Despite playing without three offensive starters in seniors Reggie Harris and Jordan Robertson and junior Dillon Baxter, the No. 19 Baker football team had its second highest point total of the season in its 42-13 win over Avila University.
“It was the exact opposite of last week (against MidAmerica Nazarene University),” head coach Mike Grossner said. “You could see that we had an urgency to play well in front of the home crowd and I think we were embarrassed last week. We needed this win.”
Facing a 3-0 deficit with 4:42 in the opening quarter, the Wildcats found success in the first half through the running game to seize control.
Senior Kyle Bolton put BU in front 7-3 after receiving a pitch from senior quarterback Jake Morse and carrying it 16 yards for the Wildcats’ first touchdown.
The Eagles responded with another field goal from Tim Gilday to cut Baker’s lead to 7-6, but it was all Wildcats for the remainder of the half.
Freshman Jermaine Broomfield broke free for a 65-yard touchdown run with 11:46 to go in the first half to extend the Wildcats’ advantage to 14-6.
“Me and (sophomore Alen Troyer) had a talk before the game,” Broomfield said. “We told each other that we had to have a big game and we went and talked to our (offensive) linemen, and we felt like they were going to get the job done for us, so we just did our part. We give most of the credit to our (offensive) linemen.”
The Wildcats got the ball back after the Eagles turned the it over on downs at midfield and BU took advantage. The ‘Cats drive was capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by senior Jesse Schultz to push Baker’s lead to 21-6.
With 1:17 remaining in the opening half, Troyer recorded the first touchdown run of his collegiate career when he found the end zone from 27 yards out.
Troyer’s touchdown put the Wildcats up 28-6 at halftime and it would remain that way until BU scored through the air early in the fourth quarter. Senior Jake Green caught his third touchdown pass in the past two weeks on a 3-yard reception from Morse.
“(Morse was) really efficient,” Grossner said. “He was really in control with his protections and really in control of the offense. He didn’t try to do much and did what we asked in the game plan and delivered the football.”
Baker went back to the running game for the rest of the fourth quarter. Broomfield finished his day with an 11-yard touchdown run to give the ‘Cats a lead of 42-6.
While the offense was without three starters, the defense was also missing one of its playmakers in senior Adam Steele. Senior Scott Schrag filled in for Steele and led the team with 13 tackles. Schrag credited the depth of the Wildcats’ linebackers corps, which has made him work hard in practice, for his performance.
“Any time you have strong competition, you always have a better linebacking corps as a whole and I think all of us together, I mean it’s friendly competition, but we all want to be No. 1,” Schrag said. “Everybody is always striving every day to get to the top.”
The Eagles were able to put a scoring drive together late in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late, as the Wildcats secured the 42-13 victory.
Baker will have two bye weeks before hitting the road to play Culver-Stockton College Oct. 27 in Canton, Mo.
