FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[pumkinattack]

I'm sure it takes a little success to breed better depth, but Drake Woodard, whom Coach Yoder is bringing along from Hobart was a great DB and recent graduate himself.  His resume includes a playoff win over Lycoming and road games (losses, though Wesley was very close) vs. MUC & Wesley as a player and last year's run into the final 8 as an assistant coach. 

One thing I've found with Hobart's growth (and they really sucked throughout the 70's and 80's into the early 90's) over the years is that every time this group from the HC down to Yoder and the guys from my era to the more recent ones like Drake Woodard is that every challenge, often left the team bruised and beat up, but within 2-3yrs they made it to another level.  They'll bring that mentality to SU I'm sure. 

[mattvsmith]

In 1990, Hobart Football stank so bad that I thanked God everyday for being assigned to William Smith field hockey (as a student athletic trainer). Come 1991 we got Syracuse OC Coach Maxwell. 1991 wasn't a great year, but it was better than amy in recent memory; you could simply feel the change in everyone's spirit. 1992 I was overseas, sadly. 1993 I became truly proud of being a part if Hobart Football, I came to live and respect Coach Maxwell and his staff, especially Coach Cragg.
I remember Coach Maxwell like our Grandpas remember Patton.  It was the kind of thing where I wished I weren't going to graduate because I wanted more time with the team. In that one season, I learned more about football than I did throughout Pop Warner, Middle School, and High school football combined. I credit Coach Maxwell for putting the breaks on, Fred Flintstone style, to stop Hobart careening toward the abyss of becoming the sh**tyiest team to ever disgrace football and he made us believe that we could be winners. He changed our hearts and minds. I credit Coach Cragg with making Hobart Football a real national team. Yoder played a big role in Hobart's success.

I hope I'm not piling on too much pressure, or raising expectations too high, but I think Shenandoah will become a better team. I hope that 20 years from now a former Shenandoah player will write a post like this (if we even have posts 20 years from now) and credits Yoder with turning a program around. If any SU players or parents lurk on this board, I beg you to give your hearts to the program. You will graduate with your heads high, knowing that you were there when the turnaround began.

The only problem is that now The Rev has three D3 teams to follow ('Bart, Coast Guard, and now SU).

[tigerfanalso]

It will fun to watch the new staff at SU. They have their work cut out them. Sounds like he is the Man for the job.

[jknezek]

Wasn't sure where to post this, but after the fall and winter seasons Shenandoah has had one painful welcome to the ODAC.

Complete failures in football and men's basketball (0 fer the conference schedule) were followed up with 7th place finishes in men's and women's cc, 11th in men's soccer with a 1-9-1 record, last place in men's indoor track, and 6th of 7 in women's indoor track.

This woeful record is somewhat balanced by the following: A 4-4 and 4th place finish in Field Hockey, a 4-7 8th place finish in volleyball, a 7-9 6th place finish in women's basketball and the only above .500 conference record, a 6-5-1 7th place finish in women's soccer.

As far as spring sports go, Shenandoah seems to have better hopes (at least in preseason polls) for high finishes in baseball and women's lacrosse. I was unable to access some of the other preseason information. Be interesting to see where Shenandoah finishes in the end of year ODAC overall athletic cups. Still, it can't have been a pleasant welcome so far to the a new conference.

[tigerfanalso]

Time will tell if SU is a good fit for the ODAC. They must improve in football and basketball for the history books to suggest it was a wise decision on both parties part. Give them five years and hopefully the result will show SU is a good fit for the ODAC.
Sounds like the football hire was a good one and if that proves out it will take him three recruiting classes to get competitive although there is room for immediate improvement(s) with the current rooster. Don't know anything about the basketball program other than it is not competitive at this point.

Hopefully they will raise the bar within the ODAC in baseball immediately.

[jknezek]

Time will tell if SU is a good fit for the ODAC. They must improve in football and basketball for the history books to suggest it was a wise decision on both parties part. Give them five years and hopefully the result will show SU is a good fit for the ODAC.

