DUBUQUE – Maddie Strauss was the Kid Captain at this year’s University of Iowa Homecoming game. This was a sort of homecoming for her family as well, due to the time she spent in the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital.

Maddie Strauss, 9, of Dubuque, was named this weekend’s Kid Captain at the University of Iowa Homecoming football game.  The students fully embraced Maddie’s presence during the pre-game activities.

Maddie says of walking on the sidelines in front of the student section: “I was high-fiving [the students] and running up and down the field.”

Maddie not only interacted with the students, but she was able to interact with members of the Hawkeyes’ football team as well.

“One put his hand out then I grabbed it. Then I had an itch and I knew if I pulled it away he would think I didn’t want to hold his hand and the other guy grabbed it,” Maddie said.

As the Kid Captain, Maddie and her family were granted on field access prior to the game. The University of Iowa Children’s Hospital picks a child who has spent time there to be a kid captain for each Iowa football game.

Maddie’s mom, Lori Strauss, said this about the Kid Captain program: “I think everybody in the UI football program encompasses this Kid Captain program.” The defensive line coach possesses this quality.

Maddie: “The defensive line coach said ‘Can you stand with my players during the National Anthem?’ And I said ‘Yea.’”

This experience was not the result of good luck but rather of unfortunate luck.  Maddie became sick in April of 2009 and she was not healing on her own. She vomited for days and this caused her carotid arteries to tear.  These arteries carry oxygen-rich blood to the brain.  Because they were torn, Maddie’s brain was not receiving enough oxygen, and she suffered a stroke. She remained conscious throughout her stay in the hospital.  This is rare, however.  Maddie’s brain was extremely swollen, and this usually causes unconsciousness.

Maddie was young and rightfully full of questions.

“I was really weak. And I was throwing up a lot. I didn’t really know what a stroke was.” Although Maddie was confused, her mom says, “You couldn’t have asked for a better patient.”

Maddie’s Dad, Bill, explains what originally happened. “They took us to the pediatric ICU. They were able to determine that because of the force of the vomiting, Maddie had torn both of her carotid arteries.”

Maddie was chosen to be the Kid Captain at the homecoming football game. The Strauss’ agree that this was a homecoming of sorts for themselves. Having spent weeks in the hospital, and being a huge Hawkeye fan, the Maddie and her family couldn’t say no to an opportunity like this.

Bill Strauss said, “Not only did she have a once-in-a-lifetime bad experience, she had a once-in-a-lifetime incredible experience.”

Katlyn Gerken can be contacted at Katlyn.Gerken@loras.edu.

Alumni, families, teachers and students all packed the Rock Bowl as they watched the adrenaline-fueled Duhawks take the field.
The win could not have been any sweeter for Loras, which was returning home for its first home game since the season opener. The Duhawks fed off the Homecoming crowd of almost 3,000 fans en route to a 17-14 come-from-behind win Saturday over Iowa Conference foe Buena Vista.
Loras, which improved to 2-3 on the year, did not have a great start, however. The Duhawks attempted a fake punt on its first possession, but first-year punter Joe Walker’s pass was intercepted.
Worse yet, after 10 minutes of play, Buena Vista had grabbed a 14-0 lead after two rushing touchdowns by running back John Hill.
“Buena Vista controlled the game and the tempo throughout the first quarter,” said Coach Steve Osterberger. “We did not panic being down by 14, and just needed a spark to get us going.”
The Duhawks finally found that spark in the second quarter when they were able to advance down the field with an 11-play, 62-yard drive that was topped off with a 22-yard touchdown reception by senior wide-receiver John Ingersoll, his third touchdown catch this season.
Ingersoll finished with five receptions for 63 yards. Junior quarterback Vaughn Gesing accounted for 134 yards through the air, completing 15 of his 24 passes.
After the Loras defense rose up to stop Buena Vista on its ensuing possession, senior Nic Lloyd returned BV’s punt all the way to the opponent’s 25-yard line. After a 10-yard completion by Ingersoll and a 5-yard run from sophomore running back Ryan Baez, Baez took it the final 10 yards for his first collegiate touchdown.
Baez praised the guys up front.
“I credit my success and first college touchdown to my offensive line,” Baez said. “If it was not for them, the holes would not have been there to run through.”
Loras’ running game also was a big key for the victory. Baez rushed for 95 yards on 18 carries to lead the Duhawks, and sophomore Matt Hillard generated 42 yards on 14 carries.
“The three of us (along with sophomore running back Johnny Jackson) this year created the name ‘three-headed monster,’” said Baez. “Having three running backs that can all have success on the field is real nice because it allows each of us to rotate in and give the other guy a break. Also it makes it harder for other teams to scout because instead of having one solid running back, we have three.”
The Duhawks still had a bit of scoring in their system before halftime, after getting the ball back with less than two minutes left. They quickly moved the ball down to the field and had two important 5-yard completions to Jackson and senior tight-end John Blesz.
The plays set up a 48-yard field goal for junior kicker Tyler Wilker, who kicked it into the uprights on a kick that would have been good from well beyond 50 yards. Wilker picked up Special Team Player of the Week for the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with his performance.
“We knew as an offense that we were capable of performing well like we did Saturday,” Baez said. “Scoring seven points combined the two weeks before was a definite wake-up call. We have all the weapons at every position, we just need to continue to get better during practice and continue to have success on the field like we did.”
There was no scoring in the second half, as the Duhawks’ defense was stingy. The Duhawks notched two interceptions, by seniors Kile Beaver and Tommy Jahnke, and allowed just 29 yards on defense in the fourth quarter and a turnover on downs sealed the outcome late in the game.
“Our team really found a way to come together and give it our all on every play,” Baez said. “Our team motto this year is ‘All In’ and I feel we really fit the description Saturday on both sides of the ball and just outplayed BV from start to finish.”
The Duhawks will suit up next this Saturday against inner-city rival University of Dubuque right here in the Rock Bowl. The game starts at 6 p.m.

