Great Midwest Notes (Week 9)
Great Midwest Records (PDF)
INDIANAPOLIS – Only three weeks remain in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference football regular season as the countdown towards Week 9 has almost arrived.
There is a lot at stake for most parties involved, including playoff seeding, the conference title and various rivalry trophies, in the remaining games of the season.
The NCAA released the first Super Region rankings this week and the Great Midwest was positioned well with Tiffin at No. 4, Hillsdale at No. 7 and Ohio Dominican at No. 8.
Despite beating a top-25 opponent in Week 8, undefeated Tiffin didn’t see any movement in the AFCA National Poll, heading into tomorrow ranked at No. 17 for the second consecutive week.
On paper, the collision course between Tiffin and Hillsdale seems imminent for Week 10 up in Michigan. Neither the Dragons or Chargers (7-1, 6-0 G-MAC) have been handed a loss in the conference schedule and have favorable matchups this weekend.
Tiffin’s stout defense will look to lock down Lake Erie out in Painesville as the Storm (0-8, 0-6 G-MAC) continue to persist and work hard to get that elusive first win of the season.
Conversely, the Dragons (8-0, 5-0 G-MAC) have won eight straight and have all facets of the game clicking. Kyle Brunson continues to grind out tough yards, Nick Watson is connecting with Charles Holland and Victor Talley at will, and Jacob Williams is the reigning defensive player of the week.
Hillsdale was simply overdue by finally making the national poll. The Chargers have beaten teams they weren’t supposed to and their body of work throughout the regular season caught the attention of the regional advisory committee.
HC returns to its home confines this weekend to take on Kentucky Wesleyan. QB Chance Stewart had a huge game against the Panthers (3-4, 2-3 G-MAC) in 2017 and is looking to duplicate that success vs. a defense that gave up just six points in Week 8.
KWC tailback Corey Johnson Jr. was one of two RB’s with over 150 yards and 3 TD’s last week (Findlay’s Brian Benson).
Walsh (2-5, 2-3 G-MAC) and Findlay (5-3, 3-2 G-MAC) will meet in an intriguing matchup of the league’s top offense going up against the conference’s best defense. UF is scoring 41 points per game while the Cavaliers are ceding only 307 yards per contest to opponents.
The Oilers offense has been jolted by QB Adam Bertke (374 pass yards in Week 8) and WR Jason Moore, who missed the first seven games of the season. Moore caught 10 passes for 240 yards and a score in Week 8.
Ohio Dominican (6-2, 4-2 G-MAC) already has a win against California (PA), but the Panthers are seeking their second against a PSAC opponent for a long road trip up to East Stroudsburg.