Brett Maloney '09 (left) and Jonathan Antrim '09 (right) earned the highest awards for the Grinnell College football team for the 2008 campaign.

Maloney won the Ullrich '33 Award for the top offensive or defensive backfield performer, while Antrim earned the Rosenbloom '34 Award for top lineman.

Other award winners were Justyn King '12 (first-year most valuable defensive player), Mike Bogard '12 (first-year most valuable offensive player), Carlos Sims '12 (Troy Barboza Award for inspirational first-year player), Chad Christoff '10 (Steve Kriegel Award for being inspirational and an ideal teammate), and C.J. Moore '12 (special teams most valuable player).

Grinnell College linebacker Brett Maloney '09 has been named to the All-Midwest Conference football first team for the 2008 campaign.

Maloney (upper left) made a name for himself by breaking the MWC record for tackles in a season with 161, beating the previous best of 157 set by another Grinnell player, Lee Kraemer. Maloney also had two forced fumbles and an interception during the season.

Maloney, who was named to the D3football.com national Team of the Week after the Pioneers' final game of the season against Beloit College, was also inserted into the offense in that contest and caught a touchdown pass.

Five other Pioneers earned spots on the All-MWC honorable mention list - running back C.J. Moore '09 (upper middle), offensive linemen Jon Antrim '09 (upper right) and Aaron Hirtzel '09 (lower left), linebacker Tyler Schaeffer '09 (lower middle) and defensive back Ryan Boehm '10 (lower right).

Moore was Grinnell's second-leading rusher with 445 yards and five touchdowns, while Antrim and Hirtzel blocked for an offense that piled up nearly 2,800 yards during the campaign. Schaeffer was Grinnell's second-leading tackler with 72 stops, while Boehm was fourth for the Pioneers with 56 tackles. He also had a team-high four interceptions.

Quarterback Alex Tanney of MWC champ Monmouth College was the league's offensive player of the year, while Jeremy Winter of Carroll University was defensive player of the year. Monmouth's Steve Bell claimed coach of the year honors.
2008 All-Midwest Conference Football Team

With Saturday's defensive performance against Beloit College, Grinnell College linebacker Brett Maloney '09 earned a spot in the Midwest Conference record book.

Now he's also earned national attention.

Maloney, a 6-foot-2, 240-pounder from Wheaton, Ill., was named to the D3football.com national Team of the Week after recording 19 tackles in the Pioneers' 34-12 home loss to the Buccaneers. That performance, which included a sack and three tackles for loss, boosted his season tackle total to 161, best-ever in the Midwest Conference. The previous best was 157 established by another Grinnell player, Lee Kraemer, who wrapped up his career in 1991.

On a side note, Maloney was also inserted into Grinnell's offense for one play in Saturday's game and made the most of it, catching a 3-yard touchdown pass from Mike Bogard.
Click to see complete D3Football.com Team of the Week

Grinnell College's Brett Maloney '09 put a stamp on an already spectacular year Saturday by earning a spot in the Midwest Conference record book.

Maloney recorded 19 stops in the Pioneers' 34-12 season-finale home setback to Beloit College at Rosenbloom Field to give him 161 tackles on the season, beating the previous MWC and Grinnell best of 157 set by Lee Kraemer.

Maloney, a linebacker who was among nine Pioneers honored during Senior Day activities, was also put into the game on the offensive side of the ball for a play in the fourth period and caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Mike Bogard '12.

Beloit led just 6-0 after one period on a 1-yard run by Terrance Steward, who rushed for 129 yards on the day. But the Buccaneers then erupted for 21 unanswered points in the second period for a 27-0 halftime edge. Steward had a 51-yard TD run for the visitors, while Matt Davis added scoring passes of 58 yards to Derek Carrier and 16 yards to Julian Ross.

Beloit added another TD in the third period when Andy Christensen ran in from 16 yards out to make it 34-0.

