TERRE HAUTE — Rose-Hulman is hoping to halt a three-game losing streak when it plays host to Hanover College in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football game on Hall of Fame Day. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. today at Cook Stadium.
It’s an uncharacteristic three-game skid for the Engineers, their first since they dropped the final three games of the 2005 season.
Rose (2-3, 0-1 HCAC) had been following an identical script of last season, winning its first two games (Earlham and North Park), then losing its third game (Greenville).
The Engineers have deviated from the script this year. Last year, they defeated Mount St. Joseph and Manchester. This year, they lost to both teams.
“We’ve had a tough stretch here the last three weeks,” admitted Rose coach Steve Englehart. “Just can’t find a way to get over the hump. Last year, we won all these close games.
“It’s been tough, but our team has realized that it’s only one play away from winning or losing a game. A lot of times, one play can make all the difference. Looking back at the past three weeks, we’re three plays away from being 5-0 right now.”
A big part of the Engineers’ troubles began at Greenville (Ill.) three weeks ago. In that game, Rose converted a long drive for a touchdown with two seconds remaining to get within 19-18 only to have the extra point kick blocked.
Adding insult to injury in that game, the Engineers’ top running back, senior Calvin Bueltel, was lost for the season with an ACL injury.
Since the Greenville defeat, Rose lost 45-38 to Mount St. Joseph on Homecoming, then dropped a 20-17 decision at Manchester last week. Bueltel’s absence was felt quite a bit against Manchester, the Engineers generating just 68 yards rushing.
“The biggest thing we’re going through right now, and I’m telling the team, is we’ve just got to get tougher [physically],” Englehart noted.
“We’ve also got to get mentally tougher. Not just when things are going well we play good. When things aren’t going well we kind of tighten up. I think that’s what’s happened the last two weeks.”
Rose topped Hanover 44-33 in a high-scoring road shootout last year. Both teams advanced the ball easily up and down the field, Rose outgaining Hanover 446-442 in total offense.
Hanover quarterback Nick Sharp completed 41 of 61 passes last year for 404 yards and four touchdowns.
Sharp has graduated, but this year’s Hanover team is still has a potent passing attack. Freshman C.J. Croft ranks second in the HCAC at 271.3 yards per game, while his top receiver, Daniel Passafiune, leads the HCAC in receptions (43), receiving yardage (436) and TD’s (6).
Meanwhile, Rose quarterback Derek Eitel needs just 197 yards to become the school’s all-time leader in passing yardage.
“{Hanover is] a speedy team, both offensively and defensively,” Englehart said. “They really fly around the ball on defense … will try to send a lot of stunts and blitzes at you. Offensively, they throw the ball all over the place and run a little bit from the spread formation.
“Our secondary we feel is our strength. Hopefully, that matches up well for us. It’s going to be a tough contest. Hanover is coming in with a lot of confidence after beating Anderson [51-13].
“[Hanover is] 1-3 but they’ve lost to some tough opponents … Butler, Waynesburg and Centre College.”
•Hall of Fame Day — Rose is inducting four new members into its Athletic Hall of Fame today. The induction ceremony is at noon in the Sports and Recreation Center Multipurpose Room. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.
Inductees include Bryan Hagelskamp (football), Troy Halt (men’s basketball), Amanda Speich Witter (women’s basketball) and Sean Valentine (men’s swimming).
Amey Takes Aim
Engineers looking to end three-game skid at home
- Amey Takes Aim
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Getting ready for the dance
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Harrowing path for state hopefuls
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AMEY TAKES AIM: A superior all-star arrangement
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AMEY TAKES AIM: The biggest & baddest of a holiday classic
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Taking note of ISU’s latest football win
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AMEY TAKES AIM: IHSAA playoff draw not as bad as it could have been
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ANDY AMEY: Between the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & a hard place
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Predators’ win is music to new fan’s ears
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AMEY TAKES AIM: You’ll be having a good ol’ time on vacation with the Ameys
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AMEY TAKES AIM: The Annual All-Amey basketball teams close out the prep season
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Honor to see Turkey Run girls close out memorable career
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So many matches, so many favorites
Go ahead, ask me anything about the 224 wrestlers who competed last week at the Indiana state finals — or at least about the 112 wrestlers who survived Saturday’s first round.
