Football News - 2009-10

Hannah-White Named Second Team All-American

Jan. 30, 2010

James Hannah-White was named a College Fanz 2009 NAIA Football Second Team All-American return specialist recently after his first season in a St. Ambrose uniform.

The 5-10, 180-pound sophomore from Lafayette, Ind., returned 13 punts for 279 yards for a 21.5 yard-per-return average. Hannah-White returned a punt 70 yards for a score in SAU's 66-0 win over Waldorf on Oct. 10.

He also returned 19 kickoffs for 472 yards (24.8 yards per return).

As a defensive back, Hannah-White broke up nine passes and was involved in 31 total tackles, including 2.5 tackles-for-loss, to earn Mid-States Football Association second team all-conference recognition.

St. Ambrose finished the 2009 season 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the MSFA Midwest League.

Nine Bees Named to Academic All-Conference Team

Jan. 19, 2010

Nine St. Ambrose football players were named to the Mid-States Football Association All-Academic Team. To be eligible, a student-athlete must have a 3.2 cumulative grade point average or higher, be a junior or senior and have made a contribution to the team.

St. Ambrose MSFA All-Academic selections
Name (Yr., Hometown, Major)
Charles Cady (Jr., Morrison, Ill., English)
Colin Green (Sr., South Elgin, Ill., Management/Marketing)
Austin Hochstetler (Sr., West Liberty, Iowa, Exercise Science)
Michael Iazzetto (Sr., Darien, Ill., Management/Marketing)
Michael LeMay (Sr., Sterling, Ill., History Education)
Jarrod Reichelt (Jr., Iowa City, Iowa, Forensic Psychology)
Curtis Roeder (Jr., Andrew, Iowa, Management)
Jacob Rohde (Jr., Mount Pleasant, Iowa, Criminal Justice)
Justin Verschoore (Sr., Van Horne, Iowa, Management/Marketing)

Four Bees Garner First Team All-Conference

Nov. 20, 2009

St. Ambrose landed four players on the 2009 Mid-States Football Association all-Midwest League First Team as announced by the conference today.

Senior linebackers Jim Forner and PJ Conroy, senior defensive back Zack Hughes and sophomore punter Scott Langel were named to the first team after helping SAU to a 6-4 record this season.

Forner, from Crystal Lake, Ill., led the Bees with 68 total tackles, including 36 solo stops. He recorded seven tackles-for-loss and a pair of sacks. Forner forced five fumbles, recovered two, and also intercepted a pass.

Conroy, from Elmhurst, Ill, finished second on the team with 65 tackles, including 5.5 tackles-for-loss and three sacks. He recovered four fumbles on the year.

Hughes, from Plainfield, Ill., was in on 59 tackles, including two tackles-for-loss. He broke up five passes while intercepting one.

Langel, from Glen Ellyn, Ill., averaged 38.5 yards, with a long of 57 yards, over his 43 punts this season. He placed 11 inside the 20-yard line.

The Bees also placed four players on the second team - sophomore wide receiver Billy Rembold, junior wide receiver Jacob Rohde, senior offensive lineman Matt Sutton and sophomore defensive back James Hannah-White.

Despite missing nearly half the season due to injury, Rembold, from Bettendorf, Iowa, caught 31 passes for 469 yards and four touchdowns. Rohde, from Mount Pleasant, Iowa, hauled in 25 passes for 517 yards and six TDs.

Sutton, from San Diego, Calif., anchored an offensive line that helped the SAU offense average more than 356 yards of offense and 30 points per game.

Hannah-White, from Lafayette, Ind., led the team with nine pass breakups. He was involved in 31 total tackles.

Junior quarterback Michael Hayward, from Bettendorf, Iowa, was one of four Bees to earn all-conference honorable mention. He completed 129-of-252 passes for 2,411 yards and 19 touchdowns while also running for 103 yards and five scores.

