Football hosts Heidelberg for Senior Day

The Muskingum football team hosts Ohio Athletic Conference foe Heidelberg on Saturday, October 30. The Senior Day game is scheduled to kick off at 1:30 p.m. at Zanesville High School.

The Series

• The contest will mark the 98th meeting between Muskingum and Heidelberg, with the first game being played in 1914. The Muskies lead the all-time series, 56-35-6
• Muskingum recorded its 400th program win against Heidelberg on November 9, 1985. The Muskies beat the Student Princes, 38-31.

Senior Day

• Before the game, Muskingum will recognize nine seniors - Sean Andor, Brian Brown, TJ Boyd, Connor Finnicum, Lucas Forte, Jordan Garrett, Iggy Horvath, Cortez McGinnis, and Chris Shakespeare. The Muskingum will also recognize senior cheerleaders Sabreina Torres and Morgan Anderson.

The Matchup

The Muskies enter the contest at 4-3 overall and 3-3 in the OAC. Muskingum is averaging 340.6 yards and 27.4 points per game. The Muskies are allowing 365.7 yards and 23 points per contest.

Muskingum is led by the captain quad of senior quarterback Jordan Garrett, senior defensive back Brian Brown, senior defensive back Cortez McGinnis, and senior offensive lineman Iggy Horvath.

Garrett leads the offense throwing for 1,448 yards and 11 touchdowns on 115-of-208 passing attempts. He's also rushed for 162 yards and five scores. Junior running back Donny Wilkinson leads the rushing attack with 366 yards and three scores. Wilkinson has also hauled in 17 receptions for 112 yards.

Junior receiver Zuri Edmondson, sophomore receiver Travis Roberson, and junior receiver Ja'Lin Goodman pace the Muskie receiving core. Edmondson has 24 receptions for 445 yards and two touchdowns. Roberson has 23 grabs for 231 yards and three scores, and Goodman has hauled in 23 receptions for 393 yards and three touchdowns.

Sophomore tight end Gannon Unger also plays a pivotal role in the Muskie offense. Unger has rushed for 75 yards and caught 13 balls for 140 yards and two scores. He also has one passing touchdown. 

Freshman linebacker Azarious Williams and senior defensive back Brian Brown lead the Muskie defense. Williams has notched 65 hits and six tackles for loss for 19 yards. Brown has 50 tackles and is tied for sixth all-time at Muskingum in career interceptions with 14. The freshmen tandem of linebacker Toleo Malone and defensive lineman Daniel Robinson have registered a pair of sacks.

Sophomore kicker Hunter Albers and sophomore punter Collin Scozzafava lead the Muskie special teams. Albers is 4-of-6 in field goals (long of 38 yards) and has made 24-of-26 extra-point attempts. Scozzafava is averaging 39.6 yards per punt and has placed nine inside the 20. He connected on a career-best 70-yard punt against John Carroll earlier this season.

Heidelberg enters the contest at 5-2 overall and 4-2 in the OAC. The Student Princes are averaging 410.8 yards and 36 points per outing. Heidelberg is allowing 383.5 yards and 24.3 points per outing.

Sophomore quarterback Drew Sims leads the Heidelberg offense. He has thrown for 1,664 yards and 19 touchdowns on 100-of-186 passing. His top targets are the senior trio of Maceo Matthews Jr., Brandon Reed, and Dimitri Penick. Matthews Jr. has 19 grabs for 407 yards and six scores, while Reed has 26 receptions for 387 yards and five touchdowns. Penick has hauled in 23 balls for 372 yards and four scores.

Junior Montavious Yearby and senior Jace Grossman pace the ground game. Yearby has rushed for 360 yards and three scores, and Grossman has rumbled for 207 yards and four touchdowns.

Junior Griffin Pendry and senior Zachary Blackstone lead the Heidelberg defense. Pendry has logged 43 hits and has one interception, while Blackstone has notched 37 stops with 11.5 tackles for loss for 48 yards, including six sacks.

Junior kicker Branden Steckel has connected on 7-of-8 field goals with a long of 30 yards to pace special team play. Junior punter Parker Smith is averaging 40.7 yards per boot and has placed eight inside the 20.