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December 2009 News
Posted by Ric 12/25/09
From my family to yours... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! And let's not forget the reason for the season!
Posted by Ric 12/23/09
I've added some audio highlights from the 37th Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. You can hear them here.
Posted by Ric 12/22/09
Mount Union finished second in the final 2009 AFCA Division III Coaches' Poll following its loss to national champion Wis-Whitewater in the Stagg Bowl. Ohio Northern finished 24th, while Otterbein and Capital each received votes. You can see the entire final AFCA Division III Coaches' Poll here.
Posted by Ric 12/21/09
Mount Union senior wide receiver Cecil Shorts has been named to the Associated Press Little All-America Team.
In addition, Mount Union finished second in the final D3football.com Top 25 poll of 2009 following its loss to national champion Wis-Whitewater in the Stagg Bowl. Ohio Northern finished 13th, while Otterbein and Capital each received votes. You can see the entire final D3football.com Top 25 here.
Posted by Ric 12/20/09
Mount Union senior wide receiver Cecil Shorts was named the D3football.com Offensive Player of the Year and a total of 10 Purple Raiders were named to the D3football.com All-American Team, including four first-team recipients.
Receiving first-team honors along with Shorts were senior offensive tackle Caleb Crowl, senior defensive tackle Matt Williamson and junior linebacker Sam Kershaw.
Senior tight end Kyle Miller and senior defensive end Joe Millings were each tabbed to the second-team, while senior quarterback Kurt Rocco, senior defensive end James Herbert, senior linebacker Judd Lutz and senior strong safety Drew McClain each received third-team honors.
I've also added our game story of the 37th Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. You can read it here.
Posted by Ric 12/19/09
Mount Union's fourth quarter comeback attempt fell short as Wis-Whitewater won its second NCAA Division III national championship this evening with a 38-28 win in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.
Levell Coppage ran for 111 yards and scored three times in being named the game's Most Outstanding Player.
The Raiders rallied to tie the contest at 28-all with 12:08 to play after trailing 28-14 at halftime, but lost three fumbles in the game's final 10 minutes. It marks just the third loss in 13 championship games for the Purple & White.
The loss also ended the school's 29-game winning steak, which had been the nation's longest current winning streak.
Mount Union outgained Whitewater 471 yards to 467, but could not overcome the three late turnovers and finished minus-two in takeaways.
Posted by Ric 12/17/09
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Sports Information Director's office has posted some game notes for Saturday's national championship game vs. Mount Union. You can read them here.
Posted by Ric 12/16/09
I've added some audio highlights from the Purple Raiders semifinal playoff win over Wesley at Mount Union Stadium. You can hear them here.
Posted by Ric 12/15/09
Mount Union senior wide receiver Cecil Shorts has been named to the 2009 Division III Coaches' All-America Team as announced by the American Football Coaches Association. The AFCA All-America Team is one of the most prestigious honors for a player as it consists of only 25 players nationally (11 offense, 11 defense and three special teams) and is chosen exclusively by Division III coaches. You can see the entire 2009 Division III Coaches' All-American Team here.
Posted by Ric 12/14/09
The Sports Information Director's office at Mount Union College has posted some game notes for Saturday's NCAA Division III National Championship game between the Purple Raiders and the Wis-Whitewater Warhawks in Salem, Virginia. You can read them here.
Posted by Ric 12/13/09
You can purchase advance tickets at Mount Union College for the 37th Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. They will be available at the front desk of the fitness center in the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex Monday and Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 pm. by cash or check only. Tickets can also be purchased online by going here. Adult tickets are $12.50 if purchased in advance and $15.00 on game day. The Purple Raiders will be the visiting team in this year's championship game and Mount Union fans will be located on the east side of Salem Stadium.
In addition, I've posted our game story of Mount Union's 24-7 victory over Wesley in the NCAA Division III National Semifinals. You can read it here.
Posted by Ric 12/12/09
Cecil Shorts stepped in at quarterback for the injured Kurt Rocco to lead the Purple Raiders to a 24-7 win over Wesley in the national semifinals this afternoon before 3,132 fans at Mount Union Stadium in Alliance.
Rocco led the Purple & White to a 10-0 lead before an injury after a 10-yard scramble on the Raiders third possession ended his day.
Prior to leaving, Rocco connected with Shorts on a 15-yard touchdown and then set up a 28-yard Herm Timmersjo field goal in the first quarter.
That score held until Shane McSweeney found Sean McAndrew for a four-yard Wolverine touchdown midway through the third period.
Shorts would run for a three-yard touchdown and then added a four-yard score in the fourth quarter to put Mount Union into the NCAA Division III national championship game for the 13th time in the last 17 years.
The Purple Raiders will face Wis-Whitewater next Saturday in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. The Warhawks defeated Linfield 27-17 today. Mount Union will be looking for its 11th national championship while the Warhawks are after their second.
This will be a rematch of the last four title games, three of which were won by Mount Union, including last year. The game will be broadcast live from Salem Stadium in Salem, VA on ESPN2 with kickoff slated for 11:00 a.m.
