Crusaders facing familiar foe By Marcus Fitzsimmons Special to D3football.com Is the third time really the charm? Or do bad things just always come in threes? For relative youngster Mary Hardin-Baylor (11-1) the playoff answer to the cliche conundrum comes Saturday in Dover, Del., where the Crusaders cross postseason paths with Wesley (11-1) for the third consecutive year. “Someday we’ve got to beat them,” said MH-B head coach Pete Fredenburg. “We get into the law of averages and someday we’re going to have to be able to compete with them. Hopefully it’s this year, but you never know — at least not until Saturday.” Mary Hardin-Baylor, which started football under Fredenburg in 1998, shocked the experts in 2004 making its way to the Stagg Bowl in its third playoff run by defeating Mt. Union in the national semifinals. Three seasons later the Crusaders are still the last team to win a playoff game against the perennial national champions from Ohio but haven’t been able to get back to mid-December play themselves because of Wesley. “We haven’t (beat them) yet,” said Fredenburg, who worked the sidelines in last year’s 34-20 quarterfinal loss and the 46-36 second-round defeat the year before. “We were fortunate in 2004 to play with Mt. Union and then go to the Stagg Bowl but we encountered Wesley the last two years and they’ve beat us. “We’d certainly hope (the third time is the charm). We know this is going to be a very contested game where we have to play extremely well and do it there in front of their home crowd. We know we have a big challenge.” Largely viewed as the favorite the past two meetings it’s hard not to put the favorite button on the Texas talent one more time. Since a 27-point late October loss to UW-Whitewater the Crusaders have been exorcising the defeat-demon with a vengeance putting up 258 points the last four weeks after a season-low 14 against UWW. “We’ve yet to beat UW-Whitewater so we feel like we’re still in our growing stages as a program and we certainly aspire and hope to get we can get to the point where we’re competitive across the nation,” Fredenburg said. “I think our players want that as much as the coaches do. They’re expectations are high.” The defeat of October may yet pay benefits in December for a team that has won and loss by its ability to dominate the ground game on both sides of the ball. MH-B has churned away for 382 rushing yards a game with Jarvis Thrasher (1,793) and Quincy Daniels (1,456) both crossing the kilo-mark after averaging better than 8 yards a carry. Giving up just 36 rushing yards a game, the Crusaders saw UW-W limit the vaunted run (162) and exploit the pass with two 60-yard interception returns for scores. “I think Whitewater taught us a lesson about how to play at a fever pitch. They played very well and we didn’t play that well. You hope you’d learn something from that,” Fredenburg said. “We threw the ball 20 times in large part because Whitewater was capable and did a nice job of stopping our run. We always feel like we’re capable of throwing it but I felt like we forced the ball into some areas that day. “We know that as the teams get better and better that we have to be able to throw the ball and throw it well. Our quarterback has to make good decisions and we have to execute. We understand that.” The Crusaders also understand that in the D3 version of “The Cowboy Way” sequel getting past the Wesley roadblock could open the door to a second go round with UW-W. “We’re just excited to continue to play. We know we have a huge challenge ahead of us to try and compete with Wesley,” added Fredenburg. “We’re excited to still be playing and be one of the eight remaining teams.” Weather factor Who knew a cloudy December day in Dover would seem welcoming to Texans? After a second-round home game became a cold and wet experience the idea of dry mid-40’s Saturday doesn’t seem so bad. “It was horrible cold and wet,” Fredenburg said of the conditions in Baylor last weekend. “I say cold I mean for Texas. It was in the high 30s and being wet and raining it was more miserable but the word we’ve got is it’s going to be nice up there.” Comparing scores Wesley managed to protect home field by fending off eventual USA South champion North Carolina Wesleyan 34-31 in early September. The Crusaders crushed NCWC in the second round, 64-0. Divided loyalties While the Mary Hardin-Baylor staff will remain focused on Division III Saturday afternoon, don’t be surprised if a quick postgame check of the SEC Championship game takes place. Fredenburg spent a season as an LSU assistant coach after 13 years as defensive coordinator at Baylor, which leads to some conflicting interest in the 4 p.m. match between No. 5 LSU and No. 14 Tennessee in Atlanta. “I always pull for LSU but just because I love my experience there ... “ said Fredenburg. “But I also have mixed feelings because one of my former players is coaching at Tennessee. I coached (current UT wide receiver and assistant head coach) Trooper (Taylor) at Baylor for a number of years. “I think it’s going to be a heck of a ball game.” Marcus Fitzsimmons writes for the Maryville (Tenn.) Daily Times | |||
| Permalink | Nov 29, 2007 | |||
Simply solid By Clyde Hughes D3football.com You’re not likely to hear Matt Rees voice screaming and causing a commotion on the football field Saturday when his Mount Union Purple Raiders take on St. John Fisher in the national quarterfinals. Rees, a fixture at linebacker for Mount Union for over three seasons, is plenty excited about playing. He’s even more excited about playing against the Cardinals. But if you’re expecting him to do the Mambo after each tackle and let out a “rebel yell” by Billy Idol, you may be a little disappointed. But if you’re looking for a person who will proudly stand between St. John Fisher’s vaulted running game and the Mount Union goal line, Rees is there. In fact, coach Larry Kehres expects him to be there. Kehres uses the word “solid” to give his highest respect for a player or team. He calls St. John Fisher a solid opponent. But his 5-10 linebacker from Dover, Ohio, has the same title. “Matt has had some