Alma College football advances in Playoffs

JACKSON POLLARD
PHOTOGRAPHER

JON BEERBOWER
STAFF WRITER

11/20/2023

For the second consecutive year, the Alma College Scots are MIAA Champions after a 10-0 football season and a 50-14 win against their rivals, the Britons of Albion College. 

The Scots, now back-to-back champions, turned their attention to the NCAA Division III Football tournament, where they faced the DePauw Tigers out of the North Coast Athletic Conference. 

Coming into the game, it was evident this was going to be a challenging week for the Scots. DePauw came off a 33-30 2OT win against their rivals, Wabash. This pressure would continue into the second straight week coming to Bahlke Field in a win-or-go-home game.

The Scots set the tone amazingly on the first play from scrimmage when Jerome Roberson (‘24) recovered a fumble and returned it 21 yards for a score. Gage Kruger (’24) would run in the two-point try for the Scots to jump out to an 8-0 lead only nine seconds into the game. 

“You won’t hear it from Mr. Humble over there, but it was more than the right place [at the] right time,” said Jason Couch, Head Coach for the Scots, in a press conference following the game. 

Even with the momentum fresh on the Scots side, Depauw scored late in the first on a great play-action pass on fourth and goal to make it an 8-7 game after the PAT. Alma, as they have time and time again this year, would answer within two minutes with Jordan Williams (‘26) breaking a run for 13 yards into the endzone to make it a 15-7, Scots lead. 

Quarterback (QB), Carter St. John (‘26), played below his standards as a top Division III QB in passing efficiency but still had a great game nonetheless. He took his chance to get in on the scoring, opening up the Scots’ first drive of the second quarter with a seven-yard touchdown rush to raise the Alma lead to 15. 

The Tigers would cut the score to 22-14; however, Josh Hernandez (‘25) would nail a 36-yard field goal to send the Scots to the break up 25-14 and 30 minutes away from a date with the DIII powerhouse, Mount Union (OH). 

Depauw scored their last points of the game on their opening drive of the second half to put the score at 25-17. 

Windy conditions plagued Balkhe Field for most of the game. The Scots were up for a challenge in the third with the heavy wind blowing in St John’s face as he sized up a deep ball for Devin Frenchko (‘24). Carter would let the ball fly and find Frenchko’s breadbasket en route to the endzone on a 66-yard deep ball. 

“I wanted that throw to Devon the whole game,” said St John. That would be the final score of the game with 6 minutes and forty-five seconds left in the third. “[Matthew] Coons was in coverage, and he was one of my teammates at Chatard. I went there three straight times, and it was nice to see it finally hit,” said St John.

This game meant a little more to the Scots QB who was hailing from Zionsville, IN. St John would not only be facing four of his high school teammates from the Indiana high school, Powerhouse, but also numerous more athletes he competed against during his high school days would be on the field for DePauw. 

The Scots will move on in the win-or-go-home tournament. They will head to Alliance, OH next Saturday, Nov. 25 as they take on the Purple Raiders of Mount Union. On paper, this will be one of the Scots’ toughest matchups ever. Mount Union is a 13-time, NCAA Division III Champions, and one of the winningest DIII programs of all time with over 800 wins. 

For all the latest Alma Scots football news, keep up to date at almascots.com.