Pioneers Release 2013 Schedule!

Coach Jeff Pedersen and the Grinnell College Football team has released their 2013 game schedule.  The Pioneers will take to the road six times this upcoming fall after having hosted as many games in 2012.  The countdown to September 7th is at 221 days!

Date                  Time           Opponent                                           Location

August 31         1:00             Intra-squad Scrimmage                     Grinnell
                                              (ATHLETE ALUMNI WEEKEND)

September 7      1:00            Carleton College                                Northfield, MN

September 14    1:00            Illinois College                                   Jacksonville, IL

September 21    1:00            Lake Forest College                           Lake Forest, IL

September 28    1:00            Beloit College                                     Grinnell
                                              (FAMILY WEEKEND)

October 5                             BYE

October 12        1:00            Monmouth College                            Monmouth, IL

October 19        1:00            Ripon College                                     Grinnell      

October 26        1:00            Carroll University                              Grinnell      

November 2      1:00            Lawrence University                          Appleton, WI

November 9      1:00            St. Norbert College                             DePere, WI

November 16    12:00          Cornell College                                    Grinnell 

Quinn Rosenthal Abroad in France!

This spring, we'll be bringing you posts from a few Pioneers that are studying abroad this semester.  Center Quinn Rosenthal '14 is currently in Nantes, France and this is his first installation:

It’s kind of hard to believe I've only been here two weeks. I've seen and done so much, tried struggled with, and adjusted to so many new things, that it seems like I've been a Nantais forever now. I had kind of a rough trip out, 8 hour overnight flight, plus the realization that 7 years of French was getting me nothing at the airport. But as soon as I made it out to Nantes, a two-hour train ride from Paris, and got situated with my host family, things got better. My 12 year old host brother came home from rugby practice and wanted to show me videos of his team on youtube, then asked to see some videos of my team, also my host mom made some phenomenal crepes that night, so yeah, them’s good people. 

The IES (Institute of European Studies) program forced us to hit the ground running with an offsite orientation the first weekend which consisted of marathon tours of historic French chateaus by day, and bar hopping in downtown Tours by night. This led to, among other things, the formation of a nice little clique consisting of myself and a few other random people who were the only ones down to go out to the bar after the very first day of onsite orientation, and the late-night discovery of the sketchiest, most delicious sandwich you will ever hear of, the kebab (not what it sounds like). 

The next week consisted mostly of grueling French vernacular crash courses, bringing us to this week, which has included a narrow third-place finish at trivia night at Fleming’s Irish Pub, the super scary start of classes at the University of Nantes, and most importantly, my first workouts at SUAPS (service universitaire des activités physiques et sportives). I was a little confused until I figured out that 20 kilos was equal to 44 pounds, but after that, all’s been going well. I would characterize the weight room as rrl rrl ghetto, but usable. Next week promises more scary classes and another attempt at 60 euros and bragging rights in pub trivia, followed by a weekend down in Bordeaux. 

A bientot!

Grinnell Ranked #3 in Undergraduate Teaching

Every year, Grinnell gets national recognition, whether its for being in a cool college town, the great value, the housing life, or the high admissions numbers.  

And now the US News & World Report has named Grinnell College #3 in the country in it's commitment to teaching its undergraduates!

From the US News Rankings:

Many colleges have a strong commitment to teaching undergraduates instead of graduate-level research. Based on a survey conducted in spring 2012, all the schools on these lists are ones that received the most votes from top college administrators as paying a particular focus on undergraduate teaching.

Rebroadcast of Tazon de Estrellas Game

CBS Sports Network will broadcast a fourth Global Football-produced documentary in a five-month span as the annual Tázon de Estrellas (Bowl of the Stars) is featured on Friday, January 25 at 10pm EST.

The documentary will highlight the visit of Team Stars & Stripes, an all-star group of college seniors (including our own Pioneers, Brian Taylor '13 and Tom Brinkman '13) from NCAA Division III colleges, to Guadalajara.  The U.S. team, led by head coach Don De Waard, triumphed 32-15 against the CONADEIP All-Stars from the CONADEIP national conference of private schools in Mexico.

CBS Sports Network is seen in more than 44 million homes and is available to 98 million households.  For the full network schedule and to access the CBS Sports Network Channel Finder, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.   

Schaid and Weber in All-American Bowl!

Both Pioneers are in the front row (sitting).  Cody Weber #5 is far left and TJ Schaid #28 is the fourth in from the left.

Pioneer seniors TJ Schaid and Cody Weber competed last weekend in the 2012 All-American Bowl held in the Metrodome in Minneapolis.  Their Stripes team fell to the Stars team 19-7, but Weber had the lone TD for Stripes!  

Both guys said it was a really cool way to finish their careers alongside a good friend and teammate and the high level of competition within the game.

Check back soon for box score and more pictures.

Brinkman, Taylor, and Team USA Win in Mexico!

Pioneer Football seniors Tom Brinkman and Brian Taylor were selected to play in this past weekend's Tazon de Estrellas in Guadalajara, Mexico representing the United States.  Team Stars and Stripes beat the CONADEIP All-Stars from Mexico 32-15 in the fourth annual All-Star game.

