Contact: Chassidy Holloway, Assistant Executive Director, holloway@midwestconference.org

GRINNELL, Iowa — The 2019 Midwest Conference (MWC) football season officially kicks of this Thursday, September 5 as the Foresters of Lake Forest College open with a non-Conference contest against Wisconsin Luther College. The remaining teams will kick-off on Saturday, August 7 with a full slate of games throughout the day:
 
Thursday, September 5, 2019

• Lake Forest College @Wisconsin Lutheran College - 7:00 PM 

Saturday, September 7, 2019

• Lawrence University @ Grinnell College - 1:00 PM
• Macalester College @ Carleton College - 1:00 PM
• Wheaton College @ Monmouth College - 1:00 PM
• Augsburg University @ Ripon College - 1:00 PM
• St. Norbert College @ Aurora University - 1:00 PM
• Concordia University Chicago @ Beloit College - 5:00 PM
• Rhodes College @ Illinois College - 6:00 PM
• Knox College @ Eureka College - 6:00 PM
• Washington University at St. Louis @ University of Chicago - 6:00 PM
• Iowa Wesleyan @ Cornell College - 7:00 PM

 
The first two weeks of the season are reserved for non-conference competition, followed by a bye week then two weeks of cross-division games before divisional play commences. Beginning with the 2019 season, the Foresters will now compete in the North Division and the University of Chicago Maroons will reside in the South Division. 
 
In August, the MWC football head coaches determined that the defending Divisional Champions, St. Norbert College Green Knights and the Scots of Monmouth College would top the North and South divisions, respectively. A recap of the 2019 MWC Football Preseason Coaches’ Poll can be found here. 
 
Heading into the season, the Green Knights are ranked 25^thnationally according to the D3 Football Top 25 Preseason Poll, while Joe Krall (Monmouth) and Lane Barnes (Ripon) are tabbed preseason second team selections by D3 Football. Krall is a senior tight end and Barnes is a senior safety. 
 
Conference play will begin on Saturday, October 12. The top seeds of each division will meet in the MWC Championship Game on November 16 to compete for the MWC Football Champion title and the right to the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Playoffs. 
 
Quick facts for all twelve MWC teams by division can be found below: 
 
Beloit College Buccaneers
Head Coach: Ted Soenksen (1^st Season)
2018 Season: 1-9 (overall); 0-5 (MWC North) 
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 6^th North Division 
Starters Returning: 10 (5 Offensive/5 Defensive)
Watch List: Tyler Korous (Sr) – Wide Receiver, Michael Lafayette (Sr) – Linebacker, Caleb Wachal (Sr) – Defensive Back 
 
Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Vince Brautigam (10^th Season)
2018 Season:  5-5 (overall); 2-3 (MWC South)
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 5^th South Division
Starters Returning: 16 (7 Offensive/8 Defensive/1 Specialty)
Watch List: Kale Kuhiiki (So) – Defensive Line, Tim Monfils (Sr) – Offensive Line, Trevhon Porterfield (Jr) – Running Back
 
Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: Jeff Pedersen (9^th Season)
2018 Season:  2-8 (overall); 0-5 (MWC South)
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 6^th North Division
Starters Returning: 15 (9 Offensive/6 Defensive)
Watch List: Danny Carter (So) – Running Back, Sal Kargbo (Jr) – Defensive Back, Dustin Saia (So) – Wide Receiver
 
Illinois College Blueboys
Head Coach: Ray DeFrisco (4^th Season) 
2018 Season: 4-6 (overall); 2-3 (MWC South)
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 3^rd South Division 
Starters Returning: 17 (8 Offensive/9 Defensive)
Watch List: Bobby Carr II (Sr) – Defensive Back, Austin Grabow (Sr) – Offensive Line, Zach Heren (Sr) – Offensive Line, Carter Hilley (Jr) – Defensive Back, Jaylin Swan (Jr) – Defensive Line 
 
