MARIETTA, Ohio — For the eighth straight season, Marietta College football will be have a game broadcast live on WTAP television. Jim Wharton and Mike Hayden will handle the commentary Saturday (Oct. 4) night when the Pioneers host Wilmington College in an Ohio Athletic Conference showdown. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m.
The game will televised live on WTAP's MyNetwork, digital 47.2 and cable channel 97, throughout the Mid-Ohio Valley. The game will be replayed on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. on FOX Parkersburg, digital 22 and cable channel 14.
Fans outside the Mid-Ohio Valley can watch the game live on the internet. The live stream is available at:
http://www.thenewscenter.tv/specialreports.
Marietta, under the direction of second-year head coach
Andy Waddle, enters the game with a 1-2 overall record, 0-2 in the OAC. The Pioneers opened the season with a 29-11 win at Kenyon, but have lost their last two against Otterbein (20-0) and Mount Union (63-7). This will be MC's home opener.
Wilmington head coach Stacey Hairston, also in his second year, is in search of his first victory with the Quakers. After a 0-10 season last fall, Wilmington is currently 0-3 overall and 0-2 in the OAC. The Quakers have losses at Olivet (41-24), at Capital (34-21) and at home against Otterbein (49-21).
The Pioneers hold a 13-10 advantage in the all-time series with Wilmington and have won eight of the last 10 meetings. Marietta scored 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull away and defeat the Quakers 50-22 last year in Don Drumm Stadium.
Junior quarterback
Lucas Havens (Granville Summit, Pa./Troy Area) has started the last two games for Marietta. Havens has completed 29-of-61 passes for 330 yards and a touchdown. He has been picked off three times. Senior wide receiver
Tannon Roberts (West Palm Beach, Fla./Berean Christian) is MC's leading receiver with 10 catches for 130 yards and one score.
Marietta features a balanced running attack with freshmen
Nick O'Neal (Mont Belvieu, Texas/Barbers Hill) and
Masai McDaniel (Cleveland Heights/Lake Catholic). O'Neal is averaging 51.7 yards per game, while McDaniel averages 42.7 ypg.
Defensively, junior middle linebacker
Daryl DeWindt (Lilburn, Ga./Meadowcreek) has a team-high 26 tackles. Senior outside linebacker
Cody Rice (Orrville/Orrville) has 21 tackles and junior defensive end
Nick Thompson (Lancaster/Lancaster) ranks among the OAC leaders with 3.0 sacks.
Sophomore quarterback Austin Jarbo leads Wilmington. A duel threat, Jarbo has completed 36-of-62 passes for 381 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He has rushed for 257 yards on 55 carries, including a pair of touchdowns.
Junior wide receivers Justin Lee and Jeremy Duncan are Jarbo's favorite targets. Lee has 18 receptions for 213 yards and three TDs, while Duncan has caught seven passes for 137 yards and a score. Sophomore running back Chase Manica lead the ground attack with 54 carries for 280 yards and one TD.
On defense, the Quakers rely on junior linebackers Nick Williams and Tarrell Starckey. Williams leads the OAC with 37 tackles, while Starckey has 28 stops on the season.
Fans can follow the Pioneers all season long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter and Instagram.
