FB: American Rivers Conference

[DutchFan2004]

Were they both transfers??? 1 from D1 and 1 from D2???  Or was that awhile ago Simpson had transfer QB's???  I don't have much of a memory any more!!!

Oh yeah, field turf almost completly installed at Moco Mercer Stadium now... http://www.dbq.edu/ChlapatyCenter/webcams/Chlapatycamera.cfm

They were both transfers.  One from Iowa State and one from some where in Nebraska if memory serves.  Others may have a better memory but they both transferred in. 

[doolittledog]

Hey Walston, we're supposed to remind you page 1115

[Walston Hoover]

How is returning 18 starters "retooling?"

[
I beleive Loras has an excellent opprtunity to move up the food chain in the IIAC because the top teams are retooling and every season is a different season therefore Central, Wartburg and Coe will have to show me they are the best.

[New Storm]

Were they both transfers??? 1 from D1 and 1 from D2???  Or was that awhile ago Simpson had transfer QB's???  I don't have much of a memory any more!!!

Oh yeah, field turf almost completly installed at Moco Mercer Stadium now... http://www.dbq.edu/ChlapatyCenter/webcams/Chlapatycamera.cfm

They were both transfers.  One from Iowa State and one from some where in Nebraska if memory serves.  Others may have a better memory but they both transferred in. 

From Wayne State Neb where he was a starter as a freshman and starter some as a Soph then to Simpson. Did the Iowa State one ever play there?? 8) 8)

[ShowMe]

How is returning 18 starters "retooling?"

[
I beleive Loras has an excellent opprtunity to move up the food chain in the IIAC because the top teams are retooling and every season is a different season therefore Central, Wartburg and Coe will have to show me they are the best.

Well then, if you are comfortable with 18 starters returning, it's not retooling. It's time to shine.

[New Storm]

Were they both transfers??? 1 from D1 and 1 from D2???  Or was that awhile ago Simpson had transfer QB's???  I don't have much of a memory any more!!!

Oh yeah, field turf almost completly installed at Moco Mercer Stadium now... http://www.dbq.edu/ChlapatyCenter/webcams/Chlapatycamera.cfm

its looking good it makes you want to go and watch some football 8) 8) 8) 8)

[Walston Hoover]

I'm quite certain any coach at any level of football would be happy with 18 starters returning coming off an 8-2 year. Not so much coming off a 2-8 year, although it would be cause for a little optimism that things would be going the right way.

How is returning 18 starters "retooling?"

[
I beleive Loras has an excellent opprtunity to move up the food chain in the IIAC because the top teams are retooling and every season is a different season therefore Central, Wartburg and Coe will have to show me they are the best.

Well then, if you are comfortable with 18 starters returning, it's not retooling. It's time to shine.

[Walston Hoover]

Thanks Doolittle. I had to catch up on a lot of BS to get to the end.
This is the time of year where everyone is happy because no one sucks yet and supposedly everyone got better in the offseason.
There's not enough wins to go around to make all the new coaches "good hires." Most likely one or more will never have a winning season in the IIAC.
Something I have to get off my chest. Those who say the past doesn't matter are more than likely from a school that doesn't have a past to celebrate. Every place I have been, our pride has been in our tradition. WHen the kids suit up and play, or when we get ready to coach, we are trying to uphold the standards that have been set by those that went before us. That is why the past matters. When Central scores on their first possession against Cornell (sorry to pick on you Rams), don't think the first thought from the Dutch will be "here we go again," Likewise, don't think the first thought from the Rams will be "here we go again."
Central is still Central, and they are still the champs. Don't try and discredit 40 or more years of history by saying that doesn't matter. Its no accident that they win all their close games over the last 3 years. The mindset has been developed. Best of luck to the rest of the conference changing that, but guys, it ain't happening. I'm not saying the Dutch will be the champs for sure, but you won't see them out of the top 3.
Only one team, ONE team can say that they've been playing for a conference championship in week 10 ever year since 1998. That team is Wartburg. Programs are what are going on in Waverly and Central, and as much as it pains me to say it, Coe. Whether that program will continue or not with Staker, the jury is out on that. Brautigham has done an excellent job at UD pulling that program out of the toilet. They may dip to .500 in a given year, but I don't ever see them falling below that. Right now, those are the 4 programs in the conference. Everyone else can talk all they want, but as long as McMartin, Koehler, and Brautigham are around, it is going to be a race for 4th place in the IIAC on a consistent basis. I'm not saying another team can't sneak in there every once in a while, but year in and year out, those are going to be your teams.
So here's to every year, Wartburg and Central battling it out for the conf championship, and UD and Coe playing spoiler. Good luck to everyone else at being that surprise team that finishes over .500 in the conf.
There's 36 IIAC wins to be had each year, and Central, Wartburg, UD, and Coe are going to take 26 of them. That leaves 10 wins to spread amongst the other 5.
Fire away with the negative remarks, but don't discount and take away from the programs that win year in and year out by saying that the past means nothing.

