ALMA, Mich. – Calvin ran into a high-powered Alma team Saturday afternoon, suffering a 55-6 loss to homestanding Scots. The Alma win snapped Calvin's four-game win streak and dropped the Knights to 1-1 in league play while Alma improves to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in league play.
Alma rolled up 699 yards of offense including 453 through the air to power past the Knights.
Alma led 38-0 at halftime, scoring 17 in the first quarter and 21 in the second quarter. Alma quarterback Carter St. John tossed four first half touchdown pass – three of them to wide receiver Zach Poff. Poff also tossed a touchdown pass of his own, connecting on a 24-yard strike in the second quarter.
The Scots added two more touchdown passes in the second half to gain even more breathing distance.
Calvin's lone score came from sophomore quarterback
Drake Irwin (Rockford, Mich./Rockford HS) who connected on a 17-yard touchdown pass to freshman
Hudson Shoup (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Latin HS). The touchdown pass was the second of Irwin's collegiate career. The touchdown by Shoup was his second collegiate touchdown and his first by way of the air.
Calvin picked up 324 yards of offense – 192 through the air and 132 on the ground.
Sophomore quarterback
Thomas Vaccaro (Franklin, Tenn./Christ Presbyterian) was 22 of 33 for 168 yards with one interception. Irwin was 2-of-2 for 24 yards and a touchdown. The Knights featured 10 different receivers with one catch or more. Sophomore
Jude Klunder (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian HS) led the Calvin receivers with five grabs for 70 yards. Sophomore
Seth Anderson (Rockford, Mich./Rockford HS) had four catches for 26 yards. Sophomore
Luke Michmerhuizen (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian HS) also had four grabs for 26 yards. Sophomore
Hunter Hogan (Ravenna, Mich./Ravenna HS) also had four catches for 19 yards.
Hogan also had nine carries for 26 yards. The Knights had nine different players with at least one rushing attempt. Freshman
Leighton Kolk (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids HS) led the Knights on the ground with 33 yards on four carries. Irwin had 30 yards on four carries.
Irwin had eight punts with an average of 39.9 yards-per-punt including a long of 53.
Sophomore
Caden Kolanowski (Goodrich, Mich./Goodrich HS) had a team-high nine tackles. Sophomore
Carson Schnurstein (Portage, Mich./Portage Central HS), senior
Brady Jacobs (Grant, Mich./Grant HS), freshman
Paul Hubbard (Southfield, Mich./Wylie E. Groves) and sophomore Kaiden McCullough (Allendale, Mich./Allendale HS) all had seven tackles apiece.
St. John had a big game for Alma, connecting on 16 of 21 passes for 320 yards and five touchdowns. Poff had five catches for 164 yards and three touchdowns while also throwing one.
COACHES COMMENT: "Hats off to Alma and their staff," said Calvin head football coach
Trent Figg. "They did a great job today. Obviously disappointed with the result of the game. As a program we did not play our best today, and against a good Alma team we needed to execute at a high level. All that being said, we are 4-1 headed into the bye week. We have several injuries and we are looking forward to getting healthy and make another big five-game push. As always, Knight Nation showed up in a big way today, and we are so thankful for the unwavering support. I love this team and I am very proud of our growth and maturity as an organization. God Bless and Go Knights!"
NEXT UP: Calvin and the rest of the MIAA schools will have a bye week next weekend. The Knights return to action on October 18 when they host Adrian at 1 p.m. at Calvin Soccer Stadium.