They are now back on campus and will take finals this week before heading off to Minneapolis on Saturday with teammates TJ Schaid and Cody Weber, to play in the All-American Bowl.  Four of the five seniors from Grinnell will finish their careers together in an All-Star game.  Pretty cool experience for those guys!



Box Score

Pioneer Football Managers

Brieauna Bradley '13

We are so lucky to have had such wonderful, dedicated, and hard-working people serve as Pioneer Football Managers over the last few years.  This year's group included Brieauna Bradley, Steph Haines, Alysia Horcher and Lorejune Fernandez.  Without their help, the football team would struggle mightily to stay afloat.  They are involved in so much of the program on a daily basis, but perhaps their emotional support and love for Grinnell Football are their greatest gift to the program.

Bri, Steph, Alysia and Lorejune - We are forever thankful!

Grinnell's student newspaper (The Scarlet & Black) published a story about Grinnell's athletic programs managers, and featured our own Steph Haines.

Check it out!

2012 Highlight Video!

At long last, the 2012 Pioneer Football Highlight Film is published.

Much thanks to all of those who helped in one way or another to make this possible.  Chris Varney at KRGN Radio, our wonderful filmers Steph Haines, Lorejuene Fernandez, and Brieuana Bradley.  Official Pioneer Football Photographer Alysia Horcher.  Players Jordy Manker and Jeremy Wiles.

Pioneer Football Photo Slideshow

Courtesy of Official Pioneer Football Photographer Alysia Horcher '15 comes the end-of-season photo slideshow.  Check it out!

Pioneer Prospect Video

As we approach our application deadline we put together this video to further enhance Grinnell in the eyes of our prospective student-athletes.  We interviewed our 5 graduating seniors to give their perspective on Grinnell and Pioneer Football and this is what they said:

David Ternes Named All-Region!

Grinnell College's David Ternes '15 has been named to the D3football.com All-West Region Team for the 2012 campaign.

Ternes, a 6-0, 221-pound linebacker from Oakley, Calif. (Freedom), was named to the third team.

An All-Midwest Conference selection, Ternes led Grinnell in tackles and ranked third in the conference with 103. He was first in the league in fumble recoveries with four, second in forced fumbles with three and ranked eighth in tackles for loss with 11.5.

Ternes also had 3.5 sacks and two pass breakups.

Brinkman & Taylor Head to Mexico for All-Star Game!

Tom Brinkman and Brian Taylor will continue their careers for at least a little while

Grinnell College's Tom Brinkman '13 and Brian Taylor '13 have been chosen by a panel of NCAA Division III football coaches to represent Team Stars & Stripes in the fourth annual Tázon de Estrellas (Bowl of the Stars).

The D-III All-Star team's contest against the CONADEIP All-Stars from Mexico is slated for Dec. 15 at La Fortaleza Azul (The Blue Fortress) in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Jack Taylor and 138 Points!

By now you should know that Grinnell College men's basketball player, Jack Taylor '15, made national headlines this past week when he scored an NCAA-record 138 points in a single game.  Since that Tuesday night, there's been plenty of buzz on campus and Grinnell has been seen or mentioned on ESPN, The New York Times and Sports Illustrated just to name a few.

Check out the video above which aired on ESPN last night during SportsCenter.

Also, perhaps one of the best pieces from this story came from Forbes, where the author claims that scoring 138 points in a basketball game isn't even Taylor's greatest feat:

However, more impressive than Taylor’s unprecedented sports achievement is the institution of higher learning that he attends. The sophomore guard, and National Honor Society member, attends Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.

I visited Grinnell a few years ago and was immediately smitten. The school sits on 120 acres of bucolic Iowa countryside. When you dream of fresh, clean, and pastoral collegiate environments, think of Grinnell.  One can easily see how such a lovely, free-spirited locale gave rise to innovations both inside (Grinnell launched the nation’s first political science department) and outside the classroom.

But, for an education columnist like me, there’s a bigger story. At Grinnell College students are expected to be both physical and service athletes. Moreover, academic standards aren’t lowered to attract top athletic talent.

Seven Pioneers Named All-MWC!

Clockwise from Top Left: Cody Weber, Tom Brinkman, Drew Blumberg, Andrew Clark and David Ternes

Seven Grinnell College players have been named to the 2012 All-Midwest Conference Football Team.

The Pioneers had five second-team selections – Cody Weber '13 (wide receiver), Tom Brinkman '13 (defensive line),Drew Blumberg '13 (defensive back), Andrew Clark '14 (return specialist) and David Ternes '15 (linebacker).

Weber, a 6-0, 195-pounder from Pullman, Wash. (Pullman), led the Pioneers in receiving with 44 catches and 564 yards despite missing the second half of the season due to injury. He scored five touchdowns, and before getting hurt was among the national leaders in receptions and reception yards per game. Weber, who was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week and earned MWC Player of the Week honors, has been invited to play in the All-American Bowl in Minneapolis, Minn.