[doolittledog]

Well, yes and no Walston.

What you say is true to a point.  PH touched on it that Cornell has to get used to winning and not let the thought of losing during a game take over their head.  And I know that a winning tradition has brought Central and Wartburg through in some tight games recently. 

But, I am sure Brautigam and other coaches have preached to players that last year means nothing...it's what you do on the field this year that matters.  If players hadn't bought into that I don't think you would have seen the results out of the Spartans the last two years that you have.  Sure, talent has improved at Dubuque but they finally bought into the fact that they weren't a sure loss to Wartburg or Central. 

Now, again though, now that the Spartans are winning, and they have new facilities and what not, what you are saying about a winning tradition getting teams wins I am sure to a degree will help Dubuque get a few wins that in the past they wouldn't have got.  That said, this time of year all teams should be optimistic and not just throw in the towel and the mighty mighty behemoths that are Wartburg and Central.  And they won't.  Remember, out of Wartburgs 10 conference titles 6 have come in the last 15 years or so.  Before that it was 4 titles in about 50 years for the Knights.  The Knights bought into becoming a good team and are one now.  That hasn't always been the case.  Other teams will take their turns...maybe even Cornell!!!

[Thunderbolt]

 Geez, it's probably a bad time to poke Walston with a stick, but, I'll take that bet.
I don't think its ever happened in the history of the IIAC that those four teams have won 26 games, and this year won't be the first.

[Ash Park]

Well said by both doolittle and walston. You both make some good points. +k for the both of you

[dutchfan1]

Funny thing is, I could see McMartin AND Dillon saying the same thing to their players. 

"You guys think you're good???  Prove it to me!!!" 

I think every coach that I have ever heard speak says something along the lines of "last year doesn't mean anything, we have to go out on the field and prove it every week" 

Well said, WH. Tradition matters, doolittle. I'm sure that Central and Wartburg don't go into the season with the "we are the best" mentality. I can tell you that everyone in Pella and Waverly is aware of their tradition, and what they are carrying on. If you question that, walk through the halls of our fieldhouse -- it's an open display of our "tradition of excellence."

If you're ever there, stop by and check out the Walnut and Bronze. It's pretty nice. 

[Thunderbolt]

 Last year, the team that finished dead last in pass defense, 6th in run defense and 6th in total defense, went undefeated. If you live to be 100, you will never see that again. And yes, tradition played a big part of that, coaching plays a big part of that. Hell, call it luck, voo-doo or what ever you want, undefeated is undefeated. At some point in the game, all that goes out the window, and it's just the men on the field. A couple years from now, we might just call it the 2007 Central football team.

[5 Words or Less]

Last year, the team that finished dead last in pass defense, 6th in run defense and 6th in total defense, went undefeated. If you live to be 100, you will never see that again. And yes, tradition played a big part of that, coaching plays a big part of that. Hell, call it luck, voo-doo or what ever you want, undefeated is undefeated. At some point in the game, all that goes out the window, and it's just the men on the field. A couple years from now, we might just call it the 2007 Central football team.

Ball control + field position = Central football

[Walston Hoover]

Ah crap,
I had a really long post typed up with my theory Doolittle. I will do some research during the commercials on Monk and Psych tonight to see if I can back it up. If not, I will still let you know what it is.
Also, Wartburg wasn't all bad until the last 15 years, there was a lot of times in the top third or so of the conference. Just couldn't crack through and win a title with Williams and Schipper around. A lot easier taking that step than building from scratch.

I also had the wins that Wartburg, Central, and Coe have accounted for since 2001. Well over half of the conferences wins to 3 schools. Throw UD in the mixture the last 2 years and those 4 have accounted for 24 and 25 wins the last 2 years, so you were right, not quite 26. Still doesn't leave a whole lot to go around for the rest