A pair of quick strike scores in the third period and a strong defensive effort throughout the game helped pave the way for Grinnell College's 21-14 victory over Knox College on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Rosenbloom Field.

The Pioneer defense held Knox to just 194 total yards, well below the Prairie Fire's average of 268. Leading that charge was again Brett Maloney '09 (left), who ranks among the top tacklers in the nation and totaled a game-high 17 on Saturday to go along with an interception. Marquis Bradley '11 added 11 stops and Ryan Creps '12 had 10. Kyle Lobaugh '10 and Kendall Holley '11 had two tackles for loss each, Lobaugh also had a sack and Ryan Boehm '10 came up with an interception.

Quarterback Mike Bogard '12 led all players in rushing with 107 yards on 21 attempts, while C.J. Moore '09 (right) added 65 yards and two touchdowns. Bogard also completed nine passes for 65 yards, with Joey Snyder '10 gaining 29 of those yards on two catches.

Grinnell's first scoring drive began late in the first quarter and included rushes of 27, 9 and 9 yards by Bogard and 15-yard completion from the quarterback to Snyder. Moore finished things off three plays into the second period when he scored from 6 yards out. The extra point kick by Scott Koenning '10 made it 7-0 with 13:56 to go in the half.

The score remained that way through halftime and, on the opening possession of the second half, Boehm intercepted a Bill Meyer pass and returned it 35 yards to the Prairie Fire's 36-yard line. Grinnell promptly put together a seven-play scoring drive that was finished off by Moore's 6-yard scoring run. Koenning's extra point made it 14-0 with 9:51 to go in the third period. Big plays in the drive included a 12-yard run by Moore and 10-yard run by Mike Martinez '10.

Grinnell got the ball right back when the ensuing kickoff was fumbled and recovered by Ben Johnson '10. It took just five plays for the Pioneers to cover 39 yards before striking pay dirt on a 6-yard run by Bogard. Koenning's kick made it 21-0 with 7:52 to go in the period. Bogard had runs of 19 and 8 yards to help spark the drive.

Knox managed a touchdown late in the period to come within 21-7 and scored again midway through the fourth period to slice the gap to 21-14. However, a last-ditch drive by the Prairie Fire ended with Maloney's interception. Grinnell ran out the clock from there to improve to 2-3 in the Midwest Conference and 3-3 overall. Knox fell to 0-5 in the league and 1-5 overall.

Grinnell hits the road next Saturday to take on Lake Forest College. Game time is 1 p.m.
Box Score

Monmouth College's football team displayed why it is unbeaten Saturday afternoon at Rosenbloom Field.

The Fighting Scots, sparked by the passing of quarterback Alex Tanney, shot out to a 49-0 halftime lead on its way to a 69-0 victory over Grinnell. Monmouth improved to 4-0 in the Midwest Conference and 5-0 overall, while Grinnell dipped to 1-3 in the league and 2-3 overall.

Tanney had five touchdown passes and completed 20-of-27 aerials for 313 yards. Clay Bricker and Casey Orwig also ran for a pair of scores each. Bricker led all rushers with 99 yards, while Kyle Wantland had six catches for 92 yards.

Grinnell quarterback Mike Bogard '12 completed 21-of-35 passes for 132 yards. Robert Seer '12 caught nine passes for 68 yards, with a long of 15, while Joey Snyder '10 had three catches for 29 yards with a long of 16. C.J. Moore '09 also had three catches and was the team's leading rusher with 21 yards.

Defensively, Brett Maloney '09 again dominated for the Pioneers with 21 tackles, including 10 solos, plus a tackle for loss. Ryan Fletcher '11 had 13 stops, including six solos, with a tackle for loss. Ben Johnson '10 and Clinton Follette '11 were next in line with eight and six tackles, respectively.

Grinnell's next game will be a home contest against Knox College on Oct. 11 with a 1 p.m. start time.
Box Score

The Grinnell College football team, sparked by six interceptions, shot past Lawrence University 32-16 Saturday afternoon in a Midwest Conference contest.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Pioneers as they improved to 1-2 in the league and 2-2 overall. Lawrence fell to 0-3 both in the MWC and overall.

