FB: Middle Atlantic Conference

[KingSting999]

Wow......... this MAC board is DEAD!!!!!

What happened to all of the lively banter that used to go on here?

[G-manWU]

KingSting,

Good to hear someone is in the talking spirit!! I have been tied up with some work for grad school and some freelance writing articles for a local paper I do some work for, hence my absence form these parts recently.

My congrats to the Colonels on their first win of the season this weekend- the streak of wins over FDU continues for another year! Other good wins around the conference- Lyco appears to be on a good path, and I'll see them play this weekend at Ralston Field- if the Colonels keep up the momentum, it could be one very good game.

On another note, a friend of mine was at King's this weekend for their game with Widener, and told me about a homespun newsletter/flyer being passed around the Widener stands that was critical of the team's recent performance. He diden't get to take a look at it for long, as other people around wanted a look at his copy, but apparently the document pointed out some statistical areas where the Pride are lagging behind other MAC teams at the moment, and was critical of the performance of the coaching staff a bit. 

Can anyone offer any feedback on this? I don't ever remember seeing anything like that in the four games we played with Widener when I was at Wilkes, and if someone dose have a copy I would be curious to get your take on whatever it says.

[KingSting999]

G-Man,

Good to see that everyone hasn't given up posting on this board! Nice to see Wilkes get their first win of the season even though I had picked FDU in an upset. Couple of questions about FDU. It looks like they have a descent passing game this year, what kind of player is the QB and have they upgraded the visitor seating yet? Beautiful field great home stands last time I was there.

The Widener "homespun letter" sounds dangerous to me. You would have thought that things like this would be left behind in little league and pop warner. No place for any parent or fan to try and start this kind of trouble. It can only bring the team down in the end and cause all kind of dissention between palyers and fans alike.

[KingSting999]

Another weekend of competitive MAC football coming up. Only went 2 and 2 last week in my picks. Let's have some picks and thoughts on these games!

Lyco at Wilkes
Kings at Albright
Widener at Leb Vall
Del Val at FDU

Will be another tough week to pick four winners out of this group of games!

[old ends]

Regional  rankings are out for ECAC;

Click here: http://www.ecacsports.com/landing/index

[gordonmann]

That's the Lambert Poll, not the regional rankings.  The NCAA will release the first rankings later in the season.

[bill]

KingSting

Yes, FDU has new visitor bleachers which should be fine (unless you bring more than 500 fans to the game

FDU's QB (Winters) is a vary talented athlete, offering match up problems with many teams, because he can throw the ball as well as run effectively....

This is no surprise to anyone who has followed FDU this year, but their biggest problem - by far - is special teams. I think FDU has allowed something like 9 special teams TD's this year 

Here's hoping for a well played game - with no injuries!

[KingSting999]

Bill,

Thanks for the update on FDU.  Last time we visited there we had to sit on the home side due to the bleacher situation. Nice to hear that that issue was rectified.

By looking at their stats it looks like FDU has a pretty balanced attack with a much improved passing game in place. They could prove very troublesome for the Aggies. The Aggies have been very good this year at keeping the games managable until half time and making the necessary adjustments to counter the opponents strengths. The defense has done a much netter job, at least statistically, in the second half of all of their games so far.

I felt very uncomfortable with last weeks game and really did not breath easy until they went up two scores in the 4th quarter. Hoping for a sharper effort on both sides of the ball against FDU. If the Aggies can avoid turning the ball over and can overcome some nagging injuries they can come out of North Jersey with another W. It won't be easy, but no game will be a walk over this season for anyone. The days of 28 - 3 scores in the MAC seem to be a thing of the past!

GO AGGIES!!!!!

[G-manWU]

KingSting, good to hear from you. Indeed I was happy with the Wilkes win, and in the meantime your Aggies are rolling along. Another good season in the MAC it is indeed shaping up to be.

Regarding the Widener newsletter, I would be very curious to see if any of the Widener regulars on this board could provide some insight or feedback and perhaps giving us a clearer picture of the document. My friend is not a fan or either King's or Widener, but rather just a local sports fan out for the day to see a good game. He was sitting on the Widener sideline, and while his word is reliable, he gave the document to a person sititng near him who had an apparent keen interest in seeing it after only getting a quick look. As a result, I have few details- can anyone out there fill in the blanks on this one?

I honestly don't know anyone at Widener on a personal basis, but Coach Wood and his staff have won consistently for the duration of his tenure there- they now have the Keystone Cup back in Chester and still recruit very well. During my years of working with Coach Shep and the program at Wilkes, one of the many lessons I learned was that it takes a great deal of sacrifice and tireless hard work from the head coach and his staff to win on the basis that Widener, DVC, and Wilkes have in the past 5-6 years, and the Widener staff is no doubt putitng in those hours.

I honestly hope the document my friend saw was a positive report on the team's progress this season, because there is no reason for parents and boosters to offer a negative-themed critique on their team's statistical performances. First and foremost, all of the kids on both sides are students first, and athletes (or, in my case, cameramen ) second. No matter what team you support, keep the comments positive, and enjoy the great experience that is MAC and D3 football.

[G-manWU]

Bill- Due to my work schedule, I was unable to make it out to Madison last weekend for the Wilkes-FDU game. A big disappointment for me, as many of your co-workers are among the finest and most cooperative staff that I know in the MAC. I know both Coach Mosca and Mr. Ashby quite well, and will do my best to make the trip out to see them and hopefully meet up with you when Wilkes comes out for basketball later this season.

