Box Score RICHMOND, Ind. — Saturday's Homecoming contest came down to a late score.

Unfortunately for the Earlham College football team, it was Manchester College that put the final touchdown on the scoreboard in a tight 17-13 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference battle in Darrell Beane Stadium.  

“We're a young football team and we stood up and took a step," Earlham Head Coach Gerry Keesling said. "We got a lot better."

"We competed and focused on the next play regardless of whether it was good or bad," Keesling added. "We focused on the next play because it's the only one that matters and our guys are buying into that. we kept battling.”

Manchester's Corey Nelson scored on a 1-yard run with 1:24 left to play in the contest for the final tally that gave the Spartans (2-1, 1-0) the lead.

Quick Score to Begin Game

An early Earlham turnover set up Manchester's first score of the game at 11:29 of the opening quarter. Nelson scored on a 3-yard plunge and it was 7-0.

Later in the frame, the Quakers got an interception by Justin Darden (Muncie, IN, Central), but were forced to punt.

However, on the punt Manchester fumbled and Kaleb Lingg (Dayton, OH, Northridge) recovered the ball for the Quakers.

Seven plays later, Ryan Acosta (San Juan, PR, Commonwealth) was able convert a 32-yard field goal to make it 7-3.

In the second quarter, both teams added field goals. Acosta's kick from 23 yards away made it 10-6 with 8:08 left in the half and it stayed that way until intermission.

The third quarter was scoreless as the teams battled for field position with neither squad able to sustain a drive.

“We knew that our defense could be good," Keesling said. "We're really young in the secondary and they are really starting to come around and we knew our veterans would play well.”

Quakers Take Lead

In the final stanza, the Quakers were able to break through with an 8-play, 75-yard drive that
took 3:43.

Jacob Stewart (Richmond, IN, Centerville) tossed a 17-yard score to Jaysn Murphy (Winchester, IN, Winchester) with 5:45 remaining to give the Quakers a 13-10 advantage.

Manchester, however, had enough time left to put together their only scoring drive of the second half, which made the difference in the contest.

Stewart was 19-of-35 for 166 yards and the one touchdown. Stewart used seven receivers in the contest with L.V. Plummer (Eads, TN, Christian Brothers) and Woody Earls (New Lebanon, OH, Dixie) leading the way with four catches each.

Murphy, Lingg and Dan Kerns (West Manchester, OH, National Trail) had three grabs apiece, while Cameron Mitchell (Merrillville, IN, Merrillville) and Tre Stephens (Terre Haute, IN, South) each had a catch.

Dorian Stroud (South Bend, IN, Adams) led the Earlham defense with nine tackles and Aaron Barth (Springfield, OH, Springfield Shawnee) had seven stops.

Seth Shipley (Springfield, OH, Springfield Shawnee) and Josh Lewis (Newburgh, IN, Castle) had six tackles each. Lewis also had a pair of quarterback sacks. Eric Parton (Madison, WI, Middleton) added a sack, while Darden picked off a pair of Manchester passes.

The Quakers (0-3, 0-1) return to action next Saturday at Anderson University. The HCAC contest, which is Earlham's only night affair of the season, begins at 7 p.m.

Box Score