Victory Sports Network

Ottawa Braves Downs Rival Baker Wildcats, 24-14

Sun, Aug 29, 2010 - Viewed 362 times

OTTAWA, Kan. - OU receiver Clarence Anderson took the opening Baker University kickoff back for a touchdown and the Braves never looked back, taking the season opener 24-14 in the Victory Sports Network First Down Classic. It was OU's second straight win in the First Down Classic. The win is OU's 12 victory in a row at Peoples Bank Field and OU's first win over the Wildcats since 1978. Anderson earned Offensive Player of the Game for the Braves and Colton Miller earned Defensive Player of the Game for the Wildcats.

It was Shane Gimzo taking the kick off to the five and handing the ball off to Anderson. He did the rest of the work behind good blocking by the OU Special Teams, giving the Braves an early lead. The rest of the half was scoreless and with good play by the OU defense the Braves went into the half with a lead7-0. The OU defense heldthe Wildcats scoreless the rest of the half, holding BU to 71 yards of total offense with 31 of it being rushing yards by quarterbackJacob Morse.

The start of the second was much like the first with the defense holding Baker to a three and out. One play later quarterback Jacob Johnson found Clarence Anderson for a 50 yard pass to the one yard line. Johnson finished the drive two plays later with a one yard touchdown run and after the Casey Wieder kick OU was up 14-0.

Ottawa's Clarence Anderson
at practice last week.

Grand Island, Neb – When Baker University travels to Ottawa University this Saturday there is a strong likelihood that several records in the First Down Classic History Book could be broken. Each year the First Down Classic has taken place there has been several individual marks that have been broken.

Last fall Ottawa University when Ottawa University participated in the First Down Classic they ended the night laying claim to several individual records. All-American Quarterback Ethan Haller set the games all-time passing mark as he went 25-38 passing, throwing no interceptions and four touchdowns while finishing the night with a record breaking 437 yards passing. The passing yards, completions, attempts and touchdowns all tied or broke records.

All Times Central

The Rivalry Gets Renewed on August 28^th between Baker and Ottawa.

Grand Island, Neb. – Advance tickets of the Victory Sports Network First Down Classic are now on sale through TicketLeap.com. To order tickets, visit the http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/ home page and click the "Order Tickets" link at the top of the page.

Reserved "Black Seat" tickets are $10 in advance while general admission is $8. Student tickets will be $5.

Grand Island, Neb. – McKendree University and Ottawa University will meet on August 29th to kickoff their football seasons in the College Fanz Sports Network "First Down Classic" in Platte City, Mo. The game will mark the first-ever meeting between the Bearcats and the Braves as well as the completion of the first ever double header in the "First Down Classic."

"We are very excited for this game to come," said Jason Dannelly, Director of NAIA Relations for the College Fanz Sports Network. "Not only is it a historic game but it will be an extremely entertaining game between two very well coached programs."

The McKendree Bearcats won their final three games of 2008 and finished 6-4. Head coach Carl Poelker enters his 28th season as a college head coach and 14th season with the Bearcats. During his tenure at McKendree, Poelker has led the Bearcats to a 94-41 overall record and seven NAIA playoff appearances in a span of 12 years. McKendree made five consecutive trips to the NAIA post-season from 2001-05. Under Poelker's leadership, McKendree has amassed 71 victories over the last nine years.

The Tigers return to defend their title.

Grand Island, Nebraska – February 16, 2009 – The defending champion of the "First Down Classic" will return this year to Platte City, Missouri for the third annual "First Down Classic," presented by College Fanz Sports Network on Saturday, August 29, 2009.

The Doane College Tigers will be back to face the Avila University Eagles in this kickoff to the NAIA football season. Game time is tentatively set for 1 p.m. Central Time at Platte County R3 High School's Pirate Stadium.

Doane is coached by Matt Franzen, a Tigers alumnus who will enter his third season as head coach of the Tigers. Avila head coach Bruce Young will be starting his fifth season leading the Eagles. He is no stranger to pre-season, featured games as he has coached in the NAIA's Wheat Bowl several times while at Avila and Baker University.

Jaremy Puthoff of Doane

Tiger kicker finishes 3-for-3 on field goals to earn player-of-the-game honors
PLATTE CITY, Mo. – Dustin Groteluschen's 47-yard field goal gave Doane College a three-point lead as time expired, sending the Tigers past William Jewell College 15-12 in the Second-Annual Victory Sports Network First Down Classic at Platte County High School in Platte City, Mo.

Jewell (0-1) had tied the game just minutes earlier, as Jerail Johnson went 77 yards on a catch-and-run from Drew Whitman, but Doane blocked the point-after attempt after a penalty pushed the Cardinal kicker back past the 10-yard-line to keep the game tied, 12-12, with less than two minutes to play.

Whitman threw for 289 yards and a touchdown for the Cardinals, while Jaremy Puthoff ran for 81 yards for Doane, but it was Groteluschen – the game's offensive player-of-the-game – who was the Tiger hero, hitting 3-for-3 on field goals of 25-, 34- and 47-yards.