Ashland’s football team won on senior day against Northern Michigan by a score of 44-14. Ashland improves to a perfect 5-0 at home after their final regular season home game.

“The only thing we messed up today was the alma mater,” head coach Lee Owens jokingly said about the game. The Eagles recite the alma mater after every victory and, even after their seventh win on the year, Owens said, “(They) can not sing the alma mater.”

A huge reason for the offensive explosion was because of the redshirt freshman quarterback Travis Tarnowski. 

Tarnowski was pulled in the third quarter to prevent injury, but not before he threw for 263 yards and five touchdowns. 

Billy Cundiff and Taylor Housewright are the only other Eagle players to throw five touchdown passes in a game.

“This (was) the seniors’ last game at home and I really, as a player, really take that to heart,” Tarnowski said. “A lot of guys took me under their wing.”

Tarnowski has developed a deep relationship with one senior in particular, wide receiver Dan Piko. “Me and (Piko) have grown into a relationship that will last forever.”

Piko had an impressive senior day as he caught four passes for 57 yards and two of them going for touchdowns.

Head coach Lee Owens believes the seniors have greatly contributed to the team, not just in their play but in their leadership as well. “The guys have shown a lot of maturity and toughness.”

From the start of the game, the Eagles offense dominated by scoring on their first seven possessions of the game to take a 44-0 lead. “We wanted to have a good start,” said Owens. “We like to play in front and, more importantly, stay in front.”

 Other keys to the offense were running backs Anthony Taylor and Vance Settlemire. 

Taylor ran for 112 yards and a touchdown and Settlemire packed on another 77 rushing yards as well as an impressive 38 yard touchdown reception. Senior Eric Thompkins and sophomore Kamaron Green both had a touchdown reception as well.

As well as the offense played, the defense played almost as well. 

The defense only allowed the Northern Michigan offense to score 14 points and all of it came with under 10 minutes in the game. The defense did a great job getting into the backfield with three sacks and nine tackles for a loss. 

“The defense is great. We feel like we are one of the best pursuit teams in America right now,” said sophomore linebacker Adam Wallace, who had two of the defense’s three sacks.

The player with the other sack was senior defensive lineman Chase Hoobler and Wallace knows the importance of playing with him. 

“It’s great having Chase on the other side of the line. Either he is pushing (his) guy to me or I’m pushing (my) guy to him and it collapses the line.”

Senior cornerback Donzale Ashley was out of the game due to injury. 

So, freshman Dale Irby stepped up in his first start with three tackles and a pass breakup and he gave credit to the pass rush for the good play of the secondary. 

“Pressure on the quarterback always helps a defensive back.”

Northern Michigan scored their two touchdowns on a three yard run from junior running back Terrance Dye and a four yard pass from backup quarterback Jaranta Lewis to junior receiver Trey Hipke.

Ashland has now improved their record to 7-1 and Northern Michigan’s record falls to 2-6. It was Northern Michigan’s biggest loss of the season.