FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[zed07]

Warhawk

There are experienced players, either returning starters, or game-seasoned players for most every other position.  Biggest questions will be the replacement of 3 standout defensive linemen, our photogenic center ( ), and the experience/big hit capability of Peterman in the defensive backfield.  Depth is always a concern, especially with the linemen.

[short]

There is Talk about how the NCAC top 3, "The W's" will be as good 1-3 as the NCAC as seen in about 10 years.  I wanted to see how you guys think they match up 1-3 in each position group.  This how I would stack them up, but I would like other to do the same or at less give their opinions.

QB
1- Wabash- Hudson is a STUD! NCAC POY
2- Wooster- Holter Great Athlete, proved that last season with a record break year
3- Wittenburg- Huffman pretty damn good 3rd QB! He is Tall and moves well at 6-4 225

RB
1- Wabash Sobecki Kemp Yoder are all back.  If Sobecki is health he is pretty good!
2-  Wittenburg Luckenbill Wilber make a nice pair.
3- Wooster Bush Flagg Gust all showed great flashes.

WR
1- Wabash HANDS DOWN mostly because they have Kody Lemond
2- Wittenburg they return a solid group
3- Wooster Francescangeli is back after a good year

OL
1- Wabash 4 of the 5 are back this maybe the best O-Line ever in the NCAC
2- Wooster Great group look for an All-American season out of Storm Tropea and I have high expectations for 6-8 305 Obery
3- Wittenburg Most of this group is back from last season look for them to be improved

Offense
1- Wabash they are just better at ever position group! I am looking forward to seeing what this Offense can do next seaon
2- Wooster I give them the edge vs Witt because of the O-Line
3- Wittenburg I am expecting them to be better than 2008

 

[bashbrother]

Call it too much time on my hands or call it simply being curious, but I took the bait on the Simulation website and ran through some games.  Here is what I found:  (Can't say I disagree too much with most of it:)

In 2008 if Wabash would have played the following teams 25 times here is how they would have faired:  (Home/Visitor is the way it was for 2008 for all 25 games - Mount and UWW were home teams, but it didn't matter)

Wabash vs. Depauw -   Wabash wins 15 of 25 

Wabash vs. Case - Wabash wins 16 of 25

Wabash vs. Witt - Wabash wins 21 of 25

Wabash vs. Woo - Wabash wins 21 of 25

Wabash vs. Wheaton - Wabash wins 4 of 25

Wabash vs. Mount Union - Wabash wins 0 of 25

Wabash vs. Whitewater - Wabash wins 0 of 25

Interesting.

[Black n Gold]

Short,

In reply to your post.....on the Fighting Scots:

If Holter keeps his turnovers to a mininum, I think we have yet to see the best of him and his supporting cast will be a huge part of that.

Bush and Gust are no longer with Wooster, which hurts with the loss of Sheppard, but Murdock should be able to step it up......and there are reports that Orlando Jones is back with the Scots after taking a year off.

Francescangeli will have a big year as well as Luke McCann as he returns from a year ending knee injury (Reports are that he is back and 100%). Don't forget the local boy Mike Redick.

OL.....They will miss Cam, but return the rest and have some beefy underclassmen who will be chomping at the bit to block for this potent offense.

As a whole.........this squad has the makings for a very entertaining season and I like the way the matchups stand:


Case @ Wooster/ 1st game UNDER THE LIGHTS on the new turf! (alumni night) Should be a huge crowd   

Wabash @ Wooster/ Revenge @ home........ 8)

Wooster @ Witt for the final game of the REGULAR season

GO SCOTS!

[cave2bens]

Short-

I might be mistaken, but thought Bobby Kimp graduated.  While not in disagreement with the assessments thus far, but not much talk has come out of C'ville except a few references to some recruits. 

IMH and uninformed opinion, it seems a lot of expectations are going to depend on performance of the defense.  Six of the top ten tacklers have moved on, and Gangloff, Lang, and Kennon vacancies are some large holes to fill.  Just glancing at the roster, the backs appear pretty experienced.  With Gum, Watson, a hopeful return of Matt Kraft, and a strong, supporting cast, the linebackers should be solid as well.  It will be interesting to observe the D-line development. 

