FB: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

[SaintsFAN]

Thomas More has released its schedule for 2018.  Its a really tough one in terms of having 7 road games, distance to be traveled and who they have scheduled.

There are four games which really stand out:  At home vs. UW Plattville and Muhlenberg , road games Saint Johns and Huntington.

Notice there is one HCAC squad on this schedule.  (Hint:  Its still not MSJ, can't say I blame them though)

You'll also notice they have their first D2 opponent since the Dean Paul era.. when they host Lake Erie College.

http://tmcsaints.com/sports/fball/2018-19/schedule

[formerd3db]

Thomas More has released its schedule for 2018.  Its a really tough one in terms of having 7 road games, distance to be traveled and who they have scheduled.

There are four games which really stand out:  At home vs. UW Plattville and Muhlenberg , road games Saint Johns and Huntington.

Notice there is one HCAC squad on this schedule.  (Hint:  Its still not MSJ, can't say I blame them though)

You'll also notice they have their first D2 opponent since the Dean Paul era.. when they host Lake Erie College.

http://tmcsaints.com/sports/fball/2018-19/schedule

SaintsFAN:

So what is your opinion, then, if Thomas More defeats Lake Erie? The latter is not a great D2 program talentwise, at least so far. 

BTW, how is your friend/former teammate doing?  I fear to ask, but have kept him and family in prayer, even though I do not know them.   

[SaintsFAN]

SaintsFAN:

So what is your opinion, then, if Thomas More defeats Lake Erie? The latter is not a great D2 program talentwise, at least so far. 

BTW, how is your friend/former teammate doing?  I fear to ask, but have kept him and family in prayer, even though I do not know them.

I feel like they should beat Lake Erie.  The team is pretty loaded with talent, but needs a QB to develop early in 2018.  If that happens, this will be a very good D3 team in 2018.  I don't think a win against Lake Erie means anything more than they beat that team in 2018.  They'll have to upgrade the recruiting if they head up a division. 

Thanks for asking:  My friend is doing as well as can be expected.  He's a fighter and loves that he is able to visit with his family and friends.  I'm hoping to be back in Cincy in three weeks for work and get another chance to visit with him.  I spoke with Dean Paul last year about him.   Dean was a first year coach our senior year in 1999.  My friend was a heckuva TE and leader of our team and it was clear right away to Dean.  We had Spring conditioning at 6AM for a week.  My friend gave a speech to the team about Geronimo and how/why the army uses that term for being "all in" (why they yell Geronimo when they jump out of planes).  18 years later, Coach Paul remembers this speech vividly, despite how many speeches he's heard over the years.  Thats impressive to me and shows how special my friend is. 

Thanks for asking.

[formerd3db]

SaintsFAN:

So what is your opinion, then, if Thomas More defeats Lake Erie? The latter is not a great D2 program talentwise, at least so far. 

BTW, how is your friend/former teammate doing?  I fear to ask, but have kept him and family in prayer, even though I do not know them.

I feel like they should beat Lake Erie.  The team is pretty loaded with talent, but needs a QB to develop early in 2018.  If that happens, this will be a very good D3 team in 2018.  I don't think a win against Lake Erie means anything more than they beat that team in 2018.  They'll have to upgrade the recruiting if they head up a division. 

Thanks for asking:  My friend is doing as well as can be expected.  He's a fighter and loves that he is able to visit with his family and friends.  I'm hoping to be back in Cincy in three weeks for work and get another chance to visit with him.  I spoke with Dean Paul last year about him.   Dean was a first year coach our senior year in 1999.  My friend was a heckuva TE and leader of our team and it was clear right away to Dean.  We had Spring conditioning at 6AM for a week.  My friend gave a speech to the team about Geronimo and how/why the army uses that term for being "all in" (why they yell Geronimo when they jump out of planes).  18 years later, Coach Paul remembers this speech vividly, despite how many speeches he's heard over the years.  Thats impressive to me and shows how special my friend is. 

Thanks for asking.

