FB: Empire 8

[pumkinattack]

Other than using it as a recruiting tool/strategy for the school, I don't get it.  That's a real cost to house and feed these kids for the three weeks of preseason.  Especially since 150 won't play ever, if not more. 

Hobart's a little different now.  There's 27 FR on the roster, although the cursory google search comes up with some good info, so I'd like to think the quality is higher than in the past and 20+ Sr's, something like 95 total spots.  When I was there there'd be like 50 FR and half would leave between preseason and by the end of the year there'd be like 20 - 25 left over.

[Jonny Utah]

Other than using it as a recruiting tool/strategy for the school, I don't get it.  That's a real cost to house and feed these kids for the three weeks of preseason.  Especially since 150 won't play ever, if not more. 

Hobart's a little different now.  There's 27 FR on the roster, although the cursory google search comes up with some good info, so I'd like to think the quality is higher than in the past and 20+ Sr's, something like 95 total spots.  When I was there there'd be like 50 FR and half would leave between preseason and by the end of the year there'd be like 20 - 25 left over.

I think 150 paying tuition is what your average d3 school is more interested than housing and feeding them for 3 weeks but Im not sure.  And I didn't go too much into the info on the website but were all the freshman invited to the preseason camp? 

['gro]

http://www.utica.edu/ucpioneers/football/index.cfm?featureaction=detail&id=2928


Let's see they had ~ 120 on the roster in '08 lost 8 seniors have 152 incoming newcomers..

Do they really have ~260 helmets/shoulder pads?  How about 40 footballs.  How do you drill 260 kids even if you break them up into Varsity/JV.  I understand the "stockpiling" of talent in numbers but....

And what is that saying to a player who is thinking about his chances for playing time.

Gro stopped reading after "Section III". psssssh.

[AUPepBand]

Other than using it as a recruiting tool/strategy for the school, I don't get it.  That's a real cost to house and feed these kids for the three weeks of preseason.  Especially since 150 won't play ever, if not more. 

Hobart's a little different now.  There's 27 FR on the roster, although the cursory google search comes up with some good info, so I'd like to think the quality is higher than in the past and 20+ Sr's, something like 95 total spots.  When I was there there'd be like 50 FR and half would leave between preseason and by the end of the year there'd be like 20 - 25 left over.

Oddly, the release stated that the 152(?) recruits would be arriving during the next couple of weeks, although camp had begun. Pep would conclude they are not all invited to preseason camp, but perhaps will arrive and begin practice with the jayvee program once classes begin.

At AU, Coach Murray welcomed 66 freshmen into preseason camp, albeit separate sessions for jayvees and varsity.

Brillo: It appears McCloud is competing for a position in the defensive backfield, where the Saxons lost a lot to graduation. Another strong DB prospect is Reggie Pressley from Gates-Chili, a solid Monroe County All-Star.

Pep would also note that he will be watching the progress of Mike Raplee (Dundee) who was an All-NY Stater both at Geneva High School and Dundee where his family moved recently. He's an All-State Wrestler and also took up shot and discus at Dundee and advanced to the state meet.

[pumkinattack]

JU, that was where I was going.  The sheer number is meaningless if it's just a beds for heads strategy to get tuition payers through the door.  Even if they're all recruited, there's not a enough PT for everyone, so it's got to be an enrollment thing.  Question is, can this backfire longer term if it becomes a reputational issue (e.g. they take everyone in), particularly in the case where you're not Mt. Union. 

Is JV a fully formed team for all these schools now?  When I played it was the guys who didn't travel plus a couple of others that were basically thrown together for Sunday games against some 2-yr schools (e.g. Alfred St.) and Hamilton.  No advanced schedule or anything. 

[AUPepBand]

Alfred has a jayvee program now with a coach (salary paid by a trustee) and has EIGHT games scheduled. This has expanded over the past few years. More and more, Pep believes, the D3 Upstate teams are offering a jayvee program for development of those younger players and to give them opportunity to play the game they love.

[Jonny Utah]

JU, that was where I was going.  The sheer number is meaningless if it's just a beds for heads strategy to get tuition payers through the door.  Even if they're all recruited, there's not a enough PT for everyone, so it's got to be an enrollment thing.  Question is, can this backfire longer term if it becomes a reputational issue (e.g. they take everyone in), particularly in the case where you're not Mt. Union.  

Is JV a fully formed team for all these schools now?  When I played it was the guys who didn't travel plus a couple of others that were basically thrown together for Sunday games against some 2-yr schools (e.g. Alfred St.) and Hamilton.  No advanced schedule or anything.  

Well you know there are some d3 coaches out there who tell every single high school senior that they are so great and this and that just to get them to come to the school.  You can basically lie to them if you want to, you have nothing to lose.  At d1 and 1-aa, you have scholorships to give and can't really lie to anyone except maybe the walkons that can't get full rides anywhere else.  Im guessing for a school like Utica, the more players you recruit and have at your camp, the better chance you have of finding that missing gem that slipped by the Cortlands or Brockports.  But it looks like they have some solid recruits there at least on top.

