2006: Wheat Bowl in the Book

October 16, 2013October 27, 2014 / jasondannelly / Leave a comment

The only thing that was a bit unpredicted on the night were the condor like beasts flying through the air making supper of the few thousand fans in attendance. Well, we called then mini condors while others know them as central Kansas mosquitoes.

On the football side of things I will hit on Lindenwood first. The Lions defense played well on Saturday, just not well enough to win. When they needed to stop a drive they did and when they needed a big play or turnover they got it. The problem was LU gave NWOSU too good of field position on a few offensive turnovers.

So Lindenwood fan, let’s not start the rumblings of major changes needed for this team to win. A few bang-ups to key LU guys really limited what they Lions were to do in the second half. QB Ben Kisner played off and on in the second half with a thigh bruise while RB Abdullah was also injured.

Would a healthy presence from those two changed the game? Maybe. But that in itself should provide plenty of optimism for the Lions this year.

The Rangers? Let me give you the abbreviated version of the night. Black Cloud, Thez Robinson, Black Cloud, Miguel Warren, Black Cloud, Thez Robinson, Black Cloud, Sedgwyn Thigpen … I think that about covers it. Thex Robinson looked the part of a true Ranger runningback tonight. Keep an eye on him.

To the lay person the “Black Cloud” is the nickname for the Rangers defense, which was out in full force. LU finished with 14 yards rushing on 22 carries. In total the Rangers only gave up 265 yards and one touchdown which in many ways was a stroke of luck. Give credit to LU’s WR Wilson who continued running his route despite a pass being tipped. Because of his effort the ball bounced away from defender and directly into his stride as he broke away from the Ranger D.

There is a certain feeling everyone gets when they go to a football game. Sometimes it is in your gut, sometimes you cannot explain where it is. That is why I am always going to football games as early as possible to be able to gauge where each team is at. I think you can tell a lot about a team it you just shut up, listen, and feel what is happening around you.

When NWOSU hit the field tonight, I got that same feeling about them that I got when I saw them destroy Tabor in the NAIA Playoffs back in ‘03. My gut turned and my arm hair was standing on end. It is hard to explain and the easiest thing I can say to help you understand is this; they just had “it”. I do not know what “it” is, but they had “it”.

After a 4-6 season in ‘05 the question that many people are wondering right now is “Are the Rangers back?” I’ll revert to my opening statement for the night on NWOSU. They are very good on defense, they have a running back that has opened my eyes, and their defense looks like a typical Ranger defense.

Are they back?

Let’s take it one game at a time for now.

Should teams be scared?

Uh … . yeah.

See ya next week in Chicago for Saint Xavier and Lambuth.

NAIA Ramblings of Jason Dannelly from 8/25/2006: The Start of the Season . . . . FINALLY!

October 16, 2013October 27, 2014 / jasondannelly / Leave a comment

For ten years I have conducted interviews and covered sports in some way shape or form. Working with this level of athletics has been the purest experience of my life in that regard. Because of that, you the fan, reap in all the benefits. The information we put out is unfiltered and straight from the source.

So let’s get this season fired up! I knew I had the football bug. But it bit me pretty hard yesterday as I started covering the Hastings College preseason camp for my “Two-A-Day Tour” series. Even though the first report will not be filed until Wednesday I got a chance to see the new crop of freshmen go through conditioning tests and equipment checkout.

The scene brings back memories for anyone who played college football or worked around it. Wide-eyed freshmen trying to figure out which way is up while others rush past them. The “cocky” freshmen who seem to think they have things figured out already and the freshmen who are just trying to blend in to start.

The first day freshmen are at practice is also comical because of the attire you see most of them wearing. “State Playoff T-Shirts” to prove what high school they went to and other memorabilia are a must for day one. It’s usually that or a brand-new-never-been washed college shirt that the “newbies” get on day one.

I do not envy any of them. New place, new friends, and a new life plus they all want to compete for a starting job or playing time without even knowing what they are up against. Everyone is full of hope and dreams which surrounds the situation with an energy like no other place in the world. Businesses don’t bring in 45 new employees and get everyone excited about being there with just the sound of a whistle. You cannot start a family of 45 people one day and get them all encouraging one another two hours later. The only place for this type of energy and this type of feeling is on an NAIA Football field.

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!! It is football season … . . and I’m more than ready for it.

