Football
Hanover to install artificial field at football stadium
Hanover College's Board of Trustees has allocated $750,000 to fund the installation of a new playing field at L.S. Ayres Field, home to Hanover's football squad since the early 1970s.
Hanover will install an environmentally-friendly version of an artificial playing surface this summer. The new turf, playable in all weather conditions throughout the year, provides a nearly maintenance-free field. Combining synthetic fiber "grass" with a sub-base consisting of cushioning particles and sand, the surface will require no mowing, watering or other lawn-related attention.
"In a football conference as competitive as the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, it is imperative that we maintain the most modern playing facility possible," states head football coach Joe Austin. "This will allow us to compete in recruiting for the caliber of student-athlete that will return Hanover to prominence on the field."
The month-long project is slated to be completed prior to the start of the 2008 gridiron season.
Ayres Field, which seats 4,000 spectators, has featured a natural grass playing surface since its construction in 1973. The Panthers have posted a 126-43-1 record in 35 seasons at the stadium.
Installation of the football field is the first phase in Hanover's new outdoor athletic facilities and renovation program. The undertaking, slated to cost $3 million to $4 million, will upgrade the College's facilities for baseball, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and golf.
Perry to receive Distinguished American Award 
Former Hanover College head football coach Wayne Perry will receive the Distinguished American Award from the Central Indiana Chapter of the National Football Foundation. The honor will be presented Saturday, Feb. 23, during a ceremony at the Indianapolis Colts Complex in Indianapolis, Ind.
The Distinguished American Award is given to an individual who made significant contributions in his community, as well as statewide, and has touched young people in a positive way through the game of football. Past recipients include former Indiana University coach Bill Mallory and longtime DePauw University coach Nick Mourouzis.
Perry guided Hanover's football program from 1982 through the 2007 season. He tallied the most wins of any coach in Indiana collegiate football history, posting a 174-89-2 record through 26 seasons at Hanover. His teams earned eight conference championships and made nine appearances in the national playoffs.
The Central Indiana Chapter of the National Football Foundation is one of more than 100 chapters of the organization across the U.S. The foundation is part of the College Football Hall of Fame, which is located in South Bend, Ind.
Dubuque's Austin tabbed to lead football program
Hanover College president Dr. Sue DeWine has announced that Joe Austin, offensive coordinator at the University of Dubuque (Iowa), has been selected as the College's 25th head football coach. Austin succeeds longtime head coach Wayne Perry, who retired at the close of the 2007 gridiron campaign.
"We are extremely pleased to have Joe join the Hanover family," states DeWine. "He has a great deal of enthusiasm and energy for the game and we believe he will continue our tradition of excellence. His plan is to make our Panthers a 'team for the community' and we'll support his efforts to do so."
Austin, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, helped guide Dubuque's squad to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 28 seasons. The Spartans finished 7-3 in 2007 and 6-4 in 2006. During his three seasons at Dubuque, Austin's offensive unit has set 33 school records. In 2007, the Spartans averaged 35.2 points and 433.4 offensive yards per game.
"I feel extremely blessed to be the man charged with the duty of restoring the roar to Panther football," states Austin. "Wayne Perry has established a tremendous tradition and legacy at this institution. Our staff and players will do everything we can to carry on the tradition of excellence."
Prior to his stint at Dubuque, Austin was offensive coordinator at Augsburg College (Minn.) for one season and was an offensive assistant coach at Concordia University (Minn.) for four seasons.
During his season at Augsburg, Austin's offense set five school records and increased its scoring by more than one touchdown per game. While at Concordia, the Golden Bears finished in the top-25 nationally in NCAA Division II in total offense. Austin's unit was sixth nationally in 2003 with 474.6 yards per game and ranked seventh in 2002 with 447.8 yards per outing. Concordia averaged more than 35 points per game and set virtually every school passing, receiving and rushing record during Austin's tenure.
"Joe has worked hard in the past to not only recruit great athletes nationwide, but also retain them," adds Lynn Hall, Hanover's director of athletics. "It is this determination to see that his athletes are successful on and off the field that made him our choice to lead the Panthers."