wonderful moments playing football at Mount Union,” said Kehres of Rees, who had started 30 games for the Purple Raiders coming into this season. “He’s a good man and gets good grades, but he’s very quiet. He’s one of the players who has earned the right to be called a very solid player.” The Cardinals have Mount Union’s full attention for Saturday’s game. In a rematch from last year’s national semifinals, the Purple Raiders escaped took a 26-14 win at home. It was one of Mount Union’s closest contests in 2006. Rees said his teammates have not forgotten the battle St. John Fisher put up and there has been a sharpened attention to detail this week. On a team that seems loaded with impressive defensive players with impressive defensive stats, Rees has quietly carved out a niche for himself. His 52 tackles is third on the team and has 8.5 tackles for losses. “I lead by example,” Rees said. “I get excited within myself. I focus in and make big plays and I want my team to feed off a big play that I’ve made in a big situation on a third-and-short or a fourth-and-goal. “I don’t like to yell and scream. That’s just not the person that I am. I’m a person that stays focus on what I have to do and everyone can feed off of what I do.” Focus is one of the things Rees and his teammates will need Saturday facing a team that rushes for 389.7 yards per game this season. St. John Fisher’s two-headed running back monster of Ryan Hanson (226-1,098) and James Reile (181-852) have carried the ball for nearly 2,000 yards between them. Mount Union gives up a measly 12.8 yards a game on the ground and 128.4 total yards a contest. “I get excited every week, but there is something about these big games that we know it’s going to be a battle for 60 minutes,” Rees said. “It lights another fire under you and makes it burn that much hotter. It’s something you look up for all week. You’re in the film room looking at all the talent this team has and it makes you more and more determined and focused. That just makes you more excited to play in the game.” Kehres said experience players like Rees will have to play within themselves, respecting St. John Fisher’s powerful running game but not falling asleep on the play-action pass that can produce a big play. “We have to play this team as a running team,” Kehres said. “You have to stay true to your responsibility or a strong running team will try to suck you up. They have a veteran quarterback (Rob Kramer). He made some real good throws last year. We’ve got to be smart and play our responsibilities defensively. “ Rees said Mount Union knows that St. John Fisher will give them a solid game and the two-time defending Division III champs will have to play up to the challenge. “To beat St. John Fisher, we have to be disciplined,” Rees said. “We have to be extremely physical because they’re an extremely physical team. We have to execute. Execution is a big thing this week and not making mistakes. Even the smallest mistake in a game like this will kill you.” Rees said when it comes down to it, the Purple Raiders will be looking for another solid performance. | |||
| Permalink | Nov 29, 2007 | |||
Been there With Mount Union averaging a 50-point win and having only Ithaca come closer than 35 points, what makes St. John Fisher think it can go to Alliance and win? For starters, just the fact that it's been to Mount Union before and played a pretty decent game, in a 26-14 semifinal loss last season. The Cardinals are headed back Saturday, so find out why they have reason to feel good going in, and why the Purple Raiders are showing their respect in a Road to Salem feature by Keith McMillan. As for the players lining up trying to stop Fisher, we had Clyde Hughes find out more about Mount Union linebacker Matt Rees, who might not say a whole lot but has been letting his pads make noise for the past 30 starts. Scroll down to read more about the other quarterfinalists.
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| Permalink | Nov 29, 2007 | |||
Castleton adds football Castleton State president Dave Wolk announced today that the college will introduce football beginning in the fall of 2009. The school is in Castleton, Vt., and is a member of the North Atlantic Conference. “An analysis over the past year has convinced us that adding football to our offerings provides many benefits,” Wolk said. “Our investment in student-athletes has been an important part of Castleton’s growth in numbers and in quality. We expect good sportsmanship and exemplary citizenship, and our student-athletes have higher grade point averages, retention rates, and graduation rates than the general student population.” The addition will bring the number of Division III football programs to 239. St. Scholastica, in Duluth, Minn., starts football in 2008. Castleton becomes the seventh member to sponsor football in the NAC, along with Becker, Gallaudet, Husson, SUNY-Maritime, Mount Ida and Norwich. The NAC begins football play in 2008. Wolk said, “I know the Norwich rivalry will grow and flourish as it as in many other sports. The inauguration of football will generate a few level of interest and excitement on campus, in Rutland County, and across Vermont.” The decision to add football follows the announcement in October of a $25.7 million project that includes an enlarged and renovated Campus enter and a small stadium with a lighted, artificial turf field, which can be used for many intercollegiate and intramural sports, including football. Athletic director Deanna Tyson said, “It is exciting to have football added as our 20th varsity sport. It is a good fit all around. Students are interested; we have plans for new facilities; and the North Atlantic Conference has just added football.” Wolk said that the college plans to hire a head coach in the near future, with a start date of July 1, 2008. “We will search for a top-notch coach who is committed to motivating and educating our student-athletes not only on the playing field, but more importantly, in the classroom and community,” he said. | |||
| Permalink | Nov 29, 2007 | |||
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