St. Ambrose University | Football News

Coming off strong seasons, three St. Ambrose football players were named to the Beyond Sports College Network 2012 NAIA Preseason All-American team.

Sophomore-to-be Matt Klingler was picked as the first team punter, senior Carl Meister was tabbed as a third team offensive lineman and Andrew Friederich received honorable mention as a tight end.

Klingler (right), from St. Louis, Mo., took over the punting duties in the second game of his freshman season last year. His first collegiate punt traveled 53 yards from his end zone against nationally-ranked Saint Francis (Ind.), and he never slowed down from there.

Klingler was the NAIA's top punter a year ago, averaging a school-record 43.9 yards per kick and had at least one 50-yard punt in eight of the nine games he played. Klingler boomed a 71-yard punt in a win at Iowa Wesleyan late in the year.

Meister (left), from Downers Grove, Ill., was a 2011 American Football Coaches Association NAIA Coaches' All-American, after a dominating junior campaign. The 6-4, 300-pounder started all 10 games at left tackle for a SAU team that averaged more than 190 rushing yards per game, the 18th-best mark in the NAIA.

The Bees rushed for at least 100 yards nine times and surpassed 200 yards on the ground four times this year. SAU pounded out season bests of 414 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in a win against Waldorf.

Friederich (right), from Davenport, Iowa, was a second team all-Mid-States Football Association tight end in 2011. Along with providing good blocking skills up front, he also proved to be a receiving threat by hauling in 17 catches for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Five of his catches, for 62 yards, came in a win at Malone.

St. Ambrose is ranked No. 20 in the 2012 NAIA Football Coaches' Spring Top 25 Poll released today by the national office.

The Bees are coming off a 7-3 season in which they lost their final two games to just miss a postseason berth. SAU returns junior-to-be Cole Kelly, who led the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League with 883 rushing yards, and senior-to-be and First Team All-American offensive lineman Carl Meister on the offensive side of the ball. Defensive lineman Sean Santiago returns to anchor a defense that finished last season ranked fifth in scoring defense (13.7 ppg).

Defending national champion Saint Xavier (Ill.) picked up all 15 first-place votes to be a unanimous No. 1 in the spring poll. Carroll (Mont.), Marian (Ind.), Georgetown (Ky.) and MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) round out the top five.

St. Ambrose, Saint Xavier and Marian are three of seven MSFA teams ranked in the top 25. Saint Francis (Ind.) is sixth, St. Francis (Ill.) is seventh, William Penn is 13th and Grand View is 16th.

Zach Grant, the nation's leading high school receiver in 2011, committed to St. Ambrose University today and will join the Fighting Bee football program in the fall 2012.

Grant, from Springfield, Ill., led all high school players, and set a state record, with 2,310 receiving yards in leading Rochester High School to the 2011 Illinois Class 4A State Championship.

The 6-1, 180-pound all-stater caught 131 passes, the second-highest total in the country, and scored 23 touchdowns during his illustrious senior campaign. He was named the Central State Eight Conference Player of the Year and was selected to the MaxPreps U.S. Air Force Medium Schools All-America second team.

In the state championship game, Grant caught 13 passes for 259 yards and two scores to lead Rochester (12-2) to a 42-39 win over Richmond-Burton.

"We are extremely excited for a player of Zach's caliber to join our program," St. Ambrose head football coach Mike Magistrelli said. "He is a tremendously skilled receiver who will have an immediate impact. He comes from a great family support system and an elite football program in Rochester High School, coached by Derek Leonard."

Junior left tackle Carl Meister (right) was named to the 2011 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) NAIA Coaches' All-America Team today.

The 6-4, 300-pounder from Downers Grove, Ill. (Montini Catholic High School), started all 10 games for a 7-3 St. Ambrose team that averaged more than 190 rushing yards per game, the 18th-best mark in the NAIA.

Meister was earlier named to the all-Mid States Football Association Midwest League first team.

"I am very excited for Carl to be recognized with First Team All-American honors," St. Ambrose head football coach Mike Magistrelli said. "He has worked very hard to get to this point and we are excited to have him back for his senior season next fall."

Meister is the first Bee to be named to the AFCA All-America Team since defensive lineman Andy Wulf was honored following the 2006 campaign. Wide receiver Michael Hayward earned College Fanz Sports Network first team all-America honors in 2008.

The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects 25-player teams in all five of its divisions - FBS, FCS, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. The AFCA’s NAIA All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches from each of the AFCA’s nine districts.

Senior defensive back John Michaletti was named the first recipient of the Bob Jurevitz Award at the St. Ambrose University Fall Sports Banquet Sunday afternoon.

The annual award, established over the summer, is named after Bob Jurevitz, a former St. Ambrose football great who passed away in November after a battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease. It is presented to a St. Ambrose football player who best exemplifies the characteristics Jurevitz displayed both on and off the playing field.

