(Ann Arbor, MI) – Concordia football played their final home game of the season when they hosted the Wildcats of Indiana Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon. Prior to the game, the Cardinals honored their senior team members along with some of the nation's veterans. CUAA used a strong 1st half performance to overpower the Wildcats, making a statement with a 55-7 win.
Joe Conner (JR/Flat Rock, MI) rushed for 90 yards and 3 touchdowns in the game. Omar Sinclair (FR/Norcross, GA) chipped in 71 rushing yards along with 157 kickoff return yards on two big returns. Roger Engle (JR/Lorain, Ohio) passed for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns in the match. Donte Dasalle led Concordia receivers with 69 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, Jay Koski (SR/Portage, MI) led the team with 11 tackles and an interception. Timothy Koehler (SR/Belvidere, IL) recorded 4 tackles and an interception returned for a touchdown. Andrew O'Hara (SR/Cleveland, OH), Alex Hinojosa (SO/Allen Park, MI) and Amaan Payne (JR/Holt, MI) each recorded an interception apiece as well.
The Cardinals received the ball to begin the game and Omar Sinclair cranked off a 70-yard kickoff return. The offense needed just 4 plays to score as Joe Conner ran for a 38-yard touchdown to give the Cardinals an early lead. On the Wildcats' next series, Timothy Koehler intercepted a deflected pass and was able to return the pick for a 37-yard touchdown.
Several possessions later, Andrew O'Hara jumped a route and made an interception to put the Concordia offense in the redzone. The Cardinals kept the ball on the ground with 5 rushing plays in the drive, and Joe Conner punched in a 2-yard touchdown to make the score 21-0.
After the defense forced a punt, the Cardinals began the 2nd quarter in Indiana Wesleyan territory. Roger Engle fired a pass to the left corner of the endzone and Clay Coltson (JR/Hastings, MI) hauled in a 25-yard touchdown. Alex Hinojosa intercepted a deflected ball, and the Concordia offense converted again as Roger Engle looked over the middle to Donte Dasalle for a 31-yard score.
The Cardinal offense converted one more time before halftime. Roger Engle led an 8-play, 65-yard drive that ended with Omar Sinclair rushing for a 9-yard touchdown. Indiana Wesleyan made a late drive into Concordia territory, but Jay Koski made an interception in the endzone to maintain the shutout. CUAA held a 42-0 lead at halftime.
Both teams traded defensive stops to begin the 3rd quarter. The Cardinal defense continued to force turnovers as Amaan Payne jumped a route and made the team's 5th interception of the day. With the offense starting at the 30-yard line, the team needed just 5 plays to convert. Joe Conner punched in a 5-yard touchdown for his 3rd score of the day.
Ross O'Brien (SR/Perrysburg, OH) tacked on a 33-yard field goal in the 4th quarter to extend the Concordia lead to 52-0. The Wildcats did manage to break the shutout with a touchdown, but Omar Sinclair responded with an 87-yard kickoff return. O'Brien added a 30-yard field goal on the ensuing possession, and that would be the final score of the game. Concordia brought home a 55-7 win as time expired.
The Cardinals now improve to 8-2 overall with the win. The team will finish the regular season with a pivotal road contest next Saturday, September 10 against rival Siena Heights. Kickoff is set for 1pm.
