BAY CITY, Mich. – Ten Ohio Dominican football players, including four on the first and second team, were recognized on the 2011 All-GLIAC Football Teams, announced today by the conference office.
Senior placekicker Chris Vortkamp (Cincinnati, Ohio) was a first team selection, while senior running back Mike Noffsinger (West Branch, Mich.), senior wide out Tyler Purcell (Franklin, Ohio) and junior left tackle Tyler White (Cincinnati, Ohio) picked up second team accolades.
Six Panthers were picked to the honorable mention list, including senior quarterback Jeremy Fudge (Eaton, Ohio), junior center Andrew Carpenter (Cincinnati, Ohio), junior defensive back Eisen Hardy (Pickerington, Ohio), junior defensive end Joe Richter (Fairfield, Ohio) and sophomore corner Justin Bell (Groveport, Ohio).
Vortkamp, ODU's career leader in points scored, field goals made and PAT's made, paced the conference with a 90.9 percent conversion rate on his field goal, knocking in 10-of-11 this year. He was named the GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week after ODU's win over Ashland, hitting a school record-long kick of 47 yards and what turned out to be the game-winning 33-yard kick in the fourth quarter. Vortkamp also helped ODU rank among the national leaders in net punting throughout the season, averaging 39.6 yards on his 48 punts. The senior will continue his collegiate career at the D2 vs. NAIA Senior Scout Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 3 in Middletown, N.Y.
The accolades continued for Noffsinger, who last week was selected as a Harlon Hill Trophy Candidate and to the Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-District team. He will join Vortkamp at the Senior Bowl as well. An Honorable Mention pick last year, Noffsinger ranked third in the GLIAC and set a new school record with 1,242 yards this year, averaging 5.0 yards per carry and tallying 12 rushing TDs. Noffsinger picked up GLIAC Player of the Week honors after running for 169 yards and four scores against Northwood in week two. He became the career rushing record holder after the opener against Saint Joseph's and finished with 2,714 yards and 31 total touchdowns, the most in program history.
Joining Noffsinger on the academic all-district squad was Purcell, who led ODU with 58 catches for 778 yards, both in the top-ten in school history. Purcell became the only player in school annals to have more than 1,000 career yards rushing and receiving, exiting his career fourth in school history in career history and among the top-10 in receiving. He had three 100-yard games this season, including 130 yards and two TDs against Tiffin, 121 yards in the win over nationally ranked Hillsdale, and a career-high 12 receptions for 103 yards against regionally ranked Hillsdale.
White and Carpenter anchored the offensive line, helping ODU set a new school-record with 2,329 rushing yards (211.7 per game) and guiding the Panthers into a tie for third in the league in scoring (31.9 points per game). The duo, along with the entire line, remained intact for all 11 games after starting all 10 last season as well.
As the triggerman in ODU's spread option attack, Fudge led all GLIAC quarterbacks in rushing with 688 yards, averaging 62.5 yards per game on the ground with 11 rushing TDs. On six fourth down runs, he converted all six and averaged 9.7 yards per run. Fudge proved to be more than an adept passer as well, completing 62.7 percent of his throws for 1,702 yards and 12 scores. He had a career-best five total touchdowns in the win over Lake Erie and ran for 138 yards and two scores against Hillsdale.
Hardy proved to be one of the top players in the defensive backfield this season, leading the GLIAC with 14 passes defended and tying for the team lead with 93 tackles. His four interceptions were tied for the fifth-most in the league. Hardy had at least 11 tackles in four games, including 13 against Findlay, and he also had nine tackles, a 42-yard interception return and another pass break-up against the conference's top pass offense, Indianapolis, in the season finale.
Richter was a stalwart on the defensive line, registering 38 tackles (7.5 for loss) and forcing a pair of fumbles. He had a career-best seven tackles against Michigan Tech and forced fumbles against Northwood and Hillsdale.
Bell showed to have the classic "nose for the football", as he finished the year with four interceptions, 10 passes defended, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Bell returned two of those fumbles for touchdowns, swinging the tide late in the win over Hillsdale with the first and helping ODU build a big first half lead over Indy with the second. He had a career-high 14 tackles against Lake Erie and broke up three passes against Ashland and finished the year with 93 tackles to tie Hardy for the team lead.
Ohio Dominican closed the season on a four-game winning streak and with a 7-4 record overall (6-4 GLIAC). ODU wound up in a tie for third in the South Division and a tie for fifth in the overall standings.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Dominican's football team capped a remarkable turnaround with a 38-26 victory over Indianapolis on Saturday afternoon in the season finale, the Panthers' fourth-straight win to close the season.