Brinkman, a 5-9, 259-pounder from Rolfe, Iowa (Pocahontas Area), had 46 tackles this season including four for loss. He also had 2.5 sacks and ranked sixth in the MWC in fumble recoveries with two. Brinkman, who also blocked a kick this season, has been named to the USA roster for the Tazon de Estrallas All-Star Game.

Blumberg, a 6-1, 191-pounder from Bishop, Calif., was among the MWC leaders in pass breakups (eight), interceptions (four) and tackles (72). His tackle total ranked second on the team. A two-time Academic All-District first-teamer, he has been invited to play in the All-American Bowl in Minneapolis, Minn., the Aztec Bowl in Monterrey, Mexico, and the Tazon de Estrallas All-Star Game.

Clark, a 5-9, 180-pounder from Byron, Ill., led the MWC in kickoff return average with 23.9 yards per attempt. He had 573 yards on 24 returns with a long of 48. Also a defensive back, Clark finished the season with 27 tackles, two pass breakups and an interception.

Ternes, a 6-0, 221-pounder from Oakley, Calif., led Grinnell in tackles and ranked third in the conference with 103. He was first in the MWC in fumble recoveries with four, second in forced fumbles with three and ranked eighth in tackles for loss with 11.5. Ternes also had 3.5 sacks and two pass breakups.

Grinnell had a pair of honorable mention selections, TJ Schaid '13 at running back and Graham Fisher '16 at punter.

Schaid, a 5-9, 187-pounder from Walworth, Wis., was also an All-MWC selection in 2010. He led Grinnell in rushing this season with 570 yards and a touchdown, and ranked second in receiving with 36 catches for 241 yards and three scores. A semifinalist for the National Football Foundation's National Scholar-Athlete Award, he has been invited to play in the National Bowl Collegiate All-Star Game.

Fisher, a 6-4, 233-pounder from Palo Alto, Calif., was among the MWC leaders in punting with a 36.2-yard average. He had five kicks of over 50 yards and put 18 inside the 20-yard line. Fisher was named the MWC Special Teams Performer of the Week during the season after kicking a 50-yard field goal. He was 5-of-9 on field goal tries.

Cornell Photos

With Official Pioneer Football Photographer Alysia Horcher competing in her first-ever diving competition on Saturday, Brieauna Bradley filled in quite admirably.  Thanks Brieauana!

Rain began falling just as the Pioneers started to rally

Barrett Morrissette runs through an attempted tackle

Sam Poulos led the Pioneers in rushing 

Rich Renteria with a key 4th quarter INT

Brian Taylor setting the edge in his last game

Aamir Walton looks for confirmation on Kevin Hwang's TD catch

Frantic Fourth Not Enough Against Cornell

In the season finale for both teams, the Pioneers fell behind early, down 25-0 at halftime, only to ignite a stunning rally that came up just short before losing 32-27.  The 2012 season comes to a close with the Pioneers finishing with a 2-8 record, their worst record in 3 years.  Going 1-4 in games decided by one score or less was most certainly the main reason for the drop-off in record.

We'd like to say a final farewell to our 5 seniors:  Drew Blumberg, Tom Brinkman, TJ Schaid, Brian Taylor, and Cody Weber.  We are so grateful for their commitment and leadership, not to mention their talent.  Thank you and good luck as you move forward!

With 40 returning players with lots of experience, we are already looking forward to 2013!  Go Pioneers!

Hype Video

Tonight, during our weekly "Milk and Cookies" gathering, we treated the guys to a hype video.  Last game of the 2012 season is tomorrow at Cornell!

Go Pioneers!

Drew Blumberg Named Academic All-District Again

Grinnell College safety Drew Blumberg '13 has repeated as a District 8 NCAA Division IIIAcademic All-District football first-teamer.

The award is presented by Capital One and the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). By being named to the first team, Blumberg is eligible for Academic All-America honors.

Blumberg, a biological chemistry major from Bishop, Calif. (Bishop Union), is a team captain and last season was named the Pioneers' defensive back/outside linebacker Most Valuable Player. He has been named Academic All-Conference twice.

Blumberg ranks second in the conference in interceptions this season with four, third in pass breakups with seven and is in the top 20 in tackles with 66. He also has a forced fumble and has 2.5 tackles for loss.

He has been invited to play in the Metrodome All-American Bowl in Minneapolis, Minn., the Aztec Bowl in Monterrey, Mexico and the Tazon de Estrallas All-Star Game.

Athletic Facilities Video

Grinnell College alum, and former track and field athlete, Ben Brewer '11 put together this sweet video that shows off the College's fantastic indoor athletic facilities, one of the finest in all of Division III.

Photos from St Norbert Game

Thanks once again to Alysia Horcher for her amazing work.  Visit her Flickr page for all of her photos of Pioneer Football.

The fans came out for Senior Day

Andrew Clark hits a seam provided by Jacob Beecher, Seth Gustafson, and Kevin Hwang

Kevin Hwang celebrates his critical 3rd quarter punt block

Colton Feller corrals a Green Knight

Daniel Ryerson celebrates a sack

TJ Schaid turns the corner while Max Jacobson leads out in front

Aamir Walton with one of his team-high 7 catches