St. Norbert's Janssen named Linebacker of the Year by Football Gazette

The 2000 Football Gazette's NCAA Division III All-American Team was recently announced and St. Norbert College linebacker Jerimiah Janssen was named the publication's "Linebacker of the Year. Janssen, a junior, was joined on the first team by Ripon senior defensive back Nate Kok.

Second team honoree Kevin O'Malley, a sophomore offensive tackle, and third team pick Matt O'Grady, a senior running back, were the other two Green Knights that rounded out the four MWC representatives on the All-American Teams.

Carroll's Masonholder ends coaching career

Merle Masonholder, Carroll College's longtime head football coach, has announced his retirement effective June 30,2001.

"After 35 years of coaching football, I have decided to move into a different phase in my life," Masonholder said. "I have loved my job as head football coach an am honored to have served such a great school as Carroll College."

Masonholder became head football coach at Carroll in 1982. In the last 14 years under his guidance, the Carroll football team has had only one losing season and two conference championships - one in the CCIW in 1988 and one in the MWC in 1997. Masonholder also earned MWC North Division titles in 1993 and 1997. Since joining the MWC in 1992, Carroll has posted a 46-26 record in league play.

A nation-wide search is underway to determine Masonholder's successor.

Lawrence's Michael named All-America

Lawrence University wide receiver Zach Michael has been named to the USA Football Freshmen All-America team.

The Appleton native (East) was named to the second team after catching 58 passes for 904 yards and 11 touchdowns. Michael tied the school record for touchdown receptions in a game and his 58 catches was the second-best season total in school history.

Michael led the MWC with 819 receiving yards while finishing third with 52 catches and second with ten touchdowns.

St. Norbert finishes 17th in AFCA Final Poll

2000 MWC Champion St. Norbert earned 387 votes in the final American Football Coaches Association Poll, released on Dec. 19, which placed them 17th in the country. The Green Knights, who finished 10-0 in the regular season, fell to #4 Central in the first round of the NCAA playoffs 29-14.

Ripon was also listed under "Others Receiving Votes", finishing with 20 after a 9-1 season with their only loss coming to St. Norbert. For more on the final AFCA Poll, click here.

Janssen collects one more honor

St. Norbert College junior linebacker Jerimiah Janssen collected his third NCAA Division III All-America honor of the 2000 season with a first-team mention on the D3Football.com All-America team. It is the second-straight year Janssen has been named to the internet site’s All-America team.

The De Pere native garnered third-team All-America honors from the Web site last season. Janssen had a team-high 108 tackles with 24 tackles for loss and nine quarterback sacks this season. He has been named to the NCAA Division III American Football Coaches Assocation and Hewlett-Packard All-America first teams this season. The All-America honor is Janssen’s fourth, extending his school record.

MWC lands six HP All-American Selections

St. Norbert's Jerimiah Janssen and Ripon's Nate Kok led six Midwest Conference student-athletes in the 2000 Hewlett-Packard NCAA Division III All-American selections. Both Janssen and Kok were first-team picks. St. Norbert added two more players to the third team. Senior running back Matt O'Grady and sophomore offensive lineman Kevin O'Malley rounded out the Green Knights three selections.

Jeff Pedersen, a senior tight end from Grinnell, and Brad Guettel, a junior kicker retuner from Carroll, were named as honorable mention picks.

The Hewlett-Packard All-American Team was selected by a panel of 30 sports information directors.

St. Norbert's Janssen named All-America

MWC Defensive Player of the Year Jerimiah Janssen was named to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III All-America First-Team. Janssen was the lone MWC representative on the first-team squad after recording 101 tackles in league play, 22 for a loss and eight of those coming on sacks. For more on the AFCA selections, click here.

Seven MWC Players named All-West Region

The Midwest Conference placed seven student-athletes on the 2000 Football Gazette NCAA Division III All-West Region Football Team. The MWC had two First Team selections, two Second Team selections and three Third Team picks.

2000 MWC Champion and NCAA Tournament participant St. Norbert led the balloting with three selections. Junior linebacker Jerimiah Janssen was one of just three players in the west region to repeat as a First-Team defensive selection. Janssen was joined by MWC Offensive Player of the Year Matt O'Grady and offensive lineman Kevin O'Malley. Both O'Grady and O'Malley were Second Team picks.

Ripon senior defensive back Nate Kok was the MWC's other representative on the First Team defensive unit. Kok was second in the nation with 13 interceptions this year. Rounding out the MWC contingent on the Third Team was junior tight end Jeff Pedersen from Grinnell, sophomore linebacker Casey Urlacher from Lake Forest and senior defensive back Matt Gaulke from Carroll.

The football honor squad was selected by a panel of five sports information directors from west region institutions. First and Second Team selections advance to the ballot for All-Amercia consideration. For more on the Football Gazette's All-Region and All-America teams, click here.

