FB: New Jersey Athletic Conference

[Teamski]

I don't make predictions as any given Saturday....... All I know is that Wesley MUST be able to keep the score in touch in the first half to allow its second half team to kick in.  If they get behind against a good team in the cold, well, they can self destruct.  That said, there are some really motivated seniors that want to go out with a bang and that can motivate the rest of the team to step up. Looking at the weather.....  The weather is completely anti-Wesley.  38 degrees with rain.  Yeah well.........  Wesley will have to play some special ball to counter turnovers and mistakes in the cold.  They are not a hard ball team.  It will be interesting to see how they deal with the cold, which is my biggest worry.

-Ski

[wesleydad]

playoff loses to UMHB, UWW, and Mount, John Carroll is not any of these, so Wesley wins.

I noted the exact same thing.

Well, except that JC beat Mount.  This is THIS year, not history.

Despite the above, I think the game is a toss-up - good luck to both teams, and no (major) injuries.

Well Mount is not the Mount Union we have come to know historically either. I think that statement is more a testament to Wesley's playoff experience. Thus far, they have only been able to get KO'ed by teams from the upper echelon of D3. That said, its going to come down to the team that makes the fewest mistakes.

Samsies with Fisher in the past decade.  They've beaten Hobart a couple times, Rowan, Springfield, Union, Curry, Delaware Valley, Johns Hopkins and John Carroll.  Their losses have been against Mount Union twice, UMHB and St. Thomas.  The color purple is no joke.  John Carroll does not wear purple and that will be their ultimate downfall.  Wesley wins by 9.

For all the negative comments the East gets the best teams seem to lose to the same top teams as everyone else and beat many of the teams that can't beat the top either, so maybe the East isn't as bad as stated or like most teams can not beat the top of the top.

[Bartman]

playoff loses to UMHB, UWW, and Mount, John Carroll is not any of these, so Wesley wins.

I noted the exact same thing.

Well, except that JC beat Mount.  This is THIS year, not history.

Despite the above, I think the game is a toss-up - good luck to both teams, and no (major) injuries.

Well Mount is not the Mount Union we have come to know historically either. I think that statement is more a testament to Wesley's playoff experience. Thus far, they have only been able to get KO'ed by teams from the upper echelon of D3. That said, its going to come down to the team that makes the fewest mistakes.

Samsies with Fisher in the past decade.  They've beaten Hobart a couple times, Rowan, Springfield, Union, Curry, Delaware Valley, Johns Hopkins and John Carroll.  Their losses have been against Mount Union twice, UMHB and St. Thomas.  The color purple is no joke.  John Carroll does not wear purple and that will be their ultimate downfall.  Wesley wins by 9.

For all the negative comments the East gets the best teams seem to lose to the same top teams as everyone else and beat many of the teams that can't beat the top either, so maybe the East isn't as bad as stated or like most teams can not beat the top of the top.

This could be the year where the elite D3 championship teams become mortals , I think the gap has narrowed, not sure why(better recruiting by the others?), so , it looks like Wesley is peaking at the right time...so who knows how far you can go?.....good luck against JC today

[HScoach]

playoff loses to UMHB, UWW, and Mount, John Carroll is not any of these, so Wesley wins.

I noted the exact same thing.

Well, except that JC beat Mount.  This is THIS year, not history.

Despite the above, I think the game is a toss-up - good luck to both teams, and no (major) injuries.

Well Mount is not the Mount Union we have come to know historically either. I think that statement is more a testament to Wesley's playoff experience. Thus far, they have only been able to get KO'ed by teams from the upper echelon of D3. That said, its going to come down to the team that makes the fewest mistakes.

This Mount team is just like the UWW squad that finished 7-3 a few years ago.   The only difference is the OAC sucks and the WIAC doesn't.    Hence 9-1 instead of 7-3.

Every game is this region is a toss-up for this Mount team.   If they're fortunate enough to make it thru, the semifinals will be ugly.

[boobyhasgameyo]

playoff loses to UMHB, UWW, and Mount, John Carroll is not any of these, so Wesley wins.

I noted the exact same thing.

Well, except that JC beat Mount.  This is THIS year, not history.

Despite the above, I think the game is a toss-up - good luck to both teams, and no (major) injuries.

Well Mount is not the Mount Union we have come to know historically either. I think that statement is more a testament to Wesley's playoff experience. Thus far, they have only been able to get KO'ed by teams from the upper echelon of D3. That said, its going to come down to the team that makes the fewest mistakes.

This Mount team is just like the UWW squad that finished 7-3 a few years ago.   The only difference is the OAC sucks and the WIAC doesn't.    Hence 9-1 instead of 7-3.

