Mount Union Football Has What It Takes To Win, Now It Just Wants The Title

Mount Union is one of the richest dynasties in Division III Football. Now, in its sixth year under Geoff Dartt, MU has one goal in 2025: a national title.

Aug 6, 2025 by Lindsey Plotkin

Mount Union Football Has What It Takes To Win, Now It Just Wants The Title

There’s nothing Gio Kennedy hates more than losing. While that’s a common sentiment in sports, it's ingrained into not only Kennedy’s DNA, but the entire Mount Union football program.

In Division III football, winning is synonymous with Mount Union. The Purple Raiders have won 13 national championships and under head coach Geoff Dartt, have a 56-4 record. During the Kheres era prior to Dartt that saw Larry and his son Vince as head coach, Mount Union lost just 30 games over 33 years.

The Kheres era spanned from 1986 to 2019, starting a tradition of greatness that has not been forgotten and has been recognized nationwide.

The expectation of Mount Union football is to win a national championship, and the players are there to do just that. Though Kennedy, an All-American senior offensive lineman, and Kaleb Brown, a senior defensive lineman, have played for two titles, they’ve lost both of them.

But going into their final season, they’re determined to change that. Following the national championship loss, Kennedy and Brown took charge as veterans, becoming leaders amongst their teammates.

Turning Heartbreak Into Motivation

Using the loss as motivation, both want to help their team get over the hump of losing, taking the heartbreak, and turning it into determination.

“Right after you lose one, there's that sting that just hangs around for a while knowing that you were right there and you didn't get the job done,” Kennedy said. “So this offseason was probably my favorite one yet, being at Mount Union… I'm really excited to get back to Mount here in a couple of weeks and get back to work, because I think this year could be something really special.

"For me personally, I went down at the end of the first quarter to a bad ankle injury, and I wasn't able to return, and the feeling of heartbreak that I had was unlike any other I felt before.”

Kennedy isn’t the only one using the loss as motivation. Brown said that he rewatches the game once a week, just looking for areas where not only he can improve, but where he can help his team improve.

Though as seniors they have only lost three games during their college careers, two of the losses came in the national championship game, and to the same team.

A Strong Spring For The Purple Raiders

After strong spring practices, both seniors feel like this year is going to be the one for Mount Union. Even after losing four 1,000 yard offensive players, they’re confident that this group has the edge they need.

Though he hasn’t played many live snaps, quarterback Mikey Maloney has earned high praise from his teammates and coaches alike. Rebuilding the offense around Maloney is something that has come easy for Dartt.

“Our quarterback, he was unfortunately injured last year, but he looked really good through his rehab and getting back out there (this spring),” Dartt said. “So we're excited about that. Our running back group is really good. I love the depth that we have on our offense and defensive line.”

With Kennedy to lead the offensive line and Brown to lead the defensive line, the groups are in great shape, having veteran leaders who are going into their third year as starters. Starting as sophomores is almost unheard of at Mount Union, but both worked for their spots and have matured through their starting roles since.

Both have attributed their growth to their coaches, and while Dartt wants Mount Union to be a player-led team, he also knows the importance of having a strong coaching staff.

A Coaching Legacy At Mount Union

Understanding and respecting those who came before them is one of the pillars of Mount Union football. The Purple Raiders are also a program that values tradition, and nobody understands the tradition like former players.

Every single one of Mount Union’s coaches played for the Purple Raiders.

Dartt prioritized having former players on his staff, as they are not only role models to the players, but to Dartt as well.

“Obviously the standards and expectations that we have are from the players and coaches before us. We have a unique staff where everyone this year is a former Mount Union football player,” Dartt said. “That helps in terms of ingraining that in our guys, in terms of, what they need to do and how they need to go about things, completing tasks.

"But overall, it's always been about our players. So how we handle that in recruiting, and how we explain how we want them to align with the football program, not necessarily with me as the head coach, because I want a player led team, but those would be the things that to me, have been the difference here. And the consistency and success are the young men that we bring into our program that want to be coached, want to be developed and ultimately become the best versions of themselves.”

Mount Union not only has a legacy of coaches that stay in Alliance, Ohio, but coaches that go on to lead bigger programs. The biggest name that’s a Mount Union alum is Nick Sirriani, head coach of the reigning Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles.

While Mount Union has gained attention from Sirriani, they’ve stuck to their values.

Kennedy shared how important it is to him to have a coach who not only went to Mount Union, but is someone he played with on the offensive line, John Cisneros, who graduated from Mount Union in 2024 and joined the coaching staff.

“It gives you someone to go to, especially those younger coaches,” Kennedy said. “If you really need to talk about something going on, those guys lived it, just like you did. So it gives you people to kind of confide in and trust in, and it helps you, because you have a respect for them and they have a respect for you.”

Not only have the coaches been able to help on the field, but off it.

“Academically, they understand what it takes for me to make sure that I can succeed at school,” Brown said. “They know how I should communicate with the teachers, people around campus if I want to (host) events around campus, they're very good with that, and especially if I'm talking about a player aspect.”

