2010 Highlight Video!

After much delay and drama, here's the 2010 Pioneer Highlight Video:

2010 Season Recap

 The 2010 Grinnell Pioneers finished the season with a record of 6-4, which is the school's best record since 2004.  After 5 consecutive seasons of 3 wins or less, the 2010 version of the Pioneers broke out in a big way.  They won 4 of their 5 home games and despite having the smallest roster size in the conference, went on the road and defeated the two-time defending conference champions Monmouth Scots in Week 2.

Under first-year head coach Jeff Pedersen, the 2010 Pioneers were an attacking, fast, and intelligent team that bought into the three tenors of Coach Pedersen's Pioneering Spirit:  VISION, COURAGE, AND CONVICTION.

There were numerous individual standout seasons, as the Pioneers had two receivers finish in the top 5 in the MWC in both receptions per game and receiving yards per game (Logan Granera '12 and Robert Seer '12).  Seer also finished 2nd in the conference in scoring with 14 TDs.  Granera led the MWC in All-Purpose yardage, racking up 900 return yards and 1 TD.

Defensively, the Pioneers were led by 3 seniors.  Linebackers Marquis Bradley '10 and Ryan Fletcher '10 were all over the field, both finishing in the top 6 of the MWC in tackles.  Bradley had 103 total, 3 sacks, and 3 INTs.  Fletcher had 87 tackles, 10.5 of which were TFL.  Marc Heronemus '10 led the Pioneers' secondary with 59 tackles and 10 passes defended, which was good for 5th in the MWC.

Coach Pedersen and company are already excited for the 2011 season and bringing in the next batch of Pioneers to help continue the winning at Grinnell College!

Pioneers Fall in Season Finale

The 2010 Pioneer Seniors finished their careers on Saturday afternoon

The Grinnell College football team lost its 2010 season finale Saturday, falling 40-7 at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis.

The first quarter was scoreless before the hosts tallied 27 points in the second period and 13 more in the third for a 40-0 lead.

Grinnell scored its lone touchdown at the 4:08 mark of the game when Jason Peters ’14 ran the ball in from a yard out. Logan Granera ’13 kicked the point after. The two-play drive was set up when Jeremy Wiles ’14  recovered a fumble at the Carroll 34-yard line, and Mike McCabe ’13 then completed a 33-yard pass to Robert Seer ’12.

Wiles had 15 total tackles for Grinnell, which finished 5-4 in the Midwest Conference and 6-4 in all games. Carroll is 6-3 in the MWC and 7-3 overall.

Marquis Bradley ’11 added seven tackles and Marc Heronemus ’11 and Kelsey Davis ’14 six each. McCabe completed 12 passes for 142 yards and Peters had six catches for 56 yards.

Grinnell Secures Winning Season!

The Grinnell College football team came up with a stellar effort in its final regular-season home game Saturday, and secured its first winning season since 2004 in the process with a 42-29 victory over Illinois College at Rosenbloom Field.

Illinois College entered the game in a tie for the Midwest Conference lead, but now falls to 5-3 in the league while Grinnell improves to the same record. That puts those two in a five-way tie for second place in the MWC. Grinnell is 6-3 overall and the Blueboys are 5-4.

Jason Peters ’14 (pictured) had a huge day for the Pioneers with eight catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. Mike McCabe ’13 completed 21-of-36 aerials for 293 yards and four scores, while Logan Granera ’13 had five catches for 69 yards and a TD.

Grinnell’s defense shut down the high-octane Illinois College defense and intercepted last week’s Midwest Conference Offensive Performer of the Week, Mitch Niekamp, three times. The Pioneers were sparked by two defenders celebrating Senior Day, Marquis Bradley ’11 and Ryan Fletcher ’11, who each had 14 tackles. Ryan Creps ’12 added two interceptions.

See the game box score here.

The Pioneers take their 6-3 record up to Wisconsin this Saturday for the 2010 finale versus Carroll University (6-3, 5-3 in MWC).  The winner secures at least a share of 2nd place in the MWC and with a St. Norbert loss would earn a share of the MWC title.

Go Pioneers!

Pioneers at Lambeau Field

On our way up to St. Norbert in De Pere, WI this past weekend, the Grinnell College Pioneers were able to take a tour of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI and here are some of the photos from the trip!

The Pioneer Offense

Walking out of the Packer Tunnel

The Pioneer Defense

Marquis Bradley '11 overlooks the field from one of the corporate suites

Bradley and Granera Named MWC Players of the Week

Grinnell College players have claimed two of the three Midwest Conference Football Players of the Week honors.