Marquis Bradley '11 and Ben Johnson '10 each had two interceptions for the winners, while Ryan Boehm '10 and Ryan Fletcher '11 had one apiece. The offense was sparked by first-year quarterback Mike Bogard '12, who completed 17-of-32 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown. He also had a team-high 56 rushing yards. Robert Seer '12 had seven receptions for 101 yards.

Lawrence actually opened the scoring when quarterback Nick Maxam hooked up with Derek Micke on a 19-yard TD pass. Maxam ran for the conversion to make it 8-0. But the Pioneers came back later in the period and Bogard scored on a 2-yard run with 2:59 left. He also ran for the two-pointer to tie the game. A 25-yard kickoff return by Mike Martinez '10 helped get the drive started.

The second quarter was scoreless before Grinnell exploded for 17 points in the third period. Bogard completed a 14-yard pass to Seer on the Pioneers' first possession of the half, which ended with a 23-yard pass to Joey Snyder '10 for a touchdown. Scott Koenning's '10 extra point kick made it 15-8 with 11:35 left in the period.

Bradley helped set up Grinnell's next score when he intercepted a Maxam aerial and returned it 24 yards. Six plays later, Koenning kicked a 24-yard field goal to make it an 18-8 Grinnell lead. After the teams traded possessions, Lawrence's next possession lasted just one play before Boehm intercepted a Maxam pass and returned it 37 yards for a score. Koenning's kick made it 25-8 with 5:52 to go in the period.

The Pioneers completed their scoring early in the fourth period on a four-play, 69-yard drive. Bogard completed a 32-yard pass to Seer to spark the drive, and then ran 34 yards for a score. Koenning's kick made it 32-8 with 12:34 left in the game. Lawrence finished off the scoring with a touchdown at the 6:23 mark.

Brett Maloney '09 and Tyler Schaeffer '09 led Grinnell's defense with nine and eight tackles, respectively. Bohem had seven tackles and Kyle Lobaugh '10 six.

Grinnell has the first of two consecutive home games next Saturday, hosting Monmouth College at 1 p.m. at Rosenbloom Field. Box Score

Carroll University broke out to a 17-0 halftime lead on its way to a 31-12 victory over Grinnell College in the latter's 2008 home football opener.

Carroll scored late in the first period on a 70-yard Jeremy Winter interception return and got a TD pass from Chris Casper to Mike Rubo and 49-yard field goal by Ryan O'Laire for the 17-point halftime cushion. After Joe Beckstrand scored in the third period for a 24-0 lead, Grinnell came charging back. Beginning at their own 17-yard line, the Pioneers put together a 13-play, 84-yard scoring drive. Quarterback Mike Bogard '12 had a 16-yard run during the series, and later a 7-yard run. Carlos Sims '12 had a 7-yard run during the drive, as well, and finished things off with a 3-yard touchdown scamper with :13 left in the period. The extra point kick was no good, making it 24-6 which it remained through the end of the quarter.

Beckstrand scored on a 3-yard run midway through the final period to put Carroll ahead 31-6. The hosts refused to fold, though, and began a scoring drive with 2:41 left in the game that went for 12 plays and 76 yards. Sims began things with a 5-yard run, Bogard followed with a 7-yard spurt and Mike Hargadine '09 later had big runs of 8 and 9 yards. Three plays later, as time expired, Bogard found Jordan Courtain '10 in the right corner of the end zone to give the Pioneers double-digit points. They didn't attempt an extra point.

Bogard was 18-of-40 passing for 176 yards, while he and Sims ran for 44 and 43 yards, respectively. Mike McLeran '12 had four catches for 39 yards, while Robert Seer '12 had three receptions for 65 yards. Defensively, Brett Maloney '09 was totally dominating with 20 tackles, including six solos. Two of those tackles were for loss. Tyler Schaeffer '09 had 12 stops, while Marquis Bradley '11 and Marc Heronemus '11 had nine stops each. Ryan Fletcher '11 had a fumble recovery.

Grinnell is now 0-2 in the Midwest Conference and 1-2 overall, while Carroll stayed perfect at 2-0 and 3-0. Grinnell's next outing after Saturday's game is a 1 p.m. contest on Sept. 27 at Lawrence University in Appelton, Wis.
Box Score
Game Photos

Grinnell College's football team scored first, but went on to fall to two-time defending Midwest Conference champion St. Norbert College 55-7 Saturday afternoon in De Pere, Wis.

