FB: American Rivers Conference

[Old Dutch]

Thats what makes College FB great, teams can get a whole new personality in just a few months.  Both he and McMartin graduate a lot of quality people, next year wil be very interesting for both.

[old school ENP Tiger]

MVP... most valuable player....in terms of wins and losses Central is .500 at best with out Connell.  They don't win the Hope,Coe,Dubuque,Simpson, maybe even Loras without  him.  Not sure what case you can build for Jackson.  Maybe DBQ doesn't beat Coe with out him but Coe is a 4th best team in the conference.  Sherden is the best back in the league.  Jackson could make a case for best back as well the way they run him around.  Connell is a better passer though.  I guess the thing that holds me back from Jackson is the OT game against Central.  MVP makes sure you win that game and he had a chance to put it away when they had the ball with 2 min left but couldn't get a first down.  Then the fumble in OT doesn't help.  Great player but not the best.

COY should go to the coach who improves their record the most as compared to last year.  

[TheOne89.1]

Some people may think there is a holier than thou attitude but it obviously works. If you want to win, and play hard nosed blue collar football Central is a great place to be!

I think this is one of the best attitudes to have.  Everytime you step out on the field you KNOW you are going to dominate that team across from you...as an individual player you are going to dominate that lineman or WR or whoever is across from you.  If there is doubt, that is when it is going to bite you in the ass.

Even with Wartburg being the team I cheer for....Central has one of the most respected programs ever.  Anyone I talk to in the WIAC area up here in Wisconsin always comments on the Dutch.  It takes many years and a definite swagger to get that kind of reputation and respect.

[sportsknight]

For COY, I would be hard pressed to support a coach who allowed an inferior team to win at his place.  Even though the Auggies are .500, the Wart fans have been calling their team the class of the conference all year.  To motivate your squad week after week, regardless of the competition is the trickiest part of coaching.  DBQ last year with a playoff spot on the line and Auggie this year, seems like a weakness there.

Fair point, but since that wasn't a conference game, it shouldn't enter the equation.

I think Vinny B. should have been COY last year and it still shocks me that he didn't get it.  Nothing against McMartin - he's a great coach and has proven to be a real class guy in the couple months since I started dealing with him - but I think it should be a very rare thing for a coach, any coach, to be COY in back-to-back seasons.  Not to say that it should never happen, but in this instance where the cupboard was far from bare for McMartin (and even farther from bare this year), I honestly can't say that he did a better job keeping Central at the top than Vinny B. did getting UD to the top tier.

As far as this year goes, I think all three are pretty worthy.  My attitude about back-to-back COYs is still intact, but with all the injuries and close games Central has had to walk through this year, I think McMartin is a great candidate.  It takes some tremendous leadership to dodge all those landmines.  Vinny B deserved it last year, but I think most around the league would say that DBQ took another step forward this year, and for that his recognition is probably overdue.  As for Koehler, I think his credentials speak for themselves.  2nd year guy that leads his team to a 3 game record improvement (potentially) and a conference title (potentially).  Sound familiar Central fans?  And before you try to say that McMartin came in from outside the program and Koehler was an internal hire, let me ask you this:  How many assistants did McMartin have to replace?  Most of the pieces were already in place for Central to return to the type of success everyone is accustomed to seeing from them.

As far as POY, I'd have a real hard time going with anyone other than Connell.  Maybe I haven't seen enough Wartburg games, but Connell has been a real difference maker for Central.  Weber is a great player and can do many things very well, but I don't know that he has been more important to Wartburg's success this year than Connell has been for Central.

[DutchHawk]

I doubt that Central would be below 500 without Connell. Im not doubting his impact on the team. They would have for sure lost probably 3 games. For instance, against Hope, how many points and turnovers did the defense get. Regardless I think he is a great candidate for MVP based on him being the most important to his teams success. The same goes for Jackson, they would be 5*5 ish without him and Brautigam has undoubtedly had a lot of his success solely because of Jackson. It is a tight race between Mac because of adversity this year, not to mention a 25 or so game conference win streak (what are the other teams longest out of curiousity?), and Brautigam for his turnaround at DBQ. If the Spartans lose the next 2 though he would be out of consideration althouhgh I dont see that happening.

