Central Rallies But Ends Up With Tie -- Findlay Grabs Share Of Naia Football Title

TACOMA - Trailing by two touchdowns, the Central Washington Wildcats battled back and earned a share of the NAIA Division II national football championship as the result of a 21-21 tie with Findlay, Ohio, yesterday at the Tacoma Dome.

Jon Kitna, Central's record-setting quarterback, ended his college career by completing 23 of 39 passes for 286 yards and all three Wildcat touchdowns - 26 yards to Kenny Russaw, 49 yards to E.J. Henderson and 7 yards to Todd Murray.

Troy Pearson, a punishing runner inside, gained 176 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead Findlay in front of 5,628 fans.

But for all the offense - 383 yards for Findlay, 321 for Central - and considering what was at stake, it was difficult to find anyone who was happy with the outcome.

"We didn't come here to tie a team. We came here to beat a team," Central's Russaw said.

Findlay's Pearson said he wasn't happy because the Oilers had their sights set on winning the national championship in August, not tying for it.

"I'm disappointed," he said of the second tie in 10 years in an NAIA Division II title game.

"We're co-champs. . . . We've never been co-champs, and yet we're feeling kind of bad," Central Coach Jeff Zenisek said.

Findlay Coach Dick Strahm said the outcome felt closer to a loss.

"It was more like a loss to us because we did what we wanted to do and didn't win," Strahm said.

Findlay wanted to run the ball effectively and dominate time of possession, which it did in rushing for 339 yards and having more than an 18-minute possession advantage.

But it still might have been a loss for the Oilers if Central's kicker, Marty Greenlee, had made either one of two field-goal attempts he missed with the score tied at 21 in the fourth quarter. With 13:13 to play, his 45-yard attempt was wide right and short. With six seconds left, his 40-yard attempt was wide left.

For Greenlee, a freshman from Ephrata, it has been that kind of season - two for 16.

He said that while standing on the sideline as the fourth-quarter opportunities arose he thought he would erase all those bad memories by hitting the game-winner in this national championship game.

"I was thinking this has got to be my time to shine," Greenlee said. "But it just didn't happen."

Greenlee offered no excuses, refusing to blame a high snap on the second attempt.

"It's my head," Greenlee said.

He added, however, that he will dwell on the positive - the fact he made all three of his point-after-touchdown kicks in improving his season total to 45 for 57.

"If I wouldn't have made them it wouldn't have been a tie," he said.

The game evolved into what was expected - a battle of offensive contrasts featuring Central's wide-open passing attack and Findlay's ball-control, ground-bound wishbone formation that worked well even though starting quarterback Bo Hurley was lost early in the first quarter with a knee injury.

Andy Booth replaced Hurley and engineered touchdown drives of 68 and 65 yards that propelled the Oilers into a 14-0 lead. Pearson scored on a one-yard slant and a tackle-breaking 24-yard blast.

By then, the Wildcats were struggling on both sides of the ball. The defense was unable to cope with the unfamiliar wishbone. Kitna was experiencing more pressure than he had all season.

But with just 1:07 to play in the first half, Kitna, from the Findlay 26-yard line, rolled to his left, then passed across field to his right toward Russaw in the end zone. The ball arrived just before the defensive back, Larry Williams.

Adjustments made at halftime paid off for Central. Defensively, more stunts and slants helped slow Findlay's wishbone. Offensively, going to a no-huddle, two-minute format kept Findlay from consistently getting fresh defensive linemen into the game and into Kitna's face.

"We had to make adjustments. They were just pinning their ears back and coming at us," said Kitna, who was sacked four times in the first half and once in the second.

The Wildcats pulled into a 14-14 tie with 7:32 to play in the third quarter on Kitna's 49-yard touchdown pass to Henderson.

Findlay answered with a 65-yard, 11-play drive that consumed 6:01 and resulted in a 3-yard touchdown run by Booth that put the Oilers ahead 21-14.

Central came right back with a 72-yard, seven-play TD sprint. Murray scored on a screen pass from Kitna. Greenlee's kick made it 21-21.

After that, the closest Findlay got to scoring was the Central 35.

A fumble recovery gave Central a first down on the Findlay 24, but the scoring threat expired with Greenlee's 45-yard miss. Later, the Wildcats drove to a first down at the Oiler 29, but that threat expired with Greenlee's 40-yard miss on fourth and four from the 23.

Pearson was named offensive player of the game. Central tackle Shawn Raykovich was named defensive player of the game.