All-MIAA Honors Flow to Hope Players (11/13/07)
All-MIAA Honors
MIAA co-champion Hope has placed 13 players on the all-conference football teams of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA).

In addition, two players have been name recipients of the league's special awards. Senior wide receiver Doug Van Eerden is the co-recipient of the league's outstanding offensive player award and senior fullback George Klupchak is the co-recipient of the Pete Schmidt Scholar-Athlete Award.

Players receiving All-MIAA first team recognition are senior offensive tackle Jake Droppers, junior offensive tackle Erik Ladomersky, senior tight end Kevin VandenBosch, senior wide receiver Doug Van Eerden, senior tailback David Booko, senior defensive end Matt Rugenstein, senior linebacker Drew Weigel, senior defensive back Troy Blasius, and senior kicker Chris Bowen.

All-MIAA second team honors were presented to senior offensive guard Ben Smith, sophomore tailback Brent Jones, junior quarterback Jake Manning and senior defensive tackle Colin Balas.

Victory Assures Dutchmen Co-Championship;
Bid for NCAA Playoff Berth Comes Up Short (11/10/07)
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The Flying Dutchmen defended their MIAA football crown by posting a season-ending 38-12 victory over Wisconsin Lutheran on Saturday. Coach Dean Kreps' Dutchmen will share the championship with Olivet. Both teams finished at 6-1 in conference play. The MIAA's automatic berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs goes to Olivet, however, because the Comets defeated Hope in their head-to-head game, 28-25.

The championship is the sixth in 10 years and the 20th in school history. The team finished 6-4 overall marking the 11th straight season that the team ended .500 or above, a school-record.

Rushing for three touchdowns, senior tailback David Booko became Hope's alltime leading scorer. The last carry of his collegiate career resulted in his 48th touchdown. The previous record was 47 touchdowns by Brandon Graham from 1994-97. Booko also became the first Hope player to lead the team in rushing for four consecutive years. He gained 176 yards on 35 carries in his finale to end his career with 3,635 yards, second only to Graham.

Senior kicker Chris Bowen established single season records for points by a kicker (63) and extra points kicked (39). He was 8-for-11 on field goals this season, including a 33-yarder on Saturday.

Quarterback Jake Manning threw two touchdown passes, one a 52-yarder to Joey Goeb and the second for 11 yards to Kevin VandenBosch.

Dutchmen Suffer First League Loss (11/3/07)
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The Flying Dutchmen suffered a stunning loss to Olivet on Saturday throwing the conference race into a dither with one week to play. The Comets rallied from a two-touchdown deficit in the final three minutes to tag the Dutchmen with their first MIAA loss since 2005. The 28-25 defeat creates a three-way tie for first place between Hope, Alma and Olivet. All three teams are 5-1 heading into next Saturday's regular season finale which will find Hope traveling to Wisconsin-Lutheran.

The teams were tied 6-6 at halftime and at 13-13 midway through the third quarter. Hope appeared to take command of the game when Kevin Van Dokkumburg returned a pass interception 82 yards for a touchdown and then senior Joey Goeb grabbed a 10-yard scoring strike from Jake Manning. Olivet seized the momentum in the fourth quarter behind quarterback Rob White who threw a pair of touchdown passes, the last with 35 seconds remaining to play.

Hope's other points came on a four yard pass reception from Jake Manning to Kevin Vandenbosch andd a pair of field goals covering 26 and 20 yards by Chris Bowen. Senior receiver Doug Van Eerden caught 10 passes for 151 yards to raise his career total to 105.

The defeat snapped Hope's school-record 14-game league winning streak and puts the Flying Dutchmen at 5-4 on the season.

Flying Dutchmen Alone Atop MIAA Standings (10/27/07)
Box Score
The Flying Dutchmen gained sole possession of first place in the MIAA defeating visiting Tri-State 45-35 on Saturday. Coach Dean Kreps' Dutchmen improved to 5-0 in the MIAA with their school-record 14th consecutive victory over MIAA opponents. With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the 5-3 Dutchmen are assured of their 11th straight year of finishing .500 or above.

Quarterback Jake Manning threw five touchdown passes, including four to wide receiver Doug Van Eerden who finished with seven receptions covering 168 yards. Sophomore tailback Brent Jones rushed for 157 yards on 37 carries, including a two-yard touchdown run. Tight end Jack Kiefer scored on a nine-yard pass from Manning. Chris Bowen kicked a 19-yard field goal and was 6-for-6 on PATs. Hope took advantage of five Tri-State turnovers, including two pass interceptions by Troy Blasius and fumble recoveries by Chris Batterbee, Colin Balas and Jake Conkright.

