When the clock hit zero at Frank “Muddy” Waters Stadium Saturday afternoon, the Hillsdale Chargers were somewhere in Ohio, but the Frats were celebrating their 12-6 win over the Fundies in the second-annual Turkey Bowl hosted by Campus Rec. The series is now tied, with the Frats and the Fundies claiming one title each.
The Turkey Bowl brings together the men of Hillsdale’s Frats and pits them against campus Fundies, the men from other dorms across campus, in competition on the gridiron. This year, on-field frustrations turned the flag football game into a series of arguments and, eventually, a scuffle at midfield.
Teams braved 30-degree weather to join in what senior Jonathan Williams, co-head resident assistant at Simpson Residence and hype man for the Fundies, called the spirit of friendly competition.
“I’m really glad Campus Rec has done this. It’s sort of like El Clásico in that way. Somehow recognizing the divide, whether it’s religious or just where you live, unifies everybody,” Williams said. “You meet people you would not have known otherwise. That and it brings the men of campus together in fun, friendly rivalry.”
Still, junior Nathan Furness, who played receiver for the Fundies, said it is important not to forget that the game is also about more than friendliness.
“A little bit of togetherness is great, and we can get that from this game,” Furness said. “But what’s really important on this day is the rivalry.”
The game was scoreless through most of the first half, but the Frats drew first blood with about five minutes to go in the second quarter. Sophomore Frat quarterback George Mehan connected on a 20-yard fade route to freshman Christian Sosa. Some controversy surrounded the call because the Fundie sideline thought Sosa dropped the ball before completing the process of the catch. When the referees ruled that the call would stand, tensions built on the field and lasted until the final whistle.
On the next drive, the Fundies responded with a score of their own. Thanks to a few acrobatic catches from sophomore Jed Hamilton, they executed a successful four-minute offense and found themselves in the red zone with two minutes to go in the half. Sophomore quarterback Frank Fehringer found Hamilton from 10 yards out for a touchdown and the game was tied heading into halftime.
During the break, Campus Rec provided Buffalo Wild Wings for both teams and spectators.
Fundies coach and junior Joseph Vankat made a few adjustments for his team after the first half but said that for the most part, he thought his team played well.
“We have a size advantage in the trenches. We’ve been hoping to take advantage of that,” Vankat said at halftime. “After the first couple drives, we settled in and we’ve been running the ball much more effectively, and then we got some good passes.”
He also said that the Frats’ touchdown drive did not worry him.
“We’re just gonna keep doing what we’ve been doing. We just had some mishaps that one drive so we’ll flush that away and come out stronger in the second half,” Vankat said.
Play became heated in the second half and eventually the frustration spilled over and a scuffle broke out at the 50-yard line. The pushing and shoving resulted in multiple penalties against both teams. Sophomore Benny Cote said he thought the Frats handled themselves well.
“I think we also did a fantastic job staying calm and composed, even when the game wasn’t going our way, unlike the Fundies,” Cote said.
The only score in the second half came on a Mehan tush push in the third quarter.
Cote, who led the Frats with five catches and sealed the game with an interception late in the fourth quarter, attributed the win to the defense.
“The game was a battle all the way through, but we really won the game on the defensive end, picking off washed-up quarterback Frank Fehringer four times and sacking him over 10 times,” Cote said.
Despite the loss, Williams said the Fundies put up a valiant fight, and he looks forward to watching this tradition continue.
“This was not the outcome we wanted, but the Fundie squad played great,” Williams said. “ Joe and I couldn’t be more proud of the Fundies. I think I have to come back next year to see where the Turkey Bowl falls.”
