FB: American Southwest Conference

[Kelly Boggs]

Congrats to UMHB for an undefeated regular season & the ASC championship.

[CruAlum58]

Congrats to Quincy Daniels for breaking the ASC all-time rushing mark.

[hsuASChamps]

Congrats to LC for your hard fought win over Hardin-Simmons this afternoon.  You guys played an amazing game. With that said I would like to shed some light on a few things which might not be known to many others....

I would like to start with a quote from LC head coach Dennis Dunn. "The best team in the conference is not the conference champion. I think Louisiana College is the best team in the conference and one of the best in the nation."

It has to be great to feel your team is of conference champion caliber without the title and one of the top teams in the nation. It must be shameful, discouraging, and flat out sickening to know you ultimately lack in sportsmanship and class. To have a championship team, but not backed by any degree of reputable character or integrity is a shame. You should be ashamed to act such fools.

1. Halftime- Hardin Simmons were not allowed access to field house or locker room. The ENTIRE team and COACHING STAFF were made  to stand in the pouring rain on the tennis courts. Players needing to use the restroom had to do so behind trashcans. As  LC came out, Hardin Simmons coaches and players were ridiculed for having to stand outside in the rain. Great sportsmanship LC!!!

2. Louisiana College were repeatedly given dry, fresh footballs during the game. When HSU asked refs why they couldn't get dry footballs as well, they said,"They are coming from Louisiana College's side of the field."

That is about as low as it gets. IMHO, if you look up bull@#*! in the dictionary you will find Louisiana College affiliated somewhere.

LC DID play a great game and is equipped with some incredible athletes.  I feel the win would have been much more distinguished with better representation. You can be world class, but if you don't carry yourself as world class competitors, then it doesn't really matter how good you are.  Good luck to Louisiana College in the playoffs. You guys truly deserve it!! You played well and have proven yourself to be top notch contenders. I would love to see BMHU marked off the list next.

[Toby Taff]

Good luck to Louisiana College in the playoffs. You guys truly deserve it!! You played well and have proven yourself to be top notch contenders. I would love to see BMHU marked off the list next.

Well, since LC won't get a sniff of the playoffs this year , they certainly won't be knocking UMHB out.  The comment about UMHb not being the best is interesting though.  didn't LC lose to UMHB in Louisiana?

[hsuASChamps]

That is true. I stand corrected. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. 

[Kelly Boggs]

hsuASChamps,

Let me try to address your charges/complaints:

* Concerning the Dunn quote: I have not read it or heard it anywhere but here from you. If he did say it immediately after the game, I am sure it is tainted somewhat by emotion. Many LC fans believe the Cats should have beaten UMHB. Hence, they conclude LC is the best in the ASC. I look at it a bit differently. LC could have beaten UMHB, but they didn't.  Very few fans, and perhaps even coaches, are objective when it comes to their teams. UMHB is king of the ASC mountain in 2010.

* Concerning the facilities situation: One of the negatives with the fact LC is building its "stadium" in stages is a lack of adequate halftime facilities - well, to be honest, facilities period. LC's dressing room is on the other side of campus. LC does not go inside during halftime either. The Cats go to an area between some dorms. It is out of sight of the field. There is a commons area where they use the restroom, but only a fraction of the team will fit at any given time.

It is not good that the teams are in the elements (heat, cold or rain), but both teams were/are in the same situation. Yes, HSU was on the tennis courts on the visitors side of the field. However, there are a couple of port-a-potties situated right by the courts. No, not many, but they are there. I know, I used one of them today.

I used my press pass and was in the end zone when HSU and LC came back on the field for the second half. They both entered on the same end of the field. I am not sure what ridiculing you are talking about. It was not from players or coaches, because they have the same halftime situation. I stood by both teams - before using the port-a-potty, after HSU had left the area. LC just came out and warmed up. I heard nothing said. If it was some ignorant fan/s doing the ridiculing, well they are just foolish. Every team has it's share of ignorant fans. In fact, for anyone associated with LC to ridicule the situation would be poking themselves in the eye, since both teams have the same situation and it would be pointing out LC's lack of proper facilities.

No one associated with the LC football program is happy with the unfinished state of the football facilities. It affects both teams. Hopefully it will be rectified in the near future. If LC was still playing at the high school field, the dressing situation would be no better. The visitors at the high school dress about a mile a way - figuratively speaking. At the high school visitors would still be in the elements.

* Concerning the football situation: It is my understanding that each team is responsible for the condition of the balls being used on the field. I walked down the HSU sideline during a portion of the 3rd quarter. HSU ball boys had towels and where shuttling balls to the refs. That said, there was no way either team was handling dry balls in today's game.

* Concerning your comment about the playoffs: Playoffs? Playoffs? What playoffs? LC will not be in the playoffs. A 7-3 record with two DIII losses will not get the Cats into the playoffs. Only the most partisan of fans believes LC will be in the playoffs.

It was a great football game played in Pineville today. The game could have gone either way. As I stated previously, it was a shame either team had to lose.  

I have to add that the Cowboys are a great program. They battled to the very end. Justin Feaster is a warrior. He took some pretty wicked shots in the 4th quarter and kept battling. He was limping badly when he threw the final TD and was clearly not moving well on the drive that set up the field goal try. I have nothing but respect for Feaster and the HSU program.

 

[Toby Taff]

Kelly, you have a press pass?  Does the Louisiana Baptist paper have a sports column? 

As far as the comments about UMHB not being the best, there certainly have been times in the season I thought that was right, but in the end, the Cru won every game including  the one in Pineville.  Coach really should give credit where it's due or just not say anything and stack the pads.

[Kelly Boggs]

Toby,

We do on occasion write something about an LC sports program. Sometimes a feature about an individual or some aspect of ministry one of the programs performs. I don't abuse the privilege, but I used it today primarily gain access to the port-a-potties behind the HSU sideline. After the team left, I figured there would be no lines.  

