The Hamline University football team kicked off the 2025 season with a strong effort and a big win in a 28-21 victory over Crown College on Sept. 6 in front of a raucous home crowd at Klas Field. The win got the Pipers off to a promising start and provided an early glimpse of what might be higher expectations.
“I think we came out with a lot of passion. Guys were pretty excited about their first home game. It was good and bad because it was their [the seniors’] last first home game, meaning they will never have another first home game of their career. So there were a lot of emotions out there,” Head Coach Chip Taylor said. “We definitely got to clean up though. They are all fixable things, so there is still a lot to be positive about.”
The Pipers still have many things to improve on, but they are confident in their abilities to develop their skills in the remainder of the season. Fifth-year wide receiver Dawson Schaffer underlined the importance of a win while still needing to make adjustments.
“Anytime you can start the season with a win, it is a great feeling. It also gives you a sense of where the team is at and what we need to work on for the next week,” Schaffer said via email.
This year they are bringing to the field 22 new freshmen players that will help complement their strong stable of upperclassmen. One of the first–year players is quarterback Zayden Stevens, who made his college football debut against Crown.
“I was more anxious than anything. At the beginning of the week, I could not wait for Saturday to come! It hit me when the national anthem was being sang, all I was thinking was how blessed I am to be here,” Stevens said via email. “High school is very different from college. There’s a larger level of detail and commitment you have to have to be successful. That being said, watching a lot of film, filling my mind with optimism and fueling my body the right way all play a big role in how I prepare.”
While it may feel uneasy to have so many new faces on a roster, the Pipers are feeling the opposite, as they are thrilled to have new contributors to the team.
“It takes a team committed to the daily process of iron sharpening iron. We have a lot of promising talent that are hungry to play right now, and this raises the level of everyone at practice,” Schaffer said.
The schedule does not get any easier for the Pipers as they are gearing up to take on last year’s Minnesota Intercollegiate Academic Conference (MIAC) Football Champions — Saint John’s, but with a bye week in between, the Pipers are really just focused on themselves.
“We have a bye week, so the focus and what is important is Hamline versus Hamline and Hamline trying to get better. Not worrying about whatever or whoever the next opponent is, but really it is about trying to have iron sharpening iron and us getting better,” Taylor said.