THE DEFIANCE COLLEGE DEFENDER

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  • Yellow Jackets Sports Weekly Recap (Nov. 28- Dec. 4)

    By: Brandon Unverferth

    Photography: Hanna Young

    Women’s Basketball: Wed. Nov. 30 and Sat. Dec. 3

    11/30: Manchester University 80 (4-2), Defiance 73 (1-3)

    Graduate #24 Taylor Day looks to score in the first half vs Manchester

    The Defiance College women’s basketball team hosted the Manchester Spartans (HCAC conference opponent) Wednesday evening at the Karl H. Weaner Center for a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference matchup. The starters in this contest included (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (senior) Nicole Sims, (junior) Kylie Brinkman, and (junior) Cait Good. Two minutes into the contest, graduate Taylor Day got the scoring started for the Yellow Jackets, as she capitalized on an open layup. Thirty seconds later (7:28 left in the 1st), freshman Mia Shields knocked down a bucket from three-point range to give the Spartans an early 6-2 lead. The Yellow Jackets took their first lead of the contest just past the halfway point of the first quarter (10-9), as senior Lauren Criblez found an open lane to the hoop for a layup. Senior Taylor Steinbrunner scored the final two points of the first quarter for either team, as she splashed a pair of free throws to give the Yellow Jackets a 20-16 lead to start the 2nd quarter. Just like the start of the 1st quarter, graduate Taylor Day got the scoring started for the Yellow Jackets in the 2nd, as she found herself an open lane to the basket for a layup to stretch the lead to six (22-16). With two minutes and forty seconds left in the second quarter, the Spartans found themselves back in the lead, as freshman Hailee Kline knocked down a huge three-pointer. Into the halftime break, Manchester led 37-36. The Spartans built off their momentum from the end of the second quarter, in the early stages of the third quarter, as they were able to put up the first points of the second half off a (freshman) Maddison Smith layup (24 seconds in). Near the midway point of the third quarter (5:45 left), the Yellow Jackets were able to retake the lead off a pair of free throws from senior Lauren Criblez 44-43. The difference in this game occurred in the 4th quarter, as the Spartans went on a massive 11-2 scoring run to take a nine-point lead (70-61) over Defiance with only 6 minutes and 25 seconds left to play. The Yellow Jackets were able to close the gap numerous times in the final six minutes of the contest, but in the end, the Manchester fourth-quarter push was just too much for Defiance to overcome. Most of Defiance’s points were scored in the paint (40) thanks to a 15-point night by senior forward Lauren Criblez. Fifth-year senior Taylor Day, senior Taylor Steinbrunner, and freshman Kalista Friday, each scored 11 points for the Yellow Jackets. Junior McKenzie Cooper narrowly missed double-figures with nine points, while junior Kylie Brinkman hit two of Defiance’s five three-pointers in the contest. Manchester finished with four players in double-digits including freshman Hailee Kline (17), freshman Jessie Ringen (13), graduate Bridget Nash (12), and freshman Mia Shields (11). The Spartans shot 50% (25-50) from the field, while Defiance shot 43.3% (29-67). The Yellow Jackets shot 76.9% (10-13) from the free-throw line, while Manchester shot 63% (17-27). Manchester outrebounded Defiance 39-29. The Defiance defense forced 27 turnovers, compared to Manchester’s 17. Defiance dominated the points in the paint category 40-24.

    When junior McKenzie Cooper was asked by The Defender about her thoughts following the conference opener, she expressed, “I think we did a lot of things well. We made some defensive mistakes throughout the night that cost us. Their 3-point shooting killed us and we weren’t able to capitalize off their turnovers. That being said, we’re looking to get back into the win column this weekend and correct our mistakes.“

    12/3: Franklin College 58 (2-3), Defiance 51 (1-4)

    Senior #20 Lexie Sparks moments before recording an assist vs Franklin

    The Yellow Jackets women’s basketball team welcomed the Franklin Grizzlies to the Karl H. Weaner Center for an HCAC conference showdown. The starters in this contest included (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (senior) Nicole Sims, (senior) Lauren Criblez, and (senior) Lexie Sparks. One minute into the contest, graduate Taylor Day got the scoring started for the Yellow Jackets, as she knocked down a pair of free throws following a personal foul from Franklin’s (junior) CiCi Bailey. In the first half, Defiance built up a comfortable lead after a 12-0 scoring run. The early momentum opened up a Defiance lead of 16-6, at the midway point of the first quarter. That run was fueled by a 3-point play via junior Mackenzie Cooper (4:17 left in the 1st), as she splashed home a 15-footer plus a free throw. Senior Taylor Steinbrunner later capitalized on an open three-pointer from the left wing (2:00), which also helped spark the Yellow Jacket scoring run. The Grizzlies were able to knock in a pair of buckets to close the first quarter, which cut the Defiance lead to 16-11. The Grizzlies went on to outscore the Yellow Jackets in the second quarter, 15-12, with the help of a layup by sophomore Taylor Cooney in the final few seconds before halftime. Defiance held a 47-43 lead after three-quarters of play before they went cold in the fourth. The Yellow Jackets only scored four points in the final 10 minutes of the contest, while Franklin was able to put up 15. The Defiance fourth quarter drought was the true difference maker in this game, as the Grizzlies went on to win 58-51. Franklin finished with a pair of players in double-figures including sophomore Taylor Cooney (13) and freshman Lauryn Bates (12). The Grizzlies’ leading scorer on the season, freshman Jordan Coon, was limited to just eight points. Seven Yellow Jackets put up points in this contest including senior Lexie Sparks (12), junior McKenzie Cooper (11), junior Cait Good (8), graduate Taylor Day (6), senior Lauren Criblez (5), senior Taylor Steinbrunner (5), and senior Nicole Sims (4). The Grizzlies shot 42% (21-50) from the field, while Defiance shot 25.5% (14-55). Franklin shot an impressive 50% (7-14) from behind the arc. The Yellow Jackets shot 80.8% (21-26) from the free-throw line, compared to Franklin’s 50% (9-18). Franklin out-rebounded Defiance, 47-29, despite committing 13 more turnovers (25-12).

    Men’s Basketball: Wed. Nov. 30 and Sat. Dec. 3

    11/30: Manchester University 86 (2-4), Defiance 76 (2-3)

    The Defiance College men’s basketball team traveled to Manchester, Indiana, Wednesday evening to kickoff HCAC conference play against the Manchester Spartans. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Kiewaun Graham, (sophomore) Clayton McCorkle, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, and (freshman) Evan Park. The Spartans started the game off “hot“ as they scored ten straight points, to open up to a 10-0 early lead. Junior Mitch Mendenhall got the scoring started for Manchester 14 seconds into the game before he followed that up with a jumper from the left wing. One minute later (17:50 left in the 1st), sophomore Logan Willoughby completed the 10-0 scoring run for the Spartans with a bucket from downtown. Sophomore Clayton McCorkle put up the first points of the contest for the Yellow Jackets shortly after the three-minute mark, as he was able to splash home a three-pointer of his own. At the midway point of the first half, Manchester led by 12 (23-11). To end the first half, the Spartans went on a 6-0 scoring run to build up their largest lead of the game at seventeen. In the second half, Defiance was able to trim the Manchester lead down to eight (62-54) with 9 minutes and 23 seconds left, thanks to a step-back jumper from senior Te Jones. Twenty-one seconds later (9:02 left), however, sophomore Bryant Smith was able to stretch the Spartans’ lead back to double-figures (11) as he capitalized on an open three-pointer from the right wing. Defiance continued to ”fight” in the remaining nine minutes, but in the end, Manchester was victorious 86-76. Defiance finished with a pair of players in double-figures including senior Marell Jordan with 15 points and senior Te Jones with 12. Senior Jerome Johnson shot 75% (3-4) from three-point range. Overall, Manchester shot 46% (29-63), compared to the Yellow Jackets’ 38.3% (23-60). Defiance shot 38.7% (12-31) from three-point range, while the Spartans shot 38.2% (13-34). The Spartans outrebounded Defiance 40-38, while the Yellow Jackets held a slight edge in the offensive rebounds category 14-13. Defiance’s bench outscored Manchester’s 38-9. The points in the paint differential played a huge role in the outcome of this contest, as Manchester dominated inside 30-14.

