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December 2004 News

Posted by Ric 12/24/04

From my family to yours... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  And let's not forget the reason for the season! 

Posted by Ric 12/22/04

Mount Union finished third in the final AFCA Division III Coaches' Poll of 2004.  Linfield was a unanimous selection at number one following its Stagg Bowl win, followed by Mary Hardin-Baylor.  Rowan and Washington & Jefferson round out the top five.  Ohio Northern finished 21st while Capital received votes.  You can see the entire poll here. 

Posted by Ric 12/21/04

Four Mount Union football players were named to the D3football.com All-American Team.  Senior middle linebacker Shaun Spisak and senior free safety Jesse Clum were First-Team honorees while senior defensive end Johnny Josef was a Second-Team selection and senior quarterback Zac Bruney received Third-Team honors.  You can see the entire All-American team here.

Posted by Ric 12/20/04

Mount Union Defensive Coordinator Don Montgomery has accepted the head coaching position at Emory & Henry, a Division III College in Virginia that is a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

Montgomery has served as an assistant football coach at Mount Union for the past 27 years, including the last 19 as the Purple Raiders defensive coordinator.  Under his leadership, Mount Union has led the Ohio Athletic Conference in team defense 12 different times, including the last eight seasons.

He spent one year as an assistant coach at Indiana State University (1977) before returning to his Alma Mater the next season.  As a guard at Mount Union (74-77) he was a three-year letter winner and was a recipient of the John Thorpe Football Memorial Award, which is based on the leadership, scholarship, sportsmanship and overall contribution to his school.

Montgomery received the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Assistant Coach of the Year award in 1999 and was named the OAC Assistant Coach of the Year in 2001.  Congratulations Monty, we will be rooting for you!

Posted by Ric 12/19/04

Mount Union finished third in the final D3football.com Top 25 poll of 2004.  Linfield reigns as national champions following its Stagg Bowl victory, followed by Mary Hardin-Baylor and the Purple Raiders.  Hardin-Simmons and Carthage round out the top five, while Ohio Northern finished 19th and Capital received votes.  You can see the entire final Top 25 poll here.

Posted by Ric 12/18/04

Mount Union Head Coach Larry Kehres has been named the 2004 American Football Monthly / Schutt Sports Division III Coach of the Year.  During his 19-year career as the Purple Raiders' head coach, Kehres has an unbelievable record of 217-19-3 (.914).

American Football Monthly, in cooperation with Schutt Sports, has honored the top football coaches of the year in each of the college divisions since 1997.

Posted by Ric 12/17/04

Mount Union senior middle linebacker Shaun Spisak earned another honor as he was named to the Associated Press Little All-America Second-Team.

The Associated Press Little All-America Team includes collegiate football players competing at Division II, Division III and NAIA institutions.

Posted by Ric 12/16/04

Mount Union senior middle linebacker Shaun Spisak was named to the 2004 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III All-America team.

Spisak, a returning First-Team All-American this past fall, led the Purple Raider defense in tackles and tackles for loss in 2004. He was the recipient of the Ohio Athletic Conference’s Bill Edwards Award as the conference’s best linebacker and earned First-Team Football Gazette All-North Region honors this year. In addition, Spisak, a physical education major with a 3.44 GPA, also earned Academic All-OAC honors.

Spisak is one of just 25 players named to the prestigious AFCA Division III All-America team. The AFCA has selected an All-America Team every year since 1945.

Posted by Ric 12/15/04

Five seniors from Mount Union College have been named to Don Hanson's Football Gazette NCAA Division III All-American Team.

Defensive end Johnny Josef and middle linebacker Shaun Spisak earned First-Team honors, quarterback Zac Bruney and offensive lineman Rick Prescott were named to the Second-Team, and free safety Jesse Clum received Third-Team recognition.

Sports Information Directors from around the country selected the 2004 Football Gazette All-American team .

Posted by Ric 12/14/04

I've added our game story of Mount Union's semifinal loss to Mary Hardin-Baylor.  You can read it here.  I've also added a few audio highlights from the game.  You can hear those here.

Posted by Ric 12/11/04

Mary Hardin-Baylor scored 17 fourth quarter points to erase a 14 point deficit and upset Mount Union 38-35 this afternoon in front of 2,945 fans at Mount Union Stadium.

Crusaders' quarterback Josh Welch connected with tight end Walter Sharp on a 24-yard touchdown pass on fourth and 12 with 48 seconds remaining in the game to lift Mary Hardin-Baylor to its first lead of the contest. 

