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2003 TIU Football NewsJanuary 23, 2004Trinity Athletic Director Patrick Gilliam announced today that nationally recognized coach Derek Dewitt has accepted the position of head football coach for Trinity International University.Dewitt has his Bachelor of Science in Sports Sciences from Ohio University and his Master of Arts in Teaching from Olivet Nazarene University. He was a linebacker for Ohio University's Bobcats and then codefensive coordinator and academic coordinator for the football team at Olivet Nazarene. From there he worked football operations and college scouting for the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. He coached high school football in the Chillicothe City Schools (Chillicothe, Ohio) and at Waverly High School (Waverly, Ohio), where he was named North American High School Football Coach of the Year.In the fall of 2002, Coach Dewitt received national attention for an event that took place at the end of a football game against rival Northwest High School. Dewitt's team led 42-0. Northwest Coach Dave Frantz had received permission from Dewitt to allow a special Northwest player to run one play at the end of the game, as long as the game was not on the line. The player was Jake Porter, a seventeen-year-old with chromosomal fragile-X syndrome, a common cause of mental retardation. Jake had faithfully attended games as a member of the team but was unable to play. This time he would get the ball and take a knee, and the game would end. Dewitt agreed.But in the final seconds of a shutout game, Dewitt had another idea. When Northwest called Jake out to take the ball, Dewitt's players all stood aside, and Jake scored his team's only touchdown, cheered on by everyone on the field and in the stands. The incredible moment was dubbed by Sports Illustrated as the "Play of the Year" (see http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/rick_reilly/news/2002/11/12/life_of_reilly), and last week NFL films ran a profile of Coach Dewitt on ESPN.Trinity athletic director Pat Gilliam said of Dewitt: "We feel abundantly blessed to have a man of Derek's ability, character, integrity, love for the Lord, and passion for sports ministry here as a part of our staff at Trinity. He is a great leader, he's dynamic, and I think he's got incredible abilities to motivate and take the Trinity football team to the next level."Other links to stories about Coach Dewitt:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2003/002/30.69.html
http://apse.dallasnews.com/contest/2002/writing/over250/over250.columns.first1.html December 2, 2003Dear Trinity students, staff, faculty and friends: It is with a heavy heart I inform you that Andy Lambert has resigned his position as Trinity's head football coach, effective December 19, 2003. Coach Lambert began leading the Trinity football squad in December of 1996 and has done a remarkable job of building the Trojans into an NAIA Top 25 team, all the while helping to develop hundreds of young men in their spiritual maturity and integrity. His perseverance, drive, and determination to create a Christ-centered, biblical football program have been inspiring. Trinity has been deeply blessed by Coach Lambert's leadership. President Greg Waybright says that Andy "understood the mission and values of Trinity and built a football program upon those principles." Dean of Students Coffee Washington agrees: "I have not only been impressed with Andy's integrity and character but also his commitment to the Lord and to his players." There are no words that can sufficiently summarize the amazing impact and influence Coach Lambert has had upon the Trojan football program, TIU athletics, and the university as a whole. His abilities and presence will be greatly missed. I know it is difficult for Andy to say goodbye to the Trinity family. He asked to share these words with you all: "I want to thank the staff and faculty for your friendship and support these last years. I am grateful for the vision you have for Trinity and your care for each of the students here. It has been an honor to work alongside each of you. I have come to respect the athletic ability and spiritual maturity of our student athletes and strongly desire that each one of them will remain fully committed to Trinity through their graduation. I am excited to see what God will do at Trinity in the future and know his best is in store for the this great institution. Thanks again to each of you who have invested in me and football. May God bless Trinity International University!" A nationwide search for a new head coach will begin immediately. Our standards are high as we look for a new head coach because the Trojan football program is important to the university. Please pray for our athletic department and football program during this time of transition and for Andy and his family as they move on to a new ministry opportunity. Sincerely,
Patrick Gilliam
