All Releases Written by: Ryan Maurer
Director of Sports Information
E-Mail: rmaurer@wittenberg.edu
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Wittenberg University football standout Jacob Thomas of New Albany, Ohio, class of 2006, has earned American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III All-America recognition. Read More...
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Another banner fall sports season has reaped rich rewards for 34 Wittenberg University athletes who were selected to All-North Coast Athletic Conference teams over the last two weeks, and a number of those individuals have also claimed regional and national awards. Read More...
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Wabash senior Russ Harbaugh (Evansville, IN/Bosse) and Ohio Wesleyan senior Cisco Clervoix (Naples, FL/Naples) have been honored for outstanding seasons by being named North Coast Athletic Conference Players of the Year. Harbaugh receives the Mike Gregory Award as the NCAC's Offensive Player of the Year. The award is presented by Richard Gregory of Columbus, in honor of his father, a multi-sport standout at Denison in the 1920s. Clervoix, meanwhile, is the Defensive Player of the Year for the first time and receives the Hank Critchfield Award, commemorating the 1927 Wooster graduate. Read More...
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Wittenberg University punter Jacob Thomas has been selected to play for the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III All-Star team that will represent the United States against a Mexican National All-Star Team in the 2005 Aztec Bowl at 1 p.m. (CST) Saturday, Dec. 17, in Toluca, Mexico. Read More...
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Ken Bibb
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The Wittenberg football team rounded out the 2005 season with its best performance in a 45-0 win over Wooster on Nov. 5 and then one of its worst in a 31-21 road defeat against Allegheny on Nov. 12. The Tigers wound up with a 5-5 overall record, including a mark of 5-2 in the North Coast Athletic Conference, good for a third-place tie with Ohio Wesleyan.
The .500 record was the program's first non-winning mark since 1991 and just the third since 1955, and it was the first time Wittenberg has finished out of the top two in the conference since 1992.
Against Wooster, the Tigers were dominant from start to finish, especially on defense. The Scots came into the game ranked second in the conference in scoring and total offense, but the Tigers recorded their third shutout in four games and limited Wooster to just 145 yards total offense. Wittenberg picked up 10 tackles from junior linebacker Tyler Harmon (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian) and seven more from senior linebacker Ken Bibb (Cincinnati, Ohio/Purcell Marian), who also added his first career interception and a forced fumble that led to a touchdown return by junior safety Mitch Fonseca (Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus).
Against Allegheny, however, the defense was unable to come up with timely stops and just enough big plays went against the Tigers. Senior tailback Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh) added two more 100-yard rushing games, giving him eight on the season. The 2004 NCAC Newcomer of the Year, Murray finished the 2005 season first in the conference in rushing yards, all-purpose yards and points per game.
Senior wide receiver Jered Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown) finished his final season in the Red & White with a team-best 34 receptions for 420 yards and five touchdowns. The team's leading receiver in each of his four seasons, Glover capped his career as the program's career leader in receptions and receiving yards.
Details about the Tigers' season can be found on the team's schedule/results page and season statistics page.
Next: Season CompleteSPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Wittenberg University football standout Tristan Murray, class of 2006, has been recognized for the combination of his athletic and academic accomplishments with first-team CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine College Division Academic All-District IV honors. Read More...
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Tyler Harmon
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Wittenberg fell out of first place with a 26-20 loss at Wabash on Oct. 22, a game in which for the third time this season the Tigers led a quality opponent on the road in the second half only to lose. The nationally ranked Little Giants have one conference game remaining, while Wittenberg has games against Wooster on Nov. 5 and Allegheny on Nov. 12 still on the schedule. If Wabash loses to Denison and the Tigers win out the two teams can still share the title, but the Little Giants hold a tiebreaker thanks to the head-to-head win.
The Tigers rebounded from the loss at Wabash with a convincing Homecoming and Reunion Weekend victory over Ohio Wesleyan. In the 31-9 win, the Tiger defense continued its resurgence, led by NCAC Defensive Player of the Week Tyler Harmon (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian). Harmon, a converted fullback after back-to-back All-NCAC seasons on offense, had his best game since moving to linebacker with career-highs of 16 total tackles and eight solo tackles.
In addition, senior defensive tackle Tyler Jenkins (Circleville, Ohio/Logan Elm) finished with a career-high 11 tackles, including 2.5 for loss.
Offensively, the Tigers picked up an efficient peformance from junior quarterback Geron Stokes (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana), who improved to 3-0 as a starter in the Red & White with a 17-for-22, 199 yard, three touchdown performance. Senior tailback Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh) topped the 100-yard mark for the sixth time in eight games this season and senior wide receiver Jered Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown) caught three passes for 92 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown. Already the school record-holder for career receptions, Glover is closing in on records for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns as well.