A former small-college athlete, Austin played quarterback at St. Ambrose University (Iowa) for two seasons. He earned All-Mid-States Athletic Association honors as a sophomore after setting school records with 2,197 passing yards and 17 touchdowns, despite playing just six games due to broken vertebrae in his back. The injury eventually ended his playing career after reconstructive surgery at the end of that season.
Austin earned a bachelor's degree in communication studies from Concordia in 2001. He received a master's degree in organizational management from Concordia in 2004.
Perry had guided Hanover's football program since 1982. He tallied the most wins of any coach in Indiana collegiate football history, posting a 174-89-2 record through 26 seasons at Hanover. His teams earned eight conference championships and made nine appearances in the national playoffs. He will lead the College's athletic fund-raising initiatives and coach men's and women's golf.
Fogle, Rump lead Hanover's football award honorees
Senior running back Corey Fogle (St. Joe, Ind.) and senior receiver Tyler Rump (Vincennes, Ind.) highlighted the honorees at the Hanover College football team's 2007 postseason awards banquet. Fogle and Rump were among 13 players to earn awards from the program's coaches and players.
Fogle was named the Panthers' most valuable player and also earned the Jim Peterson Award as Hanover's top offensive back.
A first-team all-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference honoree, Fogle led Hanover in rushing, receiving and scoring during the 2007 campaign. He rushed for 471 yards on 142 carries and scored five touchdowns on the ground. He caught a team-high 76 passes for 559 yards and two touchdowns.
Rump received the Raymond "Dutch" Struck Mental Attitude Award.
Splitting time at both receiver and defensive back, Rump caught nine passes for 113 yards. He also recorded seven solo tackles on defense.
Senior placekicker Matt Herron (Greenwood, Ind.) earned Hanover's honor as the squad's most valuable special teams player. Herron tied with Fogle for team scoring honors with 42 points. He converted 7-of-11 field goals and made all 21 of his extra-point attempts. He booted two field goals in the closing seconds to lift the Panthers to victories, including a career-long 44-yarder as time expired in a 30-28 win against Manchester College.
Junior Tyler Thiems (Indianapolis, Ind.) was named the Panthers' top receiver. A first-team all-Heartland Conference choice, he had 29 receptions for 534 yards and a team-best four receiving touchdowns. He also played quarterback for the Panthers, completing 61-of-113 passes for 623 yards with five touchdown passes and three interceptions.
Senior tackle Clarke Hall (Cincinnati, Ohio), a second-team all-HCAC choice, earned the Tod Kelly Award as the Panthers' top offensive lineman.
Freshman quarterback Josh Elbert (Morningview, Ky.) was named Hanover's most improved offensive player. Elbert completed 130-of-244 passes for 1,341 yards with eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He led the Panthers with 159.8 yards of total offense per game.
Freshman quarterback Matt Robinette (Vincennes, Ind.) was recognized as the program's outstanding offensive prep player
Senior nose tackle Luke Keller (Jasper, Ind.) was honored as Hanover's most outstanding defensive lineman. A first-team all-Heartland Conference selection, Keller totaled 51 tackles in 2007, including 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Senior cornerback Jake Crockett (Vincennes, Ind.) was named the Panthers' top defensive back. Crockett totaled 48 tackles with five pass deflections, 1.5 tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries.
Freshman Michael Spillmann (Franklin, Ind.) was recognized as Hanover's top linebacker. Spillmann earned a starting role midway through the season and ranked second on the squad with 82 tackles. He led the Panthers with 9.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
Sophomore linebacker Daniel Cornely (Palmetto Bay, Fla.) was tabbed the Panthers' most improved defender. He tallied a team-high 114 tackles, with 3.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks.
Freshman linebacker Bruce Whitehead (Petersburg, Ind.) was named the squad's defensive prep player of the year.
Senior defensive back Keith Sofiak (Port Orange, Fla.) earned Hanover's Iron Man Award for his efforts in the weight room.
Hanover capped the 2007 campaign with a 2-8 record. The Panthers placed sixth in the Heartland Conference standings with a 2-5 mark.