Also receiving honorable mention were senior senior tight end Austin Hochstetler (21 receptions, 375 yards, 1 touchdown), sophomore offensive lineman Joe Bailey and senior defensive back Colin Green (61 tackles, 2 TFL, 5 pass breakups, 1 interception).

Foiles Named MSFA Midwest League Player of the Week

Nov. 16, 2009

Sophomore wide receiver Beau Foiles was named the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League Offensive Player of the Week after his record-setting performance in the Bees' 42-0 win over Iowa Wesleyan Saturday.

Foiles, from Peoria, Ill., set a school and conference record with 293 receiving yards in the season-ending victory at Brady Street Stadium. He caught touchdown passes of 16, 62, 80 and 42 yards all in the first half. He finished the game with 11 receptions and the four scores.

Andre Banks held the record with 286 receiving yards in a game against Saint Xavier on Oct. 27, 2001.

This season, Foiles led the team with 32 receptions for 576 yards and six touchdowns.

Foiles' Big Day Helps Bees Romp

Nov. 14, 2009

Beau Foiles set a St. Ambrose school record with 293 receiving yards as the Bees closed the 2009 season with a 42-0 win over Iowa Wesleyan on Parents' Weekend at Brady Street Stadium. SAU finished the season 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League.

Foiles hauled in 11 passes for the 293 yards and four touchdown passes. He broke the previous record of 286 yards set by Andre Banks in a game against Saint Xavier on Oct. 27, 2001. Foiles had 261 yards and touchdown receptions of 16, 62, 80 and 42 yards in the first half as the Bees raced to a 28-0 halftime lead.

Austin Hochstetler caught a five-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter and Kyle Ryon added a two-yard TD run in the fourth to account for the final score.

The Bees threw for 458 yards as part of their 492 yards of total offense. Michael Hayward completed 16-of-29 passes for 368 yards and five touchdowns while playing only three quarters. Tim O'Connell connected on 4-of-6 passes for 43 yards and Jeff Reckards completed a 47-yard pass on his only attempt.

As it did for most of the season, the SAU defense did its job, limiting Iowa Wesleyan (2-9, 1-6 MSFA) to 117 yards of offense. The Tigers did not reach 100 yards of offense until a 21-yard completion on the final play of the game.

Tyler Boyle led the defense with 10 total tackles. Colin Green finished with nine stops and PJ Conroy added seven tackles, including three sacks.

Prior to the game, SAU recognized its senior football players, cheerleaders and members of the dance team.

SAU Falls to 5-4 Overall

Nov. 7, 2009

St. Ambrose dropped to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League following a 21-20 loss at #19 Grand View Saturday afternoon. Both teams finished with 358 yards of total offense but the Vikings were able to claim the one-point win.

The game went back-and-forth from the opening kickoff. After SAU grabbed a 3-0 midway through the first quarter on a 27-yard field goal from Patrick Schmadeke the teams started exchanging touchdowns.

Midway through the second quarter, Michael Hayward scrambled for a 14-yard touchdown to give the Bees a 10-7 lead. Hayward's 15-yard TD toss to Beau Foiles pushed SAU in front 17-14 in the early stages of the third quarter.

Grand View regained the lead 21-17 before Schmadeke booted a 50-yard field goal with more than two minutes remaining in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 21-20. The kick is the second-longest field goal in St. Ambrose history, trailing only Brian Hanssen's 54-yard kick in 1999.

The Bees had the ball five times in the quarter but managed only 49 yards in the frame. Both SAU turnovers also came in the final quarter.

Hayward completed 17-of-37 passes for 307 yards and one touchdown. Foiles hauled in seven receptions for 112 yards and the score. Zack Hughes and PJ Conroy led the defense with 11 total tackles each.

SAU will close the 2009 season at home next Saturday against Iowa Wesleyan. Kickoff on Parents' Weekend is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Brady Street Stadium.

Bees Swarm Hawks 21-9

Oct. 24, 2009

A year after needing three fourth-quarter touchdowns to force overtime in an eventual win at Quincy, St. Ambrose made sure no late dramatics were necessary this season. Michael Hayward threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns as the Bees improved to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League after a 21-9 at Quincy Saturday afternoon.