Marquis Bradley ’11 (left), a 5-11, 218-pound linebacker from Wichita, Kan., was named Defensive Player of the Week and Logan Granera ’13 (right), a 5-11, 180-pound wide receiver/kicker/kick returner from Keokuk, Iowa, was tabbed Special Teams Player of the Week.

Bradley and Granera both had dominating performances in the Pioneers’ 31-17 come-from-behind win over Lawrence University Saturday.

Bradley had a coming up with a game-high 13 tackles to go along with a momentum-shifting interception and fumble recovery. He now has 75 tackles on the season.

Granera put his versatility on display against Lawrence. Not only did he boot a 42-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first half, he also returned two kickoffs for 74 yards including a 50-yard return, punted three times and kicked off six times for a 53.3-yard average. He also had an 18-yard touchdown catch for the final score of the game while finishing with six catches for 69 yards overall.

It was the second time this year that Granera was named Player of the Week, having earned the honor as the Offensive Performer of the Week back on September 20 for his performance against Ripon.

The efforts of Bradley and Granera helped Grinnell rally from a 17-0 deficit against Lawrence with 31 unanswered points as the Pioneers improved to 5-2, their best start since 1998.

Big Rally Secures Fifth Win of Season!

Saturday afternoon at Rosenbloom Field provided the stage for a phenomenal comeback as the Pioneers overcame an early three-score deficit to rally and triumph over the visiting Lawrence Vikings 31-17.  The victory improved Grinnell's record to 5-2 overall and they remained tied for 2nd place in the MWC just one game behind conference leader, Ripon.

Leading the fervent rally were Mike McCabe '13, who threw 4 TDs and 240 yards, and Robert Seer '12, who hauled in 3 TDs and 113 yards on 7 catches.  Defensively, Marquis Bradley '11 led the home team with 13 tackles, an INT and a fumble recovery.

Read the full game story here.

The Pioneers head to battle St. Norbert, also 4-2 in MWC play, on their Homecoming this Saturday! 
Go Pioneers!

Grinnell Falls to Knox

Committing 8 turnovers and 11 penalties, the Pioneers lost to the Knox Prairie Fire 31-21 on Saturday on a hot October day in Galesburg, IL.  The win drops Grinnell to 4-2 on the season and at 3-2 in MWC play, still just one game back of league leaders Ripon and Carroll with four to play. 

The game got off to a great start as the offense took the first series down and scored on a Mike Bogard '12 to Kelsey Davis '12 17-yard strike.  From that point forward however, nothing went right for the visiting Pioneers.  Trailing 17-7 at halftime, the Pioneers had plenty of fight in them as they cut the lead to 3 points twice in the 2nd half, to 17-14 on a Robert Seer '12 28 yard catch and run with 5:30 left in the 3rd quarter and then again cut the lead to 24-21 on a Jason Peters '14 two yard scoring plunge with 13:00 minutes left in the game. 

Knox proved up to the challenge and played the better game on Saturday, now it's time to regroup and get back to playing Pioneer football!  With energy, pride, and passion!

Next game brings the Vikings of Lawrence University to Rosenbloom Field this Saturday for a 1 pm kickoff!

Go Pioneers!

Pioneers Victorious Over Beloit!

Jumping out to a 24-7 halftime lead was plenty for Grinnell on Saturday afternoon at Rosenbloom field as the Pioneers beat the visiting Beloit Buccaneers 24-21.  Grinnell now sits at 4-1 overall and 3-1 in MWC and is tied for 2nd place in the MWC standings trailing only the Ripon Red Hawks.  Grinnell is off to their best start since the 1999 season.

Colton Feller '14

The game was a balanced affair aside from the Pioneers collecting 4 turnovers defensively and only giving away 1 on offense.  Colton Feller '14 had an interception and a fumble recovery, while Ryan Fletcher '11 had a pick off a batted ball by defensive end Matt John '12.  Marc Heronemus '11 also had a fumble recovery and 3 pass break-ups.

TJ Schaid '13

Offensively, the men in black were led by running back T.J. Schaid '13, collecting 1 TD and 89 yards on 23 carries.  Schaid's help in pass protection also kept quarterback Mike Bogard '12 from being sacked and allowed receiver Logan Granera '12 to haul in another big day with 11 catches for 126 yards.

Read the full game story here.

