Pioneers Fall in Season Finale

It was Senior Day and the Season Finale this past Saturday at Rosenbloom Field and the host Pioneers fell short against the visitors from Carroll University, 31-21. 

Despite gaining more total yardage (403-282) and winning the turnover battle (3-1), Grinnell wasn't able to over come the field position battle and fell behind early before the late rally fell short.

Offensively, Robert Seer '12 and Logan Granera '12, one last time, paced the Scarlet & Black with a combined 256 yards receiving and 1 TD among their 14 catches. 

Defensively, the Pioneers were about as balanced as possible.  Drew Blumberg '13 led the unit with 11 tackles, but 10 players had at least 5 tackles AND at least .5 TFL.  The Pioneers also had 2 INT (Andrew Clark '14 and Max Keller '14).

Drew Blumberg (#44) '13 and Max Keller (#20) '14 combine for a tackle

Players of the week:

Offense: Logan Granera '12
Defense: Matt John '12 and Ryan Creps '12
Practice: Harpreet Singh-Mann '12

The Pioneers finish the 2011 campaign at 5-5 (4-5 in MWC) good for 6th in the league.  The last two seasons have been the most successful back-to-back years since the 1999-2000 seasons that combined for 12 victories.

We bid farewell to Jimmy Borrasso, Ryan Creps, Kelsey Davis, Logan Granera, Chris Jarmon, Matt John, Stephen Hudak, Robert Seer, Harpreet Singh-Mann, and Brian Westerlind!  Thank you for all that you have done for Grinnell College Football.  You will be missed!

Grinnell Loses on Road, Seer Breaks Two More Records!

Some days just aren't your days.  This Saturday was one of those for the Grinnell Pioneers.  Facing the 2nd best team in the conference on the road, certainly proved a tough task, but everything that could go wrong did, and the Scarlet & Black fell 48-16.

Robert Seer '12 hauls in one of his school record catches

Senior wide receiver Rob Seer '12 continued his assault on the Grinnell record books, vaulting into the top place all-time in receptions (223) and receiving yards (3,144) to go with the career receiving TDs (42) record he overtook two weeks ago.  It's now without doubt, that he is the most prolific wide receiver in Pioneer football history!  Congrats Rob!

Kelsey Davis ’12 and Colton Feller ’14 both had 12 tackles to lead the defense, while Brian Taylor ’13 added 10 tackles with 2.5 sacks and a safety.

Brian Taylor '13

Max Jacobson '14 blocked yet another PAT attempt, making it the fourth PAT or FG attempt he's prevented from going through the uprights this season tying the Grinnell single-season mark.

Grinnell falls to 5-4 overall (4-4 in MWC) and plays host to Carroll University (6-3, 5-3 MWC) this Saturday for the season finale and Senior Day at Rosenbloom Field!  Hope to see you there!

Players of the Week:
Offense - Morgan Kinsinger '14, Chris Jarmon '12, Quinn Rosenthal '14
Defense- David Ternes '15
Special Teams- Seth Gustafson '14
Practice - Harnak Mann '14

See the official game story here.

Pioneers Drop Close Contest!

In a closely contested game the entire way, the host Pioneers lost to the visitors from St. Norbert 30-28 on Saturday.  Both offenses put up close to 500 total yards, but turnovers proved to be costly, as Grinnell offered up the football back to the Green Knights on 4 different occasions.

Robert Seer '12

Robert Seer '12 had another massive day for the Scarlet & Black with 14 receptions for 204 yards and 3 TDs.  Quarterback Mike McCabe '13 threw for 470 yards, which was good for 2nd most all-time in Grinnell history, and 4 touchdowns.

Defensively, safety Drew Blumberg '13 had 13 tackles and a pass break-up while his safety counterpart, Kelsey Davis '12 added 8 tackles and his own pass break-up.

Max Jacobson '14 continued to impress in the kicking game, blocking his third kick of the season, this one a 30 yard 3rd quarter attempt from St Norbert.

Max Jacobson '14 (#8) continues to block kicks

Grinnell's four game-win streak is snapped and falls to 5-3 overall and 4-3 in MWC play and is tied for 5th place.  St Norbert is now 5-3 overall as well but sits at 5-2 in the MWC.

See the official game story here.