Also of note is the conclusion of the career of senior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda). After suffering an injury in the season opener, Holmes came back as quickly as possible to gain playing time against Earlham on Oct. 8 and then start against Hiram on Oct. 15. However, Holmes suffered the same injury again at Wabash and found out after the game that his collegiate career was officially over. With 272 passing yards in that game, Holmes moved into second place in school history for career passing yards, behind only National College Football Hall of Fame honoree Charlie Green.
Details about the Tigers' season can be found on the team's schedule/results page and season statistics page.
Next: 11/5 vs. WoosterSPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Wittenberg University is always a busy place during its annual Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, especially in and around the athletic complex. The 2005 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend may well be the topper. Read More...
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Ryan Holmes
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The Tigers are coming off a second straight shutout victory, a 66-0 win over visiting Hiram on Saturday. In that game, senior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda) made his first start since opening week due to injury, throwing for 137 yards and three touchdowns in less than one half of work. The Tigers did most of their damage on the ground, churning out 311 rushing yards, led by junior Jason Hartzler (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin) with career highs of nine carries and 68 yards in the fourth quarter and senior Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh), who moved into the top 10 nationally with three more touchdowns, giving him 13 on the season.
For the third straight week, it was the Tigers' much-maligned defensive unit that spearheaded the win. After giving up 133 points in the first three games, the Wittenberg defense has shut down Denison, Earlham and Hiram, allowing just six points in the first quarter of a 31-6 win over Denison on Oct. 1. Wittenberg has not allowed a point in 11 quarters, a span of more than 174 minutes of game action.
Against Hiram, school records were set for total offensive yards allowed (-1 yards) and rushing yards allowed (-45), breaking marks established in 1970 against California (Pa.). The tone was set in the opening minutes as senior defensive ends Dave Fleck (Enon, Ohio/Greenon) and Chris Vennefron (Hamilton, Ohio/Somerville Edgewood) recovered fumbles on Hiram's first two offensive plays from scrimmage.
The Tigers will find out just how far they have come in the 2005 season when they travel to Wabash this weekend. After losses to three teams with a combined record of 15-4 to open the season and wins over three teams with a combined record of 5-14 since the calendar flipped to October, Wittenberg, the preseason favorite to capture an eighth league title in 17 years, is something of an enigma. Wabash has been a steamroller so far this year and has positioned itself to win its second conference title since joining the NCAC in 2000.
Details about the Tigers' season can be found on the team's schedule/results page and season statistics page.
Next: 10/22 @ Wabash
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Andy Vanover
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The Tigers' defense, which had allowed 133 points in the first three games, has played a key role in the resurgence. Wittenberg held Denison to less than 300 yards of total offense and just six points on a first-quarter touchdown and then Earlham gained just over 200 yards of total offense, including 60 on one play, in a 48-0 loss to the Tigers on Saturday.
Junior safety Mitch Fonseca (Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus) has been outstanding, leading the team in tackles the first three weeks (and for the season overall) and taking the conference lead with three interceptions on the season. Against Earlham, Fonseca returned two interceptions a combined 60 yards.
Also of note has been the play of junior linebacker Tyler Harmon (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian), who has led the Tigers in tackles each of the last two weeks after missing two games, and senior defensive tackle Tyler Jenkins (Circleville, Ohio/Logan Elm), who had a seven tackles, including six solos, against Earlham. Both were career highs.
Against Earlham, the Tigers welcomed back senior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda), who was injured in the first game of the season. Holmes split time with junior quarterback Geron Stokes (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana), combining for a season-high 247 yards through the air.
Offensively, the backfield tandem of senior tailback Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh) and sophomore fullback Andy Vanover (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe) led the way. Murray, the leading rusher and scorer in the NCAC, ran for 154 yards and three touchdowns against Earlham. Vanover enjoyed a career day, rushing for 36 yards on 11 carries and catching three passes for 90 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown reception.
All of the details about the Tigers, are well documented in game stories found on the team's schedule/results page. Season statistics can be found by clicking here.
Next: 10/15 @ Hiram
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Geron Stokes
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The Tigers, who are now 1-3 overall, but more importantly 1-0 in the NCAC, continue to get tremendous production from senior tailback Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh), who surpassed the 100-yard mark for the third time in four games. At 136.0 rushing yards per game, he leads the NCAC and ranks among the national leaders. Murray also scored three times against the Big Red.
The breakout performance of the day was turned in by senior wide receiver Jered Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown), who caught five passes for 53 yards after coming into the game with just nine receptions for 50 yards. The team leader in receptions each of the last three years, Glover now tops the squad again in 2005 and he reached a career milestone as well. With his fifth catch on Saturday, Glover tied the school record of 147 career receptions set four years ago by Michael Aljancic.