Billy Rembold was Hayward's favorite target as he hauled in nine passes for 137 yards and a score. Austin Hochstetler caught six passes for 91 yards while Josh Smith (three catches, 53 yards) and Jacob Rohde (two catches, 34 yards) each had a touchdown reception.

Neither team scored in a first quarter that saw the Bees march into Hawk territory twice but were unable to capitalize after the drives ended on an interception and turnover on downs.

SAU was finally able to get on the board early in the second quarter when Hayward found Rohde on a 20-yard scoring strike. Quincy (2-6, 1-3 MSFA) answered with a field goal before the Bees went up 14-3 late in the half. Hayward's two-yard toss to Smith with just 14 seconds left capped a nine-play, 85-yard drive

The SAU defense flexed its muscles late in the third quarter. QU had a first-and-goal from the SAU five-yard line but could not score. Joey Carioti came up with the big stop on fourth-and-goal from the one to end the drive.

The offense used the momentum to put together its longest drive of the season. The 16-play, 99-yard drive that chewed up nine minutes to give SAU a 21-3 lead ended when Hayward found Rembold with a 15-yard touchdown pass. The Hawks ended the scoring with a touchdown on the game's final play.

PJ Conroy and Colin Green each finished with six tackles to lead the defense. After an off week, St. Ambrose will visit Grand View on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 1 p.m.

Late Comeback Falls Short in Loss to William Penn

Oct. 17, 2009

St. Ambrose could not overcome a slow start and fell to William Penn 26-21 at Brady Street Stadium Saturday afternoon. The Bees drop to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League.

SAU was hurt by three turnovers, a lackluster offensive attack and the inability to stop the William Penn (5-3, 3-1 MSFA) ground game. The Statesmen finished with 275 yards rushing on 55 carries.

Despite all of this, the Bees had a chance to win the game but were stopped on a fourth-down play at the WPU 31-yard line with less than a minute to play. 

It didn't look like the game would end up that close as WPU scored the first 19 points of the game, the last seven coming on a 28-yard fumble recovery and return late in the second quarter. SAU finally got things moving and answered on a seven-yard touchdown toss from Michael Hayward to Billy Rembold just 1:28 later to trail 19-9 at halftime.

The Bees played better in the second half but found themselves down 26-7 midway through the third quarter after a 61-yard Statesmen reverse on a third-down play that was nearly stopped in the backfield.

It didn't take long for SAU to pull to 26-14. Hayward completed a four-play, 80-yard drive by keeping it himself on a four-yard touchdown run. Hayward found Rembold on a four-yard TD pass with 3:28 left in the game to get SAU within a score.

After the Bee defense forced a three-and-out, SAU got the ball back at its own 34-yard line with 2:20 to play. Back-to-back first down completions to Rembold and a six-yard Hayward scramble moved the ball to the WPU 31-yard line. But Hayward misfired on three straight passes, including over throwing Josh Smith in the end zone on a third-down play.

St. Ambrose finished with 258 yards of offense, with 222 yards coming through the air. Hayward completed 15-of-23 passes but was sacked seven times. Rembold hauled in 13 passes for 171 yards and the two scores.

Tyler Boyle led the defense with 12 total tackles. Jim Forner (11) and Steve Herbert (10) each had double-digit stops.

SAU visits Quincy next Saturday for a 1 p.m. contest.

Forner and Hannah-White Honored by Conference

Oct. 12, 2009

Jim Forner and James Hannah-White were recognized by the Mid-States Football Association as the league's defensive and special teams player of the week, respectively, today.

Forner (pictured at top), from Crystal Lake, Ill., picked up the conference award for the second time this season after leading a stingy Bee defense in a 66-0 win over Waldorf Saturday afternoon. The senior outside linebacker finished with a team-high seven total tackles, including two sacks. He also forced and recovered a fumble.

