FB: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

[SaintsFAN]

You're right, has_been.  Its actually my hope that we are resting our starters for the Bridge Bowl.  We'll see this weekend.  Our playoffs may be the Bridge Bowl.

[Adam Sayer]

Manchester...they haven't been an issue since 2001 when our terrible 0-10 team lost to them...and that was a close game. To quote Supertroopers, when Manchester beats MSJ is when "me sh!t turns purple and smells like rainbow sherbert."

You heard it correct. 7-3. Now, you wonder what kind of mentality they have now that the playoffs are completely out of the picture. No one on the current team has experienced a record worse than 9-1 until this year. Every player on the current team has been in the playoffs every year they've been there as well. If you expect or are expected to be in the playoffs every year, then what happens when you're not? Where's your motivation. I think being the Bridge Bowl, they will have plenty, but you still have to wonder if not making the playoffs this year will have a major effect on their mentalities.

[dc_has_been]

Manchester...they haven't been an issue since 2001 when our terrible 0-10 team lost to them...and that was a close game. To quote Supertroopers, when Manchester beats MSJ is when "me sh!t turns purple and smells like rainbow sherbert."

You heard it correct. 7-3. Now, you wonder what kind of mentality they have now that the playoffs are completely out of the picture. No one on the current team has experienced a record worse than 9-1 until this year. Every player on the current team has been in the playoffs every year they've been there as well. If you expect or are expected to be in the playoffs every year, then what happens when you're not? Where's your motivation. I think being the Bridge Bowl, they will have plenty, but you still have to wonder if not making the playoffs this year will have a major effect on their mentalities.

First, I don't Manchester is they same team from 2001 or years of recent.  They are a team on the up swing w/ a versatile qb.  Second, everyteam expects to get into the playoffs everyyear.  Finally, if MSJ's motivation is the Bridge Bowl, they would be looking ahead of their next opponent & that never turns out well.

This has been a pretty quite week considering the most important game is being played.  I still don't think RHIT has a chance & think Franklin is still well above everyone else in the conference, but crazier things have happened.  Also, I'm still excited about the DC/Hanover game b/c DC actually has a chance to make it two in a row . 

[dc_has_been]

Regional rankings have been released & Franklin sits at 8 & RHIT at 10 in the north.  You can find the complete rankins at daily dose at the top of d3football.com's home page.

[Adam Sayer]

First, I don't Manchester is they same team from 2001 or years of recent.  They are a team on the up swing w/ a versatile qb.  Second, everyteam expects to get into the playoffs everyyear.  Finally, if MSJ's motivation is the Bridge Bowl, they would be looking ahead of their next opponent & that never turns out well.

You're right...they just got beat by the worst Hanover team that has ever been fielded. I don't think upswing is the word for it. And not every team expects to make it to the playoffs every year. I don't think DC, Hanover, or Manchester (to name a few HCAC teams) had playoff aspirations comming into the season. Sometimes, being competitive is good enough.

[dc_has_been]

First, I don't Manchester is they same team from 2001 or years of recent.  They are a team on the up swing w/ a versatile qb.  Second, everyteam expects to get into the playoffs everyyear.  Finally, if MSJ's motivation is the Bridge Bowl, they would be looking ahead of their next opponent & that never turns out well.

You're right...they just got beat by the worst Hanover team that has ever been fielded. I don't think upswing is the word for it. And not every team expects to make it to the playoffs every year. I don't think DC, Hanover, or Manchester (to name a few HCAC teams) had playoff aspirations comming into the season. Sometimes, being competitive is good enough.

So you think teams such as, DC, Hanover, & Manchester come into the year saying, "Hey, if we win a few games that's a success!" ?

[SaintsFAN]

You heard it correct. 7-3. Now, you wonder what kind of mentality they have now that the playoffs are completely out of the picture. No one on the current team has experienced a record worse than 9-1 until this year. Every player on the current team has been in the playoffs every year they've been there as well. If you expect or are expected to be in the playoffs every year, then what happens when you're not? Where's your motivation. I think being the Bridge Bowl, they will have plenty, but you still have to wonder if not making the playoffs this year will have a major effect on their mentalities.

I understand what you are saying, Sayer.  Kind of like the 2006 game right??

[SaintsFAN]

Thomas More is #10 in the South Regional Rankings... with a game against #3 this weekend in Crestview Hills. 

[Most Known, Unknown.]

What's going on football world. Man it seems like a long time, since I have been on here. I have been busy with Teaching and Coaching! Wow, whats the deal with MSJ, already 3 conf defeats. Coach Hillvert team is undefeated, big game this weekend. Up and down season this year. Wow . Bengals 0-7, Ohio State 2 big defeats!! Tenn Titans undefeated wow!!! Oh Yeah Greg Oden hurt his foot last night!

[fc_alum_84]

Interesting regional rankings.  While 7-0 must be taken into account, the likelihood that Trine is really ranked ahead of Wheaton is a real stretch.  I won't shocked to see Trine lose to Adrian but who knows.  They are 7-0 and deserve their spot in the limelight.