I don't see how it could really backfire.  Im assuming that most of these kids that are going to Utica were not great high school football players.  And thats true for other d3 schools too, not just Utica.  I don't mean the top recruits, but like 30 out of 60 incomming freshman cant be, or wont be, good football players.

And Ithaca has had a solid JV team and schedule for a long time.  Cornell has always had a JV team so thats two games, and Cortland has had one as long as I can remember as well.  When I was at IC, Hudson Valley and Colgate were the other teams we played when I was a freshman (6 games).

[skunks_sidekick]

From a Mount Union perspective, LK never tells a kid he is the greatest thing and will get playing time.  Quite the opposite.  He basically tells them they will have to work their arse off, and wait their turn.  However, no one gets cut ever.  It's started to be a struggle to run practice as efficient as wanted at times, but LK figures if the kid is willing to stick it out, he will not cut them. 

Why would a kid want that kind of opportunity (or lack thereof)?  I am sure being on a national championship team has something to do with it, but I have to admit I don't get it at times.  But....it seems to be working for them.

[HScoach]

At $30k per year, I wouldn't cut the kids either.  If you cut them , they might quit school and take their $ elsewhere. 

I know some players whose long range goal is to be a HS football coach and figured sitting the bench at Mount learning from LK is better than playing for a lesser coach somewhere else.   

LK's recommendation for a kid trying to get hired for coaching position can't be understated in Ohio.  LK is widely respected as the top college coach in Ohio, regardless of division by the HS coaches.  Tressel might have the fan base and get all the attention, but LK owns the high school coaches.  Especially at the smaller, rural schools that don't get the D1 spotlight shown on them very often.

[Jonny Utah]

I know some players whose long range goal is to be a HS football coach and figured sitting the bench at Mount learning from LK is better than playing for a lesser coach somewhere else.   

Thats a great point.  You forget how much football you learn by just sitting in on meetings, watching film with coaches, etc.  Its the main foundation for probably most coaches football knowledge.

[Brillo Is Old]

Pep:

Thank you for the update.  Any other Freshmen that could crack the starting lineup?  Do they scrimmage Alfred State?  Any update on Merrill?

Why only 9 games this year?

[AUPepBand]

Pep:

Thank you for the update.  Any other Freshmen that could crack the starting lineup?  Do they scrimmage Alfred State?  Any update on Merrill?

Why only 9 games this year?

Pep knows there's a solid RB in camp from Victor...Chuck Beckwith, who averaged 140 ypg with the Blue Devils as a senior. Ironically, it looks like graduated WR Trevor Bork (Victor) may have his shoes filled with another Victor grad, #15 Ryan Thon, who had some nice catches last year.

AU scrimmages at Susquehanna Aug. 29. The AU jayvees will scrimmage Alfred State the same day, Pep believes.

As for Merrill Field, AU is hopeful the bleachers can be fixed, dependent on cost. AU doesn't want to sink $100,000 into repairs when it would like to replace the stands altogether when the carpet is replaced, as early as next year (pending successful fund-raising).

As for only nine games....AU couldn't fill either empty date left void by Norwich's departure from the E8. AU offered to go to the Boz on Oct. 17, a common open date for both AU and Hobart, but Statesmen, Pep theorizes, preferred to go with just nine games. There was some talk of AU traveling out to DePauw (Greencastle, IN) or perhaps Centre (Kentucky) who had common open dates, but Pep theorizes another long trip "wasn't in the budget."

Welcome aboard, BrilloIsOld, not to be confused with the real one-of-a-kind Brillo.

[Brillo Is Old]

Pep

Figured you would like that name!  Thought DePauw might have been an option.  Interesting that the Bart chose not to play, even at home.  Is Hendrix in camp?  If so, how does he look?  What do they have for back-ups behind Secky?

Appears to be a three team race for the E8.

[AUPepBand]

Appears to be a three team race for the E8.

What three horses do you expect to see first at the finish?

While Boltus bolstered Hartwick's chances, they could very likely find another fine QB to attempt to fill his shoes...and perhaps their defense can come around. Utica has big numbers coming into the program that will be getting tougher as their head coach continues to develop his program. Springfield is due for another one of their break-out runs. Ithaca is, well, eh, always Ithaca. And of course St. John Fisher may just fly to the top again.

So, BrilloIsOld, what are your top three?

[boobyhasgameyo]

Fisher has their newcomers listed on the website finally.  Does anybody recognize any of the names?  Besides Zemaitis I noticed there is a Senior TE transfer from Albany...Strange to wait until your Senior year to do so, but more power to him.  I didn't have too much time to look into it, but I did notice there are no giant 300+ pound O-Lineman coming in like in years past...