Ripon's DeVoe named WFCA Player of the Year

Junior running back Troy DeVoe, a First Team All-MWC selection this year for Ripon, was chosen as the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Private School Player of the Year for the 2000 season.

DeVoe rushing for 1,233 yards on 241 carries (5.1 yds/carry) and scored 14 touchdowns (12 rushing, two receiving). DeVoe finished the year as Ripon's #3 all-time rusher.

IC's Bowman earns 2nd Team Academic
All-District Honors

Illinois College's Patrick Bowman was named to the Verizon Academic All-District V College Division Football 2nd Team recently. The junior halfback was selected by sports information directors at NCAA Division III and NAIA colleges and universities across the region.

Bowman, who led the MWC in rushing in 1999, suffered a season-ending leg injury on Oct. 28. Prior to his injury Bowman, a biology major, was leading the Blue Boys in rushing with 707 yards and scoring with 12 touchdowns.

St. Norbert's halftime lead doesn't
hold up against Central

The St. Norbert College Green Knights held a 14-12 halftime lead against on the road against one of the nation's top-ranked teams, but couldn't hang on as they dropped a 29-14 decision to Central College on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Division III National Tournament. For the game box, click here.

For more on the tournament click here.

St. Norbert finishes off perfect season with home win over IC

St. Norbert defeated Illinois C. 46-18 Saturday afternoon to keep their perfect record intact and finish 9-0 for the second-consecutive season. With the win the Green Knights claim the 2000 MWC title outright, after claiming a share of it with their win over Beloit last weekend. St. Norbert had also earned the MWC's automatic bid to the NCAA Div. III National Tournament last weekend.

The visiting Blue Boys made things interesting, holding St. Norbert to a slim 3-0 lead through the first 19 minutes of the game. Both teams traded touchdowns in the second quarter before Brandon Spaulding's nine-yard touchdown pass from Luke Ott gave the Green Knights a 17-6 halftime lead. St. Norbert running back Matt O'Grady scored twice in the second half as the Green Knights pulled away. Linebacker Dwensel Petty added a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown in the 4th quarter. O'Grady finished with 30 rushes for 161 yards and broke the St. Norbert single season record for rushing yards and touchdowns in a season. Blue Boy quarterback Derek Leonard was 19 of 37 for 203 yards and two touchdowns. For the game box, click here.

Turkey, Turkey, Turkey
Monmouth claims "bronze bird"

One of the oldest rivalries in all of college football was renewed Saturday afternoon, and even though it's two weeks from Thanksgiving, a turkey was the prize. The coveted Bronze Turkey found it's home for the next year after a 31-18 Monmouth win over Knox. The win by the Fighting Scots also gave them the all-time series lead at 51-50-10.

The Prairie Fire broke into the scoring column first. A missed field goal by Monmouth turned into an 80-yard touchdown return by Knox's Brandon Orr three minutes into the second quarter. Monmouth countered with 24-unanswered points before Knox pulled within a touchdown at 24-17 with six minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter. Fighting Scot's Preston Eiler sealed the victory with a 27-yard run at 9:10 in the 4th.

Monmouth running back Randy Terrell had a big day, carrying the ball a school-record 40 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Ryan Wood had six catches for 129 yards and one touchdown. Mike Erwin led Knox with a 19 for 41 performance through the air for 194 yards and a touchdown. For the game box, click here.

Lawrence closes out 2000 in style

Lawrence scored four touchdowns, one in each quarter, to claim a 25-13 win at home over Grinnell in the final regular-season game of the season for both teams. Viking running back Justin Berrens was a workhorse, carrying the ball 44 times for 250 yards and three of his team's four touchdowns. Nate Keller led Lawrence defensively with 11 tackles, including two for a loss, and one pass breakup.

Grinnell's Jeff Pedersen led his team in rushing and passing yardage. The senior tight-end-turned-quarterback rushed for a team-high 53 yards to go with his 193 yards passing. Wide receiver Matt Roberts was Pedersen's favorite target finishing the day with five receptions for 73 yards and one score. For the game box, click here.

Carroll posts first shutout

Outside of league leaders St. Norbert and Ripon, the hottest team in the second half of the MWC season was the Carroll Pioneers, 10-0 winners over Lake Forest on Saturday. Carroll improved to 5-4 and finished the conference regular season with a winning record after an 0-3 start.

After a 0-0 halftime tie, Carroll's Rob Brester was single-handedly responsible for the game's only scores. With 5:33 left in the 3rd quarter, Brester broke the stalemate with a 10-yard scoring jaunt and kicked the extra point for the 7-0 lead. Eight minutes later, early in the 4th quarter, Brester kicked a 22-yard field goal for some Pioneer insurance. Brester carried the ball 20 times for 50 yards.

Defense was the name of the game as both teams combined for just 417 yards. Tom Starnicky led the Foresters with 18 rushes for 77 yards. Erik Gehrke, the league leader in receptions with 66, had four catches for 18 yards for Carroll. For the box score, click here.

