2012 Siena Heights University Football
Siena Heights Saints (0-0) vs
Robert Morris Eagles (0-0)
Saturday, Aug. 25 - 7 p.m. - Adrian, Mich.
Live Coverage: Jerry Hayes (play-by-play) and Doug Goodnough (color commentary), Siena Heights Sports Network (www.shusaints.com), WLEN 103.9 FM
For a complete PDF version of game notes, click HERE.
ROBERT MORRIS (ILL.): Roster | Schedule | Coaches
THE GAME
The Siena Heights football team will kick off its second season -- and first as a varsity program -- on Aug. 25 when Robert Morris (Ill.) visits O’Laughlin Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff. SHU is also celebrating Community Partners Day.
The Saints went 8-1 during their inaugural season last fall, including a 3-1 against varsity competition. In 2012, Siena Heights is a member of the Mid-States Football Association and will compete in the MSFA Mideast League. Fellow league members include three teams ranked in the NAIA Top 25 -- No. 1 Saint Xavier (Ill.), No. 3 Marian (Ind.) and No. 6 Saint Francis (Ind.). Concordia and Taylor (Ind.) round out the division. Saint Xavier is the defending national champ.
The MSFA Midwest League consists of No. 7 Saint Francis (Ill.), No. 14 William Penn (Iowa), No. 15 Grand View (Iowa), No. 20 Saint Ambrose (Iowa), Olivet Nazarene (Ill.), Robert Morris, Trinity International (Ill.) and Waldorf (Iowa). RMU will not be a full participant of the conference until 2013.
In 2011, the MSFA was represented by five teams in the 16-team NAIA Tournament: Saint Xavier, Marian, Grand View, Saint Francis (Ind.) and Saint Francis (Ill.). Saint Xavier defeated Marian in a national semifinal, 30-27, before winning the championship game against Carroll (Mont.), 24-20.
FOLLOW THE MARCH
All Siena Heights football games will be broadcast on the radio on WLEN 103.9 FM and on the Siena Heights Sports Network, which can be accessed via the Stretch Internet link on WWW.SHUSAINTS.COM. Live stats can be followed online at WWW.SHUSAINTS.COM.
SHSN will provide live video for each Saint home game. Play-by-play will be called by Jerry Hayes while Doug Goodnough will provide color commentary. Games will be archived in Stretch’s on-demand feature.
THE COACHES
Jim Lyall (Michigan ’75) is in his second season as head coach for Siena Heights, where he now has a 8-1 club record. He was previously the head coach at Adrian, where he compiled a 98-91-1 varsity slate.
Jared Williamson (Mayville State, N.D., ‘06) has a 4-4 record as he enters his second season as head coach for Robert Morris (Ill.). Prior to joining the Eagles, he was the offensive coordinator for Illinois Wesleyan.
UP NEXT ...
On Sept. 1, the Saints will visit Iowa Wesleyan for a 2 p.m. start (1 p.m. CST). The IWC Tigers were an NAIA member and MSFA Midwest team through the 2011-12 school year before entering an NCAA Division III exploratory-year process.
Iowa Wesleyan went 4-7 last year and 2-5 in the MSFA Midwest. It will also open its season on the 25th when it hosts William Penn.
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
The Robert Morris Eagles played their inaugural season in 2011 and finished with a 4-4 NAIA record, which excludes their two matchups with Siena Heights.
Sophomore wide receiver DeShawn Weaver is a key player to watch after earning 2011 NAIA All-Independent honors as a freshman. Last season, he had 39 receptions for 541 yards and 10 touchdowns -- not including the unofficial stats he racked up in two games against the Saints: seventeen catches for 232 yards.
Senior TaDarrius Douglas will provide sophomore quarterback Matt Westerkamp with another target. Douglas had 19 receptions for 348 yards and four scores in 2011 while Westerkamp completed 117 of 244 passes for 1,531 yards and 18 touchdowns (.480 completion percentage). The QB was also picked off six times.
Sophomore LaMont Wims is slated as RMU’s starting running back. He tied Weaver for a team-high 10 touchdowns while compiling 119 rushes for 755 yards and 20 receptions for 265 yards. Of his 10 scores, seven were on the ground and three were through the air.
On defense, look for seniors Jordan Tuia and Dominique Sashington to be impact players. Tuia, a linebacker, finished last season with 55 tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery. Sashington will line up in the free safety slot. In 2011, he had 43 tackles and an interception.
Sashington has also shown his prowess on special teams as both a punt and kickoff returner.