FB: Middle Atlantic Conference

[The Mole]

Don't get me started about the PIAA, jmc, they turn a blind eye. Devlin now the DC at Ursinus. Dozens of kids that he got to transfer from schools and leagues across SE PA. There was a specific donor that was providing much of the support, as well.

The Warriors have been lapped by DelVal. Albright and Widener were always good games too but does not seem to have the same juice. The Route 15 rivalry with Susquehanna was always a good one. They have lost the last 3 in a row and are 5-5 in last 10. Stevenson has been a great addition to the overall level of play.

Have not had a winning campaign since 2014. Why?

Just saw In the Huddle retweet this about former Lycoming coach (and Hall of Famer) Frank Girardi (it is his birthday). Top 10 in D3 history in wins with 257-97-5 record, a share of 13 MAC titles and 11 playoff appearances.
Very impressive. He and recruiter Rob Curry made a living out of the Philadelphia Catholic League. Since both of them have departed, the program has had a considerable drop.
What happened? They were a South Region power in mid to late eighties through the 90s.

The Philadelphia Catholic League that Lycoming sort of owned many moons ago has changed significantly with the sham of open enrollment and blatant recruiting efforts to grab kids many miles away from where they live (and from local, public schools as well). You should have seen the extent to which Wood went to try to get Josh Adams to transfer from C.B. South!!!. The other big joke is how the PIAA has allowed these schools to take part in state playoffs (but not for long though as a model similar to NJ is quietly being discussed in Harrisburg).

Take one look at the hometowns of the Archbishop Wood roster. Many of the football players get dropped off by a Septa bus at York & Street Roads...........after taking multiple buses to get there. Some of these kids pay zilch and those kids paying, wind up paying for them via higher tuition and fees.

St. Joe Prep is even a bigger joke. How these teams are still participating in the PIAA State Playoffs is a disgrace and it shows how spineless the PIAA truly is. They could give a rats azz about the kids and competitive balance.

It's all a changing though. Not a matter of 'if'..............just a matter of 'when'. The parents of non-athletes as well as alums and parents of players getting no time (and paying full freight) have had just about enough. I know first hand!!!

[jmcozenlaw]

Don't get me started about the PIAA, jmc, they turn a blind eye. Devlin now the DC at Ursinus. Dozens of kids that he got to transfer from schools and leagues across SE PA. There was a specific donor that was providing much of the support, as well.

The Warriors have been lapped by DelVal. Albright and Widener were always good games too but does not seem to have the same juice. The Route 15 rivalry with Susquehanna was always a good one. They have lost the last 3 in a row and are 5-5 in last 10. Stevenson has been a great addition to the overall level of play.

Have not had a winning campaign since 2014. Why?

Just saw In the Huddle retweet this about former Lycoming coach (and Hall of Famer) Frank Girardi (it is his birthday). Top 10 in D3 history in wins with 257-97-5 record, a share of 13 MAC titles and 11 playoff appearances.
Very impressive. He and recruiter Rob Curry made a living out of the Philadelphia Catholic League. Since both of them have departed, the program has had a considerable drop.
What happened? They were a South Region power in mid to late eighties through the 90s.

The Philadelphia Catholic League that Lycoming sort of owned many moons ago has changed significantly with the sham of open enrollment and blatant recruiting efforts to grab kids many miles away from where they live (and from local, public schools as well). You should have seen the extent to which Wood went to try to get Josh Adams to transfer from C.B. South!!!. The other big joke is how the PIAA has allowed these schools to take part in state playoffs (but not for long though as a model similar to NJ is quietly being discussed in Harrisburg).

Take one look at the hometowns of the Archbishop Wood roster. Many of the football players get dropped off by a Septa bus at York & Street Roads...........after taking multiple buses to get there. Some of these kids pay zilch and those kids paying, wind up paying for them via higher tuition and fees.

St. Joe Prep is even a bigger joke. How these teams are still participating in the PIAA State Playoffs is a disgrace and it shows how spineless the PIAA truly is. They could give a rats azz about the kids and competitive balance.

It's all a changing though. Not a matter of 'if'..............just a matter of 'when'. The parents of non-athletes as well as alums and parents of players getting no time (and paying full freight) have had just about enough. I know first hand!!!