Balanced Ripon attack nets win

The Ripon Red Hawks racked-up 206 yards rushing and 223 yards passing enroute to a 44-7 win at Beloit Saturday. Ripon's Troy DeVoe scored on a six-yard run on Ripon's opening drive. Beloit responded with a Scott Muehlemann seven-yard pass from Joe Herfel to tie the game before the Red Hawks ran off 37-unanswered points to close out the game.

DeVoe handled the ball 34 times for 193 yards and two touchdowns while Griff Prochnow passed for 204 yards on 12 completions in 19 attempts. Ripon defensive back Nate Kok had three interceptions to push his league-leading total to 13.

Muehlemann carried the ball 11 times for 81 yards for Beloit.

St. Norbert clinches title, breaks MWC record for consecutive wins

St. Norbert College scored a hat-trick of accomplishments at home Saturday afternoon following their 47-24 victory over visiting Beloit. First, the Green Knights claimed at least a share of their second-consecutive MWC title with one game remaining. Second, Head Coach Jim Purtill's squad will be awarded the league's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament in two weeks to respresent the MWC for the second straight year. Finally, with the win St. Norbert sets a MWC record for most consecutive league wins with 18.

Running back Matt O'Grady rushed 17 times for 163 yards and three touchdowns while Jerimiah Janssen led the Green Knight defense with 18 tackles including one sack. Beloit's defense recorded three sacks and recovered three St. Norbert fumbles on the day. Beloit's Chris Ramos turned one of the Green Knight fumbles into a 60-yard return. For the game box, click here.

Ripon breaks tie in 100th meeting

The oldest and possibly most heated college football rivalry in Wisconsin met for the 100th time as Lawrence ventured to Ingall's Field in Ripon Saturday afternoon. Up just 25-18, Ripon was defending against a potential game-tying drive by the Vikings late with just seconds remaining in the game. With no time left on the clock, Nate Kok picked off a Lawrence pass deep in Ripon territory and returned it 84-yards for a touchdown as Ripon broke a 46-46-7 all-time tie in the historic series and claimed the coveted Doehling-Heselton trophy.

The Red Hawk's Dan Henken put the home team up 19-6 at halftime with a 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the second quarter. Kok had two interceptions on the day, pushing his league-leading total to 10 for the season.

Lawrence put up impressive offensive numbers thanks to 13 more minutes of possession time in the game. Running back Justin Berrens was a big part of that, rushing 34 times for 153 yards and a touchdown. The Vikings outgained Ripon by 115 total yards for the game. For the box score, click here.

Carroll notches impressive victory

After beginning the season with three straight losses, the Pioneers of Carroll have strung together a 3-1 record in their last four games including a 26-0 shutout over third-place Illinois College last Saturday.

Running back and kicker Rob Brester was a one-man show, rushing 27 times for 242 yards and two touchdowns while also kicking two field goals. The Pioneers defense forced five turnovers including four interceptions on the day. Carroll out-gained Illinois C. 492 yards to 168 yards for the game.

Wide receiver Nolan Leever led the Blue Boys with six catches for 78 yards. For the game box, click here.

Big 4th quarter leads Grinnell over Monmouth

Monmouth running back Randy Terrell's 46-yard touchdown run to start the 3rd quarter gave the Fighting Scots an 18-17 led, but Grinnell rallied and scored 18 unanswered points in the 4th quarter for the 35-18 victory in Monmouth.

Jim Scheuler made the defensive play of the game for Grinnell by picking off a Monmouth pass with 1:29 left in the game and returning 75 yards for the touchdown to seal the win. Jeff Pederson continued his role at quarterback filling in for the injured Shawn Sigler. Pederson finished 16 of 26 for 249 yards and one touchdown. Ryan Brown caught four Pederson passes for 118 yards and the touchdown.

Rob Purlee had a solid day for the Fighting Scots finishing 19 of 35 for 259 yards and one touchdown. Randy Terrell rushed 31 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns. For the game box, click here.

Knox wins defensive struggle

The Knox Prairie Fire defeated Lake Forest Saturday afternoon in Galesburg the old-fashioned way; with solid defense. The Prairie Fire won 10-6 thanks to strong efforts on the defensive side of the ball.

Quarterback Mike Erwin helped Knox get on the board first with a 40-yard strike to Jesse Abbott for a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Lake Forest responded with a Tom Starnicky three-yard run in the second quarter, but a missed extra point left the game at 7-6 through two periods. A Knox 41-yard field goal to start the fourth quarter gave them some breathing room.

Defense was the key to the game as 18 punts were recorded. The Prairie Fire "D" came up with six pass deflections, including three by Brandon Orr. Casey Urlacher led the Foresters with 19 tackles. Knox's Adam Wherley was the game's top offensive player with tencatches for 106 yards. For the game box, click here.

