Nov 16, 2004
By Pat Cummings
D3sports.com
Muhlenberg defeated Moravian in their annual rivalry, which combined with a Johns Hopkins win over McDaniel along with Union and Hobart victories, clinched the Centennial Conference championship for the Mules, their third consecutive title. Dickinson and Franklin and Marshall each won its game this weekend, leading to the five-way tie we predicted two weeks ago.
Let's get a few things straight.
1. I have no problem with a five-way tie in the CC. It's good for competition, recruiting, rivalries -- all around, it's a good thing. Parity is exciting in college football.
2. McDaniel has some form of mental block when it comes to playing Johns Hopkins. The Green Terror locked-up when it counted most, compounded by an injury to quarterback Brad Baer.
3. The Centennial Conference needs to re-examine its tiebreaker criteria. Following the loss of Swarthmore, a seven-team conference significantly increases your chances of ties. The initial set of tiebreakers appear sufficient with the NCAA's strength of schedule index figures sitting harmlessly as the fourth option. But when you see the SOS index invoked as a decision-making element, it almost makes one long for the fifth tiebreaker ... a good old fashioned coin toss.
I just cannot comprehend the validity of the conference's representative being determined by two games in the Liberty League, no less than four hours away, in a different NCAA region, with neither team playing for a playoff spot (Hobart had already clinched). Simply, there must be another way. I will address this issue with the Centennial Conference office and pass along the response I get to you.
Captains set new standard
Despite failing to win the USAC's automatic bid to the big dance, Christopher Newport received a Pool C ticket to the playoffs, a telling moment in a new program and a new conference. CNU is the first team to earn a Pool C berth with two D-III losses on their record. As mentioned in the column last week, CNU had a relatively worthwhile chance of getting to the playoffs given that their two losses came against playoff teams (Rowan and Shenandoah) and the Captains had a key win against a playoff team in Bridgewater.
"I did not feel comfortable from Friday on because everything was so different this week," CNU coach Matt Kelchner told the Hampton Roads Daily Press after watching the pairings unveiled. "And now I feel a lot more comfortable because I've been through this part before."
After two seasons of playoff failures, the Captains won their first postseason game in 2003 with a narrow win over Muhlenberg before falling to Bridgewater in the regional semifinals.
Don't tell Del Val they lack playoff experience
D-III coaching legend Bill Manlove, a former Delaware Valley head coach, returned to the Aggies three years ago as a special assistant for G.A. Mangus. Manlove took Widener to the playoffs seven times over the course of extended stay in Chester, winning over 200 games and two national championships.
"He was out running sprints with the team the other night," Aggies assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Jim Clements told the Doylestown Intelligencer.
Manlove, 71, and his decades of experience and success will certainly aid the Aggies in their first foray to the postseason.
MAC v. Centennial in ECACs
Aside from the fact that Del Val and Muhlenberg could meet in the regional semifinals, two schools from each conference will meet in ECAC regional finals this weekend. Moravian will travel to Franklin and Marshall while Albright hits the road to take on McDaniel. Johns Hopkins also earned a bid and will host Waynesburg from the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
Pride ... and conference bragging rights on the line.
The long journey back continues
Von Homer, whom we chronicled earlier in the season, will travel and dress for the Shenandoah Hornets in their first playoff appearance this Saturday. The Hornets, USA South champions, travel to Del Val. Click here for the original story.
Regional superlatives of the year
Expect the annual superlatives to come out in the season wrap-up column following the playoffs. This year's categories include:
Regional fans of the year
Best regional game of the year
Most outstanding offensive player of the region
Most outstanding defensive player of the region
Best turnaround team of the region
And some more surprises ... stay tuned
Mid-Atlantic Region Top 5
1. Delaware Valley
2. Bridgewater
3. Christopher Newport
4. Muhlenberg
5. Shenandoah
The brackets are out. Enough said. Let's get it on!
The Mid-Atlantic in the playoffs
Shenandoah (7-3) at Delaware Valley (10-0), Work Stadium, Doylestown, Pa.: Both teams are making their first playoff appearances. Del Val's rushing defense is superb, having held Wilkes running back Brett Trichilo to just 65 yards two weeks ago. The Hornets average over 230 yards per game on the ground. Sounds like the "X" factor in a history-maker for either squad.