You are welcome, my friend and thanks for the update on that as well as your thoughts about your TMC playing Erie College.  Talk to you later; we'll keep in contact.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Quiet as usual around here so here's a list of all the non-conference games for the upcoming season

Franklin (8-3, 8-0): vs Benedictine (7-3); @ Albion (4-6)
Rose-Hulman (8-2, 7-1): @ Mount Union (15-0); vs Rhodes (4-6)
Mount St Joseph (6-4, 5-3): vs Capital (1-9); @ Morehead St (FCS 4-7)
Manchester (6-4, 5-3): @ Trine (11-1); @ Alma (4-6)
Hanover (4-6, 4-4): @ Centre (9-1); vs Thomas More (6-4)
Bluffton (4-6, 4-4): vs Wooster (6-4); @ Trine (11-1)
Defiance (2-8, 2-6): vs Albion (4-6); vs Hope (8-2)
Anderson (1-9, 1-7): @ North Park (3-7); vs Indiana Wesleyan (NAIA and inaugural season)
Earlham (0-10, 0-8): vs Wilmington (2-8); vs Hiram (2-8)

Last year the conference won a massive 3 non-conference games... I see some winnable games on that list.

And for SaintsFan... something something MSJ playing a Kentucky school that's 2 levels above them (guess it's ok to get crushed if it's to an FCS team )

[SaintsFAN]

Quiet as usual around here so here's a list of all the non-conference games for the upcoming season

Franklin (8-3, 8-0): vs Benedictine (7-3); @ Albion (4-6)
Rose-Hulman (8-2, 7-1): @ Mount Union (15-0); vs Rhodes (4-6)
Mount St Joseph (6-4, 5-3): vs Capital (1-9); @ Morehead St (FCS 4-7)
Manchester (6-4, 5-3): @ Trine (11-1); @ Alma (4-6)
Hanover (4-6, 4-4): @ Centre (9-1); vs Thomas More (6-4)
Bluffton (4-6, 4-4): vs Wooster (6-4); @ Trine (11-1)
Defiance (2-8, 2-6): vs Albion (4-6); vs Hope (8-2)
Anderson (1-9, 1-7): @ North Park (3-7); vs Indiana Wesleyan (NAIA and inaugural season)
Earlham (0-10, 0-8): vs Wilmington (2-8); vs Hiram (2-8)

Last year the conference won a massive 3 non-conference games... I see some winnable games on that list.

And for SaintsFan... something something MSJ playing a Kentucky school that's 2 levels above them (guess it's ok to get crushed if it's to an FCS team )

Simple reason:  $$$  they badly need money and thats a guarantee game.  Its the same reason TMC played at Morehead State in 1998. 

Toughest non-con?  Has to be Hanover... but this won't be a great year for the OOC record for HCAC teams, it appears. 

Also, Hanover should be really well attended by Saints fans.  They actually only play 3 times in Crestview Hills in 2018.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Quiet as usual around here so here's a list of all the non-conference games for the upcoming season

Franklin (8-3, 8-0): vs Benedictine (7-3); @ Albion (4-6)
Rose-Hulman (8-2, 7-1): @ Mount Union (15-0); vs Rhodes (4-6)
Mount St Joseph (6-4, 5-3): vs Capital (1-9); @ Morehead St (FCS 4-7)
Manchester (6-4, 5-3): @ Trine (11-1); @ Alma (4-6)
Hanover (4-6, 4-4): @ Centre (9-1); vs Thomas More (6-4)
Bluffton (4-6, 4-4): vs Wooster (6-4); @ Trine (11-1)
Defiance (2-8, 2-6): vs Albion (4-6); vs Hope (8-2)
Anderson (1-9, 1-7): @ North Park (3-7); vs Indiana Wesleyan (NAIA and inaugural season)
Earlham (0-10, 0-8): vs Wilmington (2-8); vs Hiram (2-8)

Last year the conference won a massive 3 non-conference games... I see some winnable games on that list.

And for SaintsFan... something something MSJ playing a Kentucky school that's 2 levels above them (guess it's ok to get crushed if it's to an FCS team )

Simple reason:  $$$  they badly need money and thats a guarantee game.  Its the same reason TMC played at Morehead State in 1998. 

Toughest non-con?  Has to be Hanover... but this won't be a great year for the OOC record for HCAC teams, it appears. 

Also, Hanover should be really well attended by Saints fans.  They actually only play 3 times in Crestview Hills in 2018.

It's never a great year for the OOC record. Haven't won more than 1/3 in a decade... been 12 years since the HCAC had a winning record.

