Adrian, MI – Both college football teams in Lenawee County captured key wins Saturday afternoon. Siena Heights University (1-4, 0-1 MSFA-Mideast) secured win number one on the season, thumping Defiance College on the road…and Adrian College (4-0, 1-0 MIAA) won their Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association opener against Olivet on homecoming.
Saints Sting Yellow Jackets on the road…
Siena Heights football team got into the win column with a dominant 52-7 non-conference victory over Defiance on Saturday. Running back Brendan Haisenleder rushed 19 times for 199 yards and two touchdowns to lead the SHU offense.
Quarterback Elijah Taylor finished 9 of 17 for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Quincy Johnson Jr. accumulated 47 yards on 10 carries. The Siena Heights defense had a strong performance with three forced fumbles and one interception. The unit had seven tackles-for-loss, including one sack.
Linebacker Clarke Hamilton totaled eight tackles, including three for-loss. He had a forced fumble and fumble recovery, which he returned 65 yards. Linebacker Tanner Rubinstein was also credited with eight stops.
Defensive lineman Caden Rogers had a sack. Fellow linemen Marlow Mahone Jr. and Noah Gradeless added TFLs. Defensive back Amariyan Glover and lineman Jayden Giles recovered fumbles; Giles’ resulted in a touchdown. Lineman Cameron McCreary and linebacker Markel Main forced fumbles and back Phillip Spradley made an interception.
The Saints wasted little time jumping in front of Defiance on their very first possession — a four-play, 37-yard drive that ended on a 4-yard run by Prather. Later in the first quarter, Taylor found wide receiver Chris Coleman with a 27-yard touchdown strike. A second-quarter field goal by kicker David Medvedik from 26 yards out pushed the SHU lead to 17-0.
In the third quarter, Haisenleder had TD runs of 15 and 29 yards. Giles’ fumble recovery came after Main forced a fumble; Giles’ return was an 18-yarder. Siena Heights’ final two scores came in the fourth quarter on a 45-yard hookup from Taylor to wide receiver D.J. Young. Quarterback Braylen Himmelein added a 1-yard run for the Saints’ final touchdown.
SHU will return to play on Saturday, Oct. 5, when Saint Francis (Ill.) visits O’Laughlin Stadium for a 1 p.m. kickoff during Siena Heights’ Homecoming Weekend.
Adrian College Stays Unbeaten with Homecoming Win…
The Adrian College football team hosted The University of Olivet on Saturday for the Adrian College Homecoming game. The Bulldogs defeated the Comets, 24-14.
The first quarter went scoreless, but it was Olivet who found themselves on the scoreboard first in the second quarter. Adrian answered back on a two-yard touchdown from Jake Kelbert to Ryan Brumley. Jack Boike converted the extra point to tie the game at 7-7 going into half-time.
Kelbert threw an interception early in the third quarter which resulted in an Olivet score, bringing the game to 14-7 in favor of the Comets. Adrian responded well, scoring two unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter. Kelbert completed a twenty-yard TD to Jalen Wallace and Shondel Hardnett rushed five yards for his own TD, increasing the one-score lead to 21-14 heading into the final quarter.
A low-scoring final quarter saw Boike convert a field goal with a few minutes remaining to put the Bulldogs up 24-14.
Kelbert finished Saturday going 14-18 for 105 yards and one interception. He also rushed for 45 yards. Hardnett led the Bulldogs in rushing with 64 yards and a touchdown on sixteen attempts. Ethan Abberger brought in five receptions for 53 yards, while Wallace collected six receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown. Elijah Hayward registered an interception on defense.
The Adrian College football team will return to action on October 5th at Albion. Kick off at 1:00 PM.
*media courtesy of Siena Heights University and Adrian College*