Andrew Bell
Staff Writer
A blustery November day at John P. Papp stadium welcomed the senior day rivalry clash between the Fighting Scots and the Wittenberg Tigers. The archrivals have played against each other since 1912. The Tigers lead the rivalry series, but the Scots won their last home contest against Wittenberg in a 44-43 thriller. The game held last Saturday, Nov. 16, also marked the final game for 19 seniors. Several senior standouts, such as Brazos Gadler ’25 and Andrew Hammer ’25, delivered strong performances as they concluded their Wooster career. The seniors fought hard on every down though the Scots ultimately fell short of victory.
Wittenberg was the first to score on their opening drive. Chanden Lee ’26 responded with a touchdown drive of his own. An 11-yard toss to Hammer gave the Scots their first conversion of the game. 2plays later, Lee dropped back and found a wide open Gadler, who sprinted across the field to convert the 65-yard toss for 6 points. An extra point from Sebestyen Balassy ’25 tied the game at 7. Wittenberg added a field goal and a touchdown to regain the lead prior to the conclusion of the first quarter.
Although the Scots were down, Lee still charged his men out onto the field. The offense found its footing on their fourth drive of the game. Jarvis Mims Jr. ’26 was key to the success of the drive, as Lee gave him the ball 4 consecutive times. Mims also showed off his hand-eye coordination, receiving an 11-yard pass and a 20-yard pass to progress the ball inside the red zone.
After Mims rushed for another first down, Lee dished the ball off to Gadler for another touchdown completion. Balassy’s extra point sailed through the uprights as Wooster closed the gap to 17-14. Unfortunately, Wittenberg scored 2 more touchdowns and a field goal before the end of the half, leaving the score at 34-14.
Both Wittenberg and Wooster scored on their opening second half drives. Wooster’s offense raced down the field after Lee found Gadler on a deep ball. Gadler was tackled inside the red zone once more. The senior found paydirt in the next play on a toe-tap touchdown in the front corner of the endzone. Lee led his team to the endzone once more as he distributed the ball to Hammer and Balassy during the drive. Shakir Perkins ’26 also gave the Scots chunks of yardage on the ground. The drive concluded with a record-tying fourth touchdown reception by Gadler. Wittenberg continued to be effective on offense, scoring once more. They then drained the clock and concluded the game, winning 41-28.
Despite falling short against their rivals, the game was full of congratulatory fanfare. The football, cheerleading and marching band seniors were all honored throughout the afternoon.
“These guys have given everything during their 4 years,” said head coach Frank Colaprete. “Their loyalty and dedication is unmatched.” Colaprete continued to praise his senior class and remarked on Gadler’s record-tying day. “We are sorely going to miss him. That’s a lot of points leaving when he graduates.” Despite the loss, Colaprete was optimistic about the off season. He added, “We are going to find additional depth for this football team and continue to gain experience with our formations and assignments.”
With this result, the Fighting Scots Football season comes to a close as the team begins preparations for next fall. Go Scots!
