2003 Season Preview

Fighting Bees Start Season 6-0 For First Time Under Sturdy's Watch
By Ryan Holtmann

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa – In ten seasons at the helm of the St. Ambrose Fighting Bees, coach Todd Sturdy has never started a season 6-0.

All of that changed on Saturday, when fourth-ranked St. Ambrose beat Iowa Wesleyan 41-14 on a chilly and windy day at Mapleleaf Stadium.

“That is as good as effort as they have given us since we lost here in 1998,” Sturdy said of a good Iowa Wesleyan performance, one that gained 364 offensive yards. “They played hard.”

The Fighting Bees started the 1996 season 5-0, but fell the next week at home to the nation’s top team, Findlay (Ohio), by a count of 41-31. That season the Fighting Bees finished 9-1 and just missed the playoffs.

The Fighting Bees of 2004 jumped out to a 27-0 halftime lead and never looked back. The Tigers held the running back duo of Joe Schimmel and Larry Williams to under 100 yards a piece, but the two did combine for 137 yards. Last week, the two combined for 286 yards and five touchdowns against then 14^th-ranke Trinity International.

The Tigers did have trouble with wide receiver Andy Ford and quarterback Jeff Kietzman. Ford led the Fighting Bees attack both on the receiving end and had some luck on the rushing end.

Ford hauled in five passes for 103 yards, one going for a 49-yard score, and another going for an 18-yard touchdown. He also added a 15-yard touchdown run. Ford has now caught 32 passes for 417 yards on the season, which he leads the team in both categories.

“We had some great protection for Kietzman all day and had some solid blocking downfield as well,” Ford said. “It was a great effort all around.”

Kietzman had his best game of the season and completed 18-of-26 for 236 yards and three touchdowns. He would have had a flawless game, but threw an interception late in the second quarter.

“He has played really well as of late,” Sturdy said. “Last week he played well, this week he played well. He did some really good things.”

The passing game even surprised Iowa Wesleyan coach Todd McGhghy.

“We didn’t think they were going to beat us with the pass,” McGhghy said.

The Fighting Bees took control from the word go, driving 80 yards on 12 plays on their first drive. The drive was capped when Kietzman found running back Steve Parker in the endzone for a 4-yard score.

On the ensuing Iowa Wesleyan possession, the Fighting Bees defense forced the Tigers to punt from their own 18-yard line, and the punt was blocked by Nic Gieselman. Brett Walzer recovered the ball at the Iowa Wesleyan 8-yardline for St. Ambrose.

Three runs later, Williams scored his first of two touchdowns on the day, this one a 1-yard score.

The Fighting Bees then took a 27-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. Iowa Wesleyan then provided a minor scare in the beginning stages of the second half.

On the opening kickoff of the second half, Tigers kicker Keith Smith popped the ball 30-feet, straight up into the air in an unusual onsides kick attempt. The Tigers recovered it and began to drive into St. Ambrose territory. The drive was stopped by cornerback Johnny Dickens, who intercepted Tigers’ quarterback Todd Winnie’s pass at the St. Ambrose 27-yardline.

It was Dickens’ sixth interception on the season.

“I hope that there for a minute that we at least gave them a little concern,” McGhghy said. “The effort by our guys was there, but (St. Ambrose) just has a better football team.”

The Tigers would score on their next possession and had a chance to cut the lead to as little as 13, but on two drives, the Tigers fell short.

Ford would put the game away with 53 seconds left in the third quarter with his 15-yard touchdown run to put the Fighting Bees up 34-6.

“We have some guys banged up right now. That was a physical game,” Sturdy said.

The Fighting Bees will return home this Saturday when they welcome Saint Xavier to town. The last time that the Cougars played at Brady Street Stadium, they were victorious by a 24-20 margin. It was the first loss in MSFA Midwest play for the Fighting Bees in 17 games, a record that still stands. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

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