FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[USee]

Augie went to Italy and played 2 games in May. I have seen nor heard any reports from there other than they won their two games. Any Augie folks have any details? Namely, who is the Augie QB going to be? I think Augie has a chance to make a significant jump this year if they settle the QB spot.

I am starting to look at the conference teams and will have some previews in the next couple weeks.

[USee]

The CCIW will be better this year. There is a lot of returning talent to the conference. I haven't looked at Carroll yet but every team has it's Quarterback returning except Augie and NCC/Wheaton have 2 QB's each (Warden/Hunniford; Peltz/Bowers) coming back.  9 of the top 10 leading rushers are back, 11 of the top 15 leaders in tackles are back, 9 of the top 10 leaders in scoring return, and every team in the league returns between 14 and 18 starters. WR is the only position losing a lot of production with just 4 of the top ten leaders returning.

I can't remember a year when so many teams return so much of their production. Augie's loss of Frasco is the biggest offensive contributor and Wheaton's loss of Dandsdill the biggest defensive contributor missing. Lot's of talent on both sides of the ball coming back in the CCIW.

[79jaybird]

Agree,  but it seems that the two Dynamos in (western) DuPage Co. are still the 2 teams to beat this year.   Wish the season started this weekend.

[AndOne]

USee,

Thanks for posting the info about all the returners.
Very interesting. Good stuff 

79jaybird,

You're right on regarding the two favorites. Clearly a separation between the two and the rest of the conference.
I can understand your desire for the season to get started, but let's wait a while until some more football like weather can arrive.   

[USee]

Based on initial analysis I think NCC and Wheaton are still clear of the rest of the conference. This year I would be surprised if NCC wasn't picked to win the conference. They have the most returning starters (17) with 9 on offense and 8 on defense including Hunniford and Warden. Breunig will be the POY favorite. Wheaton has 9 starters back on offense including Peltz and Bowers and 4 of 5 OL. Their challenge will be to replace the 3 LB's they lost and the dominance up front w Logan McCrae. They have 6 starters back on defense so the cupboard isn't bare but with the game played in Naperville I give the edge to NCC right now.

[matblake]

Hate to agree with USee on this, but I have to.  Primarily from the defensive standpoint.  They were the difference in the IWU game that nearly came apart for the Thunder. 

[AndOne]

Based on initial analysis I think NCC and Wheaton are still clear of the rest of the conference. This year I would be surprised if NCC wasn't picked to win the conference. They have the most returning starters (17) with 9 on offense and 8 on defense including Hunniford and Warden. Breunig will be the POY favorite. Wheaton has 9 starters back on offense including Peltz and Bowers and 4 of 5 OL. Their challenge will be to replace the 3 LB's they lost and the dominance up front w Logan McCrae. They have 6 starters back on defense so the cupboard isn't bare but with the game played in Naperville I give the edge to NCC right now.

It appears the QB picture at NCC this season will look at least partially different from last year in that one of the two primary performers at the position is evidently no longer in the picture. Former QB Dylan Warden, a superior all around athletic talent, has moved to wide receiver full time.

Incumbent starter Justin Hunniford had a fine freshman season, completing 115 out of 177 passes (65%) for 1,500 and 10 touchdowns. However, another QB took the majority of snaps for the Cardinals in spring practice as both Hunniford and backup Brett Miller are coming off labrum surgery. Former Naperville Neuqua Valley QB Broc Rutter who enrolled at North Central for the third trimester last year, after spending the first semester as a redshirt at D1 FCS Indiana State, was the primary signal caller in the spring. Rutter headlines a 58 member NCC recruiting class which includes seven freshman QBs.

[Mugsy]

Wheaton season preview has been posted:

http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2016/7/28/2016-thunder-football-preview.aspx

[robertgoulet]

It appears the QB picture at NCC this season will look at least partially different from last year in that one of the two primary performers at the position is evidently no longer in the picture. Former QB Dylan Warden, a superior all around athletic talent, has moved to wide receiver full time.

