Case Takes Baird Brothers Trophy for First Time Since '94

Jeff Geffert

The Baird Brothers Trophy will not reside in The College of Wooster athletic department for the first time since 1994, as northeast Ohio foe Case Western Reserve University knocked off the Fighting Scots 30-17 Saturday night in Cleveland, Ohio.

Wooster (0-3) had won 10 in a row in the teams’ regular match-up for one of the more unique trophies, a golden fishing stringer that holds carved bass fish, in college sports’ rivalry games. Also of note, the Scots had marched through the non-conference season at a perfect 3-0 for five years running, but this season, their record is now reversed.

Trey Simmerman (Clarksburg, W. Va. / Notre Dame) helped Wooster get off to a good start Saturday, making an interception on the third offensive play of the game, which gave the Scots’ offense a short field to work with. Wooster took advantage, as Austin Holter (Johnstown, Ohio / Johnstown-Monroe) connected with tight end Ben Schrock (Wadsworth, Ohio / Wadsworth) on an 8-yard touchdown pass on 3rd-and-goal to complete the 6-play, 14-yard drive.

Case (4-0) got on the board during its ensuing possession via a Sam Coffey 37-yard field goal.

The Scots then went three-and-out, however, they recovered a fumble on the punt to take possession in Spartan territory again. Starting at the 31-yard line this time, Wooster advanced the ball via one first down and Andy Milligan (Orrville, Ohio / Orrville) eventually booted through a 34-yard field goal for a 10-3 lead. It marked Mlligan’s first such attempt of the year.

The two teams would then exchange fumbles before Case tied it up with a long touchdown drive during the second quarter. The Spartans marched 76 yards over 15 plays, including a 4th-and-8 conversion, and it was capped by a 2-yard touchdown run from Corey Checkan.

Case added a 20-play, 86-yard possession at the end of that quarter, but only got a 19-yard field goal by Coffey out of it, and thus, a 13-10 lead at the break.

The two defenses dominated the third quarter, forcing five punts, until Spartan quarterback Dan Whalen hit Shaun Nicely on the longest play of the game, a 51-yard touchdown pass. That put Case ahead 20-10.

The Spartans went up by three scores early in the fourth quarter. The key play was a 42-yard reception from Whalen to Ryan Kolesar, which set up Case at the Scot 12-yard line, and four plays later, Checkan again ran one in from two yards out to make it 27-10.

Wooster did make things interesting, when two possessions later, Jeff Geffert (Mentor, Ohio / Mentor) returned a fumble 33 yards for a score. It marked the first career touchdown for the senior and preseason All-American defensive back.

The Spartans answered with another Coffey field goal, this one from 29 yards away, and the Scots never advanced inside the Case 40-yard line the rest of the way.

Individually, Holter completed nearly two-thirds of his passes, going 19-of-30 for 118 yards, with Will Miska (Hillsborough, N.J. / Hillsborough) being on the receiving end of five for 46 yards. Dustin Sheppard (Johnstown, Ohio / Johnstown-Monroe) rushed for 44 stripes on 12 attempts.

Whalen did it all for the Spartans, registering 369 yards of total offense. He was 21-of-40 passing for 286 yards and ran for 83 on 16 carries, in addition to punting twice. Whalen’s top target through the air was Tim Cowdrick with nine catches for 103 yards.

Next Saturday, Wooster will begin its North Coast Athletic Conference slate at Wittenberg University (2-1).