FB: Empire 8

[Jonny Utah]

Is Grasdorf the starter next year for IC?  Any suprises like last year with all those guys not comming back?

[Bombers798891]

Is Grasdorf the starter next year for IC?  Any suprises like last year with all those guys not comming back?

Grastorf should be the starter unless something goes haywire. I'm not entirely sure what you mean by surprises though. IC's certainly not going to go 9-1 again, not with the people they lost in the passing game/lines/secondary. 7-3 seems likely to me. Losses to Alfred, Fisher, and someone on the road--Union maybe?

[Jonny Utah]

Is Grasdorf the starter next year for IC?  Any suprises like last year with all those guys not comming back?

Grastorf should be the starter unless something goes haywire. I'm not entirely sure what you mean by surprises though. IC's certainly not going to go 9-1 again, not with the people they lost in the passing game/lines/secondary. 7-3 seems likely to me. Losses to Alfred, Fisher, and someone on the road--Union maybe?

The guys like that had eligibility in 2008 but did not play in 2008 for personal reasons were the ones I meant by the suprises.

Do we know any freshman comming in that might make an impact?

[AUPepBand]

Hey Men of Alfred...

Had a chance to meet one of your new GA's who will coach the receivers.  He was at my son's football camp.  Nice kid, and he is excited about the season.  I think expectations are high.

Their expectations should be, I really think they are the early front runner for the E8 this year...

Too many questions on the other teams regarding personnel losses...

I would agree...the only thing giving me a little bit of pause is that their games against SJF and IC are on the road. However, if I were picking today:

Alfred
Fisher
IC
Springfield
Wick
Utica

Springfield and Wick could flip, as could IC and Fisher, depending on how the H2H turns out

Pep is pleased that others think so highly of his Saxons. But it HAS been more than 20 years since AU has won at South Hill Field. In fact, Pep believes AU has NEVER won at Butterfield Stadium. 

[AUPepBand]

Pep sees where Ithaca College Coach Mike Welch is now offering a high school football camp....is this new?

http://bombers.ithaca.edu/news/2009/4/14/FB_0414090641.aspx

[AUKaz00]

Hey Men of Alfred...

Had a chance to meet one of your new GA's who will coach the receivers.  He was at my son's football camp.  Nice kid, and he is excited about the season.  I think expectations are high.

Their expectations should be, I really think they are the early front runner for the E8 this year...

Too many questions on the other teams regarding personnel losses...

I would agree...the only thing giving me a little bit of pause is that their games against SJF and IC are on the road. However, if I were picking today:

Alfred
Fisher
IC
Springfield
Wick
Utica

Springfield and Wick could flip, as could IC and Fisher, depending on how the H2H turns out

Pep is pleased that others think so highly of his Saxons. But it HAS been more than 20 years since AU has won at South Hill Field. In fact, Pep believes AU has NEVER won at Butterfield Stadium. 

The expectations between this year and last are interesting.  Pep and I were looking for a 6-4 finish last year, so 7-3 with an ECAC trip to 86 Field was a pleasant surprise, especially when after 90 minutes of football we thought we were in for a 2-8 season!  But this year is different and while the band will always go to any postseason game, an ECAC will be a disappointment in our eyes.  At this point of the summer I'm just hoping that Pep's bass drum didn't harm the Merrill home stands so much that we're watching games at Red Raider field in Hornell during the fall.

[sjfcards]

I really think the thing AU fans should be most happy with is that they don't seem to have the personnel questions that other teams seam to have. They did not lose too much, and seem to have most of their skill positions covered already. The question now is, will it be enough to go on the road and win some tough games.
I think it will look like this:

Fisher (homer pick)
AU
IC
Utica/Hartwick/springfield

[HHawks]

Happy 2009 Fellas

Empire 8 2009 final Standings Prediction

1. Ithaca
2/3. Fisher/Alfred
4. Hartwick
5. Utica
6. Springfield

Key for Hartwick solely depends on the improvement of the defense. They have a qb who has been the back up of boltus for 3 years, so no doubt that he knows the system, but the fact is he isnt Jason Boltus, so Hartwick might not be able to win 70-68 games anymore. Dont get me wrong as Always Hartwick is gonna score alot of points. They have a talented group of WR's and a very very dangerous RB in Demulder. If the defense can hold opponents under 28 ppg, I think Hartwick has another good year.

