Mercer has hand in Mercer Cup win

Print Story

Email to Friend

Discuss this story

Thiel failed to capitalize on opportunities in losing to Grove City College, 14-13.

By BILL ALBRIGHT

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

GREENVILLE — For the first time since 2003, the Mercer County Cup is back in Grove City.

Grove City returned the cup to its trophy case when the Wolverines upended the Thiel Tomcats 14-13 Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium.

"Would I have liked to have won in a much easier fashion? The answer is yes," said GCC coach Chris Smith. "But we'll take it any way we can get it."

Thiel coach Jack Leipheimer felt it was going to be a tough ball game, and he was right on target.

"With the exception that we thought we would come out on top, it was everything we thought it would be," he said. "If we would have capitalized on a couple of the opportunities we had, it might have been different."

Both GCC touchdowns were the direct result of the Wolverines taking advantage of a turnover.

When the Tomcats muffed a punt after holding Grove City short of the sticks on their first possession of the game, A.J. Tapper pounced on the loose ball at the Thiel 9-yard line. Two plays later, Brian Mercer scored his first of two touchdowns.

After Thiel (2-5, 1-3) tied the game with a 2-yard touchdown run by Steve Minton, the GCC defensive unit came up big as linebacker Bill Waugh put a bone-crunching hit on Minton and Butch Kriger pounced on the loose ball at the Thiel 26. Six plays later, Mercer went in from four yards out for his second score of the game.

Following the hit by Waugh, Minton was taken from the field by emergency officials for precautionary reasons.

"We were on a play where I was free and I was just going with the motion," explained Waugh. "I was right in the hole and I stepped up and made the play. You never want that [an injury] to happen to anybody, but I guess it is part of the game."

As for winning the Cup, Waugh and the rest of the seniors waited four years to return it to Grove City.

"I told the guys before the game that this game meant a lot to me so we have to have faith in each other because I have waited four years for it to happen," said Waugh. "It was a total team effort and we were able to get it done. I was so happy that I was crying on the sidelines because getting the cup back meant a lot to me."

Although the Grove City (3-4, 3-2) offense struggled for much of the afternoon, the Wolverine defense didn't.

The GCC defensive unit held the Tomcats to four three-and-outs in the second period before recording three four-and-outs in the second half.

"I am extremely pleased with the way the defense played today," said GCC defensive coordinator Rob Skaricich. "We have been through some tough situations all year and they just kept coming back, working their tails off to get better. They earned it today and that is because they worked hard all week getting ready for the game."

Sunday, October 14, 2007