WILMINGTON, Ohio – After nearly a month away from home, the Wilmington College football team returns to Williams Stadium on Saturday for an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) game against Heidelberg University. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m.
The Teams: Wilmington and Heidelberg. The Fightin' Quakers enter the contest with a 3-4 record and looking to snap a three-game losing skid after at defeat at No. 2 The University of Mount Union on Saturday. The Student Princes bring with them a 5-2 record and a 4-2 mark in the OAC. Heidelberg recently rallies from a 21-0 deficit to beat Marietta College 29-21 on Saturday.
The Coaches: Corey Fillipovich, who has served as Wilmington's defensive coordinator for the previous four seasons, enters his first full season as head coach in 2022. The former OAC Assistant Coach of the Year, he stepped in to lead the program through the final four games of the 2021 fall campaign which included consecutive victories over Capital University and Otterbein University to end the season. Scott Donaldson has been on the Heidelberg coaching staff since 2003 and is in his seventh season as head coach. The Student Princes have a 40-21 record during his tenure.
The Offenses: The Wilmington offense is quarterbacked by sophomore Adam Dixon, who averages 231 yards passing and has thrown 14 touchdowns including a program-record seven in the season-opening victory at Southern Virginia University. A trio of wide receivers - Ace Taylor, Lathan Jones and Itika Wynn Jr. - have caught at least 20 passes with Taylor leading the bunch with 33 receptions. Jones has a team-high 550 yards while Wynn Jr. has caught five touchdown passes. Both Nehemiah Jenkins and Ben Hobbs have rushed at least 75 times and 285 yards. Drew Sims averages 213.4 yards passing for the Student Princes with nine touchdowns while Brandon Reed has hauled in seven touchdown passes. On the ground, Montavious Yearby averages over 100 yards per game with four scores.
The Defenses: Jarod Lee and Zach Schmidt combine for 132 tackles on the season for the Wilmington defense whiel Joey Weikel has tallied three quarterback sacks. Cornerback Quentin Davis has eight pass breakups while Jake Sheriff and Elijah Carson join Lee, Schimdt and Weikel to account for the team's five interceptions. A quintet of Student Princes - Easton St. Clair, Zachary Blackiston, Griffin Pendry, Parker Smith and Tyler Turek - have at least 40 tackles while St. Clair has intercepted three passes. Joseph Norris III has 4.5 sacks for Heidelberg.
Tale of the Tape: Points per game – Wilmington 19.0, Heidelberg 26.57, points per game allowed – Wilmington 36.1, Heidelberg 14.86, yards per game – Wilmington 313.3, Heidelberg 326.0, yards per game allowed – Wilmington 419.4, Heidelberg 298.1, passing yards per game – Wilmington 239.3, Heidelberg 204.57, passing yards per game allowed – Wilmington 208.9, Heidelberg 194.0, rushing yards per game – Wilmington 74.0, Heidelberg 121.4, rushing yards per game allowed – Wilmington 210.6, Heidelberg 104.1.
Series History: Wilmington is 8-14 against Heidelberg since joining the OAC prior to the 2000 season. The Student Princes, however, have won the last 13 meetings. More information on the series history can be viewed by visiting the link above.
Tickets: Digital ticketing will be used for the contest. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of game time at the link above.
Coverage: Live statistics and live video of the game will be available – visit the links above.
Social Media: Follow Wilmington athletics on social media! The Fightin' Quakers have a presence on Facebook (Wilmington College Athletics) as well as Twitter and Instagram (@DubCQuakers).
Up Next: Wilmington hosts Muskingum University for a Senior Day contest against Muskingum University next Saturday
