Baldwin Wallace Claims OAC Football Championship

11/8/2026 3:12:27 PM

Baldwin Wallace Claims OAC Football Championship

No. 13 Yellow Jackets hold off Mount Union, 27–21, at Kehres Stadium

Game Recap

No. 13 Baldwin Wallace clinched the 2026 Ohio Athletic Conference football championship with a 27–21 win over Mount Union on Saturday afternoon at Kehres Stadium in Alliance. The unbeaten Yellow Jackets (9–0, 7–0 OAC) won their first OAC title since 1994 and their first outright conference crown since 1991. The title also gives them the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.

How It Happened

The first quarter was scoreless, and a special-teams mistake broke it open. Devin Boyle recovered a muffed Mount Union punt at the Purple Raiders' 5-yard line, and two plays later Charlie Bubonics hit Xavier Balson for a 3-yard touchdown at 11:57 of the second quarter. Owen Warrick added a 41-yard field goal with 1:52 left in the half for a 10–0 lead. The BW defense held Mount Union to 22 yards on five first-half possessions, and all five ended in punts.

The third quarter turned into a shootout. Mikey Maloney's 19-yard run capped an 11-play, 73-yard drive that pulled Mount Union within 10–7. Bubonics answered with a 49-yard touchdown strike to Seandelle Gardner. On the very next snap, Maloney found Brayden Harris for a 55-yard score to make it 17–14. Baldwin Wallace responded with a 12-play, 80-yard march that took 4:55 off the clock, and Bubonics capped it with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Colin Quinlan for a 24–14 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Blake Hopkins forced a Maloney fumble that JD Crouse recovered at the BW 40. That set up Warrick's 43-yard field goal with 5:49 to play, making it 27–14. Mount Union needed only 37 seconds to answer, as Maloney connected with Kayden Minner on a 17-yard touchdown that cut the gap to 27–21.

The Purple Raiders got the ball back at their own 23 with 1:49 left and drove into BW territory. Steph Davis sacked Maloney for a 7-yard loss to set up 2nd-and-17 at the BW 47. Three straight incompletions followed, and Baldwin Wallace took over on downs with 48 seconds left and ran out the clock.

Top Performers

Baldwin Wallace
  • Charlie Bubonics – 21-of-30 passing, 218 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
  • George Linberger – 28 carries, 128 yards
  • JD Crouse – 5 tackles, 3 sacks, fumble recovery
Mount Union
  • Mikey Maloney – 16-of-27 passing, 200 yards, 2 TD; 19-yard rushing TD
  • Brayden Harris – 3 catches, 94 yards, 1 TD
  • Jackson Harris – game-high 14 tackles

Noteworthy

  • Baldwin Wallace won its first OAC championship since 1994 and its first outright conference title since 1991.
  • BW controlled the ball for 40:11 to Mount Union's 19:49. The Yellow Jackets ran 87 plays to 53, outgained the Purple Raiders 430–263 and converted 10 of 20 third downs.
  • The BW defense recorded six sacks and forced three fumbles, recovering all three. Mount Union was held to 63 rushing yards and 2-of-11 on third down.
  • Xavier Balson led BW receivers with 9 catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. Bubonics threw touchdown passes to three different receivers.
  • Warrick went 2-for-2 on field goals (41 and 43 yards) and 3-for-3 on extra points.
  • Mount Union falls to 6–3 overall and 5–2 in the OAC. They close the regular season at Otterbein on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 12:45 p.m.
  • Baldwin Wallace finishes the regular season at home against Muskingum on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 1:30 p.m.
  • The NCAA Division III Football Championship selection show airs Sunday, Nov. 15, at 5 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.