    12/3: Franklin College 111 (4-3), Defiance 77 (2-4)

    Senior #12 Jabryis Heidelburg avoids a double-team vs Franklin

    The Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team hosted the Franklin Grizzlies (HCAC conference opponent) at the Karl H. Weaner Center for a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference matchup. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Kiewaun Graham, (sophomore) Clayton McCorkle, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, and (sophomore) Jake Segulin. Three-pointers and points after turnovers dug Defiance into a hole against the Grizzlies. In the opening two minutes, Franklin knocked down a quick trio of three-pointers (sophomore Trey Flatt (2) and freshman Nathaniel Hoffman) off two Defiance turnovers, which helped the Grizzlies jump out to an early 9-0 lead. Senior Marell Jordan put up the first points of the contest for the Yellow Jackets. It was all Franklin during the first 20 minutes as the Grizzlies took a 62-33 lead into the halftime break. In the early stages of the second half, Franklin senior Carter Crowe continued off the Grizzlies’ first-half momentum as he connected on back-to-back 3-pointers after each team exchanged triples to start the half. Franklin was able to build up a 37-point lead, (73-36) at the 17:30 mark of the second half before the Yellow Jackets surged back. A 14-2 Defiance run forced a Franklin timeout with 14:10 left in the game. Defiance chipped away further to cut the Franklin advantage to 20, off a (senior) Te Jones layup with 13:50 left, but that was shortly followed by an 8-0 Grizzlies’ scoring run. The run consisted of two straight 3-pointers (sophomore Ryan Bostic and senior Carter Crowe) and a dunk (freshman Nathaniel Hoffman), which pushed the lead back to 28 for Franklin. From that point on, the Yellow Jackets were not able to cut into the Grizzlies’ lead. Franklin finished with four players in double-figures including senior Carter Crowe (30), sophomore Ryan Bostic (17), sophomore Trey Flatt (16), and junior Logan Hudgins (13). Defiance meanwhile finished with a trio of players in double-digits including senior Te Jones (19), senior Marell Jordan (18), and sophomore Landen Swanner (11). The Grizzlies shot 54.7% (41-75) from the field, while Defiance shot 43.3% (29-67). Both teams shot well from behind the arc, as Franklin shot 52.3% (23-44) and the Yellow Jackets shot 50% (13-26). The Grizzlies shot a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe. The points in the paint category was dominated by the Grizzlies 34-22. Bench points came in large numbers for each team, as Franklin had 38 and Defiance had 35. Franklin outrebounded Defiance 38-35.

    Wrestling: Tue. Nov. 29, Fri. Dec. 2, and Sat. Dec. 3

    11/29: Adrian College 54, Defiance 0 (Adrian College Dual)

    The Defiance College wrestling team welcomed the Adrian Bulldogs to the Karl H. Weaner Center Tuesday evening for the Adrian College Dual. In the 125 weight class, Adrian’s (graduate) Zach Phifer won by forfeit, while in the 133 weight class, Adrian sophomore Tyler Davis won by fall (0:57) over Defiance freshman Evan Gray. In the 141 weight class, Adrian sophomore Sam Ross won by a major decision (8-0) over Defiance sophomore Kliever Joseph. In the 149 weight class, Adrian sophomore Zachary Platte won by fall (1:39) over Defiance freshman Jake Scoville. In the 157 weight class, Adrian senior Trent Rector pulled off a close victory (17-14) over Defiance freshman Daniel Gravette. In the 165 weight class, Adrian graduate Zach Altman won by fall (4:09) over Defiance senior Keringten Martin. In the 174 weight class, Adrian graduate Derick DuVall won by technical fall (16-0) over Defiance sophomore Matthew Beard. In the 184 weight class, Adrian sophomore Blake Williams won by fall (0:40) over Defiance senior Jack Minner. In the 197 weight class, Adrian senior Dylan Wellbaum won by fall (1:31) over Defiance sophomore Joey Perez. Finally, in the 285 weight class, Adrian senior Kyle Emery won by fall (1:39) over Defiance freshman Lesly Fleurissaint.

    12/2 and 12/3: (Blithe Duals)

    The Yellow Jackets wrestling team traveled to Grand Rapids, Michigan, Friday morning for the two-day Blithe Duals at Cornerstone University. Defiance was short-handed and lost all six duals they competed in over the weekend. On Friday, the Yellow Jackets competed in a trio of duals against Albion College (L 42-9), St. Ambrose University (L 39-17), and The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (L 52-3). In the opening dual versus Albion, sophomore Kliever Joseph won by forfeit in the 141 weight class, while senior Alejandro Castro was victorious in the 157 weight class over redshirt freshman Thomas Potter (6-3 decision). The Yellow Jackets forfeited against Albion in weight classes 125 and 174. In the second dual matchup of the weekend versus St. Ambrose, senior Seth Majewski won in the 133 weight class over sophomore Ariel Vega by technical fall 16-0. Sophomore Kliever Joseph won by forfeit in the 141 weight class and freshman Lesly Fleurissaint won by forfeit in the 197 weight class. To conclude Friday’s action, Defiance competed in a dual versus The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Senior Seth Majewski defeated (#7 nationally ranked) junior Tyler Fleetwood with a 9-4 decision in the 133 weight class. The Yellow Jackets were forced to forfeit in the 125, 165, and 174 weight classes. On Saturday, the Yellow Jackets competed in a trio of duals against Liberty University (L 54-5), Wheaton College (L 45-10), and Siena Heights University (L 43-9). To kick off Saturday’s action, Defiance competed in a dual versus Liberty. Senior Seth Majewski won in the 133 weight class by technical fall 17-0. The Yellow Jackets had to forfeit in the weight classes 125, 165, and 174. In the second dual on Saturday, the Yellow Jackets faced off against Wheaton. Senior Seth Majewski won in the 133 weight class over senior Brendan Johnston with a major decision of 17-4, while senior Jack Minner was victorious in the 184 weight class over freshman Hunter Kazmierczak (fall 2:43). In the final dual of the weekend versus Siena Heights, freshman Brandon Ruiz was victorious in the 141 weight class via forfeit, while sophomore Kliever Joseph defeated freshman Kynan Savoie. Senior Seth Majewski defeated sophomore Randy Frailey in the 133 weight class with a 4-1 decision. 

    Women’s Track & Field: Fri. Dec. 2

    The Defiance College women’s track & field team welcomed Trine University, Anderson University, and Concordia University to the George M. Smart Center Friday afternoon for the Early Bird Open. Two Yellow Jackets set new personal bests during this meet including sophomore Ashanti Elkins (400-meter dash- 1:05.88) and senior Lisa-Maria Markau (60-meter dash- 7.99). Sophomore Hailey Haynes finished second in the 60-meter dash with a time of 8.23. Sophomore Ashanti Elkins and freshman Shyla Pemberton finished first and second in the 400-meter dash with times of 1:05.88 and 1:07.53. Senior Lisa-Maria Markau won the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.78, while sophomore Ashanti Elkins came in second, and sophomore Hailei Haynes finished third.

    Men’s Track & Field: Fri. Dec. 2

    The Defiance College men’s track & field team welcomed Trine University, Anderson University, and Concordia University to the George M. Smart Center Friday afternoon for the Early Bird Open. Sophomore Gavin Maratea set a new personal best in the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.27. Freshman Isaac Miler finished first in the long jump with a time of 19-04.25, while senior Ja’Qway Janvier won the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.18. Freshman Marlon Brown finished second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 50.58. Senior Ja’Qway Janvier finished second in the 200-meter dash, while freshman Marlon Brown finished in third.