NAIA Ramblings of Jason Dannelly from 11/7/2005: Playoff Picture Taking Form

October 16, 2013October 27, 2014 / jasondannelly / Leave a comment

So who is in? Right now my crystal ball tells me, Carroll, St. Francis, Morningside, and Sioux Falls are definately in the playoffs. Georgetown, Tabor, and St. Xavier are highly likely to make it into the Championship Series as long as they do not fall off the face of the earth this week and lose big to their final opponents. Georgetown has the toughest game with Cumberlands, but their #5 ranking will keep them from falling out of contention with a loss to the Pats.

I would also say that Azusa Pacific is also a team that is highly likely to make it to the post season as well as Dickinson State. APU does have a very tough game on the road at Valley City, which they could lose. But I do not feel the NAIA Coaches will punish APU for a road loss in North Dakota by dropping them out of the Top 20 and killing their post season hopes. VCSU is a quality opponent and a loss will not hurt APU badly enough to keep them from the post season. Dickinson State has the conference tie breaker and does not play this week. Seemingly they should not drop.

There are a lot of teams on the bubble right now and their final regular season games will either get them in the post season or hold them out. McKendree, MidAmerica Nazarene, Walsh, Cumberlands, Evangel, Pikeville, Montana Tech, Graceland, St. Ambrose, Valley City, Geneva, Webber International and Bethel TN are sitting on the fence. So without further delay, here’s a breakdown of what I think will happen with the post season in the final game of the year.

Who has a 100% chance they are in:

Carroll, St. Francis, Morningside, Sioux Falls

This Week’s Game Analysis

The remaining games are up for grabs. Many will argue that some of these teams are in for sure, but in the last four seasons the final week of the season has been very interesting. Here’s a rundown of the remaining contenders.

#5 Georgetown @ #12 U Cumberlands: Georgetown can lose a close game and still make it to the post season. However if they get blown out, raters will send them packing with three losses. The more interesting story is how far Cumberlands would drop with a loss. If GT is the #5 team in the country one would like the Patriots would not drop much. Cumberlands needs a great performance to make it to the post season. They will be one of two teams waiting on the bubble Likely Outcome: GT is in, Cumberlands has about a 50% chance.

#6 Tabor vs. Saint Mary: Same deal as GT. Tabor could lose and make the playoffs, but they cannot afford to get blown out. Likely Outcome: Tabor is in.

#7 Saint Xavier vs. Saint Francis IL: Repeat as previous two. SXU is likely to be in the post season even with a loss to St. Fran. Likely Outcome: SXU is in.

#8 McKendree @ Trinity International: A big loss could eliminate McKendree, but it doesn’t look to be likely. TIU is not the TIU of the past two seasons and the Bearcats will control this game. Likely Outcome: McKendree is in

#9 MidAmerica Nazarene @ #16 Graceland: MNU is probably the final team in the Top 25 that could lose this week and make the post season. GU is on the door step and must win to get in. If GU wins they are in, if not they are held out for one more season. Likely Outcome: MNU in, GU sent packing.

#10 Azusa Pacific @ #18 Valley City State: An upset in this game by VCSU would totally screw up the entire playoff picture. The Vikings would likely vault up several spots in the poll to get an at-large berth while APU would hold on to their Independent berth. A HUGE loss by APU could drop them out of the top 20 and open the door for #22 Webber International. Likely Outcome: APU wins, VCSU and Webber left looking in.

#11 Walsh vs #2 St. Francis IND: USF is in regardless of the outcome. However a win by Walsh would keep the Cavs in the mix for post season play. Unfortunately USF will not lose this game and Walsh will be like Cumberlands, on the bubble waiting for the selections. Likely Outcome: Walsh has a 50% chance.

#13 Evangel vs Central Methodist: A loss will keep Evangel from the post season. CMU has the ability to knock off the Crusaders, but I do not see it happening this week. Likely Outcome: Evangel is in.

#14 Pikeville vs. Shorter: A loss will kill Pikeville, a close win might not help much either. They have about a 90% chance of making the post season as long as APU does not lose to Valley City State. Based on my knowledge of that game, the odds will be in Pikevilles favor. Likely Outcome: Pikeville is in.

