Kickerdad - Last year Averett won a lot of close games, i.e., Maryville in the last minute, Ferrum in 3OT's, Shenandoah by 2 (when they missed a 2 point conversion).  Also they were way ahead in the turnover battle. 

This year, while they played hard, they had several injuries and some of the breaks didn't go their way.  I'm sure they will give a good effort next week in an effort to be 6 - 4.  While I'm sure they're disappointed how the season has turned out, they did beat what appears to be 2 conference champions, Washington & Lee and CNU (pending).  Overtime, they may look back at that with some satisfaction of accomplishment.

So is Averett.  If Maryville is going to win a game - make it this weekend (that's the least they can do for making Maryville look so go a couple of weeks ago in Danville).

Nice article on Averett on the DIII website.  Hopefully they keep it going.

For all the CNU fans - now's this is the week to rebound from your 1 - 4 start.  It will be interesting to see if all your "motivational" posts bear any results.

CNUfinest54 - just get over it.  CNU lost last week to a better AU team and the score wasn't indictive of the play, it shouldn't have been that close. (AU missed 2 FG's and tied a fake inside the 10).  CNU had only 1 drive that amounted to anything all day.   

CNU's program is what, all of 10 years old?  It's a nice program (I think the support, i.e., attendence at the home games is great), but the reality is that's only a nice program,   You make it sound like the CNU program is on a par with Alabama, USC or Ohio State from an historical/expectations perspective.  I'm not aware of a modern day Grantland Rice waxing poetic about "Four Horsemen" galloping out of the gray skies (at least not yet outside of the Newport News area).  Teams some times experience a down year(s), it happens.

Now I've read all the posts recently that point to CNU's new academic requirements as one of the contributing factors that is hindering its ability to recruit talented players (among other reasons).   I believe you stated you played during the "glory years" at CNU, which was prior to these new standards, so what conclusion would a rational person draw from that? 

It's important to remember that when a paradigm shifts, prior achievements no longer matter. 

Averett had a play selected as on of the Top 5 plays of the week by DIII football.  It's on the website.

USA South Fan - What's wrong with the conference this year?  Can you say "ACC - lite"?  The geographic proximity to the ACC must be having a "trickle down" effect.

Averett won against a not very good Guilford team today (I may be wrong but haven't the majority out of conference victories so far been against Guilford?). 

Looking down the road, after 3 weeks the league's out of conference results are pitiful.  The USA South Athletic conference champs will be at best an 8 seed in the playoffs (because there isn't any lower & thank goodness for an automatic bid). 

As for the reasons, why certain programs are down this year, i.e., expense, GPA's, etc., other top flight programs in other parts of the country have the same challenges.  Is John Hopkins more known for its football or medical school.

What I find interesting is the discussion regarding the challenges of recruiting for the DIII schools, particularly in the NC & Va Beach area & the complaint that the larger local programs are taking the kids.  To a lesser degree, its not much like the challenges the ACC faces vs. the SEC, i.e., the best ACC area kids almost always choose USC, UGA, UT, etc over an NC/VA ACC school.

The real issue (and I may offend some here) is that while the NC High School football has improved in recent years, its not on a par with other states overall.  That equates to less talent available for the DI schools and it filters down to the lower ranks.

The only solution (although it may be difficult for some schools) is to expand it's recruiting area.  For instance, Averett has made a strategic decision to heavily recruit in Florida, 25%+ of their roster comes from that state (and trust me, Danville isn't on anyone's #1 destination list) because:

1)  There is an abundance of talent there
2)  There is limited options to play after HS if you're not offered a D-I scholarship.

Southern schools have a lot to offer, if they expand their base, i.e., possibly up Notrh, you might get more talent.

CNU85 - you can never underestimate the loss of good assistants.  Just look at when the decline of Florida State began, it occurred when both Amato left for the head job at NC State and Reicht left for the head position at Georgia.  Both in the same year.  As good an ole' boy Bobby was (and is), the program never recovered has hasn't been elite since they left (they demonstrated that point again this past weekend vs. Oklahoma).