Regular season non-conference record
2017: 3-15 (Manchester, MSJ, Rose 1-1)
2016: 5-13 (Bluffton 2-0; Defiance, Franklin, Rose 1-1)
2015: 4-14 (Rose 2-0; Bluffton, MSJ 1-1)
2014: 4-14 (Rose 2-0; Manchester, MSJ 1-1)
2013: 1-17 (Earlham 1-1) Franklin 2nd round
2012: 2-16 (Bluffton, MSJ 1-1) Franklin 2nd round
2011: 3-15 (Franklin, Manchester, MSJ 1-1) Franklin 2nd round
2010: 6-12 (Bluffton, Franklin, Hanover, Manchester, MSJ, Rose 1-1)
Earlham joins HCAC
2009: 7-17 (Franklin, MSJ, Rose 2-1; Defiance 1-2)
2008: 10-14 (Franklin, Manchester, MSJ, Rose 2-1; Anderson, Bluffton 1-2) Franklin quarterfinals
2007: 12-12 (MSJ, Rose 3-0; Franklin, Manchester 2-1; Anderson, Defiance 1-2)
2006: 13-11 (Franklin, Rose 3-0; Defiance, MSJ 2-1; Anderson, Bluffton, Manchester 1-2)

Franklin has an opportunity to go 2-0 (obviously have to see how the offense looks after the talent that graduated)
Rose could beat Rhodes, MSJ should beat Capital, Manchester could get Alma, Anderson might beat Indiana Wesleyan since it will only be their 2nd ever game.

[formerd3db]

FCGG:
I have no problem with a DIII school playing an FCS, if the want to.  I think it is great that Franklin has done that over the past two decades.

SaintsFAN:
Forgive me if I missed you perhaps relating any information about this (and the TMC news release really did not go into in depth reasons), however, why did your alma mater decide to go to the NAIA?  They were quite successful in DII obviously.  What is the advantage for them?  Just curious.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

FCGG:
I have no problem with a DIII school playing an FCS, if the want to.  I think it is great that Franklin has done that over the past two decades.

SaintsFAN:
Forgive me if I missed you perhaps relating any information about this (and the TMC news release really did not go into in depth reasons), however, why did your alma mater decide to go to the NAIA?  They were quite successful in DII obviously.  What is the advantage for them?  Just curious.

I have no problem with playing an FCS... but I think Franklin has perhaps done it a bit too often. I was mostly poking fun at MSJ in that they quit playing Thomas More because they were getting beat so bad and then they go and schedule another Kentucky school that will probably beat them just as bad.

[formerd3db]

FCGG:
I have no problem with a DIII school playing an FCS, if the want to.  I think it is great that Franklin has done that over the past two decades.

SaintsFAN:
Forgive me if I missed you perhaps relating any information about this (and the TMC news release really did not go into in depth reasons), however, why did your alma mater decide to go to the NAIA?  They were quite successful in DII obviously.  What is the advantage for them?  Just curious.

I have no problem with playing an FCS... but I think Franklin has perhaps done it a bit too often. I was mostly poking fun at MSJ in that they quit playing Thomas More because they were getting beat so bad and then they go and schedule another Kentucky school that will probably beat them just as bad.

I caught that, FCGG, re: your jesting at MSJ.   At the same time, though, I wish we (Hope) had played an FCS more often. I guess we are of slightly different opinion on doing that.

[wally_wabash]

FCGG:
I have no problem with a DIII school playing an FCS, if the want to.  I think it is great that Franklin has done that over the past two decades.

SaintsFAN:
Forgive me if I missed you perhaps relating any information about this (and the TMC news release really did not go into in depth reasons), however, why did your alma mater decide to go to the NAIA?  They were quite successful in DII obviously.  What is the advantage for them?  Just curious.

