2000 Around the Great Lakes columns

November 16, 2000 Four teams return to playoffs Five teams from the Great Lakes are headed to the NCAA Division III playoffs after the 28-team field was announced Sunday.

November 8, 2000 Wittenberg completes trifecta The Tigers of Wittenberg University became the first team in North Coast Athletic Conference history to win three consecutive outright championships on Saturday, finishing up a perfect 10-0 regular season with a 37-14 victory over Earlham.

November 1, 2000 Bowers' record 'very special' It was a simple 1-yard run over the right side of the Grove City offensive line, but it was enough to put R.J. Bowers in the college football history book last Saturday.

October 26, 2000 Hope's title faith renewed Hope College hasn't won an outright Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football championship since 1987, but the Flying Dutchmen could be on their way this season.

October 19, 2000 OAC showdown fizzles The big showdown in the Ohio Athletic Conference turned into the big blowout on Saturday as No. 1-ranked Mount Union flexed its muscles against OAC newcomer Wilmington.

October 11, 2000 Wilmington facing toughest test It's the old guard against the new kids on the block this Saturday with first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference at stake. No. 1-ranked Mount Union, winners of 53 straight OAC contests and 58 consecutive regular season games overall, hosts Wilmington, which has shown itself as a team to be reckoned with so far in its first season in the OAC.

October 4, 2000 Purple Raiders back on top With No. 1-ranked Pacific Lutheran falling to Linfield last Saturday, No. 2 Mount Union moved into the top spot with its 58th consecutive regular season victory, a 48-24 whipping of Ohio Athletic Conference rival Ohio Northern.

September 27, 2000 Set for heavyweight battle It's still very early in the season, but in the Ohio Athletic Conference, it's showdown time on Saturday as two of the conference's titans lock horns in Ada.

September 19, 2000 Wilmington wins in OAC debut Last season, Wilmington College stormed its way to a 9-1 record as a member of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. This fall, the Quakers are stepping into the fire as the newest member of the Ohio Athletic Conference.

September 12, 2000 The point? Points, lots of them The second week of the season in the Great Lakes region produced some fantastic finishes and wild, high-scoring contests.

September 5, 2000 New year, same results The Purple Raiders of Mount Union began the 2000 season much like they had done through the 1990s, by demolishing their opponents. On Saturday, Mount Union scored three of the first four times it had the ball and rolled to a 48-21 victory at Allegheny.

August 22, 2000 2000 regional preview The Great Lakes region has had a history of powerhouse teams and top-notch players, and the 2000 season certainly seems likely to produce more of the same.