By Max Ferguson, Staff Writer
This past weekend, the Bullets secured their first win over McDaniel since 2016. An explosive first half characterized this milestone for the team. The 0-4 McDaniel Green Terror made the grave mistake of committing the ultimate disrespect in football: they booked Gettysburg as their homecoming game. This quiet disrespect to the Bullets must have charged them to play the best they could. What makes this win even more impressive is that they beat McDaniel in hostile territory, which has not happened since 2015.
Gettysburg completely shut down McDaniel on their first possession of the game. McDaniel’s initial drive, in which they made no forward progress, lasted less than two minutes. Justin Rhyne ’26, Vic Hoffman ’24, and Mike Del Grande ’24 were all credited in making tackles that forced a punt.
Gettysburg made good progress downfield thanks in part to Peter Schelling ’24, who gained more than five yards per carry on the drive, as well as James McCarren ’26, who caught a 22-yard pass from Rocco Abdinoor ’26. The progress was unfortunately cut short by a pick thrown by Abindoor. However, McDaniel threw a pick of their own in the next possession to bail the Bullets out.
Gettysburg took over at the McDaniel 13 after the interception. A personal foul committed by McDaniel followed by a false start by Jacob Kezmarsky ’24 netted a gain of seven yards. McDaniel mounted pressure both on the line of scrimmage and downfield. Abindoor was forced to scramble and could not complete a pass. On 4th and 8, Gettysburg settled for three on a kick made by Rob Meyer ’24 from the 27-yard line.
The next score in this game came immediately after, when McDaniel fumbled the punt return, which was recovered by Brett Lewis ’25 on McDaniel’s 36-yard line. Abindoor then threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Walle Harwigsson Lundblad ’26. Meyer successfully completed the extra point attempt, which put the Bullets up 10-0.
The Green Terror got on the board with a touchdown of their own in the second quarter. Gettysburg responded with an impressive 18-yard return from Luke Denison ’25, and marched down the field with a number of big plays. Michael Zrelak ’25 rushed for 10 yards, and Abindoor then ran for 20 yards, which became 35 after he got facemasked by a McDaniel defensive back. The drive concluded with a hand-off to Zrelak who ran in two yards for a touchdown, which widened the gap to a 17-7 score in favor of the Bullets
Gettysburg then proceeded to suffocate McDaniel, forcing them to give up the ball after just four plays. On the next drive, Gettysburg had to punt as well, but McDaniel turned over the ball on downs after a questionable decision to pass on 4th and 12.
The exchange of scoreless possessions left the Bullets with only about a minute to score, but they managed to execute. Gettysburg consistently earned positive yardage on each play and committed no fouls. Their clock management on this drive also ensured they could make it into the endzone. Most routes played the sideline and when they didn’t, the coaching staff called a timeout. The half ended with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Klein ’24.
Gettysburg’s offense was not as explosive in the second half as they were in the first. The only score in the third quarter from the Bullets was a field goal. However, it was not a bad showing for the team, as they shut out McDaniel from scoring in the third altogether.
The fourth quarter was a completely different story. Meyer missed a field goal, which McDaniel then answered with a touchdown. The next time the Bullets got the ball, the drive ended with a turnover on downs due to an incomplete pass. Again, McDaniel responded with another touchdown. Despite the fourth quarter, Gettysburg managed to escape with a 27-20 victory.
This game was definitely a positive showing for the Bullets. They clearly have the personnel to effectively score, which was visible in the second quarter when they scored two touchdowns. If anything, the Bullets have a conditioning and pacing problem, as their explosive play in the first half led to a sloppy, tired, unproductive showing in the second. If the Bullets can get into a rhythm where they can be as intense as possible for four quarters, they should expect a lot more wins.
The Bullets will take on Johns Hopkins in Baltimore on Friday, Oct. 6.
