ALLIANCE, Ohio – No. 3 Mount Union erased a two-score deficit at halftime; however, No. 5 Wheaton held on for a 24-23 win in the 2026 season opener.
Mount Union junior quarterback
Mikey Maloney (Concord Township, OH/Painesville Riverside) threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns, to go along with 44 on the ground. Those two touchdowns went to senior WR
Omari Allen (Miami, FL/Dr. Krop Senior) (the first of Allen's career) and junior RB
Kayden Minner (New Madrid, MO/New Madrid County Central).
Minner finished with over 100 yards of total offense (51 rushing and 50 receiving). He ran it in from one yard out with 22 seconds left to set up the potential tying point; however, Mount Union's extra point was blocked by Wheaton's Aidan Bryne.
Junior WR
Mason Ashby (North Canton, OH/Hoover) had a career day as he led the Raiders with eight catches for 79 yards (both career bests).
Mount Union (0-1) battled back from being down 17-7 at halftime and tied it at 17 following a 28-yard field goal by
Connell Rafferty (Macedonia, OH/Nordonia) with 2:14 left in the third quarter. Wheaton (1-0) regained the lead at 24-17 when quarterback Mark Forcucci found Malachi Jones for a five-yard touchdown with 5:28 remaining.
Sophomore
Gavin Ehrhardt (Avon, OH/Avon) led the Raider defense with nine tackles, followed by juniors
Dagan Meyers (Port Clinton, OH/Port Clinton) and
Ricky Levak (Nordonia, OH/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) with seven each. Sophomore
Rickie Williams (Montgomery, AL/Montgomery Catholic Prep.) picked off his first career interception. Williams and sophomore
Keymaurie Henderson (Dayton, OH/Trotwood-Madison) both earned their first career sacks.
The loss snaps Mount Union's season-opening win streak of 38 and a regular season win streak of 85.
The Purple Raiders will play non-conference foe Grove City in its home opener at Kehres Stadium next Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
