Posted by By: Brady Behrend
The Coe College Kohawks hosted the Hope College Flying Dutchmen in a non-conference football game on Saturday. This was the first game in a home-and-home series and the first game all-time between the two programs. Both teams entered the game after convincing victories the previous week; however, the Kohawks came out victorious 28-21.
Kohawk running back Alphonso Soko, Junior, ran for the first score of the game, breaking multiple tackles on his way to a 73-yard touchdown run. Soko ended the game with 294 yards rushing on 33 attempts, making for an average of 8.8 yards per run. Kohawk quarterback Carter Maske, Sophomore, added 174 passing yards and two touchdown passes on the way to victory. Maske threw one interception on fourth down in the endzone. Wide receiver Dominic Shepardson, Junior, led the Kohawk offense with seven catches for 65 yards while Amel Saric, Junior, caught five receptions for 64 yards and two touchdowns. One of Saric’s touchdown passes came on an impressive back-shoulder pass from 16 yards out. Joshua Bishop, Senior, added three receptions and 34 yards as well.
On defense, Trey Holub, Junior, led the Kohawks with seven solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles. Cam Elam, Senior, brought down Flying Dutchmen quarterback Chase Brown twice, while Alex Aitchison, Sophomore, and Cedric Nah, Senior, added a sack apiece. The Kohawk front seven allowed just 97 rushing yards from the Flying Dutchmen, 257 yards less than they ran for last week. In the air, the Kohawks forced two interceptions. The first interception came in the first quarter when defensive back Jack Shaw, Junior, picked off Brown in the endzone, forcing a touchback. The second interception came with two minutes and fifty-seven seconds left in the second quarter. Defensive back Anthony Bullard, Senior, picked off the quarterback and took it to the house for a 50-yard pick-six. This score put the Kohawks up 21-14 before the end of the half.
Both teams only converted one fourth down conversion, with the Kohawks attempting six and the Flying Dutchmen attempting five. The Flying Dutchmen had some penalty trouble early; suffering from five flags in the first quarter. They finished with six penalties total, while the Kohawks ended with five. Both teams converted 21 first downs, but 15 of the Flying Dutchmen’s first downs came through the air. The Kohawks split their conversions with 11 of their 21 coming in the passing game.