FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Cap99Fan]

A great grame was witnessed by many and because of the zebras not meeting with the pool reporter it puts a stain on what will probably be the best game of this years playoffs. I have to say one thing though, a friend of mine that is a coach says to me all the time. " The refs didn't drop the pass or miss a tackle or miss a block". Both teams missed oportunities.

[smedindy]

Agreed - the refs call didn't matter in the long run - but it certainly would have been nice to hear what the explanation was.

[reality check]

cap99fan

It sounded like a hell of a game in C-ville but I wouldn't say it's the best game in the playoffs this year.  There is no way to know for sure.  

I called the game this weekend between Delaware Valley and Hobart which was 0-0 at the start of the 4th and had 35 points put up, 400 yards of total offense and a fourth down five pass into the endzone from the 12 yard line deflected off two sets of hands as time expired.  And that game was not marred by bad or questionable officiating.  Hobart/Cortland in round 1, and Rowan/Union in round two were a couple games worth mentioning as well.  We have seen some playoff blowouts this year but there have been a handful of classic contests already.

[wally_wabash]

I don't think anybody has said that Wabash lost because of that call.  Far from it.  But in a playoff game where that one call played so critically into how the game's final minute unfolded, it was pretty weak that the guy wouldn't at least explain the call to ONE reporter.  It's not like the guy was going to get run over by a mob of media. 

CapFan...good luck this Saturday.  It's a big hill to climb, but I'm pulling for you.  Go get those guys. 

[Cap99Fan]

reality check

Ok.... I guess I missed that one. I must be a little bias cause I have seen both of CAPs games come down to the final minutes. I think it will take the entire off season for my heart to recover. althoughI would like one more oppotunity to have one more come down to the wire  .

Also thanks wally. I hope the O can pull some magic and keep this one close. I'm sure the D will be ready get it on.

Go CAP!!!!!!

[Ryder16]

I got sucked into missing the bash game and going to the mount-augie game. a few notes on the game.

Either the wing T just can't cut it anymore, or mounts D is amazing, cause aside from maybe 2 drives, augie really didnt move the ball very well. 

On another note, this kmic kid from mount, he is the real deal.  It helps when you have a hole big enough to drive a mac truck through, but even so, he made a job out of making the augie backers and DB's miss.

another note on the game, augie went for it on every fourth down, or maybe punted one time. I think when your at the 50 and your only down 6 points, or even 13, you gotta try to pin them deep, they gave mount great field position all game long, and that killed their defense.

on the topic of punting, special teams had trouble all game long, mount missed an X-point, several kickoff coverage break downs. and augies coach put their kicker in to try a 40 yard field goal, into the wind, in close to freezing temperatures. you can't do that to the kid. Kickers have it hard already,  40 yards, into the wind, in freezing temps.. Pros miss kicks like that, let alone d3 kickers.

but I have to give it to augie, they fought till the end, they were just overmatched. 

Hope to make it to cap-MUC this weekend. Wish is was in c-ville, but what can ya do ?

[usee]

ryder- aside from this being the ncac board and they could care less about the muc/augie game, some of your facts are just plain wrong. i would be happy to reply but will save that for the cciw board should you care to take it up there.

[firstdown]

CAPFAN99:

The game did not rise or fall on any one call (thank goodness), right or wrong by the bumbling refs. They got  enough calls wrong that hurt both teams so it sort of evened out.  As good a game as Saturday was, it was made less so by the poor officiating.  Both CAP and Wabash, and any teams in the playoffs deserve to have quality officiating, not a bunching of bumbling zebras running around acting dazed and confused.

CAP played the better game on Saturday and had more points on the scoreboard when the clock read 0:00.  Good luck the rest of the way, and thanks for a great game.

[BashDad]

Wabash's 2005 football season is over.  It still hasn't totally sunken in--the long drive home from C-ville on Saturday evening was hard.  Still, it was a great season of D-III football by a quality TEAM and coaching staff.  The defensive effort on Saturday by the L'il Giants was one of the finest I have ever witnessed, at any level.  They gave us our chances, and field position, the whole game.  It's too bad we could not find enough offense to complete the task and send Capital packing.  They are a fine team, defensively and otherwise, and did enough to keep their season going.  I said going into the game that I thought we matched up well with them, and we did.  They totalled three points more than we could and won the victory--and a chance to play Mount Union.  Damn, I would have liked to have had another shot...!

I agree with others who have said that, as bad as the officiating was (where was that wonderful, decisive crew we had for the Albion game?!!), it was NOT the officiating that cost us this ball game.  We did not, for whatever reason, execute as cleanly as we needed to to win this round two game.  Still, the Wabash football program gave us much to be proud of in '05.  I cannot tell you how overwhelmingly proud I was of all these guys, but especially, of Russ Harbaugh, one of my five sons.  I am very appreciative of the generous comments that have come both to him and to me from other parents, opponents, Wabash friends, and just friends of D-III football.  Thank you.  I will never forget this year.  Now--let's talk about the 2006 football L'il Giants.  It should be another great year!

WABASH ALWAYS FIGHTS!!         

[oldguy]

I echo the congrats to Wabash on a good hard fought season.  It looked like a tough way to lose in such a close game, but you still made the NCAC proud. 

I was surprised that it was so low scoring though. 

We'll see if Capital can get by the OAC mental block when it comes to beating Mount in the playoffs.  The last few times Mount faced a fellow OAC fow in the playoffs, they beat them worse than than they did in the regular season.    Should be interesting. 

[usee]

bashdad- thanks for your contribution to this board (and others) over the years. I hope i am able to be as supportive of my kids when they play as you have been of your son (and his school). congratulations to russ on a fantastic career.

[formerd3db]

Bashdad:
I'd like to ditto usee's comments to you and your son and teammates and other fans.  Thanks for such a great, positive contribution.  You know it goes beyond "the game" itself.  Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.  We'll keep in touch.

[b4uknewit]

Bashdad-- Congradulations to your son and YOU as a Bashdad, but foremost as a father. That drive home was hopefully filled with many outstanding memories Happy Holidays to You and Yours from a D3 fan.

[reality check]

Did anyone else notice hell froze over today?!?

Over 24 hours without a single post on the NCAC board...and usually you NCAC'ers are such chatters.

It was a good year for Wabash and the NCAC can be proud of the LIttle Giant's efforts in the playoffs.  It's never too early to start all the drivel about 2006.  Some of us had to resort to that a couple weeks ago.

[wally_wabash]

I think there's been a collective exhale from this board.  This board has been on fire since late July/early August.  Many left at the end of the season, some additions were made thanks to playoff opponents, but now they're gone and off to the OAC to argue about who looks better in purple. 

Honestly, I think there's still a bit of shock wearing off for a lot of the Wabash posters.  I don't think any of us really thought it was going to end last Saturday.  Even though we knew it could end, we didn't see it coming.  But still, it was a great season and I'm sure before long we'll be shooting barbs back and forth about who's coming back to what teams and who the early favorite is for '06 and such.  It'll pick up again soon, rc.  Don't worry about that. 

But for now I'm switching into full on hoops mode...Wabash plays Depauw tomorrow night in C'ville.  Chadwick will be on fire tomorrow night...no better way to finally shift gears into the winter sports season than with a heated hoops game against your archrival.