FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[AndOne]

NCC's roster is up:

http://northcentralcardinals.com/roster.aspx?path=football

No Spencer Stanek.    Maybe that's old news?

Interesting.

No comment.  Let's just say he won't be playing this year.   

This is indeed interesting. I'm not as plugged in as I have been so I had not heard of this. I was anticipating Jordan Tassio moving from RB to QB (the position he played in HS) after last season, but it looks like he's still listed as a RB.

The 6-peat is on the shoulders of Crackel and the freshmen QBs. Good news is, there's a couple of very good freshmen. Max Matthews from South Bend St Joe's in IN and Tyler Dicken from Bloomington HS in IL, most notably (the latter's first cousin is former Purdue QB Billy Dicken). The freshmen obviously have talent, but if Crackel goes down will they be able to lead?

Stanek has been not been factored into the equation for eight months or so.  Crackel and Tassio are Options A & B, but look for one or both of the two kids to push their way onto the field this year.  Both have significant upside potential.

I highly doubt Coach Thorne is ready to turn the Nation's #4 pre-season rated team's fortunes over to a freshman.
I believe we'll see Crackel as, by far, the primary signal caller on the field for the Cards this season. Tassio will be the #1 backup at the OB spot and will assume the position on a regular basis if Crackel sustains a long term injury.
No doubt Tassio will come on in relief at times if Crackel needs a rest or is ineffective. However, I believe Tassio will spend most of his time in the RB slot which affords the Cards the dynamic of his either running the ball or throwing off the option. Additionally, there is little doubt the Cards will sometimes snap directly to Jordan in the "wildcat" formation thus opening the triple option of his either handing off/pitching, throwing, or keeping. When Tassio is the QB or needs a break, we'll see a lot of the capable and dangerous Nick Kukuc (5.9 avg, 13 TDs).

I think the only way we'll see much of a frosh QB in varsity action for the Cards this season is if, God forbid, Crackel and Tassion both go down to long term injuries.

Speaking of "ouch"... I've been holding onto this information for nearly a week.  I've been holding back because I'm always leary of giving up inside information.  However this will be very, very apparent at the scrimmage.

The key to Wheaton's offense is out for the season.  Jordan Robert's blew out his ACL last Friday and is lost for the year.  While Wheaton has two very capable backup QB's, anyone who watched Wheaton games last year knows Roberts makes Wheaton a far more dangerous offense.  He was a duel threat.  In my opinion, he would have been a potential candidate for OPOY in 11'.

What may be worse is that Wheaton lost their best offensive lineman to a broken ankle.  This was an area of biggest question for Wheaton, so this loss is very difficult.

Looks like Wheaton's character will once again be tested before the first snap of the first game.  I'm confident the coaching staff and players will find a way to get it done and won't make excuses.

You are absolutely right Mugsy.  While Garrett Meador saw a lot of time last year he showed he was a good passer in the non-conference games but his ability diminished with the faster CCIW action.  He will have to step it up a little faster.  Griffin Kuhn has been injured I believe twice once in HS and last year. I think the offensive line will be Ok but QB and TB will each see one face from last year and possibly some new faces.  The bright side is that the freshman class has a lot of potential with the two WR towers Hiben and Thorson.  The person I am most impressed with is FR. Reece Butler who  is a very accurate passer with a lightning quick release.  His roll out is incredible also.  His arm movement is not the prettiest but that slinging motion is very accurate.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoTAZJTo0LI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA0C0JDgZUo&feature=related
Roberts may have some competition for that starting spot next year.  I have a feeling we may see some of these freshmen getting some playing time this year.

I must disagree with your post.  I doubt very much that a healthy Roberts would be challenged by freshman QB's.  There is a huge difference between a QB with over 10 starts under his belt and an 18 year old. 

I also do not think you'll see much playing time for freshman RB's and QB's, unless Wheaton is so decimated by injury.  If Wheaton needs to play a lot of freshmen this year, they'll be in trouble.  It is completely against Coach Swiders philosophy.  "You win with 21 & 22 year olds, mature, experienced football players, not with a bunch of 18 year kids."  3 years is a huge difference.  Each year you may see a couple of freshmen starting some games or seeing action.  If we see more than that it will not be one of Wheaton's better years. 

