Box Score Nov. 16, 2013 - The Concordia Cougars headed into the offseason with one of their top performances of the 2013 season. Behind 556 total yards of offense which included a 219-yard rushing game by C.J. Woodford (Detroit, MI/John Glenn), the Cougars defeated the Crusaders of Maranatha Baptist Bible College by a final score of 48-22 in River Forest.

Concordia took full charge of the game in the first half, scoring on its first five possessions and taking a 34-0 lead by halftime. After the defense held Maranatha to a three-and-out on the opening possession, the Cougars opened their first drive at the Crusaders' 45. Woodford's 10-yard run and Acusio Bivona's (Los Angeles, CA/Hamilton) 14-yard completion to Marc Williams (Houston, TX/Westside) soon moved the Cougars into the red zone. On a third-and-goal from the five, Bivona handed off to Woodford who slipped through a hole on the right side and scored standing up. The extra point was added by Wil Suhrbur (Berwyn, IL/Morton West) for the early 7-0 lead.

It took less than a minute for the Cougars to get the ball back, and they needed just three plays to find the end zone. Bivona hit Nelyja Floyd (West Palm Beach, FL/Park Vista) for 15 yards and , following an eight-yard run by Woodford, Bivona found Williams for 20 yards and the score.

The third Cougars' possession took all of 13 seconds after Maranatha was forced to punt. From the 26, Woodford got free on the right side and outraced the secondary for a 74-yard touchdown run. A two-point conversion attempt failed, but Concordia's lead stood at 20-0 with 4:31 still to play in the first quarter.

As the second quarter began, the Cougars were on the move again thanks to a 50-yard Bivona-to-Floyd completion. The drive would culminate in Woodford's third touchdown run, this one from 21 yards out.

Maranatha's ensuing possession saw them make their first inroads deep into Concordia territory. Quarterback Brandon McCormick's scrambling ability helped the visitors pick up a couple of first down, and a 19-yard pass to Joel Kobosh helped MBBC move the chains. The Crusaders reached the eight-yard line but. on fourth and goal, McCormick was intercepted at the goal line by Austin Moore (Lake Orion, MI/St. Mary's) to quell the threat.

The turnover would pay off for the Cougars moments later. Woodford broke free for another huge touchdown run, this one covering 85 yards down the right sideline. The play brought his rushing yardage to 198 midway through the quarter, and his fourth rushing touchdown of the game tied a school record held by four other players.

Late in the half, the Crusaders threatened to dent the scoreboard as Timothy Matzke's interception set up the visitors at the CUC 16. However, the CUC defense would stiffen, and a 37-yard field goal attempt was off the mark to the right. Before the half was over, Woodford added 11 more rushing yards for a first-half total of 209 as Concordia took a 34-0 lead to the locker room after 30 minutes.

The second half began with some trickery as Maranatha executed a successful onside kick. The Crusaders drove to the 29, but sacks by Tim Bahr (Hartland, WI/Lake Country Lutheran) and Sang Lee (Tucson, AZ/Canyon Del Oro) on consecutive plays turned the visitors aside once again.

Bivona drove the Cougars downfield with completions of 20 yards to Elijah Walker ((Hobart, IN/H.S.) and 25 yards to Nick Awrey (Marquette, MI/Saginaw Nouvel Catholic). From the 12-yard line, Bivona found Williams
on a short route to the left, and Williams turned the corner on the defender to reach the end zone. The extra point by Danny Colapietro (Norridge, IL/Maine South) made the score Cougars 41, Crusaders 0.

Late in the quarter, an interception by Bryndon Williams (Fort Wayne, IN/Concordia Lutheran) deep in CUC territory thwarted another potential scoring drive by the Crusaders. However, on the next play, the Cougars' pass was deflected and wound up in the hands of Shane Saxon who returned it six yards to put Maranatha on the board.

Maranatha threatened for more moments later as a bad snap on a punt gave them possession at the Concordia 15. But the Cougars escaped as Moore made his second interception of the game, the third takeaway for Concordia deep in their own end.

Tanner Carrillo led the Crusaders to their first offensive touchdown on the next drive. He completed passes of 23 and 18 yards to Joel Kobosh and later found Clint Saxon from 10 yards out for the score. Maranatha added a two-point conversion to make the score Concordia 41, Maranatha 15 with 6:31 remaining.

Each team added a touchdown in the late going. Concordia's score came as Sean Liaromatis (Wilmington, IL/H.S.) hit Williams down the left sideline for 45 yards and Williams' third scoring reception of the day. Maranatha capped the scoring in the final minute as Carrillo connected with Kobosh from 15 yards out.

Concordia amassed its 556 yards on 235 rushing and 321 passing. Woodford finished with his 219 yards on 14 carries and ended the season as CUC's leading rusher with 797 yards and 6.3 yards per carry. In the passing game, Bivona completed 15 of 18 passes for 232 yards and Liaromatis seven of 10 passes for 89 yards. Williams led the receivers with eight catches for 133 yards.

For Maranatha, quarterbacks Carrillo and McCormick combined for 20 of 42 passing for 215 yards with Kobosh serving as the top target (six catches for 104 yards. The Crusaders' rushing game was limited to 115 yards, led by Clint Saxon's 41 yards.

Defensively, CUC's Lee led both teams with six solo and five tackle assists. Pat Ugolini (Seneca, IL/H.S.) and Marcus Frazier (Chicago, IL/Evergreen Park) each finished with 4.5 total tackles. For Maranatha, Jordan Dersch recorded eight solo tackles and one assist.

The Cougars finished 2013 with an overall record of 2-8. They are scheduled to open the 2014 season next Sept. 13 with a road game at the University of Chicago.