FB: Empire 8

[XREDDRAGON77]

The Red Dragons humiliated Utica today on their parents weekend! I didn't think the final score would be such a beat down! The defense played great! Offense was laser sharp! Punt return team scored a TD... not sure if it was a bad snap or block! Watching the stream at the Army -BC game in a torrential down pour was challenging at times!

[AUPepBand]

Pep is wondering with the admission of Alfred State's Pioneers into the Empire 8 for football in 2025, is there anywhere in D3 a pair of football programs in closer proximity than Alfred State and Alfred University, their campuses separated only by the village's lone traffic light (currently sidelined as Pine Street bridge and its entrance to AU campus is being rebuilt)?

Pep arrived at Yunevich Stadium's Merrill Field at 11 a.m. with the pep band last Saturday to do a "walk-through" with the pep band that performed its first-ever halftime show. Kickoff was 2 p.m. with the Morrisville Mustangs (Pep's alma mater, no less) for the Homecoming game. After said walk-through, it was about 11:35 a.m. and Pep went up into the stands to put up Sound of the Saxons signs. A couple had settled into seats in front of the stadium's purple seating. The woman approached me to ask whether there was a concession stand. I told her there was but they hadn't opened yet as the game didn't start until 2 p.m.
"Oh, we thought the game started at 12 noon," she said.
"Do you have a son playing?" I inquired.
"No, our daughter's boyfriend plays for Alfred," she said.
"What's his name?"
She told me a name that didn't ring a bell.
"You know, the game at Alfred State today starts at 12 noon but they play in their stadium up on the hill," I told her.
Soon we were joined by her husband, who said the GPS kept telling him to turn right, "but it had to be wrong because I could see the field right there!"
It was 11:47 a.m. when they made their way out of the empty Yunevich Stadium and on their way to the other Alfred football game.
I hope they found a seat at Pioneer Stadium!

On Saxon Warriors!

[Pat Coleman]

Pep is wondering with the admission of Alfred State's Pioneers into the Empire 8 for football in 2025, is there anywhere in D3 a pair of football programs in closer proximity than Alfred State and Alfred University

Pomona-Pitzer and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, whose campuses overlap each other.
https://www.d3football.com/columns/around-the-nation/2022/sixth-street-rivalry

[Pat Coleman]

So, those stadiums are .3 miles apart. Belhaven's and Millsaps's stadiums are .8 miles apart. Yunevich and Pioneer Stadium look to be about a mile. St. Olaf's and Carleton's stadiums are 1.5 miles apart. Worcester State's and WPI's stadiums are about 2.2 miles apart. Springfield's and Western New England's stadiums are about 2.5 miles apart.

[AUPepBand]

So, those stadiums are .3 miles apart. Belhaven's and Millsaps's stadiums are .8 miles apart. Yunevich and Pioneer Stadium look to be about a mile. St. Olaf's and Carleton's stadiums are 1.5 miles apart. Worcester State's and WPI's stadiums are about 2.2 miles apart. Springfield's and Western New England's stadiums are about 2.5 miles apart.

Leave it to Pat Coleman to answer Pep's question...in the greatest of detail, no less! So it appears Alfred is third on the list.
Just to add a twist, the difference in elevation of Alfred University's Yunevich Stadium aka "The Pit" and Pioneer Stadium that sits atop the Alfred State campus, is guesstimated to be anywhere from 200' to 300'.

[Pat Coleman]

Someday I'd love to come do a doubleheader in Alfred. Noon and 4?

[CNU85]

So, those stadiums are .3 miles apart. Belhaven's and Millsaps's stadiums are .8 miles apart. Yunevich and Pioneer Stadium look to be about a mile. St. Olaf's and Carleton's stadiums are 1.5 miles apart. Worcester State's and WPI's stadiums are about 2.2 miles apart. Springfield's and Western New England's stadiums are about 2.5 miles apart.

I thought maybe Apprentice School and CNU were fairly close. But it looks like 8.1 miles.....not even close to the above.

[XREDDRAGON77]

Utica snuck by Morrisville and BPort was idle. Didn't even look so see it SJF played. I hope the Dragons aren't being lulled into a trap over the next 2 weeks! With Brockport 3 weeks away, and the E8 title on the line....we need to be hitting on all cylinders! Take care of business and then end the season with a double bang with BPort and Cortaca!

