2004 Football News

January 7, 2005

The Mid-States Football Association's annual awards were announced recently, with TIU well represented; full details follow:

MSFA 1st TEAM OFFENSE (Midwest League): Kevin Oberlander, Billy Terborg
MSFA 2nd TEAM OFFENSE (Midwest League): A.B. Stokes
MSFA 1st TEAM DEFENSE (Midwest League): Jon Lehman
MSFA 2nd TEAM DEFENSE (Midwest League): Brian Burton, Brandon Dart, Zimbalist Carter
MSFA HM: Nathan Endemano, Masaki Matsumoto, Zach Carr, Zach McDole, Mike Davis, De'on Willis, Nathan Slavens
MSFA (Midwest League) Coach of the Year: Derek Dewitt
MSFA (Midwest League) Player of the Year: Kevin Oberlander
MSFA (Midwest League) Assistant Coach of the Year: Eric Hehman
NAIA All-American Scholar-Athletes: TBA
NAIA All-American: TBA

NAIA PLAYOFFS: 1st ROUND, November 15, 2004

Trinity International (8-2, 5-2 MSFA) traveled to #6 McKendree on Saturday and lost 19-33. With the loss, TIU claims second place in the Midwest League of the Mid-States Football Association. McKendree won the league with a 7-0 record. In a switch for the Trojans, the squad only racked up 99 yards on the ground and 275 yards through the air. McKendree jumped out to a 6-0 lead with about 5 minutes left in the first half, but TIU evened the score at 6-6 on a 17-yard touchdown run by Kevin Oberlander with 39 seconds remaining in the half. McKendree came out of halftime with a fire, scoring twice in the third quarter to push the score to 19-6. It would stay that way until the fourth when Trinity scored on touchdown runs by Oberlander and Masaki Matsumoto to even it once again at 19-19. Then, with just 1:35 remaining in the ballgame, McKendree scored from a yard out to take a 26-19 lead. Feeling the pressure, the Trojans looked to hurry up and score to extend the game. But with just 59 seconds left, the Bobcats intercepted an Oberlander pass and returned it 38-yards for the score. The game ended 33-19. Matsumoto led the rushing attack for the Trojans with 58 yards on just 7 carries while Oberlander threw for 275 yards. And keeping his streak of 100-yard catching games alive, Nathan Endemano caught 10 passes for 191 yards. Despite the loss, Trinity International qualified for the NAIA Playoffs (click here for more info.) and will travel to #3 Georgetown (KY) for a first round match-up on Saturday, Nov. 20th. Kick-off is set for 1:30 PM.

November 8, 2004

Trinity International (8-1, 5-1 MSFA) hosted William Penn on Saturday in their last regular season home game and came away with a 29-7 victory. The Trojans took the opening kick-off and drove 61 yards for the score when Masaki Matsumoto capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run (kick failed). The Statesmen answered with a touchdown drive of their own to pull into the lead 7-6 with 7:10 left in the first quarter. But that would be all the scoring William Penn would do on the day. Later in the first quarter, the TIU defense held WPU and stopped them at the Statesmen's own 2-yard line, forcing them to punt from their own endzone. The Trojans returned the punt to the 30 and struck quickly on a 22-yard TD pass to Nathan Endemano to take the lead for good at 14-7. The score remained that way until the 3rd quarter when TIU added touchdown runs of 4-yards by Matsumoto and 56-yards by Alan Stokes to lead 26-7 at the end of the third quarter. Kelly Tappenbeck connected on a 23-yard field goal in the fourth as Trinity International went on to win, 29-7. Alan Stokes (101 yards, 10 carries) and Masaki Matsumoto (93 yards, 18 carries) led the ground attack, while Nathan Endemano once again reached the 100-yard mark with 101 yards on 8 receptions. The Trojans travel to Lebanon, IL to face #9 McKendree with the MSFA Midwest League title at stake. Kick-off is set for 1:00 PM.

