Marian grows from startup to football power in first decade

Marian University has only fielded a football team for 10 years. This weekend, they begin their quest for a third national championship.

INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - The Marian Knights have won 20 consecutive games in their quest to repeat as NAIA national champions. The Knights have crushed opponents this season, averaging more than 51 points and winning every game by at least two touchdowns.

Football at St. Vincent Field is a big deal on this little Catholic campus of 2,500 students on Indy's near west side.

"We have an outstanding administration that puts an emphasis on the things that you can learn from the athletic field," said Mark Henninger, in his fourth season as Marian head coach. "At the same time, sitting here in Indianapolis, for small college football, I don't know if there's a better spot in the country than right here. The high school football in our state is outstanding."

Ninety percent of the 135 Marian football players come from Indiana.

"It's really special, because you get your whole family at every game," said Marian senior wide receiver Krishawn Hogan, a Warren Central product. "I have my family at every game watching. You just can't get that at too many other places."

"We're proud to represent Indianapolis," said Henninger, a 1992 graduate of Roncalli High School. "We're proud to represent central Indiana. That's something our players take serious and it's something our coaches take serious. It just adds a whole extra element when you can do it with local guys."

This is just the 10th season of Marian University football. Ten years ago, there wasn't even a football field on campus. Today the Knights are the number one ranked NAIA program in the country.

Defensive coordinator Brock Caraboa played on Marian's first football team in 2007. The Knights practiced that year on a wetlands eco lab field in the valley behind campus. They played home games at Pike High School and won just one game.

"We take a lot of pride being the guys that were around early, telling them the stories and how we got here," said Caraboa. "The guys that I played with and the guys that have followed in our footsteps building this program are something I get to see every day. I love what I do every day. I get to coach now at my own alma mater. To be able to see it grow with the coaches that we have, the players that we have and the administration that we have is second to none."

The Knights improved to 7-4 in 2008. St. Vincent Field opened on campus in 2009, the same year Marian College became Marian University. The Knights qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 2010. The Knights needed just five years to win their first national championship in 2012 and won it all again last year.

"We've been able to win," said Marian Director of Athletics Steve Downing, "so we're going to do renovations on our gymnasium. We're building a cafeteria. People are giving us money now. When you win or can have that type of effect, everybody's happy and the donations are going to be picked up."

"You can't drive through the Marian campus without seeing a new building being put up somewhere," said Hogan. "There are always a lot of people at every game. Football here has definitely done a lot for this program. It's something special."

"It just goes to show the university, the commitment of the fans, our president getting people to buy into this program and get kids like me to come here five years ago," said senior defensive end Dillon Dittemore from Lebanon, Marian's career sacks leader. "When I came on a visit, I visited schools like IU and UIndy. When I came here and met the coaches and the president, I felt like this was home and that's something that has continued to show throughout the recruiting process."

President Dan Elsener is credited with leading the vision for excellence in athletics growing the university as a whole. Football is the largest sports program on campus with 650 athletes in 26 sports. The school's cycling team has won some 30 national championships. The women's basketball team just won its first national title.

"Generate exposure for the school and hopefully that would help enrollment," said Downing. "You want to try to bring more students here, get the school more notoriety within the city and outside the city also. It's served that purpose too, because our enrollment is at an all-time high. We've been able to attract a lot of high quality athletes in all our sports."

All those local athletes have made Marian a national football power.

"We're a brotherhood, from coaching staff to administration to the players," said Caraboa. "I think we play for the guy next to us. I think as long as we keep doing that, Marian University football and Marian University will always be different."

The Marian Knights host Eastern Oregon Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the NAIA playoff quarterfinals. The Knights need two wins to return to the championship game in Daytona Beach, Florida, on December 17.