INDIANAPOLIS – With four teams tied for first place going into Week 9, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference football standings are muddy going into another pivotal weekend of league play.
Ohio Dominican, Tiffin, Findlay and Hillsdale, are all 3-1, further complicating things to decipher who could be the conference champion for the fall season.
Unfortunately, with the league beating up on each other through this point of the year, the conference was also omitted from the first NCAA Super Region 1 rankings that came out on Monday.
Bentley (NE-10), Kutztown (PSAC) and Shepherd (PSAC), were the top three schools in order as determined by various criteria weighed by the national committee.
Ohio Dominican goes up against Tiffin in a pivotal swing game as both teams put their 6-2 records on the line at Frost-Kalnow Stadium. The Panthers and Dragons are the league’s top scoring defenses while each offense features plenty of playmakers.
Something is going to have to give in what should be a dynamic showdown. ODU LB Dauson Dales continues to set the tone for a fierce defense by averaging almost 12 tackles per game while Tiffin DB Kevin Hyde is coming off of a three-interception game in Week 8 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan.
Tiffin had to dig in deep after trailing by 14 at the half against KWC. ODU scored 56 points in a home rout over Walsh.
Findlay will be on the road at Walsh with both teams coming off of tough outcomes in Week 8. The Oilers were handed their first conference loss against Hillsdale at home while going into the weekend as the conference’s lone unbeaten. Walsh LB Sal Sidebotham continues to hover towards the top of league leaders in both tackles and sacks.
Hillsdale’s Isaac TeSlaa had a one of the best games by a conference wide receiver in Great Midwest history with three touchdowns and 193 yards receiving. He has emerged as a go-to target despite the carousel of quarterbacks the team is using with Luke Keller, Jake Burger and Garrit Aissen all seeing meaningful time under center. Nate Chambers has also surfaced as the league’s leader in sacks with 6.5.
The Chargers are gearing up for Ashland after the Eagles escaped with a 42-41 victory over Lake Erie. Michael Ayers has been a stalwart defensively for Ashland with 10.9 tackles per game, three sacks and ranking among the league’s best in tackles for a loss with 8.5. RB Gei’vonni Washington is averaging 80 yards per game on the ground while posting five yards per carry.
There were respective heartbreaking finishes for Lake Erie and Kentucky Wesleyan last Saturday with each program on the verge of pulling upsets of Ashland and Tiffin, respectively. Two of the league’s premier playmakers will lineup in LEC WR Peyton Brown and KWC’s David Florence, both ranking first and third, in yards per game. The two have also combined for 12 total touchdowns as a focal point of their team’s offensive strategy.
QB's Christian Arrambide and Gerald Gardner will be airing it out as each player is closing in on 2,000 yards passing for the season. They have combined for 33 touchdowns and are averaging almost 250 yards of passing per game for their respective team.