The Hiram Terriers’ football team wanted to see how they measured up to some of the teams outside of the North Coast Athletic Conference. The Terriers received a clearer picture of where they stood when they were defeated 38-14 by Heidelberg University last Thursday evening at Hornemann Stadium in Tiffin.
“It was a rough quarter and a half,” said Coach Jack Mrozinski, Jr. “We spotted them 38 points so they got out fast and then we woke up and we played tough for two-and-a-half quarters, but it was too little too late. We made too many mistakes early and we started to figure things out and who we were, but it was an insurmountable lead for us.”
It did not take long for the Student Princes to take control as they were fueled by a 17-0 run in the first quarter. Heidelberg capitalized from good field position on its first two drives to go ahead 10-0 when freshman kicker Ethan Ramsdail drilled a 21-yard field goal and sophomore running back Mark Wilder scored on a one-yard touchdown run.
The 5-foot-8 Wilder added another touchdown later in the first quarter, this time on a 45-yard run to push Heidelberg’s lead to 17-0.
“We made some critical mistakes early in the first quarter that we had not done in camp so we have to get that rectified and fixed and we will,” noted the fifth-year coach. “The motto of the week is that we have to start fast and have to come out of the gate ready to go and we have to be able to attack early and often.”
Heidelberg scored three more touchdowns in the second quarter, including a 37-yard interception touchdown return by senior defensive back Ty Fikes to increase their cushion to 38-0.
Heidelberg’s rushing attack overwhelmed the Terriers’ defense, recording 175 yards and averaged 4.3 yards per rushing attempt.
After the Student Princes scored their fifth touchdown of the game, Hiram made a change at quarterback by inserting freshman Miles Miller in for sophomore Gabe Lawson. Once the 5-foot-10 freshman took the reins, the Terriers’ offense finally came alive.
Miller engineered a 10-play, 58-yard drive that was capped off by freshman R.J. Johnson scoring on a two-yard touchdown run and then freshman Carter Addison scooped up a fumble recovery in the end zone, cutting Heidelberg’s lead to 38-14.
“There was a play where we had a bunch of pressure in the pocket and he was able to step up into the pocket and was able to throw a vertical route right in the middle of the field and we were able to get a big chunk yardage play out of that. Then after that we went to a quarterback run to add a little more in the blocking scheme and it shows toughness in there, facing an older defense that was more experienced and tough,” said Mrozinski.
By completing seven passes out of 19 attempts for 70 yards and rushing for 47 yards on 16 carries, Miller provided the spark that Hiram was looking for.
By igniting the offense after coming into the game at the halfway point, Mrozinski said that the team is now planning for Miller to be the starting quarterback for the foreseeable future.
Despite Hiram’s resurgence at the end of the second quarter, they could not cut into Heidelberg’s lead anymore and the game remained 38-14 until the final buzzer sounded.
Despite dominating the time of possession with a 33:06 to 26:54, Terriers’ offense could not gain any traction in the second half. Mrozinski acknowledged that Hiram’s inexperience on offense showed against a veteran Heidelberg defense.
Hiram’s offensive problems were further compounded by committing eight penalties for 63 yards.
“Obviously having the time of possession is huge and something that we want as an offense but it shows our youth a little bit,” he said. “We have to be able to get into the end zone and finish drives hut being able to hold the ball for as long as we did was great.”
Although Hiram’s momentum stalled, Mrozinski said it was impressive that Hiram’s defense prevented the Student Princes from widening the gap any further, especially since they played their first stringers the entire game.
“In previous years we might have let them get away from us, so it is a testament to the DNA of the team this year and we have to build on that momentum going forward,” he added.
Hiram’s next opportunity to bounce back will come when it hosts Mount St. Joseph University at Malsimur Stadium’s Charles A. Henry Field on Friday evening beginning at 7 p.m.
