FB: American Rivers Conference

[sportsknight]

sportsknight doing color....., "at least they (Central) can't take it past the 35 since WB kicked it out of bounds..."

Hey pal, who's signing your paycheck?

Actually, I'm pretty sure I called both teams (and maybe even the refs) as "they" during the course of the game.  "They" is a pretty common word used to describe a large group of people, but I'll be sure to stay away from it in the future.

Will KNIA / KRLS get SportsKnight OUT of the booth!  Why would we want to listen to a pro-Knight color guy.  Get him outta there!

Strange.  Didn't hear you complaining during the five other Central games I did this year.  I'd be very interested to know exactly what about my commentary/analysis you took issue with, aside from the name on my degree.  I didn't agree with the call in the fumble/spike at the end of the game.  Thought it looked like a fumble, and time should have run out sending the game to overtime (an assessment that our play-by-play guy agreed with BTW).  Only other call of the day I had a problem with was the block in the back on Wartburg.  Beyond that, feel free to enlighten me on what I did wrong.

[DutchHawk]

29 titles! 19 Playoffs! 27 in a row!! (dang you Kohawks of 05! )

knightlife06 doesnt want to talk to us Dutch fans...wait let me get a tissue for you. Geez your team played a hell of a game and lost a tight one that came down to 2 plays, I agree with Old Dutch on those two 4th down plays were the ones that decided the game! Maybe he was embarrassed that a couple home sections in the "intimidating" Walston Hoover were taken up by Central loyal...easily the best following fans in the conference!

On to the playoffs!! #1 seed!!! Olivet at home, the Dutch will have to play their best, although I dont know much about Olivet, they are from Hopes conference. I like the idea of getting to host through the semifinals...It would be great for the Dutch to make it that far and further and awesome for the IIAC!! 

Warttrainer, check out the FAQ's, its all about the automatic qualifiers and such for the NCAA, I wish the flat out 32 best got in.

[DutchHawk]

sportsknight - of the games Ive listened to I thought you did a fine job! It has to be difficult, I would have a hard time doing color for Wartburg.

[DutchFan2004]

I don't know what you can pick on Sportsknight about.  All the broadcasts I have heard including the PM sportspage boradcasts on Wednesday night from the Pizza Ranch in Pella were always very professional and insightful as he has and does have very good knowledge of the IIAC being an IIAC grad.  Hang in there Sportsknight. 

[Voice of the Dutch]

Thought it looked like a fumble, and time should have run out sending the game to overtime (an assessment that our play-by-play guy agreed with BTW).

Whoa now.   My assessment of that play was that it was a close call...and I didn't see it clearly enough to be able to form an exact opinion.  In fact, I'm somewhat surpised so many people have come on here saying "I had a great view and was watching closely and his arm was clearly going forward".  I guess I didn't think most fans would be staring at his arm on a normally routine play.

As for the pass interference.  It was CLEARLY pass interference.  But the question is, of course, was it catchable?  Awfully hard to tell if Huisman could catch it when Weber prevented him from getting anywhere close to the ball.  And if it was so un-catchable, as Knight fans claim, maybe MVP shouldn't have grabbed Huisman's jersey and let him go after it.

The one call that I personally feel the refs blew was the block in the back.  I thought that was clean.  But that really didn't matter, as the Knights could have started at the 10 or the 30 or the 50, and they couldn't move inside the 35.

And I agree that the two fourth down plays were the two critical plays.  Props to JJ Owens for chasing Yordi all around and forcing an off-balance throw on the Knights 4th and 4 - and props to Greg Altmeir for jarring the ball loose as Hoerner tried to make the catch.  And then Connell to Wille...clutch again on 4th down with the game on the line.

And maybe the committee was listening to sportsknight and I in our postgame show.  No Saint John's in the first round.  Thank You!!!

[DutchFan2004]

Clearly the white hat on the grounding call was waiving his arm and motioning that the arm was going forward.  There was no hesitation on his call at all.  So that is all that matters.  He saw it as a pass that is his call and his alone. 

[Seton41]

Congrats to Central on the bracket - well-deserved. 

The move of UWW is good news for Central and for all the other teams in the region.  Best of luck.  This region is going to be fun starting next week.

[Dutchster]

How does a 3 loss Concordia team get in over a two loss Wartburg team?  This is maybe a deserved slap in the face to the IIAC for a lack of  past playoff success.  Hopefully this Central team can make some noise in the playoffs, and do better than we did the last time we had our own bracket in 01.  Back then we had a first round bye, and lost to PLU in OT in the second. 

This Central team reminds me a little of the 00 Central team.  That team had national championship potential (lost a close one to St. Johns, who lost to Mount by 3 in the NC game).  That team had some close calls as well in the regular season, but they never gave up on anything.  The next few weeks will tell us a lot about the quality of this Central team, and the quality of our conference as a whole.  Go Dutch!

[Voice of the Dutch]

Agreed that the white hat was the one guy who for sure would have been looking right at Connell's arm - and there was NO hesitation in his call.

Any updates on Connell?  He had to be carried off the field after the fumble.  Hope it's just like every other week.  Get banged up.  Play the next week.

