Franklin Claims Second Straight HCAC Football Championship
November 8, 2008
N. MANCHESTER , IN - Franklin (8-1, 6-0 HCAC) trailed early but overcame a tough effort from Manchester (4-5, 2-4 HCAC) to win a 31-20 decision and claim their second consecutive HCAC outright football championship. The 22 nd ranked Grizzlies clinched the title with its victory and Rose-Hulman's loss to Anderson ., taking the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs.
The Franklin offense totaled 422 yards against Manchester , totaling 320 yards through the air. Chad Rupp (Evansville , Ind. /Memorial) completed 24 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns to lead the offensive unit. The senior quarterback added 29 yards and a touchdown via the ground against the Spartans. Neil Craig (Bedford , Ind. / North Lawrence ) caught five passes for 97 and two touchdowns.
Manchester did not disappoint offensively against a Franklin defense that has been playing great football. The black and gold topped 400 yards and held an early 10-0 lead after one quarter of action. Quarterback Caleb Grimes (South Haven, Mich./H.S.) completed 26 of his 60 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown and added 54 yards rushing on 14 carries.
Franklin captured its 17 th straight conference win and toppled Manchester for the 11 th straight time in their series.
The Grizzlies will close out the regular season at home against Hanover next Saturday. Manchester will travel to Anderson to face their rival to close the campaign.
In other HCAC action.
Anderson (5-4, 4-2 HCAC) defeated Rose-Hulman 35-31 Saturday afternoon at Cook Stadium, spoiling the Engineers' senior day festivities. AU running back Darryl Stott (Union City , Ind. /H.S.) stole the show with 253 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Stott had touchdown runs of five, 11, eight, 23, and five yards, including the game-winner with 8:15 left in the contest. His rushing total was the second most yards in a single game, trailing only Denny Kimmel's school record 283 yards in 2005. The Ravens rushed the ball 41 times for 264 yards on the day compared to just 115 yards for Rose-Hulman. Rose's Calvin Bueltel (Huntingburg , Ind. /Southridge) entered the weekend leading the conference in rushing, but managed just 63 yards on 18 carries against the Ravens. Bueltel finished the year with the fifth-best rushing season in Rose-Hulman history, rushing for 1,096 yards and 12 touchdowns. Rose (7-3, 5-2 HCAC) finishes the year with the loss, while Anderson will return home for a date with Manchester in the annual "Bronze Ball" game.
Defiance (3-6, 3-3 HCAC) picked up its third straight win by earning a 21-14 win over Mount St. Joseph (5-4, 3-4 HCAC) Saturday at Coressel Stadium. The win was the Jackets first over the Lions on the football field since 2001 and handed the Mount their first losing record in conference play since that same season. Defiance took the lead with just over four minutes to play in the contest when freshman quarterback Rick Powell (Rochester , Mich. /Cousino) connected on a 34 yard scoring strike. Powell finished 12 of 23 for 105 yards against the stringy Mount defense. Senior running back Lewis Caralla (Tampa , Fla. / East Lake ) paced the rushing game with 60 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Both offenses struggled to move the ball against their opposition, finishing with 19 combined first downs and only 385 yards of combined offense. Jake Davis (Cincinnati , Ohio / Anderson ) scored a touchdown on the ground for MSJ and finished with 35 yards on 14 carries. The purple and gold will close out the season against Bluffton next weekend, while Mount St. Joseph will head to nationally ranked Thomas More for the annual "Bridge Bowl."
Hanover (2-6, 2-4 HCAC) earned its second victory of the season with a 42-19 win over Bluffton (1-8, 0-6 HCAC). The win marked the Panthers' third in a row against Bluffton and the team's 13 th in its last 14 meetings with the Beavers. Sophomore running back Josh Juett (Owenton, Ky./Owen Co.) rushed for a career-high 161 yards and three touchdowns to help the Panthers to victory. HC totaled 428 yards of offense, including a season best 232 yards on the ground against the Beavers defense. Both teams combined to turn the ball over 11 times during the contest, including seven interceptions. Bluffton's Antwane Miller (Canton , Ohio /Timken) scampered 77 yards for a Beavers touchdown late in the third quarter for BU's main offensive highlight. Hanover will close out the season on the road against conference champion Franklin in the annual "Victory Bell" game. Bluffton will face rival Defiance in the season finale.
Complete List of HCAC Releases