Mount Union rolls in playoff opener

Christopher Newport out of Virginia came to Mount Union Stadium hoping for a miracle.

What it got was an introduction to Division III playoff football, Purple Raiders? style.

No. 2-seeded Mount Union improved to 11-0 as quarterback Kevin Burke threw for 264 yards and three scores in just a half, and the defense did its job in a business-like 72-14 first-round thrashing of the Captains.

?What you see is what you get,? Christopher Newport head coach Matt Kelchner said after getting outgained 641-102. ?They are very efficient, well coached.?

The Purple Raiders? 72 points broke their postseason high of 70 set against Widener in 2000 and was their high-water mark this season.

?We played very well,? Mount Union head coach Larry Kehres said. ?We started fast, had some big plays in the first quarter, jumped out to the lead, and we continued on.?

Mount Union moves on to play Johns Hopkins, a 42-10 winner over Washington & Jefferson, in next week?s second-round game. A site will be named today, but it is expected to be at Mount Union Stadium.

The No. 1-ranked Purple Raiders wasted no time in letting Christopher Newport, a 12-year-old program in the making, know it was going home with a 6-5 record.

Burke connected on touchdown passes of 11 and 26 yards to Jasper Collins and a? 55-yard strike to Julius Moore. Mount Union wideout Chris Denton, made his presence felt five minutes into the game with an 80-yard punt return touchdown. Denton?s fifth punt return score tied the Division III record for a season.

?Coach tells me which way to run it, so as soon as I catch it I know which way I?m going,? said Denton, who fielded the ball on the left has and rolled all the way to the right sideline. ?I give it all to the unit. They?re blocking their butts off.?

?It was the second score,? Kehres said. ?When it comes that early, it?s hard to drive 80 yards. That was 80 yards and a score in a matter of seconds ... it makes it devastating (against you) and exhilarating to have your team score.?

Senior running back T.J. Lattimore ran for 94 yards and two touchdowns and had a big impact early. The 5-foot-9, 185-pounder scored on his second carry from 10 yards out and, two carries later, added a 16-yarder that shot the Purple Raiders ahead 28-7 with 45 seconds left in the first quarter.

By intermission it was 49-7. Burke?s top receivers, Collins and Moore, had 145 and 100 yards receiving, respectively, as they outran and side-stepped Captains defenders.

The Captains? highlight came on a nice eight-play, 76-yard drive in the first quarter when they trailed 21-0. Quarterback Marcus Morrast converted two third downs and completed four straight passes, capped by a bullet that running back Zack Stevens caught and fell into the end zone for a 17-yard score.

Christopher Newport then onside kicked and recovered, only to be offside.

?I said yeah, we?re going to do it,? Kelchner said of a comeback. ?But it went downhill from there.?

Source: http://www.cantonrep.com/sports/x1107412203/Mount-Union-rolls-in-playoff-opener

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