The Pioneers head back on the road next Saturday to take on Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.

Go Pioneers!

Marquis Bradley Named to D3Football.com's Team of the Week!

With Saturday’s impressive defensive performance against Lake Forest College, Grinnell College’s Marquis Bradley ’11 has earned national attention.

Bradley, a 5-foot-11, 202-pound linebacker from Wichita, Kan. (Independence HS), was named to the D3football.com national Team of the Week. He recorded a team-high 11 tackles, including two sacks, and an interception in Grinnell’s 41-20 victory over the Foresters.

For the season, Bradley leads the Pioneers, and is second in the MWC, with 45 tackles (11.2 per game), he also has two sacks, 4.5 TFL, 1 INT, 2 PBU, 3 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.

Saturday's victory pushed Grinnell to 3-1 on the season, the Pioneers’ best start since the 2000 season.

See the entire D3Football.com Team of the Week here.

Pioneers Win Big Road Game!

Posting Grinnell's highest total offensive output since 2003 and the school's highest passing yardage since 1994, the Pioneers rolled to a 41-20 win on the road Saturday against conference rival Lake Forest.  Grinnell improves to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in MWC play. 

Mike Bogard '12

Grinnell out gained the Foresters by almost 200 yards and had 478 yards of their 570 through the air.  Quarterback Mike Bogard '12 led the way throwing for 390 yards on 26-37 passing and threw for 4 touchdowns.  Receivers Logan Granera '12, 8 catches for 170 yards and 2 TDs, and Robert Seer '12, 9 catches 112 yards and 2 TDs, were the favorite targets of the Pioneer quarterbacks.  Rookies Jason Peters '14 and Augustus Karisch '11 also recorded their first career touchdowns.

Marquis Bradley '11

 Defensively, the Pioneers were led by senior captain Marquis Bradley '11 who had 11 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT, and 1 pass break-up.  First-year Colton Feller '14 also had 9 tackles, .5 for a loss, and a fumble recovery.  As a unit the Black Swarm had 10 TFL, 3 sacks, got 2 turnovers and held Lake Forest to 6-for-19 combined on 3rd and 4th down conversion attempts.

The Pioneers are back at home this Saturday to take on Beloit College (2-2, 2-1 MWC) in a big conference battle.

Go Pioneers!

Read the Lake Forest game story here.

Game Photos!

Local photographer Cory Hall took some pictures at our game against Ripon this past Saturday.  Here are some of the best!

Jake McVeigh '11 prepares for the snap

Logan Granera '12 runs away from the Ripon defense

Marquis Bradley (#21) '11 and the Pioneer defense

Mike Bogard '12

Seth Gustafson '14 returns a kick off

PIONEER FOOTBALL IN ESPN.COM ARTICLE!

ESPN.com blogger Ryan McGee highlighted the Pioneers upset over the Monmouth Scots in a recent blog post. 

After last week's blog when I wondered aloud where James Madison's win over Virginia Tech ranked among the all-time greatest upsets, I received an e-mail from reader Brian Taylor, who made a pretty good argument that the Dukes might not have even had the biggest upset that weekend.

On Sept. 11 Grinnell (Iowa) College knocked off fellow NCAA Division III (non-scholarship) foe Monmouth (Ill.) College 17-15. That doesn't seem like a big deal until you consider that in their previous three meetings the Pioneers had been beaten by the Fighting Scots by a combined score of 170-0 (2007: 42-0, 2008: 69-0, 2009: 59-0). According to Taylor, Grinnell sports a 48-man roster, multiple two-way players, and carried a preseason ranking of 214th out of 238 D3 schools. Monmouth, led by the '09 D3 Player of the Year, QB Alex Tanney, was ranked 17th. I don't care what game you're playing, if you beat a guy ranked 197 spots ahead of you, that is a pretty nice upset.

Read McGee's whole post here.

Jump on board the Pioneer train because we are starting to roll!

Logan Granera Named MWC Player of the Week

Wide Receiver Logan Granera '12 was named the Midwest Conference Offensive Player of the Week today after grabbing 9 balls for 195 yards and 2 touchdowns in Saturday's game versus Ripon College.  Granera also had 140 kick return yards and leads the Pioneers on the season with 19 catches for 350 yards and has the second-most touchdowns with 3.   

Read the MWC Release here.