Every game is this region is a toss-up for this Mount team.   If they're fortunate enough to make it thru, the semifinals will be ugly.

Assuming the other top teams are as dominant as in years past.  Really the only team that I feel like has done that is UMHB.  I haven't checked to see if you're on the same side to match up with them?  But the other purples have had at least a game, sometimes more, where they've certainly looked beatable.  Mount Union may be an underdog against a St. Thomas, UWW or UMHB this year but if try were to win I would not be shocked.  It's not as though Mount Union is completely devoid of talent. 

[wesleydad]

Nice first quarter.  winning 7-0 and finally moving the ball.  ball control and defense.

[wesleydad]

O line looks bad on pass plays.  come on now, make the blocks.

[Teamski]

O line looks bad on pass plays.  come on now, make the blocks.

6 penalties already and an ineffective passing game by Wesley is not doing the defense any favors.

-Ski

[wesleydad]

offense looks horrible.  no pass blocking at all.  big issue.

[Teamski]

offense looks horrible.  no pass blocking at all.  big issue.

Three 3rd down sacks for JCU.  The Wesley defense is saving the game so far....but for how long?  Time of possession is going to be a killer if Falkenburg and the line don't get started.   If Wesley can keep the game tied into the second half, then perhaps the offense will get running at some point and salvage the game.

-Ski

[boobyhasgameyo]

Man was Wesley saved by the wind just before the end of the half.  JCU receiver had the Wesley coverage badly beat amidst some confusion and could have easily scored a touchdown had the QB not massively underthrown the ball.  Instead it was caught up in the wind and intercepted. 

Nice defensive effort thus far by both teams.  Not surprisingly the inverse of that is that both offenses are meh. 

[wesleydad]

offense looks horrible.  no pass blocking at all.  big issue.

Three 3rd down sacks for JCU.  The Wesley defense is saving the game so far....but for how long?  Time of possession is going to be a killer if Falkenburg and the line don't get started.   If Wesley can keep the game tied into the second half, then perhaps the offense will get running at some point and salvage the game.

-Ski

ugly offense.  Chip had to earn his money today.  Make changes and challlenge if not no chance.

[Teamski]

Like I said, cold weather and Wesley don't mix and they have to play harder than most other teams to make things work.  12 yards passing, 55 yards total offense for Wesley in the first half is terrible.  The good thing is that Wesley has had the ability to reload and sort out things in the second half.  Anybody remember the Wesley-Linfield game?  To make that happen, Falkenburg will have to zero in his passes to make them catchable.  Kemp and Shade dropped a couple tough passes that would have been big in the first half.  Make a couple of those in the second and you have a game.  The JCU defense is tough and so is Wesley's.  But with time of possession slowly drawing down Wesley's defense, this game will go south if the offense doesn't make those 3rd down conversions.

-Ski

[wesleydad]

Like I said, cold weather and Wesley don't mix and they have to play harder than most other teams to make things work.  12 yards passing, 55 yards total offense for Wesley in the first half is terrible.  The good thing is that Wesley has had the ability to reload and sort out things in the second half.  Anybody remember the Wesley-Linfield game?  To make that happen, Falkenburg will have to zero in his passes to make them catchable.  Kemp and Shade dropped a couple tough passes that would have been big in the first half.  Make a couple of those in the second and you have a game.  The JCU defense is tough and so is Wesley's.  But with time of possession slowly drawing down Wesley's defense, this game will go south if the offense doesn't make those 3rd down conversions.

-Ski

cmon ski stop making excuses for the cold.  offense is horrible right now.  no plays have worked.  keep hoping things work out.  nothing was catchable, except the receiver tried to make a great play.  o line is bad both run and pass blocking.  lucky to still be tied.  optimism is nice, reality is better.

[Teamski]

Like I said, cold weather and Wesley don't mix and they have to play harder than most other teams to make things work.  12 yards passing, 55 yards total offense for Wesley in the first half is terrible.  The good thing is that Wesley has had the ability to reload and sort out things in the second half.  Anybody remember the Wesley-Linfield game?  To make that happen, Falkenburg will have to zero in his passes to make them catchable.  Kemp and Shade dropped a couple tough passes that would have been big in the first half.  Make a couple of those in the second and you have a game.  The JCU defense is tough and so is Wesley's.  But with time of possession slowly drawing down Wesley's defense, this game will go south if the offense doesn't make those 3rd down conversions.

-Ski

cmon ski stop making excuses for the cold.  offense is horrible right now.  no plays have worked.  keep hoping things work out.  nothing was catchable, except the receiver tried to make a great play.  o line is bad both run and pass blocking.  lucky to still be tied.  optimism is nice, reality is better.

I'm sticking with it. 

-Ski