(TIU 3-7, 2-5 MSFA) battled hard on Senior Day, but eventually fell to #8 McKendree College 6-23 on Frazier Field this Saturday. TIU may have played their best game of the season against McKendree. They held the Bearcat offense to just 3 points until the fourth quarter. McKendree took the opening kickoff and drove 60 yards on 19 plays, but had to settle for a field goal. But just 1 minute later, the Trojans ran a halfback pass as Jacob Flinkman hit Nathan Endemano on a pass that Endemano took to the house for a 6-3 lead. The score remained that way until the fourth quarter, when McKendree intercepted a Thorson pass and returned it 99-yards for a touchdown. The kick failed as McKendree took the lead 9-6. After that, the wind in the Trojans sails seemed to deflate. McKendree drove their next two possessions in for scores and finished off the Trojans' hopes 23-6. Roderick Fields carried 16 times for 44 yards and Ryan Thorson completed 15 of 25 passes in extremely windy conditions for 181 yards. Senior Nathan Endemano caught 4 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. That gave Endemano 9 touchdowns on the season as he broke the 1,000 yard mark with 1,006 total yards. The Trojan defense held McKendree to just 2 completions for 12 yards.

November 5, 2005

TIU (3-6, 2-4 MSFA) tried to cure their woes as they traveled to Oskaloosa, IA to face Mid-States foe William Penn University on Saturday. Things looked good early on as William Penn fumbled the ball on the first play from scrimmage and the Trojans recovered. It took TIU just 5 plays to go 27 yards as wide receiver Nathan Endemano finished the drive with a 2-yd carry into the end zone. With just over 2 minutes gone in the game, Trinity led 6-0. But that would be the end of the scoring for the Trojans as WPU scored in the second quarter to make the score at the intermission 7-6. The second half saw William Penn score 2 defensive touchdowns along with another TD and a field goal to make the final 30-6. TIU netted just 30 yards on 35 carries with Roderick Fields carrying 16 times for 38 yards. Quarterback Ryan Thorson was 21 of 52 for 212 yards as Marcus Harkness caught 6 passes for 69 yards. The Trojan defense held William Penn to 94 yards on the ground on 35 carries. Trinity closes out their season at home on Saturday, November 12th against McKendree College. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM.

October 29, 2005

TIU (3-5, 2-3 MSFA) struggled at home this Saturday against the #9 St. Xavier University Cougars and fell 21-55. SXU jumped all over the Trojans in the first quarter, scoring 4 times with one touchdown coming as a result of a blocked punt and one being an interception that was returned for a score. By the end of the first half, TIU trailed 0-41. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that TIU got on the board as they drove 80-yards on 17 plays and capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by Perry Wilson. Wilson scored twice more on runs of 11-yards and 8-yards in the fourth quarter to pull the Trojans to 21-55. Wilson broke the 100-yard mark for the first time this season, totaling 109 yards on 24 carries. Quarterback Ryan Thorson completed 18 of 30 passes for 142 yards. Jacob Flinkman led all wide receivers with 70 yards on 5 catches. The Trojans look to even their MSFA record next week as they travel to Oskaloosa, IA to face William Penn University. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM.

October 22, 2005

TIU hit the road for the second consecutive week and put together back-to-back wins with a 14-3 victory over Iowa Wesleyan College. The win moves Trinity to 3-4 overall and evens their record at 2-2 in the tough MSFA. The Trojan defense played the best they have all year and held IWC to a season-low 3 points and just 112 yards of total offense, while the offense gained 317 yards with 231 of those coming through the air. The first quarter saw little action until the Tigers kick a field goal with 1:31 to go to take the lead, 3-0. TIU answered early in the second quarter with a 2 play drive that covered 70-yards. Trojan quarterback Ryan Thorson connected with wideout Dustin Copeland for a 64-yard strike that gave Trinity their first lead of the game 7-3. Thorson and Copeland hooked up again in the third quarter on another quick strike that covered 31-yards. This time the drive covered 41-yards in 2 plays and only took :42 seconds off the clock. The score remained 14-3 as the clock ran out. Perry Wilson carried 25 times for the Trojans and gained 86 yards. Ryan Thorson completed 12 of 24 passes for 231 yards and 2 touchdowns. The receiving core had an excellent afternoon, led by Brennan Smith's 5 catches for 107 yards and Dustin Copeland's 3 catches for 99 yards and 2 TD's. Congratulation is also due to senior wideout Nathan Endemano for being named NCCAA Player of the Week, MSFA Player of the Week and receiving votes for NAIA Player of the Week. The team returns home on Saturday, October 29th, when they host #9 St. Xavier University. Kick off is set for 1:00 PM.

