FB: American Southwest Conference

Bill McCabe · December 30, 2008, 07:39:45 AM

I agree with Ralph and Ron. UTSA adding football won't hurt any of the D3 programs. However, I think Incarnate Word might take a few players that would have played at D3. I don't think it will have a real adverse impact on any of these programs.

crufootball · December 30, 2008, 11:04:39 AM

I would think it might hurt TLU, they do not have as high of standards as Trinity and that will be one more team that they have to recruit against. Even if UTSA and TLU do not go after the same players that is one more school for SA kids to think about going to and possibly walking on.

Also I was wondering how many recently added football programs have had success on the field in Division I ?

Ron Boerger · December 30, 2008, 11:36:55 AM

Actually UTSA's admissions profile is closer to UMHB than to TLU - courtesy of colleges.com:

TLU
50th percentile for the SAT scores: 950 - 1160
50th percentile for the ACT scores: 19 - 25

UMHB
50th percentile for the SAT scores: 910 - 940
50th percentile for the ACT scores: 18 - 24

UTSA
50th percentile for the SAT scores: 890 - 1070
50th percentile for the ACT scores: 18 - 22

looking at this years' roster, TLU gets about as many footballers from the Houston area as the SA area. Still don't see this as being a big impact to anyone in the state. Bill's idea about Incarnate Word having a slight impact, I think, is spot on, because they're going after the small school student-athlete just like the D3 schools are. Partial athletic scholarships plus a nice new (if smallish) football facility will be a draw.

CruGuy · December 30, 2008, 07:28:17 PM

I didn't mean to imply that UTSA would be directly taking away players that would otherwise end up at UMHB, Trinity, or TLU...but I think to some extent there is a trickle down effect that removes some of the more talented players at the D-3 level. My thought process was that this would hurt UMHB more than anyone else. UMHB has succeeded by always having a few players who probably should be playing D-2. For whatever reasons, the coaches were able to convince them to come to UMHB instead of Tarleton, ACU, Midwestern State, or Angelo State. With another D-1 school taking some of their recruits, the D-II schools would be scraping their own barrels drier.

I think a prime example of a player that falls into this category is Quincy Daniels. He plays at UMHB because he is 5-9 and played on an absolutely awful Belton High School team his junior and senior year. With another full time, well paid recruiting staff in south Texas, he may not get overlooked by the lower D-1 school, and Tarleton certainly would have been more ambitious in recruiting him than they were. I think that as UTSA steals players from Southwest Texas, Sam Houston, SFA, and others there is more competition for the same amount of talent, especially in San Antonio and Central Texas, and to some extent in Houston. These areas have provided valuable talent for the Crusader roster.

All that said I also agree with Ralph that there is still plenty of D-III talent in Texas that never sees the feild. The way that HPU, McMurry, and ETBU can help themselves the fastest is by making sure that their players learn a genuine love for their school, and the ability to coach. That kind of impact will surely help all of our schools and the conference moving forward in the next decade.

Ralph Turner · December 30, 2008, 07:47:40 PM

Crukid, thanks for the response.

I think that UMHB's intangibles are what is keeping the talent that you have there.

There is something to be said for winning...

"Winning cures cancer"!

I will be more concerned when Coach Fred is not there. (But look how long SJU's Coach Gagliardi has been coaching.) I think that Coach Fred can coach as long as he wants. I think that Coach Keeling will.

Happy 2009 and may all of the schools in the ASC get another shot at you!

CruGuy · December 30, 2008, 08:23:21 PM

Quote from: Ralph Turner on December 30, 2008, 07:47:40 PM
Crukid, thanks for the response.

I think that UMHB's intangibles are what is keeping the talent that you have there.

By intangibles I'll assume that you're conceding the fact that our females look better than everyone else's

Like I said, I'd be real interested to see a study on how this affects the dynamics of recruiting in Texas.

I'm just now sure how long Coach Fred's knees will hold up, he might be pulling a Joe Pa and heading to the booth pretty soon.

On a serious note, even if he did leave, the smart move would be to promote Shinn or one of the coaches on the inside who have been around a long time, I think this would create the necessary continuity to leave the program healthy (hopefully similar to the way in which Whitewater transitioned head coaches).

crufootball · December 30, 2008, 08:57:32 PM

Well I guess UMHB got a little revenge today since the basketball team beat #6 ranked UW-W in the Cru Holiday Classic. One of the Cru players plays both football and basketball, Ervin Johnson, he just started playing in the Classic and played a hand full of minutes against the Warhawks.

cover2 · January 08, 2009, 12:19:39 AM

I just thought it'd be cool to have the first post of the year!!

HSWho2007 · January 09, 2009, 04:44:40 PM

Off season workouts and recruiting are about to get fired up. Hopefully we will get updates on how the teams are improving. I know the Cru will be recruiting hard even though they got started a month after the rest of the schools.

Ralph Turner · January 09, 2009, 07:38:19 PM

Quote from: HSWho2007 on January 09, 2009, 04:44:40 PM
... even though they [the Cru] got started a month after the rest of the schools.

Let's circulate a petition...

Whereas UMHB was delayed in its recruiting activities by conference obligations in the sport of football...

Whereas UMHB's post-season travel schedule precluded researching some high school post-season activity and football games...

Whereas this obligation to the ASC may have interfered in identifying certain student-athletes whom UMHB deems acceptable to matriculate at their university...

We the undersigned petition the American Southwest Conference to release UMHB of any post-season obligations to represent said conference after the conclusion of the regular football season in fall 2009.

Bill McCabe · January 10, 2009, 11:31:07 AM

Ralph, that was funny.

HSWho2007, I think UMHB didn't stop recruiting because they were in the playoffs.

D O.C. · January 19, 2009, 10:32:46 PM

Would like to again post an early 2009 thanks to HSU for scheduling the Northwest Conference teams.

AustinLobo · January 20, 2009, 10:32:33 AM

Sul Ross RB Jermaine Swearington was murdered Sunday morning.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3845484

Ron Boerger · January 20, 2009, 10:35:58 AM

Condolences to the young man's family and everyone in the greater Sul Ross community.

crufootball · January 20, 2009, 11:37:41 AM

That is a very sad story for a student that looked like he could do some good things for SRS.

I also wanted to mention that I just got finished reading a book on Mike Flynt from Sul Ross State. It is a good read with a lot of mentions of the other ASC members.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Senior/Mike-Flynt/e/9780849920639