FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

Mysteriously there was a lack of inductees into the 2013 Hampshire Honor Society from "The Harvard of the Midwest," a.k.a. IWU.
After much readin', writin' an' cypherin' North Central had done got 6 inta der as did Augustana.
The other "Bastion of Academics", Wheaton had one.

http://www.footballfoundation.org/News/NewsDetail/tabid/567/Article/53635/2013-nff-hampshire-honor-society-membership-announced.aspx

Looks like business was good in Downtown Naperville last night!   

Time to let it go.

Agreed!!
......where's that picture of the dead horse  

Your wish is my command, NCF:

[NCF]

Mysteriously there was a lack of inductees into the 2013 Hampshire Honor Society from "The Harvard of the Midwest," a.k.a. IWU.
After much readin', writin' an' cypherin' North Central had done got 6 inta der as did Augustana.
The other "Bastion of Academics", Wheaton had one.

http://www.footballfoundation.org/News/NewsDetail/tabid/567/Article/53635/2013-nff-hampshire-honor-society-membership-announced.aspx

Looks like business was good in Downtown Naperville last night!   

Time to let it go.

Agreed!!
......where's that picture of the dead horse  

Your wish is my command, NCF:

Really?!...That's good to know...thanks

[Gregory Sager]

On an unrelated topic.....what about this week's football games??? .

NPU will be saying farewell to its largest senior class in many years on Saturday afternoon. That means a very long pregame Senior Day ceremony, but that's a nice problem to have. Seventeen NPU seniors, including seven starters, will make their swan-song appearances at Hedstrand Field on Saturday.

They're quite a group of young men. They aren't necessarily any more talented as a class than their predecessors were (although the fact that there's a lot more of them than usual is significant in terms of their impact), and they haven't suffered any more adversity than have their predecessors, either. Lots and lots of North Park classes have come and gone without producing any success on the field upon which they could hang their hats. But that doesn't mean that the adversity that this year's seniors have endured should be taken lightly, either. It's hard to imagine putting in all the time, effort, sweat, and blood that these guys contributed over their first three seasons with absolutely nothing to show for it apart from some modest non-conference wins and a pair of agonizingly close CCIW losses when they were sophomores. And it's hard to imagine facing your schoolmates, your old high-school friends, your acquaintances, and everybody else and knowing that they think of you as the guy who plays for the college football team that never wins a conference game.

But this class is noteworthy not only because so many more of them than usual stuck it out for four years, and not only because they stuck it out in spite of the coaching change, but because they somehow managed to dig down deep enough to squeeze a little bit more out of themselves than previous Vikings classes had been able to do. Mike Conway's motivational skills have something to do with that, but in the long run their overachievement this season is really a testimony to their own dedication, preparation, and tough-mindedness.

Mike Conway is already calling them "the cornerstone class" of the program turnaround that he envisions. More than anything else, I'm happy that these guys were around to see some of the fruit of their labors by winning three CCIW games and finishing in what will almost certainly be a tie for fourth place, shattering all sorts of ugly negative streaks along the way. In terms of talent, they're a very ordinary bunch of football players by CCIW standards.  But in terms of the effort that they put out and the example that they set, they are nothing short of extraordinary.

Let's be honest: Wheaton is going to whip North Park on Saturday. The talent disparity between the two programs is very wide. NPU's three CCIW wins and Wheaton's status as only the third-best team among the contenders don't change the basic equation in terms of the respective football programs of the CCIW's two evangelical schools. That talent gap isn't going to change North Park's modus operandi on Saturday, though; the Vikings seniors will go out and play like it's their last game ever, not just because it is but because that's the way that they always play -- and the juniors, sophomores, and freshmen will rally behind the seniors' banner. The Vikings will not lie down and go out meekly. Nobody will hang their heads on the sidelines; nobody will tune out the coaches; none of the coaches will stop coaching; and nobody will be intimidated by, or take any crap from, a player wearing a 'W' on his helmet. No matter how badly the Vikings lose -- and it's feasible that the final margin could be pretty dire -- the Wheaties will know that they've been in a football game.

