D3football Daily Dose

Willamette Head Coach Mark Speckman’s success has recently drawn attention from student papers on Division I campuses. The Stanford Daily recently ran this feature story which was then rerun in the University of Illinois’ student publication.

If you read “coverage” of Division III sports this time of year, you probably see this phrase, or one like it, pretty frequently.

So-and-so “signed a letter of intent to play football at Division III” Such-and-such College.

This is a lie. Or if it’s true, then it’s an NCAA violation. There is no such thing as a letter of intent in Division III.

From the Division III manual, bylaw 13.10.1:

An institution shall not utilize any form of a letter of intent or similar form of commitment in the recruitment of a prospect. However, it shall be permissible for the institution to utilize in the recruitment of a prospect its pre-enrollment forms executed by prospective students in general at that institution. Violations of this bylaw shall be considered institutional violations per Constitution 2.8.1; however, such violations shall not affect the prospective student-athlete’s eligibility.

I’m not going to name names here — shoot, you can do some Google searches and see the references for yourself. We just don’t know if the schools are misleading the papers or the papers just don’t know what they’re writing about.

Fact is, nothing binds a student-athlete to attend a particular school in Division III, or to play football once there. He can abandon his application fee and enrollment deposit and re-enroll anywhere.

This is why ranking recruiting classes in Division III is a fruitless exercise.

Hey, I can see where the schools are coming from. It’s hard to get people unfamiliar with Division III to truly understand how things work here. But we need to educate the rest of the media, educate the public, that Division III is different, and better. Student-athletes aren’t treated any differently, aren’t given any special treatment, and they enter the school the same way everyone else does.

Ignorance is no excuse. Intentionally misleading people is worse.

Names that have crossed our desk through the miracle of online newspapers listed by region, then alphabetically by destination:

East

Amherst: Bill Wood, Shorecrest (FL)
Cortland State: Brendan Hill, Cooperstown (NY)
Delaware Valley: Please see full list here
FDU-Florham: Sam Trotta, Delran (NJ)
Fitchburg State: Shawn McMann, Lely (FL)
Hartwick: Chris Harrison, Notre Dame (NY)
Kean: Matt Bouchard, Woodbridge (NJ); Keith Gladden, Asbury Park (NJ); Jared Greenberg, Butler (NJ); Mike Hall, Middlesex (NJ); Jimmy Moreno, Linden (NJ)
King’s: John Navone, Easton (PA)
Lycoming: Please see full list here
MIT: Stephen Toth, Valley Central (NY)
Montclair State: Cameron Barker, Lawrence (NJ); Brian Kapp, Lyndhurst (NJ)
Moravian: Tyler Williams, Whitehall (PA)
New Jersey: Adam Oliszewski, Lawrence (NJ)
Plymouth State: Nate Gooden, Pinkerton Academy
Rowan: Justin Hinds, Woodbridge (NJ); Matt Lenarski, Lawrence (NJ); Robert Rose, Piscataway (NJ); Ken Siano, Woodbridge (NJ)
RPI: Please see release here
Springfield: Andrew Jackson, Pennsville (NJ); J.J. Maloney, Walkill (NY)
St. Lawrence: Luke Burris, Notre Dame (NY)
SUNY-Maritime (Varsity in 2006): Ryan Leary, Tavares (FL); Danny McManus, Tavares (FL)
Susquehanna: Jarrid Myers, Easton (PA)
Union: Ryan Kraynak, Wyoming Valley West (PA)
Wesleyan: Kevin Leamy, Gateway (NJ)
Widener: Khalee Prothro, Dinwiddie (VA)
Wilkes: Todd Kresge, Easton (PA)

