Jacob Bernholtz Named MWC Offensive Player of the Week

Rushing for 157 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 carries, Jacob Bernholtz helped lead the Pioneers to a 42 - 17 victory over Beloit College.  Earlier today he was also named the Midwest Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

Bernholtz slips through the hole on the way to a 59 yard scoring run.

Bernholtz scored his first touchdown of the day on a fumble recovery in the end zone, to give the Pioneers a 14 - 0.  He followed that up with a beautiful 59 yard scoring run to put the Pioneers up 21 - 3.  He capped off the scoring with a 65 yard run in the fourth quarter. 

Bernholtz' second TD run came behind the right side of the line, covering 65 yards.

The Pioneers 42 points were the most since scoring 43 against Knox College in October of 2011.  It was also the most the Pioneers have score against Beloit since a 45 - 20 victory over the Buccaneers in 1996.  The Pioneer defense has now forced 12 turnovers in four games, on pace to far outdistance last year's total of 21. 

The Pioneers will enjoy a bye week before heading to Monmouth College to take on the Scots October 12.

Stellar Defensive Effort Not Enough

In front of a tremendous crowd of traveling Pioneer friends and family, a stellar defensive effort, including four first-half interceptions, was not enough for the Pioneers Saturday, as they dropped another road game 15 - 7 at Lake Forest.

Andrew Clark sets up the Pioneer offense with an interception return

The Pioneers struck first as Andrew Clark returned an interception inside the Forester five yard line.  Jacob Bernholtz punched it in from the one two plays later, and Graham Fisher's extra point made it  7 - 0 Grinnell.

Seth Gustafson intercepts a Forester pass.

Later in the half Lake Forest answered with a touchdown of their own to tie the game, and took the lead after stopping the Pioneers for a safety.  In an unfortunate turn for the Pioneers, Seth Gustafson stopped a promising Lake Forest drive with a very nice interception, and looked to have fallen into the end zone for a touchback.  Instead the ball was spotted on the six inch line, and the Pioneers weren't able to advance it, giving up the safety.

Kevin Hwang prevents a touchdown with a second quarter interception

The first half closed with the 9 - 7 score, after interceptions by Kevin Hwang and Colton Feller.

Colton Feller makes the final interception of the day

The Foresters were able to add two more field goals to make it 15 - 7, heading into the final minutes of the game.  With two minutes to go, the Pioneer offense finally mounted a serious threat into Lake Forest territory.  Quarterback TJ Goetz completed passes to Emmi Sandoval, Greg Ruzich, Jake Meixler, and Aamir Walton. The final completion brought the offense to just outside the 20, unfortunately they failed to convert a 4th and 6, and Lake Forest was able to kneel out the clock.

The Pioneers look forward to their home opener this Saturday, September 28, against Beloit College.  The kickoff at Rosenbloom Field will be at 1:00 PM Central, and the game will be on the radio at KGRN 1410, and webcast at MWCTV . 

Happy Birthday Nora Jane!

Showing off the new dress

On a Friday afternoon 34 years and a couple days ago Sandy Pedersen went into labor with her first child.  Her husband, Jhan was an assistant coach for the the Starmont Stars, and they were scheduled to play a road game that evening.  As the labor dragged on it became apparent that Jhan would have to miss the game.  I was born shortly before midnight, and it would be the only game my dad ever missed as a coach.

Fast forward to Saturday, September 18, 2010, a rainy and stormy day.  In my first year as the head coach of the Grinnell Pioneers we had gotten of to a 2-0 start, including an upset road win over nationally ranked Monmouth College.  We were scheduled to play conference foe Ripon College.  I woke up about 7:00 to walk the dog and get ready for the day, trying to be quiet so my daughter Frances and pregnant wife Jordan could sleep in a little.  As I was getting ready to leave the house Jordan says, "I think today is the day."  WHAT?!!  TODAY?!!

I sent Jordan to the hospital while I came in for our 8:40 team meeting.  At the meeting I urged the guys to block out the things they couldn't control (weather, etc.) and to focus on what they could control (executing their assignment).  I sent them off to breakfast, then told assistant head coach Tim Hollibaugh that I was headed to the hospital to see what was happening. 

Once I got to the hospital I was told that yes, today would be the day.  I rushed back to campus to meet the team at breakfast and give them the news that I would be missing the game for the birth of our second daughter.  I wished them luck, then reminded them of what I had said earlier, control what you can control and don't worry about the rest!

Well, we were partly successful that day.  Nora Jane Pedersen was born around 3:00 PM, a healthy and beautiful 8 pound baby girl.  Unfortunately for the Pioneers, the afternoon did not go as planned.  We fell behind early in a sloppy game, and as the teams headed for the locker rooms at halftime it turned from a rain storm into a thunder storm.  There was an hour-long delay due to lightning in the area.  When the teams finally resumed play we made a nice comeback in the third quarter, but ultimately fell short.

"Dad, we're making a good comeback here."

"They scored again?  Ppfftt!!"

"Oh man!  This game stinks!"

As I walked into the team meeting room that Sunday morning, I was unsure of what to expect.  Would the team be upset, feeling I had abandoned them?  Would they have some level of understanding?  I wasn't sure.  Well, the moment I walked in the door I got my answer, I received a standing ovation from the guys.  Was it deserved?  Probably not, after all, my only role was holding Jordan's hand during the delivery.  Was it appreciated?  For sure.  That let me know all I need about this team, and the privilege I have being a part of it every day. 

Go Pioneers and Happy Birthday Nora Jane!!

