Mid States
[Football] Bees grind out 17-7 win over Tigers
St. Ambrose relied on its running attack and another strong defensive effort to defeat Olivet Nazarene 17-7 Saturday night in Bourbonnais, Ill.The Bees (2-3, 2-0 MSFA) rushed for 253 yards and forced five turnovers in remaining perfect in MSFA Midwest League play.Five different Bees each finished with at least seven rushing attempts and four of them chewed up at least 44 yards. And it was backup quarterback Declan McDonald virtually sealing the win with his one-yard touchdown run that gave SAU a 17-7 lead with just over nine minutes remaining.That touchdown capped a 10-play, 53-yard drive that chewed up nearly six minutes. St. Ambrose did not attempt a pass on the drive.SAU quarterbacks attempted just 11 passes in the contest. John Benckendorf was 3-of-6 passing 29 yards and McDonald finished up, completing 2-of-5 passes for 34 yards.The Bees leaned on their backs. Isaiah Hawkins led the way with 69 yards on 12 carries. Jake Osterberger had 51 yards on 11 attempts. Brandon Baalman finished with 48 yards on the ground and Benckendorf had 44. Garret Tiarks (25 yards) and Vince Vignali (16) also added to the rushing total.It was the first of five turnovers that gave St. Ambrose the lead.Facing a 4th-and-6 play from their own 28-yard line midway through the first quarter, the Tigers (2-4, 1-1 MSFA) fumbled on a punt attempt and SAU's Blake Wittman recovered the ball in the end zone. Olivet Nazarene added a touchdown in the second quarter and the game remained tied at 7-7 into the third. That's when Tom Gillen converted a 32-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead.Then the defense took over. Brody Mason intercepted a pass on the first play of the fourth quarter to stop a Tiger drive in Bee territory. That led to McDonald's touchdown run. St. Ambrose forced a 3-and-out before another 10 straight rushing plays ran six more minutes off the clock, giving the Tigers the ball back at their own 13-yard line with 1:20 to play. The Bees did not attempt a pass in the final period.SAU didn't stop there, as ONU lost three yards over its final seven plays to end the game.Jeremiah Jackson Sr. led the defense with 11 total tackles and a forced fumble. Dillon Valdez also forced a fumble and recorded a sack among his five tackles. Ethan Miebach, who recovered the fumble forced by Valdez, and Jaxson Nelson were each also in on five tackles. Bernard Buhake was also credited with a fumble recovery.SAU limited Olivet to just 75 yards rushing and 277 yards of total offense.The Bees return home for just the second time all season to host Trinity International under the lights at Brady Street Stadium next Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. It will be the first of three straight home games over four weeks for St. Ambrose.