By Tim Glon
ADA — Junior All-American Brock Martin (Attica/Seneca East) ran for 108 yards and the Ohio Northern defense turned in a dominating performance in a 2020-21 season-opening 17-7 football victory over Otterbein Friday night at Dial-Roberson Stadium.

The Polar Bears improve to 1-0 overall and 1-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference, while the Cardinals fall to 0-1, 0-1.

Junior Johnny Rupp (Maumee/Anthony Wayne) led an outstanding defensive effort with a career-high 13 tackles.

The Polar Bears held the Cardinals to 269 yards of total offense.

Northern took a 7-0 lead when senior Brody Hahn (Louisville) hit senior Chase Rose (Kenton/Upper Scioto Valley) on a 42-yard touchdown pass with 11:00 left in the second quarter.

Junior Dom DiFalco (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) nailed a 49-yard field goal with 4:58 left in the half to make it 10-0.

The Cardinals answered with a 10-play, 75-yard drive and got on the board with nine seconds left with Logan Pharmer hit Jeb Jones for a 1-yard score and it was 10-7 at intermission.

The ONU defense kept the OU offense in check in the second half, allowing no Cardinal drives inside the ONU 43-yard line until the final seconds of the game.

Northern got some breathing room when Hahn hit sophomore Jett Morgan (Wooster) on a 47-yard TD strike with 2:48 left in the third quarter.

Hahn finished the game 15-of-28 passing for 189 yards and two scores and ran eight times for 57 yards.

The Polar Bears will return to action March 26 with a 7 pm contest at Capital.