We might very well be speaking about a donor who is a VERY heavy hitter (senior executive) in the wealth management business (if so, I know him well)......................but that spigot has been turned off for many reasons. The lengths they went to get stud RB, Josh Adams, to try to leave C.B. South was disgusting. I brought this to the attention of the PIAA and they could give two ****s! The Catholic League has become The Scumbag League!!!!

Wood's current head coach (and NOT a scumbag like Devlin) played football at DelVal and the Aggies have done a good job grabbing lower level Wood kids.

The Lycoming situation is a bit puzzling, although I will say that the staff at DelVal has been around quite a while and are excellent recruiters. Lyco's HC on the other hand is a dirty recruiter and uses some filthy tactics when recruiting against the likes of DelVal, Widener and Stevenson (won't mention the "what" here, but based on roster composition, it's not rocket science). He also has been known to stand near midfield before games staring down opponents and talking some smack. That just motivates the types of kids playing at a DelVal or Stevenson. he is not the brightest bulb in the attic. There used to be a very regular poster here (simba, lycosimba........something like that) who "disappeared" from the board just as Lyco started to suck wind. How convenient!! If they ever turn it around, he'll claim that he was captive in some third world country, broke free and swam across some large ocean . Speaking of which, one of the very long time Widener posters has barely been around since their (relative) hey day.

I adopted DelVal when I moved to Doylestown (and since my undergrad alma mater, listened to the uber-libs, before that became fashionable, and dropped the sport)!!

I'm looking forward to that Stevenson at DelVal game on September 18 as it could go a long way towards determining the MAC Champion........although DelVal lost a ton from the 2019 squad.

[MRMIKESMITH]

Updated Open Dates:
Anna Maria - 9/4 (Wk1), 10/9 (Wk 6)
Gallaudet - 9/4 (Wk1), 9/11 (Wk2), 10/30 (Wk 9)
SUNY-Maritime - 9/4 (Wk1), 10/23 (Wk 8)
Misericordia - 9/4 (Wk 1), 11/13 (Wk 11)
Curry - 9/25 (Wk 4), 10/23 (Wk 8)
UNE - 9/25 (Wk 4), 10/16 (Wk 7)
MIT - 9/18 (Wk 3), 10/9 (Wk 6)
Merchant Marine - 9/11 (Wk 2), 11/6 (Wk 10)
Salisbury - 9/18 (Wk 3), 10/9 (Wk 6)
Rowan - 9/18 (Wk 3), 10/9 (Wk 6)
TCNJ - 9/18 (Wk 3), 10/30 (Wk 9)
Kean - 9/18 (Wk 3), 11/6 (Wk 10)

Updated Playing Matchmaker - If Kean and Merchant Marine reschedule their matchup from 9/25 to 11/6. We can fill out the schedule as noted.

Merchant Marine v. Curry - 9/25
Kean v. UNE - 9/25
Salisbury v. MIT - 10/9
Gallaudet v. Misericordia - 9/4
Gallaudet v. TCNJ - 10/30
Anna Maria v. Rowan - 10/9

[RowanPhan]

Any Widener fans have any thoughts or insights into how the team is shaping up this year?

I'm looking forward to the season kickoff in Glassboro against our cross river rivals.

I'll be posting a Rowan preview once the updated roster is published.

[bman]

Don't get me started about the PIAA, jmc, they turn a blind eye. Devlin now the DC at Ursinus. Dozens of kids that he got to transfer from schools and leagues across SE PA. There was a specific donor that was providing much of the support, as well.

The Warriors have been lapped by DelVal. Albright and Widener were always good games too but does not seem to have the same juice. The Route 15 rivalry with Susquehanna was always a good one. They have lost the last 3 in a row and are 5-5 in last 10. Stevenson has been a great addition to the overall level of play.

Have not had a winning campaign since 2014. Why?

Just saw In the Huddle retweet this about former Lycoming coach (and Hall of Famer) Frank Girardi (it is his birthday). Top 10 in D3 history in wins with 257-97-5 record, a share of 13 MAC titles and 11 playoff appearances.
Very impressive. He and recruiter Rob Curry made a living out of the Philadelphia Catholic League. Since both of them have departed, the program has had a considerable drop.
What happened? They were a South Region power in mid to late eighties through the 90s.

The Philadelphia Catholic League that Lycoming sort of owned many moons ago has changed significantly with the sham of open enrollment and blatant recruiting efforts to grab kids many miles away from where they live (and from local, public schools as well). You should have seen the extent to which Wood went to try to get Josh Adams to transfer from C.B. South!!!. The other big joke is how the PIAA has allowed these schools to take part in state playoffs (but not for long though as a model similar to NJ is quietly being discussed in Harrisburg).