Football and men's basketball were a disaster for them. No doubt. But I was surprised, when I looked at the numbers, how bad they were across the board. It seems to me that if Shenandoah wants to fit in the ODAC they are going to have to devote some more resources pretty much top to bottom in the fall and winter sports. Men's soccer was pretty much as bad as football and baseball, and the track and cross country teams seem to be in the same area. You just can't be last, or second to last, in that many sports.

It will be interesting to see how the next couple years go for Shenandoah and if they can become productive members of the conference in more than just a select sport (baseball) or two.

[bman]

Time will tell if SU is a good fit for the ODAC. They must improve in football and basketball for the history books to suggest it was a wise decision on both parties part. Give them five years and hopefully the result will show SU is a good fit for the ODAC.

Football and men's basketball were a disaster for them. No doubt. But I was surprised, when I looked at the numbers, how bad they were across the board. It seems to me that if Shenandoah wants to fit in the ODAC they are going to have to devote some more resources pretty much top to bottom in the fall and winter sports. Men's soccer was pretty much as bad as football and baseball, and the track and cross country teams seem to be in the same area. You just can't be last, or second to last, in that many sports.

It will be interesting to see how the next couple years go for Shenandoah and if they can become productive members of the conference in more than just a select sport (baseball) or two.

IMO just being in the ODAC will help them.  It's a respected conference with quality teams and institutions.  It will be a much easier sell to prospective athletes/students...

[tigerfanalso]

I hope it works out for SU because the ODAC needs to get stronger from top to bottom. That will only make the ODAC a better conference.

[hasanova]

Guilford's 2013 football schedule:

http://www.guilfordquakers.com/sports/fball/2013-14/schedule

[tigerfanalso]

Hasa

See u on Nov. 2nd !!!

Isn't it about time Guilford changed  their OOC schedule just a little bit ?

[hasanova]

Hasa

See u on Nov. 2nd !!!

Isn't it about time Guilford changed  their OOC schedule just a little bit ?

I look forward to seeing you in November, tfa!

As a matter of fact, questions regarding Guilford's OOC schedule were asked during last Saturday's Quaker Club lunch.  According to my reliable source, there are some current contracts in place that have to be honored, but some potential changes are being discussed. 

With seven ODAC games, that leaves three OOC games.  GCQ's current OOC opponents are Greensboro, Methodist and Averett ... all from the USASAC and all with minimal travel expense.  Honestly, now that the intracity Soup Bowl with Greensboro has been played every year since its inception in 1997, it's unlikely to change, so that leaves Methodist and Averett.  In week two, Guilford has played Methodist every year since the Monarchs began football in 1989, so we're at 25 straight years there, but that could change.  The really likely spot to rotate is the Averett game in week three.  Some possibilities (that may require some other juggling in the schedule) are a game with new DIII member Southern Virginia in Salem Stadium (site of the Stagg Bowl), Southern Athletic Association members Centre or Sewanee, a UAA member such as Case Western Reserve or a possible Centennial opponent (HC Rusiewicz spent 10 years at Ursinus).  Stay tuned ....   

[tigerfanalso]

All good additions. I think every program needs to mix up the OOC schedule. Playing the same ole teams year over year gets stale.

[hasanova]

All good additions. I think every program needs to mix up the OOC schedule. Playing the same ole teams year over year gets stale.

That's been my consistent comment in this forum, to the HC and to the AD.  In addition to the ODAC, I personally like for Guilford to be academically, philosophically and athletically associated with the UAA, the SAA and the CC ... but I do understand the need to control costs and minimize the time these students are away from campus.

[tigerfanalso]

All great conferences to be associated with.

As far as cost control on travel expenses; HSC is going to the Coast Guard Academy 2013 to Wabash 2014. I understand the Wabash deal; all male, similar academics, typically a top 15 program. I don't understand CGA other than the AD at CGA is a HSC grad; still going to Conn. is going to be expensive and lost class time.

[hasanova]

All great conferences to be associated with.

As far as cost control on travel expenses; HSC is going to the Coast Guard Academy 2013 to Wabash 2014. I understand the Wabash deal; all male, similar academics, typically a top 15 program. I don't understand CGA other than the AD at CGA is a HSC grad; still going to Conn. is going to be expensive and lost class time.

Those "old school" ties are how a lot of this happens.  Besides, I favor varied road trips as part of the educational experience of the student athletes.