INDIANAPOLIS - With the opening day kickoff less than two weeks away, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference football season is shaping up to be an exciting one with eight teams in the mix for championship contention.
Five institutions are brand new to the standings while Alderson Broaddus, Kentucky Wesleyan and Malone, are ramping up for their second year of competition in the league.
Ohio Dominican was voted as the preseason favorite by the league’s coaches. The polls are always interesting to see where teams are projected to shake out, especially with Great Midwest observers maybe not quite as familiar with some of the names of the new players arriving on the scene.
The Great Midwest is competing in NCAA Super Region I along with the Pennsylvania State Athletics Conference (PSAC), Northeast 10 Conference (NE-10) and Mountain East Conference (MEC).
The AFCA Preseason Top-25 Coaches Poll also had Ohio Dominican receiving votes as Great Midwest schools start to work their way for national consideration when the postseason rolls around.
The 2018 season will also see Tiffin University added to the equation and increases the number of Great Midwest football schools up to nine.
The Great Midwest sports information departments helped compile the information below as part of this year’s season preview.
| Alderson Broaddus Battlers |
2016 Record
and Standings |
Returning
Starters |
Returning
Lettermen |
|
7-2 Overall, 2-0 G-MAC
1st in G-MAC |
5 Offense
3 Defense |
14 Offense
17 Defense |
| First Game |
| Sat., Sept. 2 vs. Saginaw Valley State – 12 p.m. |
| Team Preview |
| The Alderson Broaddus Battlers won the inaugural G-MAC Championship and finished with a 9-2 overall record during the 2016 season. After starting the season 1-2, AB won its final 8 games of the season including a 31-28 victory over Kentucky Wesleyan in the final game of the season to secure the G-MAC Championship. The Battlers graduated 39 seniors last season after completing their fourth season as an NCAA program. AB graduated eight starters on the defensive side of the ball, who was ranked top-5 in the nation in a number of defensive categories. On offense, AB returns its starting quarterback, two offensive lineman, and two wide receivers. Thirteen members of the AB football team were named to the G-MAC All-Conference team. Returning in 2017 for the Battlers from that team include A.J. Cummings, William Iacobucci and Grant Noon. Starting quarterback Connor McWilliams played in four games during the 2016 season before getting injured in a 16-3 loss to Fairmont State which caused him to miss the remainder of the season. To that point, McWilliams split time with Dakota Bruggeman under center. Out wide, Zack Lake finished with 290 yards receiving and four TD’s while Cummings finished with 247 yards receiving and three scores. |
| Players to Watch |
#14 Connor McWilliams (QB, So., 6-2, 210, Brentwood, PA / Brentwood HS)
#2 A.J. Cummings (WR, Jr., 5-7, 165, Atlanta, GA / St. Francis HS)
#13 Brandon Lavern (DE, Sr., 6-2, 260, Frederick, MD / Tuscarora HS) |
2016 Record
and Standings |
Returning
Starters |
Returning
Lettermen |
|
6-5, 6-5 (GLIAC)
7th Overall, 4th GLIAC South |
9 Offense
7 Defense |
22 Offense
20 Defense |
| First Game |
| Thursday, August 31 at Tiffin – 7 p.m. |
| Team Preview |
| In the final season of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, the 2016 Oilers finished with their fifth winning record in six seasons under head coach Rob Keys. They ended the season with wins in four of their final five games including a 59-21 victory at Michigan Tech which was the most points scored by Findlay under Keys. Multiple major components return to the huddle on the offensive side of the ball, with junior quarterback Rhys Gervais at the forefront. In just two seasons, Gervais is rewriting the Oilers record books and has been one of the most productive arms in the country in the previous two seasons. A 2015 candidate for the Harlon Hill, Gervais has thrown for 6,188 yards in his career, has completed 464-of-740 pass attempts for a completion percentage of .627, and has thrown for 60 touchdowns. Each of those statistics is a University of Findlay record. Also returning is an honorable mention All-American winner, senior, Jason Moore. In 2016, Moore caught 71 balls for a school record 1,115 yards for an average of 101.4 yards per game. He also snagged a school record, 15 touchdowns.The Oilers return three out of the top five leading tacklers from last season’s squad in junior Francis Cutchember (76 tkls), Chiebuka Chukwuneke (55 tkls), and Isaac Miles (45 tkls). Miles was fourth on the team with five and a half tackles for loss while Chukwuneke led the squad with seven pass breakups. |