    Home

    Thursday, Dec. 8

    Wrestling vs Wilmington College (Wilmington Dual)

    Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

    (7:00 pm)

    Away

    Saturday, Dec. 10

    Men’s Basketball (2-4) at Hanover College (4-2)

    (12:00 pm)

    Women’s Basketball (1-4) at Hanover College (5-2)

    (2:00 pm)

  • Thanksgiving Dinner

    By: Elizabeth Patrick

    Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to gather together to appreciate what they have and be thankful for one another. Every Thanksgiving, Defiance College has the tradition of hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for its students.

    The annual Thanksgiving dinner served family style to students by faculty and staff, likely started in the late 1970s and from the mid-1980s until 2016 and was organized by the Chaplains office. This family-style dinner is usually served the week before Thanksgiving.

    A typical Thanksgiving dinner consists of roast turkey, turkey stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.

    After returning to campus last year after taking a year off due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Defiance College is happy to announce that their annual Thanksgiving dinner was presented to students on November 17th.

    For the people who have not yet had the opportunity to experience this tradition, the meal is served family style in the dining hall. In order to make this event extremely special, the staff fancy things up with linens and china. Members of the Defiance College staff will serve different food to the students at the different tables.

    This year’s event took place on Thursday, November 17th, at 5 pm in the dining hall. Residential students were required to bring their current student IDs. Those commuter students who wish to attend should have picked up a meal ticket from the Office of Student Life at 128 Hubbard Hall.

    For those students who play basketball and oftentimes cannot make it at 5 pm due to practice, there was a buffet set up at 630 pm in the banquet hall room. Just like in previous years, it was a very fun experience, and the students enjoyed a Thanksgiving family-style dinner.

  • It’s Not Quite Christmas

    By: Caia Bevins

    We all know what time of year it is: Christmastime. It is one of my favorite times of the year, personally. But everyone knows about Christmas. Do you know what people don’t know about? Hanukkah. So, let’s change that, shall we? Buckle your seatbelts, my fellow yellow jackets, as we go on a little trip through history.

    Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. It starts on Kislev 25 (no, I don’t know how it’s pronounced) and lasts for eight days, and guess what? There is a cool story that explains why.

    When the temple was being dedicated, Judas Maccabeus walked into the temple and found only one jar of oil that could be used for the eternal flame. This oil should have only lasted one day, but it lasted eight, which was long enough for more oil to be found. Pretty cool, right?

    Today, Jews celebrate this holiday by lighting the Menorah, playing games, and eating fried food. The Menorah is like a large candleholder with four branches on either side and one in the middle for a total of nine candles. The center candle is called the shammash candle and is used to light all the others. Each day, a new candle is lit until all nine are burning.

    Because Christmas isn’t a Jewish holiday, some Jews don’t celebrate it. However, some families do give gifts to each other. Even though the Temple did burn down, Hanukkah is still a big deal in Israel. It is actually a national holiday which means that schools are closed, some people don’t work, and there are massive parties, plays, and songs sung.

    In Jerusalem, people run through the city with burning torches to the only remaining wall of the Temple in remembrance of the flame that burnt during those eight days Hanukkah celebrates. One of those torches is given to the chief rabbi, and he uses it to light the first candle of an enormous Menorah that kicks off the celebration.

    That said, I want to invite you all to the Hanukkah event hosted by the Religion Department. It is Wednesday, November 30, in Defiance 102 at 4:30 p.m. (if you don’t know where that is, it’s the room with all the furniture that moves), and there will be donuts, hot chocolate, and other snacks. You’ll also make your own dreidel and learn how to play!

  • Book Review: In Five Years

    By: Hanna Young

    In Five Years, written by New York Times, Best Selling Author Rebecca Serle pulled readers into her twisting love story. The story is set in Manhattan, it started off in 2020 but the story ends in 2025. This love story brings readers down a winding path that seems almost never-ending.

    Dannie Kohan has her life completely planned out, or at least she thinks she does. Dannie is a Manhattan lawyer that just completed her first step in her five-year plan. She is on track to complete her goals: land her dream job, get engaged, move into her dream apartment, and get married. December 15 is the day that her five-year plan gets put into play, but what happens when she goes to bed and wakes up five years in the future? She spends an hour in the future, and then when she wakes up, she is back in her apartment. Will things be the way that she always imagined them, or will they be way different?

    This book was very slow-paced; each chapter seemed to drag on even though they were only a few pages each. My attention was not grabbed, and sitting there reading this book felt mundane. Finally, after reading the first 15 or so chapters, my interest peaked. The book proceeded to hold my attention for the most part. However, the ending was so unpredictable it almost seemed impossible.

    Overall, I will give this book a 3/5. This book managed to keep me somewhat entertained; it just took a little perseverance to make it through some of the more boring chapters. I also gave it a lower rating because the ending seemed kinda forced.

  • Thanksgiving: You’ve Got it All Wrong

    By: Caia Bevins

    Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! It is that wonderful time of year when we wake up late, watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade in our pajamas, and eat a lot of food. This is a tradition that has been going on for centuries, or at least people think it has.

    It actually wasn’t made an official holiday until 1789 by George Washington, and it wasn’t celebrated for another eighty years when Abraham Lincoln made the last Thursday of November a holiday. This holiday wasn’t Thanksgiving, though; it was just a holiday Franklin D. Roosevelt moved it to the third Thursday another eighty years later after that and made holiday Thanksgiving two years later in 1941. This is the day that we celebrate Thanksgiving today. Confusing, right?

    Well, it gets worse. Did you know that turkey wasn’t even considered a Thanksgiving dish until the late 1800s? While it may have been at the original Thanksgiving in 1621, it would have also been served with other poultry, or it may not have even been there at all. We don’t actually know. The only reason that Turkey is synonymous with Thanksgiving is that a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale wanted to have a modern menu for this dinner and shared it with the readers of Godey’s Lady Book, a magazine for women.

    Now, if you remember, Thanksgiving wasn’t a holiday at this time so having a Turkey for Thanksgiving is basically a tradition grounded on a magazine article published one hundred fifty years ago.

    Now, you’re probably sitting there thinking that your life is a lie, and I do apologize, but I’ve got some more interesting stuff to talk about. For example, there is no record of the Native Americans being invited to Thanksgiving. That’s right. The only reason that they were there is that the pilgrims were firing their guns in celebration, and Massasoit thought they were being attacked. He sent people to aid the Pilgrims and happened upon the feast. The Pilgrims then invited them to join, and it became a symbol of peace between the Pilgrims and Native Americans. I hope you have learned a little bit about the holiday we’re all about to celebrate, and if you go home, you can impress your family with your newfound, relatively useless knowledge about Thanksgiving. Have a great holiday!

  • Book Review: All Good People Here

    By: Hanna Young

    All Good People Here, a debut mystery novel for Ashley Flowers, host of the CrimeJunkie podcast, left readers wondering what plot twist would happen next. The story is set between two different time periods, 1994 and 2019, in Wakarusa, Indiana. This book’s continuous twists and turns make everyone seem suspicious; no one is safe from the rumor mill that is Wakarusa.

    Margot Davies is a true crime journalist who comes back to her hometown of Wakarusa to take care of her ailing uncle; however, she doesn’t realize that coming back would be like stepping into a time capsule. When Margot was six years old, her childhood best friend and neighbor, January Jacobs, was murdered, and the culprit was never found. Coming back to Wakarusa after all those years of away throwing her right back into the mystery surrounding January’s murder. Especially when another young girl, Natalie Clark, goes missing under mysterious circumstances in the next town over. Margot spirals into what-ifs about a connection between the cases and finds herself deep in a rabbit hole. The farther Margot digs into the case, though, the more secrets she finds.