Through six games this season, Forner leads St. Ambrose with 45 total tackles, including 24 solo stops. He has a pair of sacks among his five tackles-for-loss. Forner is also among the nation's leaders with five forced fumbles. He has recovered two fumbles and intercepted a pass.

Hannah-White (pictured at bottom), a sophomore from Lafayette, Ind., returned a punt 70 yards for a score in the third quarter of SAU's big win over Waldorf. He returned another punt 17 yards early in the game. The defensive back also recorded two tackles and broke up a pass.

This year, Hannah-White has returned 10 punts for a total of 265 yards, a 26.5 average. He has also run back 13 kickoffs for 266 yards (a 20.5 average). Defensively, Hannah-White has recorded 23 total tackles, including 2.5 tackles-for-loss. He is the SAU team leader with seven pass breakups.

Bees Dominate in Homecoming Win

Oct. 10, 2009

It took only one offensive play for St. Ambrose to show it was ready for its Homecoming game against Waldorf College. Michael Hayward's 48-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Rohde 18 seconds into the game set the tone in the Bees' 66-0 win over Waldorf.

SAU dominated on both sides of the ball in improving to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League.

The Bees finished with 433 yards of offense, including 271 yards on the ground. Three SAU quarterbacks played and combined to complete 11-of-12 passes for 166 yards. Defensively, St. Ambrose limited Waldorf to just 49 yards of offense. The Warriors had -8 yards of offense through three quarters before grinding out 57 yards in the fourth quarter against the SAU reserves.

Even the special teams got involved as James Hannah-White returned a punt 70 yards for a score early in the third quarter.

Matt Ardiente led the offensive surge with 105 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries. He scored on runs of 7, 9, 12 and 1 yard. Kyle Ryon (56 yards), Jake Eikenberry (44) and Carter Oltman (40) each had more than 40 yards on the ground. Eikenberry scored from a yard out and Ryon added a 42-yard touchdown to end the scoring.

Hayward completed 9-of-10 passes for 151 yards and two long scoring strikes to Rohde. Along with the first play of the game, Rohde hauled in a 43-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.

Patrick Schmadeke knocked in field goals from 35 and 31 yards out.

Jim Forner led an outstanding defensive effort with seven total tackles, including two sacks. He also forced two fumbles and recovered one. Forner, Arthur Haug and Kyle Brady each had two of SAU's seven total sacks.

Some of the SAU defensive numbers were amazing. Waldorf (1-4, 0-3 MSFA) finished with 43 rushing yards on 44 attempts and the Warriors weren't any better through the air, completing just 3-of-10 passes for 6 yards. The Warriors earned only eight first downs, five of them coming in the fourth quarter when the game had long been determined. Waldorf crossed midfield only once, that coming on the game's final drive. Waldorf managed positive yardage on just seven of their 13 drives.

The Bees scored on 11 of their 13 drives. One of the two unsuccessful drives ended on a 21-yard missed field goal and the other was stopped at the end of the first half when SAU was content to let the clock run out with a 44-0 lead despite having the ball at the Warrior 15-yard line.

SAU will host William Penn next Saturday at 1 p.m.

SAU Snaps Slide When PAT Sails Wide

Oct. 3, 2009

St. Ambrose snapped its two-game losing streak when a potential game-tying extra point was pushed wide right with no time remaining to give the Bees a 31-30 win at St. Francis (Ill.). The Bees are 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League.

Trailing 31-24 late in the game, USF (1-5, 1-2) drove the field and pulled to within 31-30 on a one-yard touchdown run on fourth down as the clock ran out. But when the ensuing PAT sailed wide, St. Ambrose avoided overtime and escaped with the win.

The Bees led much of the game, including the entire second half. Matt Ardiente got things started, scoring on a one-yard touchdown run on the first drive of the game. St. Francis answered with back-to-back touchdown drives early in the second quarter to take a 14-7 lead.

SAU responded on its next possession. The big play was a 57-yard pass from Michael Hayward to Jacob Rohde down to the USF one-yard line. Hayward kept it himself on the next play for the game-tying score. Patrick Schmadeke converted an 18-yard field goal on the last play of the half for a 17-14 lead.

