FB: Empire 8

[Upstate]

The Rochester D&C had reported that he signed with Sacred Heart after graduation.

[fisheralum91]

He is listed on both the Sacred Heart and Fisher rosters.
Whoops.
As a soph for SHU, Freshman for SJFC

[D3viewer]

Chris Sodoma-OT-6'6" 285

http://www.hudl.com/video/3/3298082/5721cc1d90eead5d90d2b906

He's from Brockport HS

Upstate,   Saw Brockport HS play a few times. Kid is pretty slapped together. Had to reach for my program...like "who is that ?"  Played both ways I think. His family owns a farm in Brockport..so he may be the typical farmer's kid tough guy..who knows ? Went to look online later to see where he went..found an article of Brockport athletes on their commitment day. Didn't say where he was going..but I noticed he was wearing a Fisher shirt..so I had figured as much.

[Upstate]

Congratulations to Coach Welch on an outstanding career at Ithaca and good luck in the 2016 season!

[Bombers798891]

As Upstate has alluded to, Mike Welch has announced that this will be his final season. Story here:

http://athletics.ithaca.edu/news/2016/8/10/mike-welch-73-to-retire-after-2016-football-season.aspx

Not much else to say. Coach Welch has led his program with class, and has won nearly 70 percent of his games as a head coach. It's going to be a bittersweet season on the South Hill. Here's hoping Ithaca sends him out strong. I can't think of any regular season game I've wanted the team to win more than this upcoming Cortaca.

[dlippiel]

Congrats to Coach Welch on his incredible career and dlip wishes him and his family nothing but the very best! Dlip has nothing but respect and admiration for Coach Welch and the Bomber program.

[sjfcards]

Just checked out their roster and a couple of things stand out.

As I thought Naton is back but wearing #12.

Mark Guarino-Hyde is back as a Grad Student as well, hopefully he can live up to his strong seasons at Hobart before transferring to Fisher and getting bit by the injury bug.

Also back as a Grad Students are Zach Forbes and Jake Kulig who saw starting time on the defensive line.

A notable transfer is a big LBer from Nassau Community College at 6'1", 235 in Marc Coles.

Someone Freshman to keep an eye on are:

Chris Sodoma-OT-6'6" 285

http://www.hudl.com/video/3/3298082/5721cc1d90eead5d90d2b906

Will Blake-WR-6'1", 195

http://www.hudl.com/video/3/3409378/5721bd9a90eead5d90c01022

WOW, this might be a hell of a find for Fisher!

Him and Collichio could do some damage if Naton and the O-line progress from last year.

A couple other finds on the updated Fisher roster include two D2 transfers in Dylan Harrington and Reide Metzger. One is a WR and the other a TE. Both played at Seton Hill in Pa last year. Could be nice additions to the offense. It looks like Fisher improved their WR core quite a  bit since most have a year of college practice/weight room under their belt.

[AUPepBand]

Minor old-man rant:

I miss how fun Ithaca games used to be.

No, I'm not just talking about how much better Ithaca was back in the day. I mean, there was an actual atmosphere at the games. They had a pep band that played songs like "Proud Mary" during the game and the alma mater after the game, they had the Ooga-Booga guy (YMMV on that one). They were just fun to go to. Now, they're just generic events attended, it seems, mostly by people who don't really care one way or the other, and even exciting games don't feel exciting.

Man, I am so old.

Not nearly so old as Pep! Pep knows precisely what you're talking about. IC football games WERE a ton of fun. First Down Club was a good bunch of fans, many of which were on these boards....i.e. MIYH. Pep recalls meeting up with the tailgating FDC in one of the nearby parking lots before an AU game.

Pep remembers that same "this is boring" feeling at Merrill Field in the '90s and asked the AU band director more than once to get a pep band together for the football games. Fell on deaf ears. Finally, in 1999, Pep got KaZ00, his roommate and a few others together and formed a kazoo band and WE had a ton of fun but only those seated around us could hear us. When Pep was hired at AU in summer 2000, it was time to recruit "real instruments." The band has had the fight song ready ever since. Pep could write a book about all the fun we've had to date, but just got back from a coast-to-coast excursion and has a newspaper to get out.....stay tuned!

That minivan still running??? 

That "Old Faithful" mini-van, a 1992 Grand Caravan that Pep purchased (with some 137,000 miles on it) online from a family in Iowa back in early September 2001, with the return trip including a stop at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, IN and a chance informal tour of the Notre Dame Stadium locker room and player tunnel, was retired several years back and was driven to its final resting place at Howbill's Auto Parts in Belmont with the odometer reading 319,764 miles. Pep gets almost as many miles out of a vehicle as the number of words he packs into a sentence. 

On Saxon Warriors!

