FB: American Rivers Conference

[warthog]

He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him.  She was pregnant and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby.  She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger since there was no room for them to stay in the inn.

(to be continued)

[doolittledog]

Ok, conference questions...since I don't really feel like doing anymore work today...

What will be the conference standings for next season?

Who will Luther hire for their new coach?

Who is your schools rival and why is your school better than them?

Any schools have a coach on the hot seat?

Which teams improve next year?

Which teams take a step back next year?

Which teams stay right where they were next year?

OK, with not much thought and absolutely no idea about which teams lose a lot of seniors and things like that.

2008 standings
1. Wartburg
1A. Central...just because I think it's hard to 3 peat and Wartburg is closer to where we live
3. Coe...Coaching staff stability and a talented team...just a half notch below the top 2
4-7...anybody's guess
4. BV...their coach is settling in now...they got good wins last year against Bethel and UD...they need to bring in more numbers in their recruiting classes
5. UD...lose a bunch of talented seniors...but the coaching staff has been there awhile and the returning class is used to the system and they have some talent
6. Luther...new coach so we really don't know...I put them ahead of Simpson simply because they beat the Storm last year
7. Simpson...new coach will bring some questions in Indianola...could be a top tier team but I want to see it before I put them any higher
8. Loras...I think will need a few years to turn things around at the Rock Bowl
9.  Cornell...the Rams are improving...but so is the whole conference...the Rams will get some more wins this coming year but I think they have 1 more year to sit at the bottom of the standings...look out for the Rams in little Purple Heys senior year though

Dubuque was my school and our rival is Loras.  Cross town rivals...not really cross town, more like 5 blocks.  Loras is a catholic school in a VERY catholic town.  Makes Spartan backers a small, tight knit group!!!

Coaches on the hot seat...any coach that loses 2 straight years to UD!!!

As far as schools improving, sliding down hill or staying the same.  I don't see any schools making huge jumps either way.  I think Dubuque will slide a bit from the last 2 years but I don't see them returning to their old 2-8 ways.  

[Dutchster]

My final choices were Central, Cornell, Coe, and Truman State (not IIAC obviously).  Wouldn't trade my experience at Central, but I think most people say that about their respective schools.  I really liked the coaches and players at Cornell.  The coach that I talked to from there the most was named Casebolt I think.  Heck of a nice guy...any Cornell people know if he is still in coaching?

[warthog]

OK, keep this information close at hand so you can remind me next fall how badly I predicted the 2008 season.  

Answers to doolittledog's questions:
1) Conference standings: Wartburg-Central-Luther-Simpson-Coe-Dubuque-Loras-Buena Vista-Cornell
2) Luther coach: Somebody off the Wisc. Whitewater staff
3) Biggest rival: Luther, because tradition dictates that is the way it is.  Any further explanation would probably be politically incorrect.
4) Hot seat-Nobody.  Some would be at D1.
5-6-7) Who gets better, worse, etc: Actually things stay about the same.  No team will have a regular season record that is plus or minus more than 2 regular season games.

[warthog]

To answer another question, this one from the_wing_t.

Second choice IIAC school:  Unlike many of my high school classmates who chose between Wartburg and Luther, my second choice would have been either Dubuque or Upper Iowa.  Both schools had family members who had been graduates, so I was familiar with both.  Upper Iowa was just over a couple hills a few miles from home.  I had grown up getting to go to Peacock games.  As far as I was concerned the Peacocks were big time.  We would occasionally go to Dubuque for such things as homecoming and I would get my annual Spartan t-shirt from the bookstore. Over the years my mother worked to get several of her students to attend Dubuque.  In those days it was a harder sell.  UIU was close to our high school and all those Lutheran kids would give Luther or Wartburg a look.  Faith and college selection were a bigger deal in the 70's than it is today.  If it had come right down to choosing between the two, I probably would have chosen Dubuque since UIU was too close.

