DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – The No. 2 ranked Mount Union football team won, 22-6, at No. 8 ranked Delaware Valley in the NCAA Playoffs Quarterfinals on Saturday in a battle of unbeatens. The Purple Raiders (13-0) advance to the Semifinals for the second-straight year.
Mount Union senior quarterback
Braxton Plunk (Plant City, Fla./Plant City) threw a pair of touchdowns as he went 19-of-28 for 206 yards. 10 of Plunk's completions went to Ruby who led all receivers with 143 yards and a touchdown, extending his streak of catching a touchdown in every game this year. Ruby has 100-yard receiving games on the season. Senior
DeAndre Parker (Crystal River, Fla./Crystal River) rushed for a game-high 122 yards with a touchdown, his eighth 100-yard rushing game of the year.
Junior
Mason McMillen (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) and sophomore
Rossy Moore (Lima, Ohio/Lima Central Catholic) led the Raider defense with two sacks apiece and totaled nine tackles each.
Mount Union set the tone on the opening drive with a 12-play, 65-yard drive, capped off with Parker running it in from one yard out for his conference-leading 18 rushing score of the season.
Later in the first quarter, Mount senior defensive lineman
Duke Hill (Memphis, Tenn./Germantown) blocked a punt which was recovered by sophomore defensive lineman
Von Factor (Fair Haven, N.J./Rumson-Fair Haven), setting up the Raiders' next score. Plunk connected with classmate
Jaden Manley (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Hartley) for a six-yard touchdown pass to go up 14-0 with 13 minutes to play in the first half.
The Raider defense forced a three-and-out to start the second half, followed by a 19-yard punt return by senior
Orreon Finley (Memphis, Tenn./KIPP Memphis Collegiate). Five plays later, Mount extended its lead when Plunk threw a dime to Ruby for a 15-yard touchdown.
Later in the third, Delaware Valley (12-1) got on board when sophomore Louie Barrios IV found junior Tahmir Barksdale for a 24-yard touchdown pass. Mount, however, responded on its ensuing drive on the first play with a 36-yard pass and catch from Plunk to Ruby. The Aggie defense forced a turnover on downs, however, the Raider defense forced a punt. Mount followed with a 10-play, 6-minute drive. The Raiders had to punt, however, first-year kicker/punter
Elliott Warner (New Philadelphia, Ohio/New Philadelphia) pinned the Aggies at the one-yard line with a perfectly-placed 39-yard boot. On DelVal's first play, Moore sealed the Raider win with a safety sack.
Mount will play No. 12 Wartburg College (Iowa) next Saturday, Dec. 10 at a time and location to be announced on Sunday.
