Gagliardi cuts to final four Jostens today announced the four region finalists for the 15th Annual Gagliardi Trophy. The trophy, presented on December 13 in Salem, Virginia recognizes the outstanding Division III football student athlete who best exemplifies performance on the field, in the classroom and in his community. The trophy is named in honor of John Gagliardi, Saint John’s head football coach since 1953 and the coach with the most wins in college football history with 452 victories. The award is determined by a 33-member National Selection Committee. For the first time, fans were invited to participate through a voting process set up on D3football.com. More than 27,000 fans voted for this year’s candidates. The four region finalists are: East Region - Jason Boltus, Sr., Quarterback, Hartwick North Region - Derek Blanchard, Sr., Left Guard, Mount Union South Region - Drew Smith, Sr., Wide Receiver, Hampden-Sydney West Region - Justin Beaver, Sr., Running Back, UW-Whitewater The National Winner will be announced on Monday, December 10th and the recipient will be presented with the trophy on Thursday evening at the Salem Civic Center. | |||
| Permalink | Dec 6, 2007 | |||
Blanchard at head of his own class By Clyde Hughes D3football.com No one knows if Mount Union’s mountain at left guard, Derek Blanchard, will become the first offensive lineman to win Division III’s heralded Gagliardi Trophy, but Blanchard said given a choice, he would love another national championship first. As the Purple Raiders prepared for the national semifinals against Bethel, Blanchard (6-2, 298), the lone offensive line among the 10 finalists for the award, said sharing a national championship with the rest of his team, even for a third consecutive year, would be an award like no other. “(Winning another national championship) is extremely important to me and our senior class,” Blanchard said. “Any individual awards are great, but no one’s above the team and the team comes first. Another national championship is on top of the list.” If there were ever an offensive lineman worthy of such praise, it would have to be Blanchard. The Lake Zurick, Ill., native is a four-year starter for the Purple Raiders. He chose Mount Union after looking at such places like Division I-AA Illinois State and Division II power Grand Valley State. He’s a returning first-team All-American who this year set the record for consecutive games started at Mount Union. Mount Union coach Larry Kehres said Blanchard’s presence often dictates Mount Union’s offense and where it decides to go with the football. This year, the Purple Raiders are averaging more than 50 points per game. “It’s unusual that we would plan our offense around an offensive lineman but we do,” Kehres said. “We use certain formations and certain runs based on his ability to block his spot where he’s aligned and his ability to move and block. There’s no doubt that if you study our offense, we do things because of Derek Blanchard.” Blanchard likes to share the praise with the other players on the offensive line with him -- center Eric Safran, right guard Tim Reash, and tackles Josh Henniger and Geoff Dartt. He said no one person can make an offensive line unit work without the other four members. “All five of us have to be on the same page,” Blanchard said. “I’m up for this award but I’m nothing without the four guys that I play onside with. We play five as one. Playing along great players like those guys really helps me with some of the plays I’m called on for run one-on-one blocking and screen passes. Playing alongside those guys really helps out.” One of the beneficiaries of Blanchard’s play is quarterback Greg Micheli. Micheli was a part-time player last year and took over the full-time duties this season. He said he can appreciate Blanchard’s presence in the trenches. “Whenever you’ve got a guy who has started for four years, you know he’s going to be a great leader and a great person to build around in terms of the offensive line,” Micheli said. “As far as the quarterback is concerned, you know he’s going to always have those other guys ready to play. “They all know their assignments and do a great job. Everyone on the offensive line is great in their own respect, but having someone with that kind of experience I think he can help them a lot. He makes that entire unit better with his experience.” Blanchard was a starter the last time Mount Union didn’t win a national championship, back in 2004, when the Purple Raiders lost 38-35 in the semifinals against Mary Hardin-Baylor. Josh Welch hit Walter Sharp with a 24-yard touchdown pass with 48 seconds left, as Mary Hardin-Baylor came back from two touchdowns down to win in Alliance. “I think a lot of kids sometimes, not so much our senior class, don’t know what it’s like to lose a football game and not winning a national championship,” Blanchard said. “Being able to play in that semifinal game when we lost, I know how much that hurt and I never want to feel it again. It gives me more of an appreciation of where we’re going, and our team goals. I’ve enjoyed the Stagg experience the last two years.” Whether he picks up the coveted Gagliardi Trophy while there or not, Blanchard said he knows where he wants to go -- and that road leads to Salem. | |||
| Permalink | Dec 6, 2007 | |||
Bethel's big man up front If the offensive lines take center stage in Alliance, Ohio, on Saturday, then Bethel's Tommy Davis will be front and center. Davis has seen the playoff highs and lows as a Royal, as well as an emotional defeat at St. John's on the day John Gagliardi won his record 409th game. He got matched up against an All-American in the 2003 playoffs, a game Bethel lost. Lessons learned, however, for both Davis and the Royals, who picked up the program's first three playoff wins ever in reaching the semifinal trip to Mount Union. Adam Johnson talks with Davis in a Road to Salem feature. No offensive lineman has ever won the Gagliardi Trophy. We won't know for a while yet if Mount Union left guard Derek Blanchard is going to be able to make history in that regard, though he was named one of four region finalists on Thursday. What we might not know is how much Purple Raider coach Larry Kehres game plans around his senior lineman. And what Blanchard knows, more than most Purple Raiders, is what it's like to not win the national title, as he started the last time Mount Union lost a playoff game, to Mary Hardin-Baylor in 2004. Learn more about Blanchard in a Road to Salem feature by Clyde Hughes. Don't forget the week's earlier feature stories on Mary Hardin-Baylor and UW-Whitewater.
