By: Drake Facione
Following last week’s tough loss against ODU, the Findlay Oilers came into this week’s game against Lake Erie College with a chip on their shoulder. They arrived up north in Painesville, Ohio and took care of business very quickly, with the game ending in a 70-7 onslaught.
The game opened up early for the Oilers as they scored twice within the first five minutes of the opening quarter. Findlay’s first offensive possession started off right as they were able to drive 47 yards down the field in nine plays. The drive concluded with a touchdown rushed in by Richard Wilson. The very next drive the Oilers scored another touchdown, this one coming from a 25 yard pick six from junior Romaeo Whitlow. The rest of the opening quarter was rather quiet for both sides.
Findlay continued to pour on points in the second quarter. Their run started with a 10-yard score by Richard Wilson, followed by reception by Drew Ogletree for a touchdown thrown by Adam Bertke. Another two touchdowns by the end of the half, and the Oilers went into the break with a comfortable 42-0 lead.
The second half continued to be an all-around dominant performance from the Oilers, as Lake Erie had no idea how to stop them on either side of the ball. The third quarter opened with a passing touchdown as Adam Bertke connected with Luke Stuffel for a 26-yard score, bringing the score to 49-0.
Lake Erie finally got on the board late in the third, when Josh Hufstetler caught a 16-yard pass from Javarian Smith. The final quarter was a continuation of the first three, as Findlay piled on three more touchdowns to bring the score to 70-7.
Findlay dominated the entire stat line, as both sides of the ball were able to shut down Lake Erie. The Oilers had 451 total yards compared to Lake Erie’s 201. Findlay was able to run the ball all day, with 301 yards on the ground Saturday. The offensive line was able to power through Lake Erie’s defensive front, and the results show that. The Findlay defense was lockdown, and set the offense up in great positioning nearly all game.
Quarterback Adam Bertke got his first start of the season, and went 11-20 with two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. The backfield was consistent all game and cycling through running backs proved to be successful. Brian Benson and Richard Wilson each had two rushing touchdowns. Demondre Blanks also had a rushing score for the Oilers. On the defensive side, the Oilers had two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown by Whitlow, and another by Justice Jenkins. Kyle Gibson led the defense with two sacks and eight total tackles.
Findlay’s 70-point outburst tied their conference record set last year against Alderson Broaddus. The Oilers also currently have the most points scored in a Division II game this season. The Oilers moved to 3-2 while Lake Erie dropped to 0-5 on the season. The Oilers are back at home this Saturday for the Homecoming Game, it starts at 3 p.m. at Donnell Stadium.