Hanni finds his 2nd home

Don Hanni IV of Youngstown is glad that his grandfather, Don Hanni II, pointed him to Norwich University in Northfield, Vt.

Not only has the junior offensive lineman from Ursuline High helped the Cadets to a No. 10 ranking in the New England NCAA Division III poll for the third straight week and become a playoff contender under fifth-year coach Shawn McIntyre, but he also has found a second home.

“My grandfather played a big role. The recruiters called him. He was attracted to the school not only because of education but also its values. It is a leadership school,” said Hanni, who believes he is the first Youngstown football player to play for Norwich.

He is one of only two Ohio players on the roster.

“The great thing about [Norwich] is that it is very secluded with no distractions. The nearest McDonald’s is a half-hour away. There is nothing here to do but study and do work, and that is something I needed.”

Hanni also pointed out that “[Norwich] is the oldest private military college in the U.S. It is where ROTC was founded. Half of the school is military and the other half non-military, which is where I am. But the non-military half carries over a lot of the standards. It is a leadership school. There are a lot of engineering students here.”

Hanni (6-0, 273), in his third year as a starter, has used his blocking to help the Cadets bounce back from a pair of 2-8 records the previous two years and an 0-3 start this year, to build a seven-game winning streak and become a playoff contender.

Norwich is coming off a 48-27 win over Castleton last Saturday, after defeating New York Maritime, 15-3, the previous week to clinch the top-seeded berth and host-team honors in the inaugural ECFC championship game.

The Cadets will face Mount Ida (4-6) on Saturday at Sabine Field starting at 12:30 p.m. Norwich defeated Mount Ida during the regular season 28-6.

The Cadets hold first place in the ECFC standings at 6-0 behind Mount Ida and Gallaudet (tied at 4-2).

Hanni said a win Saturday will not guarantee Norwich a berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs, but will increase the team’s chances of garnering a spot.

“We are a first-year league and have to go through a one year probationary period. We won’t get an automatic bid, but we might get an at-large bid,” said Hanni, who said the offensive line has been the key to the Cadets’ success.

Supporting his claim is Norwich’s No. 10 national ranking in rushing offense with 283.5 yards per game.

“The offensive line is really the strength of this team,” said Hanni, noting many of the blockers are experienced, three-year starters who are opening the holes for young and inexperienced backs.

“We lost our main running back last year through graduation. We have a three-back rotation in the backfield with two freshman and one sophomore. We are really young at running back.

“The starting quarterback went down in week two, and the new quarterback is really a running quarterback.”

Hanni, who is majoring in criminal justice with a 2.8 grade-point average, also credited new offensive line coach Carl Mintken for renovating the offensive line into an effective blocking unit.

“This was the toughest training camp we ever had offensive-line wise. [Mintken] just brought in a new attitude. I attribute [our development] to him. He has a really Youngtstown-mentality even though he is from the Northeast.”

Hanni said that through Mintken’s guidance, “We are really getting back to the basics. We are focusing on running the ball and spending a lot more time on the sleds and the little stuff and we scrimmage among ourselves.”

Saturday’s game will be broadcast on the Internet (www.cadetsradio.com and www.nsnsports.net). A live videostream of the contest will also be available on the Internet via Northeast Sports Network (www.nsnsports.net).

XJohn Kovach covers college athletics for The Vindicator. E-mail him at kovach@vindy.com.