FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[USee]

 Confirmed Johnny Peltz will start at QB for the Thunder today.

[DadofBashWarrior..]

Wheaton Thunder...

LET'S ROLL

Go get em' Wheaton...what an immeasurable luxury to have Peltz and Bowers in this moment...absolutely stunning coaching...I know many of you have questioned Swider...again I will say...stunning coaching

[CardinalAlum]

Good luck to the Thunder!  Not sure why you make a change now but it has to be an injury.  You don't make that change in the quarterfinals.   #11 is as tough as they come.   I'm sure the Thunder will represent the CCIW well. 

[USee]

Of course Wheaton fans love having Johnny Peltz on our team....that doesn't change the fact that UMHB is really, really good. Go Thunder!

[wildcat11]

Great effort, Thunder.  Impressed with you guys today.

[DFWCrufan]

Well done Wheaton, D line was a beast, good season and much respect earned, as our commentators said, your QB, big man, tough and played well. Lindquist is a machine...

[izzy stradlin]

Well, went down swinging with Peltz at QB.    INT TD return, punt block TD and 15 yard Greenlee targeting penatly/ejection were killers.   

[Mugsy]

Pat is reporting that Peltz will start today, which, awesome- but if not as an injury replacement, why now?

It was injury replacement.  Bowers injured his ribs in the NCC game.

[Mugsy]

Congrats Wheaton on another great season!  Well done.

It was highlighted that Wheaton would need a very clean, mistake free game to beat UMHB today.  It was anything but. 

3 INT's, one returned for a TD.
A blocked extra point
A blocked punt returned for a TD
Loss of top defensive player due to targeting penalty.

Too much to overcome against elite teams.

Two years in a row Wheaton has given a good account of themselves against the "purple powers".  Next time lets break through!

[Kelly Boggs]

Wheaton came to play today. Hats off on a gritty performance. Another good season for the Thunder.

[blue_jays]

Pat is reporting that Peltz will start today, which, awesome- but if not as an injury replacement, why now?

It was injury replacement.  Bowers injured his ribs in the NCC game.

Well we can all feel better about the call to go to Peltz then. If both were healthy and they were to make that move now... second guesses would never end.

[wally_wabash]

Pat is reporting that Peltz will start today, which, awesome- but if not as an injury replacement, why now?

It was injury replacement.  Bowers injured his ribs in the NCC game.

Well we can all feel better about the call to go to Peltz then. If both were healthy and they were to make that move now... second guesses would never end.

True.  But feel free to second guess forever whether or not Peltz would have been less rusty had he been playing, you know, all along.  I think that remains fair game. 

[USee]

Wheaton needed to win the turnover battle, win or draw in special teams and limit the UMHB to 21-24 points while scoring 28 in order to win. They didn't do any of those things except limit the MHB offense. 3 INT's led directly to 17 pts and a special teams gaffe led to 7. Can't hand the #1 team 24 pts and expect a good result. That said the defense was championship quality and the team had the ball 2x in the 3rd quarter in MHB territory trying to make it a 1 score game.

Progress for sure. We can compete with the top tier but probably still 1-2 playmakers away from breaking in.

Great season of football in the CCIW. 2 teams in the playoffs and both are top 10 quality teams. Both teams return a majority of their starters next year and the middle of the CCIW made big improvements with Carthage, IWU, and Elmhurst having competitive teams. Next year should be even more competitive in the league.

[izzy stradlin]

Wheaton will have as much talent on their roster next year as they have ever had.  The "three best consecutive recruiting classes in program history" per Swider will be the sophs-seniors next year.  They will lose 2 LBs but return everyone else on defense including every player in the rotation on their outstanding DLine.

The offense will lose Peter Gibson (OL), Zach Lindquist (TE) and the senior QB duo.  Tyler Pace is a current soph that has big upside at TE.  At QB there are great options in Jesse Furrow or Spencer Peterson.  Peterson is a current frosh who will probably see minutes for the basketball team this winter.  He is probably as physically gifted of a QB as Wheaton has ever recruited.

As Usee said, the CCIW will be very strong next year. 8 months until camp. 

[GillCJ1]

Great game, Thunder.  It was every bit as competitive as I hoped it would be.