I will reiterate, there is much lacking with the LC football facilities right now. I hope much of it will be corrected before next season. That said, the field situation is better than when LC played at a local high school. I shudder to think how much of a mud hole it would have been today had they played a the high school field.

Toby, I agree with your statement about UMHB and what Dunn is alleged to have said. I will wait and see what comes out in the paper tomorrow.

I revised my previous post. It needed to be cleaned up a bit. I entered it first with my iPad, which has some limitations on this forum.

[Toby Taff]

Toby,

We do on occasion write something about an LC sports program. Sometimes a feature about an individual or some aspect of ministry one of the programs performs. I don't abuse the privilege, but I used it today primarily gain access to the port-a-potties behind the HSU sideline. After the team left, I figured there would be no lines. 

I will reiterate, there is much lacking with the LC football facilities right now. I hope much of it will be corrected before next season. That said, the field situation is better than when LC played at a local high school. I shudder to think how much of a mud hole it would have been today had they played a the high school field.

I revised my previous post. It needed to be cleaned up a bit. I entered it first with my iPad, which has some limitations on this forum.

I think Port-a-potties are a legit use of the press pass. 
I like the revisions.

[TxFight]

I would like to start with a quote from LC head coach Dennis Dunn. "The best team in the conference is not the conference champion. I think Louisiana College is the best team in the conference and one of the best in the nation."

It has to be great to feel your team is of conference champion caliber without the title and one of the top teams in the nation. It must be shameful, discouraging, and flat out sickening to know you ultimately lack in sportsmanship and class. To have a championship team, but not backed by any degree of reputable character or integrity is a shame. You should be ashamed to act such fools.

I can understand your frustrations.  I have no idea if what Coach Dunn said is true.  However, I have been frustrated myself about some things.  Against ETBU this year LC got the ball back with around 2 minutes left up 42-28 and ETBU was out of timeouts.  Most teams in the conference would have just ran until they got one first down and than taken a knee to win.  LC however, stayed in their normal mode of operation going fast paced no huddle getting several first downs and scoring with like 5 seconds left.  Do I agree with this situation? No.  But in the end its the defenses job to stop them.

[yessir]

Wow...today was like the perfect Christmas. I got everything I wanted...a Cru stomping and a HSU loss. Congrats to UMHB on yet another dominating Conference Championship...that's 9 out of the last 10 right? Now let's hope the selection committee does us right tomorrow and we get a fair opponent in the first round. No no. 1 seed vs a no. 2 seed...Congrats to LC on a great season...with that said I don't see the coach saying what has been stated...seriously I don't see the guy purposely looking like an idiot. May all teams have a successful off-season. Good luck to UMHB in the playoffs...make us proud guys!!

[Kelly Boggs]

Quotes from the Alexandria Town Talk's coverage of the HSU vs LC game:

"Unbelievable year, unbelievable finish," said LC coach Dennis Dunn. "I'm so proud of these seniors and how they led us and put us in position to be one of the best teams in the ASC. Today we beat the No. 7 team in America [according to D3.football.com], which means we're one of the better teams in the country."

"Today," he added, "officially put LC on the map."

"Only 32 teams get to go," said Dunn, "and I'm not sure the top 32 get to go."

"The ball seemed like it weighed 100 pounds and was wet and slippery," said [LC quarterback Ben] McLaughlin, 24-of-37 for 303 yards and five touchdowns, including two to Darnell Williams. "I don't know if people who hadn't played quarterback realize how difficult it was to throw today."

Here is a link to the report: http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20101114/SPORTS/101114001/1006/Runner-up-high?GID=zKR5OsoRI6YDQijlvIAY13VLrnTSmZT8GbNHS+wHTes%3D

[Kelly Boggs]

Temple Daily Telegram's report on the TLU vs UMHB game: http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2010/11/14/70208

Good quote from Coach Fred:
It was a game so lopsided it left UMHB coach Pete Fredenburg almost speechless.

"Wow. It's tough when a ballgame gets like that," he said. "But another coach once told me, 'You should never have to apologize for how the other team played.'"

[Toby Taff]

In the Telegram article I liked Coach Padron's comment about knowing where they are as a program after the third string ran all over them.

As for coach Dunn's comments, I'd say the best 32 never make it because some who aren't in the best 32 earn their spots by winning their AQ.  I'd also add that what will put LC on the map is being consistently good.  How many times over the past ten years has a team flashed an impressive season only to be derailed the following year by injuries, graduation, or some other factor.  The difference between UMHB or HSU and the rest of the conference has been being a consistent force; reloading rather than rebuilding.  When LC strings together seasons that extend beyond a class of students or the presence of one or two really good players they will officially be on the map.

[Kelly Boggs]

Good comments, Toby. I agree. The 2010 season marks the third season in a row that LC has finished at 7-3. In 2008 they had 3 conference losses; 2009 there were 2 conference losses; this year there was one conference loss. The only team that LC has yet to beat in the ASC is UMHB. Add to that the Wildcats have now posted two wins in a row over HSU and it seems as if the Cats are moving in the right direction.

I think LC is on the cusp of reloading rather than rebuilding. Next season will reveal a lot. There should be lots of talent returning at the skill positions next year and LC has a freshman QB who has all kinds of potential - great runner and a strong accurate arm. He could be very special. The defense was fairly young this year as well. LC's JV had a good season and there are a lot of kids there who will contribute when they are juniors and seniors.

Of course time will tell concerning the overall state and health of the LC program. For now, LC is climbing the ASC mountain and there is one more peak to conquer - UMHB. A future win over the CRU will go a long way to helping solidify a place for LC on the ASC and DIII maps