Fighting Muskies lose first game of the season

  After a hard fought battle between the Muskies and the Student Princes of Heidelberg, the Muskies dropped their first game of the season 17-7 Saturday at McGonagha Stadium.

  The loss drops the Muskies to 4-1 overall and 3-1 in the OAC. The win for the Student Princes puts them in a three-way tie for second place with the Muskies and John Carroll University, all behind the powerful Mount Union Purple Raiders.

  In a game that pitted a high scoring Heidelberg offense that averaged 37 points per game and a Muskie defense that allowed less than 10 points per game coming into Saturday, the contest was low scoring for the first half.

  The Student Princes struck first with a 20 yard field goal from Dan Kilger at the 12:34 mark of the first quarter. The Muskie offense had no answer for the strike and Heidelberg took control of the ball yet again.

  After back and forth drives from each offense, Heidelberg stretched their lead to 6-0 with another field goal from Kilger, this time from 39 yards with 1:13 left in the opening quarter.

  The Muskies first drive of the second quarter came at the 8-minute mark, and this time, they had an answer for the Student Princes' seemingly unstoppable offense.

  With 5:51 left before halftime, quarterback Dalton Smith took the ball himself and carried it 18 yards for the touchdown. A Caleb Carpenter kick gave the Muskies the 7-6 lead. Smith finished the game with 102 yards on 19 carries and one touchdown.

  Another deep Muskie drive was stalled after Dalton Smith's first interception of the day was picked off on a fourth down attempt by Tyler Levanduski at the 1 yard line.

  Though the ball was turned over, the Muskies seemed to have advantage as the Student Princes would have to go 99 yards for a touchdown in only 2:45 left in the half.

  After a 2-yard run by Germany Woods, a 15-yard personal foul penalty on the Muskies moved Heidelberg out of danger.

  Woods ran for 18 yards on two carries to the Heidelberg 36, and then the Student Princes went to the air.

  A 40-yard completion from Michael Mees to CJ Powell put Heidelberg at the Muskingum 12-yard line. On the next play, a sure interception from Ethan Wetzel was dropped, giving Heidelberg more life to score.

  After a Woods rush and an incomplete pass, Heidelberg looked to Kilger to get them another field goal. Just as the kick left Kilger's foot, Wetzel made up for the drop by blocking the field goal and giving the Muskies the 7-6 lead at halftime.

  The scoring for the Student Princes picked back up beginning at the 8:38 mark of the third quarter.

  After a punt by Danny Snively bounced into the end zone, Heidelberg took over at the 20-yard line. A Woods rush that resulted in a loss of a yard set the Student Princes back, but Mees connected with Jozey Hill for 16 yards and a Heidelberg first down.

  Woods then took the ball back in his hands and made Muskie defenders miss, gaining 12 yards on 3 carries and giving Heidelberg another first down.

  Later in the drive, Mees found Powell again, this time for 19 yards, putting the ball at the Muskingum 22 yard line.

 Three plays later, Mees hit Powell for 6 yards on a touchdown pass, giving the Student Princes a 12-7 advantage. The two-point try was good after a reception by James Sheehan, moving the lead to 14-7 with 2:35 remaining in the third. Mees ended the contest 14 of 30 for 194 yards and one touchdown.

  The game took an interesting turn at the 9:54 mark of the fourth quarter.

  After two first down rushes, the Muskies found themselves looking to tie the game with another series beginning at the Heidelberg 38.

  That ended after a Smith incompletion and two short rushes had the Muskies facing a fourth and eight. As Snively received the snap, he faked the punt and looked to pass for the first down.