#15 Montana Tech @ Montana Northern: Tech must win or they are done. Northern will give them everything they have to keep them from the post season, but the return of Aaron Johnson might be enough to get the Orediggers past the Lights. However, APU must beat VCSU to guarantee a bid. Likely Outcome: Tech has a 70% chance to make it to the post season.

#17 St. Ambrose vs Olivet Nazarene: SAU needs a big win to impress voters to move them past the possible losses by Cumberlands and Walsh. If this game is close, SAU is probably done. Likely Outcome: SAU has a 30% chance at making it.

#19 Dickinson State BYE: Likely Outcome: As long as something screwy does not take place Dicky is in with a #20 rating or higher.

#20 Geneva vs Urbana: Geneva has less than a 20% chance of making the post season even with a win against Urbana. They would essentially have to vault to #15 in the ratings and hope that SAU, Walsh, Cumberlands, Evangel, and Graceland all lose. It is possible, but not likely. Likely Outcome: Geneva to the NCCAA’s Victory Bowl?

#24 Bethel @ Cambellsville: Bethel has a shot to make the playoffs. They first need to win. VCSU needs to lose, Graceland must lose, Geneva must lose, a loss by Webber would help as well as SAU. It could happen, but it will be the toughest shot of everyone in contention. Bethel has to pray for some blowouts Likely Outcome: Bethel wins, and waits to find out.

Jason’s Coaches Poll Final Top 25 Prediction

#1 Carroll

#2 St. Francis

#3 Morningside

#4 Sioux Falls

#5 Georgetown

#6 Tabor

#7 St. Xavier

#8 McKendree

#9 MidAmerica Nazarene

#10 Azusa Pacific

#11 Evangel

#12 Pikeville

#13 Montana Tech

#14 Walsh

#15 Cumberlands

#16 St. Ambrose (left out)

#17 Dickinson State (automatic conference champion)

#18 Geneva

#19 Graceland

#20 Northwestern IA

#21 Valley City State

#22 Bethel TN

#23 Kansas Wesleyan

#24 Webber International

#25 Black Hills State

First Round Matchups Predictions

#17 Dickinson State @ #1 Carroll: The Dickinson State will bus to Helena as the defending champs will bid for homefield all through the playoffs.

#15 Cumberlands @ #2 St. Francis: Another bus trip which the NAIA will like to see because of the costs of Chartered Planes. USF will bid for homefield and get it as well.

#9 MidAmerica Nazarene @ #3 Morningside: Morningside will not travel this season unless they are forced to. Crowds at Elwood Olsen Stadium have been great revenue makers for the football team.

#8 McKendree @ #4 Sioux Falls: Relatively good travel costs will put McKendree in a bus to USF. The Coo will play at Howard Wood field and also bring in a lot of revenue.

#14 Walsh @ #5 Georgetown: If Walsh makes it, they will be on the road unfortunately. It would be great to see the Cavs get a home game at the Hall of Fame, but it doesn’t look likely.

#6 Tabor @ #11 Evangel: Easy bus ride on the road for Tabor. The Jays are trying for a homegame, but Evangel’s home stadium presents a lot better revenue stream to help for travel costs. Plus, I do not think the NAIA is crazy about playing a post season game away from Tabors campus.

#12 Pikeville @ #7 St. Xavier: Nice matchup between the Mid South and MSFA. With this trip being about 550 miles, Pikeville will be on a bus to Chicago.

#13 Montana Tech @ #10 Azusa Pacific: The only plane ride in the country for the first round of the playoffs. If the NAIA can save money by doing this, they certainly will try this way all the other schools can be reimbursed for post season play.

Conclusion

There is no real science to any of this. Most of it is educated guesses base on previous years outcomes, matchups, and ratings. Trust me, I will be proven wrong because at this point in time I am like the 40,000 people who visit this web site each week: I am just a fan.

Take care everyone and lets not try to kill each other this week!

Ramblings of Jason Dannelly from 10/30/2005: The NAIA Championship Series Picture

October 16, 2013October 27, 2014 / jasondannelly / Leave a comment

The most overlooked part of that equation is the fact you must be rated 20th or higher in the final poll. Right now there are two conferences struggling to keep their automatic bid: The Mid South West and the Dakota Athletic conference. Because of early losses in the season to other conferences and a few upsets within their own leagues, these two conferences are on the verge of not making the NAIA Playoffs.