Ardiente added his second one-yard TD run early in the third quarter as the Bees' pushed their advantage to 24-14. The two teams exchanged touchdowns later in the third, with SAU's score coming on a 22-yard toss from Hayward to Rohde.

The score remained 31-21 until less than five minutes remained in the game. The Saints kicked a field goal before getting the ball back with just over three minutes left which led to the final sequence.

Ardiente finished with 104 yards rushing on 23 attempts. Hayward completed 11 passes for 308 yards. Rohde caught four balls for 115 yards.

Zack Hughes led an SAU defense that forced two turnovers with 10 total tackles. Jim Forner had eight tackles.

St. Ambrose returns home to host Waldorf next Saturday as part of Homecoming. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Brady Street Stadium. 

Reminder: The field north of Davenport's Brady Street Stadium is no longer available for parking during St. Ambrose home football games. There is some additional parking available at Klemme Klassic Kars, south of the stadium.

Bees Lose Second Straight Game to Ranked Foe

Sept. 26, 2009

St. Ambrose managed less than 200 yards of total offense in losing its second straight game to a ranked opponent. This time, #16 McKendree upended #14 St. Ambrose 17-12 in Lebanon, Ill.

Besides finishing with just 198 yards of offense, the Bees committed the game's only two turnovers in falling to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in Mid-States Football Association Midwest League play. It was the first time all year SAU has lost the turnover battle.

McKendree (4-1, 2-0 MSFA) had 281 total yards, with 136 of those yards coming on 51 rushing attempts. The Bearcats chewed up over 37 minutes of possession time.

Despite the running attack, McKendree's first score came through the air. A 55-yard touchdown pass on the Bearcats' first offensive play put the Bees in an early 7-0 hole. SAU responded with three first-half field goals off the foot of Patrick Schmadeke. His 43-yarder on the final play of the second quarter gave St. Ambrose a 9-7 lead.

Midway through the third quarter, McKendree scored again through the air on a nine-yard touchdown pass to gain a 14-9 lead. Schmadeke kicked his fourth field goal of the evening, this one a 32-yard boot late in the third quarter, to pull the Bees to within 14-12 but SAU would not score again.

The Bearcats tacked on a field goal midway through the fourth. SAU never mounted any serious scoring threats in the final frame.

Tyler Boyle led a solid defensive effort by recording a game-high 11 total tackles, including a pair of tackles-for-loss.

St. Ambrose will look to snap its two-game slide next Saturday at St. Francis, Ill. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. in Joliet, Ill.

SAU Loses Top-10 Showdown

Sept. 19, 2009

In a matchup of top-10 teams, Saint Francis, Ind. proved why it is ranked fourth in the country with a 30-10 win at St. Ambrose Saturday afternoon. The Cougars (2-0) rolled up 487 yards of total offense in handing the Bees (2-1) their first loss of the season.

St. Ambrose, ranked ninth in the latest NAIA coaches' poll, struggled to get much going offensively. After picking up only 55 yards of offense in the first half, the Bees finished with 211 for the game.

The SAU defense did its job for most of the game after giving up a 45-yard touchdown drive on USF's first possession. A 55-yard punt return from SAU's James Hannah-White led to the first Bee points - a 28-yard field goal from Patrick Schmadeke - in the later stages of the second quarter. The Cougars added a field goal in the final minute to take a 10-3 halftime lead.

St. Ambrose appeared poised to put up more points on the team's first possession of the second half. On the Bees' best sustained drive (a 9-play, 48-yard march) of the afternoon, SAU marched to the USF 32-yard line only to be turned away when Michael Hayward's pass was intercepted at the 3-yard line.

The Bees got the ball back in Cougar territory just minutes later when PJ Conroy intercepted a pass but SAU was unable to capitalize and was forced to punt.