The game was tied at seven after one, 14 at halftime and 21 in the third quarter before the Purple Raiders scored twice to open up a 35-21 advantage heading into the final stanza.

The loss is just the third in the last 124 games played overall by the Purple & White and the first at Mount Union Stadium in 40 games dating back to the 24-17 setback in overtime to Rowan in 1999.

Mary Hardin-Baylor will play for its first football national championship in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl next Saturday against Linfield.  The Wildcats defeated Rowan 52-0 this afternoon to advance to their first Division III title game.

Posted by Ric 12/8/04

The Mount Union College Sports Information Director's office has posted game notes for this Saturday's semifinal playoff match-up between the Purple Raiders and the Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders at Mount Union Stadium.  You can get to them here.

Posted by Ric 12/7/04

I've added six audio highlights from Mount Union's quarterfinal playoff win over Carthage.  You can hear them here.

Posted by Ric 12/6/04

The Mount Union College SID's office has previewed this Saturday's national semifinal between the Purple Raiders and the Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders at Mount Union Stadium.  You can read them here.

Posted by Ric 12/5/04

 
I've added our game story of Mount Union's quarterfinal playoff win over Carthage.  You can read it here.

Posted by Ric 12/4/04

Mount Union erased a 17-17 tie late in the third quarter by scoring 21 of the game's final 24 points in posting a 38-20 victory over Carthage this afternoon in front of 3,069 fans at Mount Union Stadium in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.  It marks the 10th consecutive season the Purple Raiders have advanced to the semifinals.

Zac Bruney bolted 21 yards around right end for the go ahead touchdown on a naked bootleg on a fourth and one situation with 3:42 remaining in the third to give Mount Union the lead for good.  Bruney ran for two scores and threw touchdown passes of 50 yards to Jason Cavell, 53 yards to Drew Hanley and 30 yards to Joe Bugara. 

Cavell caught three passes for 78 yards to lead all receivers while Jeff Strauch led the Purple Raiders ground game with 46 yards on 18 attempts.  Strauch went over the 1000 yard mark in the game and now has 1002 rushing yards on the season.

Defensively, Mount Union was paced by Shawn Spisak's 17 tackles and a key forced fumble, while Jesse Clum added 15 tackles and Ross Watson intercepted his third pass of the season.

The Purple Raiders finished with 349 total yards while Carthage managed 282.  Mount Union converted all five of its fourth down attempts in the contest.

The Purple Raiders will face Mary Hardin-Baylor next Saturday at Mount Union Stadium in the first meeting between the two schools on the gridiron.  The Crusaders defeated Washington & Jefferson 52-16 in playoff action today.  Mary Hardin-Baylor will enter the contest 12-1 while Mount Union brings a perfect 12-0 mark into the game.  Kickoff is set of 12:00 noon.

Posted by Ric 12/3/04

Six seniors from Mount Union College have been named to Don Hanson's Football Gazette NCAA Division III All-North Region Team.

Quarterback Zac Bruney, offensive lineman Rick Prescott, defensive end Johnny Josef and middle linebacker Shaun Spisak earned First-Team Football Gazette All-North Region honors.

In addition, Second-Team honors went to outside linebacker Anthony Frate and free safety Jesse Clum.

Players are selected in voting by sports information directors from around the region. First-Team All-Region selections are forwarded for Football Gazette All-American consideration.

Posted by Ric 12/2/04

The Sports Information Director's office at Mount Union College has posted some game notes for Saturday's Division III quarterfinal playoff match-up between the Purple Raiders and the Carthage Redmen.  You can read them here.

Posted by Ric 12/1/04

Mount Union College placed five players on the 2004 All-Ohio Athletic Conference Academic football team.

Offensively, senior quarterback Zac Bruney, an exercise-science major with a 3.84 GPA, earned Academic All-OAC honors by unanimous selection for the second consecutive year. Senior running back Jeff Strauch, a sociology major with a 3.43 GPA, and junior offensive lineman Tom Manning, a history major with a 3.73 GPA, also earned Academic All-OAC honors, while junior wide receiver Scott Casto, a legal-studies major with a 3.61 GPA, earned Academic All-OAC Honorable-Mention status.

Defensively, senior middle linebacker Shaun Spisak, a physical education major with a 3.44 GPA, was also selected unanimously to the Academic All-OAC squad. Spisak earned Academic All-Conference honors last year as well.

A total of 32 football players from the 10 OAC institutions earned Academic All-OAC status this season.