Chapel Sing. Floats (that don't float). Preparations for the queen contest. Alumni returning. All are items on the Homecoming checklist for nearly every student at Wabash College this weekend.
 
Add another item. A visit by Oberlin College for games against the Little Giants' football and soccer teams Saturday.
 
The top two teams in the North Coast Athletic Conference soccer standings meet followed the afternoon's football contest between two teams located on opposite ends of the NCAC standings.
 
Could all of the events of the week take focus away from the Little Giants in their preparations?
 
"Homecoming week is a source of energy for the football team," senior offensive lineman Kyle Stucker said. "It's not a distraction. With the help of the upperclassmen, particularly the seniors who have been around for three previous years, it's pretty easy to just get excited for the upcoming game on Saturday."
 
Wabash head coach Don Morel agreed with his veteran right guard.
 
"Homecoming adds something special to this game. It's part of the tremendous traditions here at Wabash. So many alumni will be back to see the game, parents who live a longer distance away have circled this as one of the two games on the schedule they want to make certain to attend in person."
 
Wabash improved to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in conference games with a 45-21 win at Hiram last weekend. Connor Rice threw a career-best four touchdown passes, hitting his favorite target for the day, Oliver Page, three times for scores. Shamir Johnson added a 59-yard touchdown run as part of a 122-yard effort for the game. Interceptions by Henry Webberhunt and CJ McMann along with a fumble recovery by Klay Fullenkamp provided the defensive spark for the Little Giants in the win.
 
On the other hand, Oberlin is coming off a tough 26-21road loss to Allegheny. The host Gators jumped out to a 20-0 lead in the first quarter and held on as Oberlin mounted a comeback in the final three periods. Freshman quarterback Zach Taylor threw for 125 yards on 17-of-28 passing in the loss that dropped the Yeomen to 0-5 for the year and 0-4 versus NCAC teams.
 
"You can't look at a team's record," Stucker said. "You just look at that team as the next opponent on the schedule, really as the only team you are playing. Coach Morel has emphasized that the most important play is the next play and the most important game is the next game. That's the mentality that we've used throughout the season and that's how we're focusing on this game versus Oberlin."
 
Taylor has been the key to the Oberlin offense through the first half of the season. The freshman quarterback leads the Yeomen in rushing with 205 yards and has scored one of two rushing TDs for the team this season. He is averaging 168.8 passing yards a game and has thrown for eight touchdowns. Justin Cruz is the top receiver for Oberlin with 28 receptions for 318 yards and two TDs. Robby Reinheimer has 26 receptions for 351 yards and three scores, including one last week versus Allegheny. Khalil Rivers is coming of a 93-yard performance last weekend and has rushed for 194 yards and a touchdown through the midpoint of the season.
 
Few Wabash fans can forget when former Oberlin head coach Jeff Ramsey brought his 2012 Oberlin to Crawfordsville and provided a 31-16 upset over the tenth-ranked Little Giants. Ramsey, now the defensive coordinator for Wabash, will have to create a plan to stop the athletic Oberlin offense.
 
"We all remember five years ago when Oberlin showed up with 39 healthy players and beat us," Morel said. "We need to be ready to play this football team. Oberlin has a tricky scheme to prepare for. Taylor is very good at quarterback and he has talented receivers in Cruz and Reinheimer. Both are excellent route runners. On defense, their players never seem out of position. They do some different things in the secondary that we won't see all year from any other team. Oberlin has talented players; they just haven't quite been able to put everything together. Last Saturday's loss at Allegheny was probably a game they should have won.
 
"Oberlin has the ability to move the football on offense. We just have to be a patient football team and know after three hours if we do the things we need to do, Wabash will be ahead on the scoreboard."
 
Soccer begins the day's athletic schedule at noon when the second place Little Giants (6-3-2, 1-0-1 NCAC) play conference-leading Oberlin (9-1-1, 2-0-0 NCAC) at noon at Fischer Field.
 
Football kicks off at 2 p.m. at Hollett Little Giant Stadium. Live video streaming will be available at http://www.wabash.edu/live with radio coverage on WNDY 91.3 FM. Live statistics from the game are listed at http://www.sidearmstats.com/wabash/football.