FB: Conference of New England

[rlk]

A painful end to an amazing season, but you learn from going up against the best.  I will not be the least bit surprised if we see Wesley in Salem.  I only saw the score, not the game; thankfully the men's basketball game (which I was at) ended on a happier note.

[Boxer7806]

A painful end to an amazing season, but you learn from going up against the best.  I will not be the least bit surprised if we see Wesley in Salem.  I only saw the score, not the game; thankfully the men's basketball game (which I was at) ended on a happier note.

Heck, it would of happen to any team from New England. No shame in that. But still 35-0 at the end of the first quarter hurts.

[dedragon]

No reason to hang any heads. Great season you guys. The playoffs are just where you find out how good the really good teams are. Wesley is still trying to break through to the Stagg Bowl, so we know how it feels to get leveled in the playoffs. Coach Drass, the staff, team, and the College committed to becoming the best they could be. I would think MIT might  have some resources to head in that direction if they want to.

Really enjoyed watching #15  make tackles all over the field. He finished with 24 on the day. Have a great offseason, and good luck next season.

[wcrosby]

No reason to hang any heads. Great season you guys. The playoffs are just where you find out how good the really good teams are. Wesley is still trying to break through to the Stagg Bowl, so we know how it feels to get leveled in the playoffs. Coach Drass, the staff, team, and the College committed to becoming the best they could be. I would think MIT might  have some resources to head in that direction if they want to.

Really enjoyed watching #15  make tackles all over the field. He finished with 24 on the day. Have a great offseason, and good luck next season.

According to the MIT article on d3football.com, Cam Wagar had 34 tackles -- I don't think I've ever seen a number like that before.  Cam used to be a safety, and converted to linebacker -- amazing ability.

MIT made lots of mistakes, Wesley made none.  They are so fast, and can kill you in so many ways.
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To those of you that talk about MIT acceding to doing what Wesley has -- yes, they would love to do that, but you have to do it with kids that can get into the Institute.  I don't think that Wesley or Widener, or Mt. Union or UW-Whitewater has to worry about those things -- in fact, there were many D1 recruits that have transferred on Wesley's roster.

One last thing -- according to some of the MIT players, some of the Wesley kids were asking if they could send their resumes to them during the hadshakes -- kidding of course, but still kind of funny!

[rlk]

No reason to hang any heads. Great season you guys. The playoffs are just where you find out how good the really good teams are. Wesley is still trying to break through to the Stagg Bowl, so we know how it feels to get leveled in the playoffs. Coach Drass, the staff, team, and the College committed to becoming the best they could be. I would think MIT might  have some resources to head in that direction if they want to.

Really enjoyed watching #15  make tackles all over the field. He finished with 24 on the day. Have a great offseason, and good luck next season.

Yes, Cam Wagar has been one of the anchors of our defense this season.  He's a Course II (mechanical engineering major) senior who interned last summer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, working on sustainability and energy management.  Has a bright future ahead of him.  Glad to see the props for him.

MIT's not going to compromise its core academic mission in any way, and none of us would want it to, but everyone at the 'tute commits to excellence in whatever endeavors they pursue.  I hear that our recruiting coach is completely swamped right now.   High school students with serious game who are equally serious about engineering (and have the academic chops) now know that they don't have to settle for the Ivy League to have the opportunity to play football at a high level.  The country has not heard the last from MIT football.

And again, congratulations to your folks.  And at least we weren't the worst loss of the day.  Sort of have to root for Hobart next week because Coach Martinovich hails from there, but I'm pretty comfortable saying that right now you're onoe of the clear three best teams in the country.

[Teamski]

A sincere congratulations to MIT on a great season.  I was really impressed by the spirit both the team and the fans displayed throughout the game today.  The fans filled our visitor's stands and were loud.  You have a lot to be proud of.

-Ski

[DE Wesley Fan]

One last thing -- according to some of the MIT players, some of the Wesley kids were asking if they could send their resumes to them during the hadshakes -- kidding of course, but still kind of funny!

That's too funny - and perhaps less kidding was involved than you may think.  I know several of our kids got quite a kick out of playing against future rocket scientists.   I give all DIII student-athletes credit for putting in the time and effort needed to do well in their sport of choice, but can imagine it presents an especially large burden for students at a school like MIT.  Congratulations on a great season.

[Pat Coleman]

No reason to hang any heads. Great season you guys. The playoffs are just where you find out how good the really good teams are. Wesley is still trying to break through to the Stagg Bowl, so we know how it feels to get leveled in the playoffs. Coach Drass, the staff, team, and the College committed to becoming the best they could be. I would think MIT might  have some resources to head in that direction if they want to.

Really enjoyed watching #15  make tackles all over the field. He finished with 24 on the day. Have a great offseason, and good luck next season.

According to the MIT article on d3football.com, Cam Wagar had 34 tackles -- I don't think I've ever seen a number like that before.

The article says 24.

[wcrosby]

No reason to hang any heads. Great season you guys. The playoffs are just where you find out how good the really good teams are. Wesley is still trying to break through to the Stagg Bowl, so we know how it feels to get leveled in the playoffs. Coach Drass, the staff, team, and the College committed to becoming the best they could be. I would think MIT might  have some resources to head in that direction if they want to.