The football team is eager to re-introduce itself to the Loras community after three weeks on the road. The fact that this weekend marks Homecoming is even better.
The Duhawks were throttled this past Saturday by perennial Iowa Conference power Wartburg. Loras’ 34-0 loss was the second straight loss for the Duhawks, who haven’t played at home since Sept. 4.
The Duhawks could not get the chains moving in the right direction for most of the game. Wartburg was able to pick up 383 yards total, while Loras was held to just 130 yards.
The game looked promising for the Duhawks in the first quarter after an interception by junior linebacker Zach Myers. And Loras’ defense was just as tough as Wartburg’s, as the two teams fought to a scoreless tie in the first quarter.
Wartburg, now 4-0, answered with two long drives in the second quarter. The drives were 16 and 11 plays on back-to-back possessions, with both drives resulting in two short touchdown runs by Wartburg running back Reese Thompson.
Coach Steve Osterberger took some positives with how the team played in the first half, as his team trailed 13-0 to one of the best teams defensively in the conference.
“We did some things really well and the players played extremely hard,” he said. “We just need to get points when we have a chance.”
Junior quarterback Vaughn Gesing, who completed just 5-for-21 passes for 48 yards, had a rough day trying to find an open receiver through the Wartburg defense. Gesing threw two interceptions and was unable to connect with his number-one target, senior wide-receiver John Ingersoll.
“After watching film, it was tough to sit there and see the potential. We have to be a good football team if we are rolling on all cylinders, but we tend to hurt ourselves,” said Ingersoll, “Our offense needs to tighten up at all positions, because when we have time to throw the ball, we are a successful offense that can be very dangerous and beat anyone.”
Gesing also found himself in a hurry  for most of the game, and he was sacked six times. Loras’ trio of sophomore running backs occasionally found some running room, but it was few and far between. Johnny Jackson led the team in rushing yards with 49 yards on 11 carries, followed by Matt Hillard with 10 carries for 45 yards, and Ryan Baez contributing 29 yards on 13 carries.
The Duhawks say they will not be deterred by their 0-2 start in the conference as they return to the Rock Bowl for homecoming.
“I know we will respond this week, and that we are fully capable of beating Buena Vista and getting back on track,” Ingersoll said. “ It is vital that our offense produces this weekend and I feel confident that will be the case.”
The big game starts at 1 p.m., with festivities for students in the Smyth Turnaround before the game starts.

Not many members of the football team expected to have a 1-2 record right now. 

After a tough 14-7 loss against Simpson, the Duhawks are glad there is a lot of football to play.

The Simpson Storm capitalized on three Loras turnovers to win their first game of the season. The game was the first Iowa Conference game for both teams.

Playing at home, the Storm were ready for Loras. Simpson started the game with a successful scoring drive that helped set the tone for the game. The drive was capped off with a 6-yard touchdown run by running back Austin Schmidt.

The time of possession favored the run-happy Storm, who controlled the ball for 33 minutes of the game, as compared to 27 minutes for Loras. 