Becoming Leaders

When the clock hit 0:00 after the 2024 Stagg Bowl, seniors hung up their cleats for the last time and while heartbreak was in the air, another feeling hung around: hunger. The players who knew they would be returning to Mount Union looked to their veterans for leadership, and Kennedy and Brown stepped up.

“We just fit the role right,” Kennedy said. “We've been doing the right things for years and years now. And it was just an easy fit. I don't think that there wasn't really any coach or anything telling us to go talk to those guys.”

Both have fully embraced their roles as leaders, and while Brown is taking a step out of his comfort zone, he knows it’s what his team needed.

Learning from those who came before him, Brown is taking the role with pride, knowing he needs to step up to lead Mount Union to a national championship.

“It's really a new thing to me because I've never been a really vocal type of person,” Brown said. “But as I'm seeing a lot of people leave and a lot of people graduate, and talking to a lot of the older guys, it was preparing me for this moment in order to lead these guys, and I feel like me and Gio are doing a great job right now getting our guys together so that we can complete our goal for the season.”

Now, Mount Union is turning its full attention to winning a national championship, something everyone believes this team is entirely capable of.

Mount Union Football 2025 Schedule

FloCollege and FloSports are the exclusive home of all OAC Football and Mount Union home games. Subscribe here to watch Mount Union live all season.

Sep 6 vs Wheaton - 2:30 PM FloCollege
Sep 13 at Grove City
Sep 27 vs Baldwin Wallace - 2:30 PM FloCollege*
Oct 4 vs Otterbein - 2:30 PM FloCollege*
Oct 11 at Wilmington - FloCollege*
Oct 18 at Heidelberg - FloCollege*
Oct 25 vs Ohio Northern - 2:30 PM FloCollege*
Nov 1 vs Capital - 2:30 PM FloCollege*
Nov 8 at Marietta - FloCollege*
Nov 15 vs Muskingum - 2:30 PM FloCollege*

2024 Mount Union Football Results

Sep 7 at Ferrum - W 55-6
Sep 21 vs John Carroll - W 37-31*
Sep 28 at Baldwin Wallace - W 52-14*
Oct 5 at Otterbein - W 21-0*
Oct 12 vs Wilmington - W 78-19*
Oct 19 vs Heidelberg - W 52-10*
Oct 26 at Ohio Northern - W 42-13*
Nov 2 at Capital - W 54-0*
Nov 9 vs Marietta - W 28-21*
Nov 16 at Muskingum - W 35-28*
Nov 30 vs John Carroll - W 42-7^
Dec 7 vs Carnegie Mellon - W 24-19^
Dec 14 at Salisbury - W 38-17^
Dec 21 vs Johns Hopkins - W 45-37^
Jan 5 vs North Central - L 41-25^ - National Championship
*denotes conference game, ^denotes NCAA DIII playoff game

