Football 2015: The Season in Pictures

In his second year at the helm, head coach Chris Casey was quite pleased with the team’s showing.

“The work ethic that our guys put in during the offseason was great,” he said. “We had a great recruiting class, and the guys from last year made great strides in getting bigger, faster and stronger every day. This team is one big family, and you can see that with our coach-to-player and player-to-player relationships.
“Overall, our goal is to continue to improve. Last year, we were competitive in every game but two. This year, we were competitive in every game. We improve as the game goes on. Our goal is to play at a championship level in everything. Our team has embraced that fact. Competitive is not good enough; it is just a progression to get to the championship level.”

One of the many bright spots this season was the come-from-behind victory over Redlands on Sept. 12 – a 39-35 victory. At one point during the final drive, the Bruins faced a fourth and nine on their own 16-yard line. Quarterback Grant Schroeder lofted a perfectly placed pass to Derek Richwine, who gave the Bruins new life with a 30-yard gain. George Fox proceeded to march down the field, with a key play being a Schroeder-to-John Shaffer screen pass during which Schaffer shook off two defenders for a 24-yard gain that put the Bruins on the Bulldogs’ 11.

With just 30 seconds left, the Bruins continued to give the ball to Shaffer, who chipped away at the Bulldogs’ defense. As time ran down and fans started to rise on their feet, Shaffer leaped into the air, scoring what would be the game-winning touchdown.

“Shaffer’s screen pass against Redlands was one of the best plays I’ve ever seen,” Casey said. “He refuses to be denied. He was the essence and embodiment of what our team was about.”

The fun didn’t stop there, as the Bruins earned their revenge against Arizona Christian in a 45-27 win, their largest margin of victory on the season.

The 2015 team showed progress and left fans with high expectations for what is a young, but eager, football team. The squad nearly tripled every statistic from 2014 and graduated a senior class of eight players. In that group, Shaffer, Lenana Meekisho and Jesse Bresser leave as all-time team leaders in their respective categories in the George Fox record book. Meekisho was named D3football.com Team of the Week for his efforts against Redlands, as he kicked a program-record 49-yard field goal. He also holds every punting record at George Fox and finished the 2015 season ranked 34th among NCAA Div. III punters. Bresser led the Bruins’ defense and is now the all-time leading tackler at George Fox. Shaffer finished the season as the rushing leader in the Northwest Conference with 88.0 yards per game.

“We are so proud of our guys,” Casey said. “Jesse was our leader. He gained people’s respect and didn’t lose a beat and had a tremendous year. Our lines (offensive and defensive) were great. It was nice to see Nolan Schuler and Tanner Krahel recognized in conference for their efforts. All around we made nice improvements.”

Schroeder also had a solid sophomore campaign. Casey credits his improvement to the offensive line, the addition of Coach John Tully and the work that Schroeder put in during the off-season. The quarterback threw for 2,241 yards and 17 touchdowns, virtually doubling his totals from the 2014 season (1,193 yards, eight touchdowns).

“Grant had great improvement, and having Tully in his tutelage in our program for QBs was great,” added Casey. “It showed with better protection what we are capable of.”

Receivers Brad Lander and Trevor Daniels benefited from Schroeder’s progress, as they accounted for half of his passing yards. Lander received an All-NWC second-team honor and was fifth in the NWC in yards per game (66.1).

The 2016 season is fast approaching, and season tickets will go on sale in the spring. The first two seasons of Bruin football saw near-sell-out crowds in the season ticket section, and demand is expected to be high again next year.

Fans who wish to add their names to the season ticket waiting list can send an email to sportsmarketing@georgefox.edu. Renewals for existing season ticket holders will be conducted online prior to general availability for new season ticket purchases. Any questions can be directed to Sarah Reid, director of sports marketing.

“Athletics unifies people,” Casey said. “We have felt that with our community and have had great support for the return of George Fox football. You get energized by your fans. Your home crowd helps with the energy of the game. We felt very positive about our relationship [with fans] and are very thankful for the support we have felt thus far.”

“Our goal is to play at a championship level and develop young men for adulthood,” he added. “We want them more prepared for life while working toward a championship-caliber program. We want to improve on the little things: warm-ups, film, meetings, and workouts. We want to get better in every aspect. The little things lead to the big things. It’s all about the ‘Triple A’ – ‘All About Attitude.’ George Fox is a great place, and our football team is adding to it in a special way.”