    While the twists and turns left me wondering what was gonna happen next, my attention was drawn toward similarities from other notorious true crime cases. There were almost too many similarities; anyone with a set of true crime knowledge would be able to make the connection between famous cases that this book seems to have a resemblance to. Some of the characters were very underdeveloped, and I felt that they needed more to transform them from good characters to great ones. The book did seem to keep me on my toes, though, and the big plot twists that came my way were still surprising.

    Overall, I would give this book a 4/5 while I found some shortcomings, it did not fail to entertain me. 

  • Yellow Jackets Sports Weekly Recap (Nov. 14- Nov. 20)

    By: Brandon Unverferth

    Photography: Hanna Young

    Men’s Basketball: Wed. Nov. 16, Thurs. Nov. 17, and Sat. Nov. 19

    11/16: Alma College 84 (1-1), Defiance 69 (1-2)

    Senior #25 Kiewaun Graham scores a fastbreak layup following an Alma turnover on Wednesday evening

    The Defiance College men’s basketball team welcomed the Alma Scots to the Karl H. Weaner Center Wednesday evening for a non-conference showdown. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Kiewaun Graham, (sophomore) Clayton McCorkle, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, and (freshman) Evan Conrad. Senior Kiewaun Graham got the scoring started for the Yellow Jackets with a three-pointer from the right wing, and shortly after, sophomore Clayton McCorkle splashed home a three-pointer of his own to give Defiance a 6-0 early lead. A few minutes later, sophomore Landen Swanner added his name to the Yellow Jackets’ three-point “party” as he capitalized on an open three from the left wing to give Defiance a 9-3 lead. At the midway point of the first half, Defiance’s lead was shrunk to seven (18-11), thanks to an Alma Scot 5-0 scoring run. Into the halftime break, Defiance maintained a seven-point lead (36-29). The Yellow Jackets shot a perfect (11-11) from the free throw line in the first half. Senior Te Jones was the leading scorer for Defiance after 20 minutes of play, with nine.

    Sophomore #11 Clayton McCorkle dribbles near half-court before setting up a play vs Alma

    The Scots started the second half on a 12-5 scoring run, to tie the game at 41 (15:54 left). Alma then went on another scoring run, this time a 9-0 scoring run to take their first lead of the game 50-45 (13:01 left). Midway through the second half, the Scots led 54-51. The Scots went on another 9-0 scoring run thanks to a trio of three-pointers from sophomore Peyton Bush, senior Nate Deyman, and junior Tyshaun Walker; to take a 10-point lead (65-55) with 5 minutes remaining. Alma ended the game on a 19-14 scoring run to take the victory 84-69. The Scots finished with a trio of players in double-digits, including junior Tyshaun Walker (26), junior Connor Riley (22), and junior Landen Moore-Pierce (10). The Yellow Jackets finished with four players in double-digits, including senior Kiewaun Graham (16), sophomore Landen Swanner (12), senior Te Jones (10), and senior Dejsani Beamon (10). The Scots shot 44.4% (32-72) from the field, while Defiance shot 35.7% (20-56). Defiance shot an impressive 84.6% (22-26) from the free throw line, compared to the Scots’ 76.5% (13-17). Alma out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets 39-37. The difference in this contest came from the turnover differential, as Defiance had 22 turnovers in the game, compared to the Scots’ 12. Alma recorded a 48-24 points in the paint advantage over Defiance.

    11/17: Wright State University 99 (2-1), Defiance 56 (1-2)

    (Exhibition)

    The Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team traveled to Dayton, Ohio, Thursday evening to take on the Wright State Raiders (NCAA Division I opponent) in exhibition action. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Kiewaun Graham, (senior) Grant Johnson, (junior) Easton Lewis, and (freshman) Evan Conrad. Two minutes into the first half, junior Easton Lewis scored the Yellow Jackets’ first points of the contest, with a basket from three-point range. Midway through the first half, Wright State found themselves up five (21-16). 11:21 into the first half, freshman Cam Martin scored back-to-back three-pointers in a matter of 29 seconds, as he cut the Raiders’ lead back to five (27-22). The next minute (7:00 left in the 1st), however, the Raiders went on a quick 5-0 scoring run to stretch the lead to 10 (32-22). At the half, Wright State led by a score of 49-33, thanks to a 5-0 scoring run in the final minute. Near the midway point of the second half, the Raiders went on a huge 18-0 scoring run (10:10 left), which extended the Wright State lead to 40 (83-43). In the end, the Raiders captured the victory 99-56. Seven of the eight players who saw action for Wright State in this contest scored in double-figures, including senior Amari Davis (17), junior Andrew Welage (16), sophomore AJ Braun (14), redshirt senior Tim Finke (13), redshirt freshman Brandon Noel (12), redshirt sophomore Alex Huibregtse (11), and sophomore Blake Sisley (10). Junior Andrew Welage (two) and sophomore Alex Huibregtse (one), combined to record all three of Wright State’s triples in this contest. The Yellow Jackets hit a total of 14 three-pointers in this game (on 37 attempts) led by senior Te Jones who shot 75% (3-4) from behind the arc, while freshman Cam Martin and junior Easton Lewis each shot 40% (2-5). Half of the remaining threes (seven) came from seven different Yellow Jackets, including senior Grant Johnson, junior Sherod Brooks, sophomore Will Gehlhausen, sophomore Landen Swanner, sophomore Jake Segulin, freshman Jakob Trevino, and freshman Evan Park. Defiance only shot two free throws in the entire game, both coming from senior Marell Jordan (in the first half), who shot 100% on the pair. Wright State recorded 33 points off of 21 Defiance turnovers, with 19 of those 33 points coming from fast break points. The Raiders shot an incredible 74.1% (40-54) from the field, while Defiance shot 34.5% (20-58).

    11/19: Defiance 88 (2-2), Adrian College 79 (1-2)

    The Defiance College men’s basketball team hosted the Adrian Bulldogs Saturday afternoon at the Karl H. Weaner Center for a non-conference showdown. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Kiewaun Graham, (sophomore) Clayton McCorkle, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, and (freshman) Evan Conrad. Seventeen seconds into the contest, sophomore Landen Swanner got the scoring started for the Yellow Jackets, as he splashed home a three-pointer. Shortly after (44 seconds in), junior Victor Sheffey capitalized off a Defiance foul (by freshman Evan Conrad) to tie the game at 3, with an old-fashioned three-point play. At the midway point of the first half, the Yellow Jackets held a slight lead, 22-20. The Bulldogs then went on a quick 4-0 scoring run to take the lead 24-22, off baskets from junior Victor Sheffey and sophomore Nick Seifert. The Yellow Jackets followed suit with a 6-0 scoring run of their own to take the lead back 28-24, off a pair of three-pointers from seniors Te Jones and Jerome Johnson. At the half, Defiance had a three-point lead over the Bulldogs, 42-39. Just like the first half, sophomore Landen Swanner got the Defiance second-half scoring started with a quick three-pointer (eight seconds in). With 14:34 left to play, sophomore De’Ovion Price knocked in one of his two free throws following a Yellow Jackets foul by sophomore Landen Swanner, to give Adrian the lead back 46-45. The Bulldogs’ lead did not last long, however, as senior Marell Jordan splashed one home from downtown, to give Defiance the lead 48-46. Jordan clawed a steal on the next defensive possession and found senior Te Jones for another triple to increase the edge to five. Senior Desjani Beamon and junior Easton Lewis knocked down a pair of shots from downtown around the under-12 media timeout, but Adrian found a couple of answers and trimmed the lead down to 60-58 by the under-8 break. The Yellow Jackets kept punching back and answered with a 9-0 scoring run to build up a 13-point lead. Freshman Evan Conrad laid in his first points of the game with 6:05 left, to lift Defiance to an advantage of 66-60. Shortly after (5:49 left), sophomore Landon Swanner added a pair of free throws, then senior Marell Jordan (5:17 left) turned an Adrian missed 3-pointer into a made trey of his own. With 4:48 remaining, senior Jabryis Heidelburg swiped a steal and scored to force an Adrian timeout (73-60). Six Yellow Jackets combined for 10 3-pointers in the first half, including (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Jerome Johnson, (senior) Te Jones, and (sophomore) Clayton McCorkle; who each hit multiple shots from outside the ark. Senior Marell Jordan led the way for Defiance with a double-double, accounting for a game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Te Jones followed with a season-best 17 points and sophomore Tanner Swanner added 13 more to join them in double figures, both doing so for the second game in a row. Adrian was led by junior Victor Sheffey’s 20 points, while sophomore De’Ovion Price added 18. Sophomore Nick Seifert had a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 11 boards. Adrian shot 43.3% (26-60), while Defiance shot 42.9% (27-63). The Yellow Jackets shot an incredible 47.2% (17-36), while the Bulldogs shot 33.3% (5-15) from downtown. Defiance out-rebounded Adrian 42-33. The Yellow Jackets bench outscored the Bulldogs bench 34-19.