Saint Francis wore the Bees out in the fourth quarter, scoring three touchdowns. The lone SAU touchdown came in the fourth, when Hayward spun out of a sack and fired a 67-yard touchdown pass to Beau Foiles to cut the deficit to 23-10. But SAU was not able to stop the Cougars down the stretch.

Hayward completed only 8-of-25 passes for 137 yards and the one score. Four Bees combined to carry the ball 25 times for 74 yards. St. Ambrose forced two turnovers but only recovered one of five USF fumbles.

SAU will look to get back on track next Saturday as MSFA Midwest League play begins with a 6 p.m. game at McKendree.

Bees Jump to Ninth in NAIA Coaches' Poll

Sept. 14, 2009

Following a 34-14 win at #25 Malone, St. Ambrose has jumped to ninth in the first regular season NAIA Football Top 25 Coaches' Poll released today. The Bees were ranked 13th in the preseason poll.

SAU is 2-0 after opening the season with a 44-0 win over Trinity International on Sept. 5 and posting the 20-point win at Malone last Saturday. The Bees will face a stiff challenge this week when #4 Saint Francis, Ind. visits Brady Street Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.

This is the highest an SAU football team has been ranked since the Bees were #7 in the November 11, 2007 poll.

Defense Again Leads the Way as SAU Defeats Malone 34-14

Sept. 12, 2009

A week after forcing six turnovers in a 44-0 win over Trinity International, the St. Ambrose defense was at it again. The Bees matched the number with six takeaways in a 34-14 victory at #25 Malone Saturday afternoon. Five of the turnovers came in the decisive second half as #13 St. Ambrose outscored Malone 27-7 in the final 30 minutes.

St. Ambrose (2-0) had to overcome an early deficit in the match-up of top-25 teams. Malone returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown to give the Pioneers a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter. The Bees responded with the game's next 34 points.

Quarterback Michael Hayward kept it himself on a nine-yard touchdown run to even the score at 7-7 later in the opening frame. SAU took the second half kickoff and marched 64 yards to take the lead for good. Hayward completed a 19-yard scoring pass to Jacob Rohde to cap the drive. The junior signal caller found Josh Smith on a 73-yard TD strike to give SAU a 19-7 lead early in the fourth.

Kyle Ryon scored from a yard out and 40 seconds later Colin Suiter returned an interception 40 yards to push the margin to 34-7.

The Bee defense really flexed its muscle in the second half. The Pioneers' first eight possessions of the second half resulted in five turnovers (three fumbles and two interceptions), two turnovers-on-downs and one punt.

After SAU grabbed a 13-7 lead, a long kickoff return gave the Pioneers a first-and-goal from the SAU 4-yard line. But the Bee defense didn't budge and on fourth-and-goal from the two, the Bees stopped the Pioneer running game for no gain. On the next Malone possession, Kyle Cummins forced a fumble following a completion down to the SAU 3-yard line. Tyler Boyle pounced on the ball for the turnover.

Malone's final possession of the game ended with a 13-yard touchdown pass with just 1:03 to play. The late TD was the first score allowed by the SAU defense in eight quarters this season.

The Bees finished with 412 yards of offense while the Pioneers picked up 375 yards while running 18 more plays than SAU.

Hayward completed 14-of-25 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Rohde caught seven passes for 93 yards, Beau Foiles hauled in four passes for 37 yards and Smith added a pair of catches for 111 yards. Jake Eikenberry led the team with 79 yards rushing on seven carries.

Colin Green had a game-high 10 total tackles. Reigning NAIA Defensive Player of the Week Jim Forner finished with nine tackles and forced a pair of fumbles.

St. Ambrose returns home next Saturday to host #4 Saint Francis, Ind. Kickoff at Brady Street Stadium is slated for 1 p.m.

Forner Named NAIA National Defensive Player of the Week

Sept. 7, 2009

Senior linebacker Jim Forner was named the NAIA National Defensive Player of the Week today after his performance in St. Ambrose's 44-0 season-opening win over Trinity International Saturday afternoon. He was named the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League Defensive Player of the Week earlier in the day.

