FB: Empire 8

[ITH radio]

Pep -

What's your read on the Saxons as far as who they've got coming back, what are the holes to fill due to graduation, etc?

I do think people forget how close AU was to taking the lead / winning that big Wk 10 game and I think they'll be in the hunt for the E8 crown yet again.

[AUPepBand]

Pep -

What's your read on the Saxons as far as who they've got coming back, what are the holes to fill due to graduation, etc?

I do think people forget how close AU was to taking the lead / winning that big Wk 10 game and I think they'll be in the hunt for the E8 crown yet again.

Aside from losing that old man Maleke Fuentes and the stellar All-American LB A.J. LiCata, the Saxons should have a good nucleus returning. We were actually rather young last year but still pulled together a decent season.

The team will have the benefit of practicing in pads this spring as they will be playing an exhibition game in Canada sometime in May. Add to that another decent recruiting year and Pep is cautiously optimistic that the Saxons will be playing with some momentum when the Brockport State Golden Eagles visit Yunevich Stadium Oct. 13. The pep band will definitely have the fight song ready!

Coach Rankl has created (or shall I say continued) a culture of winning in Saxonville that da boys have bought into. They know what is required of them and from what I can see, they're willing to pay their dues.

On Saxon Warriors!

[D3viewer]

I see Alfred is advertising for a new OC/QBs coach. What happened to Scott Linn ? seemed to do a decent job.
<sends out bat signal to Pep>

[AUPepBand]

I see Alfred is advertising for a new OC/QBs coach. What happened to Scott Linn ? seemed to do a decent job.
<sends out bat signal to Pep>

Pep has heard that Scott Linn will be the new head coach across the street at Alfred State.
You are correct, Linn did an outstanding job as OC/QB coach. Perhaps that's the reason he's being "promoted."

[D3viewer]

Thanks Pep. You truly have your ear to the ground in Alfred.

[AUPepBand]

Thanks Pep. You truly have your ear to the ground in Alfred.

What can Pep say? Serving a life sentence in Saxonville. Pep hears stuff once in a great while.

[AUPepBand]

Here's a link to the official announcement of Scott Linn's appointment as Head Coach at Alfred State:

http://www.alfredstateathletics.com/sports/fball/2017-18/releases/20180319m2a5o9

[D3viewer]

I want to say we've seen this before, which is not surprising due to sharing the same town. Just throwing this out from memory. Didn't A State hire Mark Shadlow ? sp ? who was maybe Jim Morrettis DC to be their HC in the 90's ? I know Dennis Greene who was the OC around the same time went to be ECC's HC. Not sure he was at A state as well, or was he ? Don't feel like looking it up.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Pep, my advice to Scott Linn (like I'm sure he would care?! ) is to treat this as a brand-new football start-up.  Since joining D3, they are 5-40, and some of those wins are against Apprentice School (which they are now getting clobbered by) and CCs.  Unless there is some sort of progress that is not yet reflected in wins (and, I would hope, a handful of legitimate D3 players), he is starting from scratch.  Seems best to approach it that way.

[Upstate]

I want to say we've seen this before, which is not surprising due to sharing the same town. Just throwing this out from memory. Didn't A State hire Mark Shadlow ? sp ? who was maybe Jim Morrettis DC to be their HC in the 90's ? I know Dennis Greene who was the OC around the same time went to be ECC's HC. Not sure he was at A state as well, or was he ? Don't feel like looking it up.

Before going to Fisher I played for Shardlow at Alfred State. He was one of the most intimidating coaches I've played for, good guy though!

[D3viewer]

"Before going to Fisher I played for Shardlow at Alfred State. He was one of the most intimidating coaches I've played for, good guy though!"

I think I remember him wearing work boots on the sidelines and had a big bushy beard, he looked intimidating. Good coach as well.

[AUPepBand]

I want to say we've seen this before, which is not surprising due to sharing the same town. Just throwing this out from memory. Didn't A State hire Mark Shadlow ? sp ? who was maybe Jim Morrettis DC to be their HC in the 90's ? I know Dennis Greene who was the OC around the same time went to be ECC's HC. Not sure he was at A state as well, or was he ? Don't feel like looking it up.

The Alfred State football program was to be started by Lou Saban (former Buffalo Bills coach) back when the college was still a junior college. Saban bolted to Canton before the Pioneers had any games. Pep believes it was then that Coach Mark Shardlow took the crosswalk and ran the team in its inaugural season.

Shardlow, originally from Elba, played on AU's 1981 undefeated squad coached by Sam Sanders. Pep believes Shards was an assistant to Moretti and may have been DC, but also ran the business side of the football program. He married a gal whom he likely met at AU. Nadine directs AU's Higher Educational Opportunity Program. The couple at one time operated BBQ Bandits and then took over the Manhattan West restaurant, renaming it the "Old West".

Shards had a stint as AU's alumni affairs director and Pep believes he is now self-employed. Good dude, for sure.

[AUPepBand]

Pep, my advice to Scott Linn (like I'm sure he would care?! ) is to treat this as a brand-new football start-up.  Since joining D3, they are 5-40, and some of those wins are against Apprentice School (which they are now getting clobbered by) and CCs.  Unless there is some sort of progress that is not yet reflected in wins (and, I would hope, a handful of legitimate D3 players), he is starting from scratch.  Seems best to approach it that way.

The Alfred State football program, Pep believes, has really struggled in transitioning from junior college status when it attracted plenty of D1 prospects who wanted to get a start on their education while drawing the attention of D1 scouts. Rod Streeter is a fine example. He went on to play at Temple and has flirted with NFL play. In becoming a D3 program, Alfred State no longer attracts that kind of talent and really has struggled with defining the type of student-athlete they want to recruit.

Coach Scott Linn will have his hands full, for sure, but Pep believes he's the kind of guy who is a good judge of character and will bring in the type of student-athlete that can flourish both in their academic pursuits and on the playing field. But the cards are stacked against him when it comes to recruiting....

More so than Linn looking at the task as starting from scratch, Pep is hoping that the college's administration will see it from that perspective and give Linn the adequate time to take those baby steps toward respectability. Pep was a bit surprised that Dodson wasn't given more time.

On Saxon Warriors!

[Mr. Ypsi]

I wish Scott Linn the best of luck.  Seems sort of like the EMU situation (though different ).  EMU's Rynearson Stadium is only 6 miles from "The Big House".  EMU is so totally overshadowed by U of Michigan that they have effectively zero chance of ever being successful (I believe they have one winning season in the last thirty years).  For years, they were not only execreble, but boring.  Current coach, Craig Creighton, successful at both Wabash and Drake, has gotten them up to semi-respectable and not at all boring - a HUGE improvement!  I have my doubts that he (or anyone else) can take them much further, but my fingers are crossed that he can produce a miracle!

[UfanBill]

From my perspective as long as Alfred St. remains in the East Coast Football conference with D3 lightweights Anna Maria, Castleton, Mount Ida, Gallaudet etc. they aren't far away from having winning seasons. One decent recruiting class and they're in the mix. Since I'm always a fan of New York teams, good luck to them.