University Athletic Association

ADL70 · February 11, 2009, 12:27:39 AM

No home night games last year. Will Kenyon or Oberlin or both be under the lights? Away night games Rochester, Wooster, and Denison? The first five at night.

Also Wooster is putting in turf, so all games will be on turf, with only Rochester not having upgraded to the in-fill type.

DagarmanSpartan · February 12, 2009, 07:04:25 AM

Gang,

Check out this video on Case's amazing DECATHLETE.

http://www.case.edu/athletics/varsity/news/2008-09/obi_hq.wmv

He's reportedly 6'4", 225 lbs, with sprinter speed, high-jumper hops (6'8"), and can easily do squat reps with over 300 pounds (see the video).

If only we could get him to come out for the football team as a WR/FS.

He'd be deadly!

blue4now · February 12, 2009, 12:21:20 PM

If only it was that easy... LOL There are a lot of athletes and non-athletes walking around out there who would look great in pads but they just don't have the will or desire for a contact sport like football.

I've seen countless kids walking thru high school who you'd think should be playing but the whole package isn't there.

I'm anticipating the Spartans will have another strong recruiting class to draw from now that the program is off and running.

Next year will tougher as some of the major offensive talent graduates as well as bunch of defensive studs. As the program has turned the major talent losses have been mostly on D with few O players outside of OL's.

It will tough to replace the talented skill guys in Whalen, Checkan, Meyer, Cowdrick, Kolesar, and Suitca on top of graduating Bott, Sasala, Pelyak, Silvi, Shaver and Brown on D.

2009 needs to be our year to go far deeper into the playoffs......

formerd3db · February 13, 2009, 06:02:21 PM

Quote from: blue4now on February 12, 2009, 12:21:20 PM
If only it was that easy... LOL There are a lot of athletes and non-athletes walking around out there who would look great in pads but they just don't have the will or desire for a contact sport like football.

I've seen countless kids walking thru high school who you'd think should be playing but the whole package isn't there.

I'm anticipating the Spartans will have another strong recruiting class to draw from now that the program is off and running.

Next year will tougher as some of the major offensive talent graduates as well as bunch of defensive studs. As the program has turned the major talent losses have been mostly on D with few O players outside of OL's.

It will tough to replace the talented skill guys in Whalen, Checkan, Meyer, Cowdrick, Kolesar, and Suitca on top of graduating Bott, Sasala, Pelyak, Silvi, Shaver and Brown on D.

2009 needs to be our year to go far deeper into the playoffs......

Indeed, that is true. Another similar aspect is those very talented players that for one reason or another, decide to give it up. One of Hope's players in 200y was a freshman RB who ended up starting about half the games (in part, due to an early season 3 game suspension of the senior starting running back). The freshman RB was a great player and essentially the co-leading rusher with the senior when the latter returned after the suspension - they were a great "1-2" punch that year for Hope. However, for whatever reason, he appartently said he just wasn't into football anymore, didn't want to put the time into it and transferred to a large state university. He is doing very well there in school and while enjoys watching collegiate football going to games, said he doesn't miss actually playing it. Nothing wrong with that because every student-athlete has to make their own decisions as what they want to do and if "it is worth it" to them. At least he had one great year and thus memories that will last him a lifetime. Anyway, thanks for sharing your opinion/comments on this topic.

ADL70 · February 15, 2009, 10:56:36 AM

Jake

Any award winners you can share from the banquet? No mention on the CWRU site.

The class of 2010 may be the largest and most talented senior class ever in University Circle. A second round win or better should be the goal.

The OSHFCA released an All-Academic team last month:

http://www.ohiocapitalconference.com/NewsInfo/OHSFCA_09AllAcademicTeamsIndividuals_011009.pdf

A veritable supermarket for the Spartan coaches. To qualify must have a 3.7 GPA and have been all-conference. Many are all-Ohio and all-district though. Last season's recruiting numbers may have been hurt by the departure of Tom Kaufman. I did read that not all schools nominated players so it's an incomplete list. A few have committed to Ivies and one to West Point, but the vast majority haven't had commitments released.

One exception is DV state champ Urusuline O and D lineman Matt Krause, a 1st team All-Ohio selection. He's been listed as 5'10 225 and 5'11 246. Benches 365 and squats 550. Wants to play DL. Although they are a DV school their schedule was filled with larger schools. They had wins over Mooney, Warren Harding, both Massilon Washington and Perry, and Lake Catholic for example.

Video:
http://www.markportermedia.com/Matt_Krause_Ursuline_SR.htm

A linemate Josh Berman 6'1 248 was also on the list. He's #62 in the video.

I have not seen commitments announced for five of the six Lake County TD Club's student-athlete honorees: Adam Watson (Mentor), Mitch Krotz (Madison), Kyle Smith (Kirtland), Vinny Hokavar (Perry), or Matt Lender (Lake Catholic).

DagarmanSpartan · February 15, 2009, 06:35:11 PM

That Krauss fellow sounds like just what we need at NT.

frank uible · February 15, 2009, 07:33:34 PM

Try him first at ILB.

ADL70 · February 15, 2009, 11:46:06 PM

Frank

Do you say that from watching the video? With Mey and English things are pretty well set in the middle of the line. It's DE where help is needed. But then two ILBs will be seniors.

frank uible · February 16, 2009, 04:11:40 AM

I'm guessing that this guy's height is actually about 5'8" and his weight is about 225. Those dimensions are more suitable for an ILB or MLB than a DT or DE, and based on the highlights he seems to have the quickness to play ILB or MLB.

'

ADL70 · February 16, 2009, 09:46:23 AM

Thnx, I wondered if you thought he looked quick enough for LB. For the last 3 yrs the Spartan DEs were 225/230 but 6'1/6'2.

Is there a chance Debeljak can reel in Hokavar (reportedly interested in engineering), Dover's Lisowski, or Canton South's Trissel to be Whalen's sucessor?

frank uible · February 16, 2009, 11:50:10 AM

You're welcome. My evaluation was of the most superficial kind. I'm still trying to get over Ursuline beating Massillon Washington. As one of the Duke's songs was titled, "Things Ain't What They Used To Be".

blue4now · February 18, 2009, 08:53:09 AM

Whalen was O MVP and was the top pos (QB/RB/WR) guy also. English was DL and newcomer. Bott DB, Brown LB, Kluzcynski OL. Odd 3 D awards but all the skill guys are in for one on O.

Nothing to report on the Lake Co guys above. Watson did visit but I havent heard anything more. I thought the kid from Perry was going to a military school. I'll find out a little more on this group.

ADL70 · February 18, 2009, 12:10:36 PM

I suspect that a lot of families are waiting to see what the financial aid packages will be. By military school do you mean West Point or Annapolis or AFA?

DagarmanSpartan · February 18, 2009, 03:40:52 PM

Either that, or he could mean a military prep school like Valley Forge that offers a post graduate year. Some top athletic prospects go that route, and then sign with scholarship athletic programs the following year.

ADL70 · February 18, 2009, 03:47:30 PM

My understanding is that those military prep kids typically have grade issues. That's not the case with Hokavar. One of the recruiting sites listed him as interested in Akron, but he didn't get an offer apparently.

The service academies don't release recruit info until they show up for their summer training.