Hiram College to Honor the 1982 PAC Championship Football Team

Hiram, OH - October 20, 2022  --  In celebration of the 40th anniversary of winning the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship, members of the 1982 Hiram Football Team will take their place in the College's athletic history as a "Team of Distinction" and be recognized during halftime ceremonies at Saturday's Homecoming game against Kenyon.

After a heartbreaking one-point loss to Carnegie Mellon in the final conference game of the 1981 season kept the Terriers from claiming the title, the 1982 team was determined to bring that PAC championship trophy to Hiram. After a non-conference loss to Mt. Union in the season opener, the team began conference play and quickly got their revenge by beating defending champion Carnegie Mellon 21-19. After a hard fought 10-7 loss to John Carroll, the Terriers reeled off five league wins in a row, defeating Washington and Jefferson 19-6, Case Western Reserve 13-12, Thiel 24-18, Bethany 14-13, and Allegheny 28-3, to finish with a conference-best record of 6-1 and win the title.

The post-season awards were many. Head Coach Joe Malmisur was named PAC Coach of the Year, while quarterback Jason Gorcica won the PAC Offensive Player of the Year Award, and linebacker Rob Montes won the PAC Defensive Player of the Year Award. The Terriers had a total of 13 players selected to the All-PAC teams with six on the 1st Team, two on the 2nd Team, and five chosen as Honorable Mention.

In addition, offensive linemen Dan O'Connell, Brendan Smith, and Jeff Semivan, along with defensive tackle John Burr, linebacker Rob Montes, and defensive back Mike Dawson, were all named to the Associated Press Division III All-American Team as Honorable Mention selections.

Congratulations to one of Hiram's best teams in the school's history!