FB: American Southwest Conference

cruprez · February 02, 2006, 06:06:30 PM

WEll, the famous UIL committee, again, has manage to make people mad! Our new district is again compromised of 8 teams...we have an enrollment of 198 and all the other teams are 300+.....ugh

BTW---I thought technically, D-III players "do not sign" persay....

Ron Boerger · February 02, 2006, 06:59:34 PM

UMHB OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR RETIRES; TWO COACHES PROMOTED

Belton, TX – University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football offensive coordinator George Haffner is retiring, effective February 1st, Crusader head coach Pete Fredenburg announced today. Haffner's retirement caps a 40-year coaching career that saw him spend 31 years in Division I and advance to the Division III National Championship game with the Crusaders. Haffner spent seven seasons as the offensive coordinator for UMHB and the team broke school offensive records in every season during his tenure. The Crusader offense has been ranked in the top 20 in the nation in rushing offense and scoring offense in each of the past three seasons. Haffner helped guide the UMHB football team to three American Southwest Conference championships, four NCAA Division III National Championship berths and a national runner-up finish in 2004.

"It is a great time to step aside and spend some time with my family, especially my wife, while I feel good," Coach Haffner said. "I'm going to enjoy the chance to step back and just be a fan for a while. I will cherish my years at UMHB and it has been a great feeling to have the opportunity to work with Pete Fredenburg to develop a program. Everyone on campus, from the President, to the athletic department, to the student body was so excited about the success we were able to have in the program. I worked with some great players and coaches and I know that they will continue to be successful in that program and I look forward to the chance to be a fan and enjoy the success that is still ahead."

"We are really going to miss George because he gave us so much knowledge and experience," Crusader head coach Pete Fredenburg said. "The great thing about George was that he really put his ego aside and didn't care about what kind of numbers the offense put up, he wanted to do what we needed to do to win football games."

The Crusader offense produced ten All-Americans, a Gagliradi Trophy finalist and a Rimington Trophy winner during Haffner's tenure in Belton. The Crusaders fashioned a 57-11 regular season record in his seven seasons and UMHB went 62-15 overall during his time with the Crusaders. Haffner also spent 22 years as an offensive coordinator in Division I, working with coaching legends Bobby Bowden, Johnny Majors and Vince Dooley. He coached a pair of Heisman Trophy winners in Tony Dorsett and Herschel Walker. Haffner was also part of a national championship, three conference champions and 11 bowl games while serving as the offensive coordinator at the University of Georgia. He made collegiate coaching stops at Florida State University, the University of Pittsburgh, Iowa State University, Louisiana State University and Texas A&M University. Coach Haffner is a graduate of McNeese State University and he also played two years of football at the University of Notre Dame. Haffner played professionally for the Baltimore Colts and the Norfolk Neptunes of the Continental Football League before starting his coaching career. Coach Haffner and his wife Norberta have two children.

To fill the void left by Haffner's retirement, the Crusaders are promoting two offensive assistant coaches. Receivers coach Matt Robinson will take over the reins as the Crusaders offensive coordinator and running backs coach Jeff Shinn will be elevated to full-time assistant coach.

"Matt has a great knowledge of our offense and how to move the football," Fredenburg said. "He has been a big part of our game-planning and play calling the past few years and part of that is a credit to George Haffner and the way he has worked with Matt, so I think Matt will do a great job as offensive coordinator. Jeff Shinn has been here since the beginning of the program and I really credit him with kind of holding everybody together during the first couple of years when we weren't so successful. He has done a great job on the field and he has an infectious personality and enthusiasm that I think will really serve him well in recruiting and working with our game plans from here on out."

Robinson will be entering his seventh season with the Crusaders next year. Robinson has helped develop five All-Conference receivers during his tenure and also spent three seasons as head coach of the UMHB junior varsity program. He spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Northwest Missouri State University and also served one year as an assistant coach at Southern Arkansas. Robinson also spent one year coaching at Wimberley High School prior to joining the Crusaders coaching staff. He is a 1996 graduate of Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where he played quarterback for the Savages. Robinson and his wife, Michelle, have a son, Will Freedom.

Shinn moves to full-time assistant coach after spending the past four seasons as a student and graduate assistant coach for the Crusaders. He has developed four All-Conference running backs during his tenure with the Crusaders. Shinn also helped guide a UMHB running game that ranked 10th in the country in rushing yardage this past season. Shinn is a 2003 graduate of UMHB and he earned his Master's Degree from UMHB in December. He spent four seasons as the starting fullback for the Crusaders and finished his career as UMHB's second leading career rusher. He also scored the first touchdown in the history of the Crusader football program.

cruprez · February 02, 2006, 09:27:13 PM

I have the pleasure of knowing Coach Haffner and he was one of the motivating factors which influenced my son to attend UMHB and play football for them. He is a great coach and more important, a great Godly Man...he along with the others coaches have a been a great influence on my son. I am excited for him and his family. I also am pleased with the two choices Coach Pete made in replacing him. They, too, are quality individuals and will continue to be great leaders and provide the program with strong leadership.