November 1, 2004

Trinity International (7-1, 4-1 MSFA) continued their winning ways with a 28-21 victory over #21 St. Xavier on the South side of Chicago on Saturday. TIU jumped out to a 14-0 lead after Kevin Oberlander connected on a 42-yard strike to Nathan Endemano in the first quarter and Zimbalist Carter announced his return from an injury with a 40-yard interception returned for a touchdown in the second. St. Xavier answered with a touchdown of their own to cut TIU's lead to 14-7 at the intermission. In the second half, the momentum swung back and forth between the two teams. The Cougars scored about 10 minutes into the half to even the score at 14-14, but Alan Stokes finished off a 14 play, 80 yard drive with a 9-yard scamper to put the Trojans up 21-14. Again, St. Xavier fought back to square the game at 21-21, but with 4:52 remaining in the ball game, Masaki Matsumoto busted in from a yard out to finalize the contest at 28-21. Matsumoto carried 10 times for 91 yards and a TD while Nathan Endemano eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the second time in the last 3 games with 7 receptions for 104 yards and a TD. The Trojans hope to keep their momentum going when they host William Penn University (2-7, 1-4 MSFA) this Saturday, November 6th, at 1:00 PM on Frazier Field. This will be the last regular season home game for the 2004 campaign.

October 23, 2004

It may have taken the 20th ranked Trojans 3 quarters to wake up on Saturday, but when they awoke, they did so with a vengeance. All TIU could muster for 3 quarters was a 2-yard touchdown run by Mike Mosley that made the score 7-6 with 4:39 left in the half. The score remained that way when the point-after snap when through the hands of the holder. A true sign of how things were going. But a 25-yard reverse by Dustin Copeland early in the fourth quarter lit a fire under the Trojans. They finished off that drive with a 9-yard scamper by quarterback Kevin Oberlander that put TIU up 12-7 and Alan Stokes added the 2-point conversion for a 14-7 lead with just over 10 minutes left in the game. TIU would add to that total with a 57-yard touchdown reception by Stokes and a Masaki Matsumoto 3-yard plunge to make the final 27-7. Matsumoto (10 carries, 74 yards, 1 TD) and Kevin Oberlander (8 carries, 71 yards, 1 TD) led a ground attack that amassed 246 total yards and Alan Stokes (4 rec., 99 yards, 1 TD) led an air assault that gained another 124. The Trojan defense proved their worth once again, holding the Tigers to just 266 total yards and just 7 points. The win moves Trinity to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the MSFA. The team travels to the south side of Chicago next Saturday, October 30th in a pivotal game in the Midwest League of the MSFA. Kick-off is set for 1:00 PM.

October 16, 2004

On a cold and windy day on the Northshore of Chicago, Trinity International held St. Francis to a lone field goal en route to a 28-3 victory. The Trojan defense, one of the stingiest in the nation, came back to life after last week and held the Saints to 44 total yards on 48 plays. The Trojan offense overcame 4 lost fumbles to rack up 331 total yards on the day, 200 of it coming on the ground. Masaki Matsumoto (102 yards, 20 carries, 1 TD) and Nathan Endemano (105 yards, 8 receptions, 1 TD) carried the load for TIU while quarterback Kevin Oberlander fought a ferocious wind to complete 11 of 17 passes for 131 yards. After a TIU turnover, St. Francis kicked a 28-yard field goal to jump out to a 3-0 lead just 2:29 minutes into the game. Early in the second quarter, Travis Tesone scored on a 4-yard scamper to put Trinity in the lead for good. With just 2:55 left in the half, Oberlander connected with Nathan Endemano on a 3-yard out pattern to score as TIU took a 14-3 lead at the half. The second half remained scoreless until the fourth quarter when Masaki Matsumoto ran up the gut of the Saint defense to score from 5-yards out to put the Trojans up 21-3 and then Kevin Oberlander capped the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run of his own to finish the scoring at 28-3. #19 Trinity (5-1, 2-1 MSFA) will host Iowa Wesleyan next Saturday, October 23rd, at 1:00 PM in a Mid-States Football Association battle.

