By Ryan Tipps
D3sports.com
People who have spent years roaming the Division III landscape often can say that they have pretty much seen it all. But few people can say they've tried to see it all in just one weekend, which is what I set out to do.
My ambitious schedule meant logging in my first 3/30: three games in just thirty hours. When all was said and done, the driving, sleeping, game-watching and tailgating totaled a day and a half. And it all began with a rocky start.
A downpour between Bedford and Lexington, Va., had me second guessing whether I should even be going on this trip. Roads were slick, and Interstate 81 through the western part of Virginia is notorious for wild truckers. Cruise control was not an option in those first two hours.
The weather backed off somewhat the farther north I went, but a light rain taunted me nonetheless that initial day. The forecast at my first destination of Lancaster, Pa., where Dickinson was visiting Franklin and Marshall, was gloomy for the next several hours. My truck was packed with a tent, camera, maps and Pepsi, but no rain coat. I knew I'd forget something.
But there was more to the drive than the dampening skies. Division III is unique in its variety, and I sampled that as much as possible. D-III stadiums are perched along interstates, nestled in the back country or sprawled across open plains. Some have restaurants and other amenities next door, others are near the brink of nowhere.
The route to F&M's campus went through Gettysburg and past the historic battlefield that helped define a nation. It also meant traffic tie-ups and inconveniences for someone like me who hasn't yet mastered a stick shift. Here, the journey itself was my destination.
The sun was setting as I pulled into downtown Lancaster, where fans were already flocking around the stadium, grills fired up and tents shielding from the drizzle. The portable lights lining the field ushered in the kickoff, and the Dickinson and F&M quarterbacks came out blazing. Twenty-one points were amassed in the first four and a half minutes of play, and though the momentum tapered off, the teams managed to combine for more than 510 yards by halftime. Defensive units, it seemed, forgot to dress that night.
The pulse again quickened in the second half, leading into a fourth quarter that proved why football is approached with such passion. The Diplomats used their first drive of the final quarter to reach the end zone and pull within seven points of the Red Devils. After that, this game became a story of one team trying to hang on and another that was gutsy enough to go for it all.
Trick plays had been rolled out for much of the game already and didn't stop even late in the matchup. In the final 15 minutes, the teams went for it on fourth down three times. Each team had a costly turnover. The home crowd repeatedly chanted "F-and-M" during one late drive, and players on the sidelines methodically bobbed their heads along -- whether consciously or subconsciously. Everyone was fixated on the field.
Dickinson quarterback Ian Mitchell and F&M quarterback Kyle Turner were not only able to connect with receivers, but each led his team in rushing and took hits like veteran tailbacks. On this night, each tackle had to be earned. In the end, the Red Devils had the more fire and celebrated its 28-21 victory.
My watch showed a little before 10 p.m., and Bridgewater College was about four hours away. With no time to dawdle, I hit the road once again.
The Stone Station crew, which was spending the night playing poker and fishing into the cooler, was expecting me to arrive in the middle of the night. They're Bridgewater's famous tailgating fans, who set up shop outside the house of the college's president, Phillip Stone and also have hosted hundreds of fans at the Stagg Bowl in recent years. And despite some poor directions -- did he mean a right or a left at that intersection? -- I pulled into camp about 1:45 a.m. A handful of people were spending the night on campus, and I had brought my tent and sleeping bag to ward off the chilly air that was caked in fog.
After a couple of beers to honor the miles I had already put behind me, I was happy to learn the tent wasn't going to be needed. I had no desire to get it set up. A couple of us were able to make use of the bed, couch and floor in a camper, and sleep hit me just a few minutes after putting my head on the pillow.
Exhaustion was an understatement.
When I woke the next morning, the creature staring me in the face had little white curls and a happy tail. I couldn't help but smile at the small dog. A nice way to welcome the day.
A visit to Bridgewater isn't a true visit without the camaraderie and food that is synonymous with Stone Station. Pulled pork, which had been cooking since the night before, was on the menu that day.