Michaletti, from Rock Island, Ill. (Alleman HS) was selected by the SAU football coaching staff and the Jurevitz family.

"John is an outstanding player, but more importantly he is an outstanding person, teammate and leader," SAU head coach Mike Magistrelli said. "He is one of the hardest working players I have had the privilege of coaching. He embodies the same great qualities that made Bob such a great player and teammate."

Michaletti (right) finished his senior campaign third on the team with 63 total tackles and two interceptions. He also recovered a pair of fumbles and returned five kickoffs for 152 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown return against Waldorf. He played 25 games and made 136 tackles in his SAU career.

Michaletti's name is now the first on a plaque inside the Lee Lohman Arena lobby, which will be updated every year to list the all-time recipients of the award.

Jurevitz was one of the most-prolific and hardest-working running backs in SAU history. He remains the second-leading rusher in school history, accumulating 5,126 yards on the ground during his career from 1982-85. He was the state of Iowa's all-time leading collegiate rusher at the time of his graduation in 1986.

The four-year team captain and team MVP scored a Bee-best 64 touchdowns in his career. During his senior season in 1985, he rushed for 1,424 yards and a still-school-record 27 touchdowns. He was inducted into the SAU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992.

A plaque honoring Jurevitz and a framed #44 jersey are permanently displayed in the SAU football locker room visible to every player entering and leaving the room.

Along with the Bob Jurevitz Award, the Champions of Character for each fall sport were announced based on five core values - integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.

More than 500 SAU student-athletes and their parents attended the banquet in the Rogalski Center Ballroom to wrap up the fall sports seasons.

St. Ambrose Champions of Character
Cheerleading - Kayla Crocker (Jr., Elk Grove Village, Ill.)
Men's Cross Country - Ryan Buchanan (Jr., Charles City, Iowa)
Women's Cross Country - Abby Parsons (Sr., Peru, Ill.)
Football - Joe Bailey (Sr., Indianola, Iowa)
Men's Soccer - Matt Kraciun (Jr., Bettendorf, Iowa)
Women's Soccer - Abby Kent (Sr., Davenport, Iowa)
Women's Volleyball - Dolores Wildner (Jr., Oak Lawn, Ill.)

Pictured below are the 2011 SAU Fall Sport Champions of Character: Front (l to r) - Joe Bailey, Ryan Buchanan, Matt Kraciun. Back (l to r) - Abby Kent, Dolores Wildner, Abby Parsons, Kayla Crocker

Nick Hauge (right) was named to the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America College Division Football First Team today. He advanced to the national ballot after earning all-district honors earlier this year.

The teams are comprised of student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions and are selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) based on the students' work on the court and in the classroom.

Hauge, from Rockford, Ill., is majoring in Exercise Science at St. Ambrose and was a key contributor to the Bee football team.

A four-year starter along the offensive line, Hauge recently received all-Mid-States Football Association honorable mention. Hauge was a member of a line that helped SAU average more than 190 rushing yards per game, the 20th-best mark in the NAIA. SAU rushed for at least 100 yards nine times this year and surpassed 200 yards on the ground four times. The Bees pounded out 414 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns against Waldorf.

Six St. Ambrose football players were named to all-Mid-States Football Association Midwest League first team today. In all, 14 total Bees were honored by the conference.

First Team All-MSFA
Andrew Briones - LB	James Hannah-White - DB	Cole Kelly - RB
Matt Klingler - P	Carl Meister - OL	Barney O'Donnell - WR

Second Team All-MSFA
Andrew Friederich - TE	Sean Santiago - DL

Honorable Mention All-MSFA
Nick Avery - OL	Jordan Bell - DB	Nick Hauge - OL
Adrian Leal - LB	John Michaletti - DB	Eric Williamson - QB

Assistant Coach of the Year
Matt Drinkall

Senior wide receiver Barney O'Donnell (right), junior offensive lineman Carl Meister and sophomore running back Cole Kelly were selected to the first team offense; senior linebacker Andrew Briones and senior defensive back James Hannah-White were on the first team defense; and freshman Matt Klingler was named the first team punter.

O'Donnell, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, moved to wide receiver after earning second-team all-conference honors as a quarterback last year. Only appearing in four games due to injury, O'Donnell still led the team with 24 receptions for 445 yards and seven touchdowns. He was on pace to challenge many of the SAU single-season receiving records before going down in the fourth game of the year. O'Donnell caught at least four passes and a touchdown in every game. He went over 100 yards receiving three times, including a seven-catch, 162-yard, three-touchdown performance against nationally-ranked Saint Francis, Ind.

Meister (left), from Downers Grove, Ill., was the starting left tackle for a St. Ambrose team that averaged more than 190 rushing yards per game, the 20th-best mark in the NAIA. SAU rushed for at least 100 yards nine times this year and surpassed 200 yards on the ground four times. The Bees pounded out 414 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns against Waldorf.

