FB: American Rivers Conference

[sportsknight]

For about 20 minutes I considered going to Iowa State since both my parents are alums, but 1 visit to Wartburg changed that.

What was that line that Coach Fry gave you about going to Iowa State?

[Walston Hoover]

I was down at an Iowa practice with my HS head coach and he introduced me to Coach Fry as the only Cyclone fan in the bunch. He said that's where his daughters went and its a good school because kids need to go somewhere to learn how to drive a tractor.

[footballdaddy]

That's not true.All Iowa kids know how to drive a tractor.Iowa kids go to ISU to learn how to grow grain to make beer and to learn how to breed wives for Hawkeyes!


Sorry but I couldn't help myself! 

[DutchFan2004]

Heard there was a large freshman class in Pella this year.  60 freshman showed up.  That is much larger than in years past.  The two IIAC crowns and playoff appearances must have helped.  GO DUTCH!!!!!!!!!!

[Ash Park]

I hate to bring up the Suckow conversation again but just wondering if anyone with Coe connections has heard what the atmosphere has been like at camp? have they moved on and going on like he was never there or is there a dark cloud hanging over?

[Charlie Kohawk]

I hate to bring up the Suckow conversation again but just wondering if anyone with Coe connections has heard what the atmosphere has been like at camp? have they moved on and going on like he was never there or is there a dark cloud hanging over?

Near as I can tell, everyone has moved on (myself included, you'll be glad to know). There are no dark clouds hovering over the beautiful new fieldturf surface at Clark Field. Good luck to all the teams, including the "evil empire," as the season commences.

[Purple Heys]

I agree with Ash Park, Cornell will be winning more than just 2 this year. For what I have heard, they brought in a few freshman who will step on in, and do well...not to mention the commitment from the returners. I do hope Cornell can turn it around this year...at least start to...

New to this Board not new to the IIAC or D3.  Speaking about the Rams.  There are many reasons to be encouraged about the direction of the program

1) The Head Coach.  Regardless of anything else it starts at the top and works down.  Coach Dillon is proven winner at the HS level and a proven winner as a player at Cornell.  He knows the game and the level at which it's played in the Iowa Conference.  He is fully aware of the type of athlete required to be competitive.  He came in late last year and made a lot of progress.  Numbers were against him.  Early in the season Cornell was very competitive, only to be decimated by numbers as injuries played the role it also does in a collision sport.

2) The adminstration.  1.3 million reasons worth of facility upgrades.

3) Coaching staff.  Energetic, eager, and the kids like working with them.

4) Strength Coach.  An intense guy and again the players like working with him.  Their Spring and Summer voluntary workouts have paid off for the kids that dedicated themselves.

5) The players.  They've got some football players, not just students who play football on the side.  They bought into Coach Dillon's promise to play the best players regardless...this means that Coach Dillon's first Senior Class '09 will be an experienced group.

6) Another year with the Wing-T.  First, the offense isn't dependent on having a large O-line...which Cornell is unlikely to consistently attract.  Cornell brings in higher than average scholastic achievers.  The Wing-T thrives with smart players (Check out Air Force in D-1).  It is an offense made for a team with the limitations Cornell faces.  Many High schools run the Wing-T, making the learning curve less short.  With Cornell being the only team running it, teams only get a week to prepare for a gadget offense.

D3 isn't the place wher you bring Jucos and get that instant fix.  Cornell needs to bring in numbers if only so that starters don't have run with the Scout Teams in practice or fill the bulk of Special Teams out of necessity.  One may note that Central had its hands full for a half...not saying Cornell is ready to win against such teams,  Central was bigger and stronger, but don't be surprised when that day arrives sooner rather than later the Cornell can sustain a 4 quarter game and there goes your last free pass in the IIAC.

[Alfredeneumann]

The CR Gazette Report on Cornell's media day is available @ http://gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070816/SPORTS/70816002/1056.

Here is what could be the key to their season. "Their anticipated starting quarterback, Ryan Mills, called Dillon a few days before the opening of fall training camp and told him he was staying home and attending Arizona State instead of returning to Iowa. His replacement, Anthony Kobler, is listed as a wide receiver on the roster."

They also praised the strength + conditioning coach.

And of course they mentioned the "tougher admissions standards" to get into Cornell....

