Passafiume broke the NCAA record of 24 receptions shared by Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, who did it for Mississippi Valley State against Southern University in 1983, and Brown's Chas Gessner, who did it against Rhode Island in 2002.(Read more)
Senior defensive back Corry Stewart (Nashville, Tenn.) set a school interception record and sophomore quarterback C.J. Croft (Fort Campbell, Ky.) had a hand in four touchdowns as Hanover College's football team rolled to a 52-19 triumph against Bluffton University (Ohio). The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game was held Saturday, Nov. 7, at L.S. Ayres field. Read More...
National lacrosse hall of famer and former all-American athlete Skip
Lichtfuss has been hired as the first head coach of Hanover College's
men's lacrosse program. Lichtfuss, who was inducted into the U.S.
Lacrosse National Hall of Fame in 1993, has been involved at every
level of lacrosse in the U.S. for nearly 40 years. (cont. reading)
The following athletes were named players of the week.
Offense – C.J. Croft, Hanover College
Hanover College quarterback C.J. Croft (Fort Campbell, Ky./H.S.) tossed
a career-high five touchdowns in the Panthers’ 51-13 win over Anderson
on homecoming and has been named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic
Conference Football Player of the Week on offense. The freshman
completed 17 of his 32 passes for 268 yards and five touchdowns in the
win. The Fort Campbell native tossed touchdown passes of 78, one, nine,
four, and 23 yards against the Ravens defense.
Defense – Corry Stewart, Hanover College
Hanover College defensive back Corry Stewart (Nashville, Tenn./Ryan)
led the Panthers defensive effort in a 51-13 win over Anderson and has
been named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Football Player
of the Week on defense. The senior defensive back had nine tackles, one
tackle for loss, a pass deflection, and two interceptions in the
homecoming victory.
Hanover College's football team opened its Heartland Collegiate
Athletic Conference schedule with a 51-13 victory against Anderson
University in a Homecoming game Saturday, Oct. 3, at the L.S. Ayres
Athletic Complex.
Hanover (1-3; 1-0 HCAC) scored on the first play of the game, forced
eight Anderson turnovers and limited the Ravens to minus-33 rushing
yards in the squad's first win of the season.
Second-year quarterback C.J. Croft (Fort Campbell, Ky.) completed 17-of-31 passes for 268 yards and five touchdowns. Sophomore receiver Daniel Passafiume (Louisville, Ky.) caught eight passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns and senior Adam Miller (Franklin, Ind.) added six receptions for 104 yards and a score to lead Hanover's offensive attack.
Hanover's defensive unit racked up five interceptions and recovered
three fumbles while limiting Anderson (0-4; 0-1 HCAC) to 330 total
yards. The Ravens rushing effort was held to minus-33 yards on 31
attempts.
Senior Linebacker Daniel Cornely (Palmetto Bay, Fla.) led Hanover's defense with 13 tackles and a forced fumble.
Senior Corry Stewart (Nashville, Tenn.) and freshman Neil Johnston
(Owensboro, Ky.) had two interceptions apiece to spark the Panthers'
defense. Stewart had nine tackles, while Johnston added six stops. Both
players also had a tackle for loss and a pass deflection.
Freshman defensive back Lucas Mackey (West Terre Haute, Ind.) also picked off a pass, intercepting a ball at the goal line to end the contest.
Hanover jumped out to a 6-0 lead on the first play of the game.
Croft hit Passafiume in stride for a 78-yard touchdown to start the
onslaught.
Croft tossed a one-yarder to sophomore running back Jeremy Cook (Batesville, Ind.) to push the Panthers ahead 13-0 with five minutes left in the opening quarter.
Hanover freshman Pavel Polochanin (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Anderson's Tristan Cork traded 39-yard field goals early in the second period to make the score 16-3.
The Panthers jumped ahead 23-3 with 3:20 left in the half when Croft dumped a nine-yard touchdown pass to Miller.
Hanover scored again just 80 seconds later when sophomore defensive lineman Dylan Bostwick (Norwood, Ohio) smothered a fumble in the endzone to give the Panthers a 30-3 cushion at the intermission.
Cork booted a 27-yard field goal to cap Anderson's opening drive of
the second half and cut Hanover's margin to 30-6. The Panthers,
however, answered with two touchdown passes from Croft to Passafiume in
the period to stretch the margin to 44-6 at the close of three quarters
of action.
Anderson's Brock Bender scored on a 47-yard pass play midway through the fourth period to make the score 44-13.
Hanover freshman receiver Colton Zeck (Galveston,
Ind.) capped the scoring with a five-yard scamper into the endzone wiht
2:10 left in the contest. Zeck rushed for 40 yards and had two catches
for 18 yards in the final 15 minutes of the outing.