Athletic Director November 15, 2003TIU finished the regular season with a trip to Oskaloosa, IA to face MSFA foe William Penn University. Behind the efforts of quarterback Kevin Oberlander, who threw for 2 touchdowns and ran for another in the first 18 minutes of the game, the Trojans jumped out to a 28-0 advantage and led 33-20 at the half. William Penn scored just under 5 minutes into the third quarter to cut the lead to 6, but TIU responded with a 1 yard TD run by Aaron Behm, his second of the game, that solidified the 40-37 win for the Trojans. The win improved the team's record to 8-3 overall and 5-2 in a very tough Mid-States Football Association. Quarterback Kevin Oberlander threw for a season high 254 yards and the Trojans had their first 100 yard receiving day of the year with freshman Andrew Majesty catching four passes for 110 yards on the afternoon. The ground attack gained another 256 yards, led by Aaron Behm's 30 carries for 165 yards, while Tu Price had a total of 131 yards. Trinity will await to see if they receive an invitation to participate in the NAIA playoffs. November 11, 2003Ryan Betscher was named as the NAIA National Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending Nov. 9, 2003. Betscher, a six foot senior safety from Cincinnati, Ohio, registered eight solo tackles, assisted on three others and intercepted two passes in a 35-27 upset win over then #20-ranked rival St. Xavier University (Ill.). Betscher, who also broke up four passes, made his second interception with 35 seconds left in the game and St. Xavier inside the red zone. Trinity International improved to 7-3 on the season with the win. November 8, 2003TIU continues to roll along, winning their fourth straight football game and fourth in conference with a 35-27 win over St. Xavier. In a contrast of offensive styles, Trinity's rushing offense out-gained the air attack of St. Xavier 488 yards to 464. The Trojans piled up 452 yards on the ground with 2 players rushing for over 100 yards with Kevin Oberlander gaining 176 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown and Chad Cox adding 102 more on 9 carries with a TD. Aaron Behm fell just short of being the third Trojan with 100 yards, tallying 91 on 10 carries and a TD. TIU jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a 7 yard TD run by Oberlander with 31 seconds left in the first quarter, but St. Xavier would retaliate and score to even it up. Then, with 54 seconds remaining in the half, Oberlander would hit Jared English with a 21 yard strike to go ahead 14-7, but St. Xavier answered with no time on the clock and it would be 14-14 at the half. St. X would take the lead, but TIU responded with 3 unanswered touchdowns to take a commanding 35-21 lead with 3 touchdown runs of 38, 67 and 38 yards. St. Xavier couldn't muster enough to pull the game out and Trinity improved to 7-3 on the year and 4-2 in a very tough Mid-States Football Association. The Trojans finish up the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 15th in Oskaloosa, IA when they face William Penn University. November 1, 2003TIU won its third game in a row and third straight in conference with a 42-13 win over Iowa Wesleyan on Saturday. The Trojans were led by a pesky defense and the efforts of running back Tu Price, who had 10 rushes for 105 yards, caught 2 passes for another 65 and scored 3 times. Trinity jumped out to an early 7-0 lead when Price scored on an 8 yard run and increased it to 14-0 when the defense recovered a fumble in the end zone. With 14:00 minutes left in the second quarter, Kevin Oberlander hit Tu Price with a 64 yard bomb to run the score to 21-0. But Iowa Wesleyan would not be denied, scoring a touchdown to end the half at 21-7. The Trojans would score three more times in the second half with short touchdown runs by quarterback Kevin Oberlander, Price and Chad Cox. IWC scored another touchdown with 14 seconds left in the game to end it at 42-13. The win improves TIU to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the MSFA. They host St. Xavier on Saturday, Nov. 8th, at 1:00 pm on Frazier Field. October 25, 2003The football team faced St. Francis (IL) on the road Saturday night and returned with a 40-7 win to up their record to 5-3 and 2-2 in the Mid-States Football Association. The Trojans defense held USF to 176 total yards and scored a safety, while the offense racked up 483 total yards, 333 of it on the ground. Kevin Oberlander had an outstanding evening, rushing for 86 yards and 2 touchdowns and throwing for 134 yards. He connected with Andrew Majesty for touchdowns of 29 and 31 yards. Tu Price added 60 yards on only 4 carries and scored on a 24 yard run. TIU travels to Iowa Wesleyan on Saturday, Nov. 1 for a 1:00 pm kickoff. October 18, 2003TIU beat the #22 ranked team in the NAIA, St. Ambrose, 24-3, led by an impressive game by a Trojan defense that would bend but not break. They held an offense that scored 50 points last week to only a field goal early in the 4th quarter while recovering 2 fumbles and 1 interception. The game was scoreless into the 2nd quarter when Mike O'Donnell returned a punt 78 yards for the score. Kelly Tappenback would add a 26 yard field goal to close out the scoring for the half, with Trinity leading 10-0. With 9:22 remaining in the 3rd, TIU set up St. Ambrose for a sweet counter play and Alan Stokes gained the sideline and scurried for a 23 yard touchdown run. Kevin Oberlander would top things off with a 24 yard touchdown pass to Jerad English and the Trojans improved to 4-3 overall and gained their first win in conference (1-2). They travel to Joliet, IL on Saturday, Oct. 25th, for a MSFA game vs. St. Francis at 6:00 pm. October 11, 2003The first quarter of the game between TIU and ONU saw a lot of action with ONU jumping out to a 12-0 lead and with 4:15 left in the first, Tu Price scampered for a 52 yard touchdown run to pull the Trojans back to within 6, 6-12. Kelly Tappenbeck would add a 31 yard field goal and the half would end with the Trojans trailing 9-12. Things would stay that way until late in the fourth quarter when ONU scored with 6:52 remaining in the game, but TIU wouldn't