One of the positives for the Duhawks was a second-quarter fumble recovery by sophomore Kyle Kirchoff at the Simpson 23-yard-line. The fumble was forced by junior Frank Pereiro. The turnover sparked a scoring drive that culminated with a 2-yard touchdown run by first-year running back Matt Hillard, his fifth of the season. 

But Simpson regained the momentum and “stormed” down the field in a 12-play, 67-yard drive that ended with running back Michael Chia’s 1-yard touchdown dive. 

On back-to-back possessions in the second quarter, Loras drives ended abruptly after junior Vaughn Gesing threw his third and fourth interceptions of the season. 

Simpson held a 14-7 lead at halftime, and neither team scored in the second half as the momentum teeter-tottered between the two teams. Coach Steve Osterberger said the offense struggled to sustain drives. 

“After a loss, no one is really satisfied with their performance, Gesing said. “We all feel as though we could have played better on Saturday, and we are determined to fix the mistakes that are costing us games.” 

Osterberger also noted Loras’ inability to muster a potent running attack. It was partly a testament to the play of the Simpson defense throughout the game, but Loras had much better success rushing the ball in its first two games. 

Sophomore Ryan Baez was able to net 45 yards on 12 carries, while Hillard had 30 yards on eight carries.

“There were a couple of turnovers in the game, but some negative plays also put us in some tough situations as an offense,” Gesing said. “If (the opponent) gets you into second- and third-and-longs, they have the upper hand.”

Gesing completed 13-of-27 passes for 169 yards. He also was sacked six times. He and his teammates believe that the team cannot afford any more slip-ups the rest of the season. 

Osterberger also expects tough play from his team. 

“I think each week it will be a battle in the Iowa Conference. I also believe it will be difficult for anybody to go undefeated in the conference,” Osterberger said. 

The Duhawks will be on the road again Saturday for a game against perennial power Wartburg. The kickoff is at 1 p.m. in Waverly.

It’s safe to say the football team was not in a giving mood on Saturday.

It’s a great achievement for a team to deny a first down to an opponent for a whole quarter, much less an entire half. But that’s what the Loras defense did in the first half of its 31-21 victory over Rockford College this past weekend.

The Duhawks evened their record at 1-1 with the win. They lost their season opener to Elmhurst College despite leading the game entering the final quarter. This week, however, there was never a doubt, as the Duhawks were firing on all cylinders.

The Loras defense was dominant, and the offense was clicking early as the team jumped to a 17-0 first-quarter lead.

“We got off to a great start in the game on both sides,” said Coach Steve Osterberger. “The defense didn’t allow a first down in the first half, and the offense scored on their first three possessions.”

Osterberger said the entire team improved from its opening game and limited its mental mistakes. In the loss to Elmhurst, the Duhawks repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with eight penalties for a whopping 143 yards in penalties and seven quarterback sacks.

On Saturday, however, the Duhawks were whistled for three penalties for 35 yards. They also limited the number of quarterback sacks to three.

“Our players are very committed to improving and taking care of their responsibility (to win),” Osterberger said.

The Duhawks’ offensive attack was amazingly balanced, as the Duhawks gained 191 yards on the ground and gained 193 through the air. They also compiled 22 first downs.

Loras continues to get a spark from a trio of sophomore running backs. Ryan Baez led the Duhawks in rushing with 116 yards on 23 carries, while Matt Hillard scored three touchdowns while rushing for 57 yards on 12 carries. 

Hillard, who rushed for 137 yards on just seven carries in the season opener, said he doesn’t mind the current rotation for the running backs.

“I think we have great running backs on the team,” Hillard said. “(Baez and Jackson) push me to make me better, and I do the same in return. We have a great relationship and, ultimately, the same goal — and that is to do anything to win football games.”

In the meantime, junior quarterback Vaughn Gesing connected with senior wide-receiver John Ingersoll for a touchdown for the second-straight week. Gesing fired a 15-yard scoring pass to Ingersoll in the first quarter.

“Overall, I thought this week’s game we came out more as the aggressor as opposed to last week,” Hillard said. “We definitely improved this week, but at the same time there is a long way to go to get better.”

The Duhawks know that they are going to have to get better, especially now that they are entering Iowa Conference play. Even more daunting is that they will play their first two opponents on the road. 

This Saturday, Loras will square off with Simpson. The following week, the Duhawks will visit perennial conference power Wartburg.

Chris Lehr can be reached at Chris.Lehr@loras.edu