St. Norbert remains at 21st in AFCA Poll

St. Norbert held the 21st-place ranking in the latest release of the AFCA Div. III Coaches' Poll, the same spot they finished at last week.. The Green Knights have reamined perfect in the league and overall, and can clinch at least a share of the MWC title with a win over Beloit this weekend. For more on the poll, click here.

Ripon and IC rack up yards in
Red Hawk road win

The Red Hawks and Blue Boys combined for over 800 yards of total offense but scored only 29 combined points in a 17-12 Ripon victory. Between the two teams eight turnovers were committed holding the two high-powered offenses below their scoring averages. Ripon gained sole possession of second place after a battle of the two "one-loss" teams in the league.

Ripon's Troy DeVoe rushed for 208 yards and one touchdown and added 74 yards receiving and another touchdown to lead the Red Hawks. Defensive back Nate Kok picked off his league-leading seventh and eighth interceptions of the year while also deflecting four other IC passes.

Derek Leonard finished 26 of 45 for 244 yards and two touchdowns. The Blue Boy quarterback used nine different receivers in the game, all recording over 10 receiving yards each. Quinn Morrow matched Kok defensively with two picks of his own to lead IC. For the game box, click here.

Pedersen leads Grinnell to win

Tight end Jeff Pedersen took over at quarterback for Grinnell in place of Shawn Sigler and led the Pioneers to a 23-6 home victory Saturday afternoon. Pedersen caught two passes for 25 yards before replacing Sigler who was reportedly knocked out of the contest with an injury. Pedersen finished with two touchdown passes on the day. John Godish's 25-yard field goal in the first half was the only scoring through two periods.

Prairie Fire quarterback Mike Irwin connected with Jeff Tylka with 7:30 left in the game for Knox's only score. Adam Wherley had four catches for 88 yards and defensively for Knox, Jamie Morrell was very active logging four tackles, two for a loss including one sack, one fumble recovery and one pass deflection. For the game box, click here.

St. Norbert just one away from title

St. Norbert defeated Lake Forest 34-13 Saturday afternoon in Lake Forest to move within one win of their second-consecutive MWC title. Despite five lost fumbles by the Green Knights, the visitors were able to add to a slim 7-0 lead at the break to reamain undefeated this season.

Matt O'Grady rushed for two touchdowns and rushed for 218 yards on 26 carries. Mike Lynn addd two touchdown receptions while linebacker Jerimiah Janssen had 13 tackles, including two sacks, for the Green Knights. Forester quarterback Andy Heikes finished the day 11 of 22 for 171 yards and one touchdown. The Foresters held a ten-minute advantage in possession time and ran 17 more plays than St. Norbert. For the game box, click here.

Second half explosion leads Carroll to win

Leading but just one point at 7-6 after one half of play, the Carroll Pioneers unleashed a strong running attack and scored 35 unanswered points in the second half to defeat the Buccaneers in Beloit, 42-6.

Beloit's Jon DuPuis picked up where he left off last weekend by breaking open a 36-yard scoring run just seven minutes into the game. Carroll responded with a score of their own to take the lead into the half. Three straight rushing touchdowns by the Pioneer's Matt Koczersut broke the game open in the third quarter. Rob Brester added a 76-yard touchdown run and finished with 120 yards on the day for Carroll who scored all six touchdowns on the ground. Scott Dvorak led the Beloit offense with 16 carries for 100 yards. Matt Gaulke was the defensive standout of the game for Carroll with two interceptions. For the game box, click here.

St. Norbert gains more ground in latest poll

St. Norbert made the jump to 21st in the latest release of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Div. III Poll. The Green Knights received a season-high 243 votes after defeating Grinnell 34-0 this past weekend. For more on the poll, click here.

Illinois College uses last second touchdown to topple Lake Forest

Illinois College quarterback Derek Leonard marched the Blue Boys 63 yards on 11 plays and capped the drive with a eight-yard touchdown pass to Dan Klendworth for the 40-39 victory over the Foresters at Lake Forest. Down one after the touchdown with just two seconds remaining in the game, Illinois C. opted for the two-point conversion and the win as Leonard found Dan Holden in the end-zone for the successful attempt.

Lake Forest's Jason Arendsee's 10-yard touchdown run with 1:09 left in the game gave the Foresters a 39-32 lead before the Blue Boys' game-winning drive. Illinois C. registered 17 points in the 4th quarter for the come-from-behind victory. Klendworth finished the day with six catches for 102 yards and the touchdown. Lake Forest sported a balanced offensive attack with 240 yards rushing and 252 yards passing. Andy Heikes notched 242 yards passing and 81 yards rushing, including five rushing touchdowns, tops for a game in the MWC this season. For the game box, click here.

