FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[USee]

Wow. A great game. That is what a signature win looks like for a program. Congratulations to ER and the LG's. Tyler Burke was about as good as you can get. My favorite moment was watching #4 laying on the ground after thinking he dropped the 2 pt conversion that would have won, all the while his teammates are going nuts behind him. Classic.

Good luck in Alliance next week. You guys sure earned this win!

[formerd3db]

Wow, indeed.  What a comeback.  Congratulations to Wabash, they didn't give up.  North Central is an excellent team and obviously it is disappointing for them to lose a lead like that and falter.  Wish I could have made it down to C'ville as I missed a great game.  Good luck to Wabash next week.  I suspect that game will be a good one as well. 

[OldCaveman]

BashDad...I totally agree....what a gutsy call...and it was the right call in that context. Most would have gone for the tie...but ER goes for the win. What a day. My wife heard me yelling at the computer upstairs and thought something was wrong...even the dog was scared. Great day to be a Wabash man.

[USee]

Kudos as well to the broadcast team. Great quality and the announcers did a great job. Very professional production. I hope there is video in Alliance next week!

[wally_wabash]

Going for the deuce was absolutely the right call.  1) Wabash missed a PAT earlier (got bailed out by a penalty) and NCC was all over the kicker on every other placekick attempt.  2) Wabash had all of the momentum, particularly on offense.  Why stifle that? 3) If you kick and go to OT, North Central gets to get right back to grinding away with what they do best.  If you get the deuce, there is still time, but now NCC has to give the ball to a freshman and start slinging it.  I like those odds better for Wabash than NCC getting to grind away from 25 yards out in an OT period.  4) I think ER maxed out what he could ask from that defense.  They played a ton of snaps in the first 2 1/2 quarters, then dug deep enough to get those four stops in a row to give Wabash enough possessions and time to take the lead.  Overtime would have been unfair to that group.  5) How many more snaps could Burke go?  I don't think he had too many more hits left in him...he got beat ragged by that defense today.  Wabash had to get that done in regulation today. 

[Schwami]

May have to watch this one a few more times on demand on hometownsportsindiana.com 

Hard to choose a favorite play from that game --- but going for it on 4th and 14 at the Wabash 26 on the final drive and barely getting a pass off in time that was just barely enough for the first down on a great catch by Chamblee --- with Tyler Burke sprawled out on the ground at the end of the play for the Xth time --- wow!

I was thinking that entire drive that Wabash goes for 2 then and there with NCC back on its heels --- do or die --- it's the way Wabash played the entire 4th quarter.

EDIT:  Just realized that play was on the penultimate TD drive, not the final one --- it's all jumbled together in my mind right now . . .

[Li'l Giant]

It's going to be hard to pick a "favorite play" and I am dying to watch this game again on the archived stream.

[USee]

in the second half I thought Wabash's decisiveness on play calling was critical. I saw about a dozen plays where the NCC defense wasn't fully set and Wabash was coming off the ball. That's how you beat a great defense, keeping them on their heels. A great job by the Wabash coaches in their game plan.

[nike]

The second half of this game was the best half of football I have ever seen in the NCAC.
In twenty-five years of watching and following the Scots. 
I was not there, but will be in Alliance next week.  What a game that will be.
This is a great moment for all NCAC lovers of not just football, but the NCAC college experience. 

[wabashcpa]

Just returned from the game - that is the greatest comeback I have seen at a Wabash game, and I would concur that it just may be the greatest win in program history, considering the stakes.

Kudos to Tyler Burke for an insanely gritty effort today.  The same QB that looked jittery and uncertain in the 1st half remembered that he was indeed a good player and started playing like it in the 2nd half.  I still can't believe we just beat North Central with our backup QB running the show on offense.  That was a great team effort.

I thought the defense did a fantastic job.  Thought the pass coverage was a bit soft on the edges at times, but other than that I thought they performed as well as could be hoped, especially considering how long they were on the field in the first half.  Offense put them in a bad spot early with the pick and I'm still not sure what the holding penalty was on the punt early on - that certainly didn't help matters either.

Finally, the tipped 2 point conversion - shades of Monon Miracle.  Unbelievable.  My knees were shaking for most of the 4th quarter watching that comeback, it was so exciting and improbable. 

This team has some special going on - call it destiny or whatever, but definitely enjoy the ride.  Looking forward to a trip to Ohio!

[DPU3619]

Thought is was absolutely the right call by Raeburn.  I would have thought that had they not converted.  Sure, you get a little luck on the deflection and the catch, but he had the right play on, too.  Not sure how much the kicking situation even mattered.  I'd think it was more about winning it right there.

Couldn't believe Burke threw it 49 times when I looked at the box.  3-13 on 3rd down pretty uncharacteristic for NCC, but that's something I talked about last night.  I thought NCC was going to do some punting, and they did - 6 of them to be specific.  Lot of great adjustments by Raeburn, and specifically Hammer, during the 4th Q.  NCC more or less had their way early, but Hammer made it mighty tough on them down the stretch.

[firstdown]

Congrats to the Little Giants on their win today.  What an exciting ball game!

[Joe Wally]

Raeburn's 2 pt conversion call won't be forgotten anytime soon, either. That was a huge call.

That call was an absolute monster, and absolutely the right call.  For the first time all afternoon we clearly had the momentum and had to capitalize.

Awesome game from the Little Giants!  Best game I have ever seen played at Byron P. Hollett.

[smedindy]

WOW!

Just wow!

I was in Homestead when I saw the score was 21-0. I put my phone away and then checked it again around Marathon. I immediately texted Bashbro! He called me about four times after the last TD!

Guess what I'm watching tomorrow when i get back home? NFL? Nah! The Little Giants!

[Wabash1954]

Headed back from the game and simply unbelievable.  Two times on fourth and 15 Wabash completes passes that would have ended the game for NCC if they aren't completed.  Tyler Burke deserves more than a statute.  After that game I'm about to request a renaming to the Burke Center.  CJ as per normal was all over the place.  Best program win in a long long time.  I had flashes of the catch in the back of my mind. 

Also nice to shut those fools in the overalls up on the sideline.  I hope their reactions to that 2 point conversion were caught on tape.  Talking all game and making fun of Burke struggling to get up, but he had the last laugh.  Damn proud today to be a Little Giant.  Wabash Always Fights!