Take one look at the hometowns of the Archbishop Wood roster. Many of the football players get dropped off by a Septa bus at York & Street Roads...........after taking multiple buses to get there. Some of these kids pay zilch and those kids paying, wind up paying for them via higher tuition and fees.

St. Joe Prep is even a bigger joke. How these teams are still participating in the PIAA State Playoffs is a disgrace and it shows how spineless the PIAA truly is. They could give a rats azz about the kids and competitive balance.

It's all a changing though. Not a matter of 'if'..............just a matter of 'when'. The parents of non-athletes as well as alums and parents of players getting no time (and paying full freight) have had just about enough. I know first hand!!!

We might very well be speaking about a donor who is a VERY heavy hitter (senior executive) in the wealth management business (if so, I know him well)......................but that spigot has been turned off for many reasons. The lengths they went to get stud RB, Josh Adams, to try to leave C.B. South was disgusting. I brought this to the attention of the PIAA and they could give two ****s! The Catholic League has become The Scumbag League!!!!

Wood's current head coach (and NOT a scumbag like Devlin) played football at DelVal and the Aggies have done a good job grabbing lower level Wood kids.

The Lycoming situation is a bit puzzling, although I will say that the staff at DelVal has been around quite a while and are excellent recruiters. Lyco's HC on the other hand is a dirty recruiter and uses some filthy tactics when recruiting against the likes of DelVal, Widener and Stevenson (won't mention the "what" here, but based on roster composition, it's not rocket science). He also has been known to stand near midfield before games staring down opponents and talking some smack. That just motivates the types of kids playing at a DelVal or Stevenson. he is not the brightest bulb in the attic. There used to be a very regular poster here (simba, lycosimba........something like that) who "disappeared" from the board just as Lyco started to suck wind. How convenient!! If they ever turn it around, he'll claim that he was captive in some third world country, broke free and swam across some large ocean . Speaking of which, one of the very long time Widener posters has barely been around since their (relative) hey day.

I adopted DelVal when I moved to Doylestown (and since my undergrad alma mater, listened to the uber-libs, before that became fashionable, and dropped the sport)!!

I'm looking forward to that Stevenson at DelVal game on September 18 as it could go a long way towards determining the MAC Champion........although DelVal lost a ton from the 2019 squad.

I'm still here, although not really posting much...
I see that you are insinuating that I was only posting when Widener was good, which is not true...I have been a poster on this board in good times and bad since almost the beginning of this board...
Health issues, kids in HS/college ...sports and other life things..(working on rehabbing a shore property), have taken precedence, over non critical activities.
Also, I am further away from the program than I have ever been.  I know none of the coaching staff and have to rely on the word of others that do...so they can speak for themselves, which unfortunately most don't come on here anymore.
What I can tell you as part of the decline of the WU program seemingly lies greatly on the deemphasis of sports in general at WU by the president and other officials.  I have personal knowledge of recruits that went elsewhere due to financial packages that were horrifically non competitive.  Also, one was told that they would have to buy their practice uniforms, T shirts etc.... That was all comped at another MAC school where they chose to go.  I can tell you that the Widener football brotherhood (a group of football alum) does their best to make up for the gaps caused by the administration, but it falls short.
Until the administration changes, I expect Widener to be middle or bottom of the pack....we will see

[bman]

No comment JCL?  Lol must be because you think Stevenson will win the MAC😆

[jmcozenlaw]

No comment JCL?  Lol must be because you think Stevenson will win the MAC😆

I confused you with Simba (or Lycosimba), who went into the Witness Protection Program when Lycoming started their downfall (and it couldn't have more deservedly happened to a creep like their head coach............I could tell you some stories, but won't here).

As far as Stevenson is concerned, they bring back a ton, package incredibly well financially and have wonderful facilities. I think the MAC winner comes down to the first MAC game of the year, Stevenson at DelVal.

Not following it as closely (your words) as you used to, in DelVal's miraculous (all on the road) run to the Elite Eight in 2019....................it took a prayer of a TD pass on 3rd and long for DVU to beat Stevenson, 28-21, AT DelVal. The separation betweem the two teams was that tight, in THAT year.