The Pioneers got on the board at the 7:43 mark of the first quarter when Robert Seer '12 caught a 12-yard scoring pass from Mike Bogard '12. Scott Koenning '10 kicked the extra point. Bogard had two big passes to set up the touchdown, a 30-yarder to Seer and 11-yarder to Joey Snyder '10.

However, St. Norbert came storming back as touchdown runs by A.J. Phillips and Bryan Stoppenbach, along with a 38-yard interception return by Alex Noskowiak, made it 21-7 at the end of the first period. The Green Knights added TD runs by Phillips and Dante Sims in the second period for a 35-7 halftime lead, and were up 48-7 after three periods on a TD run by Rob Berger and scoring pass from Stoppenbach to Jeremy Gezella. Sims finished off the scoring by running for a touchdown in the fourth period.

Bogard had 163 yards passing, with Seer having 60 receiving yards and Snyder 56. The Pioneers were limited to negative rushing yardage. Berger finished with 138 rushing yards to lead St. Norbert. Defensively for Grinnell, Brett Maloney '09 had 11 tackles, including nine solos, while Ben Johnson '10 and Ryan Fletcher '11 each had seven stops. Curtis McCoy '10 came up with two sacks and Kyle Lobaugh '10 one, while Jake Thompson '10 and Jake McVeigh '11 each forced fumbles. Tyler Schaeffer '09 recovered a fumble.

Grinnell, 1-1 on the season, plays its first home game on Sept. 20 when Carroll College visits. Game time is 1 p.m. St. Norbert is also 1-1 on the year.
Box Score

Max Hawsey's career as Grinnell College's football coach couldn't have gotten off to a better start.

Hawsey's Pioneers battled non-conference foe Cornell College toe-to-toe the entire way before pulling out a 26-25 victory Saturday afternoon in Mount Vernon.

Mike Bogard '12 (pictured), known mainly as being the Pioneers' new quarterback, did just as much damage with his foot as he kicked four field goals in the contest. He also scored the team's opening touchdown while rushing and passing for more than 100 yards each (114 yards rushing and 181 yards passing while completing 18-of-29 aerials).

It took Grinnell just seven plays to drive 69 yards on its opening series before Bogard ran in from a yard out. He had a 46-yard run during the drive, while C.J. Moore '09 had a 20-yarder. The extra point kick by Scott Koenning '10 was good, making it 7-0 with 11:37 left in the first quarter.

Travis Hardman came right back for Cornell, though, by bringing the ensuing kickoff 93 yards for a score. But again the Pioneers put together a big drive, going 65 yards on 12 plays to score again. Bogard has passes of 11 and 14 yards to Joey Snyder '10 on the drive and a 15-yarder to Moore, who capped the drive with a 3-yard run for the touchdown. Koenning's kick made it 14-7 with 5:56 left in the period.

Cornell answered the call again with a touchdown, but missed the extra point to leave Grinnell with a 14-13 lead at the end of the initial period. The entire second period scoring consisted of three field goals, one by Cornell that put the hosts up 16-14 and two by Bogard that put Grinnell ahead 20-16 at the half. The first was a 32-yarder with 1:18 to go in the half. The Pioneer defense held strong and forced a punt by Cornell that went just 16 yards. After three plays, Bogard booted a 36-yarder with no time on the clock to send the Pioneers into the locker room with a four-point edge.

A 7-yard touchdown run by Garrett Hepker put Cornell on top 23-20 by the end of the third period. Grinnell's defense held strong at the start of the fourth period and forced a Ram punt. An 11-play drive ensued that included runs of 18 and 13 yards by Bogard and 12 yards by Mike McLeran. That drive eventually led to a 21-yard field goal by Bogard to tie the game with 10:18 left.

Cornell's next drive was also halted, and Grinnell was helped even more when Ryan Fletcher '11 blocked the Rams' punt to give the Pioneers' excellent field position. Seven plays, including a 23-yard run by Moore, put Grinnell in field position for Bogard to attempt a 25-yard field goal. It was good, making it 26-23 with 6:16 to go.

