Box Score RICHMOND, Ind. — The Earlham College football team seemed to be headed in the right direction on Saturday and then within two minutes everything changed as the Quakers would eventually fall 33-0 to Defiance College.

After a scoreless first period in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game, Earlham was driving for what would have been the first score of the contest in Darrell Beane Stadium. Instead, it was the Yellow Jackets that stung the Quakers.

Kyle Longsdorf intercepted pass by Earlham quarterback James Mees (North Ridgeville, OH, North Ridgeville) in the back of the end zone and went the other direction to score what is by NCAA rules a 100-yard return for a touchdown to give Defiance a 7-0 lead with 9:09 left in the second period.

Five plays later, another interception led to a Defiance touchdown and the Yellow Jackets had a 14-0 with 7:39 remaining in the opening half.

"I'm proud of the guys," Earlham Head Coach Gerry Keesling said. "We did some nice things, but you have to get the ball in the end zone. We have to continue to battle."

Defiance (3-3, 3-1) added another score to make it 21-0 before halftime thanks to a pair of Earlham penalties that kept the drive moving.

The Yellow Jackets finished the afternoon off with two more scores in the third quarter. One came on a 53-yard run and the other on a 57-yard punt return.

Earlham's defense was able to stop the Yellow Jackets on several occasions, while blocking a field goal and a pair of extra points.

"The defense put a good game plan together and they played exceptionally well," Keesling said. "But this is a team thing and the offense and special teams need to step up. This is difficult to go through."

Seth Shipley (Springfield, OH, Springfield Shawnee), Aaron Barth (Springfield, OH, Springfield Shawnee), Austin Manahan (Orlando, FL, University) and Sean Gardner (Connersville, IN, Connersville) led the Quakers with six tackles each. Ben Randall (Milford, OH, Milford) and Dan Kelich (Elwood, IN, Elwood) added five tackles apiece. Randall was also credited with three pass breakups.

Mees finished the afternoon 16-of-45 for 204 yards. Kyle Ripperger (Richmond, IN, Richmond) led the Quakers with five receptions for 57 yards. Bryant Foreman (Mechanicsburg, OH, Northeastern) had four grabs, while gaining 74 yards. On the ground, Nick Cummings (Rolling Prairie, IN, New Prairie) had 62 yards in 14 carries.

Earlham (0-7, 0-5) plays the College of Mount St. Joseph next Saturday as the Quakers celebrate Homecoming. The HCAC contest gets underway at 1:30 p.m.

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