Former Hanover College quarterback Brett Dietz was selected by Team San Francisco in the United Football League's "premiere" season draft.
Dietz, who remains under contract with the Tampa Bay Storm in the Arena Football League, led Hanover to three Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference titles and appearances in the NCAA playoffs during the early 2000s. As a senior, he led the nation in total offense (380.5 ypg) and was a two-time all-HCAC selection.
After his tenure at Hanover, Dietz earned rookie-of-the-year honors as a member of the Tampa Bay Storm and, earlier in his carrer, was the AFL2 rookie of the year with the Louisville Fire.
The United Football League currently has four teams and will play games in seven cities in the fall of 2009. In the recent draft, teams from San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas and Orlando each selected 24 players from a group who participated in workouts in Orlando and Las Vegas. The UFL now owns the rights to these players if they chose to play in the league, which opens action in October.
The United Football League's rules and style of play will be similar to the NFL. The UFL, which aims to cater to markets underserved by professional football, will play in NFL-quality stadiums on Thursday and Friday evenings in October and November. The league's championship game is slated for Thanksgiving weekend.
Former Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals head coach Dennis Green is the head coach for Team San Francisco.
When it comes to playing football at Hanover College, I'll let some of our players (your future teammates!) do the talking.
Danny Cornely, Junior Linebacker, Palmetto High School, Palmetto Bay, FL: “My first sack on collegiate level play was a feeling that is unexplainable and will always be remembered for the rest of my life. The transition from high school football in Florida to college football in Indiana was smoother than I expected, the game got more challenging because everyone was just as good as you were but, if you’re up for the challenge you can do it. My decision to come to Hanover was the right one, and I wouldn’t want to go to college any other place” Chad Vilas, Junior Wide Receiver, Northwest High School, Cincinnati, OH: "I never thought I would get the chance to play college football, and Hanover turned out to be an excellent opportunity for me to do just that. I started my first game as a sophomore at Hanover. The opportunities are endless, I scored my first collegiate touchdown last season and it was a great feeling." CJ Croft, Freshman QB, Fort Campbell High School, KY:
"The most noticeable difference between high school and college football is the speed of the game. The quality education, the coaching staff, and the football program’s potential were the main reasons I chose to come to Hanover. I know that that I made the right decision choosing a college."
Former Hanover College quarterback Rick Webster (2002-06) has signed a professional contract with the Mahoning Valley Thunder of the Arenafootball2 League.
Webster, a 2006 Hanover graduate, played in 31 games for the Panthers through five seasons. He completed 410-of-713 passes for 4,549 yards and 43 touchdowns during his career. He also rushed for 174 yards and was a two-time all-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference honoree.
"Rick has great size for the quarterback position and has shown the ability to make all the throws," said Mahoning Valley coach Mike Hold. "He's going to have an adjustment moving to the indoor game, but he's athletic enough to where he should be able to make a smooth transition."
During the 2005 season, Webster was a first-team all-HCAC selection after throwing for 3,079 yards and 28 touchdowns. He earned the Raymond "Dutch" Struck Mental Attitude Award and was an honorable mention all-conference pick in 2006 after throwing for 1,391 yards with 14 touchdowns.
Webster spent his first two seasons at Hanover behind standout Brett Dietz, who later became the first athlete to earn rookie of the year honors in both the AF2 and the Arena Football League.
When it comes to playing football at Hanover College, I'll let some of our players (your future teammates!) do the talking.
Brett Dietz, Quarterback 2000 - 2003, Covington Catholic High School, Covington, KY(2003 Hanover College Most Valuable Player & 2007 AFL Rookie of the Year):
“Hanover was a great location from my home in Northern Kentucky, just an hour and fifteen minutes away. The athletic facilities are top-notch and much better than other small colleges that I've experienced. It was a college that I wanted to be a part of; a college I am proud to say that I graduated from.”
“The football program really prepared me for my career in pro football, especially Arena football. The coaches helped me not only with the X's and O's but developed me into a man that has helped me succeed with the pressure and stress that comes with being a professional quarterback.” Jeremy Cook, Freshman RB, Batesville High School, IN: "The school is demanding but very possible with the help of professors and other students. I'll never forget starting my first game - it allowed for me and my fellow teammates to realize what to expect at the college level. That same game I scored my first collegiate touchdown. It's a memory that I will never forget." Matt Money, Freshman Defensive Lineman, Oakwood High School, Dayton, OH:
"For me it is an excellent distance from home - it's not too far and its not too short. The first time you walk on the field it's like a whole new world with tougher coaches, tougher practices, and tougher drills. If you love football and want to succeed at the college level then Hanover is a wonderful place that demands perfection and the absolute best out of you. Coming to Hanover has made me go outside myself in my athletic abilities because it is required by the coaches."
