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The Capital University football team made several big plays on special teams while four different wide receivers caught touchdown passes Saturday in a 40-21 victory at Wilmington in an Ohio Athletic Conference showdown and the final game of the 2012 season in
Wilmington, Ohio.
The Crusaders (2-8 overall, 2-7 OAC) blocked a punt for a touchdown following the Quakers' first drive, blocked a late PAT attempt and returned it to the end zone for two points and averaged over 24 yards per punt return to set up scoring drives.
Capital's strong kicking duo of sophomore punter Joseph Riley (Twinsburg, Ohio) and kicker Travis Bosanac (Strongsville, Ohio) helped the Crusaders win the field position battle, combining to pin Wilmington (1-9, 1-8) at or inside its own 25-yard line eight times.
Wide receivers Benjamin Woycke (Mason, Ohio), Alex Coleman (Columbus, Ohio), Jacob Batcho (Massillon, Ohio) and Mike Epstein (Toledo, Ohio) each caught a touchdown pass in the contest. Freshman quarterback Ryan McSweeney (Seven Hills, Ohio; at right) tossed three of them, while Coleman delivered a 28-yard strike in the first quarter to Woycke on a trick play, starting a run of 31 unanswered points by the Crusaders.
Coleman finished with five receptions for 45 yards and a total of 143 all-purpose yards. Freshman running back Bo Hardy (Galloway, Ohio) led the rushing attack with 15 carries for 78 yards.
Senior linebacker Tyler Dugan (Columbus, Ohio) paced the defense with 11 tackles, including three for a loss. Sophomore linebacker Matt Tash (Painesville, Ohio; lower left) recorded eight tackles, a fumble forced and a fumble recovery, while junior
defensive back Antoine Roberts (Lithonia, Ga.) posted four tackles and an interception.
Roberts started the scoring for Capital, recovering a blocked punt by Dugan in the end zone just under two minutes into the game.
Bosanac made it a 17-7 affair with a 45-yard field goal at the 3:06 mark of the second quarter. On the first play of the ensuing Quaker drive, Tash forced and recovered a fumble, setting up a 21-yard pass from McSweeney to Coleman with 2:44 on the clock. The Crusaders then forced a punt and drove 44 yards in five plays, capped by a 2-yard pass from McSweeney to Batcho in the final minute of the half to make it 31-7.
Capital added to its advantage on the opening drive of the second half when McSweeney found Epstein from 11 yards out to cap a five-play, 58-yard march with 12:35 to play in the period.
Freshman Brenden Dickerson (Elyria, Ohio) accounted for the final margin with just under four minutes to play in the fourth, returning Wilmington's attempted PAT 99 yards for two more points.
Despite the loss of 16 seniors due to graduation, the Crusaders are slated to return a strong core of underclassmen next fall. Sixteen starters are slated to resume play in 2013, including eight on offense, six on defense and both specialists.