Oberlin, Ohio – The Oberlin College football team opened their season against Hiram on Saturday afternoon. The home tussle featured blocked kick returned 92 yards by
Kingston Askerneese. Despite an excellent effort by the Crimson and Gold, Oberlin dropped the home opener against Hiram.
Making his Oberlin debut in the shotgun,
Massimo Vliet earned the starting nod at quarterback and threw ten completions for 81 yards and rushed 35.
Ben Suler and
Henry Behrens added to the QB conversation with splitting time as a committee.
Sophomore
Daniel Pressley led the ground corps with 12 rushes, while
JJ Racz continued his WR1 role from last season. Going 34 yards on five receptions, Racz was supported by
CJ Cooper II,
Chip Ravenell, and
Jacob Day who all made multiple catches. Highlighting special teams, newcomer
Ben Rosenblatt exploded for a 40-yard return midway through the second quarter.
Defensively,
Peyton Rough led the team with six solo tackles, and sack that came on a Hiram 1st and 10 in the second quarter.
Andrew Foley and
Cameron Burke also recorded six tackles each, while Foley added a breakup to his line. Askerneese, Jarden Eaton, and
Abraham Cromartie V all shined in the game, while
Jackson Bloomfield anchored the line with a QB hurry and a blocked kick.
In the team's second drive of the game, the Yeomen marched 44 yards down the field for their first trip to the redzone. A 1st and 10 opportunity, Vliet's pass to Cooper II jumped just off the junior's fingertips. After another incompletion on the ensuing play, Vliet rushed through the right for ten yards. The Connecticut native then aimed the ball to the back side of the endzone, but an unlucky tip landed the ball in the Terriers' hands for a touchback.
Down heading into the final period of action, the Yeomen found wind under their wings during an extra point attempt for Hiram. Kicking from the 15, Bloomfield stretched out to block the Terrier's kick, batting it down into the ground. Scooping the ball at 8-yard line, the junior took the ball 92 yards into the endzone out the Yeomen on the board with a pair of points.
Oberlin was unable take the lead off the late-game momentum, falling ultimately to Hiram, 33-2. The Crimson and Gold face a short turnaround before their next game, coming on Thursday, September 10 when they head to Denison for their first road test. The North Coast Athletic Conference season kicks off, under the lights, at 7 p.m.
Keep up with the
Crimson and Gold on
Instagram,
Facebook, and
TikTok, and watch every home game on the
Oberlin Sports Network online or on Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV.