Lawrence captures first win of the season

Behind Ty Molitor's three interceptions, Lawrence held off Carroll 14-13 in Waukesha Saturday afternoon for their first victory of the 2000 season. The Vikings struck quickly to begin the game with quarterback R.J. Rosenthal hooking up with Jacques Hacquebord for an 80-yard strike just 1 minute and 47 seconds into the game. Carroll responded and both teams played to a 7-7 tie through the end of the 3rd quarter.

After a Jason Mau five-yard touchdown run to open up the 4th quarter for Carroll, a failed extra point opened the door for the Vikings to take the lead. J.C. Radliff scrambled 27-yards to paydirt with five minutes remaining for the game-winning score for Lawrence. Radliff finished with 87 yards on 11 rushes. Hacquebord caught just two balls but for an amazing 116 yards. Erik Gehrke led the Pioneers with five catches for 91 yards. For the game box, click here.

League-leading St. Norbert posts fourth shutout of the season

Matt O'Grady rushed for two touchdowns and Mark Schmitz logged two receiving touchdowns as St. Norbert remained a perfect 6-0 in the MWC and 7-0 on the season with a 34-0 win over visiting Grinnell Saturday afternoon.

Following O'Grady's first rushing touchdown with 8:48 left in the first half, Grinnell marched the ball down to the St. Norbert one-yard line on a 11-play 77-yard drive on the very next possession. On fourth-and-one at the Green Knight one-yard line St. Norbert's Dwensel Petty tackled the Grinnell rusher for no gain and St. Norbert had regained possession on downs and escaped a game-tying score. Three plays later O'Grady broke a run open for 75-yards and his second touchdown. O'Grady finished with 193 yards on 20 carries. Grinnell was led by Shawn Sigler's 13 of 37 performance for 127 yards. For the game box, click here.

Ripon pulls away in second half

Leading by just one touchdown at 28-20 at the half, Ripon scored five straight touchdowns to drop visiting Monmouth 62-27 at Ingalls Field on Saturday. Ripon jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead in the first half but that quickly evaporated as the Fighting Scots scored three-straight touchdowns of their own to grab a 20-14 lead with 12:56 left in the first half. Ripon scored two of their final seven touchdowns before the break to take the 28-20 lead into the locker room.

Dan Henken led the 504-yards of total offense for Ripon with 113 yards receiving on five catches, three which went for touchdowns. Red Hawk's Travis LeRoy provided the spark early in the third quarter with a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown to give Ripon a two-toucdown lead. Randy Terrell rush 22 times for 82 yards for Monmouth while Jon Baikie notched six kickoff returns for 118 yards. For the game box, click here.

Beloit's DuPuis rushes the Bucs to win

Jon DuPuis rushed 24 times for 104 yards and three touchdowns as Beloit defeated Knox 32-20 at Beloit. DuPuis contributed to a 19-point second quarter for the Bucs as they took the lead back for good from the Prairie Fire.

Knox's Seth Mattin had just two catches on the day, but both were for touchdowns of 50-yards or better. Prairie Fire quarterback Mike Erwin finished 18 of 36 for 258 yards on the day. Defensively Knox's Tony Balthazor had 20 tackles while Chris Staley led Beloit with two sacks. For the game box, click here.

Illinois C. hangs on for home victory

A last minute Beloit drive fell 16 yards short of the game-tying touchdown as Illinois C. defeated the Buccaneers 24-17 in Jacksonville Saturday afternoon. Blue Boy Park Johnston caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Derek Leonard with 2:48 remaining in the 3rd quarter to break the 17-17 tie. Both teams played a scoreless 4th quarter. Nolan Leever had 4 catches for 103 yards for Illinois C. Ty Mueller and Scott Muehlman rushed for 72 and 69 yards respectively for Beloit. The Buc's Michael Dempsey logged 17 tackles defensively. For the game box, click here.

Lake Forest uses early lead to gain 3rd win

Lake Forest jumped out to a 28-0 lead after one half and went on to defeat Lawrence 41-6 in Appleton on Saturday. Jason Arendsee scored two rushing and one receiving touchdown to lead the Foresters. Arendsee and teammate Tom Starnicky both topped the century mark in rushing with 129 and 123 respectively. Seven Forester's rushed for better than 20 yards apiece. R.J. Rosenthal was 14 of 29 for 196 yards and one touchdown for Lawrence. For the game box, click here.

St. Norbert powers to win

St. Norbert running back Matt O'Grady rushed for a school-record 282 yards on 27 carries to help lead the Green Knights over Monmouth 45-0 in Monmouth Saturday. St. Norbert racked up 582 yards of total offense on the way to their 15th-consecutive MWC win. Seven different Green Knights scored in the contest. Defensively, Ed Obermueller had two interceptions for St. Norbert while Monmouth was led by Ryan Wood's three catches for 46 yards. For the game box, click here.

