FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

ExTartanPlayer · October 08, 2014, 05:14:48 PM

Quote from: HCAlum86 on October 08, 2014, 04:58:53 PM
Does OWU still have the tight end that would also double with the H back roll the last few years? Good player

Yes, Cagney is still on the roster and doing work. 15 rushes for 103 yards and 27 catches for 241 yards through four games. Has 2x as many catches as any other receiver.

aueagle · October 08, 2014, 05:25:01 PM

bishopowu: Great to have your voice back...if I can get a flight Friday nite or early Sat am, I'd love to be there.
HC Alum86..The player your speaking of is Senior Tight End Cagney...He is the main target...at 6'2 215lbs...
he has 15 rushes/103 yds and 1 TD...26 grabs/238 yds..3 TD's...good athlete...I like how Coach Watts has a better
mix this year (a mobile QB and a very good TE, that he move around in formations...( No diss to Bishop QB Espo...
Espo was a pocket guy/short roll-out.. He was a great Bishop and will be a Famer) I just like a very mobile QB.
Ex
TartanPlayer: Our stats differ a bit/but very close

medicine man · October 08, 2014, 06:32:14 PM

Maybe I missed someone posting about this earlier, but did the Wabash and the Wooster fans from a few years back see Evan Watson on "The Voice" Monday? His parents were on also.

http://sharetv.com/watch/839402

smedindy · October 08, 2014, 07:10:05 PM

No one posted it, but I geeked out big time. I took Theater from his dad.

HCAlum86 · October 08, 2014, 07:35:47 PM

So, moving off topic a bit for the moment. Can anyone say for certain who has the best "football specific" facilities? I know Kenyon has a beautiful athletic center, but from what I could see there was not anything outstanding about their free weight training area? Wooster's new Scot Center is nice as well. I have not had the privilege of seeing the rest of the conference's training facilities, though I would love to. Hiram's accommodations are small, though serve the purpose well enough.

Having said that, can anyone say with any finality who has the best facilities?

NCAC4Life · October 08, 2014, 08:38:03 PM

In the NCAC it is Selby Stadium.

sigma one · October 08, 2014, 08:53:12 PM

I'm certain that views of "the best" football facilities in the NCAC will vary widely because of fan loyalty. All the teams now play on some version of an artificial surface. These surfaces vary according to the selection of surface type, and there is quite a variety of quality depending on a school's selection. I'm guessing in almost all cases, the schools would say that their surface is one of the best. The only drawback in some stadiums is that many schools use their football "stadiums" for several sports, including soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey and most have a track around the field. I'm not a fan of the many colors and placement of lines on these fields just in terms of the football experience. But it's important to remember that schools are constrained by space and budgets.
I've been to all the football venues in the NCAC several times at least. Here are one man's observations.
ALLEGHENY: still plays as the SWAMP (which used to be difficult in rainy weather--frequent in NW Pa. in the fall), but the artificial surface solved that problem years ago. Nice home stands and concessions. Skimpy visitors' stands (though adequate). The minus is that the stadium is some distance from the campus and seems isolated.
DENISON: a terrific place to see a game. The football field is adjacent to the athletics building, and both are set in a natural setting in a bowl well below the academic facilities "up on the hill." The effect is like being in an ampitheater surrounded by trees.
DEPAUW: another good place to see a game, again next to their indoor track and field/tennis building (very nice). They recently redid the field and the visitors' grandstand is smaller than it used to be. But they build out the stadium for the Monon Bell game to accommodate both DPU and Wabash fans.
HIRAM: the new turf is a big plus. Both teams' fans sit on the same side and look across to an open field beyond the visiting teams' bench. The field bumps up against the athletic facility and makes for nice sense of place
KENYON: terrific athletic facility next to the football stadium. Again, both sets of fans sit on the same side and look to a field outside the stadium . Athletics is down a hill and away from an otherwise impressive campus, worth a walk to see.
OBERLIN: a recently redone venue has improved the stadium nicely. The athletic facilities are slightly isolated from campus, but they are very nice. The track and field facility is next to the stadium, not inside it.
OHIO WESLEYAN:one of the most impressive venues in my opinion. Selby Stadium is large, maybe much too large on the visitors' side. But the setting is football-like, giving the feeling that you are in a big-time environment.
WABASH: a stadium that is cozy, if that's the right word, with the venue tucked in among the academic area of the campus and adjacent to the athletics facility. Both home and visitors' stands feature a brick facade. There's a sense that the stadium is an important part of the campus. Wabash is fortunate to have a stadium for football only. No other sports' lines on the field. As at DePauw, the stadium is expanded for the Bell game--to seat 11,000+.
WITTENBERG: A nice entrance to the stadium, with stands built into a hillside next to the athletics building. Both home and visiting fans sit on the same side and look across to a housing neighborhood behind the visiting team's bench. Ample room to stand at the top of the stadium behind the stands is a nice touch.
WOOSTER: a good game environment, though again all fans sit on one side. The wrinkle here is that the fans look across to a grove of pines behind the visiting bench instead of to a field or a neighborhood. Recent additions to athletics facilities tumble down the hillside close to the far corner of the field. One of the great places to watch the home team enter, led down the hillside by a lone bagpiper, well worth seeing and feeling.
I've not commented on weight rooms and locker rooms. There is a wide range, but all the training facilities I've seen are at least adequate and at many places superior because of renovations and additions over the last decade.
Again, the best . . , depends as much on game day atmosphere as on the stadiums' configurations--though the configurations help.