[fballfrenzy3]

OK, keep this information close at hand so you can remind me next fall how badly I predicted the 2008 season.  

Answers to doolittledog's questions:
1) Conference standings: Wartburg-Central-Luther-Simpson-Coe-Dubuque-Loras-Buena Vista-Cornell
2) Luther coach: Somebody off the Wisc. Whitewater staff
3) Biggest rival: Luther, because tradition dictates that is the way it is.  Any further explanation would probably be politically incorrect.
4) Hot seat-Nobody.  Some would be at D1.
5-6-7) Who gets better, worse, etc: Actually things stay about the same.  No team will have a regular season record that is plus or minus more than 2 regular season games.

I have a hard time seeing Luther jump up to third in the conference standings especially after losing such a powerful and dominating back in Sherden. Also, with all the returning players at Coe, I see them putting in a good fight for the top three along with Central and Wartburg like past years.

Also, who are the returning studs on teams for next year and guys who will step in to make some positive impacts, especially some younger guys. With alot of talented seniors graduating, I think there may be a few players who completely surprise alot of people.

[Ash Park]

My final choices were Central, Cornell, Coe, and Truman State (not IIAC obviously).  Wouldn't trade my experience at Central, but I think most people say that about their respective schools.  I really liked the coaches and players at Cornell.  The coach that I talked to from there the most was named Casebolt I think.  Heck of a nice guy...any Cornell people know if he is still in coaching?

Yes he is Coaching at Iowa City High I believe. I know he was also helping out at Velocity in Cedar Rapids for awhile too. Not sure if he is teaching or not at City High. He was one hell of a coach. I was sad to see him leave because he was such a good recruiter and had a great offensive mind. He was the offensive coordinator in 2002 and 2003, not sure about 2001 but I want to say he was. All three of those years Cornell had a pretty good offense.

[DutchFan2004]

Ok, conference questions...since I don't really feel like doing anymore work today...

What will be the conference standings for next season?

Who will Luther hire for their new coach?

Who is your schools rival and why is your school better than them?

Any schools have a coach on the hot seat?

Which teams improve next year?

Which teams take a step back next year?

Which teams stay right where they were next year?

OK, with not much thought and absolutely no idea about which teams lose a lot of seniors and things like that.

2008 standings
1. Wartburg
1A. Central...just because I think it's hard to 3 peat and Wartburg is closer to where we live
3. Coe...Coaching staff stability and a talented team...just a half notch below the top 2
4-7...anybody's guess
4. BV...their coach is settling in now...they got good wins last year against Bethel and UD...they need to bring in more numbers in their recruiting classes
5. UD...lose a bunch of talented seniors...but the coaching staff has been there awhile and the returning class is used to the system and they have some talent
6. Luther...new coach so we really don't know...I put them ahead of Simpson simply because they beat the Storm last year
7. Simpson...new coach will bring some questions in Indianola...could be a top tier team but I want to see it before I put them any higher
8. Loras...I think will need a few years to turn things around at the Rock Bowl
9.  Cornell...the Rams are improving...but so is the whole conference...the Rams will get some more wins this coming year but I think they have 1 more year to sit at the bottom of the standings...look out for the Rams in little Purple Heys senior year though

Dubuque was my school and our rival is Loras.  Cross town rivals...not really cross town, more like 5 blocks.  Loras is a catholic school in a VERY catholic town.  Makes Spartan backers a small, tight knit group!!!

Coaches on the hot seat...any coach that loses 2 straight years to UD!!!

As far as schools improving, sliding down hill or staying the same.  I don't see any schools making huge jumps either way.  I think Dubuque will slide a bit from the last 2 years but I don't see them returning to their old 2-8 ways.  

Not to nit pick Doolittle but you mean four peat dont you. 

[DutchFan2004]

OK, keep this information close at hand so you can remind me next fall how badly I predicted the 2008 season.  

