Adrian College, Siena Heights football begin league play

Siena Heights will stay on the road and look to pick up a third-straight win at noon Saturday when it travels Indiana Wesleyan while Adrian College plays at 3 p.m. as it hosts Hope with both starting league play.

SIENA HEIGHTS

The Mid-States Football Association is one of, if not the toughest, NAIA conferences in all of college football.

The 2-1 Siena Heights University Saints will get a look at one of the top teams in the conference Saturday when they travel to the Hoosier state to take on the Indiana Wesleyan University Wildcats.

“They’re really good,” SHU head coach Matt Kohn said. “They are a team that went to the national semifinals last year and have a lot of key pieces back from that.”

Indiana Wesleyan is No. 4 in the third NAIA Football Coaches Top 25 poll of the season. The Wildcats are coming off a 35-14 win over Roosevelt and have been in the top five of the poll all season.

The Wildcats got a big game from wide receiver Levi Tidswell, who set a program record with 190 yards receiving in the victory. Defensively, Jamis Carson was named the MSFA Mideast Defensive Player of the Week after pacing the Wildcats with 12 tackles while getting a sack and an interception.

Wesleyan leads the Mideast League with a 4-0 mark overall and 1-0 record in conference play, which is tied with Concordia for the top spot in the conference. Concordia is also undefeated at 3-0.

The Wildcats have had two lopsided wins and two close victories, including a victory over Valparaiso University.

“They’ve played some really close games against some really good competition,” Kohn said. “They are as good as advertised.”

Siena Heights is coming off a big week of its own, beating Judson 58-14, in the final non-conference tune-up of the season.

Running back Ethan LoPresto (Reading) rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns in the win, earning Mideast League offensive player of the week honors.

“We all know that ‘Presto has game-changing speed,” Kohn said. “He is a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball and he popped a couple against Judson.”

Quarterback Elijah Taylor completed 8-of-13 passes for four touchdowns, two to Eric Williams II.

In all, the Saints piled up 439 yards of total offense and forced three turnovers in the victory.

Kohn said the Saints have washed the bad taste from their mouths from the opening game loss.

“Everyone was disgusted with what we put on film in that game,” he said. “We are focused on improving each week. We got a little better from Week 1 to Week 2, and a little better from Week 2 to Week 3. That’s our focus, that’s our mindset. Just keep improving.”

ADRIAN

The Bulldogs are 1-3 despite their best offensive showing of the season in a 38-35 loss at Greenville last week.

True freshmen quarterbacks Brady Raymond and Mark Lopez continued to share time under center while the running game got going.

Anthony Greear went for 87 yards and a touchdown in his first time carrying the load for Adrian while Teejay Moore had 36 yards and two scores and Salvatore Patierno had 34 yards rushing.

Alyjuuan Paris hauled in five receptions for 74 yards with leading receiver Ben Coloske out last week.

On defense Ryker Bidwell and Andrew Thomas both returned interceptions for touchdowns.

The Flying Dutchmen come in at 3-1. Hope lost to Aurora, 38-17, to open the season before rolling to three-straight wins against Loras (42-28), Mt. St. Joseph (40-35) and Northwestern Minnesota (54-17).

Zach Trainor is 43-of-88 passing for 646 yards and seven touchdowns, while throwing five interceptions. He also has 93 yards rushing and two more scores.

The running game is split between Chance Strickland (326 yards, seven touchdowns) and Elijah Smith (316 yards, two touchdowns). Grant Holtzer is the main target for Trainor with 15 receptions for 277 yards and four touchdowns while Brody Thompson has caught 10 for 185 yards and one touchdown and Terrell Harris has nine receptions for 121 yards and two scores.

Nick Fleger leads the defense with 35 tackles and two interceptions.

The Bulldogs won last year's matchup at Hope, 22-10.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Adrian College, Siena Heights football begin league play