Perry to help coach U.S. all stars in Aztec Bowl
Recently-retired Hanover College head football coach Wayne Perry has been named as an assistant coach for the 2007 Aztec Bowl. The game will be played Saturday, Dec. 8, at Estadio Olimpico Universitario in Chihuahua, Mexico. The opening kick is slated for 6 p.m. CST.
The Aztec Bowl is the traditional season-ending game for Mexico's college football season. The contest has been played 36 times since 1947. A NCAA Division III all star squad has played against Mexico in the past 10 games. The U.S. has a 9-1 record in the series.
Perry, who guided Hanover's football program from 1982 to 2007, will be one of five assistants for the U.S. all stars. He tallied a 174-89-2 record through 26 seasons at Hanover. His Panthers won eight conference championships (1989, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003), made nine appearances in the national playoffs (1984, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003) and posted each of the school's 10-win seasons (10-0 in 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2002).
Perry became the winningest coach in Indiana collegiate football history with a 41-35 overtime victory against the College of Mount St. Joseph (Ohio), Oct. 1, 2005. With the victory, he surpassed Butler University legend Tony Hinkle, who totaled 165 wins in 32 seasons with the Bulldogs.
Bill Manlove is the U.S. team's head coach. Manlove posted a 212-110-1 record in 32 seasons as a head coach at Widener University (Pa.), Delaware Valley College (Pa.) and LaSalle University (Pa.).
Additional assistants for the U.S. squad include former Wheaton College (Ill.) head coach Bishop, longtime DePauw University head coach Nick Mourouzis, former Otterbein College (Ohio) coach Wally Hood, and Clayt Birmingham, who coaches at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
Panthers put 10 on conference football team
Ten members of the Hanover College football squad have been named to the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference's all-league team. The honorees were selected by the conference's eight head coaches.
Senior running back Corey Fogle (St. Joe, Ind.), junior receiver/quarterback Tyler Thiems (Indianapolis, Ind.) and senior defensive lineman Luke Keller (Jasper, Ind.) were each named to the Heartland Conference's first team.
Fogle led the Panthers in both receiving and rushing during the 2007 campaign. He caught 76 passes for 559 yards with two touchdowns. He rushed 142 times for 471 yards and five touchdowns.
Thiems split time at receiver and quarterback through Hanover's 10 games. He had 29 receptions for 534 yards with four touchdowns. In a stint as the Panthers' signalcaller, he completed 61-of-113 passes for 623 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions.
Keller led the Panthers' defensive linemen with 51 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Linebackers Daniel Cornely (Palmetto Bay, Fla.) and Michael Spillmann (Franklin, Ind.), along with defensive end/punter Andrew Houtsch (Otwell, Ind.) and placekicker Matt Herron (Greenwood, Ind.) were second-team honorees.
Cornely and Spillmann each started the season on the bench and earned increased playing time as the season progressed.
Cornely, a sophomore, led Hanover with 114 tackles. He posted 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Spillmann had 82 tackles and led the Panthers with 9.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
Houtsch, a former receiver, shifted to the defensive line at the start of the season. He collected 27 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. As the Panthers' punter, he booted a school-record 71 times with an average of 36.5 yards per punt.
Herron, who also was an all-conference selection last season, totaled a team-high 42 points. He converted 7-of-11 field goals and made all 21 point-after-touchdown attempts.
Senior linebacker Alex Middendorf (Hamilton, Ohio), senior defensive back Chan Nelson (Louisville, Ky.) and senior offensive lineman Clarke Hall (Cincinnati, Ohio) were honorable mention selections.
Hanover capped its season with a 2-8 record. The Panthers placed sixth in the Heartland Conference with a 2-5 mark.
Franklin claims Victory Bell in Perry's finale
Franklin College posted a 55-14 victory against Hanover College's football squad in the 51st battle for the Victory Bell trophy. The Panthers' season-finale was played Saturday, Nov. 10, at L.S. Ayres Field.