Pioneers Fall to Ripon RedHawks

A battle of unbeatens between Grinnell and Ripon on Saturday led to one of the more interesting gameday experiences witnessed at Rosenbloom Field.  First, Head Coach Jeff Pedersen left campus shortly after the team breakfast to be with his wife who had gone into labor and later delievered their second child, a girl Nora Jane.  Obviously, a big congratulations is in order for the Pedersen family!

Without their leader, the Pioneers struggled in the first half falling behind 27-0 before halftime.  As soon as the 2nd quarter ended, a storm system rolled into the area and the game was delayed for over 2 and 1/2 hours.  When we finally got the third quarter started it was almost 5:00pm and we quickly regained our composure and fought back into the game with three touchdowns in the 3rd quarter before eventually falling 48-21. 

Individual highlights include wide receiver and return specialist Logan Granera '12 racking up 336 all-purpose yards (195 of those were of the receiving variety) and 2 touchdowns.  Quarterback Mike McCabe '13 came in in the second half and threw for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns on only 15 completions.  He also ran for 41 yards and a TD on 7 carries.  Defensively, linebacker Marquis Bradley '11 had 13 tackles and fellow linebacker Jeremy Wiles '14 had 11, 8 of which were solo.  Cornerback Andrew Clark '14 also added an INT.

Game story is here.

The Pioneers head to Lake Forest College this weekend for a tough road test and look to stay in the hunt for a conference championship.

Go Pioneers!

The Pioneers beat Monmouth!

After opening the 2010 seasons with a win over Macalester, the Pioneers got another big win this past weekend!  We played two-time defending conference champion Monmouth and beat them 17-15 at their place.  We hadn’t beaten them since 2000, and they had won 21 straight conference games!

We took the opening kickoff and put together a 15 play touchdown drive that used up 6:40 of the first quarter.  Our next score came in the second quarter on a one-yard run by Nick Hinojosa.  The run capped a 5 play, 70 yard drive.  The big play of the drive was 41 yard pass from Mike Bogard to Robert Seer.  The score gave us a 14-0 lead, which we took into halftime.

Coming out of the half, our defense forced a three and out, and the offense launched a 13 play drive that used up another 6:32 of game time.  Unfortunately we were only able to get a field goal out of the drive, but that would prove to be enough.

The defense came up huge the entire game.  On Monmouth’s first drive of the game we stopped them twice for short gains on running plays.  On third down Coach Martinez called the perfect blitz and senior Ryan Fletcher was able to get the big hit on their quarterback.  He ended up coming out of the game after that play, and he never returned.  Monmouth’s offense took a while to adjust to a new quarterback, and our defense kept bringing the pressure all game.

Marquis Bradley and Ryan Fletcher

Monmouth eventually closed the gap to 17-15 late in the fourth quarter, and had the ball with a chance to win the game.  The defense came up clutch again however, when Marquis Bradley forced a fumble with under five minutes, and on the next drive they stopped  Monmouth on fourth down with less than one minute remaining.

This was a great victory for our program and for our players.  All the hard work of the past few years has begun to pay off, but nobody is satisfied with our 2-0 start.  We know that we have the potential to win every game left on our schedule, but we have the potential to lose them all as well.  There are no guarantees for this team, so we’ll just keep working hard and try to make our own breaks!

Pioneers Open 2010 With Win!

On a terrific afternoon for college football, the Grinnell College Pioneers filled the stands across from their new $90 million athletic facility and promptly went out and beat the Macalester Scots 45-35.  The game started off with a bang when the Pioneer defense stymied the Scots on a 4th and 1 from the Grinnell 37.  Junior receiver Logan Granera and the Pioneer offense weren't to be out done though, with Granera taking a screen 63 yards for a touchdown on the very next play and the lead was never relinquished.

Game highlights included the defense getting 4 turnovers (one INT, one fumble, and 2 on downs) while the offense didn't turn the ball over once all afternoon.  Wide Receiver Robert Seer '12 tied a school record with 4 touchdowns, three of which came from fellow junior quarterback Mike Bogard.  The 45 points scored is the most scored by a Grinnell team since 2004 and the most in a season opener since the MWC Championship season of 1998. 

Read the game story here and access the box score here.

GAME WEEK!

IT'S GAME WEEK!  We open our 2010 schedule this Saturday at home against Macalester College from St. Paul, Minnesota.  Camp is officially over and was a great start to our season, but now it's time to focus on the Scots and continue this great start to a great year!

Go Pioneers!