Answers to doolittledog's questions:
1) Conference standings: Wartburg-Central-Luther-Simpson-Coe-Dubuque-Loras-Buena Vista-Cornell
2) Luther coach: Somebody off the Wisc. Whitewater staff
3) Biggest rival: Luther, because tradition dictates that is the way it is.  Any further explanation would probably be politically incorrect.
4) Hot seat-Nobody.  Some would be at D1.
5-6-7) Who gets better, worse, etc: Actually things stay about the same.  No team will have a regular season record that is plus or minus more than 2 regular season games.

I could see UD losing 3 more than this year with where everyone is picking them. Then again they could be better than that depending on how they fill their losses. 

[doolittledog]

Not to nit pick Doolittle but you mean four peat dont you. 
[/quote]

Ok, you got me.  Four peat...or should it be quad peat???

How about this, just tell me there aren't any more little Connells out there ready to play at Central so Spartan Nation can rest a little easier at night.  Still having nightmares of 4th down completions sending the game into OT...the horror...the horror!!! 

[TheOne89.1]

Can anyone tell me why the burg take their Roster off the web so soon and does any of the other schools do that. 

Coach Willis always told us it is taken off right after the season is over and the final team meeting is done because this year is over with.  Time to look to next year.  There will be a banquet where the seniors and other players can be honored...but once the returners get back from break it's time for workouts and preparing to try and take back the IIAC title.

[TheOne89.1]

Which IIAC school would have been your 2nd choice to attend, if you couldn't have went to the one you did?  Why was it your 2nd choice, and what was the factor that made you go where you did? 

I applied to Wartburg, BV, and Mankato State (?!? application fees were waived I think).  I visited Wartburg, BV and Waldorf for Iowa Private college week.  I really liked BV's campus and the radio station was pretty cool.  Wanting to get into Mass Communications I really narrowed it down to Wartburg and BV.  I didn't even know Waldorf had a football team, couldn't tell by the size of the school.  The town seemed way too small...even for a small town (pop. 700) like me.  Luther's coaches tried to recruit me as well, but growing up 20 miles away I didn't want to be so close to home.  I guess if I hadn't chosen Wartburg I would probably have gone to BV.  The academics for me personally is what attracted me to Wartburg.  Top of the line tv and radio stations with plenty of hands on experience.  I also had a few visits with Coach Mitchell and really liked the Knights football team overall.

[Charlie Kohawk]

Can anyone tell me why the burg take their Roster off the web so soon and does any of the other schools do that. 

Coach Willis always told us it is taken off right after the season is over and the final team meeting is done because this year is over with.  Time to look to next year.  There will be a banquet where the seniors and other players can be honored...but once the returners get back from break it's time for workouts and preparing to try and take back the IIAC title.

I just puked in my mouth a little while reading that. Don't tell me you actually fell for that garbage. Wartburg's roster removal is nothing but a recruiting ploy. You can't maintain a roster of 150 without it.

[DBQ1965]

Actually ... UD was my "second" choice.  I spent one year at Wheaton (turned out not to be a good year at all) and when I wasn't invited back ... a set of fortuitous circumstances led me to UD.  For a kid who grew up in California, UD turned out to be a really fine match ... and 42 years after graduating ... I still feel great affection for the school ... and send them $$$ every year.

As far as next season's IIAC is concerned ... I figure its a safe bet to pick Central and Wartburg to battle it out ... but I don't get to see enough IIAC action to guess as the other placings.  With the Spartan losses to graduation and hold-over talent ... we will find out how good Brautigam and company can really coach.  As Doolittledog said, Loras is our big rival.

By rough reckoning, there are 268 days until IIAC teams kick-off the '08 season!

[Alfredeneumann]

THE 1
I thought it was the wonderful work study opportunity and to follow others from your HS that sealed the deal. javascript:replaceText(' ', document.forms.postmodify.message);

I really think Luther will take a someone with college experience and not someone from a HS program.