Pat - as for the comment that Mt. Union and a couple of other schools have 150+ players.  That's all well and good, there are always exceptions, plus in traditionally winning programs, kids want to be part of the program (and it really doesn't cost the school much with no athletic scholarships, i.e., just the cost of uniforms, etc) to have them on the team since most of those kids are paying their own way. 

My point is simple- in D-III schools, with limited staffs (most schools have only a couple of paid assistants and a grad assistant or two, plus the Head Coach ususally doubles as a coordinator).  Once the season starts, the primary focus is on the 1's & 2's.  That's 44 kids.  If they have 2 deep scout teams, that's a total of 88 kids really getting any appreciable work.  The rest, they really aren't going to have the opportunity to develop their skills that much.  The resources/time just isn't there.  That's one of the reasons as you know its not uncommon to see a freshman class of 50 - 70 kids but attrition takes its total and most teams have a senior class of about 15 or so.  Having large numbers benefit the coaches, looking for talent, not the players looking for an opportunity to develop and play.

CNU85 - you've always been a supporter of the coaching staff so I doubt that they forgot everything overnight.  I have no idea but possibly is the talent level really is not there. 

The other key element might be the team chemistry, is it lacking?  We've all seen teams with "talent" no meet expectations because the chemistry may not be there.  At the same time, we've all seen teams with what is perceived as marginal talent, excel as a team.

I will admit - I chuckled at that  comments earlier in the year that the CNU coach wants to build it's roster upwards of 150 players.  For what?  Far too many.  There's no way a squad that large can practice effectively.  If its only the #1's & #2's getting all the reps, the probability of discontent on the team will grow (particularly when its not winning).

If the coach is as good as its believed, the talent is supposedly there and the team doesn't win, then probably the mix on the roster may not be right.  On the other hand, the problem could be as simple as with the success the program experienced earlier, possibly the recruiting hasn't been as aggressive and the talent simply isn't there.  Or possibly a key assistant left.  Regardless, none of our schools are like Alabama or Texas were they "select" talent, not recruit.  Regardless of the true reason(s), it sounds like CNU may have a down year.  It happens.

Sounds like the "Captains" are "abandoning ship".  But CNU should have a "life preserver" thrown to them in their next game with Frostburg (but Vegas has the early line as a "pick 'em").

Looks like a rough week for the USA South out of conference performance.  I guess we're the ACC of Division III.  After VPI lost today to James Madison (I'm old enough to remember when Va Tech was called that), I wonder if Beamer is going to try to schedule ODAC or USA South schools next year.  If he trys I hope the AD's insist on a home & home.

Averett is open this week.  Gives the young freshman QB another week to prepare for Guilford until the starter comes back against Washington & Lee.  It's a shame that has happened because although Averett may not have won against HSC last week, it sure won't have been 45 - 7 going into the 4th quarter.

H-S has a very good team.  I enjoyed watching their offensive scheme.

It's a shame however, that Averett wasn't at full strenght, i.e., their senior QB out and had to play 2 QB's that had never thrown a pass in a college game before.  It showed too as with no threat of a passing game in the 1st half, H-S could concentrate stopping the run, which they did very effectively in building a 24 - 0 halftime lead (could have been more but several costly H-S turnovers) and pushing it to 31 - 0 on its first possession of Q3.

But that said, H-S worked Averett's secondary, particularly the right CB (freshman - you could say "school was in session" for him this afternoon).  So even if Averett's QB played, the defense wasn't stopping H-S.  Averett's passing stats and scoring really came as SafetyGuy said, after the H-S starters were pulled.   

Good luck to H-S for the rest of the season.

GuyFormerlyPSBBG - if you look at Averett's roster, about 25% of the players are from Florida, virtually all their key skill players, i.e., speed.  You're also right - Florida's a key recruiting ground because there are so many players and really very few college options in state. 

If a kid doesn't go D-I in state (there are 7 now, UF, FSU, UM, USF, Central, Fla. Atlantic & Fla. Int'l), the only other options are Jacksonville and FAMU.  No D-III there.  Alot of talented Florida kids potentially never go beyond High School ball.