Ripon earns key road victory

Ripon place-kicker Lucas Hornung connected on field goals of 26 and 29-yards as the Red Hawks defeated Grinnell 20-14 in Grinnell Saturday. Hornung's first kick came with under two minutes remaining in the first half and was the only score over the first 30 minutes. Both offense got back on track in the second half, but Ripon never trailed during the game. The Red Hawks received a balanced running game with Troy DeVoe (57 yards), Mike Mussett (48 yards) and Brock Bauer (42 yards). Pioneer running back Adam Wallace rushed for 71 yards while tightend Jeff Pedersen caught seven balls for 51 yards and a touchdown. For the game box, click here.

Knox's comeback falls short
versus Carroll

Knox scored 20 4th-quarter points but Carroll put up 13 of their own in a shootout in Galesburg Saturday afternoon as the Pioneers held off the Prairie Fire 33-27. Both teams encountered a flurry of scoring in the final eight minutes of the game as five touchdowns were scored. Carroll's Aaron Munch was 20 of 36 for 291 yards and three TD's. Knox passed for 352 yards, 318 coming from the arm of Mike Erwin. Carroll's Matt Gaulke had two interceptions on the day. For the game box, click here.

Green Knights break into AFCA Top 25

Following a 21-0 win over Knox, St. Norbert gained eight more points over last weeks total to move them into 24th in the latest release of the American Football Coaches Association Division III Coaches' Poll. For more on the poll, click here.

Illinois C. hands Grinnell first MWC loss

Down three points with two-minutes remaining, Illinois College's A.J. Vassar stepped in front of a Grinnell pass and picked it off inside the IC 20-yard line to preserve the 34-31 victory over Grinnell Saturday in Jacksonville. The Pioneers were driving for the game-winning touchdown after losing a 31-21 lead midway through the 3rd quarter. The Blue Boy's Patrick Bowman rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns, including a one-yard scamper that proved to be the game-winner in the 4th quarter. For Grinnell, Shawn Sigler and Adam Wallace both topped the century mark in rushing with 115 and 106 respectively. For the game box, click here.

Beloit holds on in a heart-stopper

Despite eight catches for 127 yards and three touchdowns from Zach Michael, the Lawrence Vikings fell one play short in their bid for the road win at Beloit Saturday. The Bucs topped the Vikings 27-26 after a failed two-point conversion by Lawrence with 33 seconds remaining in the game. After Scott Dvorak logged his third rushing touchdown of the game for Beloit with just over three minutes remaining in the game to take a 27-20 lead, Lawrence quarterback R.J. Rosenthal connected with Michael for a nine-yard score to bring his team within one point. Dvorak finished with 20 carries for 125 yards. Rosenthal was 11 of 18 for 144 yards and three touchdowns. For the game box, click here.

Ripon strikes quick against Lake Forest

Lake Forest pulled to within 13-6 late into the second quarter on a Andy Heikes 26-yard touchdown pass to Jim Smith, but Ripon scored two touchdowns in the final 47 seconds of the half as they went on to win at home 40-7. After the Heikes-Smith touchdown, Ripon quarterback Brock Bauer found Dan Henken for a 56-yard score on the first play of their next possession. After a Lake Forest interception with less than 30 seconds remaining, Ripon scored again on a Troy DeVoe one-yard run. DeVoe rushed 31 times for 215 yards. Tom Starnicky led Lake Forest with 18 rushes for 87 yards. For the game box, click here.

Carroll notches first win of the season

Erik Gerhke had two touchdown receptions and the Carroll Pioneers exploded to a 19-0 1st quarter lead as they defeated Monmouth at home 43-7. The Pioneers rushed for 262 yards on the day, and held the Fighting Scots to just 130 total yards for the game. Both teams combined for nine turnovers in the contest. Carroll was led by Rob Brester who rushed 19 times for 127 yards and a touchdown. Monmouth's Justin Oertle had two interceptions on the day. For the game box, click here.

St. Norbert grinds out 4th win

St. Norbert scored one touchdown in each of the first three quarters to down Knox in Galesburg 21-0 Saturday afternoon.Matt O'Grady scored twice and rushed for 95 yards on 19 carries. Knox was led by R.A. Williams with 65 yards on the ground and Adam Wherley who hauled-in nine passes for 86 yards. St. Norbert tallied 354 yards of total offense thanks in part to Luke Ott who was 17-28 for 215 yards. For the game box, click here.

Offense rolls into high gear in battle of preseason #1 and #2

St. Norbert showed why they were picked as a unanimous #1 in the preseason MWC football poll as they exploded to a 54-31 win over Ripon in DePere Saturday afternoon. Matt O'Grady and Brandon Spaulding found paydirt three times apiece and powered the Green Knight offense to 490 total yards. Spaulding's performance was even more impressive considering the St. Norbert wideout caught just three passes for 189 yards. O'Grady added 122 yards on the ground.

