The Westminster Blue Jays wrapped up their abbreviated 2021 spring football season Saturday with a 35-14 loss to the Iowa Wesleyan Tigers.
Despite the loss, Westminster still won the South Division title in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. The Blue Jays finished the season with a 2-1 record, while Greenville (Ill.) went 1-1 and Iowa Wesleyan was 1-2 in UMAC play. Greenville canceled its final two games - one each against Westminster and Iowa Wesleyan - due to COVID-19 concerns.
Westminster scored first midway through the first quarter of the game at Blue Jay Field at Kent and Judith Mueller Stadium. Taylor Dobbins caught a 22-yard pass from Tim Branneky, and Brad Hammel added the extra point to put the Blue Jays ahead 7-0.
After that, it was all Iowa Wesleyan the rest of the first half.
The Tigers scored touchdowns on four consecutive possessions, starting with a 2-yard pass from Gavin Esquivel to Shomari Wilson.
In the second quarter, Hezekiah Hunter scored on a 1-yard run, then Esquivel added two more touchdown throws: a 40-yard pass to Damian Tanelus and a 70-yard strike to Jaden Harris. Leo Olivera made the extra point following each touchdown, giving Iowa Wesleyan a 28-7 halftime lead.
Wyatt Ellis scored on an 8-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter for Westminster, closing the gap to 28-14. But Hunter put the game away for the Tigers with a 13-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.
The Blue Jays had their final two possessions end with an interception.
Ellis was 15-of-33 passing for 203 yards and three interceptions, but he led Westminster with 16 carries for 76 yards. Kalyn Davis also had 16 carries for 41 yards, as the Blue Jays finished the game with 236 yards passing and 136 yards rushing.
Dominic Licameli led the Westminster defense with seven total tackles, while Hunter Johnson and Dawson Brandt each had six solo stops.
Before the game, Westminster honored its five seniors: Davis, Ben Heimann, Brad Hammel and Fulton High School graduates Alec Fleetwood and Kobe Kaminski.
This spring, Fleetwood led all Blue Jay wide receivers with nine catches for 111 yards. Kaminski, a defensive lineman, had eight total tackles, along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, in three games.