surrender, scoring a touchdown on a 29 yard pass from Kevin Oberlander to Tu Price and that finished the scoring as TIU loses 16-19. The loss drops TIU to 3-3 on the season and 0-2 in MSFA. TIU rushed for 243 yards as a team and passed for another 128. They would out-gain ONU 371 total yards to 254. The Trojans return home on Saturday to face St. Ambrose at 1:00 pm. October 4, 2003TIU faced McKendree College for the 2003 Homecoming football game and came away with a 20-7 loss. That loss drops the Trojans to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in the Mid-States Football Association. In a first half dominated by defense, McKendree jumped on top after the Trojan's fumbled the ball in McKendree territory. The Bearcats then drove the length of the field and punched in a touchdown with 5:44 remaining in the half. TIU responded by driving to the Bearcat goal line, but fell a few inches short as the game came to the half. McKendree would come out in the second half and add 2 more touchdowns, but TIU wouldn't give up, with Nate Baker scoring on a 3 yard run in the 4th quarter. The Trojans were held to 46 yards on 41 carries, but gained 161 yards in the air. TIU was led on the ground by Aaron Behm who had 33 yards on 15 carries and Tu Price led the air attack with 3 receptions for 60 yards. The defense was once again led by Daniel Berry with 5 solo tackles and 10 assisted. The team travels to Olivet Nazarene next Saturday for a 6:00 pm kickoff. September 29, 2003The football team made the 7-hour journey to Beaver Falls, PA to face Mid-States Football opponent Geneva College. Geneva kicked a field goal and that would be all the scoring in the first quarter, but the Trojans bounced back to score twice in the second quarter on a Aaron Behm 6 yard run and Kevin Oberlander on 1 yard score. The Trojans would lead 14-9 at the half. Geneva rallied to score two touchdowns in the second half and all the Trojans could muster would be a 2-yard touchdown run by Masaki Matsumoto and fell 24-21. That drops the Trojans to 3-1 on the season. The Trojans totaled 166 yards on the ground with a three man attack (Masaki Matsumoto, 65 yards,19 carries (1 TD), Aaron Behm 51 yards, 14 carries (1 TD), Kevin Oberlander 50 yards, 16 carries (1 TD)). Seth Berghoff had 4 punt returns for 61 yards and 4 kickoff returns for 104 yards. Daniel Berry led the defense with 7 tackles (3 solo, 8 assists) while Mike Davis and Jon Van Howe each recorded a sack. TIU next faces McKendree College on Saturday, Nov. 4th, for the Trinity International University Homecoming game. September 21, 2003TIU continued its winning ways on Saturday with a 24-17 home victory over Malone (OH) College. The win moves the Trojans to 3-0 on the season. Malone jumped out to a 14-3 lead in the first quarter, but a Seth Berghoff interception changed the whole complexion of the game and TIU Quarterback Kevin Oberlander punched it in for a touchdown a few plays later. The Trojans then surprised Malone with a 45 yard touchdown reception from Oberlander to Tu Price and led at the half 17-14. All Malone could muster in the second half was a field goal as TIU scored on a 1 yard run from Matsumoto to finish the scoring. TIU was led by the ground attack, rushing 47 times for 217 yards. Oberlander was the leading rusher gaining 94 yards (1 TD) on 17 carries and Fullback Masaki Matsumoto gained 83 yards (1 TD), most after contact, on 21 carries. September 12, 2003TIU improved to 2-0 on the young season with a 20-14 victory this afternoon over Aurora University (IL). Once again, the Trojans used a strong running game to dominate play, gaining 290 yards rushing on 56 attempts. A Seth Berghoff punt return for a touchdown got TIU on the board first, and then the offense engineered an 83 yard drive, capped by a Kevin Oberlander touchdown run to claim a 14-0 lead. Aurora responded with two scores, but TIU got the only tally of the fourth quarter on an Aaron Behm 5 yard run to seal the victory. September 5, 2003TIU opened the season on 9/5 with a 27-20 win over Taylor University (IN). The Trojans were off to a fine start with a safety in the opening quarter, followed by a 72 yard touchdown run by Aaron Behm (11 rushes, 106 yards). Taylor would score the next 17 points, however, and led 17-15 in the third quarter. Trinity would not be denied, though, responding with two touchdowns of their own in the third quarter, and holding Taylor to just a field goal before scoring their third touchdown of the second half in the fourth quarter on a Masaki Matsumoto 48 yard run to account for the final margin. TIU opens its home schedule on 9/13 against Aurora University. June 5, 2003TIU Football has released the names of athletes who have committed to attend Trinity International University and play for the Trojans. They are: Peter Anderson, Louisville KY Nathan Baker, Lincoln CA Chris Bombard, Lincoln CA Paul Brees, Pekin IL Zimbalist Carter, Riverside CA Isaac Cruz, Irvine CA Nathan Evans, Neal KS Jacob Flinkman, Coldwater KS Eric Fraley, Gilbert AZ Cole Goodenow, Ida Grove IA Marcus Harkness, Vista CA James Hawk, Holtville CA Jared Heesch, Camp Douglas WI Joseph Herrod, Scottsdale AZ Matthew Hill, Sierra Vista AZ Timothy Jager, Tinley Park IL Jim Kazmierczak, Bridgeview IL Andrew Majesty, Chandler AZ Zack McDole, Scottsborough AL Robbie McKinney, Provo UT Jeremiah Ornelas, Savannah GA Braulio Saldana, Miami FL Robbie Schomaker, Mason OH Josiah Sheedlo, Spring Grove IL Kelly Tappenbeck, Portland OR Josiah Walker, Irvine CA Zac Whitfield, Sycamore IL Jonathan Wiggins, Beloit WI |
