Wabash took care of business early in a 59-6 rout of Oberlin College in the Little Giants’ Saturday Homecoming. The home team scored on seven consecutive possessions to take a 45 – 0 lead into the half which included scoring 31 point in the first quarter.
Wabash Coach Don Morel admitted the Yeoman team is down, however he was glad to see his squad dominate the entire game.
“You have to be honest and say Oberlin is down and not where they want to be,” Morel said. “We did a really good job of taking care of business and doing some good work.”
Behind Little Giant quarterback Liam Thompson, Wabash (2-1, 1-0 NCAC) was able to move the ball with ease on the ground and through the air. Thompson threw for 141 yards including two scoring passes and he ran for 58 yards and garnered two more touchdowns. Thompson did all his work in just one-and-a-half quarters before being lifted from the game.
Morel said he realized Thompson, because of his exit from the game, did not have the opportunity to put up more statistics. But, Morel said it was all good with his pre-season All-American quarterback.
“Liam does not care about individual stats,” Morel explained. “He is more concerned with winning the game.”
One freshman was excited to play, but he was not a substitute, he actually was on the field the first offensive play of the game. 2023 Southmont graduate Carson Chadd said he found out he would be playing in today’s game after last Sunday’s junior varsity game.
Chadd did not get into the game last Saturday when Wabash traveled to Butler. However, after Sunday’s junior varsity game the coaches said he was going to get his chance to play minutes on Saturday.
Chadd was listed as a starter in their double tight-end formation. He was not a passing target in the game, he made his presence known by helping the Little Giants rack up 490 total yards, including 293 on the ground.
Chadd said he enjoyed the experience of his first collegiate game. Playing in front of the large Homecoming crowd and being able to play quality minutes early in the game was an experience he won’t soon forget. To make the moment even more special, the Little Giants opened the game in the two-tight end formation so Chadd found himself on the field on Wabash’s opening drive.
“Guys said this was going to be special and it was,” Chadd said. “I was pumped to get to play right at the start of the game.”
Morel said the opportunity to play young players is good for the future. The coach said getting players who have been working hard into a game like Saturday’s helps in many ways.
“We got a lot of players into the game that we expect will play later in the season,” Morel said. “To get those guys game experience right now is huge for us.”
2023 North Montgomery graduate Dylan Braun also saw several minutes of playing time at defensive tackle. He was credited with two tackles. The Little Giant defense held the Yeoman to nine yards rushing in the game and only 69 yards total.
Wabash will travel to NCAC foe Ohio Wesleyan next Saturday. Morel expects the game to be a lot different than Oberlin.
“Ohio Wesleyan always is tough at home,” Morel said. “We have to be ready for a physical game.”