| Players to Watch |
#11 Rhys Gervais (QB, Jr., 6-2, 220, Puyallup, WA / Lakes HS / Western Illinois University)
#8 Jason Moore (WR, Sr., 6-3, 211, Oberlin, OH / Oberlin HS)
#74 Andrew Alten (OL, Sr., 6-2, 307, Loveland, OH / Loveland HS)
#21 Chiebuka Chukwuneke (DB, Jr. 5-8, 177, Edison, N.J. / John P Stevens HS) |
2016 Record
and Standings |
Returning
Starters |
Returning
Lettermen |
|
5-5, 4-5 (GLIAC)
T-8th Overall, 5th GLIAC North |
10 Offense
10 Defense |
22 Offense
23 Defense |
| First Game |
| Saturday, Sept. 2 at Mercyhurst - 12 p.m. |
| Team Preview |
| The 125th season of Hillsdale College football will be an historic one, thanks to the team’s move from the GLIAC to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. But it could be historic for other reasons as well. This will be the most experienced Charger team in a number of years, with 20 total starters coming back, 10 on offense and 10 on defense. Offensively it begins with the offensive line, which returns fully intact from a year ago. The unit is led by four-year starters Jake Bull and Danny Drummond, who play left tackle and center, respectively. Quarterback Chance Stewart led the GLIAC in average passing yards per game last season and has the size, arm strength and experience to be among the conference’s top signal-callers. His favorite target is 2016 honorable mention All-American Trey Brock, who had 1,322 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore. Brock is listed as one of Division II’s top returning wide receivers in 2017. The running attack will be led by 2015 GLIAC Freshman of the Year Joe Reverman along with fast-rising newcomer David Graham. Defensively, the team will deploy a 4-2-5 look to get better side-to-side speed on the field. Sophomore Merrick Canada is a key part of this alignment, a player who is strong enough to make plays at linebacker, but fast enough to man the safety position. Junior Wyatt Batdorff had a breakout 2016 season, leading the Chargers in tackles, while senior linebacker Scotty Penola returns for his fourth year starting at that position. |
| Players to Watch |
#8 Chance Stewart (QB, Jr., 6-6, 264, Sturgis, MI / Sturgis HS / Western Michigan)
#82 Trey Brock (WR, Jr., 6-3, 219, Missouri City, TX / Ridge Point HS)
#66 Jake Bull (LT, Sr., 6-6, 301, Hudsonville, MI / Hudsonville HS)
#48 Scotty Penola (LB, Sr., 6-3, 236, Zionsville, IN / Zionsville HS)
#20 Wyatt Batdorff (S, Jr., 5-11, 206, Grand Rapids, MI / Forest Hills Northern HS) |
| Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers |
2016 Record
and Standings |
Returning
Starters |
Returning
Lettermen |
|
3-8, 1-1 (G-MAC)
2nd in G-MAC |
8 Offense
7 Defense |
20 Offense
15 Defense |
| First Game |
| Thursday, Aug. 31 at Murray State – 7 p.m. |
| Team Preview |
| Mike McGee has settled in as the starting quarterback for Kentucky Wesleyan. After appearing in the final four games last season, the sophomore is ready to take over the starting role. Jared Beard and Derek Barnes will both see time at the wide receiver slot, hoping to fill the hole of Keelan Cole, who is making quite the impact in training camp for the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent. The Panthers added depth on the defensive side of the ball and will look to Mike Malone for a leadership role. He will lead the core of the defense with his high energy and high football IQ. The key to the success of the defense will be keeping the secondary healthy. Kentucky Wesleyan will see five new coaches on the sidelines this season in Alex Shepard (wide receivers), Kasey Smith (defensive line), CW Decker (running backs), Ben Marigny (defensive backs), and Clay Isbell (offensive assistant). Taurean Smith returns as the defensive coordinator as well as L.D. Stallings as the offensive coordinator. |