I strongly doubt Hiben or Luke Thorson will have more than 10 catches this year, they may not have that many combined.  That is not a knock on their potential, but they are freshman and Wheaton has several experienced, senior WR's - including the captain of the team. 

Hunter Thorson who is a sophmore TE will likely see a significant amount of action, because he is 6'6" 240lbs and does fit "the bill" as an exception to Swiders rule.  I could see him with 15-20 catches by the end of the season.

At this point I'm not so sure about the offensive line.  Only 2 starters returned, of which one is now out for the majority of the year with a broken ankle.  1 other OL saw some reasonable action.  1 new starter is a coverted TE.  We'll see, but the o-line is a serious question at this point.

As I commented on earlier concerning NCC, and as Mugsy indicates relative to Wheaton, any team employing many freshmen in leadership/skill positions is a long shot at best to contend for the championship of a conference as tough as the CCIW. For such a team to be among the nation's elite is even more unlikely.

[Titan Q]

From various articles I've read in the Pantagraph recently, it sounds like IWU's starters are...

Defense
DE - Ryan Jenkins* (SR, Rich South H.S.)
DT - Trey Cunningham* (JR, Chatham-Glenwood H.S.)
DT - ?
DE - Chris Rice* (SR, Thorton Township H.S.)

OLB - Mike Whittington* (SR, Downers Grove North H.S.)
MLB - Ryan Gresko* (SR, Downers Grove North H.S.)
OLB - Ben Houk* (SR, Lyons Township H.S.)

CB - Eric Bushong* (SR, Normal West H.S.)
CB - Will Jenkins* (SR, Walther Lutheran H.S.)
S - Scott Wenzel* (SR, Rolling Meadows H.S.)
S - P.J. Cummings* (SR, Niles Notre Dame H.S.)

Offense
QB - Rob Gallik (SO, St. Rita H.S.)
RB - T.J. Stinde (SO, Lexington H.S.)
    FB - Sean Conley (SO, Bolingbrook H.S.)

LT - Matt Siegert (SO, Benet Academy)
LG - Nick Varchetto (JR, Lincoln-Way East H.S.)
C - Trace Hummel* (Sr, Crystal Lake South H.S.)
RG - Jeremy Adams* (SR, Sacred Heart Griffin H.S.)
RT - Zach Anderson* (SO, Fieldcrest H.S.)
TE - Parker Carroll* (JR, Oak Forest H.S.)

WR - Joey Driver* (SR, Rich Central H.S.)
WR - Dayton Burnett* (SR, Springfield H.S.)
WR - Brett Robinson* (JR, St. Francis H.S.)
     WR - Mike Sloboda* (SR, Wheaton-Warrenville South H.S.)

Special Teams
FG/Extra Point K - Tony Angelos (FR, Stagg H.S.)
Punter/Kickoff - Alex Garvey (SO, Glenbrook South H.S.)


* returning starter


Obviously IWU is very young and inexperienced at two critical offensive positions - QB and RB.  It will be interesting to see how Rob Gallik and T.J. Stinde perform in non-conference play.  Both were heavily recruited players and are guys with high upsides.  I think it's fair to say the IWU offense will be a "work in progress" in the early going.

The defense, on the other hand, should be rock solid with 10 returning starters (including Ryan Jenkins, who missed last season due to injury), of which 9 are seniors. 

For the first time in many years, the coaching staff is very excited about the kicking game.  For at least the last 5 years, IWU's kicking game has been a huge negative.  They are really high on both Tony Angelos and Alex Garvey coming into the 2011 season though.

Best of luck to the Titans today vs Hope.  Now a Lincoln, NE resident I will be at my first Cornhuskers game this afternoon -- I'll certainly be the only one in the stands checking lives stats for a D3 game frequently!