[Jay Murry]

Hello All,

While I will be following from afar WashU's efforts against North Central, it won't be idle following.

I will be in the midst of my Rett Gets Rocked 2023 24-hour ultramarathon at WashU to raise awareness of Rett syndrome and research funds to find a cure.  I'm starting around 8:00 Friday night (after I provide the call for the WashU-Saint Louis U. swimming and diving meet), and ending at 8:00 Saturday night. 

Rett syndrome is a neurological disorder caused by a gene mutation on the X chromosome.  It lays in the weeds until a child is between 6-18 months old, just when a child is learning to walk and talk.  Rett is like Lucy in the Peanuts comic strip when she pulls the ball away from Charlie Brown, as he tries to kick it.  Unlike Charlie Brown...when Rett pulls the ball away from children, they don't get a chance to get up and try again.  Children go into severe neurological regression; many end up in wheelchairs and most lose the ability to talk and to do sign language.  Those with Rett also are prone to seizures, extreme nerve pain, GI issues, breathing abnormalities, and eating difficulties that can all be life-threatening.

Researchers are relentless, providing hope on two fronts.  Back in March of this year, Daybue became the first FDA-approved drug to target the effects of Rett syndrome.  Daybue helps blunt some of the seizures and has helped improve some vocal and gross motor skills.  Gene replacement therapy clinical trials in two North American locations have helped one patient sit up independently for the first time in a decade, and to grasp objects for the first time since infancy.

It is this momentum of hope and progress that I am trying to assist and perpetuate.

If you would like to make a donation, click on this Rett Racers link:  https://rettracers.funraise.org/fundraiser/jaymurry

The families of children who have Rett and fight a tough fight every day, will be very grateful for your help.

Thank you for your time and consideration, and enjoy the games this weekend!

[FisherFaithful03]

Just a sad state of affairs in Pittsford with the Cardinals.

On one hand i feel bad because they're suffering from a lack of talent on either side of the ball due to a lack of support from the administration. They're just not able to recruit the kids they used to, they've made it impossible to get talent through the doors on East Ave.

I was Vosburgh's biggest critic but he just can't do much with what he has.

He's lucked into a few kids that have developed into good players but he just doesn't have enough resources to get impact players within the state.

On the other hand they're just not innovative at all on offense or defense.

It's about as basic as you can be with formations and route combinations in the passing game and even when a guy is open it's not a gaurantee that the QB will find and hit him with a throw.

Defensively they play off ball coverage too much and give up too much underneath.

Again just a sad state of affairs on East Ave.

[FisherFaithful03]

Trailing 21-7 and looking to make it a one score game, Fisher tries a half back jump pass on the 3 yard line that gets intercepted...

Fire this coordinator into the sun with that decision...

[FisherFaithful03]

Resulting drive, Fisher plays soft zone in a two minute defense and Cortland takes a 28-7 lead after they just dink and dunk their way down the field with little resistance...

[IC798891]

Trailing 21-7 and looking to make it a one score game, Fisher tries a half back jump pass on the 3 yard line that gets intercepted...

Fire this coordinator into the sun with that decision...

The reason I hate these plays is because non-QBs don't often understand when *not* to throw the pass.

Agreed, it was a bad call.

But Cortland is just too talented for Fisher given where their respective programs are at this point

[FisherFaithful03]

Trailing 21-7 and looking to make it a one score game, Fisher tries a half back jump pass on the 3 yard line that gets intercepted...

Fire this coordinator into the sun with that decision...

The reason I hate these plays is because non-QBs don't often understand when *not* to throw the pass.

Agreed, it was a bad call.

But Cortland is just too talented for Fisher given where their respective programs are at this point

Agreed, Cortland was eventually going to pull away. They're a different class, kudos to Fitzpatrick but you have to have your A game when playing a team like Cortland. And they just did nothing right today outside of their first drive.

Cortland ball carriers (no matter who they are) just shake off Fisher defenders like they're flies on a horses back end.

Just a physically different class of athletes between Cortland and Fisher.

Feel bad for Vosburgh to be hung out to dry by the administration after all he did for the program.

[Caz Bombers]

How did Fisher fall off the face of the earth in football while all their other teams rule the E8 with an iron fist? Baffling.