    When senior Grant Johnson was asked by The Defender about his thoughts as they near the start of conference play, he expressed, “It was great to get a win against Adrian. It will definitely help build some momentum as we near conference play! As a team, we are starting to figure ourselves out both offensively and defensively. We haven’t even met our potential yet, which is something that we will continue to aspire towards. I believe that we are capable of big things, we just gotta focus on the present task at hand each day.”

    Women’s Basketball: Tues. Nov. 15 and Sun. Nov. 20

    11/15: Ohio Wesleyan University 67 (2-1), Defiance 43 (0-2)

    The Yellow Jackets women’s basketball team traveled to Delaware, Ohio, Tuesday evening to take on the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops. The starters in this contest included (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (senior) Nicole Sims, (senior) Lexie Sparks, and (senior) Lauren Criblez. Senior Taylor Steinbrunner was the first player (from either team) to put points up on the scoreboard as she capitalized on her first of two free throws, following an Ohio Wesleyan foul. Following the opening quarter, the Battling Bishops found themselves ahead by four (14-10), thanks to 8 points from junior Kasey Schipfer. At halftime, Ohio Wesleyan managed to stretch their lead to 10 (33-23). Graduate Taylor Day and senior Taylor Steinbrunner led the Yellow Jackets with six points apiece, while (junior) Kasey Schipfer had 16 for the Battling Bishops. Defiance shot 33.3% (3-9) from three-point range in the first half and 75% (6-8) from the charity stripe (free throw line). The third quarter was dominated by Ohio Wesleyan. The Battling Bishops built upon their second-quarter success to take a 57-33 lead into the fourth quarter, thanks to a 14-0 scoring run (midway through the third). In the fourth quarter, Defiance narrowly outscored the Battling Bishops 11-10. Graduate Taylor Day was the lone double-digit scorer for the Yellow Jackets with 10, while senior Taylor Steinbrunner (9), junior Kylie Brinkman (6), senior Lauren Criblez (4), senior Lexie Sparks (4), junior McKenzie Cooper (3), freshman Kalista Friday (3), junior Cait Good (2), and sophomore Kaitlin Paul (2); each recorded points for Defiance. A trio of players finished in double figures for Ohio Wesleyan including junior Kasey Schipfer (22), junior Lauren Denison (14), and sophomore Alyssa Griner (10). The Battling Bishops shot 66.7% (4-6) from the free throw line, while Defiance shot 50% (8-16) from the charity stripe. Ohio Wesleyan led the way in the rebounds category 41-37, including a 15-10 offensive rebound advantage. The Battling Bishops had 22 assists in the contest compared to the Yellow Jackets’ nine.

    When senior Nicole Sims was asked by The Defender about her thoughts following the matchup at Ohio Wesleyan, she expressed, “It was a tough loss, but we have to move on and focus on the next game. Making corrections at practice will be the place to start in regards to improvement. It’s vitally important that we stick together through tough losses that occur throughout the season.”

    11/20: Defiance 70 (1-2), St. Mary’s College 60 (3-2)

    The Defiance College women’s basketball team traveled to Notre Dame, Indiana, Sunday afternoon for a non-conference showdown against the St. Mary’s Belles. The starters in this contest included (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (senior) Nicole Sims, (junior) Kylie Brinkman, and (junior) Cait Good. Twenty-one seconds into the contest, graduate Taylor Day got the scoring started for the Yellow Jackets, as she splashed home a three-pointer. Junior Cait Good was the next Defiance player to make her way onto the scoring sheet (8:27 left in first) as she capitalized on a layup, to give the Yellow Jackets an early 5-0 lead. Just before the midway point of the first quarter, sophomore Julia Schutz for the Belles, knocked one down from “downtown”, to tie the game at nine. St. Mary’s ended the first quarter on a 4-0 scoring run, to give the Belles a 17-13 advantage. With 2:39 left until halftime, senior Maddie Rzepka scored a huge three-pointer for the Belles, to give St. Mary’s their largest lead of the first half (seven) 28-21. In the final minute and 12 seconds, Defiance ended with 5-0 scoring run of their own, thanks to jumper (1:12 left in the 2nd) and three-pointer (39 seconds left) by senior Lexie Sparks, which cut the Belles lead to two (30-28) at the halftime break. Eleven seconds into the third quarter, graduate Taylor Day tied things up at 30, as she drove to the basket for a layup. Forty-two seconds later (9:07 left in the 3rd), junior Elle Deardorff splashed home a three-pointer, to give the Belles the lead back 33-30. Near the midway point of the third quarter, St. Mary’s went on a 6-0 scoring run (5:24 left in the 3rd), thanks to a trio of layups from junior Athena Samson, which provided the Belles with a six point lead (42-36). Two minutes later, the Yellow Jackets tied the game once again (this time at 42), thanks to a pair of three-point “bombs” by senior Taylor Steinbrunner. Senior Nicole Sims and graduate Taylor Day would add to the now 10-0 Defiance scoring run, to give the Yellow Jackets a 46-42 advantage (37 seconds left in the 3rd). With 7:19 left in the 4th quarter, (graduate) Taylor Day capitalized on a (senior) Lauren Criblez defensive rebound, to score a fastbreak layup. Taylor’s basket provided Defiance with their largest lead of the game so far (nine) 54-45. Seniors Maddie Rzepka (St. Mary’s) and Taylor Steinbrunner (DC) traded a pair of three-pointers at the 7:06 (Maddie) and 6:41 (Taylor) marks. With 2:29 left in the contest, the Belles cut the Defiance lead from nine to five (59-54), following a pair of free throws from freshman Nicole Connolly and junior Anne Goralczyk. In the final 2:07, the Yellow Jackets scored 11 points (to take the victory 70-60), thanks to two points from (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, two points from (junior) McKenzie Cooper, four points from (senior) Lauren Criblez, and three points from (senior) Nicole Sims. The Yellow Jackets finished with two players in double-digit scoring including graduate Taylor Day and senior Taylor Steinbrunner, who each put up 15 points. The Belles finished with a trio of players in double-digits including sophomore Julia Schutz (18), junior Athena Samson (14), and senior Maddie Rzepka (10). Defiance shot 36.8% (25-68) from the field, while the Belles shot 30.4% (21-69). The Yellow Jackets shot an incredible 93.8% (15-16) from the free-throw line, while St. Mary’s shot 72.2% (13-18). The Belles outrebounded Defiance 50-44, while the Yellow Jackets bench outscored St. Mary’s bench 23-8.