[Dennis_Prikkel]

north park wins at aurora 34 to 9

[AndOne]

CCIW SCORES FROM TODAY:

NPU 34---Aurora 9
IWU 35---Hope 0
Carthage 16---Carleton 13
IL College 34---Millikin 30 OT
Elmhurst 50---Loras 24

NCC plays at 9:00
Wheaton is off

[mr_b]

CCIW SCORES FROM TODAY:

NPU 34---Aurora 9
IWU 35---Hope 0
Carthage 16---Carleton 13
IL College 34---Millikin 30 OT
Elmhurst 50---Loras 24

NCC plays at 9:00
Wheaton is off

You missed one other score, Dubuque 18, Augustana 13.

[AndOne]

mr_b,

No sir.
I indicated "CCIW scores from today."
Augie played Thurs, and that they lost 18-13 to Dubuque was not today's news, and probably already known to the vast majority of CCIW followers.

[shepherd]

I saw the second half of the Wheaton Wabash scrimmage.  The score was 34 to 3 not completely sure about the 34.  Sorry I was taking my happy magic pills and was with my new service dog.  Wheaton defense was dominate the whole game.  Under Meador the offense scored 24 in the first half.  I heard mostly by passing.  34-3 halftime score.  Kuhn started the second half and seemed rusty on his throws.  Maybe due to not getting snaps with the first unit until the Roberts injury.  Defense continued to play very well while the offense had good and bad series.  Kuhn seemed to get better as time went on and threw a touchdown pass to #34 Jesse Garry.  Kicking game was pretty good also Roche hit a long FG 40 plus? With a lot to spare.  Overall pretty good for the thunder.  Sorry for the sketchy details but it's the best I could do.   

PS Mugsy and AndOne I stand completely corrected about starting freshmen posts.

[mr_b]

mr_b,

No sir.
I indicated "CCIW scores from today."
Augie played Thurs, and that they lost 18-13 to Dubuque was not today's news, and probably already known to the vast majority of CCIW followers.

OK, sorry about that.  I saw the score on the D3 scoreboard and didn't realize it had been played on Thursday.

[mr_b]

Congratulations to North Park on their season-opening win over Aurora!  Let's hope it's the start of a solid 2011 campaign.

<<Note to Greg Sager: I refrained from calling it a pre-season win!>>

[AndOne]

mr_b.

No prob on the Thurs Augie score.

Question for you----Will North Park's first 11 basketball games games this year be pre-season games?      

[mr_b]

mr_b.

No prob on the Thurs Augie score.

Question for you----Will North Park's first 11 basketball games games this year be pre-season games?      

Yes, if only to annoy the heck out of Greg!

[AndOne]

Not only Greg, but me too.
PRE-SEASON games don't count. NON CONFERENCE games do!   

[Gregory Sager]

The Vikings were dominant today. Ahead 10-0 at the half and 13-3 through three quarters, they relied on the 88⁰ heat and the methodical grind of the option offense to wear down Aurora, and it paid off to the tune of three fourth-quarter touchdowns that put the game away for NPU. Tyler Krebs had the best day of his young career, rushing for 203 yards and three TDs on 24 carries, while the only pass he completed out of the three that he attempted resulted in an 80-yard TD strike to John Barnabee. The Vikings amassed 481 yards of total offense and averaged a healthy 6.3 yards per carry.

Aurora, which has a solid QB in Jim Bevell and a trio of very good receivers, was totally bottled up in the running game -- 51 yards on 22 carries -- and, although the hurry-up offense that the Spartans utilized late in the game allowed them to march down the field several times, for the most part the one-dimensionality forced upon them by the NPU defense really hurt them. North Park demonstrated a bend-but-don't-break strategy against the pass; while Aurora did rack up a lot of yards, especially in the fourth quarter, the Vikings picked off three Bevell passes and kept the hosts out of the end zone until deep into the fourth quarter when the game was no longer in doubt.

This was a solid debut on the road for North Park's 2011 campaign. The Vikings return to action next Saturday night in Lisle when they face host Benedictine.