[Walston Hoover]

I don't know if its the longest Wartburg has had, but I think from 99-2000, maybe one game of '98 we won 19 in a row.
25 is impressive no doubt. What's more impressive in my mind is how they are anything but dominating, and still find a way to win games.

[dbljay21]

No one  in any league at any level that plays on a last place team will be considered for a League MVP award.

I might have well expected such an ignorant observation from a Coe-nucklehead...bring on that -k,  baby!

...now slowy, with your lips moving and your fingers tracing reread what I wrote.

I wrote:  "To not mention Chris Gustafson is a disservice to the effort this young man puts out EVERY play EVERY weekend."

There were other defensive players mentioned , 'backers in particular, when we all know that it is extremely unlikely even a defensive standout from a 1st place team will get such an honor; I felt such Gus deserved at least a mention in that group.

By the way ask Andre Dawson how he feels about his 1987 MVP award for the LAST PLACE Cubs.

Rack me!

Gustafson is a player and I agree he should get mentioned even though he won't win the award.  +k for making me laugh this morning Heys...you seem fired up for the Knights this weekend.

[footballdaddy]

......thoughts on recruiting and Dubuque's 23 seniors:

The Dubuque athletic department should be congratualed for having 23 seniors on the roster.  Most IIAC teams recruit about 30 to 40 freshman (with the exception of Wartburg), and to have 23 on the roster as seniors is a tribute to a focus on the student/athlete that D3 is supposed to be all about.

Wartburg, rumor has it, recruited 70-80 first year football players this fall and have  9 seniors on the current traveling squad.  I don't know how many were recruited 4 years ago....but is it a trend?

How many who are recruited as first year students remain as seniors.  That tells something about a D3 program in my opinion.

I've asked this all 1000 times before that it has been brought up because I know how a lot of kids get to Wartburg. Is the school supposed to ignore a kid who wants to be part of the program? If a kid (like I was) shows interest, the school is not going to ignore him.
If by most schools having 30-40 freshmen, you mean all schools not in the top 3 right now, then you would be accurate.
I checked the "Big Dogs" and St John's has 66 frosh and Mt Union has 85.
Both have about a third that as seniors.
Its the wife's V-ball night and my daughter is sleeping so I checked most of the IIAC schools- These numbers may not be on the money, but they are close. It is small print and these old eyes ain't what they used to be.
School Fr/Sr
Wartburg 72/10
Central 57/19
UD 51/21

Then for the rest, a couple #s that stood out was Luther and BV having more Srs than Freshmen??
That can't be good for the future. Didn't count Loras but No one else had over 40 frosh.
I checked UW-Whitewater's website as well, but I'm wondering if they cut because I only counted 90 guys on the roster.
Wartburg may have a higher attrition rate than the rest, but of the top 4, no one had more than half the amount of srs as freshmen.  (Coe and UD around 40%) Central at about 30.
This year is lower than most. Usually there are around 15-20 Srs and 60-70 kids recruited. I have a feeling the freshmen #'s at Wartburg are going to be high for at least the next couple years because that new PEC is going to attract more guys than normal.
* According to UD's 2004 preview (This year's Srs freshmen year) They welcomed over 70 newcomers that year. Looking at their roster this year, I notice Collins Eboh who was at ISU. Is he playing? I would have expected to hear his name more.

My take on recruiting class size is this. Everyone loves a winner. So it makes sense that the winningest teams get the most recruits. Given the choice most players will take their chances to play on a contender over the possibility of more playing time on a lower eschelon team. This is somewhat proved this year by the JV squads in the conference. Central and wartburg have the largest, with Coe, Dubuque, and Simpson with far fewer players. Loras cancelled their JV game with Wartburg earlier this year due to insufficient  number of players.

The drop off in subsequent years is due to several factors. After their Freshamn year, many players decide college football is not for them and quit. Some others may transfer to another school if they feel they can get more playing time. This happens to a lesser degree in later years.

On a contending team with a large incoming class, it's difficult to evaluate every player in every situation. Playing time is hard to come by. That's why there is a lot of turnover. But a talented player with the desire to succeed will get their chance.