ODU finished with a 7-4 record overall and a 6-4 record in the GLIAC, marking a five-win improvement overall from last season and a four-win improvement in conference play. For the second straight week, the Panthers knocked off a team in the regional rankings, as Indy (7-4, 6-4 GLIAC) entered the contest ninth in the region and needing a win to keep its playoff hopes alive.
The Panthers recorded their fifth seven-win season in the program's eight-year history, and ODU finished in a three-way tie for third place in the GLIAC South Division with Ashland and Findlay. Ohio Dominican also finished in a five-way tie for fifth-place in the overall standings, along with Indy and Michigan Tech, and owned a victory over GLIAC champion Hillsdale.
ODU's defense largely kept one of the league's best offenses in check. ODU forced three turnovers, equaling the total that Indy had committed the entire season, and allowed just one offensive touchdown in the opening 59 minutes of the game. The Greyhounds tallied 405 yards, but 82 of them came after the game had already been decided.
Sophomore Justin Bell (Groveport, Ohio) keyed the unit with eight tackles, a fumble return for a touchdown and an interception to stop a potential scoring drive. Junior Eisen Hardy (Pickerington, Ohio) had nine tackles and an interception and senior James Dews (Upper Marlboro, Md.) closed his career with a team-high 11 tackles. The Panther defense broke up eight passes and limited Harlon Hill Trophy candidate Chris Mills to just 19-of-39 passing.
Senior Mike Noffsinger (West Branch, Mich.), a Harlon Hill Trophy candidate himself, had his ninth-100 yard rushing performance as he finished with 108 yards and two TDs on a school-record 32 carries. He also had 36 yards receiving. Classmate Jeremy Fudge (Eaton, Ohio) completed 12-of-18 passes for 138 yards and also ran for 67 yards and two scores, while fellow senior Tyler Purcell (Franklin, Ohio) hauled in six passes for 54 yards.
Indy began the scoring with a field goal, but the Panthers answered with a field goal drive of their own. After a 38-yard return by freshman Abe Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio), Noffsinger and Fudge combined on eight runs for 26 yards to get to the Indy 13, and Chris Vortkamp (Cincinnati, Ohio) booted a 33-yard field goal to knot the game at three in the first quarter.
The Panthers then worked the quick passing game to perfection as Fudge hooked up with Purcell on four of five plays to reach the Greyhound red zone, then called his own number from the four and took it into the end zone for a 10-6 Panther lead early in the second.
ODU's defense forced a punt, and the Panthers took over on the 50 after a Greyhound penalty. Fudge ran for 11 yards on a fourth-and-one play, connected with Tyler Maddox (Lewistown, Ohio) to get inside the 10, and Noffsinger scored from six yards out to make it 17-6 with six minutes to play in the quarter.
Indy drove into ODU territory, but Bell came up from his corner position to strip running back Matt Ripp, plucking the ball clean from his hands and racing 55 yards untouched down the near sideline for the touchdown. It was Bell's second fumble return for a score this year.
The Greyhounds, though, answered with a touchdown to close the first half, and then returned the opening kickoff of the second half back for a score to cut the Panther lead to 24-20 moments into the third.
That would be all of the scoring in the third quarter, as ODU managed just a pair of third downs while the Greyhounds tallied six. Indy then advanced inside the Panther 10 to start the fourth quarter, but junior Eli Kovach (Willoughby, Ohio) chased Mills, forcing him to throw a pass that was picked off at the five by Bell to stop the drive.
ODU's offense then took control with its most impressive series of the game. Running the ball on 13 of 15 plays, the Panthers marched 79 yards and chewed up six and a half minutes off the clock. ODU converted a trio of third downs, including a 22-yard strike from Fudge to Maddox on third-and-12 from the Greyhound 48 to keep the chains moving. Fudge's keeper from the two put ODU in front 31-20 with six minutes left in the game.
Mills, who had just three interceptions entering the game, tossed his second pick in five passes as Hardy stepped in front of a Greyhound wideout, returning it 42 yards to the Indy 19. A penalty knocked ODU back to the 34, but that just gave Fudge and Noffsinger more room to operate, as the duo combined on seven runs, while Purcell drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone, to set up Noffsinger's two-yard TD plunge to make it 38-20 with just 1:22 left.
ODU controlled the ball for 10:19 in the fourth quarter, running for 83 yards on 20 carries and attempting just two passes.
Prior to the game, ODU's 18 seniors were recognized on the field, a group that helped Ohio Dominican's transition into Division II and the GLIAC.