Here is the current break down in the NAIA by conference:

Mid South Conference West Division: Georgetown and the University of the Cumberlands look like they have done all they need to get into the playoffs before their matchup on November 12. Barring no upsets on the 5th, these two teams are in. (UC plays Union, Georgetown plays Shorter). Pikeville will have to finish the season strong to gain an at-large berth. IN: GT and UC DARKHORSE: Pikeville

Mid South Conference East Division: The only team with a hope and a prayer is Bethel TN. The Wildcats are now 5-4 and lead the West Division. They end with Cumberland TN and Campbellsville which could put them at 7-4 to finish the season. Close losses to the University of the Cumberlands (KY), Geneva, and Georgetown might be enough to sway voters to get this team in th Top 20. DARKHORSE: Bethel TN

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference: Tabor is in. They have been the best team in the KCAC for two seasons and it does not look like they are letting up. Kansas Wesleyan has an outside shot. If they take care of business they might have a chance of moving up high enough to take an at large bid. However it would appear they need help from teams above them to lose if they are to gain enough ground. IN: Tabor DARKHORSE: Kansas Wesleyan

Mid States Football Association Mideast: St. Francis is rolling and I do not see anyone beating them. With that said, it all will come down to Walsh and if they can win this weekend over Urbana. The Blue Knights loss to Quincy has all but finished their playoff chances, and now Walsh must prove they are worthy of moving up in the ratings. However, you have to beleive they will probably lose the final week of the season to USF, dropping them out of the possibility of an at-large because the Cougars will win the Mideast. IN: St. Francis Ind DARKHORSE: Walsh

Mid States Football Association Midwest: This is probably the most exciting race in the country for their conference championship. Saint Xavier, Saint Ambrose, and McKendree all stand at the top of the MSFA and the NAIA ratings. However, Ambrose plays McKendree on the 5th in a game which might hurt the Bearcats chances at the postseason. A win and McKendree is in and the loss would probably keep Amborse high enough to get to the post season, as long as they do not faulter against Olivet Nazarene in the final week. SXU has the clearest road ahead with Iowa Wesleyan and St. Francis IL ahead of them. Worst case for the conference, 2/3 make it to the post season. Best case, 3/3. IN: Saint Xavier PROBABLE: McKendree, Saint Ambrose DARKHORSE: None

Central States Football League: Sorry Ranger fans, your run is over. A loss at Upper Iowa has ended your already slim shot at the post season. The remaining hope of post season goes to an improving Southern Nazarene team, who knocked off a very good Langston team on 10/29. Currently 5-3 (3-1 CSFL) the Crimson Storm have a chance to win out and finish 7-3. However, they need some love from the raters to get them into the Top 20. The conference is not the culprit of the SNU season right now, instead it is an early season loss to Graceland who is currently 7-2 with two very tough games left. Southern Naz needs the Yellow Jackets to at least split their remaining games in order for people NOT to keep them down because of the Wheat Bowl loss. DARKHORSE: Southern Nazarene

Heart of America Athletic Conference: MidAmerica Nazarene was in the drivers seat until they lost this weekend to Lindenwood. Now the Pioneers and Graceland could possibly beat one another out of the post season. Graceland and MidAmerica Nazarene meet the final week of the season in a game that could bounce one of the two schools from the post season. Evangel is looking pretty stable with two weeks remaining and only one game against Central Methodist. POSSIBLE: Evangel DARKHORSE: Graceland, MidAmerica Nazarene

Dakota Athletic Conference: Valley City State, Dickinson State, and Black Hills State are really making things interesting. Valley has the toughest road in front of them with Dakota State and Azusa Pacific. DSU is probably a win, but Azusa Pacific is the kicker. A loss by VCSU could knock them out of the final Top 20 and not give them the “automatic berth”. Dickinson State will more than likely win their final game over Mayville State while Black Hills State finishes against a tough Minot State team. Valley could finish with 8 wins while the others will finish with 7. In the end, Black Hills State has too much ground to make up with only one game on the schedule. At this point I would say they are out, but stranger things have happened. Dickinson State should be IN with a VCSU loss to APU. If VCSU wins out they will be the lone DAC representitive in the NAIA Championship Series.

