FB: Presidents' Athletic Conference

[South Willy]

CC...I think the PAC should really have some very competitive games this season. I think Thiel, Westminster, Waynesburg, Grove City, Genena and even Bethany will all be fairly even with who is at home often being the difference. TMC and W & J will both have shots at the playoffs baring any upsets.

TMC will open with a tough match at John Carroll and a loss would mean their only shot at the playoffs would be a win at W & J. W & J has the easier schedule for a 9-1, 10-0 season and a playoff spot.

[SaintsFAN]

How did W&J do with MUC,,any thoughts

B2H ---

Not much of W&J presence here on the boards.  Their radio guy, Bob Gregg, is usually around... but its been very quiet ever since they busted that DB's coach (before Sirriani's time there) posting on the boards.  He wasn't the first and won't be the last Coach to get caught on here.

Right Pat?

[SaintsFAN]

TMC will open with a tough match at John Carroll and a loss would mean their only shot at the playoffs would be a win at W & J. W & J has the easier schedule for a 9-1, 10-0 season and a playoff spot.

Somebody bought the Kickoff !!  


I think Thomas More will be fine in Cleveland on Saturday.  We have the skill guys back from last year.... + a very good freshman RB from Northeast Ohio, whom people will be talking about before seasons end to go along with Stellman, Collier, Owens, and Doucette.  To be honest, this is a really deep team at the RB/WR positions.  Lots of athleticism.

The defense will be even better than last year's unit.  Throw out the week 1 loss last year.  The offense put the defense in some bad spots with a short field.  They were adjusting to the brand new attack installed two weeks previous, when the Coaching staff saw who the freshman were that showed up for camp.  

One year later and there won't be hiccups like that first game.  Well, there will be first game hiccups --- as with all teams.  It will be interesting to see what happens if Thomas More starts out fast on Saturday.

[South Willy]

Heck yea I bought the Kickoff. How else would I know anything about D3 football in Naples, Florida. I think TMC will handle JCU but that's a tight game for the first week when you need them all.

I look for BC to stay closer to Otterbein than 30.5 only because we can score points and the D can't be worse. I'd just like to see BC get to 5-5 in my son last season.

[Bob.Gregg]

Their radio guy, Bob Gregg, is usually around...

I'm around, reading mostly through the summer.  Baseball (the game God himself invented) is wrapping up for us.  Football kicks off Friday night, then the D-III'ers suit it up Saturday.

Still trying to recover from the shock that the "Tent Experience" will have left town before I make a return visit to Thomas More!  I'm really gonna miss it....lol

I'll be here!

[Bob.Gregg]

Bob, when is the last time a PAC team won back to back titles that wasnt named Washington & Jefferson?

Other than Washington & Jefferson....

1997-1998  Grove City won the '97 title outright, then shared the '98 crown with W&J and Waynesburg.

The last back-to-back outright titles were won by Carnegie-Mellon (actually back-to-back-to-back) 1977-1978-1979.

Bethany (1965-1966) is the last, and only, current member of the PAC not named Washington & Jefferson to win back-to-back PAC Football championships.

[SaintsFAN]

Their radio guy, Bob Gregg, is usually around...

I'm around, reading mostly through the summer.  Baseball (the game God himself invented) is wrapping up for us.  Football kicks off Friday night, then the D-III'ers suit it up Saturday.

Still trying to recover from the shock that the "Tent Experience" will have left town before I make a return visit to Thomas More!  I'm really gonna miss it....lol

I'll be here!

baseball wrapped up in Cincinnati around the all star break.  Sheesh... we were worse than the Pirates during the 2nd half of the year!

The week following the W&J visit to Cincy, the Bridge Bowl was played in a driving rainstorm...  can't imagine what it was like in the tent on that day.  We didn't even stay as MSJ never crossed the Thomas More 40 yard line. 

Bob, if you like watching great athletes, you're gonna get a kick out of the TMC team this year.  There's a kid from Akron (Freshman RB) who can run it... he was All Ohio as a senior, in addition to the usual suspects of Collier and Stellman... Kendall Owens and Doucette.  The only question on the team is OL, and I think they got that figured out. 

I really believe W&J/TMC is gonna be better than last year... you gotta know Sirrianni is going to find a QB out of the 10 on the roster.

[SaintsFAN]

Heck yea I bought the Kickoff. How else would I know anything about D3 football in Naples, Florida. I think TMC will handle JCU but that's a tight game for the first week when you need them all.

I look for BC to stay closer to Otterbein than 30.5 only because we can score points and the D can't be worse. I'd just like to see BC get to 5-5 in my son last season.

