Two Late First Half TDs Propel Ripon Over Lake Forest
Foresters MWC record evened at 2-2

RIPON, WI - Ripon College used two touchdowns in the final 47 seconds of the first half to give them a 27-7 halftime cushion and propel the Red Hawks to a 40-7 on their Homecoming over visiting Lake Forest College on Saturday (October 7th) in Midwest Conference football contest. 

Lake Forest (2-3, 2-2 MWC), the top rushing team in the conference heading into Saturday's contest at 220.7 yards per game, was held to 175 yards rushing on 49 attempts. 

Ripon (4-1, 3-1 MWC) totaled 422 yards of offense and forced five turnovers (four fumbles and one interception). 

The Red Hawks held a 7-0 lead after the first quarter on the strength of a 26-yard touchdown pass from Brock Bauer to Dan Henken. Ripon stretched their lead to 13-0 with 11:36 remaining in the second half on a Troy DeVoe eight-yard touchdown run. DeVoe finished with 215 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

Lake Forest cut the lead to 13-7 with 59 seconds remaining in the half when Jim Smith (Chicago, IL/Mount Carmel) caught a 26-yard touchdown strike from Andy Heikes (Palos Hills, IL/Stagg). Just one play after a 29-yard Dan Henken kickoff return, Bauer connected with Henken again, this time on a 56-yard touchdown with 47 seconds left in the half. On the day, Henken had five catches for 110 yards. 

Tom Counsell intercepted a Heikes pass on the first play of Lake Forest's ensuing drive, and DeVoe capped off a 33-second, 45-yard drive with a one-yard TD run with one second remaining in the half to make the score 27-7.

Ripon tacked on two more touchdowns in the second half, including a DeVoe 68-yard touchdown run. 

Tom Starnicky (Oak Lawn, IL/Marist) led Lake Forest in rushing with 87 yards on 18 carries. It was the third time in the last four games that Starnicky has rushed for over 85 yards. Since taking over the starting fullback position, Starnicky has averaged 88 yards rushing per game.

Casey Urlacher (Lake Bluff, IL/Lovington (NM)) led Lake Forest in tackles for the fourth game. The conference's leading tackler recorded 13 tackles (5 solo, 8 assisted), including three for loss and a sack. 

Ripon's Counsell finished with eight tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery. 

Lake Forest will seek to even there overall record and jump back above the .500 mark in the MWC when they travel to Appleton, WI next Saturday (October 14th) to face Lawrence University at 1:30. 

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