Week 4 Notes
Great Midwest Records (PDF)
INDIANAPOLIS – The league schedule is in full swing on Saturday as all eight teams in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference battle for supremacy in the standings.
Four games will be staggered with start times throughout the afternoon on Saturday as Hillsdale, Lake Erie, Findlay and Tiffin, all welcome opponents for conference play.
Walsh (0-3, 0-1) faces defending conference champion Hillsdale (1-2, 1-0) in the first contest. The Cavaliers’ scoring/defensive ratios are certainly something to be shored up after getting blanked by Tiffin in a tough Week 3 go.
Hillsdale bounced back from a setback against nationally ranked UIndy and the Chargers turn their attention to becoming the first back-to-back conference champion since the sport’s inception.
Hillsdale’s David Graham averaged over 15 yards per carry and scored three TD’s as he accounted for the third-most yards in a game in conference history. Graham led the Chargers ground attack and could be in for another big day at Frank Muddy Waters Stadium.
Either Kentucky Wesleyan (0-3, 0-0) or Lake Erie (0-3, 0-1) will earn their first win of the season in a matchup of two rookie head coaches on the sidelines. Both programs have shown marked improvement through the first weeks of the season on both sides of the ball.
Lake Erie’s defense pitched back-to-back second half shutouts in Week 1 and 2; last week, it was the aerial attack by QB Javarian Smith that took flight. The Storm put together strong offensive numbers in defeat vs. Hillsdale, including several top 10 single-game marks by WR Nathaniel Dantley Jr.
Conversely, Kentucky Wesleyan looks like it has turned to the rookie arm of QB Wiley Cain after keeping his team within striking distance against Southwest Baptist. Cain has a completion percentage at almost 55 percent and will continue to get better with more experience each week under center.
Findlay celebrates Homecoming weekend vs. Alderson Broaddus (0-3, 0-0) at Donnell Stadium on Saturday. The Oilers (1-2, 0-1) just quite couldn’t solve Ohio Dominican in the conference opener on ESPN3 while the Battlers have suffered losses to CIAA opponents for two straight weeks (Chowan, No. 25 Bowie State).
Tiffin’s JaQuan Hardy put his name into the conference record books in Week 3 by ripping off a 94-yard run from scrimmage vs. Walsh, officially the longest run in a single game by any Great Midwest player.
The Dragons (2-1, 1-0) will host Ohio Dominican (2-1, 1-0) in the late afternoon matinee in a critical swing matchup. The Panthers’ secondary was stingy against Findlay as Gus Dimmerling, defensive player of the week Ashton Gilkey, Godwin Joe and Jayden Davis really rose to the occasion last Saturday.
That nucleus will try to tame Tiffin QB Nick Watson, a three time recipient of offensive player of the week awards in less than two seasons. You can also bet Ohio Dominican won’t forget last year’s 24-23 defeat at the hand of the Dragons. Also worth noting – Tiffin head coach Cris Reisert will be quite familiar with the offensive play calling that ODU might want to execute.
QB Evan Ernst is well on his way to another season with a crazy completion percentage. The ODU ground game was able to get tracked and he continued to spread the ball out to his weapons at the receiver position. TU enters Week 4 as the top offensive and defensive unit in the conference.
ODU's Davis and Dauson Dales are two of the league's top 3 tacklers while Hillsdale's Zach Herzog (Week 1 - Defensive POTW) carries the mantle as the league leader so far.