| Players to Watch |
#16 Mike McGee (QB, RS So., 6-5, 185, Crestwood, KY / South Oldham HS)
#36 Ty Martin-Miles (DB, Jr., 5-9, 192, Louisville, KY / Manual HS)
#31 Michael Malone (LB, Sr., 5-8, 210, Louisville, KY / Male HS)
Derek Barnes (WR, Sr., 6-1, 190, Clearwater, FL / Calvary Christian HS / Georgetown College) |
2016 Record
and Standings |
Returning
Starters |
Returning
Lettermen |
|
0-11, 0-11 (GLIAC)
12th Overall, 6th GLIAC South |
4 Offense
5 Defense |
18 Total |
| First Game |
| Saturday, Sept. 2 at Edinboro - 12 p.m. |
| Team Preview |
| Lake Erie is coming off of a season of turmoil as they finished 0-11 overall in 2016. For 2017, the Storm has ushered in a new era under the direction of first year Head Coach Jerry Hazzard. Lake Erie will be returning nine starters from last season, with four offensive starters and five on the defensive side of the ball. Lake Erie’s offense will be led by a pair of sophomore running backs in Desmon Turner and Antwan Harris. Turner was the second leading rusher for the Storm last season as he averaged 4.2 yards per carry. Turner and Harris accounted for a fourth of the carries last season and each found the end zone twice. Mitchell Tilley will be relied on to lead the receiving corps in 2017. Tilley was third on the team in receptions last season and averaged a team high 16.9 yards per catch. The defense will be anchored by a pair of seniors, in linebackers Zach Jude and Nick Kirschner. Jude led the Storm in tackles in 2016 as he amassed 90 total tackles. Kirschner was third on the team in tackles as he found the ball carrier 55 times on the season. Coach Hazzard will look to improve the Storm in 2017 and finish above the Great Midwest Athletic Conference preseason ranking of sixth. |
| Players to Watch |
#25 Desmon Turner (RB, So., 5-11, 175, Cedar Bluff, AL / Fort Payne HS)
#5 Zach Jude (LB, Sr., 6-1, 245, Canal Winchester, OH / Bloom Carroll HS) |
2016 Record
and Standings |
Returning
Starters |
Returning
Lettermen |
|
1-8, 0-2 (G-MAC)
3rd in G-MAC |
9 Offense
7 Defense |
20 Offense
12 Defense |
| First Game |
| Saturday, Sept. 2 at Taylor – 6 p.m. |
| Team Preview |
| Despite posting a 1-8 record in 2016, the Malone University football team saw growth under first-year head coach Fred Thomas last season and will look to take another step forward in its second year in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Pioneers graduated just eight seniors from last year’s squad and will return 16 starters this fall. Among the nine returning starters on the offensive side of the ball is G-MAC All-Conference back Matt Blasiole who touched the ball nearly 200 times in nine games last fall, racking up 1087 all-purpose yards and 10 total touchdowns. Quarterback John Iacucci (122-242, 1543 yds, 6 TD) returns to lead the Malone offense as does his favorite target Ashton Dulin (50 rec, 825 yds, 4 TD). Dulin, coming off an All-American track season, led Malone with 1227 all-purpose yards in 2016 and is primed for a breakout year at wide receiver. An experienced offensive line features All G-MAC guard JD Stamper and 2016 G-MAC Freshman of the Year Zak Hill. The Pioneer offense also welcomes back guard Brenson Ennis and receiver Eian Elsass who both missed the 2016 season with injuries. Ennis was Honorable Mention All-Conference in 2014 and Elsass caught a team-high 41 passes in 2015. All-Conference linebacker Ryan Weber will once again man the middle of the Malone defense after leading the G-MAC with 79 tackles last fall. All-Conference free safety Daniel Tepe (43 tackles, 4 INT) will anchor the secondary alongside corner Jordan Johnson (35 tackles, 3 INT). The defensive line, perhaps the biggest unknown entering the 2017 campaign, suffered five graduation casualties from 2016 including G-MAC Defensive Player of the Year Tyler Bowman and Academic All-American Austin Cary. Seniors Drew Shreve (29 tackles in 2016) and Roy Johnson, who racked up three sacks in the spring game, are among the prime candidates to help man the four-man front in 2017. The Pioneers are also counting on All-Conference kicker Marcus Moeller to make significant special teams contributions as he did a season ago when he set a school record with 13 field goals and averaged nearly 40 yards a punt. |