2025 Mount Union Football Roster

0, Carter Dalton, Bandit, Sophomore
0, Malcolm Lane, WR, Sophomore
1, Owen Burick, QB, Sophomore
2, Labron Wilder, SPUR, Sophomore
3, Braden Krejci, LB, Sophomore
3, Rakiem Mills, SPUR, Junior
3, Kayden Minner, RB, Sophomore
4, Alex Ford, CB, Sophomore
4, Jason Grimes, QB, Graduate Student
5, Brady McKnight, WR, Sophomore
5, Jake Whiteley, QB, Sophomore
6, Nathan Echegaray, CB, Junior
7, Kaleb Brown, Bandit, Senior
7, Ivan Maric, K, Junior
7, Lincoln Wade, CB, Sophomore
8, Logan Butcher, K, Sophomore
9, Mason Ashby, WR, Sophomore
9, Grant Hetherton, QB, Sophomore
10, Chase Copper, QB, Junior
11, Mitchell Kelly, SAF, Junior
11, Jerry Merchant, LB, Sophomore
11, Preston Smith, WR, Sophomore
11, Gavin Ehrhardt, Unknown, Freshman
12, Mikey Reilly, WR, Sophomore
13, Langdon Holbrook, SAF, Sophomore
13, Evan Liette, CB, Sophomore
15, Diallo Hall, Bandit, Sophomore
15, Andre Hill, WR, Senior
15, Mikey Maloney, QB, Sophomore
16, Lukas Burick, CB, Sophomore
16, Trace Trent, SPUR, Sophomore
16, Nick Turner, WR, Senior
17, Aaron Bradford, DB, Junior
17, Clarke Canova, K, Sophomore
17, Jerry Cooper Jr., WR, Senior
17, Braeden Hauf, CB, Sophomore
18, Dayshaun Bruister, LB, Junior
18, Logan Scranton, LB, Sophomore
19, Brady Hastings, Bandit, Sophomore
20, George Beard, SPUR, Sophomore
21, Henry Schenk, LB, Sophomore
21, Darnell Williams, RB, Graduate Student
23, Eli Craig, RB, Sophomore
24, Konnor Vonhagen, WR, Sophomore
24, Kamden Wesley, RB, Junior
27, Davis Nye, SAF, Junior
27, Greyson Siders, RB, Sophomore
28, Aaron Heller, RB, Sophomore
28, Ja'von Mims, Bandit, Sophomore
29, Camron Sum, LB, Sophomore
30, Keenan Cruz, LB, Senior
30, Austin Fancher, RB, Sophomore
30, Cael Liette, SPUR, Sophomore
32, Connor Adelman, SAF, Junior
33, Caleb Rinard, LB, Senior
34, Weston Arthur, SPUR, Senior
36, Edward Flakes, WR, Sophomore
36, Zane Mark, LB, Sophomore
37, Ricky Levak, SAF, Sophomore
37, Cale Snyder, RB, Sophomore
38, Ke'Andre Bryant, RB, Sophomore
38, Parker Logan, Bandit, Senior
39, Darien Hookfin Jr., RB, Sophomore
40, Michael Franklin, P/K, Senior
40, Josh McCawley, LB, Sophomore
40, Markal Roberson, WR, Sophomore
41, Brandon Bowden, DL, Senior
41, Elijah Daley, SAF, Sophomore
42, Brandon Bell, TE, Sophomore
42, Colden Bloom, DL, Sophomore
42, Corey Gibson, Bandit, Junior
43, Ethan Curl, LB, Sophomore
43, Jared Pasco, LS, Junior
44, Dagan Meyers, LB, Sophomore
45, Ethan Pytlak, LB, Senior
46, Tim Suto, LB, Senior
47, Zavion Roberts, DL, Sophomore
48, Matthew Dorsey, DL, Sophomore
48, Justin Lutz, TE, Sophomore
50, Dane Jarvis, DL, Sophomore
50, Isaiah Walter, OL, Sophomore
51, Alfonso Cruz III, OL/LS, Sophomore
55, LeCharles Bentley, DL, Sophomore
55, Mason Fortner, OL, Senior
56, Jonah Johnson, DL, Sophomore
58, Triston Johnson, Bandit, Sophomore
58, Jordan Rutledge, OL, Sophomore
59, Greg Rockwell Jr., OL, Senior
61, Patrick Lavelle, OL, Junior
62, Giovanni Kennedy, OL, Senior
63, Milo Simpson, OL/LS, Sophomore
65, Grayson Lehman, OL, Sophomore
70, Fred Fevrier, OL, Senior
71, Julian Rodriguez, OL, Sophomore
73, Garrett Beazley, OL, Senior
75, Jonathan Pettey, OL, Junior
76, Mitch Coffee, OL, Junior
77, Tyler Brown, OL, Sophomore
78, Danny Pajuste, OL, Sophomore
79, Patrick McWhite, OL, Sophomore
81, Matt Lucido, WR, Sophomore
82, Omari Allen, WR, Junior
85, Grant Anderson, TE, Sophomore
85, Ethan Ceurvorst, WR, Junior
86, Bryce DeAngelo, TE, Sophomore
88, Darius Hill, WR, Junior
89, Noel Jaeger, TE, Junior
90, Elijah Franklin, DL, Senior
91, Maurice Smalls, DL, Sophomore
92, Gabe Gannelli, DL, Sophomore
93, Caleb Fogle, DL, Sophomore
95, Luka Soric, DL, Sophomore
96, Jackson Harris, DL, Junior
97, Jeremiah Tillman, DL, Junior
99, Denim Shadie, DL, Sophomore
Jaeson Anderson, WR, Freshman
Joseph Brobst, OL, Senior
Jacob Cockrell, WR, Freshman
Jace Ellis, WR, Sophomore
Anthony Gentile, LB, Freshman
Calvin Gore, LB, Freshman
Davion Grant, WR, Junior
Dawann Gray Jr., Unknown, Junior
Braiden Hershey, WR, Freshman
JD Hilton, RB, Sophomore
Kenley Israel, DL, Freshman
Kentrell Marks, WR, Sophomore
Xavier Neal, WR, Freshman
Maverick Piotrowski, SPUR, Freshman
Amani Powell, Unknown, Freshman
Karter Rivera, SPUR, Freshman
Damian Shelvin II, Unknown, Freshman
Konstantine Thrasivoulou, Unknown, Freshman
JJ Ward, Unknown, Freshman
Jahaad Williams, DL, Sophomore
Jayden Williams, DL, Freshman
Hunter Yates, WR, Freshman

Mount Union Football Coaching Staff

Geoff Dartt, Head Coach
Daryl Ely, Assistant Coach / Defensive Coordinator
Kyle Miller, Assistant Coach / Tight Ends
Dan Allen, Assistant Coach / Special Teams Coordinator / Linebackers
Junior Collins, Assistant Coach / Quarterbacks
Qwamere Wright-Downing, Assistant Coach / Defensive Line
Jordan Markowski, Assistant Coach / Running Backs
Taurice Scott, Assistant Coach / Receivers
Calvin Pearce, Assistant Coach / Defensive Backs
Paul Gulling, Assistant Coach / Receivers
Don Montgomery, Assistant Coach / Outside Linebackers
Corey Unckrich, Offensive Assistant Coach
Matt Arshinkoff, Defensive Assistant Coach
John Cisneros, Assistant Coach / Offensive Line
Joe Garn, Football Equipment

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