Frontier Conference: Carroll is in. Montana Tech must win against Northern on the 12th. A win over Carroll on the 5th would help a lot, but it is not going to happen. IN Carroll DARKHORSE: Montana Tech

Great Plains Athletic Conference: Morningside and Sioux Falls are in. They do have to win their final games, but even with a minot set back, they will not fall far enough to be left out of the mix. Northwestern has REALLY come on strong, but it might be too little too late as the Red Raiders early loss to Doane has really hurt their chances as well as a 52-6 loss to Morningside. I will not rule them out yet, but the fat lady is warming up. IN Sioux Falls, Morningside DARKHORSE: Northwestern

Independent: Webber International is out of the picture due to their loss to Walsh. Eastern Oregon had a shot, but a 40-0 loss to Azusa Pacific has all but done in the season for the Mountaineers. So that leaves: Azusa Pacific. APU has one game remaining on the road in North Dakota against Valley City State. APU will be the highest rated Independent and will only need to stay rated in the Top 20 to gain access to the post season. A loss on the road in North Dakota could put that in question, but it would appear the Cougars should be able to stay high enough in the ratings even with the loss. PROBABLE: Azusa Pacific

So for the record, Georgetown, U-Cumberlands, Carroll, St. Francis, Sioux Falls, Morningside, Saint Xavier, Tabor should all be in the championship series. That presents eight spots in the championship series still open. Our probable list includes Azusa Pacific, Saint Ambrose, McKendree, and Evangel. Which brings our current list to 12 teams we feel have a VERY strong chance at making the playoffs and there are plenty of darkhorses to fill the final four spots.

We will know a lot more after this weekends game, but needless to say the end of the NAIA Football season will not disappoint any fans of small college football.

Ramblings of Jason Dannelly from 9/18/2005: Oh, how the mighty fall.

October 16, 2013October 27, 2014 / jasondannelly / Leave a comment

The University of Saint Francis (IN) came from behind at home to defeat McKendree in Fort Wayne. With 10 minutes left to go in the third quarter, McKendree led 21-7 before Michael Ledo was able to scamper in from 6yds away to cut the lead in half. Then NAIA Player of the Year Cory Jacquay caught a 22yd pass to tie the game and Chris Bramell sealed the deal with a 17yd pass to Andy Papagiannis with :34 seconds left. That type of performance is what makes me think very strongly about USF’s chances on “The Road to Savannah”.

Georgetown notched one in the win column this weekend as they defeated Belhaven in a rather uneventful football game. At the half the Tigers led 34-3 before calling off the dogs in the second half to win 41-15. Sioux Falls dominated Briar Cliff and MNU defeated Central Methodist to round out the top five.

But the rest of the NAIA’s top games were quite eventful. The most noticeable were in the range of #12-15 as Hastings, Dickinson, Benedictine, and Trinity International were all defeated. Concordia has shown this season they have the ability to stick it out against top competition, so in hindsight the win over Hastings is less shocking as well as the rivalry loss for Dickinson State against U-Mary.

However I am having a tougher time figuring out Benedictine and Trinity International’s losses. Lindenwood proved to be almost anemic on offense in the first two weeks of the season before putting up 34 points on a Benedictine team that is suppose to be more “sound” on defense this season.

We all know that Lindenwood is still a very dangerous team but it was looking like Benedictine was starting to make a rise back to their usual standing at the top of the HAAC. Maybe someone awoke the sleeping “Lions”. Only time will tell.

Urbana’s win over Trinity International is a bit of a shock too. The Blue Knights recently lost to St. Francis IL and struggled against first year program Seton Hill. However this week they put up 39 points on TIU and 350yds while limiting the Trojans to just 45yds on 26 carries. Urbana might be turning the corner, but will have to win at Olivet Nazarene to impress Top 25 voters this week.

Congrats to Geneva College and Nebraska Wesleyan for continuing their great starts with wins this week. Both teams made significant jumps in our Top 25 and should be watched for later this season. Also, a big hooray to the Webber International team who makes their way into the Top 25 for the first time ever this week.

NAIA Campus Report from 9/16/2005 by Jason Dannelly: Carroll vs Azusa Pacific

October 16, 2013October 27, 2014 / jasondannelly / Leave a comment

This week was a week that made me do a lot of thinking about several teams across the country. It is amazing in a week’s time how things change. Several of the teams that I thought would be the best in nation are now struggling to survive their first three games while a few of the usual suspects have now crept into the rankings. One of the usual suspects are the Carroll College Fighting Saints.