Early Decision Commitments

The 2014 class of Pioneer football players got off to a great start this winter when we had 9 student-athletes commit to Grinnell by February as a part of our Early Decision program.  On May 1st, when our Regular Decision commitments are due, we hope to add more talent, depth, and skill to this already stellar recruiting class.  But in the meantime, here's a little bit about each of the newest Pioneers!

Andy Butler, RB/DB, Hastings, Nebraska (Hastings HS)  
Two-Time All-District, GNAC All-Conference, All-Tribland

Andrew Clark, RB/DB, Byron, Illinois (Byron HS)
Athlete Academic Award for having the Highest GPA on the team.  Team Captain.  All-Conference RB.

TJ Goetz, QB, Ankeny, Iowa (Ankeny HS)
Led team to 10-2 overall record.  Offense averaged 30 points per game.  Class 4A quarter-finalist.  Finished the season ranked #12 in Class 4A.

Seth Gustafson, RB, Rockford, IL (Winnebago HS)
Two seasons of 1,000+ yards rushing.  Two-Time Unanimous All-Conference RB, Two-Time Academic All-State,  Two-Time Team captain, Senior Season went 8-3, sweet 16, Lost to State Champions twice.

Ki Harris, LB, Evergreen Park, IL (Evergreen Park HS)

Max Keller, CB, Alden, Minnesota (Alden HS)
Section 2A Champs. Ranked #10 in State.  All-Conference and 2nd Team All-Area.  Captain.  Most Improved Player in Junior season.

Jason Peters QB, Coleville, California (Coleville HS)
Freshman year- Offensive Player of the Year (JV). Sophomore year- MVP (Varsity). Junior year- MVP (Varsity).

Quinn Rosenthal, OL, Wheaton, Illinois (Wheaton Warrenville South HS)
2009 Class 7A State Champions.  First Team All-State in Scholastic Bowl.

Spring Practices Begin!

Our first official practice of the 2010 season was this past Sunday and we couldn't have been more excited to get the next chapter in Pioneer Football underway!

One of the best moments of Sunday's practice was the return of junior-to-be quarterback, Mike Bogard, who just 5 months ago suffered a massive knee injury and is now cleared to be a full participant in football activities.  This is Mike's story, in his words:

--
On October 10, in the midst of a hard fought battle with Knox College, I made a decision to scramble out of the pocket on 3rd and long and try to pick up the first down by foot.  Little did I know, but that decision would lead me to 6 months of non-competitive participation and a strenuous road of recovery.  As I was cutting toward the side line, I was high-lowed by a pursuing linebacker and cornerback causing a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus (terrible triad!).  Having never missed a game or practice in my entire football career, I was absolutely devastated. The thought of having to miss the remainder of the season and perhaps the entire baseball season due to a constant uphill battle of therapy and setbacks was horrifying. 

Almost a month after the injury, I was in surgery to have my ACL replaced and the tear in my meniscus removed. Because I play quarterback in our fast-paced offense, I was worried about the future of my knee and the prospect of never "fully" recovering to the point I was at prior to the injury. The 3-4 months following my surgery were physically and mentally draining.  I spent every single day in the training room for hours trying to get my quad strength back, my stamina, and most importantly, my athleticism back.  There were many ups and downs along the road and I knew that my faith was being tested just as much as knee.  However, thanks to a great training staff, persevering attitude, and tons of hard work, I was cleared in five short months (the typical recovery time associated with my type of injury is 6-9 months).  It was truly a miracle that my knee responded so well to the surgery and rehab, however, I strongly believe that the reason I healed so quickly was because of my teammates and family.  There was nothing more I missed than the comradery on the field, being in the huddle before a play with the guys, or the one-of-a-kind feeling of walking off the field after a tough practice with my teammates and knowing we left it all on the field. It was thoughts like these and encouragement from everyone close around me that willed me back to health.

Now, my knee is feeling great. There is no doubt that my surgically repaired knee is as strong or even stronger than it was prior to the injury! When I think back on the whole situation, I realize it was truly a blessing and a curse. So much good has come from the injury, rehab, and experience that I hesitate to look back on the situation with any regret.  The most important thing I learned during these last six months is never to take anything for granted.  Few people have the opportunity to play college sports, and I am lucky enough to be part of that minority.  Even when things seem to go against you and there are obstacles in your way, there is nothing that can deter you with the right attitude and an unparalleled passion for the game.  For those athletes who are injured and are engaged in the recovery battle right now, think positive and don't let ANYTHING stop you from chasing your dreams!

Mike Bogard '12