I'm rooting for this as well, Willy.  He's put up with injuries and losing while being almost 1200 miles (1169 to be exact) away from home... stuck in West Virginia! 

Except when they play Thomas More.. are you coming to that game?  Its in Kentucky this year, 3 miles east of the Airport... on October 3rd.  Its also Thomas More's Homecoming... and my 10 year mark of not playing football.  I don't know if they are doing anything for our team (we were the first to play in Thomas More Stadium--- on campus), but you are more than welcome to join us.

[South Willy]

SaintsFAN,

I appreciate the invitation but I'm booked for four homegames this season and that's about all the schedule can allow. Hope we give you guys a decent game and I'm sure Matt will get at least one TD. He always seems to against TMC. Good luck saturday at JCU.

[South Willy]

FAN & Bob,

I grew up near Bethany and was friends with the college presidents son. We were the sideline ball guys for those championship years. Bethany played very competitive football into the early 70s while I roamed the campus but the program has never returned to that level.

[Cleveland Cartel]

Bob,

Thanks for the insight I knew you had it attainable somewhere!

Saintsfan,

Who is the RB from Akron? I live outside of Cleveland and work in Akron, Ohio. I am interested in hearing how this Northeastern Ohio back got away from Baldwin Wallace, John Carroll, Malone, Walsh, and even Mount Union??? It is impressive to snag a northeastern Ohio guy from a school in Cincinnatti. Which by the way has tremendous high school talent with St. X, Lasalle, Elder, Moeller, and Purcell. How are TMC's facilities?

SouthWilly,

I am not expecting much from my beloved tomcats this year. I hope to be pleasently surprised and support them completely. I think they still lack talent across both sides of the ball. It seems to me the athletes that were there in the years past arent't being attracted to Thiel anymore.

Sounds as if TMC could be the team to beat with who they are bringing back this year.

[South Willy]

CC,

I'm the same with the Bison. 3-7 last year but with 2 losses in the last minute and 1 in OT to the Tomcats. Could have been a .500 season last year but it seems like we are always projecting but not completing on the field. Better recruiting class this year and 3-4 freshman will see playing time early. Offense is back so if the defense can improve at all we should be competitve.

[SaintsFAN]

The facilities are going to be brand new... last year the turf was installed and this year the seating areas should be done.  going to have offices and lockerrooms underneath it when its all said and done... its pretty impressive.  Bank of Kentucky donated $1M for naming rights to it.  There is also a track around the field and Thomas More has started a track&field program, which will help get faster athletes on campus --- not that the 2008 team wasn't fast, as Willy can probably attest.  

Facilities have helped recruiting tremendously... along with winning the PAC in 2008.  You'll see on the roster alot of kids from the schools everyone has heard of... Colerain, St. Xavier, Moeller, Elder...

http://thomasmore.edu/athletics/Football/roster.cfm

the RB's name is Laymon Carter

[skunks_sidekick]

I know SAINTS his high on his TM team, but I was impressed with W & J during their scrimmage against Mount for the following reasons.

First off, they were bigger, meaner, and much better on defense than previous years.  Now some of this was due to Mount's offensive learning curve, but I really believe W & J will be much better on D this year than previous years.  

I think the QB that played as the "starter" in the scrimmage was above average.  Mind you, if it was a real game he probably would have ended up seeing stars with the pressure he was getting from Mount's ends, but he threw a decent ball, and was able to stand in there against the pressure.  I did not see much of a running game, but that is no surprise from a W & J team, right?

Just my two cents.........

[Cleveland Cartel]

Saints fan,

Makes sense as to why TMC is able to recruit very well. With facilities as you describe that will be put in place they will be top of the line. I am not too sure about how many D3 teams are in Kentucky & Cincinnatti area? I feel most are D1 with St X and UC. But if a player is not a D1 player where do they go? Franklin & Marshall is over in Indiana. There are quite a few D2 schools outside of Columbus, but D2 is the red headed stepchild...jk I feel TMC is in a perfect area not heavily dominated with D3 colleges. When you have the facilities that are being implemented it is only going to help recruit a player to your institution. Carter was from Archibishop Hoban is a very good football school Div 2 in Ohio. It's the same school that produced the Sutton Brother's. The older Sutton had a very successful career at Wooster. Tyrell the younger brother was the start at Northwestern for 4 years and from what I hear will be earning a roster spot with the Packers.

South Willy,
I was impressed with Bethany's facilities when I played there, but I felt it the field lagged comparable to other PAC teams. Have they upgraded the field? I do feel the Bison's will out play the Tomcat's this year and I was at the Thiel vs Bethany game last year. Couldnt beleive it! Question is: Do you feel the Bison's will be well balanced on offense this year? I feel they need to get the ball to their playmaker in Cruse.