FB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Gray Fox]

Any of the Oxy faithful going to make their way north to the beautiful Bay Area to get away from the smoke and watch some football?

The fire has affected air quality throughout much of the Los Angeles area. Occidental Athletics continues to monitor the situation closely, and has cancelled or rescheduled practices and other events to protect the health of student athletes.

Are any other teams affected by this?  Has it affected the point spread in Vegas?

[Sabretooth Tiger]

I think Oxy is the SCIAC institution most impacted right now, though I can't imagine that air quality in the afternoons heading east (LaVerne, Claremont, Pomona, Redlands) is any better . . . and the latest report is that firefighters do not expect to contain the Station fire until September 15 . . . so there are two more weeks of burning expected . . . to quote a local firefighter:  "The fire is headed just about anywhere it wants to."

So . . . incredibly bad air in Pasadena in the mornings . . . literally like being next to a campfire with the smoke blowing in your face . . . later in the afternoon, the onshore  winds push the smoke back up over the mountains and/or east . . . so it is more breathable for  bit . . . then in moves back in overnight . . . sore throats, itching eyes, sneezing . . . par for the course these days . . . Oxy's home opener is not until Sept. 19 . . . hopefully things will be under control by then and air quality improved . . . we'll see.

Not making the trip to Menlo . . . at least not planning to do so for now . . . wife and boy might demand a change of venue if the air quality remains the way it has been . . . so we'll see on that one too.

[Oxy Fan]

Any of the Oxy faithful going to make their way north to the beautiful Bay Area to get away from the smoke and watch some football?

Have a group of 6 or so from SoCal heading up on Friday to meet an even larger group of NorCal friends and family.  Look for our tailgate in the parking lot.  Also, hopefully I'll have some good pics to post on the board when we get back.

[labart96]

SCIAC Fan is correct. Matt Allen is no secret. Here's an article about him which appeared in the Los Angeles Times:

I grew up about 12 miles from Trinity College so I suppose I can understand why after one year Allen high-tailed it back to Southern California.  The section of Hartford where Trinity is located isn't exactly skid row in DTLA, but it is a bit rough around the edges and CT did have one of it's worst winters in some time last year.

That said Allen will likely contribute from the get-go.  Although Trinity doesn't get much recognition in D3 polls, etc given the NESCAC is it's own island (they don't participate in the NCAAs for Football), I'd argue that Trinity could go head to head with the better teams in the east (including my alma mater), and compete.

[RFB]

http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/sports/ci_13243214

Article on Dan Selway's return from injury last year. He will be a big key to the Dawgs success this year. Looking forward to watching him this season.

[Gray Fox]

"We want to have a winning season and be SCIAC champions and then make history by winning a game in the playoffs. And I think we have the potential to do that. We're excited to get out there and show what we can do."

Dan,
The goal is not just to win one game, but to win the Stagg.  But one at a time will get you there. 

[SCIAC Fan]

Yeah Gray Fox....Selway should concentrate on one thing at a time....like figuring out how to beat Oxy....since he's been at UR Selway's teams are 0-4 against the Tigers

You heard it here first....CLU will win the SCIAC

[Gray Fox]

Chapman does not have any JC players.  There are two from Texas.

It's been brought to my attention that Chapman only shows the high school on their roster and that they do have some JC transfers.

http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/fball/2009-10/roster

[Gray Fox]

Two or three years ago I got a coffee table type book for Christmas titled ABC Sports College Football All-Time All-America Team.  I hadn't read any of it until recently.  Last night I found a reference on page 25 to the following game between New Mexico University and Oxy.  I went to the NMU Media Guide and found an even more complete story.  There is even a picture of the plane, but I couldn't figure how to copy it from the pdf file.  Enjoy.                  