Franklin, which will represent the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference in the NCAA III national playoffs, scored 41 straight points to blow open a game that was tied at 7-7 late in the first period.
The contest marked the end of Hanover head coach Wayne Perry's coaching career. Perry, with the most victories in Indiana collegiate football history, guided the Panthers to a 174-89-2 record in 26 seasons. He led Hanover to a 2-7 overall record in 2007, including a 2-5 mark in HCAC games.
Franklin, 9-1 overall and 7-0 in the league, grabbed a 7-0 lead on senior running back R.J. Hartsfields' two-yard run midway through the first period. Hanover answered near the end of the period. Senior running back Corey Fogle (St. Joe, Ind.) scampered into the end zone from one yard out to cap a 12-play drive and knot the game at 7-7.
Then Franklin erupted. Junior quarterback Chad Rupp tossed two touchdown passes and senior running back Jon-Erik Bennett scored a pair of touchdowns as the Grizzlies scored on six of its following eight possessions to put the game out of reach.
Hanover totaled 319 yards of total offense in the contest. Fogle posted career-highs with 17 receptions for 174 yards, including a 40-yarder for a fourth-quarter touchdown. He also rushed for 33 yards on 12 carries.
Freshman quarterback Josh Elbert (Morning View, Ky.) completed 24-of-49 passes for 252 yards. He tossed the touchdown pass to Fogle and was picked off three times.
Franklin netted 446 offensive yards. Rupp completed 22-of-30 passes for 273 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Bennett led the Grizzlies' rushing attack with 65 yards on nine carries.
Sophomore linebacker Daniel Cornely (Palmetto Bay, Fla.) led Hanover's defense with 14 tackles. Freshman linebacker Michael Spillmann (Franklin, Ind.) added nine stops for the Panthers, including a tackle for loss.
Wayne Perry to coach final Hanover game
Head football coach Wayne Perry will work the Hanover College sidelines for the final time, Saturday, Nov. 10, as his Panthers host Franklin College in the 2007 season finale.
Perry, who has guided Hanover's football program since 1982, has the most wins of any coach in Indiana collegiate football history. He will move into a position to lead the College's athletic fund-raising initiatives and coach men's and women's golf at the conclusion of the season.
Perry has tallied a 174-88-2 record through 26 seasons at Hanover. His Panthers have won eight conference championships (1989, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003), made nine appearances in the national playoffs (1984, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003) and posted each of the school's 10-win seasons (10-0 in 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2002).
The kickoff for Hanover's season-finale against Franklin will begin at 1 p.m. at L.S. Ayres Field. The contest marks the 51st battle for the Victory Bell trophy.
A special dinner to honor Perry's career will be held following the game in the J. Graham Brown Campus Center. Former players, coaches, fans and friends are invited to attend. Dinner, which costs $20 per person, will begin at 5:30 p.m. To reserve a seat at the event, please contact Abbe Ernstes at ernstes@hanover.edu
Hanover sports a 2-7 overall record this season. The Panthers are 2-4 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
Perry became the winningest coach in Indiana collegiate football history with a 41-35 overtime victory against the College of Mount St. Joseph (Ohio), Oct. 1, 2005. With the victory, he surpassed Butler University legend Tony Hinkle, who totaled 165 wins in 32 seasons with the Bulldogs.
A native of Madison, Ind., Perry played on both the offensive and defensive lines at DePauw University, where he earned his bachelor's (1972) and master's degrees (1974). Following two years as a graduate assistant coach at DePauw, he was head coach at East Central High School from 1974 to 1978.
Perry joined Hanover's staff as offensive line coach in 1979 and replaced Pete Compise as the head coach in 1982.
Perry earned the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) District 21 coach of the year honor seven times during a 10-year span in the 1980s and 1990s. In addition, he was named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference coach-of-the-year in 1989, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2003. In those seasons, the Panthers captured league championships and earned playoff berths five times.
Under Perry, 26 Hanover players have been named to 44 all-American teams, including a precedent-setting three first-team offensive selections in 1991. Hanover has dominated the Heartland Conference player of the year award, winning 11 league most valuable players from 1989 to 2003.