Meister also cleared the way for Kelly (right), from West Branch, Iowa. Kelly rushed for 883 yards and eight touchdowns while splitting carries with Anton Wilkins for much of the year. His 98.1 rushing yards per game is the 15th-best mark in the country. Kelly surpassed 100 yards five times and had a season-best 138 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries vs. Waldorf.

Briones (left) and Hannah-White (right) were two of the senior leaders on the sixth-best scoring defense in the country. SAU allowed only 13.7 points per game and held five opponents to fewer than 10 points.

Briones, from Moline, Ill., finished with 41 solo tackles and 75 total tackles. He was involved with 6.5 tackles-for-loss and a pair of sacks. Briones also picked off four passes and recovered three fumbles. He had two games with double-digit tackles, including a season-high 13 tackles at Iowa Wesleyan.

Hannah-White, from Lafayette, Ind., matched Briones with four interceptions and also broke up seven passes. The team's best cornerback registered 34 total tackles and was in on nine tackles at Grand View. A first team return specialist a year ago, Hannah-White also averaged 17.0 yards on kickoff returns and 11.4 yards on punt returns.

For his first collegiate punt, Klingler (right), from St. Louis, Mo., boomed a 53-yarder from his own end zone against Saint Francis, Ind. And the freshman never slowed down from there. The NAIA's top punter averaged a school-record 43.9 yards per kick and had at least one 50-yard punt in eight of the nine games he played. Klingler drilled a 71-yard punt in a win at Iowa Wesleyan.

Sophomore tight end Andrew Friederich, from Davenport, Iowa, was one of two Bees to earn second team all-conference honors. Along with providing good blocking skills up front, Friederich also proved to be a receiving threat by hauling in 17 catches for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Five of his catches, for 62 yards, came in a win at Malone.

The other SAU second-team selection was junior defensive lineman Sean Santiago, from Mundelein, Ill. The 5-11, 270-pounder played at both end and tackle for the Bees. He finished with 33 total tackles, including 17 solo stops, and made 5.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Santiago was credited with seven solo tackles against nationally-ranked William Penn.

Sophomore right tackle Nick Avery, from Channahon, Ill.; sophomore corner back/wide receiver Jordan Bell, from Pasadena, Calif.; senior left guard Nick Hauge, from Rockford, Ill.; senior linebacker Adrian Leal, from Hanover Park, Ill.; senior defensive back John Michaletti, from Rock Island, Ill.; and sophomore quarterback Eric Williamson, from Springfield, Ill., received honorable mention.

The six first teamers and 14 total all-conference picks are the most for St. Ambrose since the 2007 Bees had 10 first-team selections among their 15 all-conference performers.

In addition, offensive line coach Matt Drinkall was named a tri-Assistant Coach of the Year for his work with the SAU offense.

St. Ambrose finished the 2011 season 7-3 overall and 5-2 in the MSFA Midwest League. The Bees are #22 in the final NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25 Poll.


Friederich	Santiago	Avery	Bell


Hauge	Leal	Michaletti	Williamson

St. Ambrose seniors Joe Bailey (left) and James Hannah-White (right) were recently selected to play in the Division II vs. NAIA Senior Bowl All-Star Game in New York. The game, featuring some of the top senior players from Division II and the NAIA, will take place on Saturday, Dec. 3, in Middletown, N.Y., with a 1 p.m. CT kickoff.

Players selected will partake in practices, NFL combine testing, an awards banquet, and a showcase game with pro scouts in attendance. For the players, this will be a three-day experience. Equally important for the players and fans will be the opportunity to play against outstanding peers in a challenge to measure these two levels of football talent against each other.

Bailey, an offensive lineman from Indianola, Iowa, started all 10 games at right guard for St. Ambrose this season. He was a member of an offensive line that led the way for a Bee offense that rushed for 190.8 yards per game.

Hannah-White, a defensive back from Lafayette, Ind., shared the team lead with four interceptions and broke up a team-best seven other passes this year. He was also in on 34 tackles, including three for loss. Hannah-White also averaged 11.4 yards on 10 punt returns and 17.0 yards on four kickoff returns.

The Bees finished the 2011 season 7-3 overall and 5-2 in the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League.

St. Ambrose, ranked #17, suffered its second conference loss of the season after #13 St. Francis rallied from 10-7 fourth quarter deficit, en route to the Saints’ first-ever MSFA conference title. With the loss, SAU finishes the season 5-2 in conference and 7-3 overall.

The Bees had success with tempo in their offense in the opening drive that enabled Patrick Schmadeke to boot a 50-yard field goal to take the early 3-0 lead. Scoring continued in the second quarter as USF answered that score with a 12-play, 80-yard drive capped off by a nine-yard E.J. White touchdown pass with 14:02 remaining.