  #2 Tyler Krebs
  #5 John Barnabee
  #6 Nate Lawler
#17 Andy Bridge
#20 Chris Broadway
#25 Zach Bates
#30 Taylor Simental
#33 Jordan Bevilacqua
#37 Darius Dacanay
#40 Bennett Dettlinger
#43 Zach Greco
#57 Jose Guevara
#60 Joseph Mimms
#67 Zach Curl
#70 Tyrone Saunders
#80 T.J. Rodriguez
#88 Nick Weinstein

These guys are the Cornerstone Class. Every North Parker, past, present, and future, should be proud of them.

[iwu70]

Love that moving "whacking the dead horse" picture.  Keep it handy, Greg, I'm sure there will be future need, future uses in this room and during the basketball season too.   

Congrats to all the NP seniors, and to all the seniors this Saturday on senior days around the league.  I'm sure a lot of players put in tons of hours, got through injuries, and were dedicated to their programs -- leading the way for the underclassmen to step up now and continue the traditions of football at their respective schools.  Gotta admire all the time these guys put in -- and the balancing required to do academic work and be a dedicated D3 athlete.  Not easy.

Hope the Titan seniors feel the love too -- they've been a great group, very successful for IWU the last few years.  Hoping they complete the run, go to 9-1 by beating EC, and move on to the DIII tourney, post-season berth very soon.  To me, looks like NCC has a great chance of going quite far in the playoffs this year -- a truly excellent football team, especially offensively.  Time will tell.  Hope the Titans get in too and win 2-3 games.  No easy Saturdays in the post-season.

Could be that Devonte Jones gets to 1,000 yards rushing on Saturday, I think one of only 2-3 Titan RBs ever to do that.  He needs a good day, but is well within sight of the 1,000 yard season. 

Keep running Devonte -- a great season, especially with the "all-purpose yards."  Seems likely an All-CCIW selection at some level. 

GO TITANS!  Thank you, seniors.

IWU70

[formerd3db]

Gregory:

I join iwu70 (and NCF) in thanking you for keeping that old reliable "beating the dead horse" picture around!  I love that one, even if it is perpetuating a very old cliché!

Also, also that is a very nice tribute you did for the NPU seniors-nicely done.  I also join iwu in wishing all the seniors everywhere this Saturday all the best, especially those who will be playing the last game of their careers i.e. if their teams are not advancing to the playoffs already and/or the ones who will, unfortunately, not make the playoffs after Saturday's results.  Those times are always melancholy to a degree for obvious reasons (those of us who went through that know it first hand, of course), yet, are times to reflect on what will be lifetime memories of their careers and time at their college alma matters.

Anyway, hope everyone enjoys this Saturday in one way or another and it will be exciting to see what the playoff arrangements are on Sunday.

[FishHack76]

I'm thinking this is what the bracket might look like right now. I managed to get in down to two flights in the first round by sending Washington & Jefferson from the South to the East, sending Franklin from the North to the South and having Millsaps face Mary Hardin-Baylor.
With one flight, Linfield (ranked No. 3 in the West region) would have to take on Pacific Lutheran (No. 5). Because there are likely three teams on the West Coast in the field, Redlands has to travel somewhere if that happens. In terms of distance, Wartburg looks like the most viable option.

"NORTH"
UWW vs. Concordia (WI)
Wabash at IWU
John Carroll at Wittenberg
Albion/Hope at NCC

"WEST"
Bethel vs. St. Scholastica
St. Norbert at UW Oshkosh/Platteville winner
Wartburg at Pac Lutheran (flight)
Redlands at Linfield (flight)

"EAST"
Mt. Union vs. Washington & Jefferson
Rowan at Lebanon Valley
Framingham State at Ithaca
Endicott/Salve Regina at Hobart

"SOUTH"
UMHB vs. Millsaps
Franklin at Maryville
Gallaudet at Wesley
Hampden-Sydney/Randolph-Macon at Johns Hopkins

[USee]

It's not inconceivable to me that we could see 1 or even 2 major CCIW upsets this weekend. I think the chance of it happening are <5% but it is possible. Elmhurst matches up well defensively with IWU's offense and IWU has a tendency to turn it over. That would be the formula.