Forner, from Crystal Lake, Ill., recorded nine total tackles and forced two turnovers in the shutout victory. He forced a fumble and intercepted a pass that he returned 32 yards for a touchdown. He also finished with 1.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Forner led a Bee defense that allowed only 250 yards of offense and forced six TIU turnovers.

St. Ambrose (1-0) will visit Malone Saturday at 1 p.m.

Bees Recover From Slow Start to Win Big

Sept. 5, 2009

After the officiating crew showed up two hours late, the St. Ambrose offense started about two hours late too. Fortunately the Bees defense showed up on time and the offense woke up in the second half to help SAU get past Trinity International 44-0 in SAU's season opener Saturday at Brady Street Stadium.

Minutes before the original start time of 1 p.m., with the teams and crowd ready to go, kickoff was pushed back to after 3 p.m. after the officiating crew had yet to arrive.

With the officials finally in place, St. Ambrose started slowly, picking up only 53 yards of offense and two first downs in the first half. But the defense more than did its job, forcing a pair of turnovers and limiting the upset-minded Trojans to a mere 128 yards in the first 30 minutes.

The second half was a different story as the Bees rolled up 362 yards and 44 points in opening the year with a win. The SAU defense forced turnovers on the Trojans' first two drives of the second half and this time, the offense was able to capitalize. Jake Eikenberry scored on a three-yard burst and just over two minutes later, Michael Hayward found Jacob Rohde on a 50-yard scoring pass to give the Bees a 14-0 lead.

It was all St. Ambrose from there. Hayward scrambled to score from four yards out to push the lead to 21-0 late in the third quarter. The big plays carried over into the fourth. Billy Rembold hauled in a 62-yard touchdown pass, Jim Forner scored on a 32-yard interception return and Carter Oltman added a 64-yard TD run. Patrick Schmadeke added a 22-yard field goal in the final minute to account for the final score.

After a slow start, Hayward recovered to complete 11-of-21 passes for 206 yards and the two scores. Beau Foiles caught five passes while Rembold (75) and Rohde (71) each added more than 70 yards receiving. Oltman ran the ball nine times for 101 yards.

But the defense stole the show. TIU (0-2) finished with 250 yards as the Bees forced six turnovers. Jim Forner led the way with nine tackles, including 1.5 tackles-for-loss, while forcing a fumble and returning an interception for a score. James Hannah-White was in on eight stops.

The Bees will visit Malone next Saturday at 1 p.m.

St. Ambrose Picked to Win MSFA Midwest League

Aug. 10, 2009

St. Ambrose University, which has won the last three Mid-States Football Association Midwest League titles, has been tabbed to repeat as the league champion in 2009.

The Fighting Bees went 6-1 in the MWL and 8-4 overall while winning the 2008 crown and earning an NAIA playoff berth. St. Ambrose was listed first on six of the eight coaches ballots, earning 62 points to finish 9 points ahead of McKendree University. McKendree and Iowa Wesleyan each received one first-place vote.

William Penn University of Oskaloosa, Iowa garnered the third spot in the balloting, ahead of St. Francis University of Joliet, Ill. and Quincy, Ill. University who tied for fourth. Then came Iowa Wesleyan College of Mount Pleasant, Iowa in sixth, Grand View University of Des Moines, Iowa seventh and Waldorf College of Forest City, Iowa eighth.

Grand View and Waldorf will be in their first year of competition in the MSFA. With their addition to the Midwest, longtime MWL entrants, Olivet Nazarene University of Bourbonnais, Ill. and Trinity International University of Deerfield, Ill., have moved to the Mideast League.

A year ago, McKendree (5-2, 6-4), William Penn (5-2, 6-4) and Quincy (5-2, 6-5) tied for second in the Midwest ahead of St. Francis (3-4, 7-4) and Olivet Nazarene (3-4, 4-7), Iowa Wesleyan (1-6, 3-8) and Trinity International (0-7, 1-10).

