Just like you might line it up in your backyard today, Johns Hopkins and Hobart will have pads on for Thanksgiving. Photo by Larry Radloff, d3photography.com

By Peter Gegick
for D3sports.com

They won't be going home for the holidays.

Johns Hopkins (11-0) and Hobart (11-0) chose the football approach to Thanksgiving. Visitors from Baltimore, Blue Jays players will either eat with local families or join head coach Jim Margraff for a Thanksgiving banquet before trekking to Hobart. Their upstate New York hosts will have a Thursday morning practice, followed by a team meal at the Ramada Inn, followed by a Friday morning practice.

• Feature: W&J feels Linfield's pain
• Feature: JCU QB follows coach's path
• Feature: Cru weathers adversity
• More 2014 playoff coverage

"The players will not be going home," said Hobart coach Mike Cragg during a teleconference Tuesday. "They'll stay together, on campus."

Harsh tactics become necessary during playoff season. Both teams escaped last week, with Johns Hopkins surviving a late Rowan push for a 24-16 victory and Hobart overcoming three turnovers to scrape Ithaca 22-15. Both teams acknowledge their opponents as equals, with stables of running backs, lines of athletic defenders, and loads of experience. Both coaches echoed the similarities of the squads.

"I see their team a lot like ours," said Cragg. "I see that their defense has great team speed. They might even be a little bit faster than our total team defense."

"They look like us," Margraff laughed over the phone. "I think they're very good, they're athletic on defense, they run to the ball, and they look like they have a lot of fun playing."

In fact, the only difference between Hobart and Johns Hopkins involves different names at each position. For example, Hobart's Patrick Conlan, son of Penn State's former star linebacker Shane Conlan, plays quarterback. Though he threw three interceptions and fumbled once in the first half against Ithaca, he also ran for the game-tying and game-winning touchdowns.

On the other sideline stands Braden Anderson. After three years as a backup, Anderson has dominated in his only starting year, throwing for 2,404 yards and 23 touchdowns while also rushing for 405 yards and nine touchdowns in 11 games. Anderson's head coach says he captains the offensive squad.

"He's had the respect," said Margraff. "He's our leader on offense for sure."

Margraff also found four new leaders on his offensive line this season. After losing four offensive linemen last year, including both an All-American tackle and the D-III Rimington Award winner for best center, the team poised itself for a sack-fest. Instead, the line has held firm, with guard Colin Egan leading a group which allowed just seven sacks through 11 games.

"That's been a pleasant surprise," said Margraff. "But we expect guys to step up and do well."

Quick success has become Margraff's standard. A former quarterback for Johns Hopkins, Margraff started for four years before coaching the school's quarterbacks in 1982. Under his command, the team has won 10 games in five of the last six seasons, leading to high expectations for the program.

"The word we use is culture," said Margraff of Johns Hopkins football. "There's a certain culture on how we work."

Ali Marpet, above, and Tyre Coleman, below, seem destined once again for postseason honors. Coleman is tied for second in Division III in career sacks, at least since the NCAA started officially tracking the stat. Hobart athletics photos

Hobart also has established a football culture. Cragg has dominated in his 20 seasons at the helm, earning school records for career wins and career winning percentages. Like Johns Hopkins, his team relies on a veteran presence.

"Our senior class this year has just done a terrific job," he said.

Hobart's senior class deserves celebration. Ali Marpet, a 6-4 310-pound giant serving as the team's left tackle, shared the Offensive Player of the Year Award with another member of the Liberty League. Defensive end Tyre Coleman received All-America honors from D3football.com as a sophomore and junior before winning the Liberty League's Defensive Player of the Year honors this fall.

But last Saturday, the unheralded member of the senior class saved the season. John Fasano, a 5-8 wide receiver and return man, caught five passes for 58 yards and returned four kickoffs for 110 yards, winning the Liberty League's weekly special teams award along the way. Fasano believes his knowledge of the end of his career sparked his performance.

"As a senior in playoffs, now knowing that you either win or you go home, it's a scary thought," said Fasano. "And it kind of brings out a little bit more emotion."

Though the emotional advantage could help Hobart on Saturday, they will need success from their running backs for victory. Five rushers have seen action in 10 of the games, with Conner Hartigan's 818 yards and nine touchdowns leading the way. Cragg thinks Hartigan, along with the rest of the rushing attack, will set the tone for offensive play.

"It's been working for us," said Cragg, "So that is our plan to go forward that way."

The plan also involves forcing pressure on the quarterback. Though Coleman leads the way with 11 sacks, sophomore linebacker Marcus Jemison stands right behind with nine. His two and a half sacks against Ithaca provided more evidence for his progression over the last two seasons.

"I just want to keep getting better and help this team win," said Jemison.

The team also feels better prepared for the Thanksgiving matchup through their previous playoff encounters. Cragg believes their exposure will ultimately lead them to success.

"Having gone through it (the playoffs) with the team," said Cragg, "we have the experience."

Though they're experiencing Thanksgiving at school, they'll just give thanks on the football field.