October 15, 2005

TIU hit the road Saturday and gained a much needed victory over St. Francis, 42-7. The win is the Trojans first in an incredibly tough Mid-States Football Association Conference. Trinity dominated every aspect of the game, out-gaining the Saints 466 yards to 238. The Trojans ground game found some success as TIU carried 43 times for 182 yards. Perry Wilson rushed 13 times for 92 yards. Quarterback Ryan Thorson had his best game as a Trojan, completing 21 of 27 passes for 284 yards and 5 touchdowns, most of those to Nathan Endemano who caught 12 passes for 202 yards and 3 touchdowns. TIU got on the board just 2 minutes into the game when they took the opening kickoff and drove 28 yards on 6 plays and capped off the drive with a 17-yard TD run by Brennan Smith. TIU went up 14-0 near the end of the first quarter when Thorson connected with Endemano for a 39-yard strike. In the second quarter, Thorson connected on touchdown passes to Jacob Flinkman and Endemano twice as the Trojans took a 35-0 lead into the half. The second half saw each team score a touchdown to make the final tally 42-7. Trinity's defense did not allow St. Francis any third down conversions, going 0 for 14. TIU hits the road for a second consecutive weekend as the team faces Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant, IA. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM.

October 8, 2005

It was Homecoming on the campus of Trinity International University and the football team faced a tough opponent with #7 St. Ambrose paying a visit. The Trojans fought hard and stayed in the game until some costly errors lead to a 18-40 loss. St. Ambrose took their first three possessions in for scores to jump on TIU 17-0 with just over 9 minutes left to play in the first half. But then Trojans defense stiffened and the offense got on track. With 8:25 left in the half, quarterback Ryan Thorson connected on an 18-yard pass to Perry Wilson for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 17-6. And then, just 2 minutes later, he hit Dustin Copeland on a 70-yard pass and catch to pull TIU within 17-12. It looked as if both team would go into the half at 17-12, but a bad snap on a punt resulted in the Fighting Bees taking possession of the ball on the Trojan's 13-yard line. Two plays later St. Ambrose scored with 12 seconds left on the clock to make it 23-12 at the half. St. Ambrose started the second half the same as the first and took the kick-off and drove 65 yards for the score. On the ensuing kick-off, TIU fumbled and the Bees recovered at the Trojan 7 yard line. On the next play, SAU scored and took a 37-12 advantage. They would score once more in the third quarter to go ahead 40-12. TIU never gave up as Nathan Endemano made an amazing one handed catch and scampered down the sideline 83-yards for the touchdown. But the Trojans could not close the gap any more as TIU fell 18-40. Roderick Fields carried 9 times for 16 yards and Ryan Thorson threw for 298 yards while connecting on 25 of his 42 pass attempts. The wide receivers had an excellent day with Nate Endemano catching 8 balls for 169 yards and Dustin Copeland catching 7 for 143. The Trojans look for their first MSFA win next Saturday, October 15th, when they travel to Joliet, IL to face the University of St. Francis. Kick-off is set for 1:00 PM.

October 1, 2005

TIU traveled to Bourbonnais, IL for their MSFA opener at Olivet Nazarene University and lost 33-6. The Trojans struggles on offense continued as they carried the ball 36 times for -25 yards and racked up 181 yards of total offense. Trinity had trouble holding on to the ball as they fumbled 9 times, losing 4. Olivet opened the scoring with just over 5 minutes gone by in the contest on a long run to go ahead 7-0 and then scored again after a TIU turnover inside their own 10-yard line. ONU added a field goal and a safety to lead 19-0 at the half. The only score in the third quarter came off a 56-yard pass play to put Olivet up 26-0. The lone Trojans touchdown came as a result of the special teams. TIU blocked an ONU punt and recovered the ball on the 6-yard line. It only took the Trojans 2 plays as quarterback Ryan Thorson ran the ball in from 5-yards out. The kick was blocked. Olivet added their final touchdown on a fumble recovery returned 17-yards to make the result 33-6. Roderick Fields carried 11 times for 45 yards and Nathan Endemano caught 9 passes for 140 yards. Quarterback Ryan Thorson was 17 of 35 for 206 yards. Trinity returns home next weekend, October 8th, for Homecoming as they face St. Ambrose University on Frazier Field. Kick-off is set for 1:00 PM.

September 24, 2005

It was a Top 25 showdown between #20 Walsh University Cavs and #24 Trinity International University Trojans and had the makings of a great game. Last year's game was decided in the final minutes when TIU pulled out a one-point victory at Walsh 23-22. What a difference a year makes. TIU took the opening kick-off and drove 49 yards on 14 plays and ate up 5:34 of the clock. Kelly Tappenbeck finished off the drive with a 33-yd. field goal as the Trojans took a 3-0 lead. Walsh answered with a 15 play, 70 yard drive of their own that used up 7:57 of the clock. After they punched the ball in on a 2-yd run, the Cavs found themselves up 7-3 on the scoreboard with just over a minute left in the first quarter. Walsh scored twice more in the second stanza to take a 17-3 lead into the half. The second half began with the Trojans on defense as they held Walsh to 3 and out, but the Cavs found the endzone once in the third quarter and again in the fourth as the Trojans fell 31-3. TIU was out-gained 140 yards to 451 as Walsh controlled the ball and the clock. Time of possession was 43 minutes 25 seconds for Walsh and 16 minutes and 35 seconds for the Trojans. Freshmen Brennan Smith shone for the Trojans with 3 receptions for 26 yards, 5 yards on 4 carries and over 120 return yards. Trinity opens MSFA play next Saturday, October 1st, when they travel to Bourbonnais, IL to face Olivet Nazarene University. Kick off is set for 6:00 PM.