And for any of you Widener fans, I should note that while I don't know anyone at the school right now, I did have the pleasure of working with both Jim Jones and Tyreak Saviour over the last few seasons when they were playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers Arena2 football team. Both guys were very good to deal with and played very well. For fans of other MAC teams, we also had Jason Acquaye from Wilkes making an impact at multiple positions  this year, and if I am correct he has recieved an AFL training camp invite from one of the florida-based AFL squads. I believe King's alum Bob Roper was also on the roster but spent the season on IR- my best wishes to him on a continued recovery.

[KingSting999]

Okay fellow MAC Fans, it's time for my weekly picks..........remember they are for amusement only and just my humble opinion of what I believe may happen this weekeend.

Albright 27 - Kings 14

Look for Albright to bounce back after a tough loss last week to Lycoming. Kings had a couple of tough losses at home these past two weks and have to travel to Albright which does't help their chances. Albright can't afford another loss in conference so they will be playing for their MAC lives which gives them the edge.

Leb Val 16 - Widener 14

Home field advantage once again will be the deciding factor in this game. Widener should be able to keep it close and possibly pull out the win at the end but if they get into a scoring battles with LV it could be over by the 4th qtr. Widener is a proud group with a winning tradition but (as reported on this board) there may be a little dissention in the ranks and that can only spell trouble in the long run!

Wilkes 23 - Lyco 21

Wilkes pulls off the shocker of the week with a gritty performance at home. Their kicker knocks through three FG's which will spell the differece in the game and Wilkes defense will do just enough to pull out the win. Lyco will be tested from start to finish. This will be a true barometer of just where Lyco stands. Winning on the road in hostile territory will be tough.

Del Val 28 - FDU 17

The Aggies are a little knicked up and will need to pull out all the stops to get by a gritty, much improved FDU squad. Looking for the Aggies to start firing on all cylinders as they close in on the half way mark of confernce play. FDU QB will test the Aggie defense with his throwing ability. Here's hoping the Aggies can keep enough pressure on him to keep him from getting in a good rhythm and making the game a real barn burner!

As always, here's hoping all the MAC games are played injury free and let the cards fall where they may!!!!   

GO AGGGGGGGGIES!!!!!!!!!

[WUDLINE]

G-manWu & KingSting

I am sorry for not posting sooner regarding your questions concerning the "underground Newsletter" be past in the stands at the Widener game this past weekend. I have been traveling on business much more this season and it is really cutting into my posting opportunities. I have however been able to see the majority of Widener's games due to the fact I am home on weekends.

To answer your questions concerning the "Widener Underground Newsletter". It has actually been in existence since the early 1990's when Cubit was still coaching at WU. It is simply a weekly news letter that is written by a loyal fan that has followed the program for a long time. He is actually not connect to the program in any other way. He produces the letter as a weekly wrap up to the previous game and to highlight the up coming contest. It is usually very entertaining and includes some humor. It is true that on occasion it can be critical off different aspects of the previous performance, as it was last week, and should have been after the bad performance against LYCO. However, he is entitled to his opinion. Furthermore, it is my understanding that the coaches actually are aware of it and even read it most weeks. Please believe me more is being made of this then needs to be.

As for an dissention among the team I can honestly assure you that is not taking place. I still have a few of my old coaches on the staff, and know first hand the type of motivators and coaches that they are. They are extremely committed to the program and each player in it. The players have always believed in these men and are firmly committed to keeping the WU tradition alive. According to what I saw from the stands on Saturday the team is still very motivated to be successful. 

    It is true that WU has struggled early offensively but a lot of that can be attributed to not being able to throw the football. They are going through some growing pains right now at the QB position but they have a lot of talent on both sides of the football. Offensively, the O line and skilled kids are very good and if the QB position can come along they will very good and difficult to defend.  Defensively, except for the second half against Wesley when they wore down they have been very impressive. They limited kings to around 35 yards rushing on 30 some carries. Furthermore, they are young with only 2 senior, 2 juniors and 7 sophomores starters. 

Widener may lose some games this season because youth in certain areas, and in some cases (Wesley) better talent. However, dissention or any lack of character from the players or coaches will not be an issue. I know that a few coaches on that staff would never let that happen.

[PA_wesleyfan]

That's the Lambert Poll, not the regional rankings.  The NCAA will release the first rankings later in the season.

Gordon

Have you noticed that the ECAC  is giving more attention to the southern schools these days?

[Pat Coleman]

In what way? That would be a first in my knowledge.

[G-manWU]

WUDLINE,

Good to hear from you, and I am very happy to hear that the newsletter we are discussing is both a regular feature and a positive outlet of information. As I said, my friend- who is also just a local sports fan here in NEPA- only got a glimpse of the document and had never seen one before, so thank you very much for the clarification. Also, my full credit to the gentleman who produces the document- it is great to hear of fans in the local community who follow the team in such a supportive manner over an extended period of time.

As for dissent among the players/staff, I would never suspect anything of the sort at Widener this season. A tough loss last weekend for sure, but the Pion...er, Pride always have a very talented team and are still very much in MAC title contention. In the 4 games we played against them when I was working with Wilkes, they were all hard-fought contests that went down to the last few posessions, and no doubt this season's Widener club has plenty of that same spirit.

KingSting, I like the Wilkes pick- I haven't seen Lyco yet but if the Colonels can run the ball again, they have a chance to do something this week. My best to everyone on a fun weekend of football- stay safe and enjoy the fall colors if you're on the road