Pioneers Down One Score at Half, Let it Slip Away

Jeremy Wiles makes one of his 18 tackles

Graham Fisher's '16 45 yard field goal with 5 seconds left in the first half cut the lead to 21 - 13, but that would prove the final score of the day for the Pioneers.  The Blueboys of Illinois College pumped in two third-quarter touchdown as the Pioneers saw several promising drives stall near mid-field.  The final score of 42 - 13 was a disappointment for the Pioneers, especially after playing one of the pre-season conference favorites so close for a half.

Fisher celebrates his 45 yard field goal

The Pioneers got on the board in the first quarter when Fisher nailed a 24 yard field goal to cap a ten play drive.  Fisher had a strong day kicking, with field goals of 24 and 45 yards.  He barely missed a third, when his 48 yard attempt bounced off the left upright.  Fisher punted the ball well all day, pinning the Blueboys inside the 20 three times on the day.

The second score of the day came on a three yard run by Jacob Bernholtz '17.  The Pioneer offense looked to have found some rhythm in the first half, converting several third downs to keep drives alive.  Unfortunately the opposite proved true in the second half, as they failed to convert on several makeable third downs.

Bernholtz creases the defense for a touchdown

Defensively, the Pioneers were led by Jeremy Wiles' 14 18 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss.  Seth Gustafson '14 also played well, blanketing the Blueboy receivers all day.

Gustafson tackles a ball-carrier for a short gain

The Pioneers will travel to Lake Forest for their third straight road game to open the season.  The kickoff against the Forresters will be at 1:00 PM at Farwell Field, and will be broadcast live on MWCTV with an audio broadcast on KGRN 1410.     

36 Completions to Ten Different Receivers

Pioneer quarterback Sam Poulos '16 completed a total of 36 passes in the game last Saturday.  That total is good for second most in a single game in Grinnell College history.  Ten different receivers caught passes, led by Jake Meixler '15, and his 12 receptions.

Football 101

Zaw Bo '17 (Yangon, Myanmar) and Han Trinh '17 (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam)

This past Friday a group of international students continued their orientation to life at Grinnell College and in the United States with a session on football.

Jake O'Polka '16 and Ibuki Ogasawara '17 (Takasaki, Japan) discuss the basics of the game

Most knew of football only in the international sense, soccer as we know it, and were eager to learn more about the game as it's played here.  The group joined the Pioneers for their Friday walk-through to try on some equipment and to get a few pointers.

Jeremy Wiles '14 works with Na Chainkua Reindorf '14 (Accra, Ghana) on her touchdown celebration

After practice, the group got a basic introduction to the game from Residence Life Coordinator Dan Hirsch.  Hirsch did a nice job breaking the game down to it's most basic principles, and relating it to their shared knowledge of other games.  Hopefully a few "graduates" of the course will be interested in continuing to learn more about the game!

Harnak Mann '14 helps Christine Ajinjeru '14 (Kampala, Uganda) lace up her pads

Pioneers Drop Non-Conference Game

On another smoldering late summer day the Pioneers dropped their season opener 29-10.  The Pioneer offense failed to score on several promising drives early in the game, once being stopped on downs and once missing a field goal.  They fell behind after a long scoring strike in the first quarter and two more long touchdowns in the second.

Coming out of halftime the Pioneers put together a nice 13 play drive that once again ended in a turnover.  They finally got on the board with a field goal midway through the third quarter, but saw another opportunity slip away when yet another drive inside the red zone ended on the final turnover of the day.

The final score was reached late in the fourth quarter when Greg Ruzich '16 caught the first touchdown of his career.

Greg Ruzich '16 hauls in his first career touchdown.

Statistically, the Pioneers were led by Sam Poulos '16 who completed 36 of 59 passing attempts.  Both marks were good for second all-time in a single game. 

Sam Poulos '16 delivers one of his 36 completions

Defensively, Kevin Hwang '14 recorded ten tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery.  Hwang's day was limited to only three quarters, as he had to leave due to severe cramping.

Kevin Hwang '14 goes high for the interception

The Pioneers will regroup and prepare for their conference opener against Illinois College in Jacksonville, IL.  The game will kickoff at 1:00 PM, Saturday the 14th.  It will be broadcast live on MWCTV with an audio broadcast on KGRN 1410. 

Pioneers Look Good in Scrimmage

The Pioneers hosted their annual intrasquad scrimmage Saturday on Rosenbloom Field and got the season started in fine fashion. 

Goetz '14 delivers the ball.

Dressed in their new black Adidas Techfit jerseys, the defense looked good early.  They forced two quick three-and-outs to start the scrimmage, and forced a fumble to start the fourth series.  The linebacking corps of Colton Feller '14, David Ternes '15, Richard Renteria '15, and Jeremy Wiles '14 led the way as expected, doing a nice job stuffing the run and pressuring the quarterback.  The experienced defensive backfield of Seth Gustafson, Andrew Clark, Kevin Hwang, and Max Keller, all class of 2014, looked sharp as well. 

Ed Hardman '16 brings down Aamir Walton '15.

The Pioneer offense finally got things clicking with some quick passes from backup quarterback TJ Goetz '14, and a nice scoring toss from starter Sam Poulos '16 to Jake O'Polka '16.  Senior linemen Morgan Kinsinger and Quinn Rosenthal led the way up front.

O'Polka '16 hauls in a touchdown.

All told, the Pioneers ran 62 plays on the sixth consecutive day with a heat index of over 95 degrees.  The mental toughness displayed by the Pioneers throughout the pre-season should pay dividends when they head to Northfield, MN this Saturday to take on Carleton.  The game will kick off at 1:00 PM and will be webcast by Carleton (details will be provided soon).  You can also catch the broadcast of Chris Varney, the voice of the Pioneers, on KGRN 1410 and online.