Bridgewater (8-2) at Washington & Jefferson (10-0), Cameron Stadium, Washington, Pa.
The rematch. Most startling comeback I've ever witnessed. November 2000. It was bitter cold, snowing, windy, and yes, the Eagles trailed the Presidents by 25 just 18 minutes into the game. Hard to believe they won by 17. It was THE coming out game for BC. W&J is coached by Mount Union graduate Mike Sirianni and will certainly invoke school pride in this one.
Muhlenberg (8-2) at St. John Fisher (9-1), Growney Stadium, Pittsford, N.Y.: The Mules are making their third consecutive tournament appearance and have the best defense in all the land. To make matters worse, the Mules' two losses have come by a total of six points. St. John Fisher would be 10-0 were it not for a Norwich "Hail Mary" touchdown pass as time expired. The Cardinals score points, which should make for an interesting match against Muhlenberg, but often allow a bunch as well. Fun game to watch.
Christopher Newport (8-2) at Salisbury (10-0), Sea Gull Stadium, Salisbury, Md.: CNU lost to Shenandoah and Salisbury ripped the Hornets apart two weeks ago. However, the Captains have a playoff win under their belt and some new life after stealing the first at-large berth for a team with two D3 losses on their schedule. Salisbury's option game can be tough, but the CNU defense is staunch. Expect a real good one on the Eastern Shore.
Playoff predictions
I'm going to put it out there on the line. I've pretty much gone all season without making predictions, but it's the playoffs.
West Region: Linfield over Concordia-Moorhead
East Region: Delaware Valley over Rowan
South Region: Hardin-Simmons over Salisbury
North Region: Mount Union over Wooster
Wow, that was difficult. All top seeds in the regional finals.
Linfield over Delaware Valley
Hardin-Simmons over Mount Union
Linfield over Hardin-Simmons in the highest-scoring Stagg Bowl in history.
Playoff sleepers
1. St. John Fisher: Perhaps the RPI of 2004?
2. UW-La Crosse: Does life get easier without playing another WIAC team?
3. Salisbury: Should the wind whip over the next few weeks, the potent ground attack could stifle opponents.
Let's get a few things straight.
1. I have no problem with a five-way tie in the CC. It's good for competition, recruiting, rivalries -- all around, it's a good thing. Parity is exciting in college football.
2. McDaniel has some form of mental block when it comes to playing Johns Hopkins. The Green Terror locked-up when it counted most, compounded by an injury to quarterback Brad Baer.
3. The Centennial Conference needs to re-examine its tiebreaker criteria. Following the loss of Swarthmore, a seven-team conference significantly increases your chances of ties. The initial set of tiebreakers appear sufficient with the NCAA's strength of schedule index figures sitting harmlessly as the fourth option. But when you see the SOS index invoked as a decision-making element, it almost makes one long for the fifth tiebreaker ... a good old fashioned coin toss.
I just cannot comprehend the validity of the conference's representative being determined by two games in the Liberty League, no less than four hours away, in a different NCAA region, with neither team playing for a playoff spot (Hobart had already clinched). Simply, there must be another way. I will address this issue with the Centennial Conference office and pass along the response I get to you.
Captains set new standard
Despite failing to win the USAC's automatic bid to the big dance, Christopher Newport received a Pool C ticket to the playoffs, a telling moment in a new program and a new conference. CNU is the first team to earn a Pool C berth with two D-III losses on their record. As mentioned in the column last week, CNU had a relatively worthwhile chance of getting to the playoffs given that their two losses came against playoff teams (Rowan and Shenandoah) and the Captains had a key win against a playoff team in Bridgewater.
"I did not feel comfortable from Friday on because everything was so different this week," CNU coach Matt Kelchner told the Hampton Roads Daily Press after watching the pairings unveiled. "And now I feel a lot more comfortable because I've been through this part before."
After two seasons of playoff failures, the Captains won their first postseason game in 2003 with a narrow win over Muhlenberg before falling to Bridgewater in the regional semifinals.