[Thunderbolt]

 Walston, you had commented earlier on Whitewaters roster size. They do cut, as all WIAC teams are limited to 100 man rosters. Most teams will grey shirt 5 to 10 freshmen every year. Not sure on Whitewaters freshmen numbers this year, as they had a coaching change that wasn't settled until late. I'm sure they brought in around 100 freshmen in each of the two previous years. I followed UW Platteville's web site a lot this season as I know several of the freshmen in this years class. They started camp with 200 kids, 117 were new faces, transfers and Freshmen. They have thirty some freshmen on the roster now, and like I mentioned, they probably grey shirted 5 to 10 more.

[Storm-what?]

LOL, NO I don't play! I have been out of school for years. I said "we compete" because as an alum, I consider myself a part of the SImpson community. It's just my opinion. Half of the conversations on this board take place about speculating which teams are better than others. In two weeks we will see who is more dominate- I just happen to think it will be Wartburg. Or maybe you are right, maybe Central just played really bad the day they played Simpson.

Klop- I was mostly referring to the academic side of things at BV. They may have nice facilities, and I am sure you can get a decent job, but they are near the very bottom of the IIAC in terms of academic profile. They'd have you believe they are the Harvard of the Midwest when you visit- it just came across a little too strong- too forced to be believable, and my whole point is that now i see why- they are NOT considered in the strongest schools academically.

I agree their actual campus isn't bad at all. Your theory about kids just not wanting to visit campus,  doesn't explain their below average retention rates. Last I knew it was in the mid to high 70%'s. There is SOME merit in not wanting to go to a school in a town where great internships are much harder to come by. I agree that if you could transplant that campus and put it somewhere else, they'd see much better enrollment and retention- but you can't.

[Walston Hoover]

Walston, you had commented earlier on Whitewaters roster size. They do cut, as all WIAC teams are limited to 100 man rosters. Most teams will grey shirt 5 to 10 freshmen every year. Not sure on Whitewaters freshmen numbers this year, as they had a coaching change that wasn't settled until late. I'm sure they brought in around 100 freshmen in each of the two previous years. I followed UW Platteville's web site a lot this season as I know several of the freshmen in this years class. They started camp with 200 kids, 117 were new faces, transfers and Freshmen. They have thirty some freshmen on the roster now, and like I mentioned, they probably grey shirted 5 to 10 more.

Good information. I didn't figure they only had 30 freshmen try out. Is that a Varsity roster, and they have a JV, or are all those guys just cut loose?

[Thunderbolt]

 They are pretty much just cut loose. One hundred total roster limit. I don't think there is much JV football in the WIAC, UW Platteville lists a three game schedule. Two against Dubuque and one against Augustana.

[Thunderbolt]

 Because all the teams are part of the UW system, transfers are more common. With no D-2 schools in the state, its not totally uncommon to see D-1 recruits wind up in D-3. I guess that happens everywhere.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Is that all we have?? 9 Seniors. The future is bright.

Wasn't there about nine seniors last year as well (or low double digits)?  Maybe that is the current Wartburg model for the roster with about 80 freshmen each year and about 70 returning players.

I always have thought roster retention was a big deal (see Iowa Football and the problems they have had recently from a lack of retention) as far as having a consistent program, but Wartburg and schools like Bill Snyder's old Kansas State program are exceptions to the rule.

Dubuque deserves a lot of credit for what they have done the last couple of seasons.

Speaking of recruiting, there are a lot of promising Iowa Conference wrestling programs as far as talent being added to rosters.  It is always a great wrestling league, but Cornell and Coe among others have done a great job of adding talent.  Wartburg looks good this year again and Luther should have another top-five national team even if they don't produce two individual champs.

I see Jacob Naig is back at 149 for the Knights.  Pyle graduated at Luther, but his little brother is taking over that spot this year.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Because all the teams are part of the UW system, transfers are more common. With no D-2 schools in the state, its not totally uncommon to see D-1 recruits wind up in D-3. I guess that happens everywhere.

Not only are they part of the UW system, but the sticker shock (financial cost) from being a D-I scholly athlete or walk-on to a D-III athlete is not as steep in the WIAC as it would be in the IIAC or MIAC. 

Aren't the Wisconsin state schools cheaper than the Iowa or Minnesota state schools?