The first thing I need to do before I get too far into this is thank the Saints Athletic Association and Bruce Parker for bringing me to Helena for the second time in the same number of years. The Saints Athletic Association is as much responsible for the success of Carroll as some of the administrators. If the college you went to does not have an active booster club or athletic association, get one going because the Saints Athletic Association shows how one school can grow in all areas of their sports. People in these clubs can certainly make big things happen for little schools. Also another thanks to athletic director Bruce Parker for making my stay so great as well as all of the “Carrollites” that I met along the way.

Ramblings of Dannelly from 9/8/2005: The World Begins to Turn, Again.

October 16, 2013October 27, 2014 / jasondannelly / Leave a comment

Is it just me, or does the world sit still for about eight months out of the year. You click around the Internet looking for information about football, you find a little. Then you go to your favorite message board and start and argument about some subject that if it came up during the season, no one would even respond to it.

“Who has the best special teams headhunter”
“Long socks or short socks”
“To spat or not to spat”

Or pretty much any topic started by Prediction King. You get the point. But we have to do something to get us through the offseason. Without football, it seems like the world stops spinning.

Now before anyone shoots me an email about not being sensitive toward the situation in New Orleans, understand this: I keep seeing people talking about how they need a release from what has happened to family, homes, and jobs. So with respect to their requests, I will move on with football talk while keeping them in my prayers.

(Insert Awkward Transition) Dickinson State and Lindenwood probably feel like their worlds cannot spin fast enough right now to get them to another football game. Both team’s upsets have left them reeling in the early season. Never fear my friends of the feather and of the jungle, the Blue Hawks and Lions are fine. They are still quality ball teams that will probably make a run at the playoffs. Now if the lose again, I might be changing my tune.

A big game of interest this week takes place when Hastings College travels to Sioux Falls. If you remember, both teams made it to the NAIA Championship Series last season and were bounced in the second round. USF has the obvious advantage at home while returning more key starters than the Broncos.

On a side note, RB Mike Dvoracek of USF had a great game last week for the Cougars rushing for 204 yds. But that is still not as good as Jabari Woods of Iowa Wesleyan who rushed for 259yds on 21 carries in the Tigers opening game. Too bad the Tigers couldn’t limit the offense of Waldorf as they fell to Waldorf 41-33.

Another set of impressive numbers came at the wide receiver position with Brian Hartzler of Evangel almost going for 200yds. Hartzler finished the night for Evangel with 192yds and 3TDs on just 5 catches in a 51-48 air show. Seriously, I coach high school girls basketball and I would love to have games where we would win by that exact same score. However I would bet there were a few choice words in the defensive meetings on Monday.

This weekend, with the help of the Saints Athletic Association, I will be in Helena, MT for Azusa Pacific and Carroll College. The Saints and Cougars meet for a rematch of the 2004 semifinals in what should be a great ball game, regardless of the final score.

The most impressive thing about these two teams are not their athletic abilities, but rather the great character and sportsmanship that you see on the field, while they are playing. Yes folks, the best teams in the country play with dignity and pride. Maybe your local team should start doing the same because the end result is always the same thing, winners.

If the NAIA had a “Character Bowl” this season, then I would say this game should be earmarked as the game. People seem surprised when you tell them these facts because so often we equate winning with teams that are cheating or finding ways to cheat. That is not the case with teams coached by Shinnik and Van Diest.

So the world has started spinning and we finally have something new to talk about. Check back soon folks as you will have video and plenty of features from Carroll/APU to keep to content for the next week.

NAIA Campus Report for 9/3/2005 from Jason Dannelly: Saint Xavier vs. NW Oklahoma State

October 16, 2013October 27, 2014 / jasondannelly / Leave a comment

Even the SXU defense got into the mix forcing turnovers and changing the momentum of the game when they needed to. So what did I take from the game? Here’s a few random thoughts and observations from the NAIA’s top contest on Saturday.

SXU is much improved over last season. If they can stay healthy, they will be in the mix for the NAIA Playoffs and possibly more.

Jarred Nowman might be the shiftiest player I have seen since John Booth at MidAmerica Nazarene in 2003. He has a keen ability to know where defenders are coming from and how to make them miss.

