Football: Lords pull off shocker at No. 24 Wooster
Kenyon junior tailback Alby Coombs rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score, as the Lords defeated Wooster for the first time since 1994. Coombs now has 651 rushing yards this season, and his two touchdowns tied him with Anthony Togliatti '00 for the all-time Kenyon record of 26 career rushing touchdowns.
The Lords took their opening drive 62 yards against the Wooster defense and capped it off with a 28-yard field goal from sophomore John Currier. The Fighting Scots charged right back, however, and wrapped up the first quarter of play with Andrew O'Connell's 76-yard punt return for a touchdown and a five-yard touchdown run from quarterback Bobby Reiff.
Trailing by 11 points as they headed toward halftime, Kenyon got two big plays from Hugh Guill and Coombs. With the Scots' offense driving, Guill intercepted a Reiff pass at the Kenyon 9-yard line and ran the ball back out to the 25. The Kenyon offense took over at that spot and needed just three plays to score. Coombs was given the ball on that third play and he dismantled the Wooster defense with a 70-yard touchdown run. Currier sent the extra point through and the Lords pulled within 14-10.
The Scots (4-1 overall, 1-1 NCAC) increased their lead in the third quarter with a touchdown run, but from that point on Kenyon took control of the game. With 14:03 left in the final quarter, KC quarterback Rafael Sanchez hooked up with Phelipe Johnson on a three-yard touchdown pass.
The next two Wooster possessions resulted in turnovers. Kenyon sophomore Nick Fanning picked off another Reiff pass and then Mike Chase recovered a Scots fumble. Although the Lords failed to move the ball after Fanning's interception, they did capitalize on Chase's fumble recovery.
Taking over at the Wooster 46-yard line with 9:42 on the clock, the Lords again looked to Sanchez, Johnson, and Coombs. That trio directed a seven-play drive that ended when Coombs crossed the goal line with the game-winning touchdown run from three yards out. The highlight of the drive, however, was a 25-yard strike from Sanchez to Johnson.
On an individual basis, Sanchez completed 12 of 25 passes for 149 yards. Johnson finished with four catches for 58 yards and freshman Javier Arbolaez added 40 rushing yards and 40 receiving yards.