Players of the week:
Offense - Robert Seer '12
Defense - Drew Blumberg '13
Special Teams - Max Jacobson '14
Rookie - David Ternes '15
Practice - Jimmy Borrasso '12

Longest Win Streak Since 1999!

With a thrilling 17-15 road victory over Lawrence University, the Pioneers have run their current winning streak to four games.  The longest in program history since 1999!

Both offenses struggled to consistently gain any momentum with winds over 30 MPH blowing throughout the afternoon.  Rob Seer '12 was perhaps the least affected, hauling in 2 TDs, both from non-quarterbacks (Kelsey Davis '12 and Trent Baker '15).  And with those two scoring catches Seer tied and then over took Richard Wemer '99 for the Grinnell career receiving touchdowns record with 42.  Congrats Rob!

Brian Taylor '13 paced the defense with 6 total tackles but 3.5 were by sack for a combined negative 21 yards.  Drew Blumberg '13 also posted 5 tackles including a couple big hits and a pass breakup.

Punter Logan Granera '12, also set a school record for longest punt in Pioneer history.  Granera boomed a 79 yard kick in the 1st quarter to help flip the field for the Scarlet & Black.

Players of the week:
Offense - Kelsey Davis '12
Defense - Brian Taylor '13
Special Teams - Colton Feller '14
Practice - Drew Blumberg '13

The win bumps Grinnell's record to 5-2 overall and they play host to St. Norbert this Saturday.

Pioneers Run Win Streak to Three Games!

Under unseasonably warm conditions the host Grinnell Pioneers defeated the visitors from Knox 43-35 at Rosenbloom Field.  It was a tightly contested game until just into the fourth quarter when the Scarlet & Black ripped off 3 straight scores in a 4 minute span to take control of the game.

Kickoff Coverage Unit
Courtesy:  Caleb Williams, d3photography.com

Statistically, the defense was led by Ryan Creps '12 who had 12 tackles (3.5 TFL) and Andrew Clark '14 (2 INT) while the offense was paced by the two senior wide receivers, Logan Granera '12 (7 catches for 101 yards) and Rob Seer '12 (6 for 99 yards and 3 TD).  In the kicking game, Max Jacobson '14 blocked his second kick of the season, this one a PAT attempt after Knox's third score.

The victory takes the Pioneers to 4-2 overall (3-2 in MWC) and it's back on the road next Saturday, at Lawrence University (1-5, 1-4 MWC) in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Players of the week are:
Offense:  Jason Peters '14
Defense: Andrew Clark '14
Special Teams:  Kickoff Unit
Rookie:  Emmi Sandoval '15
Practice: Max Jacobson '14

 See the official game story here.

Pioneers Beat Beloit!

Going on the road and beating the opponent on their Homecoming is always a good thing.  Saturday was one of those days for the Pioneers, defeating the host Beloit Bucs 28-21.

Cody Weber '13

Standout performers on offense were Cody Weber '13 who had 175 all-purpose yards and 2 TDs and Trent Baker '15 with 7 catches for 140 yards and 1 TD.

The defense had a solid all-around performance led by linebackers Jeremy Wiles '14 (6 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries and 1 TFL) and Richard Renteria '15 (6 tackles, 2 were TFL)

Jeremy Wiles '14

The win pushes the Scarlet & Black to 3-2 overall and back to 2-2 in MWC play.  Knox College comes to Rosenbloom Field this Saturday after a tough 26-20 loss to Ripon.

Players of the Week Honors went to:
Offense - Cody Weber '13
Defense - Jeremy Wiles '14
Special Teams - Harpreet Singh-Mann '12
Practice - John Mertes '15
Rookie - Trent Baker '15

See the official game story here.  More photos and video to follow later this week!

Pioneers Explode Against Lake Forest!

On a beautiful fall afternoon at Rosenbloom Field, in front of a terrific Family Weekend crowd, the Pioneers handled the visitors from Lake Forest 49-34.

Quarterback Mike McCabe '13 led the Pioneer offensive output

Quarterback Mike McCabe '13 had a hand in all 7 offensive touchdowns, throwing 5 and running for 2.  Receivers Robert Seer '12 (11 receptions for 156 yards and 3 TDs) and Logan Granera '12 (6 for 81 yards and 2 TDs) helped the offense score more points in any game since 2001.