Ripon, the preseason #2-ranked team, held the advantage in first downs (23-17), passing yards (356-209) and time of possession (36-24). The Red Hawks received two touchdowns from Dan Henken (receiving) and Troy DeVoe (rushing). The St. Norbert defense set the tone for the day, picking off a pass for a 5-yard touchdown just 1 minute and 36 seconds into the game by Dwensel Petty, the first of two INT-touchdown returns on the day. For the game box, click here.

Grinnell remains on top

Conference rushing, scoring and all-purpose yards leader Adam Wallace rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns to lead Grinnell over Carroll in a battle of the "Pioneers" Saturday in Grinnell. Wallace also logged four receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown. The Grinnell Pioneer defense forced five interceptions on Carroll, returning one for a touchdown.

Carroll Pioneer back Rob Brester rushed 18 times for 107 yards. Grinnell's Jeff Pedersen had eight receptions for 102 yards and one touchdown. Grinnell remains undefeated in MWC play in a first-place tie with St. Norbert. For the game box, click here.

Monmouth hands Illinois C. first
MWC loss

Up 17-14 late in the fourth quarter, Monmouth's Matt Beverly blocked a potential game-tying field goal by Illinois C., and Fighting Scot teammate Scott Stanton retrieved the ball and scampered 75 yards for the touchdown to seal the first career win for Head Coach Steve Bell.

Monmouth's Oscar Scott had a break-out game with 32 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns. IC's Patrick Bowman scored both of the Blueboy touchdowns; one on the ground and one in the air from Derek Leonard. For the game box, click here.

Lake Forest moves into second place, Knox notches first win

Casey Urlacher, brother of Chicago Bear rookie linebacker Brian Urlacher, recovered a fumble in the first half and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown to help propel Lake Forest to a 34-20 win over Beloit. The Bucs led 14-13 at half but the Foresters held serve at home thanks to 113 yards rushing and one touchdown by Jim Smith and two interceptions by Josh Schneider. For the game box, click here.

Knox broke into the win column with a 30-12 win over Lawrence in Appleton. Boxscore and stats will be posted Sunday.

St. Norbert posts shutout

In front of a local television audience in the Fox Valley area, the Midwest Conference was on display Saturday night at the Banta Bowl in Appleton, Wis., as the Lawrence Vikings hosted the St. Norbert Green Knights.

St. Norbert quarterback-receiver combo Luke Ott and Mike Lynn connected for two touchdowns as the Green Knights continued their two-year winning streak in the leauge with a 29-0 victory over Lawrence.

Lynn finished the game with five catches for 137 yards. Lawrence's Zach Michael had an equally impressive game with seven receptions for 122 yards. For the game box, click here.

Grinnell takes down Lake Forest in OT

Lake Forest running back Jim Smith capped a 15-play, 75-yard Forester drive midway through the 4th quarter with a 15-yard touchdown run to send the game into overtime, but Grinnell kicker John Godish nailed a 22-yard field goal for the 10-7 win over Lake Forest.

Smith finished with 13 rushes for 69 yards and the touchdown. Adam Wallace led the way for Grinnell with a game-high 92 yards rushing, including 20 on a scoring run late in the 3rd quarter to break a scoreless tie. For the game box, click here.

Beloit runs to win over Monmouth

Sparked by a Joe Kostiha 73-yard interception return for a touchdown, the Bucanneers scored 22-unanswered points in the second half and won their first game of the season, 22-3, over Monmouth Saturday afternoon.

Beloit tallied 193 yard rushing thanks in part to four players who rushed for over 20 yards apiece. Jon Dupius led the way with 65 for the Bucs. Randy Terrell had a strong game for Monmouth, rushing for a game-high 117 yards on 29 carries. For the game box, click here.

Ripon survives overtime fight with Carroll

The Red Hawks needed a 20-yard touchdown pass from Brock Bauer to Dan Henken late in the 4th quarter to send the game into overtime and on to their third win in as many tries. Carroll blocked the extra point following the Henken touchdown, forcing an overtime where Ripon's Lucas Hornung kicked a 22-yard field goal for the 31-28 win.

Troy DeVoe rushed 44 times for 129 yards and two touchdowns for Ripon. Henken caught nine passes for 139 yards and one score, but was equalled by Pioneer receivers Erik Gehrke and Brandy Spoerl who caught 14 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns. For the game box, click here.

Second-half surge propels Illinois C.

Mike Watson returned two interceptions for touchdowns and quarterback Derek Leonard threw for four second-half touchdowns as the Blue Boys of Illinois C. defeated Knox in Galesburg 43-34. Illinois C. scored 36 points in the second half, including 20 in the final period.

Despite R.A. Williams 42 rushes for 212 yards and two touchdowns, the Prairie Fire couldn't respond to Illinois College's second half scoring explosion. Knox, who led 24-7 at the half, racked up 444 total yards and held a 36-24 minute advantage in possession time. For the game box, click here.

