FB: Northwest Conference

[cawcdad]

Ouch coco. Soccer got me through college.  I hope you won't turn me away now the next time I'm in Mac. The school I went to had no football so every Saturday that I didn't have a game, I headed out to watch one somewhere.

[Bubs1856]

Congratulations to Elliot on the myriad of awards this season and a remarkable tenure at the Cat Dome.  What a treat to watch over the past couple of years.

On another note, I am a little surprised that Allen was left off the AFCA All-America team.  Although I am not too educated on the stat line of the two WR's selected, I have to believe that Allen was right in the mix.

[wildcat11]

George Carter signs with a Arena2 team.

George Carter signs with Shock

[Tezbaseball]

Good for George. Congrats to Brett as well as the other 'Cats on their awards. Will they be handing out the trophy at halftime during the Stagg Bowl?

[coco]

Just kidding, cawcdad. Tuxguy's son is a heck of a soccer player at Linfield, too.

JR, if you've been going to Johnnie football games every Saturday since you were a student there back in the seventies, how many do you suppose you've attended by now?

[cawcdad]

I knew you were kidding coco, so was I.

I already have July 15 marked on my calender, George Carter and the Spokane Shock at Stockton Lightning.

Congratulations to Brett Elliott on the Gagliardi. Congrats to all Cats for a great season.

[MyYak]

My Yak, 

No, not for a while. The trip a few months ago was great, but I don't think I could handle your winter weather.

We'll be going to Hawaii in a couple months, though. I need to get my tan back.

I think you meant to say "I need to get MyTan back"

Just kidding, cawcdad. Tuxguy's son is a heck of a soccer player at Linfield, too.

JR, if you've been going to Johnnie football games every Saturday since you were a student there back in the seventies, how many do you suppose you've attended by now?

Jr, if I may answer on your behalf.  Not near enough.

[Andy Jamison]

I'm of the mind that Benzel deserves to start next year.  I believe that he would have been a 3 year starter if not for Elliott and would have put up some serious numbers.  My concern like many fellow Wildcat backers is that we have a couple stud running backs who can break tackles and get some yards after contact.

Does anyone know whether or not Travis Masters is healthy and expecting to play next year?  I'd also like to see the Lincoln receiver who led the state in receptions come to Linfield.  Any idea on who is talking to him?

[Johnnie Red]

Coco, when I was at St. John's, there were not many football games that I got to attend. The reason for that was due to the fact that I was a member of the cross-country team and almost all our meets were on Saturdays. I did get to run at such exotic places like Notre Dame, Luther, Chicago and Como Park in St. Paul.

It did amaze me when I got to Collegeville as a freshman and we did workouts by the field where the football team
practiced that the cross-country team was always working harder than the football players. That was my first introduction to the world famous Gagliardi system.

I started to attend the Johnnie football games on a regular basis in the early 80's. As you know, it is now an addiction.

[Olinemom]

I did have the privilege of going to a university where the major fall sport was soccer and there was no football program. After graduating from football heaven, i.e. St. John's, it was quite a transition going to law school at St. Louis U. and not having a venue for college football on Saturday afternoons. It did help that there was a rather large brewery in town to help drown one's sorrows for not being in Collegeville. Needless to say, I never went to a soccer game.

     I have tried to understand soccer, I really have, but they seem to run up and down the field and never seem to score.  There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to this running around.  Then they get penalty kicks for doing almost nothing to another player.  What's with that?  Every 4 years I can watch the women in the Olympics, but that's just about it. 

     My first teaching gig was at a school that did not have football.  And while I loved it there, there was no FOOTBALL!!!    When I came to Bridgewater, there was football, but no FOOTBALL, if you have ever looked at the records from back in the dark ages (after 1980 and pre-Coach Mike Clark)  I sat through 0-10 seasons, but I knew brighter days would come and they have!!!  And it is a great pleasure to sit on the lucky blanket everywhere we go, bake brownies, make good luck charms, feed my Oliners and my Seniors, you name it, I try to do it,  because we have been on the other side of the ball. And this side of the ball is DEFINITELY BETTER!!

STAGG BOWL IS COMING TO A TOWN NEAR ME ON SATURDAY!!  YIPPEE!!

     I'm just sorry that Coach Gagliardi isn't coming.  I e-mailed last year and he said that budgets in DIII meant that if the Johnnies weren't playing, he wouldn't be coming.  I mean the Trophy is named after him.  Why doesn't the NCAA fly him in for the presentation?  That's crazy!!  Don't you think?

[coco]

Olinemom,

I'm even sorrier that Coach Locey isn't going, along with the rest of his coaches and players.

OK, I'm over it. I won't say stuff like that again.

[Olinemom]

Olinemom,

I'm even sorrier that Coach Locey isn't going, along with the rest of his coaches and players.

OK, I'm over it. I won't say stuff like that again.

But someone said yesteday that a bunch of people were at least coming to support Brett tomorrow evening. What do you know about that if anything?  Coach Locey and his players certainly looked awesome last year.  I enjoyed watching them play.  I'm sure it won't be the last time we see them at the Stagg Bowl!!  That was an unbelievable game between Linfield and WW.  It's a shame somebody had to lose.  It reminds me of the 2001 Stagg Bowl where we lost by 3 points to Mount Union.  But somebody has to go home on the short end of the stick.  It is a yucky feeling, especially after having tasted the feeling of being at the National Championship!! That;s what really hurts.  Because you know you can play with the 2 teams that are there, but you aren't.  Yeah, believe me, I empathize with you!

[bluenote]

...is there a reason why the West has not played the North in the Semis in the last 5 years or so? Maybe I'm not remembering right but I don't recall that ever being the case. Seems like the NCAA Playoff Committee pulls things out of their hat for no reason on the playoff seedings and placements so I can't imagine it's had anything to do with seeding? I can't remember if this is a predetermined bracket thing or something that just happens according to who wins the region and who is seeded higher to begin with. Why wouldn't there be a year when the West plays the North and the South plays the East in the Semis? Just wondering.... ?

[Foss]

Thanks for the props guys, I appreciate it.

Congrats to BE. He deserved it.

I don't think this has been posted yet. It's an article on him today from a newspaper in Utah. It talks about his love of just playing and his feelings on coming to Linfield. Also, a little bit on his aspirations of making it to the next level. I don't know how to shorten links, but here it is:

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635168731,00.html

[Foss]

Blue, I think it's supposed to be based on each region's top seed. The West was #1 because of Linfield, I think they saw undefeated Delaware Valley as the next highest team (outside of the West) and that's why the East was #2, then the North at #3, followed by the South. The #1 region plays the #4, and #2 plays #3.

Here's what Keith McMillan (the Around the Nation guy) said a little while ago regarding who gets to host the semifinals. I don't know if this helps answer your question, but......

"the brackets that get to host in the semifinals have basically been selected at random each year ... not technically, but it feels that way. I can't ever remember it being the same year-to-year."