And in Chicago, North Park can throw it around pretty well in case anyone hasn't noticed, while Wheaton will be without several starting defensive players and rumor has it Head Coach Mike Swider is suiting up as a WR to fill the gaps on offense.

[Mr. Ypsi]

It's not inconceivable to me that we could see 1 or even 2 major CCIW upsets this weekend. I think the chance of it happening are <5% but it is possible. Elmhurst matches up well defensively with IWU's offense and IWU has a tendency to turn it over. That would be the formula.

And in Chicago, North Park can throw it around pretty well in case anyone hasn't noticed, while Wheaton will be without several starting defensive players and rumor has it Head Coach Mike Swider is suiting up as a WR to fill the gaps on offense.

Unless he has remaining eligibility, this would guarantee a forfeit for using an ineligible player!

[Gregory Sager]

It's not inconceivable to me that we could see 1 or even 2 major CCIW upsets this weekend. I think the chance of it happening are <5% but it is possible. Elmhurst matches up well defensively with IWU's offense and IWU has a tendency to turn it over. That would be the formula.

And in Chicago, North Park can throw it around pretty well in case anyone hasn't noticed, while Wheaton will be without several starting defensive players and rumor has it Head Coach Mike Swider is suiting up as a WR to fill the gaps on offense.

Unless he has remaining eligibility, this would guarantee a forfeit for using an ineligible player!

We'll take it. I, for one, would have no problem putting my pride aside in order to claim a sweat-free 2-0 win over Wheaton.

[Langhorst_Ghost]

We'll take it. I, for one, would have no problem putting my pride aside in order to claim a sweat-free 2-0 win over Wheaton.

Vikings versus Crusaders!  Sounds kind of like one of those quasi-historical, role-playing PC games out there - you know, virtual world domination stuff.

I can picture the box on the shelf now: Mike Conway sporting a full beard, rocking a horned helmet, going Thor style swinging an axe with those impressive pipes of his - on the other side, Mike Swider in a loin cloth and a Julius Caesar style armor get-up, hair blowing in the wind, wielding an iron cross and a sword...epic.  Swedes vs. Swides!

I give the Parkers a one in a million shot at the "W" Saturday...but as the wise philosopher Lloyd Christmas once said..."so your telling me there's a chance."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCFB2akLh4s

[Gregory Sager]

I can picture the box on the shelf now: Mike Conway sporting a full beard, rocking a horned helmet, going Thor style swinging an axe with those impressive pipes of his - on the other side, Mike Swider in a loin cloth and a Julius Caesar style armor get-up, hair blowing in the wind, wielding an iron cross and a sword...epic.  Swedes vs. Swides!

Good stuff, LGhost. Swedes vs. Swides ... I may have to rethink giving CardinalAlum my Post of the Week award.

[oldnuthin]

On an unrelated topic.....what about this week's football games??? .

NPU will be saying farewell to its largest senior class in many years on Saturday afternoon. That means a very long pregame Senior Day ceremony, but that's a nice problem to have. Seventeen NPU seniors, including seven starters, will make their swan-song appearances at Hedstrand Field on Saturday.

They're quite a group of young men. They aren't necessarily any more talented as a class than their predecessors were (although the fact that there's a lot more of them than usual is significant in terms of their impact), and they haven't suffered any more adversity than have their predecessors, either. Lots and lots of North Park classes have come and gone without producing any success on the field upon which they could hang their hats. But that doesn't mean that the adversity that this year's seniors have endured should be taken lightly, either. It's hard to imagine putting in all the time, effort, sweat, and blood that these guys contributed over their first three seasons with absolutely nothing to show for it apart from some modest non-conference wins and a pair of agonizingly close CCIW losses when they were sophomores. And it's hard to imagine facing your schoolmates, your old high-school friends, your acquaintances, and everybody else and knowing that they think of you as the guy who plays for the college football team that never wins a conference game.

