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After 41 long Saturdays, Thiel College, with the Help of Big Plays from Rodgers and Logan, Break the Nations Longest Losing Streak

Tagged under: Gameday Hub, News, Pennsylvania Colleges

| October 4, 2022


Senior Defensive Linemen, Jordan Volpe (Sharon/Sharon, PA) smiles ear to ear after the win as the team returns to the celebrations on campus. PHOTO CREDIT TO MEI WILLIAMS

Kept back in the woods and farm land of Mercer County, Pennsylvania sits a small liberal arts college. With only 894 undergrads (as of fall 2017), Thiel College is as small as it gets. Although they have played football since 1892, they have had limited football success. They had a “hay-day” from 1966-77 under Jim McCullough. They won two President Athletic Conference (PAC) championships in that span in 1967 and 1972. Then entering the 1990s the program took a downward slide.

Before 2001, Thiel played off campus at Greenville High School’s football stadium, almost a mile from campus. Michael Robbins, who graduated Thiel in 1996 went to these games. He stated “there was no real home field advantage or connection to the team.” That led to a 20-86 run from 1990-2000. Yet during the 2005 season, Thiel would find success under head coach Jack Leipheimer in an almost miracle run to a PAC Title, an undefeated regular season, NCAA playoff berth, and a postseason win. Michael remembers that season foundly, “I was incredibly proud of that team as we had been so bad for so long. It was great to see them win a PAC title and you always want your alma mater to do well in all things, especially sports.”

Now as of recently, Thiel has fallen back to the basement of the PAC. Zero winning seasons since that 2005 run, five winless seasons, and recently a nation leading 41-game losing streak. The streak put a dark cloud over the program. Embarrassing losses like 59-0, 63-0, and going scoreless the final three games of 2021 drove that point home. Thiel tried three different coaches during that span. As it ironically would come out to be, the third time would be the charm.

A Thiel Assistant Coach and former Thiel player embrace as the busses unload at Thiel’s campus. PHOTO CREDIT TO MEI WILLIAMS

The Tomcats would bring in Sam Bauman to lead the football program out of the dark ages. A former defensive coordinator from the College of Wooster, he made a big splash early. The first game of the year, Raymond Jackson would return an interception 89-yards for the first Thiel score since October 9th, 2021. Despite falling to 38 losses in a row, the Thiel community had hope now. This team felt different and after a few weeks that hope would come into reality.

On a stormy Saturday for Bethany College’s homecoming, the same conditions Thiel last won a game in, the Tomcats came out firing. A 53-yard strike from Owen Trumbull to Andre Rodgers put Thiel up seven. Following a Bethany touchdown and missed point-after-attempt, Rodgers would strike again this time with a 75-yard kick return touchdown putting the Tomcasts up 14-6 going into halftime.

Player and Coach embrace as emotions run high during the team’s return to campus. PHOTO CREDIT TO MEI WILLIAMS

Thiel’s big plays would not be over yet with a 73-yard run by Deon Logan to put the Tomcats up 20-6 after the point-after attempt was blocked. Bethany would respond with three straight touchdowns to go up 26-20. Thiel’s offense would go on a five play, 36-yard drive, capped off with a 11-yard run by Jordan Collier and a Drey Livingston kick to go up 27-26. After the ball changed possession several times, Bethany had prime position at the Thiel 22-yard line after a bad punt with under two minutes to go. Thiel’s defense held strong causing a four and out including a pivotal incomplete pass that was caught but Thiel kept McWhorter out of bounds. After two kneels, the streak was over with a 27-26 win.

The return to campus had hundreds of people at Thiel’s victory bell. A bell the football team had not rung in 1,841 days. As the bell rang over and over players hugged teammates, classmates, alumni, professors, and administrators. The scenes could have been confused with a championship parade. There is now hope with results in Greenville, PA and within the Thiel community.

 

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