October 9, 2004

#14 TIU drops its' first game of the season to #6 St. Ambrose Saturday afternoon in Davenport, IA, 42-18. The game was closer than the final would indicate with TIU only trailing by 10 points with under 4 minutes to go in the game. The Trojan defense, which had been superb all season long, stumbled while in Iowa giving up 506 total yards, 391 of it on the ground. Trinity didn't get on the scoreboard until the second half, trailing 14-0 at the intermission. With 10:39 remaining in the 3rd quarter, Kelly Tappenbeck (So., PK) hit on a 27-yard field goal that made the score 3-14. St. Ambrose then intercepted a Kevin Oberlander pass and returned it 9-yards for another touchdown, making the score 3-21. All TIU could muster the rest of the way was a safety by Jon Lehman (So., DL), a 67-yard touchdown run by Kevin Oberlander (Sr. QB) and a 9-yard TD pass from Oberlander to Nathan Endemano (Jr., WR). The TD pass from Oberlander to Endemano cut the score to 18-28, but the Queen Bees score 2 touchdowns in the final 3:41 to seal the fate of the Trojans. Trinity's record now stands at 4-1(1-1 MSFA) as the squad looks to rebound on Saturday, Oct. 16th as they host MSFA foe University of St. Francis (IL). Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM.

October 2, 2004

#14 Trinity International University defeated Olivet Nazarene University 21-10 during Saturday's Homecoming on Frazier Field. The first half saw TIU able to move the ball but not find the end zone. One drive ending in a TIU fumble on the 2-yard line and another when Trinity was stopped on 4th and goal with under a minute to go in the first half. The Trojan defense stood their ground and held Olivet as the teams would take a 0-0 score into the half. Olivet opened the second half with a strong drive that was capped with a 21-yard field goal to take the lead 3-0. Trinity answered with an 11 play, 74 yard drive that ended with a 30-yard touchdown run by Nathan Endemano to put TIU up 7-3. That score would stand until the fourth quarter when the Tigers scored a touchdown with 6:06 remaining in the game to retake the lead at 10-7. Feeling the urgency, TIU answered once again going 73 yards on 7 plays and scored the go ahead touchdown with 3:40 remaining on a 17-yard run by Eric Fraley. Masaki Matsumoto completed the Homecoming win at 21-10 on a 3-yard touchdown run with :58 remaining. The Trojan defense stayed true to their form, allowing only 10 points. They are one of the stingiest defenses in the nation allowing just 11.5 points a game. The offense seems to be finding their rhythm as they racked up 368 total yards on the day. A balance running attack gained 269 yards on 48 carries while Kevin Oberlander threw for another 99 yards. Andrew Majesty led the receiving core with 3 receptions for 39 yards. TIU travels to Davenport. IA next Saturday, October 9th, in a huge Mid-States Football Conference clash with #6 St. Ambrose University. Kick-off is set for 1:00 PM.

September 27, 2004

20th ranked Trinity International University traveled to Canton, OH to take on the 10th ranked Walsh University and came away with a 23-22 last minute victory. The game was stingy in the first half with TIU managing only a 24-yard field goal. The score came on the end of an 18 play, 66 yard drive that took 10 minutes and 30 seconds off the clock. The score was 3-0 at the half. The second half opened with a bang when Walsh hit on a 48-yard touchdown pass to take a 7-3 lead into the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, the play opened up with both teams scoring multiple times on drives of 4 plays or less and taking no more than 1 minute and 52 seconds of the clock. Walsh scored on a 31-yard pass to take a 14-3 lead and Trinity answered with a Kevin Oberlander run that made the score 9-14 when the point after was blocked. Walsh returned the favor when they scored again and widened the margin to 9-22. With just over 9 minutes left, Kevin Oberlander hooked up with Travis Tesone from 20 yards out and TIU cut the lead to 15-22 when the point after failed. Trailing by 7, TIU got the ball with under a minute left in the game and drove 42 yards in 4 plays and scored on a 5-yard pass from Oberlander to Nathan Endemano to tie it at 22-22. Trinity decided to go for the win with a 2-point conversion and scored with an Oberlander run to finish the scoring at 23-22. The game seemed to be as even as the score would indicate. TIU tallied 407 total yards on 66 plays while Walsh gained 390 on 65 plays. Alan Stokes and Mike Mosley combined for 110 yards on 23 carries while Kevin Oberlander completed 12 of 20 passes for 208 yards and 2 touchdowns. Oberlander added another 29 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown. The Trojans take their national ranking and undefeated record into this weekend's Homecoming game against Olivet Nazarene University. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM on Frazier Field.