    Wrestling: Sat. Nov. 19

    The Defiance College wrestling team traveled to Berea, Ohio, Saturday morning for the Baldwin Wallace Invitational at Baldwin Wallace University. Nine teams participated in the invite, including Baldwin Wallace University, Delaware Valley University, Trine University, Lourdes University, Case Western Reserve University, Thiel College, Manchester University, and Mount St. Joseph University. Baldwin Wallace University took the team victory with a score of 150.5, while Deleware Valley University finished in the runner-up spot with a score of 148.5, and Trine University rounded out the podium with a score of 119.5. The Yellow Jackets finished 7th overall with a team score of 30.0. In the 133 weight class, freshman Evan Gray (0-2, 9) received two byes before he wrestled Trine’s, Thomas Miller in Round 1 of the Consolations. Evan fell in the match by a technical fall (2:37). Also in the 133 weight class, senior Seth Majewski placed sixth overall with a victory over Baldwin Wallace’s Jackson Allen by a technical fall (3:00). Seth advanced to face off against Deleware Valley’s Ryan Kelly in the semifinals, where Seth lost by fall (5:43). In the 141 weight class, freshman Eli Jones (0-4, 9) wrestled Case Western Reserve’s Art Martinez. Eli lost by fall (2:06). In the 149 weight class, sophomore Kliever Joseph (0-2, 10) competed against Deleware Valley’s Kamrin O’Neill, where Kliever lost by fall (2:55). Freshman Jacob Scoville (0-4, 9) also in the 149 weight class, received an open round bye before he competed against Deleware Valley’s Kamrin O’Neill. Jacob lost by fall (2:28). Freshman Brandon Ruiz (0-4, 9) in the 149 weight class, competed against Deleware Valley’s Declan Smith, where Brandon lost by fall (1:06). Junior Shamique Bryant (0-4, 11) the fourth and final Defiance wrestler in the 149 weight class, competed against Deleware Valley’s Daniel Conroy, where Shamique lost by decision (12-5). In the 157 weight class, junior Brent Eicher (1-4, 11) received an open round bye before he faced off against Trine’s Wade Shafer, where Brent was victorious by fall (2:04). Brent then competed against Thiel’s Peyton Hearn, where Brent lost by a major decision (11-1). Senior Alejandro Castro (3-2, 12) also in the 157 weight class, received a bye in the opening round, before he competed against Deleware Valley’s Greg Corce, where Alejandro lost by sudden victory. Later, Castro competed against Trine’s Lakin Webb, where Castro took the victory by decision (7-1). Alejandro would then face off against Case Western Reserve’s Mitchell Arch, where Alejandro lost by fall (4:32). Castro finished seventh overall in the 157 weight class. In the 165 weight class, senior Keringten Martin (3-3, 12) received an open-round bye before he faced off against Deleware Valley’s Maximus Gordon, where Keringten was victorious by decision (6-2). Martin would go on to compete against Baldwin Wallace’s Hunter Kupniewski, where Martin was victorious once again, this time by a major decision (15-5). Keringten lost his last match against Lourdes Derrick Coleman, to place him 4th overall in the 165 weight class. In the 174 weight class, sophomore Matthew Beard (0-2, 10) received an open round bye before he faced off against Baldwin Wallace’s Brandon Burkhart, where Matthew lost by fall (1:04). In the 184 weight class, senior Jack Minner (0-5, 12) received an open round bye before he competed against Baldwin Wallace’s Jack Cain, where Jack lost by fall (4:28). Minner would go on to face off against Case Western Reserve’s Alex Torres, where Minner lost by fall (1:13). Jack placed 7th overall in the 184 weight class. In the 197 weight class, freshman Lesly Fleurissaint (0-4, 9) received an open-round bye before competing against Trine’s Mason Custer, where Lesly lost by fall (2:41). Sophomore Joey Perez (2-4, 10) also in the 197 weight class, received an open round bye before he was victorious over Case Western Reserve’s Connor Heineman by decision (13-9). Perez would go on to face off against Trine’s Mason Custer, where Perez lost by fall (3:30). Joey placed 7th overall in the 197 weight class. Finally, in the 285 weight class, freshman Kelvin Ruffin (1-4, 9) received an open-round bye before competing against Thiel’s Jacob Traupman, where Kelvin lost by fall (6:57).

    Home

    Tuesday, Nov. 29

    Wrestling vs Adrian College (Adrian College Dual)

    Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

    (7:00 pm)

    Wednesday, Nov. 30

    Women’s Basketball (1-2) vs Manchester University (2-2)

    Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

    (7:30 pm)

    Friday, Dec. 2

    Men’s Track & Field (Early Bird Open)

    Location: George M. Smart Center

    (3:00 pm)

    Women’s Track & Field (Early Bird Open)

    Location: George M. Smart Center

    (3:00 pm)

    Saturday, Dec. 3

    Women’s Basketball (1-2) vs Franklin College (1-1)

    Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

    (1:00 pm)

    Men’s Basketball (2-2) vs Franklin College (2-2)

    Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

    (3:00 pm)

    Away

    Wednesday, Nov. 30

    Men’s Basketball (2-2) at Manchester University (0-3)

    (7:30 pm)

    Friday, Dec. 2

    Wrestling at Cornerstone University (Blithe Duals)

    (11:00 am)

    Saturday, Dec. 3

    Wrestling at Cornerstone University (Blithe Duals)

    (9:00 am)

    A correction was made on 11/22/22/ The wrestling team will be at cornerstone university, not Albion College, for the Blithe Duals.

  • Meet AJ

    By: Elizabeth Patrick

    Andy Jesus Ramierez, also known as AJ, is a current senior here at Defiance College. Andy went to a high school in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. While in high school, he also attended a vocational school in Groveport, Ohio, where he studied Programming and Software Development for two years. He also took a wide variety of different college credit plus courses, which helped him a lot when he changed his major multiple times.

    At first, he was double majoring in Digital Forensic Science and Criminal Justice. He is currently majoring in Communication Studies while minoring in Art Studio, Music with a Vocal Concentration, and Writing. Andy is involved in a wide variety of different clubs and organizations here at Defiance College.

    These clubs include Alpha Phi Omega, in which he is an Associate of this fraternity, Service Leaders, DC FIRST Generation Program, CAB, Student Life Residence Assistance, and McMasters School For Advancing Humanity. As a McMasters Scholar, Andy and his peers are working on research to utilize against food insecurity. He also plans to assist with the restoration of the campus greenhouse while creating podcasts to keep Defiance College, The PATH Center, and the Defiance community updated on the progress and provide some educational content to implement daily. While being involved in all of these clubs and organizations, AJ is also currently in an internship.

    With this internship, he will be helping permanent legal residents study for their citizenship tests. After completing his undergraduate studies, he would like to go to graduate school for a master’s in Media and Journalism with a concentration in Journalism education and a graduate minor in Race, Gender, and Social Justice.

    His end goal is to be a journalist educator by day and a photojournalist at night. He is also interested in becoming a professional semester, whichever comes first. One interesting fact about AJ is that he would also like to adopt a kitten or two and travel to the other side of the world just for emotional fulfillment.

    When AJ is not working on an assignment, reading, or creating Social Media content for the Defiance College Tik Tok page, you will find him walking around campus with his camera bag. He enjoys taking pictures of extraordinary moments or experiences. He also enjoys watching YouTube videos, learning a foreign language, or listening to the latest single on Spotify while wearing his headphones.

    One of his favorite items to buy from the Hive is a large Jacket Mocha with extra whipped cream. Lastly, some interesting astrology information about AJ is that he is an Aquarius sun, Leo Moon, and Leo Rising. To conclude, AJ is a very active student on the Defiance College campus by being involved in an internship along with a variety of different clubs and organizations.

  • The Boat is Sinking… Again… Again

    By: Caia Bevins

    Violet Jessop, an Irish woman from Argentina, had a habit of being on boats that ended up sinking. After moving to England, she took up a job at the White Star Line. This line built many ships, but by far, the most famous one was the Titanic. Now, we all saw the movie, knew what was going to happen, hated Rose’s fiancé, and wished that Jack had lived, but what about everyone else that survived?

