The Observer, November 3, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 9
Spartans come back to defeat Chicago Maroons despite weather, turnovers
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Very seldom does a football team win a game when it almost has as many turnovers as points scored. Despite six turnovers and scoring only 10 points, the Spartans achieved this unlikely feat last Saturday, defeating the Chicago Maroons 10-9 at Case Field.
In addition to the turnovers, Case was also hampered by the extraordinary weather conditions. An intense hailstorm deluged the field in the second quarter, and a few bolts of lightning during the marching band's halftime performance delayed the start of the second half for 30 minutes.
With the turnovers and weather conditions, it appeared that Case had little chance to score a game-winning touchdown in the final two minutes. The Spartans, though, appeared unfazed by the situation, gradually driving downfield for the winning score.
"I was just thinking about getting first downs," coach Greg Debeljak said. "We didn't need to get big bunches of yards."
Quarterback Dan Whalen began the drive with a 17-yard completion to Tim Cowdrick. Whalen also did damage with his legs, running for a two-yard gain on a fourth down to keep the drive alive, followed by an 11-yard run on third down for another first down. He completed another pass to Cowdrick that brought the offense to Chicago's two-yard line, and running back Corey Checkan scored the game-tying touchdown on the next play. Brian Calderone's extra point gave Case its first lead with 24 seconds remaining.
The stars of the drive were the freshmen, led by Whalen and Cowdrick, who, undaunted by the pressure of having the game on the line, made big plays at critical stages of the drive.
"Our guys are confident in those situations," Debeljak said. "Dan seems to relish those situations. He doesn't shy away."
Whalen is developing a trend for fourth quarter heroics. In the first game of the season, he helped bring Case back from an early deficit to defeat Oberlin in overtime.
Cowdrick has not been involved in as many pressure situations as his fellow freshman, as he has recently been sidelined by injuries.
"Cowdrick is a playmaker," Debeljak said. "We've missed him out there."
That late drive represented Case's best offensive performance of the game. The Spartans gained 74 yards during the drive and only 180 for the rest of the game. For much of the game, with swirling winds and intermittent hailstorms, the Case offense was limited to its running game. Case's rushing attack has struggled this year, but fortunately, senior James Rosenbury had one of his better games of the season, rushing for 99 yards while battling an assortment of injuries.
"James gave a great effort considering he wasn't 100 percent," Debeljak said.
Chicago scored its only touchdown of the game in the first quarter. Tony Insalaco recovered Whalen's fumble at the Case 14 to help set up the drive for the Maroons. Mike Serio had a 13-yard rush before Chuck Little scored from one yard out to give Chicago the lead.
The Maroons sacked Whalen in his own endzone early in the second quarter for their remaining two points of the game.
Despite the win, the team's inability to hang onto the football continues to loom large. Turning the ball over four or five times a game does not bode well for the team's chances of finishing with a winning record.
"We didn't accomplish our goal of hanging onto the ball," Debeljak said. "The turnovers made it tougher than it should have been."
Next on the schedule for Case is Grove City, a team that has struggled for much of the season.
"They are much different team than from the beginning of the year," Debeljak said. "They are throwing a lot more now and have been scoring a lot of points against some very good defenses."
With a win, Case can clinch its fifth non-losing season in six years.
"It is not a stretch to win our last three games," he said. "But our goals are more than just finishing with a winning record."
After the Grove City game, the Spartans return home on Nov. 11 to face a tough Washington and Lee team in the season finale.