Grinnell got both its scores in the fourth period, beginning with an 11-yard TD scamper by Bogard with 13:21 left in the game. The 16-play, 86-yard drive began in the third period and included an 11-yard completion from Bogard to C.J. Moore '09, an 8-yard run by Bogard and 8-yard completion from Bogard to Kelsey Davis '12. The extra point kick after Bogard's TD was blocked.

After holding Beloit and forcing a punt, the Pioneers went to work again. Bogard completed a 15-yard pass to Robert Seer '12 and Davis rushed for 17 yards. The 7-play, 40-yard drive was finished off by Bogard's pass to Maloney in the left corner of the end zone with 8:46 left. The extra point was no good.

Bogard completed 21-of-41 passes for 221 yards, with Seer getting five catches for 111 yards and Moore five snags for 30 yards. Besides the defensive effort of Maloney, who had three tackles for loss among his stops, Tyler Schaeffer '09 had 10 tackles and Chris Chavez '10 seven.

Grinnell finished its campaign at 3-7 overall and 2-7 in the MWC, while Beloit moved to 5-5 overall and 4-5 in the league.
Box Score

Ripon College burst out to a 14-0 lead after one period and was up 36-0 at halftime on its way to a 50-7 victory over Grinnell College Saturday afternoon in Ripon, Wis.

With the win, Ripon stayed in contention for the Midwest Conference title by improving to 7-1 in the league while moving to 7-2 overall. Grinnell fell to 2-6 in the MWC and 3-6 overall.

Jon Larsen and Josh Pasek had first-quarter TD runs for the winners, while Andrew Fink and Larsen scored on runs in the second period and Joshua Kraemer added a 47-yard interception return for a score. Ted Bartels scored in the third period on a pass from Pasek.

Grinnell's lone score came with 1:36 left in the game when Jimmy Borrasso '12 found Robert Seer '12 on a 5-yard TD pass. Mike Bogard '12 kicked the extra point. The nine-play, 73-yard drive included a 28-yard completion from Borrasso to Mike Martinez '10, a 9-yarder from Borrasso to Joey Snyder '10, an 11-yard run by C.J. Moore '09 and two 8-yard runs by Borrasso. Kraemer returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown after Grinnell's TD drive.

Moore led the team in rushing with 68 yards, while starting quarterback Bogard threw for 145 yards on 12-of-24 completions. Snyder caught three passes for 33 yards, while Kelsey Davis '12 had three catches for 20 yards. Martinez, Jordan Courtain '10, Seer and Moore all had two catches.

Defensively, Brett Maloney '09, the nation's leader in tackles, had 11 stops to go along with a forced fumble. Ryan Boehm '10 had 10 stops and Chris Chavez '10 added eight. Kyle Lobaugh '10 was credited with a sack.

Grinnell concludes the 2008 campaign against Beloit College in a 1 p.m. game on Nov. 8 at Rosenbloom Field. The event is designated as Senior Day.
Box Score

The Grinnell College football team was within a touchdown at halftime, but then Illinois College took control in the second half as the Blueboys went on to post a 41-14 victory at Rosenbloom Field on Saturday afternoon.

With the win, Grinnell fell to 2-5 in the Midwest Conference and 3-5 overall, while Illinois College, which got five touchdown passes from Mitch Niekamp, moved to 4-3 in the league and 4-4 in all games.

Michael Jenning caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Niekamp, who threw for 324 yards, and Ryan Francis ran 14 yards for a score as Illinois College led 14-0 after one period. Then the Pioneers went to work as they constructed a 10-play, 67-yard scoring drive that was capped by C.J. Moore's '09 3-yard TD run. Moore was instrumental the entire drive, rushing for 16 and 12 yards on a pair of carries and also catching an 18-yard pass from Mike Bogard '12, whose extra point kick made it a 14-7 game with :57 left in the half.

But the Blueboys erupted for three TDs in the third period to go up 34-7. All three came on Niekamp passes, a 7-yarder to Jenning, 6-yarder to Justin Derwent and 6-yarder to Andrew Pfieffer. Bret Eschman caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Niekamp for a 41-7 lead early in the fourth period.

