FB: American Rivers Conference

[Schipper Strong]

Schipper Strong said:  "If Central has a good mix of running and passing, mixing the passes left, right, and center and keep doing what is working the Dutch will win on Saturday" (against the Knights).

Outside the Crate would add:  "If Wartburg has a good mix of running and passing, mixing the passes left, right, and center and keep doing what is working the Knights will win on Saturday" (against the Dutch).

This is why we play the game, I guess.  I'm not a betting person, but if I were I'd pass on this "opportunity."  I should add, Wartburg is almost certainly going to at least tie for the conference championship (again).

Let me clarify. in the last couple of Central games I noted that Central stopped mixing it up once they have a lead. I fully understand wanting to run time off the clock, but as good as Jason Hopp is, we stop or significantly reduce our scoring opportunities when he runs 3 of every 4 downs as it is an easy thing for opposing teams to recognize. Central will not likely win if we stop mixing it up as we have in the past two games because Wartburg has a proven record of coming from behind to win. Therefore it is key that Central does not stop doing what gets them the lead in the first place.

Part two of the clarification is that if we do this good job of mixing things up, I have faith that regardless of how well Wartburg mixes things up Central will win. Wartburg will score and likely a lot. But if we are playing offensively like last Saturday and keep mixing things up I believe we can out score you at the end of the game. Given that Wartburg has the leading offense and defense in the conference, I realize that is quite the statement. Every logical part of me says Wartburg will probably win. Maybe it is my Central rose colored glasses, but I have faith in this Central team and the coaches and my heart says this Central team can win on Saturday.

But I will agree Wartburg will have at least a share of the conference championship (again) regardless of who wins on Saturday.

[Schipper Strong]

I enjoyed watching the videos too, but if you think that showed Central has more fun than you thought you should watch some of the YouTube videos of the Central lemming races that are a big part of homecomings. I heard rumor it was a liability suit waiting to happen and I could not find one from this year so I hope they haven't done away with it. But here is a fun one to watch.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PtKRqXTKbdo

[doolittledog]

I enjoyed watching the videos too, but if you think that showed Central has more fun than you thought you should watch some of the YouTube videos of the Central lemming races that are a big part of homecomings. I heard rumor it was a liability suit waiting to happen and I could not find one from this year so I hope they haven't done away with it. But here is a fun one to watch.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PtKRqXTKbdo

It looked like they did have the lemming race in the Central homecoming video. 

On a side note I was curious if the NAIA schools in our state do similar homecoming videos.  Out of Briar Cliff, Morningside, Dordt, Northwestern, Waldorf, Graceland, Grand View, William Penn, Mt Mercy, Clarke, and St Ambrose, St Ambrose was the only NAIA school I found that produced a homecoming video.  With the upcoming birth dearth in the next 5 years I think it would be wise for schools to market themselves as much as possible with these sorts of videos. 

As for this weekend.  I always follow Dubuque when they are playing, but I will keep an eye on the Central/Wartburg game.  That has the makings of a good one!

[Schipper Strong]

I didn't see it in the video you posted and could not find a video of the lemmings races from this year. I know there were concerns because the pond was redone a few years ago and has cement edges and a cement bottom, meaning those kids doing cannon balls into the 18" of water, or worse, diving in really is a major liability concern. But if this went away, I do hope that Central students of today will find another hilariously entertaining way to celebrate homecoming. After all, it was students like Central 's sports information director and his friends that came up with the lemmings races originally.

[DBQ1965]

I was disappointed that none of the 3 Doolittle girls appeared in the UD Homecoming  video.   

[Outside the Crate]

I was shocked by the lemming race video...  So much skin visible...and at a Reformed school.  Tsk, Tsk!  I hope they follow it with a prayer session.  It brought to mind the old co-ed naked soccer games at Luther some years ago.  They at least did it in the shadows!  The bottom line is that you can't entrust college kids with a canal!

[Schipper Strong]

Have to say I love the D3 Team of the Week photo! Congratulations to Blaine Hawkins for receiving this honor for the third time in his career! It is well deserved! Blaine is truly a gifted athlete with excellent decision-making skills.

[BLynn]

I enjoyed watching the videos too, but if you think that showed Central has more fun than you thought you should watch some of the YouTube videos of the Central lemming races that are a big part of homecomings. I heard rumor it was a liability suit waiting to happen and I could not find one from this year so I hope they haven't done away with it. But here is a fun one to watch.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PtKRqXTKbdo

It looked like they did have the lemming race in the Central homecoming video. 

On a side note I was curious if the NAIA schools in our state do similar homecoming videos.  Out of Briar Cliff, Morningside, Dordt, Northwestern, Waldorf, Graceland, Grand View, William Penn, Mt Mercy, Clarke, and St Ambrose, St Ambrose was the only NAIA school I found that produced a homecoming video.  With the upcoming birth dearth in the next 5 years I think it would be wise for schools to market themselves as much as possible with these sorts of videos. 

As for this weekend.  I always follow Dubuque when they are playing, but I will keep an eye on the Central/Wartburg game.  That has the makings of a good one!

NAIA schools in Iowa, for the most part, are playing football at a high level.  No time for HC videos.  #1, #4, #5 in the Nation

[Schipper Strong]

On second thought, I guess I am okay with Central having a large enough lead on Saturday to play a clock management strategy. 

[Pat Coleman]

The regional rankings are here: https://d3football.com/playoffs/2019/first-regional-ranking

[MediaGuy]

Was poking around Central's Football website and I came across something I didn't understand...

Quick Facts
2018 record: 8-2 overall
2018 American Rivers Conference finish: tie, second (6-2)
Starters returning: 8 offense, 8 defense, 3 specialty
Starters lost: 3 offense, 3 defense, 1 specialty
Letterwinners lost/returning: 23/40
Returning all-Iowa Conference players: 4 (first team, K Jon Alberts; QB Blaine Hawkins; FS Jordy Borman; second team, OT Cody Smith)
2019 captains:
Conference Championships: 30 (18 in past 36 years)
NCAA Division III national championships: 3 (1998, 1999, 2000)
NCAA Division III playoff berths: 20
Last NCAA Division III playoff appearance: 2009 (L, 42-40 vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor, Texas)
All-time NCAA playoff record: 21-19
Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl appearances: 3 (first, 1974; second, 1984, 1988)
All-Americans: 37
All-time W-L record: 618-325-26
Central's record at Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium (opened in 1977): 181-43

https://athletics.central.edu/sports/2016/11/18/football-quick-facts.aspx

I either missed an epic run by Central around the millennium, or that is a typo...just checking with the Central faithful to see what that might be regarding 

[Schipper Strong]

Central won 3 consecutive national championships in those years and I witnessed all three of them at the start of December. The sport was volleyball though.

On the flip side, Central has played in 3 football national championship games. Central won in 1974 and placed 2nd in 1984, leading people to speculate on the pressure for the 1994 team. Unfortunately we have not been back since 1988. The three volleyball championship teams packed the gym on a regular basis though and winning 3 years in a row was a lot of fun.

[doolittledog]

Clearing snow off the field at Luther.

https://twitter.com/norsesports/status/1192501591087157256

My brain is old and forgetful.  When was the last time we dealt with snow like we see in Decorah right now?

[Schipper Strong]

Central has had a few of those and moved a playoff game to Iowa State once, but I don't remember the years. The worst game I ever sat through was white out blizzard conditions at Upper Iowa one year. I think it snowed several inches during the game itself. It was awful!

[Pat Coleman]

I was at Central for that quarterfinal game against Bethel in 2007.