Box Scores
Ripon College and its prolific run game kept its perfect record in tact with a 56-14 Midwest Conference victory against the Prairie Fire Saturday afternoon at the Knosher Bowl.
The Red Hawks (5-0, 4-0 MWC) ran the football 81 times for 572 yards and scored touchdowns with seven different players. Ripon did not have a pass completion in the game, going 0-for-8 with two interceptions.
Quarterback Jake Marshall scored the first touchdown of the game for Ripon from one yard as the first quarter expired. Jacob Gahart connected on the first of his eight extra point attempts, giving the Red Hawks at 7-0 lead.
Ripon had a big second quarter, scoring three touchdowns at 12:30, 5:40 and :25 for a 28-0 cushion at halftime. The Red Hawks had 36 first downs in the game to the Prairie Fire's 12.
Knox (0-5, 0-4) had 103 yards rushing and 254 total yards of offense. First-year quarterback Drew Diaz (Niles, Illinois) got the start for the Fire. He led the run game with 55 yards on eight carries and a touchdown. Diaz scored on a 25-yard scamper as time expired at the end of the third quarter. Through the air Diaz completed 5-of-16 passes for 89 yards but threw three interceptions.
Sophomore Mike Pinter (Naples, Florida) replaced Diaz at quarterback and completed 4-of-9 passes for 62 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown toss to first-year wide receiver Zach Belk (Peoria, Illinois). Pinter also had one pass picked off.
Junior wide receiver Clarke Cuthbert (Oak Park, IL) led the Prairie Fire with three catches for 58 yards. The biggest play of the game for Knox was a 46-yard reception by sophomore wide out Dustin Armstrong (Cincinnati, Ohio).
Ripon did its damage on the ground. Slot back Josh Pasek paced the visitors with 10 carriers for 146 yards and one touchdown. Fullback T.J. Pierce carried the football 18 times and finished with 94 yards and a score. Starting right slot back Brad Johnson added 10 carries for 81 yards while quarterback Jake Marshall ran the ball 15 times for 68 yards and a touchdown. Matt Schmalzer (8 carries, 66 yards), Eric Langman (3 carries, 48 yards), Tom Sawyer (3 carriers, 29 yards) and Michael Crusan (4 carries, 26 yards) each had touchdown runs in the game.
Defensively for Knox, junior safety Kyle Brubaker (Glenview, Illinois) and junior linebacker Dan Page (Bradley, Illinois) each had an interception.
Brubaker also had a team-high 10 tackles, eight of them solo. Sophomore linebacker Will Grumke (Kirkwood, Missouri) recorded nine tackles while junior linebacker Tony Sickley (LaSalle, Illinois) and first-year defensive lineman Steve Bora (Northfield, Illinois) had eight apiece.
The Prairie Fire plays back-to-back home games for the first time this season when Grinnell visits the Knosher Bowl October 9. The Pioneers are off to their best start since the 1999 season with a 4-1 record, including a 3-1 mark in league play after beating Beloit 24-21 in week five at home.
The kickoff for the Fire's game against Grinnell is at 1:00 p.m.