"Apparently, the UNM football team of 1929 was among the
first, if not the first, to fly to an intercollegiate game. Aboard a
Ford Tri-motor airplane, Coach Roy Johnson took his team to
California where they played Occidental College of Los Angeles.
Daring as it seemed, Johnson remained cautious and sent
only the second team and the manager on the plane, while he
and the first team made the trip to Los Angeles by train. When
the team left on Oct. 10th, Mayor Tingley and some 2,000 residents
and students gathered at the airport to cheer the team's
departure on a special plane that was made available for the
occasion. As the plane was being taxied out on to the field
for take-off, it was found to be tail heavy. A search discovered
two students who had hoped to avoid notice by hiding in the
extreme end of the tail. It was evident that these stowaways
knew little about plane balance.
After the game, which UNM lost to Occidental 26-0, the
first team flew home while the second team made the return
trip by rail. The game, played in the Rose Bowl, was the first
night game for a UNM football team and the crowd of 17,000
was the largest ever for the Lobos to that point in the sport's
history."

[Oxy Fan]

Season preview from the Oxy Athletics Website:

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Sept. 1, 2009) – The Occidental College football team finished the 2008 season with a 9-1 overall record, posting a 6-0 record in the SCIAC to claim its fourth title in five years. The Tigers used a 9-0 undefeated regular season to punch a ticket to Oregon where Occidental faced off with Willamette University in the first round of the 2008 NCAA national playoffs.

While the Tigers graduated a standout class of 10, they look to the experience gained by the 49 returning players to couple with the talent and eagerness of the incoming freshman class  of 25 to carry on the winning tradition that has become associated with Oxy football.

On the offensive side of the ball, senior Scott Saunders will take the snaps at quarterback looking for the receiving duo of Chris Washington and Jason Lehman who each earned First Team and Honorable Mention All-SCIAC honors, respectively. C. Washington was the team's leading receiver caught 58 passes for 652 yards and seven touchdowns while Lehman snagged 38 catches for 633 yards and six TDs. Another Tiger target returning to the field this fall is four-year starter Jordan Inabnit. The 2008 Newcomer of the Year, Jordan Washington, will also be a wide receiving threat this season.

The running game will look to Jason Haller who carried the ball 100 times for 708 yards (7.1 yards/carry) and 118.0 yards per game (six games) with a team-leading 12 touchdowns en route to First Team All-SCIAC honors. Haller's most notable touchdowns of the season were 66 and 62-yard runs against Redlands, one of the nation's top defenses. The running game will depend on the offensive line, which will be anchored by junior SCIAC Honorable Mention center Nick Danielson, to make holes for him.

Defensively the Tigers welcome back a solid core, including junior defensive end Alex Wertheimer who earned First Team All-SCIAC honors after recording 43 total tackles (23 solo) with 13 for a loss of 42 yards and 8.5 sacks, pushing back the opposing offense 30 yards, while blocking a pair of kicks. Jim Hildensperger and Kyle Spaulding will both return to the gridiron after tallying 39 and 37 tackles, respectively, last season with 2.0 sacks apiece. Spaulding and senior Trace Wallace, who moves from corner to safety, each broke up a team-high seven passes in 2008. The Tigers' defensive line will look to the leadership of senior Jesse Fischer, a Second Team All-SCIAC in 2008 (7.0 sacks for a loss of 36 yards and 8.5 total tackles for a loss), and junior Brandon Ortega.

The Tigers' special teams will again be in good hands, as pre-season All-American candidate Alex Groh will punt for Occidental again after earning his second consecutive All-American recognition a year ago. Groh, who averaged 42.8 yards per punt was among the national leaders all season before falling out of the running to defend his nation leading punter status not punting enough times. Neil Martin returns as Occidental's field goal and point after touchdown kicker. In 2008 Martin was 9-for-11 in FG attempts and 41-for-43 in PATs.

On the receiving end of things, the Tigers will look to SCIAC Honorable Mention Nick Saraceni and C. Washington as punt and kick returners. A year ago Saraceni ran the ball back 407 yards in 19 attempts with his longest return at 47 yards. C. Washington had 19 chances and carried the ball back 277 yards.

