FB: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

FCGrizzliesGrad · September 21, 2024, 01:38:29 PM

It's MIAA day. Last year the HCAC had 8 teams and the MIAA had 7. Now it's flipped with Defiance leaving and Calvin starting football. Hanover beating Olivet was the only win of the 7 games last season.

FCGrizzliesGrad · September 21, 2024, 03:26:37 PM

Looks like Mount St Joseph finally woke up. They're leading 42-7 entering the 4th against Albion. Hanover also doing well leading Olivet 42-14. The only other game that's close is Franklin who's down 14-21 to Adrian early 3rd. The other three games are all one sided.

FCGrizzliesGrad · September 28, 2024, 07:16:52 PM

For the 3rd straight year, Franklin starts 0-3 before winning in their fourth game. The last two years led to a 3 game winning streak. The last time the Grizzlies started a season 0-4, I was but a freshman back in 2003.
Franklin upsets Ohio Weslyean 27-14. Garrett Cora finally able to run, had 186 yards on the ground. Only 1 turnover which is their best performance of the season after 8 total in the first three games.

Mount St Joseph was shellacked 68-9 by #6 UW-River Falls. The game started with a 3 and out for MSJ but got worse when the punt was blocked and returned for a TD.

Anderson finally opened the scoring late in the 3rd taking a 6-0 lead, but early in the 4th backed up deep, gave up a safety then Luther drove down for a TD on the next drive for a commanding 9-6 lead which held up. Luther snaps a 12 game losing streak dating to November 2022.

Everyone else was off this week and those four will face Defiance at some point during league play starting with Manchester next week. Defiance is now 1-3 with their first win back in the NAIA coming last week.

FCGrizzliesGrad · October 26, 2024, 04:12:35 PM

Wow... Franklin scored with under 3 minutes left to cut the MSJ lead to 40-35... the ensuing kickoff didn't initially go into the end zone, possibly touched the returner as it bounced between his legs, Franklin recovered it in the end zone for a TD and the lead. 43-40 with 2:13 left.

FCGrizzliesGrad · October 26, 2024, 04:21:13 PM

MSJ drives down and scores with 42.4 left but miss their 3rd extra point of the game and it's 46-43 Lions. Grizzlies have 2 timeouts and the ball at the 31 with 36.8 remaining. The refs have been fairly home friendly today.

FCGrizzliesGrad · October 26, 2024, 04:29:27 PM

Franklin made it to the MSJ 40, hail mary was almost answered but MSJ holds on 46-43 and with only two games left just need to beat Rose-Hulman in the finale to head to the playoffs.

FCGrizzliesGrad · November 16, 2024, 04:31:11 PM

The Victory Bell will stay with Hanover. Franklin led the whole way but Hanover scored with 39 seconds left for a 31-27 win. Franklin led the top 2 teams in the conference with 1 minute left but lost both games. They lost four conference games by a total of 23 points. This was the first losing conference record and first season with fewer than 4 wins since 2003 when they went 2-8, 2-4 in conference.

Mount St Joseph will head to the NCAA tournament after beating Rose-Hulman 38-21 to complete an unbeaten HCAC slate.

FCGrizzliesGrad · November 17, 2024, 07:25:15 PM

Mount St Joseph will stay in state but head to the opposite corner to take on John Carroll in the 1st round of the NCAA playoffs.

FCGrizzliesGrad · November 18, 2024, 09:11:39 AM

Hanover will face Wabash at 1pm Saturday in Canton in the inaugural ForeverLawn Bowl. Marietta faces Westminster (PA) in the other game later in the day.
https://athletics.hanover.edu/news/2024/11/18/football-inaugural-opendorse-bowl-series-matchups-released.aspx

70_dc_alum · November 18, 2024, 06:48:07 PM

I went to the MSJ v Rose game. Rose had their chances, dropped multiple INTs in the first half that could have changed the way the game went. The game was won in the trenches, MSJ QB had all day to throw and had a ton of room to take off an scramble as they just ran the ends up & the Rose QB was under pressure the whole game. In the running game MSJ pounded the rock and put the game away especially in the second half. When you own the trenches you win most of the time. Been a long time since i have been to a d3 game, my kid is now starting recruiting, it was a great time.

Ron Boerger · December 13, 2024, 11:52:53 AM

Mike Leonard will return to Franklin as HC. He was 129-55 there from 2003-19.

Dr. Acula · December 13, 2024, 02:21:11 PM

Wow. That seems like very good news for the Griz. Leonard's teams were always high powered offensively so I'm looking forward to watching them again.

FCGrizzliesGrad · December 13, 2024, 07:05:40 PM

Alan Hensell only went 21-26 in his 5 years since taking over for Leonard, failing to reach .500 in his last 3 seasons. Leonard was 5-5 in his final season, but won at least 8 games in 12 of the previous 13 seasons (7-3 in 2009). The Grizzlies made 9 playoff appearances with 5 wins and a trip to the quarterfinals in 2008.

FCGrizzliesGrad · January 03, 2025, 11:49:05 PM

All-Americans

1st-team
P Andrew Toler - Rose-Hulman

He led D3 averaging 47.8 yards a punt this season which was almost 3 yards more than anyone else. The only punters in all of NCAA that averaged better were at Florida St (49.3), Vanderbilt (48.0), Elon (47.9 [FCS leader]) and tied with South Carolina (47.8). D2's best only averaged 46.6.

He is the first consensus All-American in school history after earning 1st-Team honors from the AFCA and 2nd-Team honors from the AP.