Safety Kelsey Davis '12 and linebacker Richard Renteria '15 led the defensive effort with 13 tackles each, while cornerback Seth Gustafson '14 had an interception and nose tackle Tom Brinkman '13 had a fumble recovery and a crucial 4th-down pass breakup.

Pioneer Players of the Week were awarded to:
Mike McCabe '13 - Offense
Brian Taylor '13 - Defense
Daniel Munger '15 - Special Teams
Max Keller '14 - Practice
David Ternes '15 - Rookie

More photos and video highlights to follow!

See the official game story here.

Ripon Pulls Away From Pioneers

After leading on two different occasions in the first half and only trailing 17-14 at halftime, the Grinnell College Pioneers weren't able to stay with the Ripon Redhawks, losing 38-20.  After restraining the Redhawks triple option offense to just two touchdowns in the first half, the hosts took to the air and threw more pass attempts than they had in the season's first two games combined.

Cody Weber '13

 Standouts for the Pioneers include safeties Drew Blumberg '13 (14 tackles) and Kelsey Davis '12 (11 tackles), wide receiver/running back Cody Weber '13 (100 yards of total offense and one touchdown), and cornerback/kick returner Andrew Clark '14 (1 INT and 55 kick return yards).

Check out the official game story here.

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!

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!

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.

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!

Pioneers Lose in Season Finale

On a perfect fall day for football, the host Beloit Bucs beat the visiting Pioneers from Grinnell 41-7. For only the second time all season, we were out of the game in the 4th quarter, and considering where this program has been over the last few years, that is a major improvement. It's not at all where we want to be ultimately, but it provides us with some comfort knowing that in 8 of our 10 games, we are competitive until the end and are just a few plays shy of winning a lot of those games.

We now turn our focus as a program and as a coaching staff to the 2010 season and beyond. We open next season at home against Macalester College on September 4th, 2010 and we can't wait to be on the field and start a new season. But first we must put all our efforts into the recruiting process and trying to find a class of student-athletes that can help get us to that next level!

Pioneers Lose to RedHawks

Although we could not have asked for better weather on Senior Day at Rosenbloom Field, the host Pioneers fell to Ripon 38-17 in our last home game of 2009. We again showed great resolve by mounting a comeback and refusing to quit before the last whistle blew. But it wasn't enough as their offense executed their triple-option attack as precisely as they have done all year and we weren't able to come up with enough big stops or turnovers to shift the tide. Offensively, we moved the ball effectively, racking up the 2nd most yards they've allowed all season, but fell short on finishing drives and putting the ball in the endzone.

We head to Beloit this Saturday for the final contest of the 2009 season and will also serve as a great catapult of momentum heading into the 2010 season!

Pioneers Fall to Blueboys

On a gorgeous late October Saturday, the Grinnell Pioneers lost a shoot-out to the Illinois College Blueboys by a final of 55-34. Both teams combined for over 1,000 yards of total offense, and we ran 105 offensive plays total. We also had 68 pass attempts which is a school record. For the second straight week, we showed great heart and fight after coming back from a 41-13 deficit midway through the third quarter to close the gap to 47-34 with 3:00 remaining in the game before a late interception dealt the final blow.

Next up is Ripon College and our last home game of 2009. It'll be Senior Day at Rosenbloom Field as we see the 14 seniors on the home turf one final time. Should be a great day to be a Pioneer!

Comeback Falls Short

After staking the visiting Lake Forest Foresters out to a 28-7 halftime lead, the Pioneers rallied furiously in the second half before ultimately falling 35-28.

This was a tough loss in a lot of ways, but we can hold our heads up high for continuing to battle and fight for a victory and we just weren't able to get it done late in the game. This is the fourth loss this season by a touchdown or less and this gives us hope and encouragement that we are in fact climbing the ladder and progressing as a football team.

It's fall break this week, so we've got a great opportunity to spend some extra time on football and make sure we are 100% ready to travel to Illinois College on Saturday and come home with a Win!

Go Pioneers!

Pioneers Beat Knox!

On a cold blustery fall day, the Grinnell Pioneers defeated Knox on the road by a final of 27-12. Knox proved to be a good challenge, as their triple-option offense did a great job of working the ball down the field, but the Pioneer defense was strong enough to withstand the charge. Our offense did a nice job of keeping the Prairie Fire defense on its heels and putting points on the board when it mattered most.

Next week we are back at home taking on the Foresters of Lake Forest. We look forward to a great game and another opportunity for a W.