is to beat Wittenberg.”
Still, the Little Giant football team has many overarching goals for every season. “Our number one goal forever at Wabash College has been to win the Bell game,” Morel said. “That’s our number one goal, and we still have an opportunity to do that. Our number two goal is to win the conference. Now, we have two conference losses, so what’s going to happen for us to do that is out of our control, so we don’t worry about that. But we have a great chance to finish 8-2 and win the Bell game.”
Tomorrow, November 6, at 1 p.m., the Little Giants will face the Wittenberg Tigers at home, at Little Giant Stadium, for the last game before the Monon Bell Classic.