FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Mugsy]

USee? Anyone see or hear from USee? I sure hope he's ok!

He is still on leave from D3 boards (both basketball and football).  Not sure when, if ever, he'll be returning.  Time will tell.

Last I heard from him (or inferred from other social media), he is doing very well.  Without devulging personal information, the decision to step back from the boards was more a matter of using the time for family (kids very involved in sports, etc...).

[cardinaldad]

Well, here we go again. Here's to another GREAT CCIW season. May it be a hard hitting, well played and may the players remain healthy!

[cardinaldad]

USee? Anyone see or hear from USee? I sure hope he's ok!

He is still on leave from D3 boards (both basketball and football).  Not sure when, if ever, he'll be returning.  Time will tell.

Last I heard from him (or inferred from other social media), he is doing very well.  Without devulging personal information, the decision to step back from the boards was more a matter of using the time for family (kids very involved in sports, etc...).

Family is SOOO important. I sure understand....but the Boards will miss him. Just glad he's alright!

[warthog]

I hope to hop across the river and catch the Thursday night Augie opener. 

What should I expect this season?

[matblake]

I hope to hop across the river and catch the Thursday night Augie opener. 

What should I expect this season?

If you haven't seen Augie in the last 4 years or so, you won't recognize them.  The Wing is now a thing of the past.  There are a few unknowns as they have a new coach this year, but he was their defensive coordinator for the past 3 seasons, so my guess is that side of the ball will remain pretty much the same.  David Lee is an excellent QB.  He's worth the price of admission.  The non-conference schedule should tell a lot about the Vikings. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

After a wonderful trip to Maine (wish New Gloucester and Ypsi could switch weather - there we had a lake 15 feet from the family camp and most days it struggled to break 70; here there is no convenient lake (that a non-suicidal person would swim in ) and until today has been consistently pushing (or exceeding) 90 ), I'm finally catching up with the posts.

Re: the coaches' poll: a little figuring and nearly all the votes are obvious.  NPU was picked dead-last unanimously (I hope this is the year they finally win a conference game - just make it someone other than the Titans ).  Millikin was picked next-to-last by everyone except the NPU coach, who picked them last.  Carthage was picked third-from-last by everyone except the Millikin coach who picked them second-from last.  At the other end, NCC was picked first, except for one second (I join matblake in curiosity over which coach that was).  Wheaton received two 1s and five 2s.  That leaves IWU, Elmhurst, and Augie in a close race that cannot be clarified (as far as who voted what) by the numbers.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Just re-checked the schedule (this hadn't registered before) - no one can accuse the Titans of 'no guts' this year!

Last year (my 40th reunion) we hosted NPU for Homecoming.  This year we are hosting NCC!   Last year I left at halftime (Titans up 28-0) to watch the women's soccer game; were I there, I doubt I could so confidently leave this year!

[New Tradition]

No surprises for the poll.  I did think it was interesting that Wheaton got 2 first place votes.  One had to have been from North Central (coaches cannot vote for their own team for first), it would be interesting to know who gave Wheaton other other first place vote. 

At the other end, NCC was picked first, except for one second (I join matblake in curiosity over which coach that was).

I also wonder who it could have possibly been.........

[HoosierRedMan]

Carthage reports today.

New defensive coordinator and a new quarterback, with the departure of Evan Jones, are the two biggest question marks as the season starts.

There are 31 seniors on this years team so I hope that leads to a few wins.

[Titan Q]

Article on IWU defense under new coordinator Tim Rundle...

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/football/article_6f755fd0-c548-11e0-8ccc-001cc4c002e0.html


DL Ryan Jenkins (1st Team all-conference in 2009) is back for the Titans as a medical redshirt.



Returning starters
Offense: WR Joey Driver, WR Dayton Burnett, WR Brett Robinson, WR Mike Sloboda, TE Parker Carroll, G Jeremy Adams, C Trace Hummel, T Zach Anderson

Defense: E Ryan Jenkins, E Chris Rice, T Trey Cunningham, LB Ryan Gresko, LB Mike Whittington, LB Ben Houk, S P.J. Cummings, S Scott Wenzel, CB Eric Bushong, CB Will Jenkins

[Mugsy]

Pete Ittersagen with a sack and a tackle for the Titans.  Looks like Pete started the 3rd quarter.  Not what you expect from a CB, but making big plays is important.


