Midwest Conference Foes Highlight NJCAA Football Game of the Week
COLORADO SPRINGS , Colo. (Sept. 19, 2006) - Two teams sitting atop this week's NJCAA Football Poll and the Midwest Football Conference (MFC) standings will square off in the NJCAA Football Game of the week. Iowa Central Community College, ranked No.6 in the NJCAA Football poll, travels to No.8 Joliet Junior College (Ill.) Saturday, Sept. 23 in a MFC match-up that could be a sneak preview of this year's 2006 Graphic Edge Bowl. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. (CST) at Joliet Memorial Stadium.
Iowa Central comes into the highly anticipated contest with a 3-0 record and sits in first place in the MFC West standings while Joliet also enters the contest undefeated at 3-0 and is in first place in the MFC East. This year, the No.1 team from each division will meet in the feature game of the 2006 Graphic Edge Bowl on Nov. 19 in Cedar Falls, Iowa .
Last year's match-up was played on a muddy, rain-drenched field in Dodger Stadium at Fort Dodge, Iowa . Neither team was able to do much offensively, however Iowa Central was able to return two Joliet punts for touchdowns that led to a 22-6 victory. Iowa Central finished the 2005 season with a 9-2 record and No.5 national ranking. They also won the feature game of the 2005 Graphics Edge Bowl, 16-7 over Rochester Community and Technical College (Minn.).
Both teams come into the match-up with impressive wins over nationally ranked opponents. Iowa Central is fresh off a hard-fought 10-3 victory over Grand Rapids Community College (Mich.) who was ranked 13 th in last week's NJCAA Football Poll. Joliet played the role of the underdog two weeks ago when they catapulted themselves from the unranked to No.12 in last week's poll with a 59-35 dismantling of Harper College (Ill.), then ranked No. 8.
How They Fared Last Week ΓΏ
#6 Iowa Central Community College got a big MFC conference win last weekend with a 10-3 victory over Grand Rapids Community College (Mich.). Iowa Central running backs Travis Rhone and Steven Harper was all the Triton offense needed against GRCC. Rhone led the way with 132 yards on 24 carries while Harper added 94 on 21 carries and scored the game-winning touchdown mid-way through the fourth quarter. Iowa Central only managed to produce 38 passing yards; Grand Rapids had just 99 yards passing.
The Triton offense is averaging just 316 yards of offense per game. However, ICCC boasts the third-best rushing attack in the nation posting 263 yards per contest. Rhone and Harper (pictured right) have been great one-two punch for Iowa Central. In just three games, the running back tandem has yielded 754 yards and seven touchdowns. Harper, a pre-season NJCAA All-American, is averaging 135 rushing yards a contest, which currently ranks seventh in the NJCAA. Clearing the path for the Triton rushing attack is a big offensive line anchored by pre-season All-American Brad Claytor .
When Iowa Central needs to get the ball down field through the air they rely on pre-season All-American honorable mention wide receiver Donte Shackelford who has five receptions this season for 112 yards and one touchdown.
The Iowa Central defense has been very efficient thus far allowing 326 total yards (166 passing, 160 rushing) a game. The Tritons have intercepted five passes with cornerback Darrell Lloyd leading the way with three.
Special teams are also strong for Iowa Central. Kicker Brandon Burden has been perfect on all nine PAT attempts and has connected on three of four field goals, including a 35 yard attempt. Punter Mike Harris has punted 14 times and is averaging close to 40 yards per boot and has a long of 63 yards this year. Shackelford handles kick-off return duties and is averaging 23 yards a return and has a long of 93 yards.
ICCC head coach Kevin Twait is in his 11th year and has led the Tritons to eight bowl berths in the last nine years (four victories). Under his direction, Iowa Central has finished in either first or second place in the MFC for nine straight seasons.
#8 Joliet Junior College enters this weekend's match-up coming off a 16-0 road victory over Ellsworth Community College (Iowa) on Sept. 16. The Wolves were led by their place kicker Steve Ivanisevic who connected on three field goals, including a 52-yard attempt in the first half to give Joliet a 3-0 lead. He also connected on tries from 40 and 31 yards. Ivanisevic ranks seventh in the country among kickers with 23 points.
Quarterback Jason Schlueter found wide receiver Brian Miles for a 20-yard touchdown completion midway through the second quarter for the lone touchdown of the game. Schlueter finished the day 15 for 23 for 138 yards. Freshman running back Anthony Stewart (pictured left) led the Joliet offense with 119 yards rushing on 17 carries. For the season, Stewart has rushed for 260 yards on 46 carries, including four touchdowns. Miles has made 17 receptions this season for 222 yards thus far.
Schlueter was named the MFC Football Player of the Week for his performance against Harper College ( Ill. ). He completed 11 of 16 passes for 225 yards, two touchdowns and 23 yards rushing to help the Wolves pull off the 59-35 upset.
Miles has caught 17 passes this season for 222 yards and a touchdown. He is averaging 5.6 receptions a game, which ranks sixth in the NJCAA.
The Joliet defense controlled the game holding Ellsworth to just 73 total offensive yards. NJCAA pre-season All-American Chris Patterson has been the anchor of the Joliet defense this year. He leads the team in interceptions with two. Inside linebacker Mark Dietz leads the Wolves with 21 tackles this season while linebacker Cordero Hightower and defensive end Eric Small each have tallied 16 tackles this season. The Joliet defense currently ranks 24th in the nation allowing 234 total offensive yards a game.
The Wolves are led by Tom Minnick , who is his first season as the head coach but has been with the program for eight years.
The Coaches Say
Iowa Central head coach Kevin Twait: "Two tremendous teams will be at each other this weekend in Joliet . Most of the time a big contest like this comes down to who wins the turnover battle and which squad excels in the kicking game. We hope to establish the run early, but it may be difficult against their defense. We can not allow the big play from their offense."
Joliet head coach Tom Minnick: "Iowa Central is considered to be one of the top programs in the country. We will have to be ready to compete against this football team."
Important Notes About the Match-Up
Iowa Central Community College has been a fixture in NJCAA football post-season play. Iowa Central has made 17 bowl appearances all-time and has appeared in the Graphic Edge Bowl four straight years (2002-05). In the feature game of last season's Graphic Edge Bowl, Iowa Central defeated Rochester Community and Technical College (Minn.) 16-7, which ended their season with a 9-2 overall record and No. 5 national ranking. The Triton program is highly regarded as reflected by being voted the 11th-best two-year football program of the 1980's, the 27th-best program of the `90s and the 18th-best of the 2000's. Iowa Central won its lone NJCAA Football Championship in 1978. There have been 21 First-team NJCAA All-Americans in the history of the Iowa Central football program. Recently, 14 Iowa Central football players have transferred to NCAA schools. The lone Triton alum currently in the NFL is Hanik Milligan, safety, of the San Diego Chargers.
Joliet Junior College has established itself recently as a premier NJCAA football program. The Wolves won the 2002 NJCAA Championship and was also voted the 2001 and '02 National Champions of the NJCAA non-scholarship division. According to the final NJCAA football polls, Joliet is the 11th-best football program of the current decade. Joliet has made six bowl appearances all-time, including three bowl appearances in the last five years. Their most recent bowl appearance was in game one of last year's Graphic Edge Bowl where they were defeated 35-10 by North Dakota State College of Science. In the last two years, eight Joliet football players have continued to their careers at NCAA schools. There are currently two former Wolves currently playing in the NFL: Kelvin Hayden, CB, Indianapolis Colts; Rob Ninkovich, DE, New Orleans Saints.