Really enjoyed watching #15  make tackles all over the field. He finished with 24 on the day. Have a great offseason, and good luck next season.

According to the MIT article on d3football.com, Cam Wagar had 34 tackles -- I don't think I've ever seen a number like that before.

I swear -- my eyes must be getting bad...

The article says 24.

[ccd494]

So, any room for one more?

http://www.pressherald.com/2014/12/03/are-you-ready-for-some-football-by-a-new-team-at-une/

[D3MAFAN]

So, any room for one more?

http://www.pressherald.com/2014/12/03/are-you-ready-for-some-football-by-a-new-team-at-une/

This is awesome that would increase the number to 9, still leaving the possibility of two OOC games, which I think is still needed to help improve the conference image and playing level.

[jackson5]

Could be the end of the NEFC.  CCC would have 6 football schools, could look to expand and bring in two schools for all sports and have a 12 team conference with 8 for football. 

[ExTartanPlayer]

I hear that our recruiting coach is completely swamped right now.   High school students with serious game who are equally serious about engineering (and have the academic chops) now know that they don't have to settle for the Ivy League to have the opportunity to play football at a high level.  The country has not heard the last from MIT football.

So...first, I love the bravado and confidence.  With that said, let's get a few things straight here.

1. Nobody "settles" for the Ivy League, dude.  The bluster I occasionally hear (on these boards and in person) from parents and/or students of athletes at NESCAC schools, or MIT, or UAA schools saying that kids X, Y, and Z all had "offers" from the Ivy League is mostly just that - bluster, a way to try to sound more impressive, a b.  Getting a few letters, or even visiting the campus of an Ivy, and then choosing a D3 school does not mean you "turned down" the Ivy League.  I visited Columbia and met the football coaching staff before choosing Carnegie Mellon - does that mean I chose CMU instead of "settling" for Columbia?  No way.  I'd have been a blocking dummy for four years at Columbia.

There certainly are a few cases of Division III players who could have gone to a higher level and chose D3 for any number of reasons - it was the best academic fit, it was the right geographic location, they have friends and family who recommend the school, they develop a rapport with a coach or professor - but there aren't legions of high-academic-achieving football players who are "settling" for Harvard and Yale instead of going to MIT.  Come on, dude.

2. Carnegie Mellon, you might have heard, also has an engineering program and a little bit of an academic reputation.  A few years ago, we had a season nearly identical to what MIT just had - an undefeated regular season, a first-round playoff victory thanks, in part, to a favorable matchup, and a second round thrashing at the hands of Wesley.  I also became a Wesley fan that day because the stadium was cool, the fans were great, players were respectful opponents - gracious in victory, and the folks posting on here were also great. 

With that said, this season didn't lead to some magical boon in recruiting.  In the end, things were pretty much the same that they always were.  We called every kid we could find with decent SAT scores.  Some flat-out said "I'm going to Bigger School X" and we never heard from them again.  Some (like me before them) were pondering the Ivy-or-D3 decision (until that decision was effectively made for them, either by the Ivies' serious recruitment or the obvious "Well, you can come and try out for the team if you want to" attitude that manifests once they figure out who their top targets are).  Some already knew that D3 was their route to playing in college and gave us their full attention from the get-go.  The playoff berth was a nice little talking point but in reality that one season did not do very much to move the needle for most kids that I spoke with (I was a phone-caller for recruits during my junior and senior seasons).

High school students who are serious about engineering, have academic chops, and want to play college football do exist, of course.  They aren't going to come en masse to MIT because of one season.  It would/will take some sustained success to start propagating itself in terms of large numbers of Ivy-League-caliber football players - not "caliber of person" but "caliber of football player" - choosing MIT over the Ivy League.

Lest you get me wrong: I am fully rooting for MIT to carry this momentum forward, as I root for all high-caliber academic institutions.  Don't mistake my tone for antagonistic.  But it's much easier to bluster that "Now all those really good students who play football know they don't have to settle for the Ivy League" than it will be to really convince such prospects - at least, the ones the Ivy League schools really want for football - to choose MIT over the Ivy League.

[jmcozenlaw]

Tartan - Is your high school either AAAA or AAA by chance? The Philly area teams in both classes, St. Joe Prep (AAAA) and Archbishop Wood (AAA) are ridiculously good..................and I hope that someone knocks them off of their high horse. Maybe your school can knock one of them out..................unless AA or A.

The PIAA allowing these private school recruiting machines to take part in state playoffs is a joke..................and this coming from a CB West grad, from back in the days when we tore up the state

[ECoastFootball]

1. Nobody "settles" for the Ivy League, dude.  The bluster I occasionally hear (on these boards and in person) from parents and/or students of athletes at NESCAC schools, or MIT, or UAA schools saying that kids X, Y, and Z all had "offers" from the Ivy League is mostly just that - bluster,

There is a difference you are missing. All the NESCAC and UAA schools you mentioned are similar to the IVY schools, so if all things were equal you would go play the higher level. MIT, academically, is not "similar" to the IVY's. MIT is the #2 ranked university in the world: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/rankings?int=9cf408 and the #1 ranked engineering school in the world.