FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[tigerfanalso]

I hear HSC has several first team ALL Metro selections (Richmond Times Dispatch) enrolling this Fall, one of these kids made first team All State (AAA) highest level in Va.
Will be interesting to see how much playing time they can earn, if any.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

Not sure why they and others don't?  Are there rules about announcing recruits, other than needing a deposit in hand?

i think most don't because d3 commitments are non-binding...most coaches probably don't want to release this information until they see them in camp for fear that other coaches will step up the recruiting efforts - i suspect that guilford has vetted these recruits pretty closely before releasing this information, as well, since they've only released info on 15...i'm sure they've got a lot more than 15 deposits from football players

i recall reading a comment from a d1 coach who said that a recruit who gave a verbal commitment to another school  "just made us aware of who our recruiting competition was"...an enrollment deposit is only a shade more concrete than a verbal commitment for some

You hit the nail on the head. I remember when I ran my BC fansite, I would have to talk Coach Clark into providing me with the list of incoming recruits and transfers. Here were the points of view:

Fan: Curiousity of who was coming in, question of if position needs were filled, and being able to compare recruiting classes to other conference teams.

Parent: Proud of their kids decision, wanted to see publicity of their decision, interested in other recruits coming in (especially at their son's position).

Coach: No benefit to the coaching staff to release information, helps other schools plan for what's incoming (especially kids they also recruited, preparing for their skill set), may deter a commitment from coming if they see a certain player or log jam at their position.

When I ran my fansite, I wanted to have the information and post it for fans and parents. Now the I've been on the staff side, I'm glad there is not someone releasing BC's recruiting information.

[hasanova]

Thanks for the information, kid.  I've seen coaching staffs go with it both way - for the very reasons you outline.  In Guilford's case, coming off an 0-10 season and starting this year with a new coach, anything you can do to build some enthusiasm is probably seen as a plus.

[tigerfanalso]

I certainly understand all positions; however if I were a coach I would not release info on recruits until someone made me do so. The release of that info can hurt you more than it can help you !!!!

[tigerfanalso]

Thoughts on how the ODAC plays out this year. Will W&L defend it's championship ? This is how I see the league playing out:

1) W&L
2) HSC
3) BC
4) RMC
5) E&H
6) CU
7) GC

If HSC can rebuild the defense, perhaps they can take the title. Tough conference games week 9 & 10.
W&L at HSC; HSC @ RMC. Should make for an interesting close to the season.

Can the ODAC Champion find away to win a game in the postseason Can the ODAC place two teams in the tourney again this year ?

Camps will open soon. Only eight more Saturday's without football !!!!

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

Thoughts on how the ODAC plays out this year. Will W&L defend it's championship ? This is how I see the league playing out:

1) W&L
2) HSC
3) BC
4) RMC
5) E&H
6) CU
7) GC

I like your picks, but I'd actually move RMC over BC. The Eagles haven't been asked to replace their QB and offensive playmaker in the same offseason in quite awhile. Their defense looks solid, but the offense will have to show me something before they are in the top half of the conference.

With the conference's overall talent being mediocre, I would think the next ODAC playoff win will come from someone who steamrolls the regular season. I just don't see that happening in 2011.

[tigerfanalso]

I think RMC is also faced with replacing their playmaker and their qb.
Could the ODAC get to the semi finals  if they took an all star team from the league ?
I suspect that would be difficult but not impossible.

can the odac take it's football to the same national level enjoyed by it's basketball ?
why or why not

I think it is possible as BC experienced during it's run. lots of good high school football in va & nc and all of those players cannot get rides to D1, D1AA or D2 schools; simply not enough spots available. 

[abnrgr]

Tiger
I can only attempt to answer with a beaten to death argument about B-Ball vs football. It is much easier to find 8 really good B-Ball players with 7 or 8 more "adequate" supporting cast members versus finding 22 starting football players with a supporting cast of 60 more. Look at Duke. They have that model. Or you can take Carolina who has pretty good at both which is an anomoy. And of course it is all cyclic.

ODAC has good football at the top 4 but just a step too slow or 20lbs too light to consistantly compete nationally. Again that's cyclic too. Except for GC-Q. It's pretty steady. 

[hasanova]

Tiger
I can only attempt to answer with a beaten to death argument about B-Ball vs football. It is much easier to find 8 really good B-Ball players with 7 or 8 more "adequate" supporting cast members versus finding 22 starting football players with a supporting cast of 60 more. Look at Duke. They have that model. Or you can take Carolina who has pretty good at both which is an anomoy. And of course it is all cyclic.

ODAC has good football at the top 4 but just a step too slow or 20lbs too light to consistantly compete nationally. Again that's cyclic too. Except for GC-Q. It's pretty steady.  

I think your argument holds for GCQ.  Three or four good to great players supported by seven or eight fair players (basketball) is a lot easier to assemble than the 45+ good to great players you'll need to field a national-championship caliber team two-deep on both sides of the ball in football.  Tradition can be changed, of course, but Guilford's never won more than eight games in a season since starting football in 1892 and there have probably been eight or more winless seasons.  I've witnessed three since I first started following the team in 1970.  Maddening!  Thank God for Basketball, Golf and, in 1981, Women's Tennis.  

With that said, go Quaker football in 2011!

[hasanova]

Five more make 20 new Quakers for the Class of 2015:

http://www.guilfordquakers.com/sports/fball/2011-12/releases/20110705ouzggh

[SafetyGuy]

5' 6" 150 pound linebacker???

[hasanova]

5' 6" 150 pound linebacker???

I know.  I saw that too.   

[hasanova]

Tonight, I met and had a great conversation at the gym with former HSC OL Chris Anderson '10.  Chris is a Chapel Hill native who now lives and works in Greensboro.  We're both looking forward to the start of the 2011 season.  With the Tigers visiting the Quakers this fall, hopefully we'll both be at Armfield for kickoff.

There's an additional fact I didn't know until tonight:  Chris was also a basketball teammate at Chapel Hill HS of two pretty good former Quaker players, Ben Strong and Caleb Kimbrough.  Nice.

There once was a Tiger who bosses
The O-Line, so one of their "hosses"!
A big hitter for Sydney,
He'd knock out your kidney!
Ten senior wins and yes, no losses!

[hasanova]

Five more new Quakers make 25:

http://www.guilfordquakers.com/sports/fball/2011-12/releases/20110711uhndxq

[abnrgr]

Hasa
A Richmond County Raider and a Doug Byrd. They are both winning and HITTING teams. Should bring something to the table for the GC-Qs

Need some more Havelock Rams too!

I am getting a little excited about football already.

I can see the sweat dripping out the helmets already. Hated that first 2 weeks of camp