Incumbent starter Justin Hunniford had a fine freshman season, completing 115 out of 177 passes (65%) for 1,500 and 10 touchdowns. However, another QB took the majority of snaps for the Cardinals in spring practice as both Hunniford and backup Brett Miller are coming off labrum surgery. Former Naperville Neuqua Valley QB Broc Rutter who enrolled at North Central for the third trimester last year, after spending the first semester as a redshirt at D1 FCS Indiana State, was the primary signal caller in the spring. Rutter headlines a 58 member NCC recruiting class which includes seven freshman QBs.

Well that's just unfair. Why should NCC be able to have 7 QBs in their recruitng class? Hoarding QBs isn't right.

[izzy stradlin]

Wheaton DC Jordan Langs getting a new job:

http://www.iwuwildcats.com/article/4913.php

[formerd3db]

Wheaton DC Jordan Langs getting a new job:

http://www.iwuwildcats.com/article/4913.php

Congratulations to Coach Langs. This is not surprising, however, since he was looking for a head coaching position and was reportedly among the finalist group for the Hope College job earlier this year.  Will be a loss for Wheaton, but a plus for him and for Indiana Wesleyan U. Best to him as he eventually transitions.  Thanks for the info.

[matblake]

That is a loss for Wheaton.  2 DC lost this off season.  However, this is what happens when you hire good coaches.  The best to Coach Langs and Coach Sears (outside of September 3).

[ncc_fan]

That is a loss for Wheaton.  2 DC lost this off season.  However, this is what happens when you hire good coaches.  The best to Coach Langs and Coach Sears (outside of September 3).

He's not lost yet:  "Langs will remain at Wheaton for the 2016 season...  He will join Indiana Wesleyan following the completion of the Thunders' 2016 season."   So you can enjoy his company through November 12th.   

[Mugsy]

That is a loss for Wheaton.  2 DC lost this off season.  However, this is what happens when you hire good coaches.  The best to Coach Langs and Coach Sears (outside of September 3).

He's not lost yet:  "Langs will remain at Wheaton for the 2016 season...  He will join Indiana Wesleyan following the completion of the Thunders' 2016 season."   So you can enjoy his company through November 12th.   

Hopefully without distraction.  Will the foundation & ground work required to setup a brand new program seep into this season?

[Gregory Sager]

That is a loss for Wheaton.  2 DC lost this off season.  However, this is what happens when you hire good coaches.  The best to Coach Langs and Coach Sears (outside of September 3).

He's not lost yet:  "Langs will remain at Wheaton for the 2016 season...  He will join Indiana Wesleyan following the completion of the Thunders' 2016 season."   So you can enjoy his company through November 12th.   

Hopefully without distraction.  Will the foundation & ground work required to setup a brand new program seep into this season?

Here's your money quote, Mugsy, from the same press article. It's from Eye Woo AD Mark DeMichael:

"We have great respect for the Wheaton College football program," said DeMichael. "Given the timing of our hiring of Jordan we felt like it was important for Jordan to stay and finish his responsibilities for this fall football season. During the season he will also be working with some of our staff to begin the recruiting process to bring in our first class of football players for the fall of 2017."

(emphasis mine)

The fact that this quote appears in Eye Woo's presser tells me that Langs's future boss has some immediate requirements for his new hire that definitely overlap with his current position. Given that he wants Langs to bring in a recruiting class for the fall of 2017 -- a full year before Eye Woo even takes to the field for the first time (it's an NAIA school, so presumably those 2017 recruits will all be redshirted) -- it's certainly not unreasonable for DeMichael to expect Langs to "work with some of our staff to begin the recruiting process" this fall.

I can appreciate that both schools think highly of Langs and want to accommodate him, but this doesn't appear to be a very good working arrangement. It seems to me that the best way to administer a coaching staff is to expect a coach to make a clean break when he changes schools. Yes, in D1 some coaches will stay on for a postseason bowl game after announcing that they're changing schools. But there's a vast difference between staying on the old job for two to four weeks in order to prepare for one game and staying on the old job for an entire season.