Crawfordsville, Ind. - The Franklin College football team lost a NCAA Division III first-round contest 33-14 at Wabash College on Saturday at Hollett Stadium.

The Grizzlies concluded the 2014 season with an 8-3 record and won their fifth consecutive Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference title.

Wabash (10-1) scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away from a 19-14 lead after three periods.

Franklin got on the scoreboard on the game's opening possession with a one-yard touchdown rush by senior Joey Pasquale (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville). The touchdown marked the ninth time this season that the Grizzlies scored on the first possession of a contest.

The Little Giants got a safety and a 28-yard touchdown run from Mason Zurek to take 9-7 lead with 3:39 left in the first quarter.

The two teams battled back and forth and were unable to score during the second quarter.

In the second half, Wabash missed a 42-yard field goal into a stiff wind. However, the Little Giants forced a turnover and Michael Putko capped a five-play drive with a seven-yard score. A 24-yard field goal by Andrew Tutsie gave Wabash a 19-7 lead with 2:10 remaining in the third quarter.

Franklin quickly answered on a 33-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Grant Welp (Ferdinand, Ind./Forest Park) to junior split end Mason Deal (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian). The score put the Grizzlies within 19-14 in the final minute of the third quarter.

Wabash got a 15-yard touchdown pass to Sammy Adams and added a six-yard rushing score from Tyler Holmes in the fourth quarter.

Welp threw for 267 yards and completed 28 passes. Junior wing back Kendal Butler (Oakland, Ill./Cumberland) caught nine passes for 83 yards. Deal had five catches for 77 yards and a score. Senior split end Jonny Hession (Speedway, Ind./Speedway) also had five receptions.

Defensively, junior Nate Bryan (Greencastle, Ind./North Putnam) led the effort with nine tackles, including two sacks. Classmate Jeremiah Windell (Corydon, Ind./Corydon Central) and senior Trevor Yates (Kendallville, Ind./East Noble) each had seven tackles.