FB: American Rivers Conference

[MNbeev]

BV's enrollment has declined very much in the last four years, same with the numbers the football team brings in.  Four years ago they were tripling people up in dorm rooms and this last year they didn't even have enough male students to fill in half of the third floor in one of the dorms, this is pretty serious.  On to the team, from what I have seen the turnover for kids showing up and then quitting in the first 2 weeks in somewhat high and this could mean problems in the future for the beaver team.  I know they get talent from the northwest of Iowa but without numbers it worries me. 

[doolittledog]

Is this a case of the new coach at BV not getting it done recruiting wise or does it go deeper than that and lay somewhat in the administration of the school???

And was that a reason Osterberger left for Loras?  I know he was native to Dubuque and all that but I wonder if he saw the writing on the wall and got out while he could and found a good opportunity at Loras???

[K-Mack]

I also vote for the whole season of pick ems.

I might try to play again. It's very challenging and looks to be again. I re-did the picks in Kickoff, but it definitely wasn't easy.

I like Central and Wartburg up top, with Coe probably still in the mix but a cut below. Dubuque and Loras maybe good enough to rise up and beat one of the top three again, but not sure if they'll be consistent enough to win the league. Luther had some hard luck last season, don't think they'll be that bad again. And Cornell, Simpson and Buena Vista, none really looks like a true pushover, but someone has to lose the conference games.

At least one coach said the league is as even as he's ever seen it, and for the second year in a row, it wasn't all cliche.

I agree, no way Coe loses to Aurora, but some of the non-conference games (Bethel, St. Thomas, etc.) could be trouble.

Will be a fun season to watch from afar.

[sportsknight]

I was looking at the Loras roster and did not see Mccaron(spelling?), I thought he was only a sophmore last year. Anybody know what is going on with that?

He's playing at St. Ambrose this year.  I think he'll have 3 years left, since he broke his leg in Loras' second or third game in '05 and got a medical redshirt.
The guy I talked to didn't have an exact reason why McCarron isn't at Loras anymore, but the way it sounds it wasn't really his decision to make.  I don't want to be telling tales out of school, but I had heard he had academic/discipline issues while a senior at Dubuque Wahlert.  Not sure if those problems resurfaced, but it would make sense.

[Ash Park]

Oh ok makes sense then...just making sure wartburg didn't snatch him up too 

[warthog]

I think I'll hold off my predictions until all the rosters are posted.  I want to see how many former MAC alumni are on the various teams. 

That is sort of like how I gauge a buffet - How much herring is on the buffet?   

How many MAC players are on the IIAC football rosters?   

In both cases where ever you find the most you have the best. 

Actually I guess most of this illustrious group agrees on #1 Central and #9 Cornell.  All I have to do is fill in the middle seven.

[youcantseeme]

Bout time for my picks....

1. Central - won't run the table again, but still the cream of the crop in the IIAC.  
                  They will miss VerMeer.....a lot.
2. Coe - footballs will be flying this year as TeKippe is the best in the league under
            under center (or in the shot-gun at Coe).  I think the best
            defense in the IIAC will be in Cedar Rapids.
3. Wartburg - are there enough footballs in Waverly to get to all their backs?....
                     Yes, but who is going to keep defenses from going 8 in the box?
4. Luther - They better be here or Coach Hefty will need to take a look into the
                 mirror.  Offensive line and special teams will carry this team.
5. BV - Hawkins will have to put up HUGE numbers to really give the Beavers a
          shot at moving up.  I am not sure he is capable for that.  This might be the
          last shot for BV for a while.
6. Dubuque - if Jackson makes the transition to being an elite QB for an entire 60
                    minutes, UD could move up.  They will beat a top 4 team (maybe two)
                    but not disciplined or consistent enough.
7. Loras - the loss of McCarron is huge as he was their only consistant weapon.  
               DuHawks will be solid defensively, but I see them losing a lot of low-
               scoring games.
8.  Cornell - I am a Dillon believer.  I think that he has the Rams pointed in the
                  right direction.  Although I think the middle of the pack is the ceiling
                  for this talent starved school.
9. Simpson - Is this rock bottom?  It is inexcusable for the Storm to be here in the
                   basement.  Something needs to change.  It is bad for the conference
                   for Simpson to be below Cornell.

[DutchHawk]

Who does Coe return on defense that can match with Wartburg and Centrals returners?

[warthog]

Willie:  Glad to see you back.  After UD put the drubbing on my Knights, I expected to hear from you and Spurrier all winter.  Congrats, I hope the Spartans can keep it going.  No title, I reserve that for my Knights, you can be runnerups.

I ran across a picture of Grandma Warthog and the rest of the 1936 Spartan womens basketball team.  They got to wear shorts and sleeveless jerseys.  Most of the team was hot!  No wonder Warthog, Little Warthog and P'cock Warthog are all so darn good looking.

[warthog]

Spurrier:

How do the Cincinnati Bearcats look this season?    8)

[Charlie Kohawk]

Bout time for my picks....

1. Central - won't run the table again, but still the cream of the crop in the IIAC. 
                   They will miss VerMeer.....a lot.
2. Coe - footballs will be flying this year as TeKippe is the best in the league under
             under center (or in the shot-gun at Coe).  I think the best
             defense in the IIAC will be in Cedar Rapids.
3. Wartburg - are there enough footballs in Waverly to get to all their backs?....
                      Yes, but who is going to keep defenses from going 8 in the box?
4. Luther - They better be here or Coach Hefty will need to take a look into the
                  mirror.  Offensive line and special teams will carry this team.
5. BV - Hawkins will have to put up HUGE numbers to really give the Beavers a
           shot at moving up.  I am not sure he is capable for that.  This might be the
           last shot for BV for a while.
6. Dubuque - if Jackson makes the transition to being an elite QB for an entire 60
                     minutes, UD could move up.  They will beat a top 4 team (maybe two)
                     but not disciplined or consistent enough.
7. Loras - the loss of McCarron is huge as he was their only consistant weapon. 
                DuHawks will be solid defensively, but I see them losing a lot of low-
                scoring games.
8.  Cornell - I am a Dillon believer.  I think that he has the Rams pointed in the
                   right direction.  Although I think the middle of the pack is the ceiling
                   for this talent starved school.
9. Simpson - Is this rock bottom?  It is inexcusable for the Storm to be here in the
                    basement.  Something needs to change.  It is bad for the conference
                    for Simpson to be below Cornell.