The score remained constant into the third quarter until the Bees’ Eric Williamson completed a four-yard score to Mike Munro to give the Bees the 10-7 lead. Momentum shifted on the following drive when the Saints fumbled the football at the SAU 32-yard line and Andrew Briones returned the ball to the Saints’ 23.

Blocking on special teams was an issue for the Bees, who had their 29-yard field goal attempt blocked by USF cornerback Wayne Johnson. After White threw an interception, the Bees were forced to line up for a 49-yard field goal and USF’s James Bowman blocked Schmadake’s attempt.

USF’s Garen Demery clinched the victory with a late touchdown as the Bees final drive ended on an interception. The Bees were held to 215 total yards.

Offensive linemen Alex Berg (left) and Nick Hauge (right) were named to the 2011-12 Capital One Academic All-District 5 Football team today.

The honor, as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performance on the playing field and in the classroom. Nominees must be starters or important reserves, sophomores or older, with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point averages.

Berg, a junior from Batavia, Ill., is majoring in Physical Education while Hauge, a senior from Rockford, Ill., is majoring in Exercise Science at St. Ambrose University.

With Berg at center and Hauge at left guard, the Bees are currently 16th in the country in rushing offense, averaging 198.9 yards per game on the ground. SAU is averaging 28.4 points per game.

St. Ambrose, currently 7-2 overall and ranked #17 in the nation, closes the regular season at #13 St. Francis (Ill.) Saturday with a share of the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League crown on the line.

The two represent the District 5 College Division, which includes NAIA and two-year colleges from Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and Wisconsin. They will now move on the the Academic All-America ballot.

Eric Williamson's (right) throw into the end zone bounced off a pair of receivers' hands on the last play of the game as #12 St. Ambrose fell to #8 William Penn 14-7. The loss creates a log-jam at the top of the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League standings as St. Ambrose, William Penn, #16 St. Francis (Ill.) and #23 Grand View each have 5-1 league marks. The teams will end the regular season head-to-head next week as SAU visits USF and WPU travels to GVU.

Saturday, the Bee defense limited the top-rushing offense in the country to 136 yards below its season average but the SAU offense struggled to get anything going.

The best St. Ambrose drive of the game came at the end. Trailing 14-7, SAU took over at its own 25-yard line with 1:37 to play after a missed Statesmen field goal.

Williamson completed three passes for 35 yards and scrambled for 21 yards to get the Bees down to the WPU 9-yard line in the closing seconds. On the next play, the SAU quarterback tried to spike the ball to stop the clock, but it was ruled that he mishandled the snap and the clock kept running as Williamson fell on his own fumble. Back at the 13-yard line, the Bees got one final play off but Williamson's pass fell incomplete after bouncing off Mike Munro and Alex Waterkotte.

The Bees finished with just 246 yards of offense, with 62 yards coming on the final drive. Behind Cole Kelly's 116 yards, SAU had 174 rushing yards.

Kelly (right) gave St. Ambrose a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when he broke free for a 53-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-1 play.

William Penn tied the game late in the first half on a four-yard touchdown run. The Statesmen took the lead in the third on a 32-yard touchdown run. One play before the long touchdown run, the Bees appeared to stop WPU when a pass fell incomplete on a third-and-24 play from the SAU 47, but the Bees were flagged for a personal foul penalty to give William Penn an automatic first down.

St. Ambrose held William Penn to only 283 yards of offense and 220 yards on the ground. The Statesmen came into the game averaging 356.6 rushing yards per game, the best mark in the country. But with the offense struggling, the Bee defense was on the field for more than 36 minutes.

Jeremy Wallace (right) led the defense with 18 total tackles. Pete Kalber had nine.

Before the game, SAU honored its senior cheerleaders, dance squad members and football players participating in their final home regular season contest:

Cheerleaders: Joe Allegretti (St. Charles, Ill.)
Dance: Katie Arp (Walcott, Iowa); Shelby Boock (Eldridge, Iowa); Calista Heckman (West Liberty, Iowa); Amanda Manning (Burlington, Iowa); Brooke Thennes (Bettendorf, Iowa); Kayla Wills (North Aurora, Ill.)
Football: Joe Bailey (Indianola, Iowa); Andrew Briones (Moline, Ill.); Bryce Buchanan (Cedar Rapids, Iowa); Beau Foiles (Peoria, Ill.); James Hannah-White (Lafayette, Ind.); Nick Hauge (Rockford, Ill.); Pete Kalber (Bettendorf, Iowa); Alec Kiburz (Marion, Iowa); Chad Kron (Chicago, Ill.); Adrian Leal (Hanover Park, Ill.); Zach McCalester (Reasnor, Iowa); John Michaletti (Rock Island, Ill.); Tim O'Connell (Franklin Park, Ill.); Barney O'Donnell (Cedar Rapids, Iowa); Lane Ryals (Crystal Lake, Ill.); Ryan Vonnahme (Dubuque, Iowa); Alex Waterkotte (Quincy, Ill.); Chad Wilson (Iowa City, Iowa)

Cole Kelly (left) and Paul Cefaratti (right) each topped 100 yards as St. Ambrose finished with 414 yards rushing in a 59-0 trouncing of Waldorf Saturday afternoon at Brady Street Stadium.

