FB: American Southwest Conference

[baddog]

FYI -- Two recent losses for HSU:
Glen Casselberry, videographer/cameraman for the football team and member of HSU's maintenance staff died Friday after a long bout with cancer. Glen was a HUGE supporter of HSU athletics and was well-known for giving hoops officials "advice" or "suggestions" at games.
Garrett Wiley, freshman OL, was seriously injured in an auto accident last night near Lubbock.

[SaintsFAN]

Their freshman recruiting class was very good for a D3 school, with top tier transfers at strategic positions.

Recruiting classes are even harder to judge in Division III than in Division I.

They seem awfully excited about it in Marshall. The reaction to seeing them in action is "They just look different in uniform than they ever have at ETBU." "This is a new level."

I guess we'll have to see them perform in the games against other teams to be sure how good their recruiting blitz was this spring and summer. 

Looking forward to the season.  Good luck to everyone...

Must have new uniforms.  A "new level" indeed -- the uni's are Nike's new design!!

[Ron Boerger]

Hmm ... DIIIwatcher (or all his posts) seem to have vanished into thin air ...

[Toby Taff]

The Titans cut four today and Freeman was not among them.  He is currently listed as #3 on the RLB depth chart.  One more has to be cut by tomorrow we'll see.  Here's the news blurb:

http://www.titansonline.com/news/titans_news_detail.php?PRKey=5988

[Josh Bowerman]

Hmm ... DIIIwatcher (or all his posts) seem to have vanished into thin air ...

It the curse that is levied upon all who invoke the moniker "mister" when referring to my posts!  Kinda like the Curse of the Pharohs, only much less sinister.   

[golden_dome]

Jake Allen also survived the first cut to 75 players with the Green Bay Packers. Teams have to cut their rosters down to 53 players by this Saturday, then they can resign 8 players to their practice Squad after the weekend.

Finishing up the MC media guide right now. I know information is scarce on new players, but later this week I'll try to throw up a few names of kids who should be impact players for the Choctaws.

[CruGuy]

Below is link to story about UMHB opening camp from the Temple Telegram;

http://www.temple-telegram.com/story/2008/8/19/51576

wow. 2 different in-conference transfers expected to be impact players at UMHB, that is a trend that can't make coaches around the conference feel too easy.

[SaintsFAN]

Hmm ... DIIIwatcher (or all his posts) seem to have vanished into thin air ...

His coach probably told the team in the first meeting after reporting to camp that rule #4 (or something) is to NOT post on D3football.com ....and anyone that already has posted, receives a one-day grace period to remove them. 

Not wanting to lose his spot as 3rd string FG Holder on a probable National Championship Squad (look at all those "next level" transfers), he did the right thing.. 

[SaintsFAN]

Does anyone at MHB know the story about what brought Rashon Lewis to Belton??  Thats TWO transfers in two years for the guy, who was an absolute CANCER at Mount St Joseph during his only year at the school in 2006. 

Hopefully he's learned from his mistakes...honestly, I don't even know the story of why he's not at MC anymore... but he left quite an impression on the MSJ kids in Cincinnati...talk about a polarizing figure. 

*edit:  Actually its three schools in three years..he was somewhere before his stay in Cincinnati..  He's a perfect fit for the MHB offense if you never have to throw the ball and everything goes his way on and off the field.

[Josh Bowerman]

There ought to be a rule that mandates in-conference transfers must sit out at least a year.

What a joke. 

[Ralph Turner]

Below is link to story about UMHB opening camp from the Temple Telegram;

http://www.temple-telegram.com/story/2008/8/19/51576

wow. 2 different in-conference transfers expected to be impact players at UMHB, that is a trend that can't make coaches around the conference feel too easy.

You be the judge...

Does Lewis' transfer to UMHB help the Cru at QB? 

(I think that Lewis will be more effective as an option/Wishbone QB  than as a Spread/Shotgun QB.)

Or will Lewis be playing at WR or DB?

2007 Stats at McM

RUSHING              GP  Att Gain Loss  Net   Avg  TD Long Avg/G
----------------------------------------------------------------
Tristan Randle       10  187  919   99  820   4.4   7   85  82.0
Rashon Lewis         10  141  854  285  569   4.0   6   64  56.9

PASSING              GP   Effic Cmp-Att-Int   Pct  Yds  TD Lng Avg/G
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Rashon Lewis         10   88.06 132-335-19   39.4 1843  14  64 184.3

SCORING               TD  FGs   Kick   Rush Rcv Pass  DXP Saf Points
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Dusty Thornhill        8  0-0    0-0    0-0   1  0-0   0   0    50
Tristan Randle         7  0-0    0-0    1-2   0  0-0   0   0    44
Rashon Lewis           6  0-0    0-0    1-1   0  4-5   0   0    38


