The Monmouth College football team (1-1, 1-0) opened Midwest Conference play with a 78-7 demolition of Lawrence University on a hot afternoon at April Zorn Stadium. Eight different Scots found the end zone while Mylee Hansen (Pekin, Illinois) became the first female in school history to make a field goal. She added a second, plus three extra points, to tally nine points on the afternoon.
“I’m really proud of our players,” said head coach Chad Braun. “We talked about playing to our standard all week. I felt like we came out and did that today. It was also nice to get some of the young guys in the game and they took advantage of the opportunities.”
Monmouth got the ball first and went right to work on the ground. Nate Wrublik (Lemont, Illinois) ran for seven and Julian Samuels (Annawan, Illinois) took an end around 59 yards for a touchdown. Aiden Sensabaugh (East Moline, Illinois).tacked on the extra point for a 7-0 lead just 61 seconds into the game.
Lawrence went 3-and-out as Anthony Cikauskas (Oswego, Illinois) recorded a tackle for loss. Both teams punted and the Scots picked up a 24 yard return from Gabriel Zeigler-Harris (East Peoria, Illinois). Brayden Deem (Andalusia, Illinois) hit Jeremiah Williams (Oviedo, Florida) for 15 yards and Wrublik scored two plays later for a 14-0 lead. The Vikings punted again and Zeigler-Harris raced 53 yards down the near sideline for a return touchdown and a 21-0 lead.
Silas Braun (Monmouth, Illinois) quarterbacked the next series and completed a pass to Mason Emin (Sterling, Illinois) for seven. Wrublik ran for 12 and 14 before Braun hit Lucas Kessinger (Cambridge, Illinois) for 14 to end the first quarter. Wrublik scored on the first play of the second quarter for a 28-0 lead.
Deem came back in for the next drive and hit Hudson Ault (Fairbury, Illinois) for nine yards, Deem ran for a first down and then hit Da’Von Patterson (Ponte Vedra, Florida) for a 40-yard touchdown and a 35-0 lead.
The Scots got the ball back a minute later on the Vikings 37. Deem ran for 17 after a penalty and then hit Samuels for a 23-yard touchdown pass and a 42-0 lead. Zeigler-Harris returned another punt 23 yards and Deem hit Chase Newman (Morrison, Illinois) for a 1-play, 50-yard touchdown pass and a 49-0 lead.
Both teams punted and Lawrence faced third and 7 on their own 35. Luke Reavis (Buena Vista, Colorado) picked off the pass for the first turnover of the game. Braun hit Samuels for 32 yards but the drive stalled in the final seconds of the half. Hansen came in and drilled a 21-yard field goal, the first in Monmouth history by a female, for a 52-0 lead at the break.
On the first drive of the second half, Ja’carrion Jones (Decatur, Illinois) ran four times for 30 yards and John Ahlden (Ashkum, Illinois) ran for seven. Hansen was good again, this time from 30, to put the Scots up 55-0. Two plays later the Vikings fumbled and Johnny York (Elmwood, Illinois) returned the ball 20 yards for a touchdown, Hansen made the extra point for a 62-0 lead.
The next drive was another 1-play score for the Scots as Jones ran 68 yards to the house. Hansen drilled the extra point for a 69-0 lead. The lead grew to 71-0 when Lawrence snapped the ball over the punters head and out of the back of the end zone. Ault scored on an 83-yard run on the ensuing drive with Hansen’s point after making it 78-0
The teams agreed to play an 8:00 fourth quarter and the Vikings punted on their first possession. Immanuel Hall (Barrington, Illinois) ran five times for 18 yards on the next drive but Monmouth had their punt blocked on the 25 yard line. Lawrence avoided the shutout as they scored on a 25-yard pass with 2:13 to play. The Scots ran out the clock the rest of the way with three kneel downs to end the game.
Deem completed 5-of-10 passing for 137 yards with three scores. Braun was 5-for-9 for 65 yards. Jones ran seven times for 107 yards and a touchdown while Ault ran twice for 86 yards and a score. Wrublik had eight carries for 58 yards and two touchdowns. Samuels caught three passes for 68 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for a 59-yard score.
Parker Byers (Clearwater, Florida) led the Scots with nine tackles. Cikauskus had two TFL and was one of three players with a sack.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Deem went over the 3000 career passing yard milestone, the 10th to do so in Monmouth history … With three passing touchdowns he now has 40 on his career … Deem passed Mark Reed on the touchdown list and is now tied for seventh all-time with Brik Wedekind … Deem also became the 13th QB with 300 career rushing yards … Wrublik ran for two touchdowns and now has 24 on his career, 10th in MC history … With 32 career sacks, Cikauskas is a half sack out of third in Monmouth history … Hansen set the Monmouth and MWC record for most points in a game (9) by a femaleShe is also the first to kick a field goal ,,, Hansen hit an extra point against Lawrence last year … The 78 points scored are just three behind the Monmouth record of 81 against Iowa Wesleyan in 1900 … The Scots outgained the Vikings 567-45 … Monmouth averaged 10.7 yards per rush and totaled 365 yards on the ground … The Scots held the Vikings to -16 rushing yards on 33 attempts … Zeigler-Harris had 100 return yards on three punt returns, the 6th most in a game in Monmouth history … The Scots scored on plays of 83, 68, 59, 53, 50 and 40 … The 52 points at halftime are the second-most in a half … The Scots scored 55 on Lawrence in the first half in 2022 … The Scots head to Lake Forest (0-2, 0-1) next Saturday … Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
***Courtesy of Nathan Baliva, Monmouth College***