Now there's a forecast I can go along with, though I might quibble at 1-2 and 8-9. I completely agree about the Coe defense. Pinkney's return on the line, Thomas' and Harrison's continued development at LB and Squires and Brietbach in the backfield should make the Kohawks a stingy bunch. And anything is possible with Tekippe at the helm (he was Coe's best player even before a certain recent development). So I second Youcan'tseeme's picks, except:
#1 Coe
#2 Central
#8 Simpson
#9 Cornell (though I think the Rams are on the right track)

[Purple Heys]

Here's  a new one who are the players on a respective team that will be most missed due to his graduation/transfer/leave the team for any other reason?


DBQ:  Bellneus.  Field position turnarounds from punts and KO's.  Played both ways and generally was a disruptive force.

LUT:  Swears and Pearson...joined at the hip.

Coe:  Northern...c'mon does anybody really think Suckow had as big an impact as the league's All-Purpose Yards leader on this team.  Demoulin may have benefited the most as teams stacked the line to stop Northern.  TeKippe does not get that benefit.

Loras: McCarron

Cornell:  Grant on defense...fiery player; Newmeister, would have like to see him running the Wing-T with this more experienced group.

Wartburg:  Hammes, although VanRees should pick it up.

Simpson:  Schellin

[the_mayne_event]

I was looking at the Loras roster and did not see Mccaron(spelling?), I thought he was only a sophmore last year. Anybody know what is going on with that?

He's playing at St. Ambrose this year.  I think he'll have 3 years left, since he broke his leg in Loras' second or third game in '05 and got a medical redshirt.
The guy I talked to didn't have an exact reason why McCarron isn't at Loras anymore, but the way it sounds it wasn't really his decision to make.  I don't want to be telling tales out of school, but I had heard he had academic/discipline issues while a senior at Dubuque Wahlert.  Not sure if those problems resurfaced, but it would make sense.

McCarron got booted from school for discipline reasons i believe, atleast that's what my friend at Loras told me. 
Coe will have a stacked D-line with 3 starters ruturning from last year, plus with pinkney returning they don't lose that much, al though jordison holds the single season and career sacks and tackles for a loss records.  the d-line will allow for a smooth transition for new linebackers harrison and thomas.  squires is one of the best in the league at saftey as is brietbach at corner.  they won't have trouble keeping people out of the endzone, it may getting there that hurts them in some games.  i agree that without northern coe would have been hurting the past 4 years.  suckow is a great player, but northern was better.
i hear that suckow didn't get number 6 at wartburg, suprised he didn't transfer becuase he thought he was being treated bad..

[footballdaddy]

Pat,even though I belive some head coaches are only thinking part time,I meant taht most teams hire assistant coaches for the duration of the season only.I wouldn't expect one head coach to supervise 100 players for spring practice no matter how short it is.So,as it's been pointed out here previously,if the football budget comes out of the general fund,how many coaches will come back for spring practice?

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Here's  a new one who are the players on a respective team that will be most missed due to his graduation/transfer/leave the team for any other reason?


DBQ:  Bellneus.  Field position turnarounds from punts and KO's.  Played both ways and generally was a disruptive force.

LUT:  Swears and Pearson...joined at the hip.

Coe:  Northern...c'mon does anybody really think Suckow had as big an impact as the league's All-Purpose Yards leader on this team.  Demoulin may have benefited the most as teams stacked the line to stop Northern.  TeKippe does not get that benefit.

Loras: McCarron

Cornell:  Grant on defense...fiery player; Newmeister, would have like to see him running the Wing-T with this more experienced group.

Wartburg:  Hammes, although VanRees should pick it up.

Simpson:  Schellin

My version:

1.  Former Hawk and Spartan Belleus - Dubuque may still have another good season, but EVERY Iowa Conference team had to be wondering when they were watching film of Dubuque of how good their own team could be if they had Walner Belleus.  Iowa could have used him last year as well.

2.  Brennan McCarron - Loras hasn't exactly been a great passing team the last few years.  They have Hall on defense and usually have other good athletes on that side of the ball, but how much are they going to miss McCarron?  When did the coaches know he wasn't coming back?  How much quality depth do they have at that position?  Loras surprised many with a 4-4 conference mark last year (4-6 overall), but what kind of offense are they going to have this year?

3.  Kyle Pearson - Replacing a QB is almost always a big question going into the season, but WR Pearson was the most overall productive receiver in Norse history (3,424 yards, 25 TDs).  There is a talented group of receivers still on the Luther campus, but Pearson made lots of tough catches and was the focus of defenses in the aerial game for at least three seasons.  Sweers was a great athlete and made 1st team all-league, but Pearson and LG Stavast were the two that played very well almost every week.  Luther could still have another good offense this year.

4.  Ashton Northern - A very productive back last season that helped to carry the load after the starting QB went down.  The Coe Defense and the return of the QB should help Coe, but it will be interesting to see the Coe Offense this fall with the loss of Northern, Suckow, WR Rife, and at least two quality linemen.  Coe has been pretty solid at RB over the last several years so I still assume they will be good again this year until I see otherwise.