Central athletics photo

By Joe Sager
D3sports.com

Central College’s offense is putting up video game-like numbers this season.

Quarterback Blaine Hawkins is having fun with the controls.

The fifth-year senior directs a unit that ranks second among the nation’s most productive in yards (612.7) and points (56.7) per game.

“It’s definitely been a lot of fun – probably the most fun I’ve had playing football,” he said. “We have a lot of experienced guys who have been in the system for a while. Our offensive coordinator (Ryan Maiuri) does a good drawing up plays for us. We have a lot of talent at the skill positions; it’s up to me to get them the ball and they can make things happen.”

Hawkins, a starter since his freshman year, owns virtually every Dutch passing record. He eviscerated his single-game passing mark in last week’s 55-21 win over Coe when he threw for 503 yards and six touchdowns.

“One of Blaine’s great strengths is that he is a great decision maker. It’s been rare that we’ve been in a game where he should have done one thing or another instead of what he did,” Central coach Jeff McMartin said. “Typically, he is making the right decisions and right moves. We know what we’re getting each week from him. I think that helps in our play calling and in the confidence of our offense.”

Hawkins, who leads the nation in passing efficiency (225.4), has thrown 207 consecutive passes without an interception. He’s nearing his program mark of 212 set from 2017-18.

“One thing I’ve prided myself on is making steps each year. Part of the reason I have had success is that I’ve been working on my mechanics to be more accurate and consistent,” Hawkins said. “It’s something I think about each week and want to try to eliminate any of those mistakes. I want to try to play that perfect game. It’ll probably never happen, but I feel there is the potential to make it happen.”

Hawkins feels very fortunate to be playing behind a veteran offensive line in fifth-year seniors Travis Wager and Joshua Mayhew, senior Colton Anderson and juniors Que Baker-McCaulay and Ian Den Herder.

“I’d like to give a lot of credit to my offensive linemen. They’ve been playing really well and have given me a lot of time to throw the ball,” he said. “That’s a pretty experienced crew. They’ve been really solid. I feel really secure back there in the pocket.”

Given time, Hawkins has had his choice of targets. Fifth-year senior Tanner Schminke leads the way with 36 catches for 696 yards and eight touchdowns. Jeff Herbers (28-517-7) and Erik Knaack (26-377-7) are right behind. Central has five other players with at least seven receptions.

“A big thing for us is having the depth and talent spread out at every position,” Schminke said. “For other teams, I don’t know what it’d be like to game plan against us. But, it’s definitely nice to have the availability of guys who can do it all. It’s not just one guy.

“And, it’s a big confidence boost knowing that Blaine will get you the ball if you’re open. It all comes back to preparation. The receiver has to be in the right spot and the quarterback has to have the right read. A lot of that comes with experience and watching film. It makes it a lot of fun when everyone is doing the right thing.”

Schminke has seen both sides of that approach. He came to Central as a quarterback, but moved to receiver before his sophomore year.

“Being a quarterback at a certain point in my life helps me understand what Blaine is thinking when he’s looking at a defense,” he said. “He is so smart. He is like having another coach out there. It’s really nice to be able to come to the sideline after a series and we can all talk about what we’re seeing and bounce it all off each other. It’s nice to be able to work with him because of how intelligent he is and how good his football IQ is.”

Spreading the ball around is no problem for the Dutch.  

“I can’t say what other teams think when they game plan for us. But, we have two or three different guys step up and have a big day each week, it seems,” Hawkins said. “I credit our receivers for being selfless. Depending on the Saturday, a ball might come to them 15 times or just five. Everyone is patient and they know that, in a couple Saturdays, it might be the other way around.

“I always want to keep guys involved and utilize their talents. But, there’s only so much you can do when a defense gives you certain things. We’ll keep attacking the soft spots. We’ll do what puts us in the best position to win and guys aren’t worried about the number of catches they have on a given day.”

Central can run the ball, too. The Dutch rank 27th in rushing yards per game (225.7). Senior Jason Hopp (576 yards) and junior Isaiah Walk (286) lead the ground attack.

“Offensively, Blaine has really created a lot of great opportunities for our team. We feel like we’ve become a very balanced offense and attack in all areas, whether running or throwing. We’ve been really fortunate,” McMartin said. “Defensively, we continue to take great strides, too. We have a team that kind of complements each other right now.”

It’s led to a 6-0 start for the Dutch. One common denominator is the team’s experience. Many of the players on both sides of the ball were part of the team’s drive to the second round of the playoffs in 2019. The 49-13 loss to Wheaton has motivated the squad.

“The experience is huge. We have a lot of guys who have been in a lot of key situations before,” Schminke said. “We know how hard we have to work during the week with watching film and at practice. We know how hard we have to play. That’s just learned through experience. Going through what we did in 2019, I think that’s a big driving force for us to be better and work harder. We just take it one game at a time. We’re never looking past our next game and we’re not worrying about what happened the week before. We’re just getting better one day a time and focusing on the next game ahead of us.”

Hawkins sets that tone in the huddle for the Dutch.

Central athletics photo

“He is very good at being even-keel. His range of emotions during a game and at practice are very midline. He doesn’t get too high or low on a particular play or situation. He just keeps attacking and stays calm,” McMartin said. “I think the players feed off him. They look to him as the leader of our offense. Everyone is different, but I think the overall mindset of the program is that we’ll play the next play and not fall too in love with what we have just done or feel too bad about what we’ve just done.”

Central hopes it can capture another American Rivers Conference title and get back in the playoffs this fall.

“A lot of us got a taste of the playoffs in 2019. We got to host a game and won. We’d love to host another game and have the D-III playoffs back in Pella, Iowa,” Hawkins said. “With the experience we have and the guys we have all over the place, I feel we have the potential to make a run.”

It won’t be easy, though. Central is in every ARC team’s crosshairs.

“We expect that going into the year,” Hawkins said. “That brings out the best in us and helps us improve each week. I just can’t wait to get to Saturday each week. I think a lot of guys feel the same way.”

Though, Hawkins doesn’t want the season to go too quickly, either. It could be his last as a player as he is unsure what the future holds.

“This year is so special; I wouldn’t be disappointed if my last game came in a Central uniform,” he said. “We’re doing a great job each week. We want to build consistency over a full game. I think just executing very well each series is the key. Right now, I think there’s still a lot of meat left on the bone for us as an offense. We look forward to putting it all together.”