[Mugsy]

I saw the second half of the Wheaton Wabash scrimmage.  The score was 34 to 3 not completely sure about the 34.  Sorry I was taking my happy magic pills and was with my new service dog.  Wheaton defense was dominate the whole game.  Under Meador the offense scored 24 in the first half.  I heard mostly by passing.  34-3 halftime score.  Kuhn started the second half and seemed rusty on his throws.  Maybe due to not getting snaps with the first unit until the Roberts injury.  Defense continued to play very well while the offense had good and bad series.  Kuhn seemed to get better as time went on and threw a touchdown pass to #34 Jesse Garry.  Kicking game was pretty good also Roche hit a long FG 40 plus? With a lot to spare.  Overall pretty good for the thunder.  Sorry for the sketchy details but it's the best I could do.   

PS Mugsy and AndOne I stand completely corrected about starting freshmen posts.

Thanks for the report, as I was not able to attend the scrimmage.  No problem on the "freshman posts".  Wheaton does have some promising freshmen.  The key is... they are freshmen.  Let's see where they are in a couple of years.  That'll be the true measure.

[Mugsy]

From various articles I've read in the Pantagraph recently, it sounds like IWU's starters are...

Defense
DE - Ryan Jenkins* (SR, Rich South H.S.)
DT - Trey Cunningham* (JR, Chatham-Glenwood H.S.)
DT - ?
DE - Chris Rice* (SR, Thorton Township H.S.)

OLB - Mike Whittington* (SR, Downers Grove North H.S.)
MLB - Ryan Gresko* (SR, Downers Grove North H.S.)
OLB - Ben Houk* (SR, Lyons Township H.S.)

CB - Eric Bushong* (SR, Normal West H.S.)
CB - Will Jenkins* (SR, Walther Lutheran H.S.)
S - Scott Wenzel* (SR, Rolling Meadows H.S.)
S - P.J. Cummings* (SR, Niles Notre Dame H.S.)

Offense
QB - Rob Gallik (SO, St. Rita H.S.)
RB - T.J. Stinde (SO, Lexington H.S.)
    FB - Sean Conley (SO, Bolingbrook H.S.)

LT - Matt Siegert (SO, Benet Academy)
LG - Nick Varchetto (JR, Lincoln-Way East H.S.)
C - Trace Hummel* (Sr, Crystal Lake South H.S.)
RG - Jeremy Adams* (SR, Sacred Heart Griffin H.S.)
RT - Zach Anderson* (SO, Fieldcrest H.S.)
TE - Parker Carroll* (JR, Oak Forest H.S.)

WR - Joey Driver* (SR, Rich Central H.S.)
WR - Dayton Burnett* (SR, Springfield H.S.)
WR - Brett Robinson* (JR, St. Francis H.S.)
     WR - Mike Sloboda* (SR, Wheaton-Warrenville South H.S.)

Special Teams
FG/Extra Point K - Tony Angelos (FR, Stagg H.S.)
Punter/Kickoff - Alex Garvey (SO, Glenbrook South H.S.)


* returning starter


Obviously IWU is very young and inexperienced at two critical offensive positions - QB and RB.  It will be interesting to see how Rob Gallik and T.J. Stinde perform in non-conference play.  Both were heavily recruited players and are guys with high upsides.  I think it's fair to say the IWU offense will be a "work in progress" in the early going.

The defense, on the other hand, should be rock solid with 10 returning starters (including Ryan Jenkins, who missed last season due to injury), of which 9 are seniors. 

For the first time in many years, the coaching staff is very excited about the kicking game.  For at least the last 5 years, IWU's kicking game has been a huge negative.  They are really high on both Tony Angelos and Alex Garvey coming into the 2011 season though.

Best of luck to the Titans today vs Hope.  Now a Lincoln, NE resident I will be at my first Cornhuskers game this afternoon -- I'll certainly be the only one in the stands checking lives stats for a D3 game frequently!

Q, thanks for the perspective.  Nice to have these details.  I provide a similar report on Wheaton 3-4 pages ago.