    As Rose points out in the movie, out of all the lifeboats that were there, only one came back. Well, guess who got picked up by that one lifeboat. You guessed it, Violet. But why was she even on the Titanic in the first place?

    Violet was a stewardess, which is kind of like a flight attendant, for the White Star Line. Before her time on the Titanic, she worked on its sister ship, the Olympic, which was built at roughly the same time. In 1911, about a year before the Titanic sank, Violet was in an eerily similar situation.

    The Olympic had collided with a Royal Navy cruiser, the HMS Hawke. The HMS Hawke ran into the side of the boat and created gashes both above the water and below. Luckily, they weren’t far from port in Solent, England, and both ships were taken back to be repaired. However, while the Olympic was being repaired, Violet had to continue working.

    Thus, she started working on the Titanic. She was on the ship for the first and only trip that it would make across the Atlantic. Or at least attempt to. After four days at sea, on April 14, 1912, the ship collided with an iceberg. Violet was in her bed when it happened, but not fully asleep. Given where first-class staff slept on the ship, she was somewhere in the first-class passenger section when it happened.

    That was the only reason she got out alive. Many of the second and third-class staff didn’t get off the ship. That wasn’t the last time that this happened to Violet, however. Four years later, while serving during World War One, the Britannic, which was acting as a hospital ship, hit an enemy mine and started sinking rather quickly. Violet made it to a lifeboat, but as the ship sunk, it got pulled toward the propellers, and she had to jump out so she wouldn’t get pulled in. She hit her head on something but ended up being rescued by another lifeboat.

    From what I found, Violet did not return to the White Star Line or become a stewardess, and who could blame her? After being on not one, not two, but three ships that sank, I wouldn’t be pining for the opportunity to be anywhere near the ocean.

  • Yellow Jackets Sports Weekly Recap (Nov. 7- Nov. 13)

    By: Brandon Unverferth

    Photography: Hanna Young

    Football: Sat. Nov. 12

    Defiance 17 (3-7), Bluffton University 14 (2-8)

    Senior #10 Justin Caballero recovers a 3rd quarter fumble @ Bluffton

    The Defiance College football team traveled to Bluffton, Ohio, Saturday afternoon to take on the Bluffton Beavers (HCAC conference opponent) in the battle for “The Hammer”. Dwight Salzman Stadium was covered in snow, but this did not stop Yellow Jackets fans from attending this historic rivalry. Three and a half minutes into the game (11:30 left in the first) senior wide receiver Machari Bighams rushed into the endzone from 8 yards out, to give Defiance a quick 7-0 lead. Defense was the name of the game for the remainder of the first half, as neither team was able to find any opportunity to put points on the board. Nearly three minutes into the third quarter (12:13 left) senior quarterback Jordan Ambrose rushed into the endzone from 2 yards out, to extend the Yellow Jackets’ lead to 14. With 7:53 left in the third quarter, Bluffton senior quarterback Bobby Bourke connected with freshman wide receiver CJ Thompson for a 7-yard touchdown strike, to cut the Defiance lead in half (14-7). Near the midway point of the fourth quarter (7:59 left), Beavers junior wide receiver Treavon Cummings fought his way into the endzone from one yard out, to tie the game at 14. Following a Bluffton 14-0 scoring run, the Yellow Jackets needed to respond, and they did just that. With 2:42 left in the game, sophomore kicker Zeke Sanchez showed his level of “clutchness” as he “punched one through the goalposts” to give Defiance the lead once again 17-14. On the ensuing possession, Bluffton freshman CJ Thompson returned the kickoff to the Defiance 46-yard line. Bluffton had the ball down to the Defiance 22-yard line, but back-to-back penalties placed the Beavers in a 2nd and 32 from the Defiance 44-yard line. The Defiance defense held their ground as they forced back-to-back incomplete passes, before forcing a Bluffton turnover on downs. Senior quarterback Jordan Ambrose threw for 66 yards and rushed for 57, including one rushing touchdown. Senior wide receiver Machari Bighams rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown. Senior tight end Cole Recker took over punting duties and tallied 281 yards on eight kicks, including a pin inside the 20-yard line. Senior free safety Jaylen Redd led Defiance in tackles with 10, including one tackle for loss. Senior slotback Justin Caballero and junior defensive lineman Richard Pope IV each recorded eight tackles, while senior defensive tackle Rigo Villa and senior inside linebacker Thomas Coltrain had seven. Freshman defensive back Kobe Dade picked off Bluffton senior quarterback Bobby Bourke once, while senior Justin Caballero and junior Richard Pope IV each recovered one fumble apiece.

    When senior TE Cole Recker was asked by The Defender about his overall thoughts on the season, he expressed, “We grew a lot as a team this year. We showed maturity and started to become the team we know we could be. This season was definitely what I expected and the new coaching staff is helping us grow to the next level. I am so proud of the guys and how we finished the year. I can’t wait to see what the team can accomplish in the years to come.”

    Men’s Basketball: Mon. Nov. 7, Fri. Nov. 11, and Sat. Nov. 12

    11/7: Oakland University 92, Defiance 27 (Exhibition)

    The Defiance College men’s basketball team traveled to Rochester, Michigan, Monday evening to take on the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in exhibition action. The opportunity to play in an NCAA Division I environment provided the Yellow Jackets with a great learning experience. The goal of this contest was to recognize things that work well and differentiate those skills from the things that need improvement. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Kiewaun Graham, (senior) Dejsani Beamon, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, and (freshman) Evan Conrad. A third of Defiance’s points came from the three-point line as senior Jerome Johnson, sophomore Landen Swanner, and freshman Jakob Trevino; each put one through the net from “downtown”. Senior Marell Jordan led the way in scoring for the Yellow Jackets with 8, while sophomore Jake Segulin captured a team-high 4 rebounds. The Golden Grizzlies shot an impressive 57.9% from the field, including 38.5% from three-point range. Defiance shot 61.5% from the free-throw line. Scoring for the Yellow Jackets came from eight different players including senior Marell Jordan (8), senior Jerome Johnson (3), sophomore Landen Swanner (3), senior Jabryis Heidelburg (3), freshman Jakob Trevino (3), junior Sherod Brooks (3), junior Easton Lewis (2), and freshman Jordyn Jury (2).

    11/11: Defiance 88 (1-0), Miami University-Middletown 79 (0-3)

    The Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team welcomed the Miami-Middletown ThunderHawks to the Karl H. Weaner Center Friday evening to kick off the Defiance Purple & Gold Tournament. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Kiewaun Graham, (senior) Dejsani Beamon, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, and (freshman) Evan Conrad. For the majority of the first half, Defiance was only able to hold a slight lead. In the final few minutes of the first half, however, the Yellow Jackets ended with a 12-6 run, which extended the lead to 12 into the halftime break (41-29). Defiance was able to build upon their first-half momentum in the second half, by shooting an outstanding 61% from the floor. Even with the incredible second-half shooting percentage, the ThunderHawks were still able to outscore Defiance 50-47. Defiance’s largest lead (18) came with 13:08 left in the contest, following a pair of baskets from (senior) Marell Jordan and a lay-in from (senior) Jabryis Heidelburg. The Yellow Jackets were led by a trio of double-digit scorers including (all seniors) Marell Jordan with 24, Kiewaun Graham with 12, and Dejsani Beamon with 11. Miami-Middletown’s (junior) Lorenzo Sparks led all scorers with 28 points. Two other ThunderHawks finished in double-digits including (senior) Isaiah Brooks with 16 and (freshman) Nicholas Pierett with 15. Defiance splashed home nine threes in the game compared to the ThunderHawks’ six. The Yellow Jackets committed 13 turnovers but forced 18 by Miami-Middletown. Defiance narrowly outrebounded the ThunderHawks, 34-31.