September 17, 2005

Trinity International put their 1-0 record and #12 national ranking on the line at Urbana University and left with a 39-31 loss that included a little bit of everything. Urbana scored early in the game on not one, but two safeties to jump on top of the Trojans 4-0. TIU responded on their fourth series of the contest by driving the ball 82 yds. on 9 plays, culminating with a 30-yd touchdown pass from Ryan Thorson to Marcus Harkness. The kick failed as TIU took the lead 6-4. The end of the first quarter saw more action as the Blue Knights scored twice. The first resulting from a blocked punt that led to an 11-yd TD and the next with a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. At the end of one quarter, TIU trailed 6-17. But with 3:53 remaining in the first half, the TIU defense returned the favor as Deon Willis recovered a fumble and scampered 16-yds for the touchdown as the Trojans trailed at the half, 12-17. TIU seemed to right the ship in the third quarter as they scored 2 touchdowns on passes from Ryan Thorson to Marcus Harkness with 13:11 left and Nathan Endemano with 7:47 remaining in the period. Those touchdowns gave Trinity a 25-17 lead half way through the third quarter. It was at this point that Urbana rambled off 22 straight points to take a 39-25 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game. Ryan Thorson threw his 4th touchdown of the afternoon, connecting with Nathan Endemano to bring the margin to 39-31, but the Trojans fell short of their bid to score on the next possession and dropped the decision to the Blue Knights. Quarterback Ryan Thorson threw for 284 yards, 110 of those yards going to Nathan Endemano who had 2 TD catches. Marcus Harkness also had 3 receptions for 62 yards and 2 TD's. The Trojans struggled in the running game with their top 2 rushers out and only gained 45 yards on 26 carries. TIU (1-1) returns home next Saturday, September 24th, as they host #24 Walsh University (1-1) in Frazier Stadium at 1:00 PM.

September 10, 2005

Trinity International University (1-0) opened their 2005 campaign with a 26-17 win over Greenville College at home on Saturday. TIU dominated the game early, scoring touchdowns on their first 3 possessions. On their opening drive, the Trojans went 56 yards on 9 plays and capped off the drive with a 1-yd touchdown run by Roderick Fields. The second TIU possession only used 2 minutes and 3 seconds and 5 plays to cover 68 yards. The result was another touchdown run by Roderick Fields, this time it was a 5-yd scamper. On TIU's next possession, the team covered 71 yards on 5 plays, but this time Perry Wilson finished with a 5-yd TD. After 15 minutes of play, Trinity led 19-0. It wasn't until there was 1:17 left in the first half that Greenville would score. The Panthers gained a short field, but lost 7-yds on their drive and settled for a field goal. They then intercepted a pass and returned it to the Trojan 11-yd line and scored with no time left on the clock to make the score 19-9 at the half. The only scoring in the third quarter came off a punting miscue that resulted in a safety for Greenville. The score at the end of three was 19-11. Both teams added a touchdown in the fourth quarter as Nathan Endemano caught a 2-yd pass from Ryan Thorson for the final score, 26-17. The game was not as close as the score might indicate with Trinity out-gaining Greenville 386 yards to 110. The Panthers only converted 1 of 14 third down conversions while TIU converted 6 of 13 and had 5 sacks. Turnovers were the Trojans undoing as Greenville came up with 3 interceptions. Quarterback Ryan Thorson completed 19 of 27 passes for 291 yards. Nathan Endemano had 7 receptions for 116 yards while Roderick Fields carried 26 times for 98 yards. Trinity hits the road next Saturday as they travel to Urbana, OH to face Urbana University. Kickoff is set for 1:30 PM EST.

August 16, 2005

Trinity International University is ranked 16th in the NAIA preseason poll with a total of 144 points. This is a result of the Trojans coming off back-to-back 8-3 seasons and a NAIA Playoff appearance in 2004. TIU finished the year ranked 14th in the nation. Trinity will be guided by second year coach Derek Dewitt as the team opens their campaign on September 10th at home against Greenville College. The Trojans face stiff competition in 2005 as 5 of their 10 games are against opponents who are also ranked or received votes in the preseason poll.

March 7, 2005

Trinity's Kevin Oberlander has joined the Omaha Beef of the United Indoor Football Association. Click here to read the team's press release. Oberlander was Player of the Year in the Mid-States Football Association in 2004, and a 1st Team selection on offense for his Quarterback position.

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

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