Topic: Eastern Kentucky University Foot
Valparaiso vs. Eastern Kentucky University
Roy Kidd Stadium
Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY
August 29, 2019
© 2019 by Ron Harrison
Eastern Kentucky University’s ground game and defense propelled the Colonels to a dominating 53-7 performance over Valparaiso. EKU raced out to a 15-0 lead at the 12:17 mark of the first quarter and was never threatened. EKU amassed 333 yards and five touchdowns on 39 carries (8.5 yards per carry) and the defense held the Crusaders to 68 yards and 45 carries (1.5 yards per carry). Eastern Kentucky University recorded 19 first downs and 442 yards of total offense. The Colonels were penalized six times for 65 yards and had two passes intercepted. Valparaiso recorded 11 first downs and 184 yards of total offense. The Crusaders were penalized four times for 32 yards and lost two fumbles.
Alonzo Booth led Eastern Kentucky’s ground game with 128 yards and three touchdowns on seven carries. Daryl McCleskey carried the ball four times for 69 yards and a touchdown. Jason Lewis added 44 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Davion Ross carried the ball twice for 37 yards. Conor Blount completed six of 11 passes for 62 yards with one interception. Parker McKinney completed six of eight passes for 33 yards with one interception. Dakota Allen completed two of three passes for 14 yards and one touchdown. Jerome Gross caught three passes for 25 yards. Matt Wilcox Jr. added two receptions for 24 yards. Alex Cabrera caught two passes for 15 yards and a touchdown. Alonzo Booth returned one kickoff for 26 yards. Jerome Gross returned a punt for 15 yards. Corey Glass led the defense with four solo and four assisted tackles with a 29 yard touchdown on a fumble recovery. Steven Crowder added three solo and four assisted tackles with three of his tackles resulting in losses totaling 16 yards. Aaron Patrick recorded two solo and three assisted tackles with 2.5 of his tackles resulting in losses totaling 12 yards. Alex Shelton also recovered a fumble.
Cody Boxrucker led the Valparaiso ground game with 45 yards on 12 carries. Chris Duncan completed seven of 19 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. Ollie Reese caught three passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. J.D. Koehler added two receptions for 27 yards. Ollie Reese returned four kickoffs for 69 yards with a long return of 29 yards. Jaxon Peifer led the defense with six solo and four assisted tackles. Kohiton Sherman added one solo and seven assisted tackles. Michael Scarsella intercepted a pass he returned 39 yards. Matthew Messler also intercepted a pass.
Scoring Summary
| School | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
| Valparaiso | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Eastern Kentucky University | 15 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 53 |
| EKU | - | Daryl McCleskey 64 yard run (Dakota Allen run) |
| EKU | - | Corey Glass 29 yard fumble recovery (Sam Hayworth kick) |
| EKU | - | Alonzo Booth 10 yard run (Sam Hayworth kick) |
| EKU | - | Alonzo Booth 2 yard run (Sam Hayworth kick) |
| EKU | - | Sam Hayworth kicks a 31 yard field goal |
| VALPO | - | Ollie Reese 61 yard pass from Chris Duncan (Dimitrios Latsonas kick) |
| EKU | - | Jason Lewis 1 yard run (Sam Hayworth kick) |
| EKU | - | Alonzo Booth 86 yard run (Sam Hayworth kick) |
| EKU | - | Alex Cabrera 5 yard pass from Dakota Allen (Sam Hayworth kick) |
Selected Statistics
| Valparaiso | ||||
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| Rushing | No. | Yds. | Avg. | Long |
| Cody Boxrucker | 12 | 45 | 3.8 | 12 |
| Riley Allison | 12 | 18 | 1.5 | 6 |
| Elias Earley | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 3 |
| Doug Haugh | 5 | 5 | 1.0 | 6 |
| Kyle Cartales | 3 | 1 | 0.3 | 3 |
| Kenny Brewer | 3 | -1 | -0.3 | 4 |
| Chris Duncan | 7 | -5 | -0.7 | 4 |
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| Passing | A-C-I | Yds. | TD | Long |
| Chris Duncan | 19-7-0 | 116 | 1 | 61 |
|
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| Receiving | No. | Yds. | TD | Long |
| Ollie Reese | 3 | 71 | 1 | 61 |
| J.D. Koehler | 2 | 27 | 0 | 14 |
| Kenny Brewer | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Riley Allison | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
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| Eastern Kentucky University | ||||
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| Rushing | No. | Yds. | Avg. | Long |
| Alonzo Booth | 7 | 128 | 18.3 | 86 |
| Daryl McCleskey | 4 | 69 | 17.2 | 64 |
| Jason Lewis | 11 | 44 | 4.0 | 22 |
| Davion Ross | 2 | 37 | 18.5 | 35 |
| Quentin Pringle | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 17 |
| Ellis Cain | 3 | 10 | 3.3 | 8 |
| Dakota Allen | 3 | 9 | 3.0 | 8 |
| Conor Blount | 4 | 9 | 2.2 | 13 |
| Parker McKinney | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 6 |
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| Passing | A-C-I | Yds. | TD | Long |
| Conor Blount | 11-6-1 | 62 | 0 | 24 |
| Parker McKinney | 8-6-1 | 33 | 0 | 10 |
| Dakota Allen | 3-2-0 | 14 | 1 | 9 |
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| Receiving | No. | Yds. | TD | Long |
| Jerome Gross | 3 | 25 | 0 | 14 |
| Matt Wilcox Jr. | 2 | 24 | 0 | 24 |
| Alex Cabrera | 2 | 15 | 1 | 10 |
| Jaret Pogliano | 2 | 15 | 0 | 9 |
| Keyion Dixon | 2 | 12 | 0 | 7 |
| James Smith | 2 | 11 | 0 | 6 |
| Daryl McCleskey | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Acknowledgements
A special thanks to the EKU Stats Crew for the comprehensive stats provided for tonight's games.
Please feel free to send your comments and questions concerning the event, teams, or players to me at prepgridiron@yahoo.com.
Ron Harrison’s reports on this and other football events appear on https://www.angelfire.com/ky2/prepgridiron.