Don't tell Del Val they lack playoff experience
D-III coaching legend Bill Manlove, a former Delaware Valley head coach, returned to the Aggies three years ago as a special assistant for G.A. Mangus. Manlove took Widener to the playoffs seven times over the course of extended stay in Chester, winning over 200 games and two national championships.
"He was out running sprints with the team the other night," Aggies assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Jim Clements told the Doylestown Intelligencer.
Manlove, 71, and his decades of experience and success will certainly aid the Aggies in their first foray to the postseason.
MAC v. Centennial in ECACs
Aside from the fact that Del Val and Muhlenberg could meet in the regional semifinals, two schools from each conference will meet in ECAC regional finals this weekend. Moravian will travel to Franklin and Marshall while Albright hits the road to take on McDaniel. Johns Hopkins also earned a bid and will host Waynesburg from the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
Pride ... and conference bragging rights on the line.
The long journey back continues
Von Homer, whom we chronicled earlier in the season, will travel and dress for the Shenandoah Hornets in their first playoff appearance this Saturday. The Hornets, USA South champions, travel to Del Val. Click here for the original story.
Regional superlatives of the year
Expect the annual superlatives to come out in the season wrap-up column following the playoffs. This year's categories include:
Regional fans of the year
Best regional game of the year
Most outstanding offensive player of the region
Most outstanding defensive player of the region
Best turnaround team of the region
And some more surprises ... stay tuned
Mid-Atlantic Region Top 5
1. Delaware Valley
2. Bridgewater
3. Christopher Newport
4. Muhlenberg
5. Shenandoah
The brackets are out. Enough said. Let's get it on!
The Mid-Atlantic in the playoffs
Shenandoah (7-3) at Delaware Valley (10-0), Work Stadium, Doylestown, Pa.: Both teams are making their first playoff appearances. Del Val's rushing defense is superb, having held Wilkes running back Brett Trichilo to just 65 yards two weeks ago. The Hornets average over 230 yards per game on the ground. Sounds like the "X" factor in a history-maker for either squad.
Bridgewater (8-2) at Washington & Jefferson (10-0), Cameron Stadium, Washington, Pa.
The rematch. Most startling comeback I've ever witnessed. November 2000. It was bitter cold, snowing, windy, and yes, the Eagles trailed the Presidents by 25 just 18 minutes into the game. Hard to believe they won by 17. It was THE coming out game for BC. W&J is coached by Mount Union graduate Mike Sirianni and will certainly invoke school pride in this one.
Muhlenberg (8-2) at St. John Fisher (9-1), Growney Stadium, Pittsford, N.Y.: The Mules are making their third consecutive tournament appearance and have the best defense in all the land. To make matters worse, the Mules' two losses have come by a total of six points. St. John Fisher would be 10-0 were it not for a Norwich "Hail Mary" touchdown pass as time expired. The Cardinals score points, which should make for an interesting match against Muhlenberg, but often allow a bunch as well. Fun game to watch.
Christopher Newport (8-2) at Salisbury (10-0), Sea Gull Stadium, Salisbury, Md.: CNU lost to Shenandoah and Salisbury ripped the Hornets apart two weeks ago. However, the Captains have a playoff win under their belt and some new life after stealing the first at-large berth for a team with two D3 losses on their schedule. Salisbury's option game can be tough, but the CNU defense is staunch. Expect a real good one on the Eastern Shore.
Playoff predictions
I'm going to put it out there on the line. I've pretty much gone all season without making predictions, but it's the playoffs.
West Region: Linfield over Concordia-Moorhead
East Region: Delaware Valley over Rowan
South Region: Hardin-Simmons over Salisbury
North Region: Mount Union over Wooster
Wow, that was difficult. All top seeds in the regional finals.
Linfield over Delaware Valley
Hardin-Simmons over Mount Union
Linfield over Hardin-Simmons in the highest-scoring Stagg Bowl in history.
Playoff sleepers
1. St. John Fisher: Perhaps the RPI of 2004?
2. UW-La Crosse: Does life get easier without playing another WIAC team?
3. Salisbury: Should the wind whip over the next few weeks, the potent ground attack could stifle opponents.