Seniors restore football winning tradition

Entering the 2007 season, 11 seniors on the Heidelberg College football team had not experienced a win on the gridiron at the collegiate level. Since coming under the guidance of head coach Mike Hallett last December, the seniors have helped to restore the winning tradition that Heidelberg football is known for. The year opened with that elusive first win for the seniors and it closed out with win number four on the year. The Berg topped visiting Muskingum College 52-21 at Frost-Kalnow Stadium in Tiffin. The win closed the year at 4-6 overall and 3-6 in the Ohio Athletic Conference for Heidelberg, while Muskingum fell to 0-10 overall and 0-9 in league play. The 52 points scored is the most points Heidelberg has put on the scoreboard since scoring 52 points against Marietta College in 1997.
 
Closing out their careers were Steve West, Kyle McConnell, Matt Nero, Brian Betlejewski, Tony Carothers, Phil Carr, Paul Miller, Craig Schuffenecker, Chris Strawser, Joe Richardson and Andy Donnelly.
 
Not only did the seniors celebrate a great season today with a win, freshman Jesse Hawkins has kicked himself into the Heidelberg record book over the last two weeks. A week ago at Ohio Northern, Hawkins booted a career-long and record setting 47-yard field goal. The 47-yarder also marked the 13th field goal on the year, setting a new single-season record. Hawkins added another field goal this weekend to his season total, but improved on his career-long mark, stretching back to 48-yards.
 
For the game, Heidelberg picked up a season-high 575 yards of total offense, which included 364 yards through the air. West completed 15-of-24 passes for 302 yards on the day. Defensively, the Berg held Muskingum to 322 yards of total offense with just 65 yards on the ground.
 
For the game, Lucas Bauer (Huron, Ohio / Huron) picked up a career-high 216 receiving yards on five receptions, while Dawond Roddy had 108 receiving yards on seven catches. Jemar Lewis led Heidelberg’s ground game with 120 yards in 20 carries. On the opposite side of the ball, Vaughn Klein led the way with 12 tackles, while Carothers picked up eight from his nose guard spot. Matt Grieves tallied seven tackles, while picking up three sacks.
 
The Berg opened the game with its aerial attack, as Roddy took a handoff and rolled out to the right to find a wide-open Bauer for a 50-yard TD strike on its first play of the game. The Hawkins PAT put the Berg on top 7-0. The lead extended out to 14-0 after Donnelly shook off a Muskie defender and James Blankenship added a solid block for a three-yard TD pass from West. Muskingum scored on 46-yard pass to pull within a touchdown, but two series later West found Roddy for a 34-yard touchdown pass.
 
Muskingum was held scoreless in the second quarter, while Heidelberg rattled off 10 points of its own. West scampered for a three-yard TD and Hawkins added his record-setting field goal.
 
Two quick scores by the Muskies following the intermission pulled Muskingum within 10 points at 31-21, but Bauer found the end zone for the second time on the day, this time picking up 49 yards to extend the Berg to 38-21.
 
Heidelberg rounded out its scoring on the day with two Lewis touchdowns in the final quarter. Lewis scored on 15 and eight-yard runs.

 
Posted November 10, 2007