It marked the first time two Bees rushed for more than 100 yards in a game since Larry Williams (211) and Joe Schimmel (175) accomplished the feat against Trinity International on Oct. 9, 2004.

The win sets up big showdowns the next two weeks for the Bees vs. #8 William Penn and at #9 St. Francis (Ill.).

With St. Francis (Ill.) falling at Grand View 24-21 Saturday, St. Ambrose (7-1, 5-0 MSFA) is the lone unbeaten team in the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League. The Bees host William Penn (8-1, 4-1 MSFA) next Saturday at 1 p.m. before visiting St. Francis (Ill.) on Saturday, Nov. 12.

The Bees made sure to stay at the top of the conference race Saturday as Kelly finished with 138 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries all in the first half. Cefaratti added 101 yards and a score on 11 attempts in just the fourth quarter.

In between, Greg Wilson rushed for 74 yards and two touchdowns, Zach Rockford had 52 yards and Eric Williamson ripped off a 21-yard carry.

It took only 14 seconds for the Bees to get all the points they would need. John Michaletti returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a score and the rout was on.

Kelly rushed for TDs of five and four yards in the first quarter. Williamson tossed scoring passes to Andrew Friederich (nine yards) and Carter Oltman (23), and Wilson had a 10-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Wilson scored from three yards out and Patrick Schmadeke drilled a 26-yard field goal in the third quarter. Cefaratti ended the scoring with a one-yard plunge in the fourth.

In the end, SAU scored touchdowns on its first six possessions. The Bees rushed 50 times for the 414 yards, averaging 8.3 yards per carry. Williamson completed 5-of-7 passes for 70 yards. His touchdown pass to Oltman with 8:14 to play in the second quarter proved to be SAU's final pass play of the game. The Bee reserves played the entire second half.

The St. Ambrose defense allowed only 194 yards of total offense and 12 first downs. Waldorf drove into SAU territory only three times. The Warriors missed a 46-yard field goal and twice turned the ball over on downs, including once on the SAU 1-yard line.

Otto Linderman (right) led the defense with six total tackles, including 1.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack.

Tyler Donaldson is a sophomore inside linebacker for the St. Ambrose football team from Rochester, Illinois. Recently, his father e-mailed the media department here at SAU to thank them for streaming the radio broadcast of the football games over the internet. Mike Donaldson is currently serving in Southeast Afghanistan in the Ghazni province as the Task Force White Eagle Command Sergeants Major.

Tyler and Mike are very close. Tyler commented on what it's like having his father overseas: “It’s tough, but I understand that he’s over there for a reason.” He left at the end of this July. His father has been in the military for Tyler’s entire life, and his sister and his step-mom have also served overseas.

Missing Tyler’s games has been a rarity in Mike’s life. He missed Tyler’s junior year of high school serving in the Army as well, but other than these two instances he has never missed a game.

This is another example of the great things that sports do for us in this world. It connects the father and son, especially now that Mike can hear the games over the radio. Mike described his opportunity to listen to the games as one of his favorite things to do during the week, saying “Even in the mountains of Afghanistan I'm able to listen to my son play via streaming your website. This is the one time per week I'm able to sit back and feel some sort of normality. Your broadcasts are like Christmas morning to me every Saturday.” Regardless of the football side of it, the two try to talk on the phone at least once a week.

This heartwarming story seems to be a different perspective that teaches us all to be grateful for what we have, and gives us more insight into what it means to be Ambrosians.

St. Ambrose escaped with a 17-14 win over Olivet Nazarene Saturday afternoon as Steve Thomas (left) secured the clinching interception in the closing seconds to stop the Tigers at the SAU 19-yard line. Eric Williamson regained the lead for the Bees when he found a leaping Jordan Bell (right) in the right corner of the end zone to complete the scoring. With the win, #13 SAU is 4-0 in the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League and 6-1 overall.

Thomas struck early in the game when he forced a Rico Prestia turnover before Eric Williamson found Andrew Friederich for an eight-yard score. Patrick Schmadeke’s PAT was then blocked by the Tigers’ Nathan Schott. Schmadeke came back to boot a 29-yard field goal to cap the first quarter scoring.

ONU’s Michael Ho-Lewis burned the Bees on the ground as the Tigers mustered 168 rushing yards on defense. Ho-Lewis made it 9-7 after rushing for 31 yards on the drive. Special teams were an issue for the Bees, who gained new life after recovering a Tigers' fumble on Matt Klingler’s blocked punt.