As far as Widener is concerned, I've heard that financial packages are actually quite better than several of the MAC schools, including DelVal (Widener HC is a DelVal football playing grad and a current player had a brother at Widener just a couple of years ago).

Heck, even in the great 2019 year, Widener played DelVal very close........at DelVal. I expect big things from Widener and Lycoming this year (as do their coaches) given what they bring back and brought in.

As mentioned in my post in the NJAC thread, DelVal's defense (the line and DB's) should be great. The LB's are a weakness given all they lost. They will struggle offensively given all that they lost from the 2019 team.

I look forward to the season (as a Swarthmore grad, I'd just love to have a team again), hopefully, a few posts here and there from you as this board is close to bare...................and Simba coming back to tell us that he was on a 5 year mission trip, just as it looks like Lycoming is in the hunt late in the season.

God Bless!!

[bman]

Hi JCL
While I havent seen all MAC schools, (and As I mentioned) I saw (personally), 2 separate comparisons of packages offered to 2 student athletes.
One of the recruits had 3 other Mac schools along with WU.  The closest WU was to any of the others was 10k worse.
The other only had one other MAC school, and it was 22k worse...while I wont mention schools, I will say that none of them were Del Val.
Oddly enough, the one school overlapped between the 2 recruits....and the numbers were very different for those 2(the dads don't know each other)...
Admittedly I was/am a bit confused over that...

[jmcozenlaw]

Hi JCL
While I havent seen all MAC schools, (and As I mentioned) I saw (personally), 2 separate comparisons of packages offered to 2 student athletes.
One of the recruits had 3 other Mac schools along with WU.  The closest WU was to any of the others was 10k worse.
The other only had one other MAC school, and it was 22k worse...while I wont mention schools, I will say that none of them were Del Val.
Oddly enough, the one school overlapped between the 2 recruits....and the numbers were very different for those 2(the dads don't know each other)...
Admittedly I was/am a bit confused over that...

Albright packages just about at the top of the MAC for most freshmen they really want. For many, the packages get much less rewarding in year two and some transferring out occurs. Alvernia is also packaging well..............given that their neighbor, Albright, packages well.

Stevenson and Misericordia also package well, but only Stevenson sees those packages pay off with solid teams year in and year out.

Keep your eyes out for Widener and Lyco(simba:) this year. While a notch below DelVal/Stevenson, they could be in the hunt should the loser of that game be picked off by someone else.

[bman]

OK  Time for MAC predictions   top to bottom....

go....

[@d3jason]

I think the coaches poll is about right going in at the top with Delaware Valley and Stevenson. It's so hard to tell after a year off for most.

Wilkes seems to be headed in the right direction the pass couple of years despite that drubbing in the MAC-CC Bowl.

I would think a traditional power like Widener or Lycoming is long overdue due to rise again. Albright bottomed out the past couple but have been a solid program historically. We will find out a lot in their openers against Rowan, Susquehanna and Salisbury respectively.

King's has been 5-5 for the past 4 years. Could they take a step up?

I think Misericordia, picked 9th, may have deserved a little more respect after going 12-4 in the MAC the last two years. They finally see Del Val and Stevenson on their schedule this year, which wasn't true the last two seasons.

Just my two cents, not really sure what to think about LVC, Alvernia and FDU.

[RowanPhan]

I was checking out the Widener roster and I was surprised to see James Gillespie still there. He torched Rowan in 2019. I assume he was granted an extra year.

[bman]

Any insights on the Stevenson game?

[MRMIKESMITH]

Any insights on the Stevenson game?

Johns Hopkins controlled the game from start to finish for the clips I watched. I tuned out after the Johns Hopkins 3 qtr td. I think Stevenson can eliminate the TOs, they can get a good amount of points on the board. Defensively have to be better overall to get to the playoffs, but Johns Hopkins was a tough OOC opponent to start the season. The can compete to win the conference, but that most likely will depend on that early wk 3 matchup against Del Val. Nevertheless, I think they have to focus on RPI, who came back to beat Montclair State after Montclair State scored 3 defensive touchdowns, but couldn't do anything offensively against RPI.

[RowanPhan]

I was checking out the Widener roster and I was surprised to see James Gillespie still there. He torched Rowan in 2019. I assume he was granted an extra year.

Another close game in the annual Widener vs Rowan kickoff classic.

Widener's QB (Towson grad) is very talented, and ran the ball well. He made some really good reads and juked the Rowan DL on many plays.