Hiram, Ohio – September 12, 2026 – The Terriers of Hiram College welcomed the Spartans of Manchester University Saturday afternoon, for a non-conference matchup where both teams would meet for only the second time in school history. The Terriers would fight hard against the Spartans, which included a record-breaking performance, and eventually prevailing against Manchester 20-11.
The game started out slow on the offensive side of the ball, with both teams remaining deadlocked at 0-0 through one quarter of play and into at the second. The Spartans broke the scoring barrier - kicking a field goal in the redzone to take a 3-0 lead. The Terriers would respond right after, with a 10-play drive, capped off by an 8-yard rushing touchdown by RJ Johnson. This touchdown gave Hiram the lead, which they would take into the half for a 7-3 lead and not give back the rest of the game.
The defensive battle remained firm into the third quarter, with neither team capitalizing on chances, with Hiram keeping their 7-3 lead heading into the fourth. Early into the fourth quarter, the Terriers were driving, pushing the ball all the way to the one-yard line, where Johnson would score his second touchdown of the day, capping off a 12-play drive with a score. However, Manchester responded in their next drive, where they completed a 37-yard pass to score, along with converting the two-point try - cutting the deficit to just three.
The Terrier offense responded once again, driving the ball into the redzone and facing a fourth down. On the fourth down attempt, with five yards to go, quarterback Sean Tejeda found Taije Nicholson down the middle for an 11-yard score. This pass by Tejeda would break Hiram's all-time career passing yards record, breaking a nearly 40-year-old record set by Ron Devorsky from 1984-1987. This touchdown pass also gave the Terriers a two-possession lead, where they would hold firm on the 20-11 score. Tanner Merwin capped off the day by picking off the Spartans in the endzone as time expired, giving the Terriers their first 2-0 start since 2014.
Leading the way for the Terriers on the offensive side of the ball was Sean Tejeda, finishing 21/33 with 266 passing yards and 1 TD, helping lift the Terriers through the air. Leading the receiving category for the second time this year was Dylan Hargas, who finished with 7 catches for 81 yards. Kevin Dycks would also have a great day receiving, catching 3 passes for 70 yards. Lastly, Jamal Van Irvin has continued his impressive start for this year, finishing with 6 catches for 53 yards. On the ground, the Terriers were led by RJ Johnson, who finished with 14 attempts for 65 yards and 2 TD's, marking his first two touchdowns of the year.
On the defensive side of the ball, Hiram was led by the play of Kade Scott, who finished with 10 total tackles, marking an outstanding day on the ball. Kole Scott continued his impressive freshman campaign, totaling 7 tackles on the day. Tanner Merwin finished with 5 tackles as well, also managing to grab an INT as time expired in the fourth. Ocir Kimble would also grab an INT, marking his first as a Terrier.
The Terriers will return to action on September 26, where they will return off of a bye week to face the Thiel Tomcats, with kickoff set for 3 p.m., marking the beginning of PAC conference play.
