Thiel's great season Ended

The Tomcats faltered in the second half and fell to Bridgewater (Va.), 24-13.
By JOHN BASSETTI
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
GREENVILLE, Pa. -- A poor second-half punting performance was Thiel's downfall in an NCAA Division III second-round playoff game Saturday at Alumni Stadium.
The 24-13 loss brought an end to Thiel's best football season, one that was rolling along until Bridgewater came into the picture to push the Tomcats out of the picture.
"We tried to run the best we could to keep them off balance and our defense was expected to stop the run," Thiel coach Jack Leipheimer said. "That game plan didn't change until the second score after the punt return."
He was talking about Rico Haynes' 17-yard return of a blocked punt late in the third quarter that widened Bridgewater's lead from 10-7 to 17-7 on partially snow and ice-covered Stoeber Field.
Bridgewater (11-1) advances to the regional final. Thiel finishes with an 11-1 record.
Tied at intermission
It was anyone's game at halftime, when the score was 7-7, but Thiel had the better offensive numbers and greater time of possession.
After 30 minutes, Thiel had 40 offensive plays to Bridgewater's 26 and the Tomcats had a 19:02-10:58 edge in ball control.
After Thiel's Aaron Zane recovered a fumble early in the third quarter, the home team reached its own 43 before Matt McKinney's barefooted 16-yard punt gave Bridgewater the ball at its own 41.
The Eagles worked their way to Thiel's 9 before David Blackwell kicked a 26-yard field goal at 2:35.
When Thiel quarterback Darrell Satterfield got his bell rung on a tackle by Bridgewater defensive end David Clements, Billy Blankenship took over. Satterfield returned for a series, but then left for good.
That's when Brian Awkard's 31-yard punt return put the Eagles on Thiel's 12.
Quarterback Jeff Highfill scored from 5 yards out and Blackwell's PAT gave the visitors a 24-7 lead with 7:34 remaining.
Bottom line
Simply, it came down to the special teams and tackling.
"We had some poor tackling out there today," Leipheimer said, "but those running backs had a lot to do with it."
Bridgewater's Marcus Washington had 54 yards, Highfill 53, Winston Young 45 and Eric Spence 29.
Leipheimer partially implicated himself for the most obvious failed phase of the game, saying that he should fire the special teams coach.
"It was a total breakdown," he said of the blocked punt-turned-touchdown. "They made a great play and we didn't."
Several times, Highfill gained good yardage when he caught Thiel's defense on its heels.
"Bridgewater got us to get a guy out of the box and we had trouble adjusting to that," Leipheimer said of the quarterback's decision to tuck the ball and run up the middle at crucial times.
Great experience at Thiel
Even in defeat, senior players such as Tom McEntire, Tom Wozniak and Darious Thompson were quick to point out that their time at Thiel has been invaluable.
"The past four years with the coaches have been unbelievable," McEntire said of a football team that was 3-7 his freshman year. "The coaches have had a tremendous impact on our lives."
Bridgewater coach Michael Clark, whose father was former Ursuline High School coach Joe Clark, said that his team's defense sensed the opportunity when Satterfield took his hit.
"We knew it was going to be difficult for Thiel to play in the fourth quarter with a backup quarterback."
Drew McQueen blocked the tide-turning punt. Clark said that the impact of the ball on McQueen's hand on a cold day hurt, but it was a good hurt.
The coach said that his staff noticed that the snaps on Thiel's punts in the first half were slow and floating.
"We made up our minds to go after their punts in the second half. Drew got it, but that was a clinic in blocking it and Rico knowing what to do when the ball was spinning on the ground."
Steve Minton's 2-yard run, John Adams' 17-yard pass reception from Blankenship and Sammy Koyl's extra-point kick accounted for Thiel's only points.
bassetti@vindy.com