FLORENCE, Ala. – Senior running back Mike Noffsinger (West Branch, Mich.) has been selected as one of the 22 semifinalists for the 2011 Harlon Hill Trophy, which recognizes the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year.
The 22 candidates will be placed on regional ballots and the top two players from each of the four NCAA regions will advance to the national ballot when regional voting concludes on November 19.
Noffsinger, who was selected to the Capital One Academic All-District team yesterday, has rushed for 1,134 yards this year on 214 carries, both school single-season records. He has 10 touchdowns and is averaging 113.4 yards rushing per game, which is third in the GLIAC and 16th nationally, and is also averaging 5.3 yards per carry.
Noffsinger has eight 100-yard rushing games this season and 13 for his career. He was named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week after his 169-yard, four-touchdown performance at Northwood, and he had another multi-TD performance against Tiffin when he ran for 136 yards and two scores.
The senior holds most of the major career rushing records at ODU, including yards (2,606), attempts (479) and touchdowns (23). He's tied for the career lead with 29 touchdowns scored and is second in points scored (174).
Noffsinger has the school record for most rushing attempts in a game (31), and his four-TD effort against Northwood is tied for the most in single-game history. He has five of the top 10 rushing performances in school history, including a career-high 171 yards at Tiffin last year, and his 62-yard run in that game is the third-longest in school history.
Other candidates from the region include junior running back Joe Glendening of Hillsdale, senior quarterback Clay Garcia of Colorado School of Mines, senior tailback Jesse Lewis of Colorado State University-Pueblo, sophomore quarterback Chris Mills of Indianapolis and senior quarterback Jake Spitzlberger of the University of Nebraska-Kearney.
The winner of the 2011 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the 26th annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on Friday, December 16 at the Florence Conference Center at 6:30 p.m. This year's Hill Trophy Banquet will also include the 13th induction into the Division II Football Hall of Fame.
Just two other GLIAC players have won the award: Grand Valley quarterback Curt Anes in 2002 and Wayne State running back Joique Bell in 2009.
Noffsinger and the Panthers conclude the 2011 regular season at noon Saturday against Indianapolis at Panther Field.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio Dominican's football team, carried by 16 seniors this season, will look to finish what has already been a strong second season in the GLIAC as the Panthers play host to Indianapolis in their season finale.
ODU clinched its fifth winning season in the program's eighth year of existence after its 20-17 win over Ashland last Saturday, knocking the Eagles out of first place in the GLIAC and out of the playoff hunt.
The Panthers controlled the second half, running 42 plays in the half and controlling the ball for over 18 minutes. ODU converted 8-of-10 third downs in the half, and senior quarterback Jeremy Fudge completed 15-of-17 passes in the half as well. Senior Mike Noffsinger had his eighth career 100-yard game and senior Tyler Purcell had a career-high 12 receptions.
Senior kicker Chris Vortkamp drilled two field goals, including a school record long kick of 47 yards and the go-ahead field goal in the fourth, and was named GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week. The defense, meanwhile, stymied Ashland's rushing attack, holding the Eagles to just 75 yards on the ground, 124 below their season average. Cody Culbertson had 11 tackles and Justin Bell had nine tackles and three pass break ups to lead the unit.
ALL OHIO DOMINICAN FOOTBALL GAMES LIVE ON THE RADIO AND INTERNETFans in Central Ohio can listen to Ohio Dominican football LIVE on the radio on 1580 AM (St. Gabriel Radio) and simulcast online everywhere at www.ohiodominicanpanthers.com. This week's broadcast starts at 11:30 a.m. with the Panther Countdown Pregame Show. Veteran broadcaster Todd Bell returns for his fourth year in the booth as the play-by-play announcer and is joined by former Buckeye A.J. Trapasso in the booth, while Dan Long handles the pregame and halftime shows. Live video is also provided FREE for all six home games this season.
THE SERIESThis is the second meeting all-time between the schools, with Indy scoring a 31-17 win in last year's season-finale. ODU rallied from a 24-0 halftime deficit to make it 24-10 in the third but could draw no closer. ODU outgained the Greyhounds 354-351 and eclipsed the 200-yard mark on the ground. Joe Richter had five tackles (2.5 for loss) to lead the defense, Jeremy Fudge ran for 98 yards and threw for 130 yards and Brandon Robinson had 10 catches.
DID YOU KNOW?????
>> Ohio Dominican has converted six straight fourth downs and seven of its past eight attempts. ODU is second in the GLIAC in that category.>> This is ODU's second 11-game regular season. The Panthers also played 11 regular season games in 2007, when they eventually reached the NAIA quarterfinals.>> ODU's defense has forced six turnovers on downs inside the red zone, the most of any GLIAC team this season.>> This is Indy's final season in the GLIAC for football. The Greyhounds' conference, the GLVC, is sponsoring football next year.
