Twenty players and parents marched across the field this past Saturday to honor the work and dedication the senior class put into the football program this season. This was the seniors’ last chance to step on their field and defend their team.
“It’s nice having our last regular season game at home, in front of our home crowd,” senior running back Brock Burzanko said. “Emotions were high, especially with it being Senior Day.”
On Otterbein’s second drive of the game, junior quarterback Ben Sizemore teamed up with junior Steve Carpenter on a 49-yard catch-and-run touchdown.
On the team’s second score, Burzanko took a pitch to the right and tossed a perfect pass to fellow senior Chris Irwin, who outran a defender and traveled 61 yards for the touchdown. After sophomore Nick Ganus scored a field goal, Otterbein led 17-0 with four minutes left before halftime.
The Polar Bears were able to break into the score column when senior quarterback Tate Humphrey found senior Justin
Wilson for a five-yard touchdown snag, pulling Northern within 10 as the players headed into the locker room.
Both defenses held strong in the third quarter, as neither team was able to score. Otter-bein senior linebacker Wes McKeever sacked Humphrey and forced him to fumble the ball, which was recovered by the Cardinals. On the very next play, Sizemore eluded a defender and dashed 19 yards for a touchdown, making the score 24-7.
The Polar Bears scored one more touchdown, but the Cardinals held on and won a final game for the senior class. The seniors compiled a record of 25-15, including two 8-2
seasons.
“This season has been so much different than the past years,” Burzanko said. “The coaching staff has been great, and the leadership on this team is the best it has been since I’ve been here.”
Senior quarterback Aaron Kingcade said, “We were on a mission this year, taking each game at a time and focusing on what we can control. I am proud of the way this team
stuck together and fought each week.”
Kingcade hasn’t played quarterback since he was injured in Otterbein’s Oct. 6 game against Muskingum, but he has still been an active leader on the team and even played a few snaps on defense.
Senior safety Jordan Benson said that head coach Tim Doup did a great job in his first year.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better senior season, and this coaching staff is a big reason why we had such a successful season,” Benson said.
Kingcade added, “Coach Doup is a great coach and an even better guy. He cares about his players above all and puts our needs at the top of the priority list. He has brought a new structure to this program and a new attitude that is contagious, and both will propel Otterbein football into success for years to come.”