Were any of you dummy's -  ;-) recruited to by Cornell but couldn't get in because of "tougher admissions standards"? They were/are trying hard to get my 2 kids to attend Cornell w/ slightly above the state ave. scores on ACT. And only A.E.N. Jr.  might  have played a sport there.

[Walston Hoover]

I was accepted at every IIAC school but Simpson and UIU (Didn't apply either place). I may not have applied at Loras either but I don't remember.
Purple Heys-Welcome to the board. I wanted to throw something out there that as a former player and now coach catches my eye about what you said.
You mentioned the wing-t is unique and teams have a week to get ready for it. What do you think of the flip side? Cornell spends there whole camp running against the Wing and then the young guys (scout teamers) spend 10 weeks running a non wing T and having to learn a different offense. I think that could seriously hamper development and make it harder for a young kid to be able to step in and play at a place like Cornell where numbers are limited.
While I think the positives of having a different style O outweigh the negatives, I think it is still a pretty significant negative. What do you think?
Also-1.3 million$ is a small drop in the bucket compared to what Dubuque, Loras, Coe, BV, Central, Luther, and Wartburg have put into their facilities in the last 10 years.
I don't know that any one of those schools has spent less than 10, maybe 20 million of facilities upgrades.

[the_mayne_event]

there were words said on the first day of practice, which were basiclly to tell anyone on the team that didnt know he was gone.  Focus has now turned to whos there now and what they need to get done, not who isn't there

[footballdaddy]

As far as freshman class numbers, Wartburg had 88 freshmen report. Unfortunately that number has dropped to 72 as of Wednesday night.

[Walston Hoover]

Happens every year. Guys realize college football is not for them, or don't want to put in the time. I remember a couple guys leaving after the conditioning test the first night. We're talking about college football here. This isn't intermurals.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

For all the former players out there, no matter what sport it was.  How were you recruited?

Did college coaches come to you?
Did your high school coach put your name out there to college coaches?
Did you put your name out there to college coaches?
How many schools did you consider?
Did you have a favorite school before any recruiting occurred?
Did you end up at the school you preferred from the beginning? 
Did you consider going to a big state school and giving up sports before going the Div. III route?

I won several music awards my junior and seniors years as well so Luther was in the mix. I was looking for a place that I could sing in the choir and be a contributing member of the football team. By early January, Central was out of the mix because I wasn't impressed with their music program. Pole was coaching at Luther and he came to visit me all the time and I was getting calls from several people in their music department as well. I went up and sang for Luther and also for Wartburg and got hefty music schollies from both places. When the aid packages came through it was going to be cheaper to go to Luther so that was a plus for them. Well about Mid March or so I was talking with a Luther music prof and he told me football and choir might work for a year or 2, but then I was going to have to give up football. The day before I had taken a trip to Wartburg and pretty much decided I loved the place because of great music and football, and my major, communications, was the best of the 3 schools. When I visited then, I just felt like I belonged. After hearing the Luther prof, my mind was made up. Willis and Ginn had visited our home and Ginn really hit it off with my dad and I liked them both.

Did you end up sticking with music for four years?  Did your music scholarship stay the same for all four years?

[footballdaddy]

The same thing this year. Two freshman quarterbacks were gone by Monday.One even left school totally. Why leave school before it starts?

[Walston Hoover]

Yes and Yes. Got to be a part of 2 European choir tours and 1 European football trip.
Was one of only 2 people in the freshman class of '99 to make the Wartburg choir all 4 years. Both the director of the choir, Dr, Torkelson, and Coach Willis were very understanding.
Fall was for football while winter, choir took first priority. For 3 offseasons, I went to the early part of workouts (Speed and agility) at 2:30 or 3, don't remember the time, went to choir at 4:30, and then back to the late group of football workouts for lifting and conditioning and was back in my room to eat supper at 8:30 or so.
During the season, we were off on Mondays so I went to choir and was ready for Christmas with Wartburg except for the 2 years we were in the playoffs that we were playing during that time.
Both groups provided different, but very fun experiences and I wouldn't trade them for a lot of things.
I got to meet a ton of people and get to know them very well.
I wasn't unique at Wartburg either. I can think of 5 other guys (3 starters) that did the same thing during their time in school.