FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

So some of the names I was hearing are in fact true from the Wheaton recruits list.

You have another round of Roberts, Nussbaum, Miller, Frazier, Brady to represent brothers, cousins and sons of Alum.

Probably most recognizable is Noah Spielman, son of Chris Spielman of Ohio State LB fame and lesser Detroit Lion.  I believe he is transferring in from Toledo, so a D1 transfer.

I also see Matt Stanley,  the son of Paul Stanley, former LB for the team formerly known as Crusaders. Looks like a pretty good player. And Christian Bolhuis is likely the offspring of early 80's lanky WR Jim Bolhuis.

I had no idea he went to Wheaton.

Also, Jim Bolhuis is a good coach and a great guy.  I taught with him for a while.  I had no idea he was a Wheatie.

Is it wrong that I initially read this as basically the equivalent of "that runs so counter to what I expect from a Wheatie"?   

(Probably, but it still made me laugh...)

Since Wheaties are generally both competent and affable, I didn't read it that way.

However, if it had been me posting those words in red, you could've read it as, "Jim Bolhuis is a typical Wheatie. As such, I both like him and want him to wear sackcloth and ashes and suffer terribly throughout the season of whichever sport(s) in which he roots for Wheaton."

[thunderdog]

Big group and well represented. 5 transfers from Furman, Toledo, Malone, South Dakota, and Dayton. Spielman, from the Video, is impressive.

Exciting class of newcomers put together by the coaching staff at Wheaton. I haven't watched all the videos yet but the 2 that stand out the most (to me) so far are Spielman and Stone Watson, the RB from CO. I wouldn't be surprised to see both of these players make immediate contributions next year.

Roll Thunder!!!

[CardinalAlum]

List of NCC's recruits:

http://www.northcentralcardinals.com/sports/2015/5/5/FB_05052015.aspx?path=football

I wasn't able to keep up much w/ the HS football scene this past season and haven't had a chance to do any research due to a move across the country, so someone will have to fill me in if any of these guys are any good 

You would think with a class of almost 70 newcomers, there will be some talent.  I believe the QB, Hunniford, the 8A player of the year in Illinois, will be the one to keep an eye on but I heard there are some quality linemen as well.   Transfers could come in to play as well.  Looks like a strong Wheatie class for sure.  That seems like an awful small recruiting class for the Green Weenies, but maybe it's the "Norm", pun intended. 

[AndOne]

List of NCC's recruits:

http://www.northcentralcardinals.com/sports/2015/5/5/FB_05052015.aspx?path=football

I wasn't able to keep up much w/ the HS football scene this past season and haven't had a chance to do any research due to a move across the country, so someone will have to fill me in if any of these guys are any good 

You would think with a class of almost 70 newcomers, there will be some talent.  I believe the QB, Hunniford, the 8A player of the year in Illinois, will be the one to keep an eye on but I heard there are some quality linemen as well.   Transfers could come in to play as well.  Looks like a strong Wheatie class for sure.  That seems like an awful small recruiting class for the Green Weenies, but maybe it's the "Norm", pun intended.

But, you need to remember that the Green institution is a 🏀 school. 

[USee]

Looking ahead to the 2015 season it could be a good year for the CCIW. Wheaton, NCC, and IWU all bring back a core group of talent and Elmhurst, Augie, NPU should all be improved. Here is an early look at the contenders as I see it today. Keep in mind I don't have much information on defectors, transfers, or possible 5th year guys.

Wheaton: Last year's surprise 10-0 team should be as loaded as they have been in some time. And they have added the two best recruiting classes in 20 years back to back. The Thunder should start the season as a top 10 team, CCIW favorite, and have a chance for a special season. They should be very good. Road games in Naperville and in Bloomington back to back in the final weeks of the season will obviously be huge.

Returning starters: 17 (9 offense, 8 defense).
Key returnees: Johnny Peltz, QB; Luke Thorson, WR (5th yr); Matt Snebold, OT; Adam Dansdill, LB (CCIW DPOY); Mikey Swider, LB, Logan McCrae, LB; Josh Aldrin, DT
Key losses: Spencer Clark, C
Key additions: Noah Spielman, DT

North Central: The Cardinals start the Thorne 2.0 era with a full cupboard. They will be a top 20 team and co-favorite in the CCIW. Dylan Warden and Oshayne Brown are lightning in a bottle and with 4 OL back, expect another run heavy offense with a physical, solid defense from NCC. The Cards currently only have 9 games on their schedule for the fall.

