Xavier College of Cincinnati put themselves in control of the Great Lakes South with a 36-21 defeat of previously-unbeaten Marshall.

 

The two teams had already met once, with Xavier coming back from 17 points down to tie the game 22-22. So with both tams having beaten their other two in-conference opponents, Kent State and Cedarville, this second game seemed to be for all the marbles. And it was the home team, Xavier, that came through.

 

Led by young Matt Flynn, a prop who slotted in at No. 8 and was a terror, and with Harry Lee playing well at his new position of inside center, Xavier ramped up their offensive output - scoring their most points of any league game this season.

 

Flyhalf Dan Heisterkamp was also a key part o the Xavier victory.

 

“Matt Flynn was just out of sight on Saturday,” said longtime Xavier Coach Shaun Gaffney. “And Dan and Harry are also really talented.”

Lee and Flynn are both graduates of the highly-regarded Gonzaga HS program out of the DC-area.

 

Gaffney said a new defensive system put into place earlier this season seems to be taking hold.

 

“We are never the bigger team,” he said. “So we have to rely on playing together and our fitness. We hired a fitness coach and we know we can always be fitter, but that’s how we approach the game.

 

“Marshall is really big and they have these tough former football players, and when they break through, they’re gone. So we can’t let them break through.”

 

Gaffney said he’d like to see his team avoid mistakes a little better, and learn how to read space a little more - “if we did that we’d be scoring in the 50s and 60s.” he said.

 

But for now things look good for the Cincinnati school. Kent State and Cedarville remain on the schedule, and Cedarville have already forfeited. So it comes down to beating Kent State if they want to clinch first in the Great Lakes South.

 

Meanwhile in the Great Lakes North Saginaw Valley upset Grand Valley State to create a logjam at the top with three teams (Oakland also won) at 2-1.

 

It all comes down to the next couple of weeks. Saginaw plays at Oakland University on Saturday, and then Ferris State the following Friday. Grand Valley is at Oakland October 18 and hosts Ferris State the following Friday.

 

It will likely all come down to who can win, and win big, in those games.   

Great Lakes South	W	L	T	Pa	Pf	Pd	BT	BL	Pts
Xavier	2	0	1	91	50	41	2	0	12
Marshall	2	0	1	96	44	52	1	0	11
Kent State	1	2	0	81	93	-12	1	0	5
Cedarville	0	3	0	23	104	-81	0	0	0
Great Lakes North	W	L	T	Pa	Pf	Pd	BT	BL	Pts
Grand Valley State	2	1	0	102	58	44	2	0	10
Saginaw Valley	2	1	0	105	68	37	2	0	10
Oakland	2	1	0	68	61	7	1	0	9
Ferris State	0	3	0	27	115	-88	0	0	0