FB: Southern Athletic Association

[jknezek]

Two more from The Mountain:

2019 Rosters: https://www.sewaneetigers.com/sports/fball/2019-20/roster

We've signed a deal with VICIS helmets to outfit our team.   First team in D3 to use these helmets: https://www.sewaneetigers.com/sports/fball/2019-20/releases/20190816mhkhn9

I'd never heard of VICIS before your post; the TU equipment guys just tweeted out "Happy to be on board and having some of the guys on the field with these [VICIS] beauties all season and many more to come".

They're a startup backed by a group of current and former NFL players.   Have gotten some good press in last few years.    Sewanee did a limited pilot with them last season and was pleased enough to sign a contract for our entire team.    Looks like Trinity is doing same.  Good to see anything that improves safety for the kids on the field.  Glad to hear that Trinity is giving them a test.

It's supposed to be a heck of a helmet. Performs great in the tests that are run both by the company and the independent one the NFL runs. The problem comes up when you start thinking about spending $500 to $1000 on a helmet to try and save a kid's brain, it makes people start to wonder what is wrong with the sport fundamentally. It's nice colleges and certainly the NFL are ponying up, but Vicis is making the case to pee wee football as well. That gets expensive in a hurry as kids grow and it really makes people asks questions. My h.s. here in AL had to start a flag football league for the first time ever after enrollment in tackle football in elementary and middle school age kids dropped 40% over 3 years. Probably didn't help when people then started referring to the flag football league as a "gateway drug"...

[Ron Boerger]

A fun video of Trinity WR Tommy Lavine chasing down a McMurry DB/LB (edit: LB) literally across the field to save a TD on a return after McMurry intercepted a Trinity pass at their own goal line last night.   Pass went to the left flat; Levine was lined up wide right and in the right end zone as the pass was thrown.  Lavine actually went around the blockers to tackle the runner from the front. 

https://twitter.com/Boycediggety13/status/1170006534505598977

Trinity won the game 41-10 as Wyatt Messex was 18-25 for 250 yards and 5 TDs (and the one interception) in 2 1/2 quarters.  Chris Stewart had three of those TD catches, one for 86 yards the play after McM had been stopped on a 4th-and-goal.   

[Ralph Turner]

Thanks Jeremy!

I hope that that play is submitted for Play of the Week!

[Pat Coleman]

We don't do a Play of the Week anymore, for what it's worth.

[Ron Boerger]

Thanks Jeremy!

I hope that that play is submitted for Play of the Week!

Jeremy?  Who dat?   

Been an odd week for names, have some guy at work calling me Ben repeatedly for no reason, too.

[Pat Coleman]

Well, in this case, I'm guessing Jeremy is Jeremy Boyce, who done the tweeting.

[BerryViking92]

I was  able to attend the Berry game at Maryville on Saturday.  Just a few random thoughts:

1.  Pretty good crowd for both sides.
2. The Maryville campus looked nice ... 200th Anniversary is impressive.
3.  It was massively hot.  I only remember one kid cramping.  Was not a fan of the new can't leave and be let back in policy.  Last time I was up there it was raining and I spent halftime in the gym.  I would have found some a/c, but we toughed it out.
4.  #12 looks really good and had himself a first half.
5.  Very cool to see freshman qb throw a bomb for a TD
6.  Our running game is very young.
7.  A bit concerned about us generating points outside of #12
8.  Defense was not quick to get to their qb, I think the last couple of years spoiled us as to sacks
9.  Seems the injury bug bit us some in preseason.
10.  Was surprised about a couple of last year's freshmen who are no longer on the team.

Good win and best of luck to Maryville on the season.

[Ron Boerger]

Well, in this case, I'm guessing Jeremy is Jeremy Boyce, who done the tweeting.

<insert redfaced.gif> 

[BerryCollegeFan]

I was  able to attend the Berry game at Maryville on Saturday.  Just a few random thoughts:

1.  Pretty good crowd for both sides.
2. The Maryville campus looked nice ... 200th Anniversary is impressive.
3.  It was massively hot.  I only remember one kid cramping.  Was not a fan of the new can't leave and be let back in policy.  Last time I was up there it was raining and I spent halftime in the gym.  I would have found some a/c, but we toughed it out.
4.  #12 looks really good and had himself a first half.
5.  Very cool to see freshman qb throw a bomb for a TD
6.  Our running game is very young.
7.  A bit concerned about us generating points outside of #12
8.  Defense was not quick to get to their qb, I think the last couple of years spoiled us as to sacks
9.  Seems the injury bug bit us some in preseason.
10.  Was surprised about a couple of last year's freshmen who are no longer on the team.

Good win and best of luck to Maryville on the season.

Maryville was bracketing #12 pretty good,  over the top safety help as well at times.  So his chances were limited by design, I suspect that'll be game plan from most this year.

I thought QBs looked rushed at times.  Clear starter, but back-up is less certain.  #2 had a pretty ball, but his drives weren't sustained as they should have been.

Still had other receivers catch some balls in traffic.  The RBs are inexperienced, but they run hard and take contact well.  I think they will be well.  I thought the HBs did a good job blocking and running routes this game.  Freshman #87 wold have had a TD except for the pass interference. 

Lagrange will be another test.

[BerryCollegeFan]

Berry has a 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominee.

https://berryvikings.com/sports/fball/2018-19/releases/hayden_murphy_afca_good_works_2019

Congratulations #47

I also see Millsaps player Alvin Joseph on the list.
https://www.afca.com/inspiring-acts-of-kindness-land-college-football-players-on-2019-allstate-afca-good-works-team-nominee-list/

[awadelewis]

Today's slate of games:
Sewanee @ W&L
Millsaps @ Westminster (of the Mo. sort)
LaGrange @ Berry
Maryville (of the TN sort) @ Centre
Austin @ Southwestern Assemblies of God
Trinity @ Hardin-Simmons
Hendrix @ Texas Luthern
Huntingdon @ Birmingham Southern
Rose-Hulman @ Rhodes

Interested in seeing how both the LaGrange@Berry and Maryville@Centre games turn out. Two games that will give a good read on both the Berry and Centre squads. The Sewanee/W&L series has a history of being rather chippy but I fear that we'll see another notch added to dominance the Generals have had over us during the past two decades.   

[Ron Boerger]

Trinity gives #9 Hardin-Simmons a run before falling at their place, 16-10.  Should be good prep for Berry next weekend.

[awadelewis]

Week 2 results:
W&L 42 -Sewanee 7
Millsaps 35 - Westminster (of the Mo. sort) 10
Berry 34 - LaGrange 9
Centre 27 - Maryville (of the TN sort) 22
Austin 27 - Southwestern Assemblies of God 26
Hardin-Simmons 16 Trinity 10
Hendrix 26 - Texas Lutheran 23
Birmingham Southern 45 - Huntingdon 13
Rose-Hulman 30 - Rhodes 0

Berry really didn't have any issue with LaGrange. but Centre had to suck it up and overcome being down early to Maryville.   Trinity lost a tough one to H-SU and AC came back from double double-digit deficits to beat SWAG.

Conference play starts next week with the game of the week definitely being Berry at Trinity.   Other games: Centre @ Austin, Rhodes @ Millsaps, and B-SC at Sewanee.   Anyone watch Millsaps play this year as they went 2-0 in non-conference play? 

[Ralph Turner]

IMHO, I think that Trinity wins it all, 9 weeks from now.

[Pat Coleman]

IMHO, I think that Trinity wins it all, 9 weeks from now.

If that's the case, we will know next Saturday.