FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[wabco]

Bloomington observations:

IWU ... nice school with some nice people.  

The contrast between the week prior was night and day.  Even down to the IWU constables who smiled and were pleasant and after the game asked, if a cup was available, please put libations in the cups.

IWU fans tailgated head to toe with Wabash tailgaters and mixed ... similar to Whitewater two years ago.  No issues ... in fact some good conversation and fun with each other.  After the game (as hard as it is when you lose such a game) I went over and congratulated them, and they came over and just kept carrying on about our offense and QB and receivers and line.  Several of us "Bashers pointed out that their QB and receivers and line were mirrors to ours and that they would enjoy Whitewater facilities and hospitality but they are going to need their A+ game.

This contest was about as even as the 2 OTs verify.  I believe if we played 6 times it may very well come out 3 and 3.  Wabash did well, showed well, and again made the point that we do belong among the 32 best Div III teams (and from our crowd support ... among the top 10 teams).

Great season.  I feel very good about next year with what Wabash has and will have.  And as a little parting piece of desert:  the Spudster gets intercepted 4 times and the Dannies go down !  Oh yeah.  

[bashbrother]

NCAC Awards are out!

http://www.northcoast.org/fo/foallncac.html

Matt Hudson - Congrats to another OPOY for another fine Wabash QB!

Eddie Vallery Witt - DPOY

James Huddleston - OWU freshman defensive end - Newcomer of the Year

Joe Fincham - Witt has been named Coach of the Year

Little Giants only get one o-lineman on the 1st team which surprises a little bit.

other Bash first teamers:

WR- Kody Lemond
Spec. - Wes Chamblee
DL - Matt Whyde
S - Addrian Fredrick

Congrats to all the All-conference teams...... lets all put our support behind Witt!!!!

[pennstghs]

I agree with everything in the above post....what was the entire team and did Witt have more first teamers than Wabash?

[ADL70]

I don't think you'll see Wittenberg overlooking Trine.  The Tigers haven't looked past anybody this year.  I really wasn't terribly surprised by Trine's result at CWRU.  Against the schedule that the Spartans play, you just never know how good they really are.  They weren't exactly dominating at the end of the regular season, so you could see a conference champion coming in there and getting a win.  Witt will be ready for sure. 

Well, CMU and Witt DID share six opponents.

Witt's other opponents were Olivet, Earlham, Wabash, Allegheny. They were 22-18 in the regular season. (Yes, Oliver went 0-10).

CMU's other opponents were Kenyon, Rochester, Oberlin and Chicago. They were 15-24 in the regular season.

So I don't think you can totally blast CMU's schedule. Yes, it was weaker, by virtue of CMU drawing Oberlin and Kenyon in the NCAC / UAA agreement (which makes sense given the geography). But Earlham and Chicago were about even, and Rochester much better than Olivet.

Again, this means Witt needs to play well to beat Trine. I think they will.
[/quote

I'm sure most everyone understands you meant CWRU not CMU

[smedindy]

Thanks to all NCAC posters who came over to MIAC land for the pick 'ems. Second round is there! Plus three yes or no questions for bonus points. Choose wisely, grasshopper.

[BashBacker#16]

I am surprised about the Bash O-line but most surprised about the absence of CJ Gum?? 

I agree on the comments regarding what Wabash returns next season.  The biggest question mark will be on the O-line but we have some very talented underclassmen that have been with ER a year or two already, we will still have the size as well.  Our WR's will be very deep (wow!) and I think Horn really came on late in the season.  RB's should be much better with the 3 frosh competing - Rowe (explosive & speed), Stevens (power back), and Walters may be the best of the entire group.  Almost the entire D front returns and key pieces remain in the LB corps (CJ, Pannell, etc.), and the D-backfield (Jake Martin, etc.).  We need to get better on the corners but I think we will.  Whitehead returns and Schweigel returns for punts.

Smeds - great point on retaining our young guys.  We always have some fall out and I hope we keep that to a minimum.  Maybe we can get a transfer or two...

WAF!

P.S.  Witt wins big on Saturday.  I will say 35-14.  Good luck to Witt and the NCAC.

[maripp2002]

Smeds - great point on retaining our young guys.  We always have some fall out and I hope we keep that to a minimum.  Maybe we can get a transfer or two...

When I played we lost more guys from the "52 man recruiting class" than we ever did from grades. In fact, I can only think of one guy who ended up not putting in the work in the classrom. I can hardly argue that the huge class is the way to go, my senior year Wabash won the NCAC with I think like 15 seniors of the original 52 freshmen. In many ways that works a lot like D1 did before scholarship limits. As long as they aren't playing for _________ its ok if they aren't playing for us. Still, I always like to see young guys get some field time on special teams and mop up duty (neither of which CC was fond of and something I like that ER does).