Flying Dutchmen Stay Unbeaten in MIAA (10/20/07)
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The Flying Dutchmen tied a school record for consecutive MIAA victories topping host Adrian 24-14 on Saturday. Coach Dean Kreps' Dutchmen moved above the .500 mark (4-3) for the first time this season with their fourth straight win.

Hope has now won 13 straight MIAA games dating back to the 2005 season. It ties a mark established back in the 1980s. The Flying Dutchmen and Olivet Comets share first place in the MIAA standings at 4-0.

Hope never trailed, but it wasn't until late in the fourth quarter that the victory was assured. Adrian came into the game not having allowed a rushing touchdown. All three of Hope's touchdowns came on the rush.

Senior David Booko scored one of them while his backup, sophomore Brent Jones, scored a pair, including the game-clincher on a 26-yard run with 5:34 remaining in the game. Quarterback Jake Manning survived a shaky first half in which he was intercepted four times. Kicker Chris Bowen booted a 37-yard field goal, was 3-for-3 on PATs and averaged 43.4 yards on five punts.

Adrian had four turnovers. Twio of them were pass interceptions by Drew Weigel and Kevin Mill. Weigel also recovered a fumble as did Steve Mostrom.

The Flying Dutchmen had their way offensively scoring more than 40 points for the third straight game. Hope amassed 569 yards of total offense running 98 plays to Kalamazoo's 64.

In a game with several excellent individual performances, the standout effort came from junior quarterback Jake Manning who completed 29-of-37 passes for 326 yards. Nine different receivers caught passes led by senior tight end Kevin VandenBosch whose 11 receptions increased his career total to 109. Senior wide receiver Doug VanEerden followed with eight receptions covering 130 yards. Senior tailback David Booko rushed for 133 yards on 28 carries and scored three touchdowns to raise his career total 43, just four shy of Hope's alltime mark of 47 set by Brandon Graham from 1994-97.

Hope's defense limited the Hornets to a negative seven yards rushing and only 132 yards of total offense. Junior Matt Anderson intercepted two passes and senior Steve Mostrom picked off one.

Sizzling Hope Scores Homecoming Record 60 (10/6/07)
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The temperature was unseasonably warm, reaching over 100 degrees on the field Saturday, and the Flying Dutchmen were equally as hot racking up a 60-34 MIAA victory over Alma. The team's 11th straight conference victory moved the Flying Dutchmen to 2-0 in the MIAA and 2-3 overall. The 60 points was a Hope record for a Homecoming game and the combined 94 points was a record for the alltime Hope-Alma series.

Quarterback Jake Manning threw a collegiate-best four touchdown passes. Three of them went to senior receiver Doug Van Eerden who ended with eight receptions for a career-high 119 yards. Tailback David Booko scored three touchdowns to raise his career total to 41 and for the 20th time rushed for more than 100 yards, gaining 143 without a loss on 28 carries.

Hope held a 21-0 halftime lead and then outscored Alma 39-34 in a wild second half. Midway through the second half a thermometer on the field reached 108 degrees.

The highest scoring game in the 81-year history of the rivalry saw the teams exchange touchdowns four times before the Flying Dutchmen gained a 42-28 advantage with five minutes left in the game. Albion came right back with a score on the very next play to trim Hope's lead to 42-35. The Flying Dutchmen were able to retain possession of the football for the final 4:26 to achieve their first victory of the season and hand Albion its fourth straight loss. Hope had not won at Albion since the 1982 season.

Hope featured one of its strongest rushing attacks in memory with two players going over 100 yards. Senior tailback David Booko, making his 2007 debut, rushed for 205 yards on 36 carries. He rushed for two touchdowns and got a third on a pass reception. Sophomore Brent Jones gained 102 yards on 12 rushes. Quarterback Jake Manning completed 12-of-20 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns. Booko's touchdown catch covered 40 yards. Tight end Kevin VandenBosch caught five passes for 101 yards, including a TD strike of 30 yards, while wide receiver Doug Van Eerden covered 42 yards on a TD reception.

The teams combined 1,049 yards of total offense. Hope gained 310 yards on the ground and 253 through the air, collecting 27 first downs.

Hope's defense had two quarterback sacks and pass interceptions by Kevin Mill and Steven Mostrom.