To top it off, Glover’s 70-yard punt return, the third return touchdown of his illustrious collegiate career, provided the biggest score of the game against Denison. He took it to the house with his team clinging to a 17-6 third-quarter lead.
Junior quarterback Geron Stokes (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) made his first start under center against Denison, and he was solid, completing 12-of-18 passes for 135 yards. He is the third different quarterback to start a game for the injury-riddled Tigers.
Defensively, the stars have been a punter, a defensive end and a safety. The punter, senior Jacob Thomas (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany), leads the conference and the nation in average by a wide margin, and earlier this season he tied a school record with a 77-yard boot. The defensive end is senior Chris Vennefron (Hamilton, Ohio/Somerville Edgewood), who is blossoming as a leader on a unit that has struggled to this point in the season. Vennefron had three tackles for loss and five total stops in the win over Denison.
Finally, junior safety Mitch Fonseca (Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus) has been the team’s leading tackler in three of the first four games, including a whopping 18 in the season opener against Capital. Fonseca ranks among the NCAC and NCAA Division III leaders in tackles and solo tackles.
All of the details about the Tigers, are well documented in game stories found on the team's schedule/results page. Season statistics can be found by clicking here.
Next: 10/8 @ Earlham
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Tristan Murray
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Wittenberg lost to Capital in the season opener on Sept. 3, 54-0, and then hit the road for losses at Dayton, 41-23, on Sept. 10 and at Alma, 38-27, on Sept. 17. It is unquestionably one of the most challenging nonconference schedules in the entire nation in NCAA Division III, and despite the results, there have been some positive things to emerge.
The positives start on offense, and most of them revolve around the performance of senior tailback Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh). Murray, the 2004 NCAC Newcomer of the Year, has been nothing short of outstanding so far in 2005 despite being the focus of each opposing team’s defensive gameplan. After compiling more than 100 yards of total offense against Capital in the opener, he exploded for 239 yards rushing against Dayton and then added more than 200 yards from scrimmage against Alma.
Murray has scored two touchdowns in each of the last two games, including three scores of more than 50 yards. The highlight was a 96-yard burst on the first play from scrimmage against Dayton, the second-longest run in school history.
With senior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda) out since the second quarter of the opener due to injury, the Tigers have had to make significant adjustments. Against Alma, junior quarterback Geron Stokes (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) made his first appearance in the Red & White a memorable one, throwing for 207 yards in a little more than two quarters and nearly helping the Tigers pull off the comeback victory.
Defensively, the Tigers have been paced by the outstanding play of junior safety Mitch Fonseca (Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus), who has led the team in tackles in each of the first three games and ranks second in the NCAC with 39 stops on the season. He also ranks among the national leaders with 13 tackles per game.
Also of note has been the performance of senior punter Jacob Thomas (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany), who set a school record with a 43.2 yards per punt average in 2004. Thomas has picked up right where he left off a year ago, leading the nation by a wide margin with a 45.2 average so far in 2005. That average was aided by a school record-tying 77-yard bomb in the second quarter against Alma.
All of the details about the Tigers, are well documented in game stories found on the team's schedule/results page. Season statistics can be found by clicking here.
Next: 10/1 vs. DenisonSPRINGFIELD, Ohio — More than 60 Wittenberg University athletic events scheduled during the 2005-06 school year can be heard locally in the Springfield community and throughout the world via the Internet throughout the 2005-06 school year. For the third straight year, WUSO 89.1-FM, the student-run campus radio station, will serve as the flagship home of the Tigers, and its broadcasts of varsity athletic events will be streamed on the World Wide Web by Stretch Internet. Read More ...
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg University football team, which returns 18 starters from last years 7-3 team, once again has experts believing it has the talent to make a run at a national championship. Four different publications - Sports Illustrated, Street & Smith's College Football Yearbook, Lindy's 2005 College Football, and d3football.com - mentioned the Tigers in their NCAA Division III preseason rankings. Read More ...
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg University football team welcomes 51 letterwinners, including 18 starters, back into the fold following last year's 7-3 season, facts that helped boost the Tigers into the top spot in both preseason polls announced at the 22nd annual North Coast Athletic Conference media day in Granville, Ohio. Read More ...
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg University athletic department of 2005 hardly resembles the Wittenberg University athletic department of 50 years ago. The watershed moment that changed the Wittenberg athletic landscape forever occurred on April 3, 1955, with the most important hiring in the department's illustrious history. Read More ...
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — For the seventh consecutive year, the Wittenberg University football program will host a golf outing to raise funds for the program. This year's event is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at Reid Memorial Golf Course in Springfield. Lunch and registration begin at noon. Read More ...
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Behind every great man is a great woman, or so the old saying goes. Many former Wittenberg student-athletes would most certainly agree, making the passing of Nancy Maurer on Friday, Feb. 25, a true community loss. Read More ...
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