    11/12: Wilmington College 81 (2-0), Defiance 72 (1-1)

    The Defiance College men’s basketball team hosted the Wilmington Fightin’ Quakers Saturday afternoon at the Karl H. Weaner Center to wrap up the Defiance Purple & Gold Tournament. After taking down Spalding on Friday night, the Fightin’ Quakers swept the weekend with a victory over Defiance. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Kiewaun Graham, (senior) Dejsani Beamon, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, and (freshman) Evan Conrad. The Yellow Jackets found themselves down 28-21 late in the first half, but thanks to a quick scoring run they were able to tie the game at 34, with a minute left until halftime. Senior Abdul Kanu responded quickly for the Quakers as he scored two baskets in the final 30 seconds, to regain the Wilmington lead 38-34, into the break. Kanu’s second hoop in that sequence was a breakaway dunk, which led to a double technical foul as time expired; one by Kanu for slapping the backboard and the other by Defiance head coach Josh Gibson for advocating for the call. The infractions forced the second half to start with a pair of free throws for Wilmington and one for Defiance. Coming into the second half, both teams had impressive shooting percentages, with Wilmington shooting 53.6% (15 for 28) and Defiance 50% (13 for 26) from the field. Following the technical free throws to start the second half, Wilmington went on a 12-3 run into the first media timeout. The Fightin’ Quakers’ lead grew to as much as 22 (64-42) with 11:06 remaining, before the Yellow Jackets started to build momentum. A pair of three-pointers by senior Marell Jordan and sophomore Landen Swanner got the Defiance offense back in rhythm midway through the second half. The Yellow Jackets’ success from the free throw line played a major role in this charge, as Defiance managed to score on 16 of their 22 second-half attempts from the charity stripe. Defiance was able to claw their way back to within 10 at the final media timeout, but the Quakers’ quick second-half start proved to be too much for the Yellow Jackets. Senior Marell Jordan led all scorers in this contest with 30 points, while sophomore Clayton McCorkle (8), freshman Evan Conrad (7), senior Kiewaun Graham (6), senior Jabryis Heidelburg (6), junior Easton Lewis (6), sophomore Landen Swanner (5), senior Te Jones (2), and junior Sherod Brooks (2); also attributed to the Defiance scoring total. Wilmington finished with a trio of players in double-figures including sophomore Obed Achirem (20), senior Abdul Kanu (19), and sophomore Bryce Bird (14). The Fightin’ Quakers shot 52.5% from the field (32-61), while Defiance shot 42.6% (23-54). Wilmington led the way in second-chance points 12-7, while the Yellow Jackets had more points off turnovers (20-18). Senior Kiewaun Graham led the way in rebounds for Defiance with 7, while senior Jabryis Heidelburg had a team-high 3 assists.

    When senior Grant Johnson was asked by The Defender about his thoughts following the Purple & Gold Tournament weekend, he expressed, “We learned a lot about ourselves this weekend. We showed good fight, but we need to execute and rebound at a higher level. It’s very early in the season, so we will look at the tape and come back on Monday ready to work.”

    Women’s Basketball: Tues. Nov. 8

    Kenyon College 55 (1-0), Defiance 54 (0-1)

    The Yellow Jackets women’s basketball team traveled to Gambier, Ohio, Tuesday evening to take on the Kenyon Owls. The starters in this contest included (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (junior) Cait Good, (sophomore) Kaitlin Paul, and (freshman) Kalista Friday. 1-minute and 55 seconds into the game, senior Taylor Steinbrunner scored the first points of the season for Defiance, with a layup to tie the game at 2. The Yellow Jackets were able to stretch out to a 12-10 lead at the conclusion of the opening quarter. The Owls fought back in the second quarter to retake the lead 29-28 into the halftime break, thanks to a pair of three-pointers from senior Katie Orefice and freshman Mikayla Rudolph. Senior Taylor Steinbrunner once again got the scoring started for Defiance in the third quarter as she was able to maneuver herself to the basket for a layup to give the Yellow Jackets the lead back, 30-29. The Yellow Jackets outscored the Owls 17-10 in the third quarter, thanks to a pair of three-pointers from sophomore Teagan Hunt and junior Kylie Brinkman. Going into the final 10 minutes of play, Defiance led by a score of 45-39. The fourth quarter was a thriller, as both teams swapped the lead numerous times. With 1:12 left in the game, graduate Taylor Day scored a much-needed layup (off an assist from junior McKenzie Cooper) for Defiance, to push the Yellow Jackets ahead 54-53. With just five seconds left in the game, Kenyon senior Katie Orefice scored the game-winner for the Owls, as she was able to find an open lane to the basket for the driving layup. Each team had a trio of double-digit scorers. Defiance’s trio included graduate Taylor Day (14), senior Taylor Steinbrunner (13), and senior Lexie Sparks (10). The trio for Kenyon included senior Katie Orefice (22), junior Claudia Cooke (18), and freshman Mikayla Rudolph (10). Yellow Jackets graduate Taylor Day led the way in the rebounds category with 11, while senior Taylor Steinbrunner was not far behind with 7. Six different players for Defiance recorded an assist in the contest including (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (junior) McKenzie Cooper, (junior) Kylie Brinkman, (freshman) Addy Allen, and (freshman) Kalista Friday. Defiance shot 33.9% from the field, while Kenyon shot 30.2%. Both teams shot an identical 13-20 from the free-throw line (65%). Defiance dominated bench points 20-4, while Kenyon was able to hold key advantages in offensive rebounds (17-11) and second-chance points (10-0).

    When junior McKenzie Cooper was asked by The Defender about her thoughts following the season opener, she expressed, “I thought we did pretty well considering it was our first game of the year. We made some mistakes in this game, so we definitely have a few things to clean up before our next matchup. We had a few players step up last night and I think that’s going to set the tone for how we want to play the rest of the season.”

    Men’s Cross Country: Sat. Nov. 12

    The Defiance College men’s cross-country team traveled to Holland, Michigan, Saturday morning for the NCAA Division III Regionals at Hope College. Defiance competed against over 26 other Division III institutes during the competition. John Carroll University junior Alex Phillip took home the victory (23:56.7), while Wilmington College junior Simon Heys finished in the runner-up spot (24:23.0), and Case Western Reserve University junior Jack Begley rounded out the podium (24:26.8). Freshman Alex Burney led the trio of Yellow Jacket runners with a 194th place finish (out of 272) with a time of 27:41.4. Freshman Marlon Brown finished in 268th place with a time of 33:26.2, while sophomore Gavin Maratea finished in 272nd with a time of 40:01.1.

    Women’s Cross Country: Sat. Nov. 12

    The Yellow Jackets women’s cross-country team traveled to Holland, Michigan, Saturday morning for the NCAA Division III Regionals at Hope College. Defiance competed against over 26 other Division III institutes during the competition. Hope College senior Anastasia Tucker took home the victory (20:46.0), while Franciscan University junior Claire Walters finished in the runner-up spot (21:06.0), and Calvin University sophomore Jenna Allman rounded out the podium (21:11.7). Freshman Shyla Pemberton, the lone runner for the Yellow Jackets, finished in 244th (out of 247) with a time of 29:14.3.

    Home

    Wednesday, Nov. 16

    Men’s Basketball (1-1) vs Alma College (0-1)

    Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

    (7:30 pm)

    Saturday, Nov. 19

    Men’s Basketball (1-1) vs Adrian College (1-1)

    Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

    (3:00 pm)

    Away

    Tuesday, Nov. 15

    Women’s Basketball (0-1) at Ohio Wesleyan University (1-1)

    (7:00 pm)

    Thursday, Nov. 17

    Men’s Basketball (1-1) at Wright State University (1-1)

    (Exhibition)

    (7:00 pm)

    Saturday, Nov. 19

    Wrestling at Baldwin Wallace University (Baldwin Wallace Invitational)

    (10:00 am)

    Sunday, Nov. 20

    Women’s Basketball (0-1) at St. Mary’s College (2-0)

    (1:00 pm)