Flying Dutchmen Bow to Wheaton (9/22/07)
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The Flying Dutchmen suffered their third straight loss bowing to nationally ranked Wheaton 42-7 Saturday night. It marks the third straight year that Hope has lost its first three games. A year ago the Flying Dutchmen bounced ato win seven straight game en route to capturing the MIAA championship.

The teams exchanged touchdowns early-on. Wheaton scored first but Hope answered with a 67 yard drive culminated by Jake Manning's 24-yard touchdown pass to Doug Van Eerden. The host Thunder took advantage of Hope turnovers to gain a 21-0 halftime lead. Wheaton scored three touchdowns in the second half while limiting Hope to only two yards of rushing offense.

Flying Dutchmen Bow Before Large Crowd (9-8-07)
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Community Day Photo Highlights
Visiting Central, Iowa scored 22 unanswered points in the second half enroute to spoiling Hope's Community Day celebration on Saturday night, 36-17. Playing before the third largest crowd in the 28 year history of Holland Municipal Stadium (5,820 fans), Central erased a 17-14 Hope lead by taking advantage of turnovers. It was the same scenario as a year ago when Central scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to erase a 13-3 Hope lead. Saturday's loss puts Hope at 0-2.

The Flying Dutchmen suffered a huge blow when starting quarterback Jake Manning was sidelined by injury in the third quarter. Hope trailed just 20-17 at the time. Four of Hope's next five possessions were ended abruptly by turnovers.

Hope played a solid first half scoring on a 27-yard field goal by Chris Bowen, a 27-yard run by tailback Brent Jones and on a 23-yard Manning to Doug Van Eerden pass in the final seconds. Jones rushed for 136 yards on 25 carries against the nationally ranked visitors. Joey Goeb caught seven passes covering 101 yards while Kevin VandenBosch grabbed six. Manning was 17-for-26 for 188 yards before he left the game. Troy Blasius intercepted a pass and Drew Weigl recovered a fumble.

Flying Dutchmen Drop Season Opener (9/1/07)
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The Flying Dutchmen were defeated in their season opener by UW-River Falls 52-24. Hope dug itself into too deep a hole, trailing 33-3 at the half. Each team scored three touchdowns in the second half. Quarterback Jake Manning threw three touchdown passes to three different receivers - Doug Van Eerden (4 yards), George Klupchak (5 yards) and Joey Goeb (34 yards). Kicker Chris Bowen booted a 32-yard field. Tailback Brent Jones rushed for 71 yards on 21 carries while tight end Kevin VandenBosch caught six passes covering 48 yards.

Flying Dutchmen the MIAA Choice for 2007 (8/2/07)
The defending MIAA champion Flying Dutchmen are the pre-season favorite of the league's coaches and the media. The Flying Dutchmen were the unanimous pick of the coaches and received 12-of-13 votes from the media during the 38th annual Media Day hosted by Albion College.

Poll Results: 1. Hope (19) 21 pts., 2. Adrian (1) 59, 3. Olivet 65, 4. Albion (1) 70, 5. Alma 85, 6. Tri-State 119, 7. Kalamazoo 121, 8. Wisconsin Lutheran 152.

The oldest collegiate conference in America, the MIAA will mark its 110th football season in 2007. The Flying Dutchmen will report to camp on August 13th. The season opener will be a home game on Saturday, Sept. 1, against first-time opponent UW-River Falls.

Flying Dutchmen Ranked in Pre-Season Poll (7/4/07)
The Flying Dutchmen are ranked 19th in the pre-season poll of NCAA Division III teams in the college football preview issue of Street & Smith's magazine. Defending national champion Mt. Union, Ohio is the pre-season favorite. Two Hope opponents are also ranked -- #9 Wheaton (September 22nd, away) and #16 Central, Iowa (September 8, home).

Pre-season Poll: 1. Mount Union, 2. St. John's, Minn., 3. St. John Fisher, N.Y., 4. UW-Whitewater, 5. Mary Hardin-Baylor, Tex., 6. Rowan, N.J., 7. Wabash, Ind., 8. Washington & Jefferson, Pa., 9. Wheaton, Ill., 10. Whitworth, Wash., 11. Bethel, Minn., 12. Occidental, Calif., 13. Wilkes, Pa., 14. Springfield, Mass., 15. Millsaps, Tenn., 16. Central, Iowa, 17. Bridgewater, Va., 18. Wartburg, Iowa, 19. HOPE, 20. UW-La Crosse, 21. Linfield, Ore., 22. Ohio Northern, 23. Carnegie Mellon, Pa., 24. Coast Guard, Conn., 25. Washington & Lee, Va.