Cornell had a shot to tie the game with 1:10 to go, but Don Bladt missed a 47-yard field goal. The Pioneers then ran out the clock and eventually took a safety to preserve the win.

Besides Bogard's big contribution, other offensive statistical leaders included Moore (68 rushing yards and 44 receiving yards), Snyder (69 yards on seven catches), Robert Seer '12 (45 receiving yards). Brett Maloney '09 and Ryan Boehm '10 each had 11 tackles, with Maloney coming up with eight solos alone, and Fletcher had eight stops. Jake Thompson '10 forced a fumble and Chris Chavez '10 had a recovery.

The 1-0 Pioneers open up conference play on Sept. 13 at St. Norbert College. Grinnell's first home game is the following Saturday against Carroll College. Cornell is now 0-1.
Box Score
Photo Gallery

With a wealth of experienced returnees, combined with a large and talented recruiting class, the Grinnell College football team is expecting improvement for the 2008 campaign.

First-year head coach Max Hawsey said things are going well. "Our guys have been working extremely hard," he said. "There is great leadership from our older players, which has led to a strong sense of accountability from everyone."

Hawsey said increasing roster numbers was a priority when he arrived in January. "We had a goal of bringing in at least 20 players, and we ended up getting 22," he said. "In the future, as we continue to build, we'll increase that goal to 25-plus players."

Hawsey expects the Pioneers, who went 1-8 in the Midwest Conference last season and 1-9 overall, to be anchored by a strong defense. "That's going to be our major strength," he said. "We've been young in the past, but we haven't lost many players over the past two years and in the process the returnees have had a chance to mature."

Returning in the defensive backfield are Ryan Boehm '10, Ben Johnson '10, Marc Heronemus '11, Fernando Jenkins '10, and Will Schwaller '09. Johnson was an All-MWC honorable mention selection in 2007. "We return four very solid defensive backs who gained a lot of experience last season," said Hawsey."

The linebacker corps includes returnees Tyler Schaeffer '09, Brett Maloney '09, John Hereford '10, Marquis Bradley '11, and Ryan Fletcher '11. Hereford ranked third in the Midwest Conference last year with 90 tackles, while Schaeffer (85) and Fletcher (80) were also among the leaders. "We have some very athletic guys there, and we'll use their strengths to tweak our scheme a bit. You'll see them moving around the field."

Returning on the defensive line are Curtis McCoy '10, Kyle Lobaugh '10, Chris Chavez '10, and Van Kenyon '10. "Our defensive line is very talented and deep," said Hawsey. "We're expecting to put a lot more pressure on the quarterback this season, cause more turnovers and be a better tackling team. Overall, we'll look to be very aggressive."

Offensively, Hawsey said the line will be the Pioneers' strength with the return of Jonathan Antrim '09, Aaron Hirtzel '09, Andrew LaRue '10, and Mike Tricoli '10. LaRue was an All-MWC honorable mention pick last season. "We have a solid group of guys returning on the line and they're providing great leadership for us," said Hawsey.

Returning as receivers and tight ends are C.J. Moore '09, Joey Snyder '10, Jordan Courtain '10, and Mike Martinez '10, while backfield returnees include the likes of Mike Connelly '11 and Chad Christoff '10. Connelly ranked second on the team in rushing last year with 215 yards, while Martinez and Moore were second and third in receiving yards with 232 and 225, respectively.

The biggest hole left is quarterback, a position with no returnees following the graduation of Ben Remington. "It will definitely be a freshman there," said Hawsey of the starter. "But we've got three very good ones coming in. Whoever the starter is will be talented and has the potential to be a future all-conference selection. The experience and strength provided by our offensive line should allow us to run the football successfully, plus I think we can throw it efficiently. We'll have some good young playmakers and need to get the ball into their hands. Overall, We have some outstanding freshmen at the skill positions who will see some playing time."

First-years contending for the quarterback spot include Jimmy Borrasso, Mike Bogard and Kelsey Davis. Hawsey said other first-years will contend at various other positions as preseason camp continues.

On special teams, Scott Koenning '10 returns at kicker and Heronemus at punter. "I think we can make great improvements in special teams," said Hawsey. "That will allow us to gain an advantage over our opponents."