[AUPepBand]

I really think the thing AU fans should be most happy with is that they don't seem to have the personnel questions that other teams seam to have. They did not lose too much, and seem to have most of their skill positions covered already. The question now is, will it be enough to go on the road and win some tough games.
I think it will look like this:

Fisher (homer pick)
AU
IC
Utica/Hartwick/springfield

Pep would note that AU's defensive secondary will be extremely young as graduated are starters Brian Nitsche, Ron Smith and Matt VanWoert. It will be good, though, to have LB (and Co-Captain) Chad Pieri back on the field after sitting out 2008 with an injury. AU should field a top notch linebacking corps.

Pep is hoping Hendrix will be back to 2007 form and has heard of some quality RB recruits coming in who may be ready for some varsity action...or some JVs ready to move up. With Bork having graduated, Pep sees opposing Ds keying on Manzer this year, so Secky may be getting better acquainted with the rest of the receiving corps.

As for recruits, Pep is excited about a few he's heard about including Dundee's Mike Raplee, a defensive lineman who had previously won a state title while playing at Geneva. According to one source, Raplee was unbeaten in wrestling at 285 lbs. last year at Dundee, and also excelled in field events for the Dundee track team.

http://sectionv.talksback.com/showthread.php?p=148168

[Bombers798891]

Is Grasdorf the starter next year for IC?  Any suprises like last year with all those guys not comming back?

Grastorf should be the starter unless something goes haywire. I'm not entirely sure what you mean by surprises though. IC's certainly not going to go 9-1 again, not with the people they lost in the passing game/lines/secondary. 7-3 seems likely to me. Losses to Alfred, Fisher, and someone on the road--Union maybe?

The guys like that had eligibility in 2008 but did not play in 2008 for personal reasons were the ones I meant by the suprises.

Do we know any freshman comming in that might make an impact?

All I know is that IC's got about 2,100 freshman this year...around 300 more than usual, so there better be SOMEONE in that group who makes an impact haha. But really, IC doesn't play freshman very often, so you probably won't see the fruits of it for another few years

[fisheralum91]

hawkschamps-
what makes you believe that IC would be the top team.
if we learn anything from last year- au or fisher would be in the drivers seat

[dlippiel]

Happy 2009 Fellas

Empire 8 2009 final Standings Prediction

1. Ithaca
2/3. Fisher/Alfred
4. Hartwick
5. Utica
6. Springfield

Key for Hartwick solely depends on the improvement of the defense. They have a qb who has been the back up of boltus for 3 years, so no doubt that he knows the system, but the fact is he isnt Jason Boltus, so Hartwick might not be able to win 70-68 games anymore. Dont get me wrong as Always Hartwick is gonna score alot of points. They have a talented group of WR's and a very very dangerous RB in Demulder. If the defense can hold opponents under 28 ppg, I think Hartwick has another good year.

I think Springfield may finish higher than 6th in 09'. This season may be a high scoring campaign for the pride with Carter at QB who will be more familiar with the offense and a year more mature.

[AUKaz00]

Happy 2009 Fellas

Empire 8 2009 final Standings Prediction

1. Ithaca
2/3. Fisher/Alfred
4. Hartwick
5. Utica
6. Springfield

Key for Hartwick solely depends on the improvement of the defense. They have a qb who has been the back up of boltus for 3 years, so no doubt that he knows the system, but the fact is he isnt Jason Boltus, so Hartwick might not be able to win 70-68 games anymore. Dont get me wrong as Always Hartwick is gonna score alot of points. They have a talented group of WR's and a very very dangerous RB in Demulder. If the defense can hold opponents under 28 ppg, I think Hartwick has another good year.

I think Springfield may finish higher than 6th in 09'. This season may be a high scoring campaign for the pride with Carter at QB who will be more familiar with the offense and a year more mature.

I agree.  I think Springfield will finish in 2nd or 3rd and play the role of spoiler for a team or two in the E8.

[HHawks]

hawkschamps-
what makes you believe that IC would be the top team.
if we learn anything from last year- au or fisher would be in the drivers seat

They were picked 10th in the USA Today Preseason Top 25 and for some reason it seems as people are kind of over looking them. I think Grastorf is a great talent and will have no problem directing that offense and we all seen what Thomas Bergerstock is capable of doing in the running game. In the great game of college Football every years a new year. Some team with High expectations will disappoint (Fisher last year) and some team will come out of nowhere and surprise.

[fisheralum91]

no two ways about it--fisher was disappointing last year.
I hope that it was a dose of reality instead of a glimpse of things yet to come.
This program has made too many strides to start taking backward steps.