Maxen Hook scores a touchdown off a blocked punt against Norfolk State in 2021.
University of Toledo
Joey Roland, a freshman from Greenfield-Central, had five tackles, a forced fumble, a sack and one tackle for loss, for the DePauw Tigers in Saturday’s 49-14 win over Wabash in the battle for the Monon Bell.
DePauw is 9-1 on the season and will play a first round game of the NCAA Division III Football Championship Saturday in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon University. Kickoff is at noon.
Roland, a first-year linebacker, has 16 tackles on the season, including four sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. He also has three quarterback hurries.
For Wabash, defensive lineman Will Olive, from New Palestine, had three tackles, including a tackle for a 3-yard loss in Saturday’s game.
MACtion Maxen
Former New Palestine all-stater Maxen Hook, a starting defensive back at Toledo, had the game-clinching interception in last Tuesday’s 28-21 win at home over Ball State.
Hook had seven tackles and two defended passes in the win. Ball State featured another former New Pal all-stater, defensive lineman Kyle King. He had two tackles and a defended pass for the Cardinals. Former Mt. Vernon all-state receiver Tanner Koziol, a tight end for the Cardinals, had a reception for nine yards.
Both teams were back in midweek MACtion play Tuesday. The Rockets lost 42-35 to Bowling Green. Hook had six tackles, a defended pass and one quarterback hurry.
The Cardinals lost 32-18 to Ohio. King had one of his most productive games since joining BSU this season.
The defensive lineman had four tackles and one sack.
Koziol had one of Ball State’s touchdowns and caught five passes for 52 yards.
Bronze Ball Back to AU
Two former Eastern Hancock players were big contributors in Anderson University’s 19-12 victory over Manchester, a rivalry game played for the Bronze Ball.
Running back Gabe Lawler had 15 carries for 104 yards, including a 35-yard run. Lawler is from Greenfield and played high school football for the Royals.
Another former EH standout, Cayden Sotelo, a sophomore defensive back for the Ravens, had an interception with a 24-yard return. He added six tackles and a forced fumble.
For the season, Sotelo tied for the team lead in total tackles with 50. He had two forced fumbles and a team-best four interceptions. His interception total ranks tied for fourth in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
County stars vie for Victory Bell
Former New Palestine standout Brody Luker had six tackles, and an interception with a 36-yard return in Hanover’s 24-3 win over Franklin in the 92nd Victory Bell Game Saturday at Franklin College.
Former Mt. Vernon linebacker Charlie Moore, playing for Franklin, had five tackles, .5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
On offense, for Hanover, another former Dragon, Eric Roudebush, had four receptions for 39 yards with a long of 11 yards. Roudebush, as the Panthers punter, had four punts, including two inside the 20-yard line, for a 31-yard average.
LaBelle with big run in Knights win
Keagan LaBelle, who helped lead Mt. Vernon to the 2021 Class 4A state title, had four carries for 71 yards, including a 61-yard jaunt in the Marian Knights 45-14 victory over Lawrence Tech on Saturday. LaBelle is a freshman running back.
Marian is 8-1 and will play Saint Xavier (Ill.) in an NAIA FCS first round playoff game Saturday at 1:05 p.m. in Indianapolis at St. Vincent Field.
Swan throws first college TD pass
Houston Swan, a former Eastern Hancock standout and freshman quarterback at Culver-Stockton, an NAIA school in Canton, Missouri, threw the first touchdown pass of his collegiate career on Nov. 5.
In a 46-21 loss to Grand View, Swan came off the bench to go 1-for-1 with a 9-yard touchdown pass. It was his first pass attempt of the season.
Slunaker wraps up frosh season
In his final game of the season for Georgetown (Ky.) College, former Mt. Vernon standout Gehrig Slunaker threw two touchdown passes in a 23-17 loss to No. 8 Lindsey Wilson College.
For the game, Slunaker went 23 of 44 for 224 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception.
Georgetown finished the season 7-3.
