By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabod football team put together a strong second-half rally, but could not overcome a big rushing day from No. 24-ranked Colorado School of Mines, falling 41-27 on Saturday afternoon in Golden, Colo.
Zach Watkins put together a strong second half but fell at Colorado School of Mines 41-27 on Saturday in Golden, Colo. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn and Mines were forced to withstand more than four hours of lightning delays in the second half.
The Ichabods dropped to 1-2 overall while the Orediggers moved to 2-0 on the season.
Mines jumped out to a 27-7 lead at halftime, leaning on a ground attack that piled up 365 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the day.
Washburn struggled to contain the Orediggers' explosive plays, but the Ichabods battled back after the break with 20 second-half points, including a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns that narrowed the deficit.
Quarterback, Logan Madden, playing near his hometown of Arvada, Colo., completed 11 of 17 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns in his first action as an Ichabod.
Justin Lewis added 106 yards through the air on 9 of 20 passing with two scores of his own.
Combined, the duo accounted for all four Ichabod touchdowns, throwing passes to eight different receivers.
Henry Mohrmann proved to be a reliable red-zone target with two touchdown grabs, finishing with 30 yards on two catches.
D.J. Bell provided the biggest spark, catching five passes for 51 yards and a touchdown while also breaking free on a 37-yard rush.
Overall, Washburn tallied 256 passing yards but was limited to just 42 net rushing yards on 27 attempts, as Mines' defense controlled the line of scrimmage.
Defensively, the Ichabods were led by J.C. Heim, who recorded a game-high 17 tackles with seven solo stops for a career-high tally. L.J. Minner Jr. recorded 11 stops.
Special teams offered some stability as punter Jake Zeller booted eight punts for an impressive 43.6-yard average.
The Ichabods return to MIAA action next week at Central Oklahoma with a 7 p.m. kickoff from Edmond.