The Bees were persistent in attacking the Tigers by going deep in the second half, but struggled in completing those passes and getting the short ground game going. On their second drive in the second half, Anton Wilkins fumbled at the SAU 20 to give the Tigers an advantage in field position.

Mike Tetlow and the Bees were able to keep the score at 9-7, stuffing Prestia for no gain inside the SAU 1-yard line. Prestia added another touchdown pass early on in the fourth quarter to make it 14-9, but Friederich converted the 2-point conversion to secure a three-point advantage at 17-14.

For the third straight game, the St. Ambrose defense limited the opposition to fewer than 10 points as the Bees moved to 5-1 overall following a 27-7 win at Iowa Wesleyan Saturday night. SAU also remained unbeaten in MSFA Midwest League play, moving to 3-0 in the conference.

The Bee defense limited Iowa Wesleyan (1-5, 1-3 MSFA) to 302 yards of total offense, came up with six sacks and forced a pair of turnovers. SAU has allowed only 23 points over the last three games and has now won four straight.

St. Ambrose got all the points it would need in the first half. Eric Williamson found Andrew Friederich (right) for a 27-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter, and with less than two minutes remaining in the half, Anton Wilkins scored from a yard out for a 14-0 lead.

The Tigers cut their deficit in half with a touchdown midway through the third quarter. But the Bees bounced right back and extended to a 17-7 lead on a 23-yard field goal from Patrick Schmadeke.

Cole Kelly added an 11-yard touchdown run and Schmadeke tacked on a 32-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

Kelly and Wilkins led an SAU ground attack that finished with 239 rushing yards. Kelly had 137 yards on 22 carries and Wilkins added 98 yards on 15 attempts.

Andrew Briones led the defense with 13 total tackles, including eight solo stops. Jeremy Wallace was credited with nine total tackles. Cory Price (right) finished with seven tackles, including four tackles-for-loss and three sacks.

St. Ambrose will look to push its winning streak to five games next Saturday at Olivet Nazarene. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Cole Kelly (left) rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns and Anton Wilkins (right) added 84 yards and two scores of his own to lead #18 St. Ambrose past McKendree 28-7 at Brady Street Stadium on SAU's Homecoming Weekend. The win moved the Bees to 4-1 overall.

The two backs did most of their work in the fourth quarter as the SAU offensive line wore down the McKendree defense. Kelly had 77 yards on six carries and Wilkins added 76 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown run, on five attempts in the fourth.

Greg Wilson tacked on a two-yard run on the final play of the game to give the Bees 155 rushing yards over the game's final 15 minutes.

St. Ambrose finished with 264 rushing yards as part of its 400 yards of total offense. McKendree was limited to 268 total yards.

The Bees started early. After forcing a McKendree three-and-out to open the game, SAU marched 55 yards in eight plays, capped by an eight-yard Kelly touchdown run, to take a 7-0 lead.

On the team's next possession, the Bees traveled 80 yards and took a 14-0 lead when Wilkins scored from six yards out.

McKendree (0-5), transitioning to the NCAA Division II ranks this season, scored late in the first half to cut the score to 14-7.

The second half belonged to the SAU rushing game and defense. Kelly completed another 80-yard drive midway through the third quarter with an 18-yard run to put St. Ambrose in front 21-7. Wilkins added his long touchdown run in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter as part of a 96-yard drive.

The Bee defense turned away the Bearcats deep inside SAU territory twice after that. First, James Hannah-White nearly picked off a pass in the end zone on a fourth-down play from the SAU 11-yard line to end one drive. Inside the final minute, Tyler Donaldson forced a fumble that Ryan Chambers recovered at the SAU 1-yard line.

Andrew Briones, Jeremy Wallace (left) and John Michaletti each recorded nine tackles while Hannah-White (right) finished with eight and an interception. Quarterback Eric Williamson was an efficient 13-of-22 for 136 yards. He completed passes to nine different receivers.

The Bees return to MSFA Midwest League play next week by visiting Iowa Wesleyan Saturday at 6 p.m.

Andrew Briones (left) and Matt Klingler (right) were named the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week today. The pair helped St. Ambrose pick up a 17-9 win at Grand View Saturday.

Briones, a senior linebacker from Moline, Ill., came up with eight tackles, including a sack, intercepted a pass and forced a fumble to lead the Bee defense.

Two plays after his first quarter interception, SAU scored to take a 7-0 lead and led the rest of the way.

Klingler, a freshman punter from St. Louis, Mo., helped St. Ambrose win the field-position battle by averaging 46.0 yards over his four punts, including a 53-yard effort on his first punt of the game that pinned the Vikings back at their own 3-yard line.

But his most important punt came at the end. With the Bees leading 17-9 inside the final minute, Klingler booted a 52-yard punt that was downed on the Viking 19-yard line with 44 seconds left that helped seal the win.

