PAINESVILLE, OHIO - The Lake Erie College
football team looks for its fifth straight win to close out its
second season of football on Saturday, Nov. 7, at NCAA Division III
power Wesley College. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Scott D.
Miller Stadium in Dover, Del.
The Storm (7-3) ran its school-record winning streak to four
with a 24-7 win in its home finale last week against Western
Kentucky. The Lake Erie defense has held each opponent to
single digits in points during the winning streak.
Wesley (8-0) is ranked third nationally in both major polls
(AFCA, d3football.com) after a 30-12 vicotory over Salisbury to
wrap up the Wolverines fifth straight AFCA league title. The
Wolverines have not lost a home game since the 2007 playoffs (seven
straight).
THE SERIES: Wesley leads the series 1-0 after a
47-26 victory last season in Painesville.
THE BROADCAST: The game will be carried live on
flagship station ESPN 970 (WFUN) and streamed online at www.espn970wfun.com with local
sports broadcasting veteran Craig Deas (play-by-play) calling the
action.
THE COACHES: Mark McNellie (Baldwin-Wallace
'88) is in his third season at Lake Erie, guiding the program since
its inception as a club sport in 2007. He has a varsity
record of 10-11 and is 17-13 overall (including club season). Prior
to being named head coach at Lake Erie on Aug. 9, 2006, McNellie
was an assistant coach at Mercyhurst College for 17 years.
Mike Drass (Mansfield '83) is in his 17th season at Wesley,
compiling a career record of 138-43-1. He also serves as the
Director of Athletics at the
school.
LAST TIME OUT FOR LAKE ERIE: Despite a
season-low offensive performance, the Storm defense once again rose
to the occasion with another stellar performance, holding Kentucky
Wesleyan to just 267 yards in a 24-7 win. The Storm totaled
just 323 yards on offense- a season low- but did get an impressive
253 on the ground. Sophomore QB Sean Bedevelsky (Brunswick,
Ohio/Brunswick), had a season-worst passing performance, but just
missed his third straight 100-yard game rushing, finishing with a
game-high 99 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns.
Sophomores Kevin Chapman (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) and Gus
Armbruster (North Royalton, Ohio/North Royalton) led the defense
with 11 tackles apiece, including one each for a loss.
Sophomore RB Kameron Alexander (Akron, Ohio/Buchtel) scored the
Storm's other touchdown on a three-yard run and freshman K Sam
Marcotte (Chardon, Ohio/Chardon) added a field
goal.
LAST TIME OUT FOR WESLEY: The Wolverines won
for the 16th straight time in regular season play with a 30-12
victory over Salisbury on Saturday that also clinched a fifth
straight AFCA title. Shane McSweeny threw three touchdown
passes, including two to Sean McAndrew, and Aaron Jackson rushed
for 127 yards and a score for Wesley. The Wolerines outgained
the Sea Gulls 367-197.
QUICK SLANTS: A win by Lake Erie would be its
fifth straight and eighth overall... The Storm guaranteed no worse
than a 7-4 season with a win last week and has clinched the first
winning season in school history... the current four-game winning
streak is also the longest by the Storm... Lake Erie scored the
final 26 points in last year's loss to Wesley... this is just the
third game in the month of November in Lake Erie history. The
Storm went 1-1 in its two November dates last season.
