Titans defeat Hiram for first win of season

Scott Froelich broke Westminster's rushing record with 254 yards.
By BILL ALBRIGHT
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- The Westminster College football team proved the third time was its charm.
After a pair of disappointing losses to Ohio Northern and Allegheny to open the season, the Titans took out their frustrations by beating Hiram 41-22 Saturday at Burry Stadium.
"From the coaching standpoint, this is a good win because while we won the game, we made a lot of mistakes that we can correct," Westminster coach Jerry Schmitt said. "We have to get the kids to realize that we are not good enough to walk over people, and when you get up on a team, you have to continue playing hard."
While the Titans picked up their initial win, they allowed Hiram to hang around until minutes into the fourth quarter. Leading 14-0 after two possessions, the Titans found themselves up only 14-8 minutes later.
Hiram rallies
After Westminster stretched its lead to 27-8 at halftime, the Terriers battled back with a pair of scores to cut their deficit to 27-22 before the Titans pulled away down the stretch. Big pass plays hurt the Titans as the Terrier scores came on passes covering 64 and 23 yards.
"We have to find a way to put teams away when we have them down," Schmitt said. "We got sloppy and we relaxed a little bit."
Leading the Titans to their initial win was All-American tailback Scott Froelich, who carried 34 times for 254 yards and four touchdowns.
Not only is the 254-yard mark a career best for Froelich, it also established Westminster's all-time single-game standard. The old mark was 243 yards set by former Titan Andy Blatt in 1994 versus Lambuth.
"This first win is the most important thing that happened for this team today," said Froelich. "As far as my running is concerned, my goal is to remain patient, stay on track and read the blocks as well as I can. If I can do those things and continue to run hard, things will come together for me."
Brother leads defense
While Froelich sealed the win with a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter, brother Tom Froelich led the defense that came up with several plays to turn the Terriers away.
With Hiram threatening to score just before the end of the first half, Tom Froelich stuck his nose into the pile, stripped the ball from the running back and ran 89 yards for the touchdown.
"Coach Rich [Titan defensive coordinator Len] called a blitz, I came off the edge, and he [the Hiram ball carrier] cut right back into me," Froelich said. "We squared up on each other and the next thing I knew, the ball was in my hands. I just tore it out and ran as hard as I could."
Although held well below his normal standards, Brian Ekis (Boardman) managed to haul in a pair of passes for 55 yards, one of which covered 23 yards for the second Westminster score of the game. He also had another apparent reception of more than 50 yards called back due to a holding penalty.
The Titans (1-2) will travel to Thomas More in Kentucky next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.