Grinnell, Illinois C., Lake Forest, St. Norbert and Ripon opening weekend winners

Grinnell jumped out to a quick 13-point lead in the first quarter and played Beloit straight-up for the final three quarters as the Pioneers battled to a 1-0 start in conference play with a 30-20 win. Shawn Sigler threw two touchdown passes and Adam Wallace caught one and rushed for two more in the victory. Scott Muelhemann rushed for 76 yards for the Bucs. Click here for the game box.

A 15-minute adavantage in possession time and 417 total yards of offense propelled Lake Forest to a 30-13 win at Monmouth. Much of Lake Forest's yard total came via the ground where they racked up 290 to Monmouth's 15 yards. Monmouth opened up their passing attack for 305 yards, including eight catches and 134 yards for Fighting Scot receiver Ryan Wood. Tom Starnciky and Jason Arendsee rushed for 119 and 92 yards respectively for Lake Forest. Click here for the game box.

St. Norbert extended their MWC winning streak to 11 games and their home winning streak to five with a 34-7 victory over Carroll. The Green Knights tacked on 20 points in the first quarter on their first three possessions and never looked back, finishing with 449 total yards. Jason Augustynowicz rushed for two touchdowns. Jason Mau, the Pioneer quarterback, was 22 of 33 for 221 yards, but Carroll was picked of four times by St. Norbert. Click here for the game box.

Ripon's Dan Henken caught four passes for 114 yards and teammate Jason Beck caught four passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns as the Red Hawks held serve at home against Knox. Prairie Fire receiver Adam Wherley was equally impressive with 10 catches for 128 yards and one touchdown. Ripon led 12-0 at the half, but Knox scored ten unanswered points in the 3rd before Ripon pulled away in the 4th. Click here for the game box.

In the day's other league game it was Illinois C. holding on to defeat Lawrence 13-6 in Jacksonville. The Vikings could not overcome five turnovers despite holding a 28-12 advantage in first downs and 387 total yards to IC's 276. Lawrence struck first to go up 6-0, but two big plays for the Blue Boys; a 56-yard touchdown from Derek Leonard to Dustin Devening and a 37-yard scoring run by Pat Bowman, gave IC the victory. Bowman had 158 yards on 20 carries while his counterpart, Lawrence's Justin Berrens, led the league this week with 23 rushes for 174 yards. Click here for the game box.

St. Norbert, Ripon open season with wins

The Green Knights, defending MWC champions, were victorious Saturday afternoon at Hamline University by a score of 34-22. Luke Ott was 22 of 28 for 337 yards and one touchdown in the win. For the game box, click here.

Ripon hosted Elmhurst College and broke a three-game season-opener losing streak by dropping the Blue Jays 28-14 at home Saturday afternoon. Troy DeVoe rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns while quarterback Brock Bauer threw for two others. For the game box, click here.

Despite leading 16-13 after three quarters, holding a 23-16 first down advantage and 121 more total yards for the game, Grinnell lost to Claremont at home 33-23 after surrendering 20 fourth-quarter points. Quarterback Shawn Sigler lit it up for 279 yards including 103 yards on eight passes to preseason All-American tight end pick Jeff Pederson. For the game box, click here.

Knox fell to Millikin at Knox, 56-7. Brett Zick caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Adam Buckley in the first quarter for the Prairie Fire's only score. Eric Peterson rushed four times for 22 yards and Buckley recorded 83 yards on 9 of 23 passing. For the game box, click here.

Lake Forest trailed 21-16 late into the third quarter against the University of Chicago, but a fourth quarter touchdown by UC spoiled Head Coach Chad Eisele's home opener in his first season. Andy Heikes had five catches for 80 yards and Jim Smith rushed eight times for 34 yards. For the game box, click here.

In other non-league action Concordia (WI) dropped Beloit 31-22 in Milwaukee, Macalester edged Lawrence 16-15 and North Park squeaked past Carroll 34-33.

Illinois C. routs Blackburn

Patrick Bowman rushed for 102 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead Illinois C. past Blackburn College 44-7 Saturday afternoon in their season opener. Garrett Thum added a 23-interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter. For the game box, click here.

Monmouth falls in season opener

The Fighting Scots trailed 12-7 at the half and rallied but came up short for Head Coach Steve Bell in his first career game as they dropped their season opener 26-20 at Eureka College. For the game box, click here.

**2000 Preseason Coaches Poll Released**

St. Norbert, the defending MWC football champion, was a unanimous choice to repeat their title run in a poll conducted of all ten MWC coaches. The Green Knights finished a perfect 9-0 in MWC play in 1999 and earned the league's first automatic berth to NCAA play.

Ripon was a strong candidate for second place while Grinnell finished third in the balloting, Beloit was a close fourth and Carroll rounded out the top five. Knox and Lake Forest finished tied for sixth followed by Monmouth, Lawrence and Illinois College.