Congrats to all and God Bless George and his family....

the Jarrell Cru.....

cruprez · February 02, 2006, 09:28:23 PM

Hey roocru....how do you fare with the UIL alignment? Hopefully better than Jarrell.....

Zmotion10 out on 2 · February 03, 2006, 12:56:29 PM

the 3A realignment is terrible. Especially in region I Several 4 team districts. District 2 doesn't even play football??? Bad bad bad!

Ralph Turner · February 03, 2006, 01:04:29 PM

zmotion, how would you realign Region 1 Class AAA?

roocru · February 03, 2006, 07:52:13 PM

cruprez,

It came out close to what I expected ! I had guessed the 5A cutoff at 1980 and it turned out to be 1985. I now have two schools in 4A and three in 5A. Both ended up in districts I think they can compete in but my 4A schools will have to travel a little more than I hoped. It will take some slight modifications in my travel budgets but I don't think I will have to ask for any increase for that area. Rob a little Peter to pay Paul.

The area which did not give us any any relief was the district numbers we were placed in. My 5A's that make the playoffs will still have to go through the tough San Antonio area schools. The Laredo schools are the ones that came out smelling like roses! They allowed them to petition up which means five schools in that nine team district are really 4A sized and they put them in District 29-5A so they can go through the playoffs in the somewhat weaker Rio Grand valley schools. We had hoped we might get that 29-5A district number.

Oh well, we will just have to continue to improve and play the hand we were dealt.

Zmotion10 out on 2 · February 03, 2006, 10:30:01 PM

Quote from: Ralph Turner on February 03, 2006, 01:04:29 PM
zmotion, how would you realign Region 1 Class AAA?

Let me look at my printout (from the UIL) and then I'll see what I can come up with and will post it here. Not that it matters but just for fun.

Ralph Turner · February 03, 2006, 11:02:55 PM

What I am seeing from the Dallas area coaches is that they are happy to be back in Region 2 (districts 9-16) for the sake of their travel budgets.

Thanks, zmotion.

cruprez · February 04, 2006, 06:58:59 PM

roocru
Sounds like you have adjusted already to what the UIL Gods have given you. Our concern at Jarrell is not on Friday night but Thursdays...we will suit up maybe 17-19 boys at the 7th grade level and the same number at the 8th grade level (our 7th and 8th grade classes are small right now)....while the other teams will suit up 50-60....we will have to deal with that the best we can and continue to build their confidence as well....We have always been competitive on Fridays and our boys basketball is ranked 3rd right now in 2-A...we can compete at the high school level ok...but it would have been nice to be 1-A...but oh well, the shock is over and now we go to work!

catch you later....

Bill McCabe · February 05, 2006, 08:37:43 AM

Anybody heard how the recruiting weekends are going for the ASC teams?

Zmotion10 out on 2 · February 06, 2006, 12:41:22 AM

Quote from: Ralph Turner on February 03, 2006, 01:04:29 PM
zmotion, how would you realign Region 1 Class AAA?

One thing I would do is move Glen Rose, Kennedale, Venus, Pilot Point, Lake Worth, FW Castleberry and FW Dimond Hill Jarvis into Region I. (Most of these teams were region I last alignment) With that Region 1 would then have 42 teams to split into 8 districts. I would eliminate the 4 team districts and most of the districts would be 5 teams with several 6 team districts. Under the UIL's new plan Region I only has 35 schools and only 7 districts that play football. Having seven districts is uneven and causes problems with a first round bye for district 1 which is not fair. Region 2 has 49 schools in the new plan so I would take 7 of those and move them to Region I which would help balance out the regions. Furthermore, those schools are all west metroplex schools save Pilot Point and I would put them in the district with Decatur and Sanger like they are currently. Of course I would move Bowie up to District 6 and Graham would go west with Breckenridge to district 7.

There is a problem with West Texas schools being so far apart and travel distances would be a problem but that is the nature of West Texas...it is big. Anyway that is what I would have done.

Ron Boerger · February 06, 2006, 07:17:38 PM

While we are waiting for some real football news ...

Pat is taking a poll over at

http://www.d3sports.com/post/index.php?topic=4275.0

regarding other sports that should have chat boards. The leading contender at this point is Lacrosse, a sport that's hardly played in most parts of the country and not at all around here.

If you, like me, think we should have the opportunity to discuss sports that actually cover the entire country, go over and vote for your choice. I don't care what you vote for, you can even vote for lacrosse if it floats your boat. I

Bill McCabe · February 10, 2006, 01:31:09 PM

Ron, We are in that aweful season of the year, OFF SEASON!

Ralph Turner · February 10, 2006, 02:19:19 PM

Quote from: Bill McCabe on February 10, 2006, 01:31:09 PM
Ron, We are in that aweful season of the year, OFF SEASON!

You bet it is "awe-full" time of the year for McMurry.

The Men are in 2nd place in Hoops.

The Women were #1 in the South this week.

The Indoor Track teams have national qualifiers.

The Swimmers have had a good season.

Baseball is coming and we are picked 2nd.

Golf is coming and maybe we can upset the UMHB women this year!

And, we just dedicated 3 new Tennis Courts last fall!