Franklin Earns Victory Bell and Outright HCAC Championship at Hanover
November 10, 2007
HANOVER , IN – Franklin College walked away from L.S. Ayers Field with the Victory Bell for the third straight season after an impressive 55-14 win, earning the conference championship outright. The Grizzlies will enter next weekend’s playoff game with North Central (8-2) as a No. 4 seed and riding an eight game win streak.
Mount St. Joseph also earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III playoffs. The Lions will travel to Wabash to take on the No. 3 seed Little Giants Nov. 17. The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference will have two representatives in the 32-team field for the first time in conference history.
Franklin (9-1, 7-0 HCAC) scored over 50 points for the fifth time in conference play this season and totaled 446 yards of offense against the Panthers (2-8, 2-5 HCAC).
Junior quarterback Chad Rupp (Evansville, Ind./Memorial) completed 22 of his 30 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Senior running backs Jon-Erik Bennett (Indianapolis, Ind./ Martinsville) and R.J. Hartsfield (Salem, Ind./H.S.) each found the end zone twice against Hanover. Bennett finished with 65 yards on nine carries, while Hartsfield earned 48 yards on 12 carries.
Quarterback Josh Elbert (Morningview, Ky./Simon Kenton) led the Hanover offense, completing 24 of 49 pass attempts for 252 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions.
For Hanover it was Wayne Perry’s last game as head coach for the Panthers. Perry finished his 26 year career with more wins than any other coach in Indiana collegiate football history. He finished with a 174-89-2 record at Hanover.
Following the game, Perry was presented with the Sagamore of the Wabash award by Hanover President Dr. Sue DeWine. The honor was granted by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and is the highest honor bestowed by the governor of the state of Indiana.
Franklin will be playing in its first post-season game since 1972 when the Grizzlies take the field on November 17 at Faught Stadium. The Grizzlies will welcome North Central to town who earned the automatic bid from the CCIW. Franklin is the No. 4 seed and North Central is the No. 5 seed in the UW-Whitewater bracket.
In other conference action…
Anderson (4-6, 3-4 HCAC) claimed the Bronze Ball for the ninth straight year with a thrilling 19-14 win over rival Manchester (3-7, 1-6 HCAC). The Ravens held a 13-7 lead until midway through the fourth quarter. The host Spartans claimed the lead with 6:07 to play in the contest when senior running back Brent Ash (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) found the end zone on a one yard plunge to make it a 14-13 game. AU scored the game winner with 34 seconds remaining when sophomore quarterback Chase Thurston (Yorktown, Ind./H.S.) found Matthew Thompson (Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central) on a 34 yard touchdown strike to deliver Anderson the 19-14 win and the Bronze Ball trophy. Thurston finished 29 of 46 passing for 311 yards and the game winning score. Senior running back Denny Kimmel (Markleville, Ind./ Pendleton Heights) rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries in his last game as a Raven. The host Spartans received a great game from sophomore running back Brandon Wells (Woodburn, Ind./Woodlan). Wells finished with 72 yards rushing and also added an 83 yard touchdown reception.
The Bluffton Beavers (1-9, 1-6 HCAC) waited until the last game of the season to earn their first win on the year, defeating rival Defiance (5-5, 4-3 HCAC) 22-21. Bluffton had lost five games this season by seven points or less before pulling out the one point win over the Yellow Jackets. DC held a 21-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter on Saturday afternoon. Bluffton pulled within five with 13:10 remaining in the game when Anthony Bryant (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/H.S.) caught a five yard touchdown pass from Kyle Coleman (Etna, Ohio/Watkins Memorial). Bryant finished the game with five catches for 96 yards. Less than three minutes later, BU capped off a four play, 27 yard drive with a nine yard touchdown run from sophomore running back Gregori Mason (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) to give the Beavers a 22-21 win. Despite only rushing for 11 yards on the day, Bluffton managed 260 yards against the Defiance defense. Mason finished with 66 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, while Coleman completed 17 of his 25 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns. Defiance was paced by junior running back Lewis Caralla (Tampa, Fla./ East Lake). Caralla finished with 144 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries for the Yellow Jackets. Junior quarterback Hans Vetter (Toledo, Ohio/ Springfield) struggled in his final game of the season, completing 11 of his 28 passes for 113 yards, a touchdown, and four costly interceptions.
The College of Mount St. Joseph (9-1, 6-1 HCAC) helped seal an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III playoffs with a 35-14 win over rival Thomas More (4-6) in the annual Bridge Bowl. The host Lions did most of their damage on the ground against the Saints. Freshman running back Jake Davis (Cincinnati, Ohio/ Anderson) rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, while senior tailback Mike Lovell (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) finished with 50 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries. Junior quarterback Vince Palmer (Cincinnati, Ohio/ Anderson) returned under center after missing last week’s game with Bluffton. Palmer was an efficient 13 of 18 passing for 112 yards and a touchdown. Mount St. Joseph will travel to Wabash College (9-1) next Saturday for the opening round of the Division III playoffs. The Lions earned the No. 6 seed in the UW-Whitewater bracket and will be making their fourth straight appearance in the playoff field.