I believe, officially, TMC has been invited to join NAIA, but has not done so just yet.  They are using 2018-2019 to exhaust all D3 options before making that commitment.  TMC is a school without a D3 conference to call home and without any realistic options.  Take a look at their 2018 football schedule (with NCAA mileage added for road games):
9/1   at N.C. Wesleyan (574 miles)
9/8   at Hanover (73 miles)
9/15   vs. UW-Platteville
9/22   at Huntingdon (550 miles)
9/29   at St. Lawrence (712 miles)
10/6   at Emory and Henry (311 miles)
10/13 vs. Muhlenberg
10/20 at St. Scholastica (772 miles)   
11/3    vs. Lake Erie
11/10 at St. John's (786 miles)

That's over 7500 miles of travel for the football team this fall.  I imagine this sort of thing manifests itself throughout the rest of the school's teams as well.  It simply isn't sustainable.  NAIA provides Thomas More with a geographically convenient conference to play in, home/away schedule balance, and stability...all of which I believe are beneficial to the student athletes there.  This seems like the best option for Thomas More, but as their administration has noted, they are going to use this year to continue to explore D3 options. 

[SaintsFAN]

FCGG:
I have no problem with a DIII school playing an FCS, if the want to.  I think it is great that Franklin has done that over the past two decades.

SaintsFAN:
Forgive me if I missed you perhaps relating any information about this (and the TMC news release really did not go into in depth reasons), however, why did your alma mater decide to go to the NAIA?  They were quite successful in DII obviously.  What is the advantage for them?  Just curious.

I believe, officially, TMC has been invited to join NAIA, but has not done so just yet.  They are using 2018-2019 to exhaust all D3 options before making that commitment.  TMC is a school without a D3 conference to call home and without any realistic options.  Take a look at their 2018 football schedule (with NCAA mileage added for road games):
9/1   at N.C. Wesleyan (574 miles)
9/8   at Hanover (73 miles)
9/15   vs. UW-Platteville
9/22   at Huntingdon (550 miles)
9/29   at St. Lawrence (712 miles)
10/6   at Emory and Henry (311 miles)
10/13 vs. Muhlenberg
10/20 at St. Scholastica (772 miles)   
11/3    vs. Lake Erie
11/10 at St. John's (786 miles)

That's over 7500 miles of travel for the football team this fall.  I imagine this sort of thing manifests itself throughout the rest of the school's teams as well.  It simply isn't sustainable.  NAIA provides Thomas More with a geographically convenient conference to play in, home/away schedule balance, and stability...all of which I believe are beneficial to the student athletes there.  This seems like the best option for Thomas More, but as their administration has noted, they are going to use this year to continue to explore D3 options.

This^^

Saint Johns is a guarantee game.

[Craft_Beermeister]

FCGG:
I have no problem with a DIII school playing an FCS, if the want to.  I think it is great that Franklin has done that over the past two decades.

SaintsFAN:
Forgive me if I missed you perhaps relating any information about this (and the TMC news release really did not go into in depth reasons), however, why did your alma mater decide to go to the NAIA?  They were quite successful in DII obviously.  What is the advantage for them?  Just curious.

I believe, officially, TMC has been invited to join NAIA, but has not done so just yet.  They are using 2018-2019 to exhaust all D3 options before making that commitment.  TMC is a school without a D3 conference to call home and without any realistic options.  Take a look at their 2018 football schedule (with NCAA mileage added for road games):
9/1   at N.C. Wesleyan (574 miles)
9/8   at Hanover (73 miles)
9/15   vs. UW-Platteville
9/22   at Huntingdon (550 miles)
9/29   at St. Lawrence (712 miles)
10/6   at Emory and Henry (311 miles)
10/13 vs. Muhlenberg
10/20 at St. Scholastica (772 miles)   
11/3    vs. Lake Erie
11/10 at St. John's (786 miles)

That's over 7500 miles of travel for the football team this fall.  I imagine this sort of thing manifests itself throughout the rest of the school's teams as well.  It simply isn't sustainable.  NAIA provides Thomas More with a geographically convenient conference to play in, home/away schedule balance, and stability...all of which I believe are beneficial to the student athletes there.  This seems like the best option for Thomas More, but as their administration has noted, they are going to use this year to continue to explore D3 options.

WOW that is a lot.  One can't blame them from getting away from that.  If those trips are by bus that sounds like several multiple day trips.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Honestly, it's impressive that they managed to get 9 D3 games. Pretty tough to get non-conference games in October and November.

[GrizFan]

SaintsFan - will TMC pony up 36 scholarships to compete in NAIA?  NAIA football is a dying breed.  Many schools have taken their scholarships to NCAA D2 or dropped scholarships and moved to NCAA D3.  The talent in NAIA really falls off after the top 5-10 schools.  I would love to see TMC stay in D3 but I understand that it may not be an option.