Posted by Ric 12/11/09
Mount Union senior wide receiver Cecil Shorts has been named the D3football.com North Region Offensive Player of the Year. It is the fourth consecutive season a Purple Raider has been named North Region Offensive Player of the Year as running back Nate Kmic did so each of the past three years.
A total of 10 Purple Raiders made the All-Region Team, including seven to the First-Team. Along with Shorts, first-team honorees on offense include senior tackle Caleb Crowl and senior tight end Kyle Miller. Defensively, senior strong safety Drew McClain, senior end Joe Millings, senior tackle Matt Williamson and junior linebacker Sam Kershaw were first-team selections.
In addition, senior quarterback Kurt Rocco, senior end James Herbert and senior linebacker Judd Lutz were named to the All-Region Second-Team. The All-Region Team is selected by North Region sports information directors and the D3football.com staff. You can see the each of the four All-Region Teams here.
Posted by Ric 12/10/09
I've added some audio highlights from the Purple Raiders regional final playoff win over Albright at Mount Union Stadium. You can hear them here.
Posted by Ric 12/9/09
Mount Union defensive coordinator Vince Kehres is a finalist for the
FootballScoop.com NCAA Division III Coordinator of the Year Award powered by
Muscle Milk. Kehres is in his 10th season as an assistant football
coach with the Purple Raiders, and in his fifth season serving as the team's defensive coordinator.
A 1998 graduate of Mount Union College, he was a four-year letterwinner (94-97) at
defensive end and a member of two national championship
teams (96-97), earning All-Ohio Athletic Conference honors his
senior season.
The other finalists along with Kehres are Wis-Whitewater offensive
coordinator and Mount Union College alum Jim Zebrowski and Wittenberg defensive
coordinator Andy Waddle.
To read more about the finalists, and to cast your vote, click
here. Voting will take place through
December 13th with winners being announced beginning on December 14th.
A panel of current and former coaches along with past recipients of the
awards will evaluate the finalists and select the winners. Fan votes
will be considered, however, the panel has final decision over the awards.
Posted by Ric 12/8/09
The Sports Information Director's office at Wesley College has posted some game notes for Saturday's semifinal playoff game at Mount Union. You can read them here.
Posted by Ric 12/7/09
The Mount Union College Sports Information Director's office has posted some game notes for Saturday's NCAA Division III National Semifinal playoff game between the Purple Raiders and Wesley Wolverines at Mount Union Stadium. You can read them here.
Posted by Ric 12/6/09
I've posted our game story of Mount Union's 55-3 win over Albright in the regional finals of the NCAA Division III playoffs. You can read it here.
Posted by Ric 12/5/09
Terrance Morring scored four touchdowns to lead top ranked Mount Union to a 55-3 win over Albright in the regional finals this afternoon in Alliance.
Morring scored on runs of one, three and two yards and added a 45-yard touchdown reception to pace the Raiders.
Kurt Rocco rushed for a seven-yard touchdown and also connected with Vince Petruziello on a 68-yard score.
In addition, the defense forced five turnovers and scored on two of them as Drew McClain returned an interception 37-yards and Charles Dieuseul recovered a fumble in the endzone.
The Purple & White will host Wesley in the national semifinals next Saturday with kickoff at 12:00 p.m. at Mount Union Stadium. The Wolverines advanced with a 12-0 win over Johns Hopkins today.
The Raiders will play in the semifinals for the 15th consecutive season, and for the 17th time in the last 18 years.
Posted by Ric 12/4/09
I've added some audio highlights from the Purple Raiders second round playoff win over Montclair State at Mount Union Stadium. You can hear them here.
Posted by Ric 12/3/09
Senior place kicker/punter Jay Carpenter, a three-time Academic All-OAC selection, is a biology major with a 3.91 GPA, senior offensive tackle Caleb Crowl, a history major with a 3.69 GPA, senior linebacker Judd Lutz, a mathematics major with a 3.37 GPA, senior strong safety Drew McClain, a business administration major with a 3.85 GPA, senior running back Scott Panchik, a health and physical education major with a 3.79 GPA, and junior linebacker Sam Kershaw, a business administration major with a 3.54 GPA earned All-OAC academic status.
Mount Union had the most football student-athletes, among the OAC institutions, earn Academic All-Conference status this fall and the six selections is the second highest single-season total in school history behind 2007's total of seven, including honorable mention selections.
Posted by Ric 12/2/09
Mount Union Head Coach Larry Kehres has been named a 2009 American Football Coaches Association Division III Regional Coach of the Year. This marks the 14th time Kehres has received an AFCA District/Regional Coach of the Year honor, a record for any coach at any level.
A 1971 graduate of Mount Union College, Kehres is 287-21-3 (.928) in his 24th season at his Alma mater. He has built one of the most successful programs in all of college football, winning 20 conference titles, including 18 in a row, and 10 NCAA Division III National Championships.
The winners are selected by active members of the AFCA who vote for coaches in their respective regions and divisions. Five winners in each division of football (FBS, FCS, NCAA Division II and III along with the NAIA) will be honored and a National Coach of the Year in each division will be named at the 2010 AFCA Convention on January 12th in Orlando, FL.
Posted by Ric 12/1/09
The Albright College Sports Information Director's office has posted some game notes for Saturday's regional final playoff contest at Mount Union. You can read them here.