Sheez, BB - I'd have thought you'd have "taken the bait" and gone fishing. 

[wally_wabash]

Huffman > Holter in my opinion.  Both guys can run and Holter might even run a little bit better than Huffman, but Huffman is a better passer by so far that he's a tougher guy to defend.  Wittenberg is going to be a lot better with him back on the field. 

[D3_DPUFan]

Wabash vs. Depauw -   Wabash wins 15 of 25 

Glad you could find a venue for success.   

[zed07]

cave2bens,

It is my understanding that Kraft is back, but Slack (DB) is not.  There's a lot riding on replacing the DL, but Coach Gilbert was good about getting PT last season for the backups, especially in lop-sided games.  Also, James Pannell returns from knee surgery and should find the field somewhere on the defense with his athleticism. 

[WabashOline09]

Sorry all... I've been away far to long with student teaching and moving back home after graduation. As for the Oline, we should be great. Last year, we lost Tony, Chuck, Josey, and myself. The question mark is at center and from what I saw over spring ball, Sr. Nate Kring has got the nod before camp. Nick Durm and Chris Daniels were also taking snaps to my knowledge. But from let to right with Isaacs, Morrison, ?, Skip, and JMo, Hudson and the RBs should see a ton of green grass.

Kemp did graduate btw... walked across the stage in front of me a month ago!

[D306]

Oline09

First Congrats on Graduation and securing a job!!

Thanks for the info.

[wally_wabash]

That's going to be a tremendous group up front for Wabash this season.  Perhaps the College can shave some expenses by not having to wash #14 jerseys this fall.   

[wab64]

     You may find it instructive to read the last few posts on the SCAC thread concerning DPU's "pipeline" tothe Chicago area (8-9n the new freshman class). Their recent history, Mulligan, Ellis and Jeremiah Marks have been some good pickings. We have not seen a complete list of Wabash '13 yet, other than a few gems (all from Indiana). I have addressed this point before along with Dad ot Bash Warrior, who  was much more eloquent (and insistent), being closer yo the action than I. The talent is there- let's go get them.

[wally_wabash]

     You may find it instructive to read the last few posts on the SCAC thread concerning DPU's "pipeline" tothe Chicago area (8-9n the new freshman class). Their recent history, Mulligan, Ellis and Jeremiah Marks have been some good pickings. We have not seen a complete list of Wabash '13 yet, other than a few gems (all from Indiana). I have addressed this point before along with Dad ot Bash Warrior, who  was much more eloquent (and insistent), being closer yo the action than I. The talent is there- let's go get them.

Pat Clegg is coming to Wabash from the Chicago area...it's pretty much a footnote in this story but Mr. Clegg is an all-state NT and is a great addition to the Wabash roster.  He's also a tremendous wrestler and should be a welcome addition to that program as well.

[wab64]

      Thank's, Wally, for the reminder about Patrick Clegg. He could be a winner. Heavywt wrestling skills are a real plus factor in the def line--deception and quickness in the first few steps, not 40 yd speed, necessarily. Brings back the memory of one of my favorite Chicagoans of my era- Tom Werner '67 from Mt Carmel HS- he was a lineman, fraternity brother and captain in 1966. During some pledge training mindlessness, he and his brothers were in the Crawfordsville cemetery and were accosted by a carfull of townies giving them trouble. Werner walked over, snapped the antenna off their car and proceded to beat them about the head and shoulders with it- when their leather jackets started fraying they took off a=running. Since Dean Moore was acting as line coach in the Princeton single wing not much was said. Some Little Giant!

[Bump]

Pat Clegg is coming to Wabash from the Chicago area...it's pretty much a footnote in this story but Mr. Clegg is an all-state NT and is a great addition to the Wabash roster.  He's also a tremendous wrestler and should be a welcome addition to that program as well.

I have heard that Joe Pa told his coaches that they needed to look at heavy weight wrestling state champions when recruiting. It didn't matter if they played football or not. If they had that skill set he would teach them how to play football.