Thomas More certainly has a chance to make some noise this week.  How close should this game be??

I am going to put my prediction in writing (and hopefully won't have eat these words) but FC gets on RHIT early and often and wins 48-21.  RHIT's defense is suspect and a close inspection of their wins is also telling.  The word fluke has been bandied about this week.  To be honest Anderson and RHIT beating MSJ on the road would seem to be a bigger fluke than FC losing to Trine.  I have seen both MSJ and Anderson play this year and MSJ is by far the better team (at least at this point).

I am hoping for a Trine loss to Adrian to move FC up a notch (or someone to lose) as a trip to Mount Union won't be pretty for the Griz.  I am still holding out for a FC/Wabash tilt in Crawfordsville. 

[Adam Sayer]

First, I don't Manchester is they same team from 2001 or years of recent.  They are a team on the up swing w/ a versatile qb.  Second, everyteam expects to get into the playoffs everyyear.  Finally, if MSJ's motivation is the Bridge Bowl, they would be looking ahead of their next opponent & that never turns out well.

You're right...they just got beat by the worst Hanover team that has ever been fielded. I don't think upswing is the word for it. And not every team expects to make it to the playoffs every year. I don't think DC, Hanover, or Manchester (to name a few HCAC teams) had playoff aspirations comming into the season. Sometimes, being competitive is good enough.

So you think teams such as, DC, Hanover, & Manchester come into the year saying, "Hey, if we win a few games that's a success!" ?

Yes I do. I think you have to be realistic as a coach. This year's Hanover team will measure success a lot differently than the mid to late 90's Hanover teams. In 2002, it was a success when we went 5-5, after the 0-10 year. By no means did we come in saying we were going to win the HCAC after being winless 2 years in a row (2000 they were 2-8 but winless in the HCAC). Rod Huber has admitted that we won a conference championship faster than they thought. After 2002, we thought we could be a playoff team and we damn near were losing to Hanover in a very close game. There is a reason why they say winning is a process....because teams don't go from being bad to being instantly good (by good I mean playoff caliber) the following year.

In a way, it's a lot like teaching. You're expectations need to be in line with where the abilities are. You can't expect a student with low abilities to complete the same type of work and achieve the same results as a student with higher abilities.

[wabashcpa]

I am going to put my prediction in writing (and hopefully won't have eat these words) but FC gets on RHIT early and often and wins 48-21.  RHIT's defense is suspect and a close inspection of their wins is also telling. 

I am still holding out for a FC/Wabash tilt in Crawfordsville. 

I agree - not sure the margin will be so one-sided, but Rose will be exposed this weekend as a pretender.  Their loss was to an average Greenville team, and victories over North Park by 3 and Earlham by 7 aren't exactly awe-inspiring.  Franklin's loss to Trine looks "better" each week as Trine continues to win.  Their game against Adrian should be a dandy, as Keith Jackson would say.

I think a lot of Wabash folk would like to play the Grizz again as well - the last two meetings have definitely been entertaining!

[dc_has_been]

Sayer I can't disagree w/ you more.  I would never go into a season as a coach w/ expctations of just improving little by little.  I would start every season preparing my team for a HCAC championship & an AQ to the playoffs no matter what my season was the year prior. 
Now that I know your mentality as a teacher & a coach.  Working to your ability is enough, never try to achieve more than that. 

[Adam Sayer]

I wouldn't tell them that the hope is to win a few games by any means. The message you send and the message you keep to yourself as a coach are 2 different things. Nor did I say you don't prepare to win every game.  If I were at a lackluster program, and we were lining up to play Mt. Union, as a coach, I would spend the week preparing to win. Do I actually expect to beat Mt. Union in that position? Of course not. But you prepare the kids every game as if it's going to be a victory.

A great example was our game this year with Alter. They beat every team in the GCL North and South by an average of 46-5. Their closest game was 34-7 against Roger Bacon. The last 4 weeks of the year, they outscored opponents 192-14. Did we expect to beat Alter. Hell no. But we spent 6 hours breaking down film and putting together a scouting report on Saturday and coaching the kids throughout the week to believe that they could beat them if they played a great game. Those kids never once heard the phrase "Alter is a game where you just live to fight another day." Did we know it as coaches...yes, but the players did not. They believed at the start of the game, if they played well, they could beat Alter High School. That thought was quickly erased when it was 14-0 after 32 seconds.

As far as teaching is concerned, you'd be in for a rude awakening if you try to teach kids on a level where they are not. A guy named Vygotsky called it the "Zone of Proximal Development." Or simply, you pitch the ball where they can hit it. Do you challenge them as learners, yes, but slightly above their ability range.

[dc_has_been]

As far as teaching is concerned, you'd be in for a rude awakening if you try to teach kids on a level where they are not. A guy named Vygotsky called it the "Zone of Proximal Development." Or simply, you pitch the ball where they can hit it. Do you challenge them as learners, yes, but slightly above their ability range.

ZPD is the measure of what a learner can do on their own & what they can do w/ the aid of someone w/ more knowledge.  Scaffolding which was based off of Vygotsky's work would be more accurate based upon your assessment.