Posted October 29, 2005
By Leonard Reich, Sports Information Director
Capital Kicks For a Win at Ohio Northern
Capital 16, No. 11 Ohio Northern 14 [Box Score]

The win keeps Capital a game out of first place in the OAC standings at 5-2 (6-2 overall), while Ohio Northern falls out of a first place tie at 6-2 overall, 5-2 OAC

Capital led 13-7 entering the fourth quarter, but Ohio Northern took the lead, 14-13, with 9:57 left in the contest on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Adam Quirk to Ben Wittwer.  Both teams traded possessions before the Crusaders got the ball with six minutes to play and drove to the Ohio Northern 23-yard line to set up Spitz’s heroics.

Capital senior Colin O’Reilly (Bexley/Bexley) had his fourth-straight and fifth 100-yard rushing performance of the season with 106 yards on 27 carries.  Quarterback Rocky Pentello (Columbus/Westerville South) had a season-high 28 completions on 43 attempts for 271 yards.  His two favorite targets were senior receivers Lewis Howes (Delaware/Principia Prep, Mo.) with 111 yards on 12 catches and Kive Kraft (Amanda/Amanda-Clearcreek) 107 yards on eight catches.

Both teams missed field goals on their opening possessions, before Capital took a 3-0 lead on a 27-yard field goal by Spitz.  After a 59-yard kickoff return by Ohio Northern defensive back Wes Hostetler, the Polar Bears answered just 22 seconds later with a 38-yard touchdown pass from Quirk to Bryan Gasser to take a 7-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter senior safety Kyle Hausler (Hilliard/Hilliard Davidson) then blocked an Ohio Northern punt and one-play later quarterback Pentello hit Kraft on a 38-yard touchdown pass to give Capital a 10-7 lead with 9:36 left in the first half.

Both teams traded possessions and punts before Capital regained the ball with just under two minutes left in the half.  The Crusaders drove to the Polar Bear eight-yard line before an interception on the one-yard line ended the half at 10-7.

Capital outgained Ohio Northern 388-302.  Quirk led the Polar Bears with two passing touchdowns and 213 yards, while running back Derek Garrod ran for a team-high 57 yards on 12 carries.