[AUPepBand]

As Upstate has alluded to, Mike Welch has announced that this will be his final season. Story here:

http://athletics.ithaca.edu/news/2016/8/10/mike-welch-73-to-retire-after-2016-football-season.aspx

Not much else to say. Coach Welch has led his program with class, and has won nearly 70 percent of his games as a head coach. It's going to be a bittersweet season on the South Hill. Here's hoping Ithaca sends him out strong. I can't think of any regular season game I've wanted the team to win more than this upcoming Cortaca.

A class act for sure...and a great competitor. He's a Dansville product. Interesting that his retirement will coincide with Ithaca's departure from the Empire 8 and entry into the Liberty League. Will be rooting for the Bombers in 2016, excepting of course their game in "The Pit" on Sept. 24.

[Bombers798891]

So the line in the press release about IC conducting a national search for a coach has to be a load of nonsense, possibly for the benefit of whatever laws there are regarding employment opportunities, right?

I mean, it's got to be McDonough or Faggiano, doesn't it? Both alums, Faggiano was a successful assistant and recruiter, and has turned Utica into a feisty, competitive program, McDonough's also been an incredibly successful coordinator, and served as the Head Coach when Mike had the health problems in 2012. A friend and I have always wondered if Ithaca was able to hang on to McDonough with one of those "you're the successor" agreements—especially after the defense dragged IC to the playoffs in 2013 and 14. I think he'd be my choice.

Faggiano would be a good choice as well, (were he interested of course, and there's no proof he would be) though I suspect that would cost them McDonough in the not so distant future, so there's that to consider.

I'd probably put it:

McDonough: 90%
Faggiano: 10%
Someone else: <1%

[fisheralum91]

More good news on the fisher front-
I like hearing that we have some more viable pieces of the offense getting together.

On the retirement of Coach Welch- all the best-
My only experience with him was at a local watering hole/pizza joint here in the Utica area- the whole team came in after shellacking UC and as he walked in he noticed my Fisher alumni hat.
He said that I must be proud of my alma mater and I said absolutely- I said congrats on the win today- to which he was very gracious.
Class act.

[Upstate]

Faggiano headed back to Ithaca could be a great match for both.

He's a hell of a recruiter, IC has a much larger recruiting map than either Fisher or Utica ever had.

He could bring in some big time players back to IC instead of them going to other schools.

I'm not sure if I want him to take it just for that reason alone!

[Bombers798891]

Faggiano headed back to Ithaca could be a great match for both.

He's a hell of a recruiter, IC has a much larger recruiting map than either Fisher or Utica ever had.

He could bring in some big time players back to IC instead of them going to other schools.

I'm not sure if I want him to take it just for that reason alone!

Yeah, Faggiano's recruiting is absolutely a game-changer. Ithaca, of course, comes with some recruiting issues he didn't face at Fisher (Facilities) Utica (academics) or both (cost). So, it will be interesting.

[fisheralum91]

If Blaise were given the option--hands down he goes to his Alma mater.

I remember when UC finally beat Welch and his crew--It was as if he had one the superbowl.

When he was interviewed he mentioned how much IC meant to him!

[Jonny Utah]

So the line in the press release about IC conducting a national search for a coach has to be a load of nonsense, possibly for the benefit of whatever laws there are regarding employment opportunities, right?

I mean, it's got to be McDonough or Faggiano, doesn't it? Both alums, Faggiano was a successful assistant and recruiter, and has turned Utica into a feisty, competitive program, McDonough's also been an incredibly successful coordinator, and served as the Head Coach when Mike had the health problems in 2012. A friend and I have always wondered if Ithaca was able to hang on to McDonough with one of those "you're the successor" agreements—especially after the defense dragged IC to the playoffs in 2013 and 14. I think he'd be my choice.

Faggiano would be a good choice as well, (were he interested of course, and there's no proof he would be) though I suspect that would cost them McDonough in the not so distant future, so there's that to consider.

I'd probably put it:

McDonough: 90%
Faggiano: 10%
Someone else: <1%

I agree with this assessment for the most part, although I'd put it at 70/10/10, as I think there is a slightly higher chance they hire someone other than Mark or Blaize.

Blaize is also at an age where he just might not want to move.  He has younger kid(s) I believe and has not shown the tendency to bounce around to different jobs just to advance.

I'm trying to think of other coaches that went to IC or had ties there that are currently in other positions around the country. 

Brian Angelicho probably isn't leaving the NFL. 

Bryan Cook ('98) is the QB coach at Georgia Tech, I think he is from upstate NY but not sure.

Glenn Caruso?  It seems like he has found a spot in that region of the country, but you wonder if he has an interest in coaching his alma mater?  I don't think so but I haven't talked to him in a long time.

Ray Laforte and Bill George are both still at Coast Guard.  I don't see either of them coming back but George is from upstate.

Also, what about established guys like Dave Murray or Mark Raymond?  Raymond probably wouldn't leave Williams that soon, and I don't know Murray's situation.

Jerry Boyes was spurnned by IC when Welch got the job initially, not sure about him.

Just throwing some names out there, but I assume they will get some qualified people putting their names in.