BAY CITY, Mich. – After hitting two field goals, including the eventual game-winner, senior kicker Chris Vortkamp (Cincinnati, Ohio) was named the GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Vortkamp played a big role in Ohio Dominican's win over Ashland, knocking in a 33-yard field goal that gave the Panthers their first lead of the day at 20-17 with 8:55 left in the fourth quarter, and that proved to be the final margin. Earlier in the game, Vortkamp drilled a school-record long kick of 47 yards that accounted for ODU's first points of the afternoon. The previous record long was 44, which Vortkamp shared with Paul Andrix.
The senior also averaged 36.6 yards on his five punts, with a long boot of 52 yards and one inside the 20, and hit both of his extra point tries.
Vortkamp has hit 9-of-10 field goals this season, the top percentage in the conference this year. He is fifth in punting average at 38.5 yards per punt this year.
For his career, Vortkamp has made 27-of-36 field goals, the most in school history. He's also the career leader in PAT's with 98.
Ohio Dominican is the only school in the conference to have an offensive, defensive and special teams player of the week this season. Mike Noffsinger (West Branch, Mich.) earned the offensive honors after his 169-yard, four-TD effort against Northwood and Justin Bell (Groveport, Ohio) garnered the defensive honors after returning a fumble for a touchdown against No. 22 Hillsdale.
The Panthers close the 2011 season against Indianapolis at noon Saturday at Panther Field.
ASHLAND, Ohio – Ohio Dominican's football team guaranteed its second season in Division II and GLIAC play would be a winning one as the Panthers went on the road to knock off first place Ashland 20-17 Saturday afternoon at Jack Miller Stadium.
Ohio Dominican's third-straight win moved ODU to 6-4 (5-4 GLIAC), assuring the Panthers of their fifth winning season in just the eighth year of the program. Ashland (6-4, 6-3 GLIAC), meanwhile, dropped out of its tie for the GLIAC lead and had entered the game in the sixth and final playoff spot in Super Region Three.
The Eagles took the opening kickoff of the second half and went on a 10-play, 66-yard drive, culminating in a 25-yard touchdown pass to grab a 17-10 lead. ODU answered with a lengthy drive of its own, converting four third downs on a 15-play, 80-yard drive that took up over six minutes. Facing second-and-goal from the five, sophomore Bylal Humphrey (Bexley, Ohio) slipped out of the backfield and senior Jeremy Fudge (Eaton, Ohio) lofted a pass over two rushers to him for the touchdown, the first of Humphrey's career, to tie the game at 17 at the 3:50 mark in the third.
The Panther defense then stuffed Ashland on third-and-one and fourth-and-inches from the ODU 30, and the offense quickly moved into Eagle territory. ODU picked up four first downs and reached the Eagle 15 before stalling, but senior Chris Vortkamp (Cincinnati, Ohio) drilled a 33-yard field goal to give the Panthers their first lead, 20-17, with 8:55 to play.
Ashland converted one first down but was forced to punt with 6:03 left, and the Panthers would not let the host Eagles get the football back. Fudge kept it himself for eight yards to convert another third down, and after Ashland exhausted all of its timeouts, senior Mike Noffsinger (West Branch, Mich.) ran a sweep off the right side on third-and-two to pick up the first down with 1:28 left, allowing ODU to run out the clock.
The Panthers ran 42 plays in the second half to Ashland's 23 and controlled the ball for over 12 minutes in the fourth quarter.
Ashland scored the game's first points as a muffed field goal attempt turned into a big play for the Eagles. After bobbling the hold, AU quarterback Taylor Housewright picked it up, rolled right, broke a tackle and lofted a pass downfield that turned into a 24-yard gain to the ODU nine. Three plays later, Jordan McCune scored from the two to make it 7-0 Eagles with 5:52 left in the first.
ODU, which had a drive into Eagle territory in the first quarter stopped at the 36, finally cracked the score column on a school-record long 47-yard field goal by Vortkamp with 8:57 left in the second. Noffsinger had a 12-yard run, with a 15-yard face mask tacked on to the end, to set it up.
After Ashland answered with its own field goal, ODU took over on its own 40 with 1:50 left in the half. Noffsinger picked up a key first down on third-and-two to the Eagle 32, and facing third-and-four, Fudge lofted a pass into the front corner of the end zone for senior wide receiver Tyler Purcell (Franklin, Ohio), who leapt over a defender to make the catch. It was a 26-yard pass and the seventh reception of the half for Purcell, knotting the game at 10 with 28 seconds left.