HCAlum86 · October 09, 2014, 08:41:34 AM

By facilities, I was more referring to off-season facilities.

I have heard that Wittenberg has a terrific weight room and I am planning on making a trip to Granville soon to check out the new digs at Denison.

Bishopleftiesdad · October 09, 2014, 09:39:42 AM

Quote from: HCAlum86 on October 09, 2014, 08:41:34 AM
By facilities, I was more referring to off-season facilities.

I have heard that Wittenberg has a terrific weight room and I am planning on making a trip to Granville soon to check out the new digs at Denison.

To take that a step further, Do schools have separate facilities for Athletes vs. The student body. OWU has added several facilities over the last few years. But all those facilities have balanced Athletes needs vs. the student body as a whole. So from a athletes stand point while they are new and nice, they could be more hard core and have times set aside so a tam can use the room and not have to worry about waiting to use a particular machine. While a student may want to go in and use the facilities on their schedule and not have to worry about a team monopolizing the room. Especially at D3 this is a balancing act that many schools need to take into consideration.

The_Bishop · October 09, 2014, 10:16:45 AM

Quote from: Bishopleftiesdad on October 09, 2014, 09:39:42 AM
Quote from: HCAlum86 on October 09, 2014, 08:41:34 AM
By facilities, I was more referring to off-season facilities.

I have heard that Wittenberg has a terrific weight room and I am planning on making a trip to Granville soon to check out the new digs at Denison.
To take that a step further, Do schools have separate facilities for Athletes vs. The student body. OWU has added several facilities over the last few years. But all those facilities have balanced Athletes needs vs. the student body as a whole. So from a athletes stand point while they are new and nice, they could be more hard core and have times set aside so a tam can use the room and not have to worry about waiting to use a particular machine. While a student may want to go in and use the facilities on their schedule and not have to worry about a team monopolizing the room. Especially at D3 this is a balancing act that many schools need to take into consideration.

BLD - I think this is going to change at OWU with the renovations to the old natatorium and addition of the Simpson Querrey Fitness center in this space. I got the sense that the new fitness center was more geared towards students so that hopefully the weight room at Edwards Gym will be mostly for the student athletes.

Bishopleftiesdad · October 09, 2014, 10:30:20 AM

Thanks The_Bishop,
It is good to hear. The facilities have come a long way compared to where they were when my son started at the school 3.5 years ago. While the facilities were not an over riding concern, I do know that one very competitive Baseball school that was recruiting him, was marked off the list because the weight room was so much worse than he already had at HS and the academics did not compare well with his other choices.

aueagle · October 09, 2014, 11:37:09 AM

This should get additional fans at Selby...A great way to showcase the school, football program AND FACILITIES to prospective students & fans...
The following is from OWU...
"Ohio Wesleyan will celebrate Delaware County High School Day at the Battling Bishops' football game against Wabash on Saturday at Selby Stadium, it was announced by athletics director Roger Ingles. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Students, faculty, and staff from any Delaware County high school will receive free admission to the game by displaying their ID or by wearing a garment with their school logo"

aueagle · October 09, 2014, 11:55:40 AM

Great overview sigmaone...I've been to 7 of the conference stadiums....Selby, in my mind is the #1 stadium...
But, the "best" facilities...I'd give the nod to he Big Red...Deeds is very good stadium and fits well into campus...
the new building they have for training is awesome...HCAlum86: I think you'll like what you see when you get there.

Dr. Acula · October 09, 2014, 12:20:43 PM

I agree. Denison's upgraded training/rec center is very nice. That's the nicest combo of stadium/training facility I've seen in the NCAC (disclaimer: I have never been to the IN schools).

sigma one · October 09, 2014, 12:21:53 PM

Sorry if I misinterpreted the "facilities" question. Nevertheless, it was a fun exercise for me. At Wabash, in the Allen Athletics Center there is an 8,000 sq. ft. "Fitness Center" used by the entire campus community. The athletic teams are in there, and generally speaking the philosophy is NOT to separate the teams from the students and faculty who use the room.
The room is well equipped with cardio, free weights, and machines. Over time, it seems that everyone has learned when the teams or large parts of the teams will be in there, and they have adjusted their schedule to avoid much interference or delay. On a small campus, remember Wabash has about 900 students, there is the sense that everyone is welcome at any time. It's usual to see faculty and staff, both women and men, students and athletes sharing the space without conflict. I suppose if you polled the coaches they would prefer a more dedicated "weight room," but really everyone seems to survive fine, and the Wabash teams have not suffered from sharing space and equipment.
I can see how on a larger campus there might be more conflicts. By the way, I've been in most of the fitness, weight facilities on the other NCAC campuses, and Wabash's space and equipment compare very favorably.