Echeverry Shines as Mount Union Tops John Carroll in Tight Contest
Echeverry Shines as Mount Union Tops John Carroll in Tight Contest
In a early season showdown between two of the top teams in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) , the 4th-ranked Mount Union Purple Raiders edged the 25th-ranked John Carroll Blue Streaks, 37-31, in a game filled with explosive plays and momentum swings. The win marked Mount Union's eighth consecutive victory in the series and extended their dominance in the rivalry. With John Carroll leaving the OAC after this season, this will be the last time the teams will face off in the regular season.
Mount Union struck first with a 7-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Noah Beaudrie to Jerry Cooper, giving the Purple Raiders a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. John Carroll quickly responded when Nick Semptimphelter connected with Evan McVay for a 5-yard touchdown, tying the game at 7 with 5:21 left in the opening frame.
The Blue Streaks gained momentum in the second quarter with a 10-play, 70-yard drive capped off by a 20-yard touchdown pass from Semptimphelter to Tyren Montgomery, putting John Carroll ahead 14-7 early in the second quarter. Garrett Sparks then recovered a Mount Union fumble, but the Blue Streaks were unable to capitalize on the turnover, going three-and-out.
Mount Union's dynamic offense responded with a 65-yard touchdown run by Tyler Echeverry, though a failed extra point kept John Carroll in the lead, 14-13. A field goal later in the half gave Mount Union a 16-14 edge, but John Carroll answered right back. Kenny Rawls' 6-yard touchdown catch with just 57 seconds left in the half put the Blue Streaks ahead, 21-16.
Mount Union closed the gap to 21-19 at halftime after a late field goal, setting the stage for a thrilling second half.
The Purple Raiders wasted no time after the break, as Echeverry broke free for a 51-yard touchdown run on the first drive of the third quarter, putting Mount Union back in front, 25-21. John Carroll responded with a 6-play, 75-yard drive capped off by a touchdown pass to Jack Cardaman, reclaiming the lead, 28-25, early in the fourth quarter.
Not to be outdone, Mount Union's Beaudrie raced for a 53-yard touchdown run on the next drive, giving the Purple Raiders a 31-28 advantage with 13:16 left to play. The Mount Union defense clamped down, forcing multiple punts and setting up a game-sealing 21-yard touchdown run by Echeverry with just under five minutes remaining. Despite a late 41-yard field goal by John Carroll to close the gap to 37-31, the Purple Raiders recovered the onside kick to secure the victory.
Echeverry was the star of the game, rushing for 176 yards and three touchdowns on just 13 carries. Beaudrie added 214 passing yards and a touchdown, along with 93 rushing yards and another score, powering Mount Union to victory with 268 total rushing yards.
John Carroll's Semptimphelter put on an impressive performance, completing 31-of-41 passes for 325 yards and four touchdowns, but it wasn't enough to overcome Mount Union's balanced attack. Tyler Mintz led all receivers with 123 yards on seven catches, while JCU managed just 77 rushing yards in the loss.
With the win, Mount Union improves to 2-0, while John Carroll falls to 0-2 on the season.