The Bees return home to host McKendree Saturday at 1 p.m. at Brady Street Stadium as part of Homecoming Weekend.

Taking the field as a top-25 team for the first time in more than a year, St. Ambrose showed it may stick around the national rankings for a while in a 17-9 win at Grand View.

Along with improving to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League, the Bees also defeated Grand View for the first time since the Vikings started their football four years ago. And gave SAU a win over former Bee head coach (from 1991-93) Mike Woodley, now the GVU head coach.

St. Ambrose got a well-rounded effort in the win. Eric Williamson completed 14-of-20 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. Cole Kelly (right) rushed for 127 yards and a score on 21 carries. Barney O'Donnell caught nine passes for 108 yards and one touchdown. And the defense came up with two turnovers and made two big stops in the end to preserve the win.

The defense also helped get the Bees on the board in the early going. Andrew Briones picked off a pass and returned it to the Grand View 13-yard line. Two plays later, Kelly scored from four yards out for a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Grand View (3-3, 2-1 MSFA) got within a point early in the second after a long touchdown-scoring drive covered 97 yards and chewed up 8:44. But John Michaletti came through to block the extra point to keep the Bees in front.

And then SAU responded, marching 90 yards in 10 plays to take a 14-6 lead. Williamson completed 4-of-5 passes for 60 yards on the drive that concluded with a 21-yard toss to O'Donnell. Late in the half, Patrick Schmadeke booted a 42-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17-6.

While the offense sputtered a little bit in the second half, the defense more than held its own. The Vikings got to within 17-9 with 6:10 to play and got the ball back less than two minutes later after a Bee three-and-out. Grand View got to the SAU 26-yard line but on 4th-and-2, Mike Tetlow stopped Dante Sims after a one-yard run to end the drive.

GVU got the ball back one more time in its own territory with 44 seconds remaining and advanced to the St. Ambrose 39-yard line before the clock expired.

Sean Kelly (left) led the defense with 10 total tackles and a forced fumble. James Hannah-White (right) had nine tackles while Michaletti and Briones each finished with eight tackles.

St. Ambrose returns home next week for its first home game since Sept. 10 by hosting McKendree as part of Homecoming Weekend. Kickoff at Brady Street Stadium is slated for 1 p.m.

After a 2-1 start, St. Ambrose cracked the NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25 Poll, released by the NAIA today. The Bees are #25 in the latest rankings.

Saint Xavier received all 15 first-place votes to remain the top-ranked team in the country. Saint Francis (Ind.), who beat SAU 34-33 earlier this year, is #2. Marian (Ind.), Caroll (Mont.) and William Penn round out the top five.

The Bees have two games remaining against ranked foes. SAU hosts #5 William Penn on Nov. 5 before wrapping up the regular season at #19 St. Francis (Ill.) on Nov. 12.

St. Ambrose is off this week before visiting Grand View, who is receiving votes in the poll, Saturday, Oct. 1 at 1 p.m.

Patrick Schmadeke (right) kicked a 35-yard field goal with five seconds remaining to lead St. Ambrose to a 24-22 win at Malone Saturday afternoon.

The Bees, who had led 21-7 early in the second quarter, got the ball back at their own 32-yard line with 3:11 to play. Quarterback Eric Williamson had two important fourth-down runs to keep the final drive alive. His last carry of nine yards on a fourth-and-4 got SAU down to the Malone 26-yard line with 59 seconds on the clock. Greg Wilson rushed three straight times to get to the Pioneer 18-yard line before Schmadeke booted the game winner.

SAU (2-1) nearly let this one slip away. The Bees led 14-0 in the first quarter after a one-yard Greg Wilson touchdown run following a 70-yard Barney O'Donnell punt return and a 29-yard touchdown pass from Williamson to O'Donnell.

Malone (2-1) got on the board early in the second on a 94-yard touchdown pass, but the Bees immediately answered. Williamson found Wilson for a 34-yard scoring strike to extend the lead to 21-7.

The Pioneers scored midway through the second quarter and added a field goal on the last play of the half to cut the SAU advantage to 21-17 at the break.

Another Malone field goal trimmed the lead to 21-20 late in the third and the Pioneers appeared primed to take the lead in the fourth after blocking a Bee punt. But the St. Ambrose defense came up big as Adrian Leal (right) forced a fumble and Andrew Briones pounced on it at the seven-yard line.

But just two plays later, Malone did go in front 22-20 as Wilson was stopped in the end zone for a safety with just 5:59 left.

The Pioneers got the ball back and marched to the SAU 18 yard line before the defense came through again. Pete Kalber and Ryne Diehl came up with back-to-back sacks, the last coming on fourth down, to give the ball back to the Bees with 3:11 remaining. That led to Williamson and the Bees moving 50 yards in 15 plays before Schmadeke split the uprights.