I think Wabash should be fine, and they are getting to that reload not rebuild threshold (still have a long way to go before they can call MUC or UWW). Not neccesarily a conference championship EVERY year, but certainly a contender who can win the ones they should, and even win a few they shouldn't.

[wabashcpa]

BB,

I think I saw Kraft, Watson, and Gum were all 2nd team - can't believe there were 3 linebackers better than CJ in the NCAC, but whatever.  Isn't Schweigel a senior?

Thoughts on IWU - Wabash played extremely hard, but I think the better team won.  I think there were some questionable decisions on the part of IWU that kept us in the game - the halfback pass on their first drive (not necessary) and the three straight incomplete passes in the red zone in the second half after they ran the ball the whole drive to get the ball downfield (thank you!).  The fact this game went to OT at all shows the heart the LG's played with all day.  They responded to adversity extremely well - when IWU went up by two TD's, the game had a chance to get away, but Wabash wouldn't allow that to happen. 

I initially thought going for two in the first OT and ending the game right there (either way) made sense, but when it took four tries to get it in from the one, I was on board with the XP.  Didn't work out in the end, but it was certainly entertaining. 

[wabashcpa]

Small discussion on OAC board regarding Washington & Jefferson possibly interested in joining NCAC - this would be a boon to the conference if true. 

[D3_DPUFan]

A belated congratulations to the LG's on a great season.

In particular, a tip of the hat to the seniors and their parents.

End of one chapter...the begining of another.

Best wishes for continued success. 

[maripp2002]

Washington and Jefferson certainly fits with the academic standards the NCAC has tried to build, and they are a perennially good football team. The two questions I can really think of for W&J are: is the NCAC a good fit for all your sports because there are some serious powers in the other sports, and why move if you know you can win or finish near the top of the PAC every year?

Wabash, Wittenberg, and Allegheny have all played for or won a national title in football (albiet not too recently) and Wooster made the playoffs a few years ago. So the parity in the NCAC is more pronounced than in the PAC.

As for other sports Wittenberg and Wooster always put up solid men's basketball teams, Wooster usually has a pretty good baseball program, Kenyon is legendary for swimming, OWU kicked some butt this year in soccer, etc.

I am for W&J moving to the NCAC to replace Earlham, but you also have to ask yourself if it's the right move all around for W&J sports, because assuming they don't win or get a Pool-C out of the NCAC each year in football it might be a step back for recruiting etc.

[BlueRebel94]

Or W&J could come in and rule the roost, bobby swallow era was only one year ago and having gone to the 2nd round in 01, 02, 04, 07 and 08 and the 3rd round in 04 and 08 they did more than just dominate the PAC.

[SaintsFAN]

W&J would force teams in this conference to get better, offensively.  Because you will have to outscore them.  The only team that I see with the offense annually that can keep pace with them is Wabash.  They always have a great QB in Crawfordsville. 

I'm not sure how W&J matches up with Wabash... I think Wabash is a more physical program. 

We don't want W&J leaving the PAC... there'd be no reason for Thomas More to be in that conference.  But, sounds like they've flirted with going to higher admission standards and judging by all the rumors may do just that. 

Now --- not sure how the admission standards would affect the team... they could come in and be an Allegheny type team in this conference if they can't get the Bobby Swallows, Chris Edwards, and Brad Dawsons.  I don't mean to insult Allegheny but thats a 7 or 8 win team this year who got blown out by both the Big W's.

[cave2bens]

Regarding W & J, a brief glance at the PAC "Directors Cup" history reveals balance across the board in men's and women's sports, and after their football run last year I'd never dismiss their football accumen compared with the current NCAC W's and 'Gheny.  

In some sports, PAC members are non-participatory, and a potential move benefits both conference and institution.  Though this board is all about gridiron prowess, the NCAC is all about balance across the board - 1 point for fall football weights the same as that 1 point for field hockey or indoor track.  As Earlham (RIP), Hiram, and Wabash (in womens competitions  ) don't field teams in all categories, this could be a positive strengthening for the conference.

Personal preference would still be DePauw from rivalry and geographic standpoints but the folks in Greencastle (if even approached ) seem lukewarm to it.  Does anyone actually know if W & J and/or the NCAC is pursuing a relationship or is this conjecture?

[short]

I have heard the following school looking to move into the NCAC and/or the NCAC looking for them to move into our league:

1) WJ
2) JCU
3) Depauw
4) Centre

All 4 team would help the NCAC in football and all are solid school as well.