North

Aurora: Don Robinson, Vero Beach (FL); Harvey VanCleave III, Morris (IL)
Allegheny: Eric Makel, Liberty (VA)
Augustana: Zach Anderson, Paraclete (CA); Christopher Green, Pontiac (IL); Brad Monier, Bureau Valley (IL); Preston Jones, Bureau Valley (IL); Travis Morgan, Pecatonica (IL); Dan Rosenkrans, Pecatonica (IL); Eric Smith, Flanagan (IL); Matt Todd, Lena-Winslow (IL)
Bluffton: Joel Sienicki, Northridge (IN)
Concordia (Wis): Nick Biederer, Johnsburg (IL); Adam Pawlak, South Fork (FL)
Earlham: Derrick Freshwater, Marion (IN); Randy Kerns, National Trail (OH); Chris Owens, Highlands (OH)
Franklin: Kevin Lynch, Delta (IN); Patrick Sheller, Delta (IN)
Illinois Wesleyan: Travis Calzavara, Eastland-Pearl City (IL)
John Carroll: Easton Gunnoe, South Fork (FL); John LeMaster, South Fork (FL)
Manchester: Joel Hawkins, Fairfield (IN)
Millikin: Brandon Davis, Charleston (IL); Matt Habermehl, Tavares (FL); Savas Melidis, Carthage (IL); Dustin Stephens, Prairie Central (IL)
Mount Union: Andrew Boothe, Harvey (OH); Dan Georgatos, Foothill (CA); Chad Norton, Eaton (OH); Josh Whisnant, Beaver Falls (PA)
Muskingum: Shane Colvin, Parkersburg (WV); Steve Mamak, Iroquois (NY)
North Central: Eric Trout, Carmi-White County (IN); Perry Welch, Eastland-Pearl City (IL)
Ohio Northern: Bert Bathiany, Highlands (OH); Michael Bonomini, Highlands (KY); Ty Callkins, Mount Vernon (OH); Chris DeCamillo, Jupiter (FL); Shaun Matisak, Highlands (OH); Bobby Peck, Mount Vernon (OH)
Rockford: Raul Meza, Harvard (IL)
Tri-State: Jason Hochstetler, NorthWood (IN); Andrew Huber, NorthWood (IN); Milton Sumpter, Bradford (FL)
Wabash: Matt Kraft, Castle (IN)
Wheaton: Jesse Scott, Notre Dame (NY)
Wisconsin Lutheran: Jake Schweder, McHenry (IL)
Wittenberg: Weston Lawrence, Highlands (OH); Please also see this Springfield (Ohio) News-Sunarticle
Wooster: Andrew O’Connnell, Penn (IN)

South

Bridgewater (VA): Bridgewaterfootball.com has a list of Eagles’ recruits here
Centre: Release on recruiting class
Dickinson: Ernie Ricci, Montour (PA)
Emory & Henry: Jason Freely, Liberty (VA)
Ferrum: Zack Brumfield, South Fork (FL); Jimmy King, Hidden Valley (VA)
Franklin & Marshall: Please see release here
Gettysburg: Neal Amato, Lawrence (NJ)
Grove City: George Fickley, Allderdice (PA)
Guilford: Danny Langston, Rosewood (NC)
Hampden-Sydney: Please see list here
Hardin-Simmons: J.W. Pendleton, Tolar (TX); Joseph Sinyard, Pace (TX)
Howard Payne: Christian Wright, Granbury (TX)
Huntingdon: Brandon Gantt, W.S. Neal (AL); Jeff Reamer, Wesley Chapel (FL); Milton Strother, Daphne (AL)
Johns Hopkins: L.J. Michalski, Bethel Park (PA); Joe Quinn, West Anchorage (AL)
Louisiana College: Derek Lewis, Van Vleck (TX)
Maryville: Russ Harris, Venice (FL); Gary Hughes, Etowah (GA); Dustin Locke, Gulf Coast (FL); Dion Moore, Henry County (GA); Bryan Randall, Henry County (GA). Please see more in this Maryville (Tenn.) Daily Times article
McDaniel: Anthony Catucci, Spalding (MD)
Mississippi College: Chris Catrett, Satsuma (AL); Ryne Davison, Fairhope (AL)
Muhlenberg: Jim Jeffers, Burlington Township (NJ)
North Carolina Wesleyan: Joey Belviy, New Bern (NC); A.J. Glenn, New Bern (NC)
Rhodes: Garrett Estes, Scottsboro (AL); Charles Hoggard, Arendell Parrott Academy (NC)
Salisbury: Chris Anthony, Saverna Park (MD); Tim Hackmann, Saverna Park (MD); Nick Sowells, Broadneck (MD)
Sul Ross State: Dustin Waldrep, Tolar (TX)
Texas Lutheran: Frankie Herrera, Port Isabel (TX)
Thiel: Steffon Radcliff, Osceola (FL); Rick Stevey, Norwin (PA)
Trinity (TX): Chris Baer, Shiner (TX)
Washingston U: Danny Luce, Stanwood (WA)
Washington & Jefferson: Matt Ellinger, Bexley (OH); Will Flynn, Allderdice (PA); David Gitlitz, Bexley (OH); Bobby Heron, Wheeling Central (WV); Matt Mazgaj, Southwestern (NY); Dirk Soland, Bellaire (Ohio); Luke Sulek, Bellaire (Ohio)
Waynesburg: Eric Cox, Jefferson-Morgan (PA)
Wesley: David Eslin, Broadneck (MD); Steve Jones, Annapolis (MD). Also please see this Delaware State News story.
Westminster (PA): Please see list here

