By Ken Graham
The Times
Bartlow-Led EOU Upsets Defending NAIA Champs
After beating No. 1 Marian U., Mountaineers move on to NAIA Semifinals
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Nick Page
Dayton photographer Nick Page traveled with the Eastern Oregon team to Indianapolis last week to photograph their quarterfinal game against Marian U. Here, Quarterback Zach Bartlow outruns the pass rush as he looks for a receiver.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Eastern Oregon University football team, led by quarterback and Waitsburg native Zach Bartlow, won the biggest game in school history Saturday, beating defending NAIA national champions and number-one ranked Marian University, 17-0.
With the win, the Mountaineers advanced to the NAIA semifinals, and are set to play Baker University Saturday, in Baldwin City, Kansas, for a shot at the national championship game.
The game against Marian was a defensive battle in which neither offense scored a touchdown. EOU intercepted Marian's quarterback six times in the game, including a 35-yard pick-six in the second quarter for the game's first touchdown. The Mountaineers also got a field goal in the second quarter.
In the third quarter, EOU punt returner Isaiah Ritchie scored on a 64-yard punt return to build the score to 17-0.
Bartlow completed 21 passes for 131 yards, and was named offensive player of the game. He was intercepted once.
The Mountaineers ended Marian's 20-game unbeaten streak, that included a victory in last year's national championship game. In the 10-year history of the Marian football program, the team has appeared in three NAIA national championship games and won two championships. Before Saturday, the Marian had never been shut out.
As The Times reported last week, Bartlow, who led Waitsburg to the 2011 state 2B championship, has started at quarterback for EOU for three years. This year he led them to a 10-2 record and second-place finish in the Frontier conference.
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