William Penn Football Game Notes: Week Nine: Trinity International
William Penn University Athletics
Oskaloosa–William Penn will welcome alumni back for another must-win game as Trinity International comes to town for Homecoming Saturday.
The #8 ranked Statesmen (7-1, 3-1 MWL) host the Trojans (1-6, 0-4 MWL) in Lacey Complex Stadium at 1:30 p.m. Several past championship teams will be recognized, while the 2011 class will also be inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame.
STATESMEN BROADCASTING: Every William Penn football game can be followed through several different mediums.
Radio (all games): Heard live on KBOE 740 AM or 104.9 FM
Internet (home games): Viewed and heard live at http://origin.peg.tv/pegtv_player?s=wpenn
TV (home games): Viewed and heard live on Mahaska Communication Group’s local channel
Internet (away games): Heard live at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/kboe.portal
HOMECOMING SUCCESS: The Statesmen have won seven Homecoming games in a row, dating back to 2004.
SERIES HISTORY: William Penn is 6-3 in its the all-time series against Trinity International.
The Statesmen, who have won six in a row against the Trojans, blanked the blue and white 44-0 last year.
Shawn Davis (So., Hamersville, Ohio, Western Brown HS), with 141 yards and a touchdown, and Taylor Parsons (So., The Woodlands, Texas, College Park HS), with 122 yards and four scores, both had huge days on the ground.
William Penn posted 451 rushing yards (502 total), while the defense held Trinity International to just 74 yards (25 rushing yards on 28 attempts).
WILLIAM PENN PROFILE: Todd Hafner is in his eighth year as head football coach at William Penn, entering the campaign with a 43-35 career record.
Hafner guided William Penn to its fifth league crown in 2010 and its first since 1976. The team finished 10-1, tying the school record for wins, and also broke NAIA single-season marks for total rushing yards and yards per attempt. Numerous other school marks were set in 2010.
The 2008 and 2010 Midwest League Coach of the Year, Hafner was also the recipient of the VSN NAIA Coach of the Year and the NFCA Region 2 Coach of the Year honors. As skipper, he has produced 98 all-conference players and 12 All-Americans.
Prior to his career at William Penn, Hafner had coaching stops at Carl Junction HS, Southwest Baptist University, Emporia State University, and Pittsburg State University (student coach).
Hafner graduated from Pittsburg State in 1994 with a degree in mathematics.
Last time out, William Penn rushed all over St. Mary (Kan.) in a 38-16 non-conference win.
The teams had a good battle of two strengths–William Penn’s rushing and the Spires’ passing–as the defenses gave up over 900 total yards (501 by WPU).
P.J. Perry (Sr., Orlando, Fla., East Ridge HS) and Evan Ressler (So., Cascade, Cascade HS) both rushed for two scores, while Parsons (159) and Davis (111) each eclipsed the century mark.
For the year, William Penn averages 39.9 points and 425.0 yards per game, including 344.8 rushing and 80.8 passing. The squad is the best in the NAIA in total rushing yards (2,754) as well as rushing yards per game. The Statesmen are also sixth in total points (319), sixth in total yards (2,899), and seventh in points per game.
Davis leads the Statesmen offense with 788 rushing yards and four touchdowns, while Parsons has an additional 630 yards and 11 scores. Davis ranks ninth in the NAIA in rushing.
Seven other individuals have also eclipsed the century mark in rushing.
Due to the powerful running attack, Parsons has not been asked to throw the pigskin much. The sophomore is 32-of-73 for 589 yards and seven TDs.
Parsons has spread the ball around to several different receivers. Chris Crawford (Jr., Muskegon, Mich., Grand Valley State) tops the corps in receptions (11) and Aaron Broyles (So., Escondido, Calif., Escondido Charter HS) is best in yards (158).
DeMarco Sanders (Sr., Horn Lake, Miss., Horn Lake HS) has caught only four balls, but has taken three into the endzone.