But this class is noteworthy not only because so many more of them than usual stuck it out for four years, and not only because they stuck it out in spite of the coaching change, but because they somehow managed to dig down deep enough to squeeze a little bit more out of themselves than previous Vikings classes had been able to do. Mike Conway's motivational skills have something to do with that, but in the long run their overachievement this season is really a testimony to their own dedication, preparation, and tough-mindedness.

Mike Conway is already calling them "the cornerstone class" of the program turnaround that he envisions. More than anything else, I'm happy that these guys were around to see some of the fruit of their labors by winning three CCIW games and finishing in what will almost certainly be a tie for fourth place, shattering all sorts of ugly negative streaks along the way. In terms of talent, they're a very ordinary bunch of football players by CCIW standards.  But in terms of the effort that they put out and the example that they set, they are nothing short of extraordinary.

Let's be honest: Wheaton is going to whip North Park on Saturday. The talent disparity between the two programs is very wide. NPU's three CCIW wins and Wheaton's status as only the third-best team among the contenders don't change the basic equation in terms of the respective football programs of the CCIW's two evangelical schools. That talent gap isn't going to change North Park's modus operandi on Saturday, though; the Vikings seniors will go out and play like it's their last game ever, not just because it is but because that's the way that they always play -- and the juniors, sophomores, and freshmen will rally behind the seniors' banner. The Vikings will not lie down and go out meekly. Nobody will hang their heads on the sidelines; nobody will tune out the coaches; none of the coaches will stop coaching; and nobody will be intimidated by, or take any crap from, a player wearing a 'W' on his helmet. No matter how badly the Vikings lose -- and it's feasible that the final margin could be pretty dire -- the Wheaties will know that they've been in a football game.

  #2 Tyler Krebs
  #5 John Barnabee
  #6 Nate Lawler
#17 Andy Bridge
#20 Chris Broadway
#25 Zach Bates
#30 Taylor Simental
#33 Jordan Bevilacqua
#37 Darius Dacanay
#40 Bennett Dettlinger
#43 Zach Greco
#57 Jose Guevara
#60 Joseph Mimms
#67 Zach Curl
#70 Tyrone Saunders
#80 T.J. Rodriguez
#88 Nick Weinstein

These guys are the Cornerstone Class. Every North Parker, past, present, and future, should be proud of them.

The only thing I coul think off Saturday while watching the game was the Buddy Epson connection between The receiver Barnabee and the running back Jones.   

[79jaybird]

Elmhurst hasn't won in Bloomington since 1985 (I believe) so it would be a monumental upset for EC to win.  Would love to see it happen on Normy's turf.

*Can somebody let me know- How or Why would IWU get a home game when they would be a Pool C?  Wouldn't a conference Champion (Pool A) recipient get the home field?

North Park's Seniors indeed deserve a lot of credit for laying down the foundation.  Hopefully they can build on this year's success.

[matblake]

*Can somebody let me know- How or Why would IWU get a home game when they would be a Pool C?  Wouldn't a conference Champion (Pool A) recipient get the home field?

Locations for games are based on the seeds of the teams in the region.  Pool A, B and C are for selection purposes.  The committee makes the bracket following the selection process. 

[ncc58]

*Can somebody let me know- How or Why would IWU get a home game when they would be a Pool C?  Wouldn't a conference Champion (Pool A) recipient get the home field?

Locations for games are based on the seeds of the teams in the region.  Pool A, B and C are for selection purposes.  The committee makes the bracket following the selection process.

I don't see IWU getting a home game. The only way that could happen is if John Carroll (or Mt Union) is blown out, and I don't see that happening. I think JC (or Mt Union) will be the #3 seed and Witt will be the #4.