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| Permalink | Dec 6, 2007 | |||
Royal center has put in his time By Adam Johnson D3football.com ST. PAUL -- If it’s true that good things come to those who wait, Bethel senior center Tommy Davis is ready. The fifth-year senior, and back-to-back All-MIAC honoree, has ridden the roller coaster of Bethel football the past five years and hopes there are two rides left. As a true freshman, Davis’s strength and size landed him in the starting lineup. That was a successful 9-2 season for the Royals but included the emotional defeat in Collegeville that netted St. John’s coach John Gagliardi his NCAA record 409th victory. It also provided Davis with his first taste of playoff action in a road game against Wartburg. “That was kind of a shock to me,” said Davis reminiscing. “But it was a really good learning experience.” Davis drew Wartburg’s All-America defensive lineman Vince King that year and had his hands full all game. King tallied 14 tackles, three for loss and two and a half sacks in a 21-7 defeat. It was Davis’s first taste of the playoffs but far from his last. In 2004, the Royals struggled to a 6-4 season as they looked for a quarterback to replace the MIAC all-time leading passer Scott Kirchoff. He suffered on the sidelines in 2005 watching his team struggle through a 5-5 season—a failure by Bethel’s standard’s. Davis had suffered a torn ACL on the second series of the second game of the year against Central at home. “That was really tough,” Davis said. “I had worked really hard expecting to have a great year.” With past failures and misfortunes behind him, Davis is now the focal point on one of the best offensive lines in the country. The Royals front five have allowed just eight sacks through 13 games. They didn’t allow a sack in the MIAC championship game against St. John’s who boasts All-MIAC defensive linemen Nick Gunderson and Mike Schumacher. “We just have awesome chemistry,” Davis said. “A lot of our communication isn’t even spoken.” It is Davis and his fellow linemen, Chris Luedemann, Mike Ervin, Brad Dahlman and John Scrabek, who go unnoticed when sports fans read about freshman Logan Flannery and his 1,283 yards and 13 touchdowns. They are the guys who make it possible for quarterback Ben Wetzell to pass as well as he runs in claiming the league MVP award. “He has an intensity that sets him apart,” said Wetzell. “He flips a switch when he gets on the field.” Wetzell has had Tommy Davis as his center since he arrived at Bethel. “He’s the heart of that line,” said Wetzell. And he was the heart on Saturday in a 27-13 victory over Central. The line did not allow a sack for the fourth consecutive game and blasted open holes for Flannery and fellow backs Dusty Wahl and Jared Bangs to the tune of 303 yards and two touchdowns. This year’s outcome against Central all but eliminated that fateful play in 2005 that cost Davis his season. “It was really fun to play against them and win,” said Davis. Now the Royals face Mount Union and the offensive line will essentially be looking in the mirror when they take on the Purple Raiders defensive line -- experienced veterans who have established themselves as some of the best linemen in the country. The Purple Raiders line has tallied 43 sacks on the season and gave up only 122 yards rushing on the season -- 181 yards less than what Bethel churned out last week. This game will be the stiffest challenge the Royals have faced this season and possibly ever. “It’s going be a challenge,” Davis admits. “But we’re going to play our kind of football.” | |||
| Permalink | Dec 6, 2007 | |||
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