Posted: Sep 25, 2019
ADRIAN, Mich. -- The (20) Siena Heights football team will host Trinity International this week in a Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) crossover game.
The Saints have started the season with a 3-0 record. SHU remained undefeated after 20 unanswered points allowed them to defeat Saint Ambrose 20-10 on the road last week. Siena Heights defeated Olivet Nazarene week one with a 20-18 decision before shutting out Robert Morris (Ill.) 6-0 in the team's second game of the year.
The Trojans enter this game with a 1-3 overall record. TIU started the year 1-0 after a 28-26 win over Presentation (S.D.) on the road, snapping a 13-game losing streak. The Trojans dropped a game to the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) the following week. St. Francis (Ill.) beat TIU by five and (7) Marian (Ind.) won 55-0 over the Trojans las week.
This is the third time Siena Heights and Trinity International will meet in football. The series is currently tied at one win each with the home winning the first two matchups. The last meeting between these two teams was a 16-13 win for the Trojans during the 2016 season. The first meeting was a 44-20 win for the Saints in 2015.
The Saints offense is led by quarterback Tyler Knecht who is 21-33 for 193 yards through the air. He has thrown two touchdowns. The Siena Heights backfield is led by a trio of running backs led by Kaleb Jefferson who has rushed 46 times for 176 yards and a touchdown. Jared Jordan has 35 carries for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Andre Chenault is the final member of the trio with 26 rushes for 136 yards and a touchdown. Chenault had 117 yards on 21 carries in last week's win over Saint Ambrose. Tim Brown leads the SHU receiving corps. with seven receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown.
The defense is led by linebacker Nick Stalworth with 26 tackles and a forced fumble. Gabe Callery has 21 tackles, two for loss, an interception, and a pass breakup. Trenton Morrow leads the team with three interceptions along with being fifth on the team in tackles with 16. MSFA Defensive Player of the Week Vincent Walker has scored the only defensive touchdown with his 35-yard pick-six against Saint Ambrose on the final play of the first half gave Siena the lead in the game.
On special teams, Caleb Meister continues to have a great season with 19 punts for 828 yards. He has a season-long of 67 yards and is averaging 43.6 yards per boot. Cameron Thompson leads the return game with five kick returns for a total of 117 yards. He averages 23.4 yards per return.
The Trojan offense is led by running back Derek Lowe who has had 13 rushes for 72 yards. Isaac Branch has totaled nine carries for 28 yards. Quarterback Krenston Kaipo is 10-25 (40%) for 172 yards and a touchdown through the air. He has also scored twice this season with his legs. Jimmy Campbell has been the main target for the Trojans passing game with 10 catches and a total of 196 yards and two touchdowns.
Lorenzano Blakeney leads the defense with 20 tackles and an interception. Kemon Reese has 17 tackles while Courtland Boucher has tallied 14 tackles, two for loss. Josh Burck (11 tackles, 1 for loss) and Vakarvery Scott (10 tackles, 1 for loss) round out the top tacklers for TIU. Scott also leads the team with two interceptions this season.
Carter Andrade has hit on his only field goal attempt this year, a 39-yard kick. He is also the team's punter, totaling 15 punts for 522 yards and a long of 47. Nicolas Godfrey and Marc Wallace have five kick returns each. Godfrey has 121 return yards while Wallace has 80.
The game is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m., EST. Fans can follow the game via live stats and the live stream. The game will also be broadcasted on WLEN online by tuning into 96.5 FM The Cave on Saturday afternoon.