Returning starters: 14 (8 offense, 6 defense)
Key returnees: Dylan Warden, QB, Oshayne Brown, RB, Jimmy Pelnarsh, DE, Jon Egan, DE
Key losses: Peter Mann, DT, Ryan Kent, RB, Peter Sorensen, WR
Key additions: unkown

Illinois Wesleyan: The Titans have an impressive group returning from a disappointing season. I have them ranked 3rd in the preseason based on the talent they have coming back from an injury depleted squad. I have some uncertainty about their ability to challenge the top two given their result last year but the talent is better in Bloomington than any of the other CCIW schools IMO. They host NCC and Wheaton back to back at end of season.

Returning starters: 15 (7 offense, 8 defense)
Key returnees: Jack Warner, QB; Artie Checchin, WR; Kyle Venhuizen, DE; Sean Garvery, LB
Key losses: Tyrell Bolden, DB/QB; John Worley, DE
Key additions: unkown

The best of the rest:
Elmhurst: with Josh Williams, RB and Garrett Glaxon, TE returning as well as leading tackler Valdez Honorable, DB, the Jays could surprise next year
Augie: A real wildcard with Monmouth defector Steve Bell taking over the helm. He appears to have built a solid program at his previous stop, time will tell if he can solve the riddle in Rock Island. Sam Frasco, QB, Brandon Price, RB and Jake Asquini, LB headline the returners.
North Park: Conway, Conway and Conway will lead the good and the bad in Chicago. Can the Vikings harness the Samoan powers and make a move up the standings? History is not their friend but there's a new sheriff in town.
Carthage: Javier Rhoades, TE, Shawntrel Garner, DB, and Greg Money, LB are key returners. Ever heard of them? Me neither.
Millikin: Matt Madigral, LB and Anthony Berkman, OL, and Brady Cuafade, WR, are the best returners

[D3gridiron]

So some of the names I was hearing are in fact true from the Wheaton recruits list.

You have another round of Roberts, Nussbaum, Miller, Frazier, Brady to represent brothers, cousins and sons of Alum.

Probably most recognizable is Noah Spielman, son of Chris Spielman of Ohio State LB fame and lesser Detroit Lion.  I believe he is transferring in from Toledo, so a D1 transfer.

Wheaton certainly loves their legacy players...at times to a fault.

[AndOne]

North Central has finished as the top rated CCIW member in the final 2014-2015 Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings, finishing in 24th place nationally out of the 322 DIII programs that garnered points. Five CCIW members finished in the top 60.

North Central---24th
IL Wesleyan-----34th
Augustana-------39th
Wheaton---------45th
Carthage---------59th
Elmhurst---------144th
North Park-------T 279th
Millikin------------T 279th

[Gregory Sager]

North Park: Conway, Conway and Conway will lead the good and the bad in Chicago.

Devin Childress led the league in receptions per game last season (5.9) and was third in receiving yards per game (78), with the only returning player who ranked ahead of him in that category being Artie Checchin of IWU. In CCIW play only, Childress ranked third in the league in receptions per game (5.29), with Brady Cufaude of Millikin being the only returning player who ranked higher. Childress finished fourth in the league in reception yards per game in CCIW play (73.3), with Cufaude and Checchin the only 2015 returnees who placed higher.

Childress finished one point behind NCC kicker Dom Zavaglia in overall scoring, and in CCIW play he led the league with 72 points, seven more than Zavaglia and two touchdowns more than the next-best position player, Josh Williams of Elmhurst. He tied with Luke Thorson of Wheaton for the overall lead in touchdowns (14), and his 12 TDs in CCIW play led the league, with Josh Williams (10) the only other player to reach double figures in that category.

Childress was one of three freshmen who made the All-CCIW team last season, and he was the only one of the three who plays a skill position.

I realize that it doesn't fit your snappy "Conway, Conway, and Conway" line to mention Childress, but if you're going to mention all of those other CCIW players who're coming back you have to mention Childress as well if you want to do your analysis any justice.