Rather than focusing on a particular record he wishes the Pioneers to achieve, Hawsey is simply looking for the team to perform consistently throughout the season. "Our mentality and work ethic is a conference championship mentality," he said. "That's always going to be the mindset and attitude. We'll take it game by game. We expect to be in every game we play and have the chance to win every game we play."

When the Grinnell College football team takes the field this fall, new head coach Max Hawsey will be joined by four new assistant coaches.

Among those are alumnus Jeff Pedersen '02, who takes over as defensive coordinator as well as coaching the team's linebackers. Pedersen replaces Zach Fletcher and will also serve as director of the College's Fitness Center. Other new assistants are Nick Merklin '08, Nolan Swett and Cody Robertson.

Pedersen returns to Grinnell after serving on the Pioneers' staff from 2003-2006. He earned a degree in history in 2002 after which he earned his master's degree in sports management from the United States Sports Academy.

Pedersen most recently served as offensive coordinator and head strength and conditioning coach at The Catholic University of America. He also served as tight ends and wide receivers coach at the school from 2006-2007. Prior to that, Pedersen served as Grinnell's offensive coordinator, head strength and conditioning coach and Fitness Center director. Before that, Pedersen was an assistant coach at the University of Chicago for the 2002 season.

A two-time All-America tight end while playing at Grinnell, Pedersen set school records for receptions in a single season. He was also a four-time All-Midwest Conference performer and a participant in the 2001 Division III Aztec Bowl, which pitted D-III All-Stars against the top players in Mexico. "Jeff's experience as an All-American football player at Grinnell, as well as his previous experience coaching Grinnell athletes, makes him a natural fit for this position," said Hawsey.

Swett and Robertson both were at Colorado College while Hawsey served as a coach there. Swett will coach Grinnell's wide receivers, Robertson the offensive line, and Merklin the Pioneers' defensive backs.

Merklin wrapped up a stellar career with the Pioneer football team last fall in which he earned All-Midwest Conference honors at two positions, first-team on special teams and second-team at receiver. He started 38 games in his career and three times earned academic all-conference recognition. As a senior, Merklin was fourth in the league in all-purpose yards with 153.9 per game. A versatile performer throughout his career, Merklin finished with four-year totals of 81 pass receptions for 981 yards as well as 133 tackles.

A native of Tucson, Ariz., Swett was a four-year starter at tight end for Colorado College and broke virtually every receiving record there. He is the career leader for receptions (199), yards (2,626) and touchdowns (31). He completed his senior season by being named to the All-SCAC first-team and was a first-team All-America selection by D3football.com. Swett, a team captain and two-time All-Colorado pick, led all tight ends last fall with 65 receptions.

In three years as a starter at Colorado College, Robertson was part of an offensive line that consistently ranked nationally in fewest sacks allowed and helped set the tone for an explosive offensive attack that rewrote the school's record books. A history major, he was an All-Colorado and All-SCAC selection in his career.

"These three coaches bring an enormous amount of energy to our staff," said Hawsey. "They all not only excelled as players on the field, but in the classroom and community. With the hiring of these three bright young coaches, we have rounded out our outstanding staff. Each brings something different to the program - Nick brings a Grinnell College player's experience, having been one of the best athletes to ever play here, Nolan brings the credibility of being named first-team All-American, and Cody brings the experience of being a fantastic leader as a center. They are a perfect fit for what we needed on this staff."

Grinnell College football coach Max Hawsey has announced the Pioneers' incoming 2008 class of recruits.

The Class consists of 22 student-athletes representing 16 states. According to Hawsey, this is one of the largest football classes in school history and brings the roster size to 62, which is one of the largest rosters in history.

"We are very excited about our incoming freshmen class," said Hawsey. "We have addressed some needs at certain positions. Some of these freshmen will be able to come in and immediately play for us. From a talent standpoint, this is one of the better classes we have had in recent years. This class will help us accomplish our goal of competing for the Midwest Conference championship. We recruit the best student-athletes we can find all over the country. This is a fine group of guys from a character stand point, as well, and we have high expectations for them."
2008 Incoming Football Class

Edd Bowers '41 will be honored by the Iowa Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame at a banquet March 29 at the West Des Moines Marriott.