September 18, 2004

TIU won a hard fought and closely contested ball game on Saturday with a 16-14 decision over the Blue Knights of Urbana (OH) University. The Trojan defense set the tone for the game and opened the scoring when senior defensive back Nathan Slavens intercepted a Geron Stokes pass and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown. On the ensuing possession, Urbana drove the field and tied the game at 7 when Henderson punched the ball in the end zone from a yard out. The second quarter saw only 2 field goals by sophomore Kelly Tappenbeck as Trinity took a 13-7 lead into halftime. The Trojans seemed doomed in the second half, fumbling on the first two drives of the 3rd quarter. The Blue Knights recovered the first TIU fumble on the first play of the half. Urbana turned that turnover into their first lead of the game when Josh Jones scored from 12 yards out. The point after made it 14-13. The Trojans drove the entire field on the next possession but fumbled again on the Urbana 1 yard line and the Blue Knights returned the ball 56 yards into the Trinity side of the field. This time, the defense (and penalties) held the Blue Knights to no points. The fourth quarter opened with another Tappenbeck field goal as TIU jumped to a 16-14 lead. The game ended with that score when an Urbana's field goal attempt sailed wide right with :07 left. Trinity International held on to win and improved to 2-0 on the season. The stats tell the story of how close a game it was. Urbana gained 295 total yards (129 running and 166 passing) while Trinity amassed 225 yards (123 running and 102 passing). Masaki Matsumoto led TIU with 47 yards on 14 carries while Kevin Oberlander connected on 9 of 23 pass attempts for 102 yards. When asked about the game, head coach Derek Dewitt said, "A sign of a good team is finding a way to win despite the mistakes." TIU will hit the road next Saturday, September 25th, as they head to Canton, OH to take on a very good Walsh University squad. Kickoff is 12:00 EST.

September 13, 2004

Football opened their season with a 36-0 road triumph at Greenville College on Saturday. In a new era under Head Coach Derek Dewitt, the Trojans gained 580 yards on offense with a balanced attacked. Four Trojans gained at least 50 yards on the ground, led by Alan Stokes' 91 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown while Kevin Oberlander was an efficient 16 of 22 through the air for 267 yards and two touchdowns. Oberlander opened the scoring for Trinity with a 48 yard touchdown run just 2 minutes and 17 seconds into the game and a few minutes later, Alan Stokes rambled 29 yards for his first touchdown of the day. Oberlander and Stokes would hook up for TIU's third touchdown with 2:08 remaining in the first quarter on a 65 yard pass play. The Trojans pulled away after a safety put them ahead 23-0 with just over a minute left in the first quarter. Trinity scored once more before the half when Travis Tesone caught an 11 yard pass as TIU took a 29-0 lead into the locker room at the half. Masaki Matsumoto finished out the scoring with a 1 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. The defense held Greenville to 267 total yards and forced 3 turnovers. TIU will face Urbana University (OH) at home on Frazier Field, Saturday, Wept. 18th at 1:00 PM.

August 30, 2004

Football has yet to play a game this season. They open their 2004 campaign at Greenville College on Sept. 11th. They are lead by new Head Coach Derek Dewitt and are excited about the possibilities for the upcoming year. The defense from last season's 2003 conference co-champions should be stronger and quicker and look to anchor the 2004 Trojan football team, while the offense will be under the helm of senior quarterback Kevin Oberlander.

May 26, 2004

TIU Football released its fall schedule today; click here for details.