TOTAL OFFENSE         G Plays Rush Pass Total Avg/G
---------------------------------------------------
Rashon Lewis         10   476  569 1843  2412 241.2


2007 American Southwest Conference Individual Statistics Through games of Dec 08, 2007


RUSHING            Team Cl  G  Att  Yds   Avg TD Long Yds/G
-----------------------------------------------------------
1. Jarvis Thrasher UMHB SR 14  212 1899   9.0 23   94 135.6
2. Quinton Jones.. HSU  SR 10  189 1356   7.2 18   79 135.6
3. Quincy Daniels. UMHB SO 14  211 1566   7.4 19   93 111.9
4. Anthony Smith.. TLU  SO 10  210 1066   5.1  6   70 106.6
5. TJ Barber...... SRSU SR 10  182  937   5.1  9   72  93.7
6. Tristan Randle. MCM  SR 10  187  820   4.4  7   85  82.0
7. Blanton........ MC   SO  9  135  702   5.2 11   32  78.0
8. Corey George... ETBU FR  9  133  593   4.5  6   49  65.9
9. Rashon Lewis... MCM  JR 10  141  569   4.0  6   64  56.9
10.Jair Stover.... ETBU FR 10  132  484   3.7  5   53  48.4

PASSING AVG/GAME   Team Cl  G Att Cmp Int  Pct.  Yds TD Avg/G
-------------------------------------------------------------
1. Shaffer........ MC   SO 10 379 222  13  58.6 3497 31 349.7
2. Ben McLaughlin. LC   SO 10 376 234  15  62.2 2978 21 297.8
3. Justin Feaster. HSU  SO 10 316 207   9  65.5 2946 30 294.6
4. J, Lovvorn..... HPU  JR  8 311 176  11  56.6 2220 15 277.5
5. Austin Davidson SRSU SR 10 350 176  14  50.3 2702 24 270.2
6. Rashon Lewis... MCM  JR 10 335 132  19  39.4 1843 14 184.3
7. Thad Fortune... ETBU SR 10 204 109  10  53.4 1251  6 125.1
8. Josh Welch..... UMHB SR 14 174  88   8  50.6 1462 19 104.4
9. Bryant Villa... TLU  SO  9 163  76   8  46.6  773  8  85.9
10.Josh Saenz..... UMHB JR 14  31  19   1  61.3  399  3  28.5

TOTAL OFFENSE      Team Cl  G Rush Pass Plays Total Yds/G
---------------------------------------------------------
1. Shaffer........ MC   SO 10 -141 3497   413  3356 335.6
2. Justin Feaster. HSU  SO 10  125 2946   402  3071 307.1
3. Ben McLaughlin. LC   SO 10  -32 2978   446  2946 294.6
4. Austin Davidson SRSU SR 10   39 2702   403  2741 274.1
5. J, Lovvorn..... HPU  JR  8  -46 2220   355  2174 271.8
6. Rashon Lewis... MCM  JR 10  569 1843   476  2412 241.2
7. Jarvis Thrasher UMHB SR 14 1899    0   212  1899 135.6
8. Quinton Jones.. HSU  SR 10 1356    0   189  1356 135.6
9. Thad Fortune... ETBU SR 10   33 1251   229  1284 128.4
10.Josh Welch..... UMHB SR 14  261 1462   274  1723 123.1

[CruGuy]

From what I've heard he will be playing QB and he will be the QB. They're really excited about his athleticism. Remember, this offense has been doing pretty well under Josh Welch who lacked the arm strength and athleticism that alot of the QB's in the conference have.

I'm with Josh in that it is scary that players can transfer schools in conference freely. I don't think it sets a good precedent and is not good for the conference as a whole. However, considering that these student athletes are paying for the education and that the schools promise no loyalty to them, is it fair to mandate loyalty from them to the schools ?

[Ralph Turner]

From what I've heard he will be playing QB and he will be the QB. They're really excited about his athleticism. Remember, this offense has been doing pretty well under Josh Welch who lacked the arm strength and athleticism that alot of the QB's in the conference have.

I'm with Josh in that it is scary that players can transfer schools in conference freely. I don't think it sets a good precedent and is not good for the conference as a whole. However, considering that these student athletes are paying for the education and that the schools promise no loyalty to them, is it fair to mandate loyalty from them to the schools ?

Thanks for the insight, crukid.

I will point out one stat on Lewis.

He completed less than 40% of his passes for McMurry in 2007.  When you review the films from 2007, you saw that hurrying his delivery would dramatically impact his accuracy.  Can UMHB protect him better than McMurry?  Will that extra protection make a difference in his stats?

Here are Lewis' stats from Mount St Joseph in the 2006 season.

[Pat Coleman]

Honestly, if Rashon Lewis is UMHB's starting quarterback then I will drop them several spots on my ballot until they make me do otherwise.

[Pat Coleman]

Josh, et al, very few leagues have regulations regarding in-conference transfers.