Congrats to Andy Ricca of SXU. After two season ending ACL injuries in the first quarter of the Cougars first games in ’03 and ’04, Ricca made it through the entire game against NWOSU. If he stays healthy, he could prove to be one of the NAIA’s top wide receivers along with Nowman.

Demarko Jones of NWOSU is a heck of an option quarterback. Of the few teams in the NAIA still running the option as their “base” offense, I would have to say Jones might be the second best in the country behind Larry Hay of Cumberland.

Odie Armstrong of NWOSU has proved he is a powerful runner, now he has to prove he can be consistent. Two costly fumbles hurt NWOSU’s chances of winning and Armstrong was the man who coughed both of them up. His blooper late in the second half cost the Rangers field position and momentum.

Tony Hatfield’s motor never turns off. He is motoring all the time whether it is for a sack or recovering a fumble. In fact the entire “Black Cloud” defense was impressive. Even though the Rangers gave up 21 points, I do not believe defense was the problem. The Rangers passing game was ineffective and turnovers killed their chances at winning. If they Rangers are to stay an elite team in the country they will have to prove they can be a better passing team or learn to rely on their running game even more.
Mike Feminis and the Cougars won with dignity. After driving the length of the field in the final minutes, the Cougars had a choice; punch it in for another six or kneel on it. The Cougars did the classy thing and put a knee down to keep the margin of victory at 14.

Next week should be even better as Azusa Pacific travels to Carroll College. Be on the look out for another game recap via NAIAFOOTBALL.NET.

NAIA Campus Report from Jason Dannelly: UVA-Wise Two-A-Days

October 15, 2013October 27, 2014 / jasondannelly / Leave a comment

Some players have to miss practice at certain times due to the fact they are finishing up summer classes while others have been hit with the injury bug. The Highland Cavaliers will be young this season and lack experience at several positions. However the attitude and work ethic at this point in the game was great.

As for the layout, you cannot find many NAIA football teams with better facilities. The weightroom rivals all that I have seen at this level and the stadium brings a great name to small college football. Thats all for now, but check back later for more updates.

NAIA Campus Report for 10/30/2004 from Jason Dannelly: Dana vs. Peru State

October 15, 2013October 27, 2014 / jasondannelly / Leave a comment

Some of the most fun that I have is talking with the trainers, Mark Kwikkel and Jeff Hume. While I was in school at Dana I became very good friends with both of them while I was a student trainer and also because it seemed like I was always in the training room for one injury or another. It was good to see their facilties had been upgraded from racquetball board to actual training room. The face of the facilities has changed greatly since I played my last game at Dana. There is the newly built Gardner Hawks Arena, visiting football stands, and new offices. It is really a nice face lift for a college whose facilities had been out of date.

Seeing old friends was a great time and seeing Dana finish the season with a victory was nice too. Even though I am as unbiased as I can be, I still have my degree from Dana and it was a big part of my life. I can certainly separate business and my past, but it does make me feel good when I see Dana puts one in the win column. Bill Danenhauer is bringing in the local kids and improving the atmosphere of the games. Heck, I even think he was showing off for me Saturday when Dana ran the ball 34 times for over 130yds!

As for Peru State, injuries and lack of depth have killed this team this year. They are athletic and big, but they lack the depth they need to be 5-5 instead of 1-9. Scott Beveridge is still a great wide receiver, but unfortunately he won’t have the numbers needed to repeat his All American campaign from two seasons ago. On Saturday he was Mr. Peru as he spent time as a kicker, kick returner, and wide receiver.

The unfortunate events at the end of the game were just a symbol of frustration from the entire season. Both teams only had one win. They had a lot of emotion on the field and things got really hot. I’m not going to go into detail about who started what, but there were a lot of personal fouls and ejections during the game that led to the heated skirmish after the contest. It was very unfortunate. I’m sure both teams are disciplining their players right now.

The bad thing is it was a no win situation for anyone after the game. If you take your players off the field after the game and not shake hands people call you unsportsmanlike and classless. If you shake hands and a fight breaks out, everyone says “The coaches should’ve known better than to let them shake hands.”

It was a small black eye to end the season on, but both teams can now move forward and get ready for next season. My time at Dana was great, I’ll be returning in December for the Football banquet. So in the words of Dr. Christopherson “GO DANA!”