Ohio Dominican saved its best defensive stand for the final two minutes Saturday, as Mason Welsch intercepted a pass in the end zone to seal a 26-21 win over Tiffin at Frost-Kalnow Stadium — the Panthers’ first victory on that field in nearly 12 years, according to Ohio Dominican University Athletics.
Tiffin had driven into the red zone with 1:41 remaining, threatening to erase a lead Ohio Dominican had held since the first quarter. Welsch’s interception ended the threat and gave the Panthers (5-5 overall, 4-4 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference) their second straight win over the Dragons, who fell to 6-4 overall and 5-3 in the conference. BVM Sports’ summary of the game confirmed the final score and both teams’ records.
Quarterback Carson Parker accounted for all three Ohio Dominican touchdowns. He threw for 210 yards on 21 completions and connected with Luke Hess twice — a 7-yard touchdown just over two minutes into the game, set up by a muffed Tiffin punt, and a 31-yard score in the second quarter. Hess finished with seven catches for 89 yards.
Parker also ran for a touchdown, scoring from 3 yards out on fourth-and-2 to stretch the lead to 20-7, and Ohio Dominican carried that 20-7 advantage into halftime, Ohio Dominican University Athletics reported in its official recap.
Kicker Ryan Elliot added field goals of 26 and 21 yards on back-to-back second-half drives, pushing the margin to 26-14 with 3:01 left in the third quarter. Tiffin closed the gap to five points in the fourth quarter, setting up the final defensive series.
The Panthers’ defense made the difference all afternoon. Ohio Dominican forced four takeaways — two fumbles and two interceptions — recorded eight tackles for loss, and held Tiffin to just 1-of-15 on third downs. Treyton Schroeder’s interception was his sixth of the season, tying the school’s single-season record set by Alessio Amato in 2019, and the Panthers’ 19 interceptions this fall rank second in program history.
Tiffin outgained Ohio Dominican 313 yards to 252, including a 147-42 edge on the ground, but the Dragons’ turnovers and third-down struggles kept them chasing the game. Ohio Dominican’s passing attack produced 210 of its 252 yards.
What happens next: Ohio Dominican closes its season at home, hosting Hillsdale on Saturday, November 14, in Columbus for the season finale and Senior Day, according to Ohio Dominican University Athletics.
Photo: Nheyob, CC BY-SA