BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- The Siena Heights football team fell 20-17 against 10th-ranked Olivet Nazarene to open the 2021 season. The game was a defensive grind for both teams. Junior linebacker Kole Murlin (Celina, Ohio) anchored the Saint defense as he broke his previous school record of 19 tackles with 22 tackles in the contest.
Gabe Callery (R-Jr. | Traverse City, Mich.) pulled down nine tackles and had one of the two interceptions for the SHU defense. Antonio Simley (R-So. | Sterling Heights, Mich.) had the other pick, which he returned to the Tiger one-yard line to set up the second Siena Heights touchdown in the game. Andrew Loria (R-Sr. | Sterling Heights, Mich.) and Vincent Walker (R-Jr. | Midland, Mich.) each tallied a sack.
Hayden Lehmann (R-Fr. | Fremont, Ohio) finished 9-22 for 120 yards and touchdown under center. Jared Jordan (R-Jr. | Grosse Point Woods, Mich.) ran for 51 yards on 11 carries while Eric Williams II (R-So. | South Bend, Ind.) led the wideouts with four grabs for 55 yards and a receiving score.
Siena Heights jumped to a quick 7-0 lead following a 63-yard opening kickoff return by Williams II. Lehmann connected with Williams II on the second play from scrimmage with a 43-yard touchdown pass. Anthony Secchi (Jr. | Sterling Heights, Mich.) added the point after for the lead.
The Tigers tied things up two drives later when a blocked punt set ONU up with starting field position at the SHU 39-yard line. Aaje Grayson caught a 27-yard pass and then ran for nine yards to cap the two-play drive and tie the game with 9:32 left in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Simley's interception of David Hutton's pass put the Saints on the ONU one-yard line and Lehmann pushed the pile to score a rushing touchdown and recapture the lead for Siena (14-7) just under a minute into the second quarter. A Bryce Deguira field-goal at the end of the half cut the SHU lead to four points (14-10) as the teams moved into the locker room.
The Tigers took a 17-14 lead in the opening drive of the second half when a Grayson rush capped a five-play 78-yard drive with 12:45 left in the third.
Deguira extended the lead to six points with a field goal at the 13:39 mark of the fourth quarter. The following Saint drive sputtered at the ONU 26 and Secchi hit a 43-yard field goal to bring Siena Heights within three points of the lead, 20-17, with just over 10 minutes left in regulation.
Olivet Nazarene held onto the ball for the next 5:30 and Deguira attempted a 22-yard field goal to push the lead back to six, but missed to give SHU the ball back with 5:02 left on their own 20-yard line. Lehmann rushed for only seven yards on a 3rd and 10, but a personal foul on ONU gave Siena an automatic first down on their 43-yard line. The Saints moved the ball to the plus side of the field but stalled and faced a 4th down and 8. With one final shot, Lehmann threw a pass to Jordan, but it fell incomplete and the Tigers took over on downs and killed the clock to seal the win.
UP NEXT
The Saints have a bye week next Saturday before returning home to play Saint Xavier inside O'Laughlin Stadium on Saturday, September 18 at noon, EST.