The Tigers open the season at Menlo College before a bye week to prepare for their home opener in a much anticipated match up against Linfield College at Patterson Field on Sept. 19. Teams will take the field  at 7:00 p.m. in the first of five home games this season. The  Tigers will host the University of La Verne for Homecoming on Oct. 24 with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 p.m. As in years past the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference will be a competitive one.

[Oxy Fan]

Season preview of Oxy's first opponent, Menlo, as posted by the San Jose Mercury News:

Oaks committed to winning

By vyta mazeika
Daily News Staff Writer
Posted: 09/01/2009 10:31:54 PM PDT
Updated: 09/01/2009 10:31:55 PM PDT

The Menlo College football team is undergoing a culture makeover, and it starts in practice.
"It's fast-paced — moving, moving, moving," senior linebacker Brett Klee said. "And discipline across the board."
But interim coach Fred Guidici, who was quite audible at Monday's practice, won't take the credit. It is the players who spearheaded the change.
"They committed to themselves and each other," Guidici said. "They wanted to come back and start practicing in May. They've been chomping at the bit a long time for this opportunity."
The Oaks are coming off a 3-7 season and haven't had a winning record since 2003. Those facts in no way diminish expectations in Atherton as Saturday's season opener at home against Occidental approaches. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.
"We want to win every game, no matter what," Klee said. "And we think we can. We have balance on both sides of the ball."
On offense, senior running back Shaun Souza will shoulder a heavy load. After scoring three touchdowns in limited playing time as a freshman, the 5-10, 185-pound Souza scored 10 touchdowns as a sophomore, though he did miss three games due to injury. Last season Souza missed another four games, but he led the team again with seven rushing touchdowns.
"He's a battering ram, and that's why he's been hurt," Guidici said. "He plays hard and he beats himself into the ground because he's so committed to winning."
Don't expect Souza to slow down. Though he is well aware he can't win a game by himself.
"It needs to be a full effort from the team to get a win at this level," Souza said. "And I think going into this week we have tools and we have the athletes and we have the mindset to do it this year."
After sharing time his first two seasons, junior quarterback Angel Molina looks to be the main signal caller. Lacking ideal size at 5-10 and 185 pounds, Molina takes advantage of his mobility and is coming into his own in the pocket.
His main target last season was James Bassett, a transfer from College of San Mateo who led the Oaks with 31 catches.
And in goal-line situations, Klee shows his versatility by becoming Souza's lead blocker.
"He's a very smart player, instinctual," Guidici said. "And he's a great student on top of that. He's what you're looking for in a leader for your team."
There's a veteran presence in the front seven with junior defensive lineman Damien Gierard along with linebackers Justin Weise and Shawn Winters.
The secondary is still young, but sophomores like Beau Bussani and Boo Molinari saw plenty of playing time as freshmen.
"We know our reads, we know where we're going and what we're doing," Klee said. "And we fly around together, which is the best part. We move as one and all of us get a hit in."
The Oaks are set to follow through on their commitment to each other.

[wildcat11]

SCIAC Peeps...

How have the SoCal fires effected practices/other sports games so far?  Are the colleges in a area where the winds push the smoke towards campus or are they not effected at all?

Looking forward to traveling to Eagle Rock in a few weeks.

[Gray Fox]

The Oxy 2009 roster is also posted.  It is just titled 2008.

There is one JC player

Two players come from Texas, and two from Idaho.

[Gray Fox]

Whittier has finally posted their controversial roster.  I identified seven whose last school was a JC.

http://www.wcpoets.com/sports/fball/2009-10/roster

[Oxy Fan]

Whittier has finally posted their controversial roster.  I identified seven whose last school was a JC.

http://www.wcpoets.com/sports/fball/2009-10/roster

I was more awe struck by the equal (if not greater) number of transfers from a 4 yr. school.  (Univ. of San Diego, Western N.M. State Univ., Baylor Univ., Portland State Univ., Fresno State Univ., Hampton Univ. (2) and Greensboro Col.)