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ANDY TAKES AIM: A sportwriters’s lament: Oh, the games we missed
I was already tired of winter by the time that first bitterly cold snap passed through in mid-December, so it’s safe to say the season hasn’t grown on me.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Time of the season for teams to tough it out
In the last month or so I figure I’ve seen at least four boys high school basketball teams with legitimate state-championship dreams as the season heads into its dog days.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: It's the fall 2010 Amey Awards
I won’t get to know the kids from Casey and North Putnam until they come to Terre Haute in droves next June for the Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association All-Star game, so I guess it’s not too early for the high school football awards from this space.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: An early look at Indiana prep football playoffs
I wasn’t at all surprised to watch Linton pick up a 20-point win over previously unbeaten North Knox in high school football last Friday, one week after the Miners had lost by 40 to North Daviess.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Baseball season rounding third for an exciting ending
Major League baseball is coming down to an interesting week for the National League, then a couple of interesting weeks for the American League.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Look for me in the yellow shirt
I won’t be wearing pink or blue tonight for the Terre Haute South-Terre Haute North volleyball match at North, but I’m anticipating that plenty of you will be.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Little QB had big moments in ISU blue
You won’t find his name easily in the Indiana State record book, but for my money the best quarterback the Sycamores have ever had was Verbie Walder.
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Amey Takes Aim: Biggest baseball pet peeve … Nibbling
Having seen some outstanding baseball — and some not-so-outstanding baseball — at literally every level of play this spring and summer, I have identified what without a doubt is my main pet peeve with the sport. Nibbling. I’m not referring to popcorn or pretzels or nachos or cheese sticks or corn dogs or snow cones or candy or ice cream. Those can also be a serious problem — particularly if the kids are with me — but one that can be solved by simply running out of money.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Head to the high seas: Ameys’ vacation cruise
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World Cup replaces void opened when Stanley Cup ended
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Win or lose, a softball season to remember
Well, this is awkward. I’m writing this late Monday night, with my Tuesday and Wednesday days off in the future, not knowing entirely how happy I am with state-finals softball.
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Amey Takes Aim: Wabash Valley is a softball powerhouse
Greetings from the high school softball capital of Indiana. Your Tribune-Star will be spending all day Saturday at Ben Davis, dominating the press box and elbowing those other newspapers to the back row where they belong. No other paper has as many teams to cover as we do (go Panthers, go Miners and go Patriots); The Times and Post-Tribune get off to a good start with Whiting (against Riverton Parke) and Wheeler (versus Linton), but couldn’t get anything going among the bigger schools (now that my cousin Keith Hauber no longer coaches at Lake Central).
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Amey Takes Aim: NHL playoffs > NBA playoffs
Eavesdropping, as I often do, at a couple of sporting events recently, I heard conversations that warmed my heart. At both the Rose-Hulman baseball game recently and the Terre Haute North-Terre Haute South girls tennis match a week ago, I heard spirited arguments involving — the NHL playoffs.
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Amey Takes Aim: Amey family travels to Astros land
I have an uneasy feeling that I know what I’m getting for Fathers Day. Not sure how your family celebrates that holiday, but mine uses it to get me things I wouldn’t otherwise buy for myself. It’s probably the only reason I ever got a cell phone, and a couple of years ago it was a good excuse for a flat-screen TV for the living room. Yes, I use both of them now.
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Amey Takes Aim: Favorite group for boys basketball Amey Awards ... Most Improved team
As much as I enjoyed the girls high school basketball season this past winter, I liked the boys season even better; something about a team winning its last game — or another team practically becoming the 2010 version of “Hoosiers” — will do that for you. Maybe that’s the excuse for having a record number of captains for some of the Andy Amey teams, as you are about to see.
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ANDY AMEY: Butter your popcorn! It’s time for the Amey Awards!
Yes, you’re right. The high school girls basketball season has been over for awhile, which can only mean the Andy Amey teams are getting out a little late this spring.
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