Bowers will receive the Distinguished Iowan Award at the event, which begins with a silent auction at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 and program at 8. The keynote speaker will be University of Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz.

After serving as a high school coach and as athletic director and coach at Iowa Wesleyan University, Bowers returned to coach at his alma mater in 1960. After his initial football squad went 4-4, Bowers guided the Pioneers to a tie for the conference title the next year and an outright league crown the following season with a 7-0-1 mark. Bowers also coached several successful golf teams during his years at Grinnell and also coached baseball, wrestling, tennis, and basketball at times.

As a Pioneer athlete, Bowers earned eight letters while competing in football, basketball, track, golf, and tennis. Among his athletic highlights were playing for the conference co-champion basketball team that finished 10-2. He went on to be a member of the inaugural Pioneer Athletic Hall of Fame Class in 1995.

Grinnell College begins a new era on the gridiron with the hiring of a new football coach.

Max Hawsey, who will also serve as assistant track and field coach, replaces Greg Wallace. After 20 years coaching Pioneer football, Wallace was recently named Grinnell's director of athletics and recreation.

Hawsey comes from Colorado College, where since 2003 he has served as offensive coordinator, offensive line coach, strength and conditioning coordinator, and supervisor of the school's weight room and fitness center. He previously served six years as an assistant football coach at his alma mater, Austin College in Texas. He also coached track and field at Austin College, and has served as a head track and field coach at the high school level.

"This is an exciting time for Grinnell football. We had a very strong pool of candidates and are looking forward to Max's leadership on the field," said Grinnell College President Russell K. Osgood.

"I am thrilled to have Max," said Wallace. "His experience as a Division III All-American football player, coach, teacher, and strength and conditioning specialist will serve the football team, physical education department, and entire college community well in the coming years."

"The first thing that drew me to Grinnell was the outstanding academic reputation," said Hawsey. "I'm honored to be named head coach at such a prestigious school. Grinnell feels like the perfect fit, and I am looking forward to it."

At Colorado College, Hawsey coached an All-American quarterback and helped the team break 15 offensive school records. In the past two seasons, Colorado College has averaged more than 30 points and 400 yards per game. As a player at Austin College, Hawsey was a first-team all-conference performer at outside linebacker twice. He served as team captain and was voted most valuable player his senior year, while also earning Second-Team All-America honors at defensive end.

Hawsey is optimistic about the upcoming football campaign, since many experienced players will return next fall. "I had the opportunity to meet with a number of players and I enjoyed their attitude and character," he said. "You mix those players in with a good recruiting class, and I think we can be really competitive in the conference."

Nick Merklin '08 (left) of Grinnell College earned a spot on the All-Midwest Conference Football first team for the 2007 season.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder from Pinetop, Ariz., was named to the elite team at the special teams spot. He returned 50 kickoffs for 945 yards - an 18.9-yard per return average - and had an 84-yard touchdown. He also returned 12 punts for 60 yards, averaging 5.0 yards per return.

Merklin was also named to the All-MWC second team at receiver. He led the Pioneers with 49 catches for 527 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 10.8 yards per reception and 52.7 yards per game.

The Pioneers had one other second-teamer, Todd Doleshal '08 (right) at a running back spot. The 5-10, 185-pounder from Prairie Village, Kan., ran for 554 yards on 145 carries while scoring a pair of touchdowns. He averaged 3.8 yards per carry and 61.6 yards a game.

Grinnell had three honorable mention selections - offensive lineman Andrew LaRue '10, defensive lineman Phil Hammer '11 and defensive back Ben Johnson '10.

LaRue, a 6-2, 275-pounder from Redding, Calif., served as a key blocker for an offense that averaged more than 150 yards per game through the air and 275 yards per game overall. Hammer, a 5-8, 220-pounder from Citrus Heights, Calif., had 39 tackles this season, including four tackles for loss. He also recovered a fumble. Johnson, a 5-9, 170-pounder from Oak Park, Ill., had 58 tackles and 12 pass breakups this season. Two of the tackles were for losses.

St. Norbert swept the individual awards, as quarterback Cody Craig was named the MWC offensive most valuable player, lineman Jay Arndt was tabbed defensive player of the year and Jim Purtill was voted coach of the year.
All-MWC Football Release