| Players to Watch |
45 Matt Blasiole (RB, Sr., 5-10, 200, Uniontown, OH / Lake HS)
#19 Ashton Dulin (WR, Jr., 6-2, 190, Reynoldsburg, OH / Reynoldsburg HS)
#5 Daniel Tepe (DB, Sr., 5-11, 185, Hilliard, OH / Hilliard HS) |
2016 Record
and Standings |
Returning
Starters |
Returning
Lettermen |
|
7-4, 7-4 (GLIAC)
T-5th Overall, 3rd GLIAC South |
11 Offense
7 Defense |
25 Offense
20 Defense |
| First Game |
| Thursday, August 31 at No. 8 California (PA) – 6 p.m. |
| Team Preview |
| Ohio Dominican’s football team enters the 2017 season seeking its third postseason bid in the past five years. The Panthers return plenty of starters on both sides of the ball. The offense will be headlined by senior quarterback Grant Russell, who enters his third year as the starter. Russell (2,730 yards, 23 TDs) had the second best completion percentage (69.9) in Division II last fall and was a Harlon Hill Trophy Candidate. He has his top wideout, junior Cory Contini (2016 Second Team All-GLIAC, 69 receptions, 984 yards, seven TDs) back, along with sophomore wideout David Turner (32 receptions, 359 yards, three TDs). Redshirt senior running back Brandon Schoen missed last season due to injury but returns and is ODU’s all-time leading rusher with 3,271 career yards and 31 touchdowns, and Russell ran for 331 yards as well. All five starting offensive linemen return, including senior Cole Tameris (2016 Second Team All-GLIAC) and 2015 All-GLIAC Honorable Mention pick in senior Zack Williams. ODU’s offensive linemen have combined to make 131 career starts. The defense returns three of the four leading tacklers from last year, headlined by junior linebacker Ross Thompson (94 tackles, 10.0 TFL). Also back is sophomore safety Gus Dimmerling (80 tackles, eight pass breakups) and senior safety/linebacker Tre McIntyre (77 tackles, four interceptions.) Senior linebacker Cameron Kohl (56 tackles) and sophomore linebacker Camren Moore (52 tackles) also return, as does junior defensive end Brian Hunter (35 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 4.0 sacks). |
| Players to Watch |
#12 Grant Russell (QB, Sr., 6-4, 225, Newark, OH / Newark HS)
#2 Brandon Schoen (RB, RS Sr., 5-11, 205, Lewis Center, OH / Olentangy Orange HS)
#13 Ross Thompson (LB, RS Jr., 6-2, 240, Delphos, OH / Delphos HS)
#4 Cory Contini (WR, Jr., 6-1, 195, Dover, OH / Dover HS)
#3 Tre McIntyre (LB, Sr., 6-0, 210, North Lewisburg, OH / Triad HS) |
2016 Record
and Standings |
Returning
Starters |
Returning
Lettermen |
|
1-10, 0-10 (GLIAC)
13th Overall, 5th GLIAC South |
6 Offense
7 Defense |
35 Total |
| First Game |
| Saturday, Sept. 2 vs. Wayne State - 1 p.m. |
| Team Preview |
| Everywhere you look this season, Walsh will have a fresh look on the gridiron. The most noticeable change is the new coaching staff headed by former Olivet College front man Dan Pifer. He joins the Cavaliers after five years with the comets where he went 30-21 with a pair of conference championships the last two years. In addition to that, Walsh will be breaking in a new stadium as they return to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Tom Benson Stadium after a year off with renovations. On the field, Pifer will look to incorporate his offensive philosophy with the spread. He will benefit from the entire offensive line returning with senior Aidan O’Neill (6-6, 315, Noblesville, Ind./Cathedral) leading the group. He’ll also have Mack Coleman (Jr., 6-3, 222, Mogadore, Ohio/Field) as a dual threat as a tight end. The defense and special teams will return a strong amount of experience as well. Nick Sturgill (LB, So., 6-0, 195, York, S.C./York) returns after an impressive rookie campaign with 6.5 tackles for loss on the year. Placekicker Jacob Maloy (Sr., 5-7, 185, Uniontown, Ohio/Lake) and punter Cole Krumpak (Sr., 5-11, 182, Canfield, Ohio/South Range) also return to aid the Cavs on special teams. |
| Players to Watch |
#73 Aidan O’Neill (OL, Sr., 6-6, 315, Noblesville, IN / Cathedral HS)
#33 Nick Sturgill (LB, So., 6-0, 195, York, SC / York HS)
#86 Mack Coleman (TE, Jr., 6-3, 222, Mogadore, OH / Field HS) |