Grand Rapids tops Harper
It was a family affair Saturday afternoon at the Harper College football game as the Hawks hosted No. 6 Grand Rapids Community College (8-1, 6-1) in the second annual Twin Bowl.
The presidents of the schools are twin brothers.
The Hawks were out to avenge last year's loss in the first Twin Bowl, but this sibling rivalry did not go in favor of Harper. The Raiders won again, this time 54-14.
“They're a good football team,” said Harper coach Eric Waldstein.
The Raiders can earn a share of the Midwest Football Conference championship if Ellsworth defeats Iowa Western next week.
Grand Rapids scored first, marching the ball down the field to take a 7-0 lead.
On the ensuing Harper possession near its own goal line, a pitch from freshman running back Jackson Davenport (Carmel) from the wildcat formation went awry, and the Raiders defense was able to come up with the tackle for a safety and 9-0 lead.
Harper quarterback Stuart Augustine hooked up with sophomore tight end Benjamin Harris (Elgin) for a 25-yard touchdown pass to close the gap to 9-7.
That is as close as the Hawks would get. The Raiders had a 23-7 lead at the half.
“The defense played well in the first half,” Waldstein said.
Harper linebacker David Hettiger was injured in the first half and returned to the Hawks sidelines in his Harper travel gear for the second half. Waldstein called the injury to the 6-foot-2, 230-pound freshman a bruise.
Harper freshman defensive lineman Michael Colatori (Addison Trail) was ejected from the game in the third quarter after being penalized for a personal foul.
In the second half, Terrance Moore and Dominique Douglas made all the difference for Grand Rapids.
The duo hooked up for touchdowns of 31 and 12 yards. Moore also scored on a quarterback sneak.
Thanks to DuPage's 20-9 victory over Joliet on Saturday, the Hawks (2-7, 2-6) avoided meeting the Raiders on back-to-back weekends, as they did to end the 2009 season.
Instead, the Hawks will travel to College of DuPage next Saturday. The Midwest Football Conference will release the game time on Monday.