[USee]

North Park: Conway, Conway and Conway will lead the good and the bad in Chicago.

Devin Childress led the league in receptions per game last season (5.9) and was third in receiving yards per game (78), with the only returning player who ranked ahead of him in that category being Artie Checchin of IWU. In CCIW play only, Childress ranked third in the league in receptions per game (5.29), with Brady Cufaude of Millikin being the only returning player who ranked higher. Childress finished fourth in the league in reception yards per game in CCIW play (73.3), with Cufaude and Checchin the only 2015 returnees who placed higher.

Childress finished one point behind NCC kicker Dom Zavaglia in overall scoring, and in CCIW play he led the league with 72 points, seven more than Zavaglia and two touchdowns more than the next-best position player, Josh Williams of Elmhurst. He tied with Luke Thorson of Wheaton for the overall lead in touchdowns (14), and his 12 TDs in CCIW play led the league, with Josh Williams (10) the only other player to reach double figures in that category.

Childress was one of three freshmen who made the All-CCIW team last season, and he was the only one of the three who plays a skill position.

I realize that it doesn't fit your snappy "Conway, Conway, and Conway" line to mention Childress, but if you're going to mention all of those other CCIW players who're coming back you have to mention Childress as well if you want to do your analysis any justice.

The point of my analysis was not justice. Sorry if your britches are in a bunch because your freshman receiver wan't mentioned ahead of the Conway win, place, and show format but I personally don't view him as more important that those 3 people. He may change my mind but his 2 catches for 19 yds in the only game I was able to see him play color me unimpressed. North Park did throw the ball 95 times more than the next highest team so i would expect someone to be the beneficiary of those targets. I actually liked Anthony Burton a lot more in the only game I saw. I actually put Dakota Conway in there 70% because it fit my semantics and 30% because I think he is a more important player to NPU than Childress, even if not by much.

Feel free to conduct your own research on the 8 teams and provide your justice based analysis.

[Gregory Sager]

The point of my analysis was not justice. Sorry if your britches are in a bunch because your freshman receiver wan't mentioned ahead of the Conway win, place, and show format but I personally don't view him as more important that those 3 people. He may change my mind but his 2 catches for 19 yds in the only game I was able to see him play color me unimpressed.

One of those catches was for a touchdown, but that's beside the point. The next week he caught nine passes for 117 yards and three touchdowns against North Central -- but if you're only impressed by people who stand out in games that you actually watch, then you might want to take that up with the NCC people.

North Park did throw the ball 95 times more than the next highest team so i would expect someone to be the beneficiary of those targets.

There's two ways of looking at that. One is that there's more balls to catch. The other is that there isn't any need for the opposition to worry about the run -- and NPU's running stats on a per-carry basis were dismal enough to warrant that defensive policy -- which means that the effect of those extra passes with regard to stats is somewhat blunted.

I actually liked Anthony Burton a lot more in the only game I saw.

Again, I find the eyeballs-only basis of your analysis suspect. Burton did have a fine game against Wheaton, and he's certainly a good football player. (He was NPU's backup quarterback as well.) But the balance of the NPU season in its entirety made it clear who the primary threat for the Vikings was ... and it wasn't Burton.

I actually put Dakota Conway in there 70% because it fit my semantics and 30% because I think he is a more important player to NPU than Childress, even if not by much.

Well, they're both All-CCIW receivers, so I'm not going to dispute that particular assertion. But your "not by much" phrase is telling.

Feel free to conduct your own research on the 8 teams and provide your justice based analysis.

I'll feel free not to do so. It does seem to me, though, that the britches-bunching is happening on your side of the fence, not mine. If you're so touchy about people responding to your analysis, why did you offer it in the first place? Did you really expect total assent (or total silence, which in this case amounts to the same thing)?

[USee]

Greg,

I am not as fancy as you with the quote features (I could use a lesson cuz it's pretty cool) so I will offer a few retorts in chronological order to your points.

1. Re: Childress v Wheaton: As you know I am not a new poster and the history of my perceptions are well documented. I don't think I make decisions based on just the games I watch, which is why I qualified my statements with the fact I only saw Devin Childress live once, since he was a freshman. Remember, Dakota Conway didn't even play against Wheaton.