MSFA Midwest League

School (1st-place votes) - Points
1. St. Ambrose (6) - 62
2. McKendree (1) - 53
3. William Penn - 48
4. (tie) St. Francis, Ill. - 34
4. (tie) Quincy - 34
6. Iowa Wesleyan (1) - 28
7. Grand View - 21
8. Waldorf - 8

MSFA Mideast League

School (1st-place votes) - Points
1. Saint Francis, Ind. (8) - 64
2. Saint Xavier - 54
3. Malone - 44
4. Marian - 41
5. Walsh - 37
6. (tie) Olivet Nazarene - 19
6. (tie) Taylor - 19
8. Trinity International - 10

Bees Ranked 13th and 15th in Two NAIA Preseason Polls

Aug. 10, 2009

The St. Ambrose University football team is ranked 13th in the 2009 NAIA Football Top 25 Preseason Coaches' Poll and 15th in the College Fanz Sports Network NAIA Football Preseason Top 25 poll.

The Bees return 14 starters from last year's team that finished 8-4 overall and qualified for the NAIA Football Championship Series.

The University of Sioux Falls, the defending NAIA National Champions, is the top-ranked team in both polls. The Cougars were a perfect 14-0 and defeated the Bees 28-0 in the first round of the NAIA playoffs last year.

Carroll (Mont.) is second in the poll and Lindenwood (Mo.) is third in both rankings.

St. Ambrose will kick off the 2009 campaign on Sept. 5 by hosting Trinity International at 1 p.m. at Brady Street Stadium.

2009 NAIA Football Top 25 Preseason Coaches' Poll

Hayward Named One of Nation's Elite

July 13, 2009

St. Ambrose wide receiver Michael Hayward was named one of the 2009 NAIA Football Super Six by College Fanz Sports Network recently. The list, in its seventh season, highlights the top six players in the country looking to lead their respective teams in the upcoming campaign.

Hayward, entering his junior season this fall, earned first team All-American and Mid-States Football Association Midwest League Player of the Year honors after a record-breaking sophomore season. The Bettendorf High School prep set St. Ambrose single-season records for receptions (88), receiving yards (1,292) and receiving touchdowns (11) in 2008.

He finished third in the country in receiving yards at 107.7 yards per game and sixth in catches at 7.3 receptions per contest. In just two years, Hayward already holds school records for career receptions (166) and career touchdown receptions (20). He is second all-time with 2,175 career receiving yards.

"It's a tremendous honor for Mike to be named as one of the top six players in the country," said Coach Mike Magistrelli. "It's a testament to what he's accomplished not only this past season, but in his two years in the program."

In naming the Bee wide receiver as one of the nation's elite players, Jason Dannelly, director of college relations for College Fanz, wrote about Hayward, "Big play receiver who can pull it down over anyone. Has been a good player ever since he arrived at SAU. He is one guy you have to stop if you are going to beat SAU."

The rest of the Super Six includes University of Sioux Falls defensive back Trevor Holleman, University of Saint Francis (Ind.) running back Daniel Carter, Shorter College running back A.J. Cooley, Saint Xavier University linebacker Mike Lally, and University of Sioux Falls offensive lineman T.J. Wendt. Hayward is the only one of the six not entering his senior season.

“This is an outstanding group of small college football players,” said Dannelly. “Each of these student-athletes has a great chance to lead their squads into the postseason.”

College Fanz Sports Network also released a list of the Super 72, a compilation of the top 72 NAIA players in the country. Joining Hayward on the list was SAU left tackle Matt Sutton, a second team All-American as a sophomore last year. Sutton, from San Diego, Calif., is one of only nine offensive lineman listed among the Super 72.

Victory Sports Network is now part of College Fanz Sports Network, the world’s largest online college sports community, with students, alumni, and other fanz of college sports. College Fanz boasts over 22,000 web pages devoted to more than 1,450 colleges and universities competing in over 225,000 NCAA and NAIA athletic events. Additional information is available at http://www.collegefanz.com/.

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