[Pete finished with 4 tackles and 1 sack].

[Mugsy]

Following Ypsi's lead (I try not to do that too often   ):

Season outlook from Coach Swider:
http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2011/7/18/FB_2011_Pre.aspx

26 seniors, 71 returning players from team that went 10-2 last year.  37 incoming players (largest recruiting class ever).

Returning starters on offense (6):
Sean Ramsey (Sr.) - OL 6'2" 263 lbs
Jordan Roberts (Jr.) - QB 6'1" 204 lbs, potential OPOY in 2011?
Teddy Watkins (Sr.) - WR 5'9" 187 lbs, co-captain
Justin Zellar (Sr.) - WR 6'0" 211 lbs
J.J. Clark (Sr.) - TE/FB 6'3" 228 lbs
Peter Jarrett (Jr.) - RB 6'2" 212 lbs

Other key returning offensive players:
Charlie Bell (Jr.) - OL 6'2" 274 lbs
Jessie Peterson (Jr.) - OL 6'5" 275 lbs
Matt Drumond (Jr.) - OL 6'2" 300 lbs
Garrett Meador (Sr.) - QB 6'2" 203 lbs, very capable backup
Hunter Thorson (So.) - TE 6'6" 220 lbs
Justin Swider (So.) - RB 6'0" 191 lbs

Overall assessment of offense coming into the 2011 season: Very talented at the skill positions, but key will be filling the loss of 3 multi-year starters on the offensive line.

Returning starters on defense (7):
JD East (Sr.) - DE, 6'0" 245 lbs, 1st Team All-CCIW
Robert Ramsey (Sr.) - DE, 6'3" 235 lbs, 2nd Team All-CCIW
Jordan Chapman (Sr.) - MLB, 5'10" 204 lbs, 2010 leading tackler
Richard Jacobson (Sr.) - OLB, 6'3" 226 lbs
Austin Driggers (Sr.) - MLB, 5'9" 190 lbs
Brian McMullen (Sr.) - S, 6'3" 211 lbs, 2nd Team All-CCIW
Jordan Langs (Sr.) - S 5'11" 208 lbs

Other key returning players:
Brandon Dykstra (So.) - DT, 6'3" 308 lbs
Pat Dansdill (Jr.) - MLB, 6'2', 215 lbs
John Carnegie (Sr.) - OLB, 6'2" 219 lbs
Micha Markley (Sr.) - CB, 5'9" 164 lbs

Overall assessment of defense coming into 2011 season: Very deep, experienced and talented along the front 7 and the safeties. Very inexperienced at the corners.

Special teams:
Scott Roche (Sr.) - PK 5'10" 202 lbs, 2nd Team D3Football All-North Region

NOTE: All heights and weights based on 2010 roster.

[lakeshore]

great news for the green weenies in getting Jenkins back...he was a beast in '09.  Still major QB questions for them though with nobody taking a meaningful varsity snap in '10.

I didn't realize Wheaton lost 4 starters on the Oline from last year's playoff team.  No matter what level you're at that is tough to replace and usually doesn't bode well early in the season until that unit can develop some cohesiveness.

NPU with another year of major overhaul on the roster but an extremely weak non-conf schedule could get the Vikes off to a great start.  I think we started the 2005 season off 3-0.

[Gregory Sager]

NPU with another year of major overhaul on the roster but an extremely weak non-conf schedule could get the Vikes off to a great start.  I think we started the 2005 season off 3-0.

"Extremely weak" may be a bit of an exaggeration. Granted that Aurora, Benedictine, and Wash U aren't going to intimidate a first-division CCIW team, but all three teams did post good records last season. Benedictine finished 8-3 in 2010, while Aurora and Wash U each ended up 7-3. I think that "mediocre" might be a better term to describe NPU's non-conference slate by CCIW standards.

I haven't checked in with Coach Pethtel over the past week, but I know that he anticipated having 125 to 130 players on the first day of camp this month. And for the first time in I don't know how long, the Vikings will have a fairly substantial number of seniors on the roster this year. The key, though, is that this past off-season was the second recruiting cycle for the option offense, so North Park will have more players this season who have been geared to play that style of football throughout high school.

[Mugsy]

Wheaton players reporting today.  First practices tomorrow.  I'll be trying to get over to a practice or two this week, depending on work schedules.