West

Beloit: Jacob Marsh, Richmond-Burton (IL); Mike Whitmore, Rockford East (IL)
California Lutheran: Steve Milanoff, Davis (CA)
Carroll: Alex Pfannensteil, Central Catholic (OR); Jeremy Winter, Madison East (WI)
Chapman: Domenic Donata, Paraclete (CA); Kyle Floyd, Pahrump Valley (NV)
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps: Ashton Clarke, Stevenson (CA); Philip Trapp Stevenson (CA)
Concordia-Moorhead: Levi DeVries, Mahnomen (MN); Cory Johnson, Moorhead (MN)
Dubuque: Eloy Ozaeta, Naples (FL)
Illinois College: Jason Murphy, Charleston (IL); Zach Reed, Carthage (IL); Richard Tanner, Carthage (IL)
Lake Forest: Kai Sanders, Naples (FL)
Linfield: Brent Desmond, Salinas (CA); Please see these comments and this article
Loras: Mark Kapraun, Harvard (IL)
Menlo: Brandon Gresham, Ceres (CA)
Minnesota-Morris: Please see release here
Monmouth: Anthony Goranson, Belvidere (IL)
Puget Sound: Kent Hamar, Sunset (OR) (See link in comment below)
St. John’s: Bryan Busack, Redlands (MN); Luke Radel, Redlands (MN); Also please see article posted here
UW-La Crosse: Andrew Gebel, Oshkosh West (WI)
UW-Plattville: Matt Klug, Green Bay East (WI)
UW-Stevens Point: Dan Bassindale, Bay Port (WI)
Wartburg: Jake Kuennen, Denver (CO)
Whitworth: Sam Weber, Coast Union (CA)
Willamette: Pat Bransfield, Grant Pass (OR)

Got more commitments to report? Register and post a comment on this story. Please provide your link to the newspaper story for verification.

Check here to see why don’t we post more recruiting news.

Texas Lutheran tight end Matt Ross, a third team D3football.com All-America selection, signed with the Vikings. That’s the first D-III signing reported in. He caught 28 passes for 546 yards and six TDs. He joins Ryan Hoag (Gustavus Adolphus) on the offensive side of the depth chart. Blake Elliott was released. Picture at left.

UW-La Crosse fullback Matt Pagel signed with the Chargers. More from the La Crosse Tribune.

Hobart guard Alex Bell has been invited to the New York Giants rookie minicamp, where they will work him out at guard and center.

Sigh.

It’s one thing for ESPN anchors to not know how to pronounce Gustavus Adolphus on draft day 2003, but two years later they misspelled the school’s in a chart of Mr. Irrelevants on their draft coverage. I guess “Gustavo Adolphus” must be what Spain called man who was the king of Sweden from 1611-1632? Sheesh.

More on Gustavus himself.

As we count down the final hour until the start of the NFL Draft, some more coverage from papers across the country:

The Middletown, N.Y., Times Herald-Record’s Justin Rodriguez writes about Hobart guard Alex Bell. The (Portland) Oregonian writes about Brett Elliott’s date with irony, watching his former Utah backup, Alex Smith, potentially getting drafted No. 1. The Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch mentioned Hampden-Sydney running back C.W. Clemmons deep in a story about some Division I-A guy. And Frank Rajkowski of the St. Cloud Times talks with Gustavus Adolphus’ Ryan Hoag about his recollections of the 2003 draft.

The Associated Press (see The Seattle Post Intelligencer link) reports that former Pacific Lutheran coach Frosty Westering and former UW-La Crosse coach Roger Harring will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as members of the 2005 Divisional Class that includes D-IAA, D-II and the NAIA.

Westering retired in 2003 after a 32-year tenure at Pacific Lutheran, where his son Scott now coaches. His Lutes defeated Rowan for the 1999 Division III National Championship in Stagg Bowl XXVII.

Roger Harring coached and taught at UW-La Crosse for 31 years, garnering a 261-7-5 record including NCAA Division III titles in 1992 and 1995.

Other inductees include former Mississippi Valley State quarterback Willie Totten who owned the NCAA single season record for passing touchdowns until it was broken by Linfield’s Brett Elliott in 2004.

The Racine (Wis.) Journal Times profiled D3football.com All-American Fulton “Trey” Bell here. If Bell makes an NFL roster, he would be the second active Warhawk alum joining Dolphins punter Matt Turk. CB Tony Beckham of the Tennessee Titans is a graduate of UW-Stout.

A new six team league called the Atlantic Indoor Football League recently began play with a host of former Division III players on its rosters.

Teams are based in Canton (OH), Erie (PA), Richmond (VA), Raleigh (NC) and Johnstown (PA). A sixth team called the “Ghostriders” appears on the AIFL site but I’m not sure what hometown they haunt.

There are too many Division III players to list here, but take a look at the Canton Legends Roster which reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of former Mount Union stars, plus former Baldwin-Wallace QB Dan Larlham.

Other noteworthy Division III alums include BC’s Marcus Richardson (Richmond) and Thiel’s TJ Wiley (Johnstown).

Keith Emery, new Western New England football coach, told the Springfield (Mass.) Repbulican how he found out the job was open:

Emery saw the job posted on D3football.com

“As soon as I saw it, I shot out my resume,” Emery said.

We’ll bill you the finder’s fee separately.