Knox College Prairie Fire
Head Coach: Damon Tomeo (7^th Season)
2018 Season: 2-8 (overall); 2-3 (MWC South)
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 4^th South Division
Starters Returning: 15
Watch List: Hunter Lee (Jr) – Wide Receiver, Corey McKnight (Jr) – Offensive Line, Garrett Rau (Sr) – Special Teams/Defensive Back, Kobe Shutter (Sr) – Tight End
 
Lake Forest College Foresters 
Head Coach: Jim Catanzaro (11^th Season)
2018 Season:  6-4 (overall); 4-1 (MWC South)
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 3^rd North Division 
Starters Returning: 13 (5 Offensive/8 Defensive)
Watch List: Michael Bounds (Sr) – Punter, John Colasacco (Jr) – Offensive Lineman, Johnny Laponte (Sr) – Outside Linebacker, Jordan McInerney (Sr) – Defensive End, Noah Recker (Sr) – Tight End, Anthony Rieck (So) – Defensive Back 
 
Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Rob McCarthy (5^th Season)
2018 Season: 2-8 (overall); 1-4 (MWC North) 
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 5^th North Division 
Starters Returning: 12 (6 Offensive/6 Defensive)
Watch List: Jasaad Graves (Sr) – Defensive Line, Terrell Myers (Sr) – Defensive Back, Jason Regulski (Sr) – Offensive Line, D’Andre Weaver (Jr) – Quarterback 
 
Macalester College Scots
Head Coach: Tony Jennison (12^th Season)
2018 Season: 5-5 (overall); 2-3 (MWC North) 
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 4^th North Division 
Starters Returning: 13 (5 Offensive/8 Defensive)
Watch List: Johnny Bice (Sr) – Quarterback, John Newton (Jr) – Defensive Line, Harrison Runnels (Sr) – Linebacker 
 
Monmouth College Scots
Head Coach: Chad Braun (5^th Season)
2018 Season: 8-2 (overall); 5-0 (MWC South) 
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 1^st South Division 
Starters Returning: 14 (8 Offensive/6 Defensive)
Watch List: Joey Biel (Sr) – Kicker, Mason Castricone (So) – Defensive Back, Clark Gaden (Sr) – Linebacker, Joe Krall (Sr) – Offensive Line, Nick Miyler (Sr) – Defensive Back
 
Ripon College Redhawks
Head Coach: Ron Ernst (29^th Season)
2018 Season: 7-3 (overall); 3-2 (MWC North) 
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 2^nd North Division 
Starters Returning: 9 (3 Offensive/6 Defensive)
Watch List: Lane Barnes (Sr) – Defensive Back, Cormac Madigan (So) – Quarterback, Tyler VanDeVelde (Sr) – Full Back
 
St. Norbert College Green Knights
Head Coach: Dan McCarty (5^th Season)
2018 Season: 10-2 (overall); 5-0 (MWC North)
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 1^st North Division 
Starters Returning: 10 (6 Offensive/4 Defensive)
Watch List: Jeff Allen (Sr) – Punter, Kordell Draves (Sr) – Defensive Line, Walter McBride (Sr) – Defensive Back, Isaac Mears (Sr) – Offensive Line, Austin Rupiper (Sr) – Offensive Line, Samuel Staehling (Sr) – Wide Receiver, Jerome Tillis (Sr) – Defensive Line 
 
University of Chicago Maroons
Head Coach: Chris Wilkerson (7^th Season)
2018 Season: 7-3 (overall); 4-1 (MWC North) 
2019 Projected MWC Finish: 2^nd South Division 
Starters Returning: 17 (10 Offensive/7 Defensive)
Watch List: Zach Atiyeh (Sr) – Linebacker, Doug Barkauski (Sr) – Offensive Line, Nick D’Ambrose (So) – Running Back, Jacob Jackson (So) – Wide Receiver, Jeffrey Jackson (So) – Quarterback, Jackson Ross (Jr) – Defensive Line, Bill Rotnicki (Sr) – Defensive Back, Henry Winebrake (Sr) – Linebacker