A long kickoff return gave AU a chance to score before halftime, but freshman Sydney Omameh (Westerville, Ohio) got a hand on the field goal attempt as time expired to keep the game tied at the break.
Ashland had rushed for at least 135 yards in every game this year, but the Panthers held them to 75 yards on 27 carries and just 274 yards of total offense. ODU tallied 344 yards and ran for 152 yards against the GLIAC's second-best rush defense.
Freshman Cody Culbertson (Galloway, Ohio) had a team-best 11 tackles, while Justin Bell (Groveport, Ohio) had nine tackles and three pass break ups. James Dews (Upper Marlboro, Md.) had six tackles, including two for a loss of 13 yards, and Jeff White (Gahanna, Ohio) also had six stops.
There were plenty of offensive superlatives, as Fudge completed a career-high 25 passes for 192 yards and two scores. Purcell was the recipient of 12 of those tosses, which was a career-high for him and tied for the third-most receptions in a game in school history, and tallied 103 yards for his third game over the century mark.
Noffsinger, meanwhile, broke his own school-record with 31 rushing attempts, grinding out 104 yards for his eighth 100-yard rushing game of the season. Fudge chipped in with 50 yards on the ground, and senior Brandon Robinson (Eaton, Ohio) had five catches for 37 yards.
ODU handed Ashland its first loss at home this season and just its second in the past two years.
Ohio Dominican closes its regular season at noon Saturday in Panther Field against Indianapolis.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio Dominican's football team will look to run its win streak to three in a row and continue climbing up the GLIAC South Division standings as the Panthers play their final road game of the season at Ashland at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Ashland enters the game ranked sixth in the latest regional poll. The top six teams from each region qualify for the postseason.
After a 62-7 win over Tiffin, ODU scored 31 unanswered points but needed to hold on late to fend off Lake Erie, 38-30, last Saturday.
The Storm had rallied from a 38-14 deficit in the second half with two fourth quarter touchdowns, converting both two-point tries, but their onside kick with 54 seconds sailed through the hands of one of their receivers and out of bounds, allowing ODU to kneel out the game.
Senior quarterback Jeremy Fudge accounted for five total touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) and ODU's defense and special teams forced four turnovers, including two in a pivotal 44-second stretch at the start of the third quarter that resulted in Panther touchdowns. The Panthers have now forced nine turnovers in their past two games.
Mike Noffsinger had his third straight 100-yard game with 122 yards on 25 carries, cracking the century mark on the season (1,030 yards). The defense was led by sophomore Justin Bell, who registered a career-high 14 tackles, and freshman Cody Culbertson, who had a career-best 13 stops and his first career interception.
Saturday's matchup will feature the GLIAC's top rushing offense against the second-best rushing defense. ODU averages 221.8 yards per game on the ground, while the Eagles allow just 125.4 yards rushing. The Panthers ran for 213 yards against the No. 1 rush defense, Wayne State, and 117 yards against the No. 3 defense, Michigan Tech.
ALL OHIO DOMINICAN FOOTBALL GAMES LIVE ON THE RADIO AND INTERNETFans in Central Ohio can listen to Ohio Dominican football LIVE on the radio on 1580 AM (St. Gabriel Radio) and simulcast online everywhere at www.ohiodominicanpanthers.com. This week's broadcast starts at 12:30 p.m. with the Panther Countdown Pregame Show. Veteran broadcaster Todd Bell returns for his fourth year in the booth as the play-by-play announcer and is joined by former Buckeye A.J. Trapasso in the booth, while Dan Long handles the pregame and halftime shows. Live video is also provided FREE for all six home games this season.
THE SERIESThis is the second matchup between the teams, with Ashland winning 44-15 last year in Columbus. The Panthers committed four turnovers and Ashland QB Taylor Housewright completed 18-of-25 throws for 281 yards and three scores. Mike Noffsinger ran for 123 yards on just 17 carries and Tyler Purcell had seven grabs for 69 yards.
DID YOU KNOW????
>> Ohio Dominican has converted six straight fourth downs and seven of its past eight attempts. ODU is second in the GLIAC in that category.>> The Panthers set a new school record with 1,996 yards rushing this season. ODU's 221.8 yards per game tops in the GLIAC.>> ODU's defense has forced six turnovers on downs inside the red zone, the most of any GLIAC team this season.>> The Panthers' nine turnovers forced in the past two games are one shy of their consecutive-game record (10, Campbellsville and Walsh, 2005).