Defensively, the Statesmen are giving up an average of 12.0 points and 244.8 yards, including 167.6 passing and 77.1 rushing.
William Penn is second in the nation in points allowed per game, sixth in rushing yards allowed per game, and seventh in total yards allowed per game.
Damon Harrison (Sr., Lake Charles, La., Lake Charles Boston HS) is the top tackler for the navy and gold with 48 stops (seven for loss). Four different players have recorded three sacks and Joseph Frye (Fr., Detroit, Mich., Highland Park HS) and Andrew Reed (So., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS) have three interceptions each.
Marcus Kerrigan (So., Cary, Ill., Cary-Grove HS )is nearly perfect in point-after-attempts at 41-of-43, but is just 4-of-8 in field goals. He is ranked eighth in the nation in scoring (kicking) with 53 points.
The team utilizes two punters, Kerrigan and Jason Johnson (So., Geneseo, Ill., Geneseo HS). Johnson has punted 12 times for a 43.1 yard average, while Kerrigan has kicked 17 times for a clip of 35.4 yards.
Sanders is topping the kick return game with 12 runbacks for an 18.2 average, while Crawford has taken 15 punts back for a clip of 8.5 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown.
William Penn was picked to win the Midwest League, the first time it has been chosen as the favorite since joining the MSFA in 2002.
TRINITY INTERNATIONAL PROFILE: Kirk Wherritt is in his first season as head football coach at Trinity International, entering the campaign with a 3-8 mark.
Prior to his head coaching appointment, Wherritt was Offensive Coordinator for the Trojans. He also had assistant coaching stints at UNLV and Utah.
He graduated from Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2003 and earned his master’s from UNLV in 2008.
Last week, the Trojans could not get past McKendree in a 24-9 loss.
Trinity International outgained the Bearcats 333-260, but struggled to score (1-for-3 in the red zone, two missed field goals) in the loss.
Morgan Hall completed 21-of-40 passes for 202 yards and a score, while Donnie Irving rushed for 107 yards.
For the year, the Trojan offense is tallying 6.9 points and 246.9 yards per game, including 126.4 passing and 120.4 rushing.
Hall has guided the offense from behind center, completing 81-of-184 passes for 833 yards and four touchdowns.
Nigel Pinson has been his biggest target, hauling in 23 catches for 296 yards and two scores.
Donnie Irving (312 yards) and Namu Keys (291 yards, 2 TDs) headline the ground attack.
Defensively, Trinity International gives up 30.3 points and 359.1 yards per contest, including 184.0 rushing and 175.1 passing.
Thomas Denne has tallied a team-high 61 tackles, while Vincent Aguilar has six sacks and Dominique Rogers has five interceptions.
Denne is ninth in the NAIA in tackles per game (10.2), while Aguilar is sixth in sacks per game (1.0) and ninth in total sacks. Rogers is fourth in the nation in interceptions per game (0.8) and sixth in total INTs.
Jason Owens has been a busy kicker, going 7-of-12 in field goals, but has attepted just five extra points (4-of-5). Derek Mathewson has punted 35 times for a 41.0 clip.
Rogers is the top returner, taking 13 kickoffs back an average of 17.4 yards and returning five punts 8.0 yards per attempt.
Trinity International was picked to finish fifth in the Midwest League.
COACH HAFNER SAYS: On the St. Mary (Kan.) Game: “The St. Mary win was great. It got us back on track. We turned the ball over a little too much and our defense gave up too many yards, but we were able to overcome all of that. We kept them out of the endzone and scored when we needed.”
On the Bye Week: “The bye week came at a great time for us. We were able to get some guys healthy and get our legs back under us. Hopefully we can go back out and play fast and get back to Statesmen football.”
On Trinity International: “Trinity is a good football team. They play extremely hard and Coach Wherritt will have them ready to play. Their schedule has not been very kind to them as they have already played all of the top teams in the conference plus a couple ranked teams from the other side.”