2. Re: more balls to catch: I don't think many people were too worried about NPU last year to have to adjust what they do. Wheaton certainly didn't care. In fact TD Conway has one of his better games against them, 26-44 for 268 and 3 TD's. Wheaton played NPU the exact same way they played everybody. NPU throws the ball more. Defensive adjustments or not there are going to be more targets and more stats. Blunted because of completion percentage? Maybe. Yds per catch? maybe. None of those were my point.

3. Re: Anthony Burton. See point 1 above

4. Dakota Conway v Childress: My "not by much" phrase IS telling. But my telling is more telling. I said the three I picked to mention about NPU was 70% because it was more catchy. If I was mentioning 4 players, Childress would be next. I mentioned 3 and that bothered you. If you notice, I mentioned only 3 for the others in that section as well.

5: I don't mind your replies at all. Again, my history doesn't indicate I get too worried about a about a fact challenge. To the contrary, I tend to like to debate things to the death (I should think about adopting Q's approach but that's not as much fun). I simply took issue with the fact you called my analysis into question based on the fact I listed the top 3 most important names for NPU football instead of the top 4. I read into it that you diqualified my entire analysis when in fact you may have only been questioning my analysis on NPU. But that's the downfall of written word vs live debate. We lose context. No matter.  I don't mind the debate on Childress' merit. I am not at all saying he is not worthy. To the contrary, he made All CCIW as a freshman. And a freshman at NPU to boot! That is impressive. He is likely going to have a great career and will get plenty of ink on here if it matters. For me, he was largely unmemorable compared to the 3 (and only 3) I chose to mention. Who would you have taken out in order to mention him? (that's a rhetorical question)

Finally, I am replying to each of your points in large part because it's the offseason and material on here is hard to come by (which is why I started this to begin with). During the season I would have simply made some absolute declaration that invalidates all of your counterpoints with concise  precision so as not to belabor the points with our fellow posters (who likely haven't even read this far, but I know you have!)

[Gregory Sager]

USee, I find your last post to be thin soup indeed for debate, due to the fact that you and I appear to agree to a surprising degree. This is a distressing outcome, given that this is, as you said, the offseason and thus a pronounced dry period for this board.

To be crystal clear on the subject, my objection to your omission of Childress was more based upon the fact that comparable players (i.e., MU's Brady Cufaude) got mentioned and he didn't. I suppose that this is a victory of sorts for NPU, inasmuch as you clearly didn't feel the need to name all of the otherwise-noteworthy players on the Wheaton, NCC, and IWU rosters (in the interest of brevity and readability, I'm guessing). Even one omission in the same vein for North Park is thus a sign of progress.

It was a fine analysis, overall, and thanks for submitting it to the room.

[Gotberg]

USee, I find your last post to be thin soup indeed for debate, due to the fact that you and I appear to agree to a surprising degree. This is a distressing outcome, given that this is, as you said, the offseason and thus a pronounced dry period for this board.

To be crystal clear on the subject, my objection to your omission of Childress was more based upon the fact that comparable players (i.e., MU's Brady Cufaude) got mentioned and he didn't. I suppose that this is a victory of sorts for NPU, inasmuch as you clearly didn't feel the need to name all of the otherwise-noteworthy players on the Wheaton, NCC, and IWU rosters (in the interest of brevity and readability, I'm guessing). Even one omission in the same vein for North Park is thus a sign of progress.

It was a fine analysis, overall, and thanks for submitting it to the room.

Greg - while you are correct regarding Childress' impact on the team, Usee's short summary is more fun to read without to much detail....my only disappointment is that he used the word "Sheriff" when he could have used a great Viking equivalent like "Jarl"

Go Vikings!

[Gregory Sager]

Greg - while you are correct regarding Childress' impact on the team, Usee's short summary is more fun to read without to much detail....my only disappointment is that he used the word "Sheriff" when he could have used a great Viking equivalent like "Jarl"

I'll hoist a flagon of mead to that post, Gotberg!

[martin]

Wash U is joining the CCIW as an associate member for football in 2018.
http://bearsports.wustl.edu/sports/fball/2015-16/releases/20150611z55r5g

Chicago is also leaving the SAA after the 2017 season.  No new football conference affiliation has been announced.
http://athletics.uchicago.edu/sports/fball/2014-15/releases/20150612631ks3