Grinnell's final score was set up when Brett Maloney '09 forced a fumble, which was recovered by Marquis Bradley '11 on the Blueboys' 30-yard line. Bogard opened the Pioneers' ensuing drive with a 25-yard run and Moore rushed for a yard before Bogard finished things off with a 4-yard TD run. His extra point kick made it 41-14 with 10:12 left in the game.

Maloney (pictured), the nation's leading tackler, had another spectacular effort with 20 stops, a forced fumble and 1.5 tackles for loss. Tyler Schaeffer '09 added 10 stops, John Hereford '10 and Ben Johnson '10 forced fumbles while Bradley had a fumble recovery, interception and pass breakup.

Offensively, Bogard ran for 96 yards and Moore 93. Bogard also passed for 104 yards and Jordan Courtain '10 had five catches for 54 yards.

Grinnell's next game will be a 1 p.m. road meeting against the Ripon College Red Hawks on Nov. 1.
Box Score

The Grinnell College football team fell just short Saturday, losing 24-16 at Lake Forest College in Midwest Conference action.

The Pioneers, 3-4 overall and 2-4 in the league, fell behind 7-0 early in the second period but bounced back when Kelsey Davis '12 caught a 23-yard scoring pass from Mike Bogard '12 with 2:08 left in the half. The extra point was no good, leaving the score at 7-6 at intermission. The 12-play, 76-yard scoring drive was sparked by a 13-yard run by C.J. Moore '09 and 8-yard rush by Carlos Sims '12.

Lake Forest's Ty Van Valkenberg scored early in the third period to push the hosts ahead 14-6 before Bogard booted a 24-yard field goal with 3:52 left in the period to reduce the gap to 14-9. Moore assisted the drive with a 31-yard return on the kickoff, while Bogard added a 22-yard rush during the series.

Lake Forest's Tim Gruzwalski kicked a 41-yard field goal late in the period for a 17-9 lead and Van Valkenberg scored from 16 yards out with 5:13 left in the game to put the hosts ahead 24-9. Grinnell made things interesting after that by putting together a nine-play, 60-yard drive that included passes of 25 and 10 yards from Bogard to Robert Seer '12 and a run of 12 yards by Moore. Moore capped things with a 1-yard TD run with 2:19 left and Bogard kicked the extra point to make it 24-16.

Grinnell then attempted an onside kick, but the Foresters recovered and ran out the clock. Bogard (pictured) had a big day offensively for the Pioneers, rushing for 92 yards on 16 carries and passing for 108 on nine completions. Seer had 50 yards on four catches, while Moore rushed for 75 yards.

It was yet another huge defensive day for Grinnell's Brett Maloney '09, who entered the game ranked second in the nation in tackles and came up with 22 against Lake Forest. Tyler Schaeffer '09 added 16 stops, Marquis Bradley '11 had 11 and Ryan Fletcher '11 had 10. Curtis McCoy '10 forced a fumble and Clinton Follette '11 recovered it.

Brock Sternberg rushed for 174 yards for the hosts, who improved to 3-4 overall and 3-3 in the MWC. Grinnell hosts Illinois College this coming Saturday, starting at 1 p.m. at Rosenbloom Field.
Box Score

Grinnell College's Brett Maloney '09 has been named the Midwest Conference Football Defensive Player of the Week.

Maloney is a 6-2, 230-pound linebacker from Wheaton, Ill. (St. Francis High School). He entered the game ranked second in NCAA Division III in tackles per game and came up with yet another big effort, recording 17 stops (6 solos, 11 assists) as well as getting a key interception as Knox was driving down the field to potentially tie the game. For the year, Maloney has 89 tackles, nine tackles for loss and four pass breakups.

The Midwest Conference Offensive Performer of the Week is Joe Beckstrand of Carroll University, while Shane Reschke of Monmouth College earned the honor for special teams.

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."