RELEASED: June 2, 2005

DANVILLE, KY—Centre College can claim to be winners on two continents, after its football team concluded its spring season with a 21-6 exhibition win over the Great Britain Lions on Saturday, May 28, at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London, England. (Could this be the beginning of another Centre-beats-Harvard like formula—C21-GB6?)

Centre's defense limited the Lions to only 134 total yards and did not allow an offensive score. Great Britain's lone points came off a 32-yard interception return midway through the fourth quarter.

"We played well for three quarters, but lost our intensity in the fourth quarter," Centre head coach Andy Frye says. "Defensively, I was impressed with our intensity. There were numerous opportunities for the national team, but we were able to keep them out of the end zone."

The Colonels scored two touchdowns in the first quarter to take an early 14-0 lead. Sophomore quarterback Kevin Phelps of Leitchfield, Ky., found pay dirt on a one-yard run and then connected on a 15-yard pass to sophomore receiver Zach Brooks of Owensboro, Ky., for the second score of the period.

Freshman Paul Boccieri of Louisville, Ky., caught a nine-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Jordan Tinnell also of Louisville in the second quarter to give the Colonels a 21-0 lead at the half.

"I was impressed with their size up front," Frye says. "They were definitely the largest, most developed team we've played. Most of their players were from 25-35 years of age. They had good skill and good speed."

Centre gained 127 yards on the ground and 145 through the air for 272 total yards of offense. Junior running back Adam Blandford of Middletown, Ohio, carried the ball 12 times for 86 yards and also caught two passes for 11 yards.

Phelps led all four quarterbacks, completing 10 of his 14 pass attempts for 87 yards. Tinnell finished the game four of five for 43 yards.

Freshman running back BJ Wright, an accomplished classical bassist from Louisville, led the Colonels with three receptions for 16 yards. Junior receivers Lou Brenner of Morningview, Ky., and Michael Swartzentruber of Goshen, Ky., had two catches each. Brenner gained 26 yards while Swartzentruber had 24 yards. Brooks also caught two passes for 19 yards, including the 15-yard touchdown.

Three Centre defenders recorded three tackles each, including junior defensive back Taylor Holland from McKenzie, Tenn., sophomore linebacker Aaron Evans from Maceo, Ky., and freshman defensive back John Perin from Cincinnati, Ohio. Freshman defensive back Tyler Boron from Soddy Daisy, Tenn., had an interception for Centre.

Frye was also pleased with the Colonels special teams play.

"Our special teams performed well. Our kickoff team did a great job on coverage and our punt team performed well under pressure," Frye says.

Approximately 60 players, including freshman, sophomores and juniors traveled overseas for the contest after taking part in 10 spring practices.

"Fortunately we were able to play everyone. I witnessed improvement in our overall play," Frye says.
The British team, made up of the best players from England's 35 top national teams, used the game as preparation for the European Cup final in Sweden in July.

The Colonels returned to Danville, Thursday, June 2, after taking four days to tour Great Britain. Centre will open its 2005 campaign Saturday, Sept. 3, when they host Bluffton College.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

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