Fighting Bees still perfect after 6

Oct. 21, 2004
By Dan Tomlin
Sports Editor

The first month and a half has been picture perfect for the Fighting Bees as their journey that started Sept. 11 in Dubuque has led them back home with a perfect record of six victories to zero loses.

The Fighting Bees defense has given the team an overwhelming edge in every game thus far.

In the homecoming game the Fighting Bees took on no. 15 Trinity International University. The Trojans came into the game also undefeated with a mirror record of 4-0.

For the third week in a row the Fighting Bees got off to a slow start leading by just 14 points at the break before pouring it on in the fourth quarter and notching not only their fifth win of the season but also their second conference victory in a 42-18 win.

In the game the Fighting Bees offense came alive and tallyed over 500 yards, with nearly 400 of them coming via the ground game.

The senior running back tandum of Joe Schimmel and Larry Williams rushed for 176 and 211 yards respectively while reaching the endzone a combined five times.

These gaudy numbers also included a 77-yard touchdown run for Williams, and a 49-yard scamper to the end-zone for Schimmel.

The defense stepped up big again as well as Luke Perry made and interception as Trinity was in the shadow of their goal, and ran it in for a score. Johnny Dickens also added his fifth interception of the season through as many games.

For the effort, Larry Williams was named NAIA offensive player of the week by naiafootball.net. Williams was also named Midstates Football Association's Midwest League Offensive Player of the Week.

With losses from Carrol College and the University of Mary the Fighting Bees moved up in the national rankings to no. 4.

The Fighting Bees would then travel again and take on the Iowa Wesleyan College Tigers in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.

On this day the running backs would be heald in check by senior Andy Ford would not be. The scrappy wide receiver used his entire 5 foot 8 inch stature to rush, catch, and return 130 yards and three touchdowns.

After catching a 49 yard bomb, Kietzman and Ford hooked up again on a 19 yard pass and catch before Ford would scamper on an end around for a 15-yard touchdown run.

The Fighting Bees accumulated over 400 yards of total offense, this week though it was the passing game that overshadowed the rushing game. Neither Schimmel or Williams eclipsed the century mark in rushing yards.

The defense once again did their job in shutting down the Tigers, and once again Johnny Dickens picked off an errant pass giving him six interceptions.

Through their first six games of the season the Fighting Bees are outscoring opponents 44-10.

Over the last four games of the season the Fighting Bees will be tested to the extreme as they will fafce on St. Xavier, who was ranked as high as 18 nationally, as well as no. 10 McKendree College. Also on the schedule to round out the 2004 campaign are William Penn University and Olivet Nazarene. The Tigers of Olivet defeated the Bees last season.

For coach Todd Sturdy the 6-0 record is the deepest he's been into a season before suffering a loss. So far this season with the offense running, and passing on all cylanders the oulook is bright for the Fighting Bees as they head into the homestrech of their regular season schedule.

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