MOUNT VERNON, Iowa - The Coe College football team opened its 2021 season with its 21st straight victory over Cornell College, knocking off the Rams 38-7 at Van Metre Field. The Kohawks took an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter and added 10 points prior to the halftime break. The dominant effort continued into the second half for the Kohawks, who scored two touchdowns early in the third quarter to take a 31-0 advantage. Cornell finally got on the board at the start of the fourth quarter but a Coe touchdown with 5:28 to play ended any comeback attempt. The Kohawks open the season with a victory for the first time since the 2017 season when they defeated UW-River Falls 13-9. 
 
Quarterback Carter Maske led the offense, going 17-of-22 with 262 yards and two touchdowns. Junior wide receiver tandem Dominic Shepardson and Amel Saric were Maske's favorite targets as the pair combined for 13 catches, 175 yards and two touchdowns. Shepardson, who scored in the first half, finished with 111 yards while Saric, who got in the end zone in the third quarter, posted 64 yards. Alphonso Soko led the rushing attack in his first collegiate game, racking up 13 totes for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Soko scored from four yards out in the first quarter and from two yards out later in the third quarter. Defensively, six Kohawks turned in four-tackle performances as sophomore Alex Aitchison had a team-high five stops. The defense also recorded three sacks in the game, two from Cedric Nah and one from Ethan Krueger. 
 
Coe 38 - Cornell 7
Game Facts

• After the Kohawk defense stopped the Rams on their opening drive, the offense manufactured a five-play touchdown drive which was capped off by Soko's first collegiate score.
• Coe again forced a punt from Cornell on its second drive of the game, holding the Rams to five plays before the change of possession. 
• Coach Staker's team took over on its own three-yard line after a solid punt but Coe added to its lead thanks to a 13-play, 82-yard drive that resulted in an Evan Ellis field goal. 
• Following the Ram's first three-and-out of the game, the Kohawks scored again, extending their lead to 17-0. Maske and Shepardson hooked up three times on the scoring drive for plays of 28, 11 and the 19-yards with the latter going for the duo's first TDs of the season. 
• Coe started the second half with the ball and Maske did not disappoint, leading another touchdown drive while connecting with Joe Barreras for a 23-yard pass. Soko again capped off the drive, this time from two yards out to push the score to 24-0 with 10:57 to play.
• Cornell went three-and-out in its first possession of the third quarter, punting it back to Coe but a block by Jon Bell set up the offense in plus-territory. 
• Maske went to Saric on the next scoring drive, connecting with his high school teammate twice during the march including a 21-yard touchdown catch where Saric strolled into the end zone untouched. 
• The Rams finally got on the board early in the fourth quarter, scoring on a 14-yard touchdown after a blocked punt gave them positive field position. 
• Nick Casey, who entered the game midway through the third quarter, led the final scoring drive of the game. The junior from West Delaware connected with Tre Walker for a five-yard touchdown pass, capping off an eight-play drive while making it 38-7.  

Up next: The Kohawks are back in action next weekend on Saturday, September 11 when they host Hope College at Clark Field at 1 p.m. 
 
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