by Robert Youngs, Jr.
The Kalamazoo College football team used four Olivet turnovers to fuel a 31-16 victory on Senior Day at Angell Field. The victory moves the Hornets to 5-5 as they close out the 2012 campaign.
"To change things around here, we've got to overcome adversity," said Hornets' coach Jamie Zorbo. "We were faced with serious adversity this year with five losses in a row and we could have easily tanked it."
"It's a testament to these kids," he added. "I knew they had it in them. They answered the bell."
Things almost went south in a hurry for the Hornets, as they lost their first offensive snap of the game to a fumble. Undeterred, the Hornets' defense earned a turnover, as safety Jake Gallimore intercepted Comets quarterback Chance Nightingale on a 3rd-and-10 play at the Kalamazoo 17 yard line.
Eleven plays and 83 yards later, Kalamazoo found the end zone on a 12-yard run by senior Dimeko Price, who was playing his last game as a Hornet senior. After the Hornets forced an Olivet punt, Travis Braun booted a 24-yard field goal to cap a 12 play, 66-yard drive.
Olivet finally got on the board in the second quarter, but K busted things wide open in the third on touchdown runs by Price and quarterback Aaron McGuire of four and 15 yards, respectively. A late, third quarter five-yard touchdown pass from McGuire to Alex Dietrich put the game well out of reach, making the score 31-6.
"I told the guys at halftime, especially, to stop playing not to lose, and to start playing to win," Zorbo said. "We were kind of tight, and the tendency is to play down to the opponent's level."
"I felt like we were the better team," he added.
The Comets scored a safety and another touchdown run in the fourth, but the clock was too far on the side of Kalamazoo, and the Hornet defense stiffened against the changing Olivet personnel packages between Nightingale and senior quarterback Tony Phillips.
McGuire was 9-of-12 passing for one touchdown. He rushed 10 times for 52 yards and another score. Price led the ground attack, however, with 21 carries for 58 yards, two touchdowns, and a long of 12.
Receivers Jimmy Frye and Alex Dietrich each caught three passes on the day for 46 and 28 yards, respectively, with Dietrich adding a score. Colin Leffert also had three receptions in the win.
Connor Rzeznik led the Hornets with seven tackles. Fellow linebacker Dylan Zerki and Alex Minch both had six stops. Alan Mencer had five tackles with a sack and two tackles for loss.
Minch, Gallimore, Nick Sweda, Ryan Rohatynski, and Joshua Haney each had a pass break-up, and safety Ryan Gregory had two. Gallimore and Rohatynski each had interceptions in the victory.
Kalamazoo bids farewell to a senior class of 21 players that saw them improve on a 4-6 campaign in 2011 to finish 5-5 in 2012.
The commitment of the seniors, who receive no athletic scholarships at the Division III level, was not lost on Zorbo.
"It means everything," he said. "It takes a lot to be a college football player, period. It takes a lot more to be a football player at Kalamazoo College."
Going forward, Zorbo has his program aimed at impressive achievements.
"Our goal is to win a conference championship and we've still got work to do to achieve that goal," Zorbo said. "If you look at our losses, we're a couple plays away here and there from getting a couple more Ws."
"This is really good for our program, especially with the new facilities," he added. "It's an exciting time to be a football player here."