Williamson finished 25-of-44 for 233 yards and two touchdowns. Andrew Friederich and Wilson each caught five passes while O'Donnell finished with four catches.

James Hannah-White led the defense with seven total tackles and an interception. Jeremy Wallace, John Michaletti and Briones each had six stops.

Saint Francis (Ind.), the fourth-ranked team in the country, scored a touchdown with 3:45 to play to escape with a 34-33 win over St. Ambrose Saturday afternoon.

SAU (1-1) did everything but win the game. Behind quarterback Eric Williamson (right), the Bees rolled for 372 yards of offense. The sophomore completed all 10 of his first-half passing attempts and finished 16-of-19 for 264 yards and four touchdowns. Three of his touchdowns went to Barney O'Donnell, who hauled in seven catches for 162 yards.

St. Ambrose appeared poised to knock off #4 Saint Francis (1-0) after Williamson found O'Donnell for a 64-yard TD pass and a 27-14 lead midway through the third quarter. The Bees missed the extra point after a bad snap on the try.

The Cougars answered with two touchdowns over a 2:38 span late in the third quarter to regain a 28-27 advantage.

But Williamson found O'Donnell again, this time on a 40-yard touchdown toss, to put the Bees back in front 33-28 with 9:25 left.

USF came back with its game-winning drive. The Cougars marched 70 yards in 11 plays and chewed up 5:33 before scoring on a short touchdown run.

On the ensuing drive, the Bees got to midfield before a fumble allowed Saint Francis to run out the clock.

The game was a shoot-out from the beginning as St. Ambrose took the opening kickoff and travelled 80 yards before getting on the board on a three-yard Anton Wilkins touchdown run. The Cougars knotted the game at 7-7 on their first possession and grabbed a 14-7 lead later in the first quarter.

O'Donnell's first touchdown reception from Williamson covered 27 yards and tied the game at 14-14 early in the second. After an Andrew Briones interception, Zach McCalester brought in a six-yard TD pass to put the Bees in front 21-14, a lead that would grow to 27-14 in the third.

Along with the efficient passing attack, St. Ambrose finished with 108 yards on the ground, led by Cole Kelly's 62 yards on just eight carries.

John Michaletti (left) led the defense with 12 total tackles and added an interception. Jeremy Wallace had 10 tackles and Briones (right) finished with nine.

It may have taken nearly seven hours but St. Ambrose finally opened the 2011 season with a 44-9 victory over Mid-States Football Association Midwest League foe Trinity International Saturday at Brady Street Stadium.

With a storm rolling through the area, the halftime break was changed into a three-hour-and-forty-five minute delay.

With a chance to regroup, St. Ambrose broke things open in the second half, thanks in large part to the defense. Nursing just a 10-3 halftime lead, the Bees outscored the Trojans 34-6 the rest of the way to begin the year 1-0.

The SAU defense allowed just 242 yards, 70 of them coming on a late, meaningless scoring drive from Trinity International (0-1).

Anton Wilkins (right), Cole Kelly and Colten Glazebrook each rushed for a score; Eric Williamson and Barney O'Donnell connected on their second of two touchdown passes; and James Hannah-White added a 62-yard interception return for a score all in the second half.

The second half was different from the first half, in which the Bees did everything but put up points, due mainly to turnovers.

SAU collected 282 yards of offense, including 162 yards on the ground, in the first 30 minutes. Anton Wilkins had 113 of his game-high 158 yards in the opening half, yet the Bees led only by a touchdown at the break.

The Bees had their chances. SAU took the opening kickoff and marched down to the Trojan 27-yard line before Patrick Schmadeke's 49-yard field goal attempts slid just wide.

On the next possession, Williamson found O'Donnell down the sidelines for a 61-yard completion but on his way to the end zone, O'Donnell was stripped of the ball at the five-yard line to stop another SAU drive.

Schmadeke finally got the Bees on the board with a 31-yard field goal late in the first quarter.

Another Bee fumble, this one from Wilkins, led to a 37-yard TIU field goal to knot the game at 3-3 midway through the second quarter.

SAU finally took the lead for good late in the half when Williamson again connected with O'Donnell (right), this time on a 45-yard scoring toss, to give the Bees a 10-3 halftime lead.

Then came the delay. Near the end of the halftime break, lightning was spotted and the field was cleared. The teams were sent to the locker rooms around 2:30 p.m. After more than an hour delay with players and fans waiting at the stadium, the game was postponed until 6:15 p.m.

Fortunately, the long wait didn't spoil the Bees' season opener. Wilkins led a Bee ground attack which finished with 284 rushing yards. O'Donnell hauled in four catches for 119 yards and the pair of TDs. Adrian Leal led the defense with nine total tackles. Ryne Diehl had six stops, including two sacks.

Now SAU will host #4 Saint Francis (Ind.) next Saturday at 1 p.m. at Brady Street Stadium.

Football News - 2011-12