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Saint Francis

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    The MCC baseball race came down to the last day. Even then, there’s another chase to be run. Saint Francis made a push toward the end to tighten the MCC standings, splitting a must-win doubleheader.April 29, 2012
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      Because Saint Francis got black home jerseys last season to supplement its traditional blue ones, the annual Blue and White Spring Game had a new look and wore a different name Saturday at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium.April 29, 2012
  • Young offense showed its spirit in spring drills
    Whether in the early-morning hours of practice, or the late afternoons, when occasionally the wind would howl and he was reminded that this was still spring football drills, Saint Francis coach Kevin Donley would watch the young, offensive horses up April 28, 2012
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Published: November 20, 2011 3:00 a.m.

Cougars run away with playoff victory

Journal Gazette

FORT WAYNE – They weren’t quite the irresistible force. But the immovable object proved even less immovable.

In a showdown with one of the NAIA’s top rushing defenses – Missouri Valley College came in giving up just 74 yards per game on the ground – the Saint Francis Cougars were the showstopper, dinging the Vikings for 186 yards on the ground to win yet another first-round NAIA playoff football game Saturday, 28-14.

It was the Cougars’ ninth straight first-round victory, and it went pretty much the way the Cougars drew it up: Run the football, stop the run.

“That was the plan,” Saint Francis coach Kevin Donley said via cellphone. “I think they haven’t had anybody really challenge them, and our offensive line really did a good job. Our game plan was to run inside and make them bring people down in the box, and when they did that we got a couple big plays on them.

“And our defense played very well. Their offensive line was just huge. But we won the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football and that was the difference in the game.”

Antoin Campbell led the Cougars (9-2) with 78 yards and two touchdowns, and Franke Wolfe (58 yards and a touchdown) and Koby Frye (43 yards) also chipped in as the Cougars outrushed the rush-heavy Vikings 186-156. Saint Francis compiled more first downs (22-18), more yards (331-305) and more time of possession (32:44-27:52) than Missouri Valley, which was ranked No. 7 and finished 9-2.

The game was tied at 14 before Saint Francis scored twice in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

“We decided we were gonna take the wind in the fourth quarter, and we took advantage of that,” Donley said. “That was a big factor.”

The Cougars’ second round opponent has yet to be determined.

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