FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[muchacho]

W&L is putting in field turf? Thats a shame...they had an amazing grass field.
It will be fun one day to tell my kids that I played football on grass. They won't believe it!

I won't make my own picks right now, but I'll comment on Tigerfanalso's...

1) HSC - Drew Smith's won't be easily replaced, but I presume Josh Simpson is coming back. He clicks in Marty's offense, and I'm sure the Tigers will find some more offensive contributors. HSC should be contenders again.
2) Bridgewater - Lost their three main playmakers in Highfill, Carter, and Copeland. Their defense will be tough like always, but I have doubts that they will score points when it matters. I won't be surprised by a few losses.
3) W&L - Jack Martin's graduation means they lost their main big play threat. However, Stuart Sitterson is a threat to score any time he touches the ball, whether out of the backfield, in the passing game, or with returns. Their defense wasn't as stellar last season as in year's past, but they always seem to win tight games. Probably middle of the pack this year.
4) RMC - Lost a couple of players to graduation from their defense, which was excellent last season. However, their offense remains intact, and Pedro's young Yellowjackets have finally matured. I don't think they were a fluke, and should be competitive again.
5) Guilford - Same old story. Guilford will score a lot of points, but give up even more. Vogelbach will break records, but I don't count on the Quakers necessarily being a winning team.
6) CU - Same old story for Catholic also. Will pass the ball a lot...sometimes well, sometimes not. The running game has not been seen since sometime around 2001, and I don't know if this will be the year it reemerges. Lost just a few players last season and they will have a lot of talented seniors. Should improve again this season, but I don't see them near the top.
7) E&H - I don't know what to think. Montgomery comes from a great coaching background, and last season's poor finish certainly wasn't expected. I don't see them rising to the top, but could finish anywhere else in my mind.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

The website at EHC still lists Stan Watson as a coach (and we all know he has moved on to BGSU).

Has EHC released anything official that lists the current coaches for the 2008 season (ie. the OC and DC)?

[K-Mack]

Preseason tabloid posts R-M as "Team to Watch."  8)

http://www.rmc.edu/News/Football08-sportingnews_previewe.aspx

Good for Macon ... bad for Sporting News.

Dude, have you seen our schedule this year?

I'm kidding. I mean, we, er, they, lost to Frostburg last year.

72 lettermen is a lot.

(still using that R-MC edumacation!)

[K-Mack]

Not sure how E & H's stadium is coming along, but W & L's new stadium looks fantastic, new grandstands, new lights and new Field Turf. Very Impressive. It is a great time to be a Division III athlete as schools continue to upgrade their facilities.

Grass will be obsolete in D3 in 5-10 years.

I'm just guessing, but until this W&L renovation, I bet the ODAC was the last all-grass conference.

Also home to some of the least-fancy facilities in the nation. But that just proves how hardcore we are. ODAC Beyotch!

[K-Mack]

Great article on the Randolph-Macon and Hampden-Sydney rivalry on ESPNU web site.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=3476639

Just caught wind of this.

Guy did a pretty decent job capturing the essence of the rivalry, but apparently everyone in Ashland is too busy with class or whatever to answer a phone. 67 HSC quotes, 1 Mike Rhoades quote. Not that I was counting

[Jacketlawyer]

K-Mack, scrimmage against NC Wesleyan in Ashalnd on August 30th at 11:00.  I know you're busy with WP obligations, but if 95 isn't a parking lot that day, maybe I'll see you there. 8)

[Pat Coleman]

Not sure how E & H's stadium is coming along, but W & L's new stadium looks fantastic, new grandstands, new lights and new Field Turf. Very Impressive. It is a great time to be a Division III athlete as schools continue to upgrade their facilities.

Grass will be obsolete in D3 in 5-10 years.

I'm just guessing, but until this W&L renovation, I bet the ODAC was the last all-grass conference.

Catholic got turf in 2005 or 2006.

[Jacketlawyer]

Not sure how E & H's stadium is coming along, but W & L's new stadium looks fantastic, new grandstands, new lights and new Field Turf. Very Impressive. It is a great time to be a Division III athlete as schools continue to upgrade their facilities.

Grass will be obsolete in D3 in 5-10 years.

I'm just guessing, but until this W&L renovation, I bet the ODAC was the last all-grass conference.

Catholic got turf in 2005 or 2006.

And the appeal of field turf is what, exactly?

I'm not afraid to look ignorant here; I don't get it.

[Pat Coleman]

I think the appeal of turf is that you can put multiple events on one surface.

[BTEXPRESS]

Exactly, rather than have one field for just Football, schools can use the same field for Football, Soccer, Lacrosse and intramuals etc. The newer style turf fields (Field, Sprint, Sportexe, and the new Astro) seem to be softer and injuries don't seem to be anymore than on grass surfaces. Field Hockey seems to be played on the shorter older style Astro turf type fields. I guess schools justify the initial cost with less maintence to the grass fields. It is amazing on how many colleges and High schools across the nation are installing Turf fields.

[allsky7]

Great article on the Randolph-Macon and Hampden-Sydney rivalry on ESPNU web site.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=3476639

Just caught wind of this.

Guy did a pretty decent job capturing the essence of the rivalry, but apparently everyone in Ashland is too busy with class or whatever to answer a phone. 67 HSC quotes, 1 Mike Rhoades quote. Not that I was counting

     I especially like the one by Marty about the Macon guys working FOR the H-S guys!! 

[78rmc]

Great article on the Randolph-Macon and Hampden-Sydney rivalry on ESPNU web site.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=3476639

Just caught wind of this.

Guy did a pretty decent job capturing the essence of the rivalry, but apparently everyone in Ashland is too busy with class or whatever to answer a phone. 67 HSC quotes, 1 Mike Rhoades quote. Not that I was counting

     I especially like the one by Marty about the Macon guys working FOR the H-S guys!! 

That line makes me laugh every time.  It just get funnier with age.  At least the RMC guys have the good sense not to hire an HSC guy in the first place.

[Bwana]

I don't know if this is new, but I just got it...

2008 ODAC FOOTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
(#) Denotes First Place Votes

1. Hampden-Sydney (5)       47 votes
2. Randolph-Macon (2)         41 votes
3. Bridgewater                     28 votes
4. Washington and Lee        27 votes
5. Guilford                             21 votes
6. Catholic                             20 votes
7. Emory & Henry                  12 votes

[emufan]

WOW,

Is BC really just a middle of the road team in the ODAC?  I know they had a down year last year but they dominated for the past decade.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

Well gentlemen (and MommaG), as of tomorrow morning, I won't be able to post on these boards anymore. I begin a new job which won't allow me to.

On a more sad note, I won't be able to attend anymore BC games. This is quite a change, seeing I've attended 91 of the 95 BC games since the 2000 season. I may get lucky and get to one BC game this season, but it's unlikely.

I will still read this forum, seeing I'll need my BC and ODAC football fix, so good luck to everyone in 2008!

GO EAGLES!!!