Also - somewhat overlooked, but a healthy Dustin Baethke made a HUGE difference yesterday.  His speed really helped defend the run and the rocket screen.

[Airborne Dutch]

BOOYAH!! Now, here's hoping that we use that bracket to go deep. Tough luck about Wartburg. Does seem kind of stupid that a WB team that beat BV who beat Bethel who are No.2 in the region doesn't get in, but thats the way things go. At least we will never have to hear about Neil Suckow again  His four year reign of terror on the conference is over!

In response to the Beake cheers and antics during the games, (AD) Dorenkamp is a fun hater. Plus, the beakes don't have as many football players as in the past so the interest for the rest of the frat just isn't at strong. We did have t-shirts made up in 04 that said "we can beat you on the field you can beat us off" but as far as using some of the old cheers, it might be awhile before you hear them again.

[Dsquared]

Haven't read any of the posts as I've been crazy busy since the game yesterday.  I won't say that Central didn't deserve to win that game... but Wartburg also didn't deserve to lose.

Pass interference call... whatever.  That is such a judgment call on so many occasions that I didn't have any problem with the call.  Uncatchable or not, there was plenty of contact and it went against Wartburg.  I do have an awful problem, though, with refs blowing plays dead early like had happened on the fumble/spike play.  From my seat, the ball slipped out of Connell's hand as he came away from center.  The game itself didn't deserve to end on such a questionable call.  Both teams played amazingly and the game lived up to its billing as a GREAT conference championship game.  I would've loved to see what OT would've brought.

As it was, congrats to the Dutch!  Represent the conference for all you are worth so we've got a chance to get 2 teams into the playoffs on a more regular basis

MVP talk should stop now.  I think Connell is hands down MVP.  He is amazing.  First time I've seen him all year, and he alone willed Central back into that game.  It was SOMETHING to watch!!  The defense fed off of him and took away WB's bread and butter (and least made it VERY tough to get the yards that were gained).

I also think everyone unfortunately will overlook a very worthy candidate on the ballots because he didn't contribute all year to the team... but when the offense went through Neil Suckow at WB, the games were never a contest (save the Central game).  He is an outright stud too.  Definite all-conference selection should be in the bag for him.

[DutchHawk]

On the spike play - I happend to be watching his arm closely because I knew it was going to be so hurried. It was moving forward clearly and I believe the correct call was made but it was much to close for comfort, there was 6 seconds he could have made a better attempt at it but arent we splitting hairs here? MVP for sure, he played amazing, too bad he couldnt out run the 7 foot tall safety for the TD! He overcame 2 huge early turnovers and didnt let them get him down at all!

I saw Tim walking around after the game alright, hes tough as nails and Im sure will be fine for Olivet.

Weber was overrated. He got burnt bad by Smith down the Wartburg sideline, didnt do anything special on returns, and he really didnt make people miss or run people over offensively. Not to mention the PI, I dont see how you can say it was questionable, beaverofyore presented a neutral opinion from that endzone,  in the endzone that was terrible defense. If you want to see textbook pass defense in the endzone see #14 Guy Dierkx the series before that or so defending the WB receiver perfectly.

It was a pretty amazing 1.5 yards per carry by the Wartburg offense though. I think we should have been talking about Centrals great defense all year! Wartburg only drove to score once on the long pass to wide open Suckow, the other score was given to them on the 4 I believe and it took 3 plays to get it in, barely.

WH - Wartburg did punt...7 times to be exact.

Glad Yordi came back from his "indefinite" suspension to play and that Suckow played the whole game...wouldnt want to hear those excuses!

[Wartburg Fan]

 Sunday and just got back from Waverly.  Congrats to Central on their  victory Saturday and good luck in the playoffs.    I know this has been discuss over and over the last day. But got to put my two cents in. Was talking to a gentlemen that was standing in the end Zone and he said the call  could have gone against the O-player for stiff arming Weber all the way try to get seperation and the pass was not catchable. Now if Connell was spiking the ball why did he fall on it believe it was a fumble. Connell is not the MVP.  But with that all said it was a hell of a game and Central figure out a way to win.

[DutchHawk]

Sunday and just got back from Waverly.  Congrats to Central on their  victory Saturday and good luck in the playoffs.    I know this has been discuss over and over the last day. But got to put my two cents in. Was talking to a gentlemen that was standing in the end Zone and he said the call  could have gone against the O-player for stiff arming Weber all the way try to get seperation and the pass was not catchable. Now if Connell was spiking the ball why did he fall on it believe it was a fumble. Connell is not the MVP.  But with that all said it was a hell of a game and Central figure out a way to win.

Who is the MVP then?

[DutchFan2004]

Sunday and just got back from Waverly.  Congrats to Central on their  victory Saturday and good luck in the playoffs.    I know this has been discuss over and over the last day. But got to put my two cents in. Was talking to a gentlemen that was standing in the end Zone and he said the call  could have gone against the O-player for stiff arming Weber all the way try to get seperation and the pass was not catchable. Now if Connell was spiking the ball why did he fall on it believe it was a fumble. Connell is not the MVP.  But with that all said it was a hell of a game and Central figure out a way to win.

Who is the MVP then?

He didn't fall on the ball he was tackled on top of it.