The Flying Dutchmen will be hoping to have a season from beginning-to-end that matches the heart of their league championship campaign of a year ago.

In 2006, coach Dean Kreps’ Dutchmen lost their first three games, then strung together seven consecutive wins to capture the MIAA title, but made a quick exit from the NCAA playoffs, bowing to the eventual national champion in the first round.

Hope’s 2006 accomplishments have caught the attention of the pre-season predictors. The Flying Dutchmen are ranked 19th nationally among Division III teams by Smith and Street’s.

The Flying Dutchmen will be seeking an unprecedented 11th consecutive .500 or better season. Over the past decade have averaged six victories a season. The 2006 team was 7-4.

A milestone is in sight for the Flying Dutchmen as they approach Hope’s 98th season of playing football; the program is just three victories from Hope’s 400th all-time.

The team returns 38 letterwinners. The pre-season roster of 174 players includes 75 freshmen, 51 sophomores, 19 juniors and 29 seniors. There is the potential of having 10 of last year’s 11 offensive starters back on the field while the defense faces a bigger rebuilding challenge with just four starters returning from last fall.

Co-captains of the team will be seniors Colin Balas of Kalamazoo, Mich. (Portage Central HS), Troy Blasius of Gaylord, Mich. (Saint Mary’s Catholic HS), Matt Rugenstein of Grand Rapids, Mich. (GR Christian HS), and Kevin VandenBosch of Grandville (Calvin Christian HS).

Six returning players received all-conference honors in 2006 – senior tailback David Booko of Three Rivers, Mich. (Three Rivers HS), senior offensive tackle Jake Droppers of Kalamazoo, Mich. (Portage Northern HS), junior offensive tackle Eric Ladomersky of Grandville, Mich. (Grandville HS), senior tight end Kevin VandenBosch of Grandville, Mich. (Calvin Christian HS), senior defensive end Matt Rugenstein of Grand Rapids, Mich. (GR Christian HS), senior wide receiver Doug Van Eerden of Grand Rapids (GR Christian HS); and senior return specialist Joey Goeb of Grand Rapids, Mich. (East Grand Rapids HS).

Matt Rugenstein was named a DIII All-American by Don Hansen's Football Gazette. He was voted the most valuable defensive player in the MIAA and was named a Division III national defensive player of the week after collecting 4.5 quarterback sacks against DePauw. For the season he ranked among the Division III leaders in sacks (#14 with 11.5) and tackles for a loss (#17 with 20.5).

Senior kicking specialist Chris Bowen of Ithaca, Mich. was the conference special teams player of the week three times in 2006. He averaged 34.8 yards on punts with none blocked, was 29-for-33 in PATS and 6-for-10 on field goals.

Senior tailback David Booko rushed for over 1,000 yards for the second consecutive season and enters the 2007 season ranked second among Hope’s all-time leading rusher. He averaged 96.7 yards per game rushing and scored 17 touchdowns, third best in a season for a Hope player.

Seniors Doug Van Eerden and Kevin VandenBosch ranked one-two among Hope’s pass receivers in 2006. Van Eerden caught a team leading 45 passes for 800 yards (a 17.8 yards per catch average) and eight touchdowns. VandenBosch caught 35 passes for 392 yards.

Junior quarterback Jake Manning of Schoolcraft, Mich. (Schoolcraft HS) averaged 165 yards a game passing to rank among the leaders in NCAA Division III. He guided an offense that averaged 23.4 points a game.

Return specialist Joey Goeb was among the Division III leaders in punt returns (9.0 yards per return) and kickoff returns (20.7 ypr). He had the distinction of playing on two conference championship teams, first football in the fall and then baseball this past spring.

The pre-season roster includes five sets of brothers – junior Kevin and freshman Kyle Mills of Romeo, Mich. (Romeo HS); senior Steven and freshman Doug Mostrom of Sturgis, Mich. (Centreville HS); senior Jon and freshman Aaron Szarowicz of Wyoming, Mich. (Grandville HS); senior Kevin and freshman Kyle VandenBosch of Grandville, Mich. (Calvin Christian/Grandville HS); and junior Andy, freshman Jake and freshman Joe VanderYacht of West Olive, Mich. (West Ottawa HS).

The Flying Dutchmen will open the season hosting first-time opponent UW-River Falls on Saturday, Sept. 1 (Labor Day weekend). Hope will play two night game, hosting Central, Iowa on Community Day (Sept. 8) and traveling to Wheaton on Sept. 22.