I spent much of the morning picking apart the Old Dominion and the rest of the region, analyzing with fans the motivations behind nonconference scheduling, the likely league contenders and whether there's any chance of a deep playoff run by a Mid-Atlantic team. That was just the tip of the discussion. And it was all in good spirits. Competitors were greeted as warmly as local fans. A Ferrum coach stopped by to thank Stone Station for being such an involved and positive force in Division III football in the area. Showing the selflessness of the people who give us Stone Station, I have yet to hear them ask for so much as a thank you, though I trust they do enjoy hearing it. They have earned it and deserve it.
When game time rolled around, there were few surprises on the field. Under the cool, blue skies of west-central Virginia, Bridgewater dominated every aspect of the game, and the 41-16 score was that close only because Ferrum put up two touchdowns against the Eagles' backup players very late in the game.
Phillip Carter ran for 128 yards on 16 carries for Bridgewater in Ryan Tipps' second game of the weekend. Photo by Ryan Tipps, D3sports.com |
The Eagles showed what it meant to have senior leadership, especially in quarterback Jeff Highfill, and they created a virtual crystal ball by giving playing time to freshman quarterback Hagan Driskell. As a whole, the Panthers didn't make many mistakes, they just didn't have the talent to keep up with Bridgewater on either side of the ball. The balance of talent was obviously tilted, something Ferrum has been struggling against in many of its games since the start of 2006.
But there was no letdown walking away from the game. It was lopsided, but everyone expected as much. I was certain to see the same thing when I drove to Winchester, Va., for the final game of the weekend. And, sure enough later that night, while the 30-7 score in favor of Albright fit my expectations, the stadium at Shenandoah University surpassed imagination.
Simply walking in the front gate of Shentel Stadium and stepping around to the bleachers, I knew this was a place like no other. The stadium's light and its fans, immersed in Homecoming Weekend, lit up the valley. Never before had I seen a Division III school that catered so well to its football team.
And considering that Shenandoah went 3-17 the past two seasons and is 0-2 so far this year, the fans were still there. They craved it. They cheered and shouted for the Hornets. And this enthusiasm makes it all the more difficult that the team is going through some rough years. The spectators know this. But the Hornet team will be buried beneath its style of play until changes are forced upon it. With those facilities and those types of fans, all those involved deserve better.
It was bittersweet leaving Shentel, knowing that an exciting weekend was coming to an end and that a more than three-hour drive still lay ahead. That last leg included at least one thing I am a little ashamed of. The final hour or so of my drive Saturday night, with sleepiness nipping at me, I turned up the volume on the bad techno music that was being piped through my radio courtesy of a Roanoke station. And yes, I realize that this statement implies there is such a thing as "good" techno music, but that's a column for another website and another writer. To stay awake in the dead of night, I was willing to do anything.
As a columnist, one of the best aspects of this weekend was that I was able to see at least one team from each of the four conferences of the Mid-Atlantic. And out of the six teams I took in, five of them were ones I had never seen play before in person. The weekend added up to a lot. It included a nail-biting finish, a playoff contender in action and a team that couldn't complete a single pass before halftime. And there was still so much more to it.
Between the text message and phone call updates from fans, the calls to connect with new and old faces, the conversation with my parents, and most of all, checking in with my wife to assure her that what I was doing wasn't crazy -- despite all other indications -- my cellphone ended with barely 15 minutes' worth of power left on it. A narrow, but satisfying, margin.
And it was worth it. There is definitely something amazing across Division III football. No matter where you go, the fans are happy to meet one another and enjoy the company. There's enthusiasm and commitment to all teams -- both the good and the bad. Those fans are there because they want to be there. Some made noise even when their teams were down by several touchdowns -- cheering for that reserve freshman who made a good run, not necessarily because that play was going to turn the tide of the game but because that freshman was the future of the team. There's something exciting about that.
Yeah, I think you can say I pretty much saw it all this weekend.
We're unpredictable
Sometimes it's nice to be left guessing.
Conference play is right around the corner for many mid-Atlantic teams, and for some, it has already begun. Part of the fun of the region's four leagues is their unpredictability. It sets us apart from the bulk of the more than 20 other conferences across the nation.
Several Division III conferences have the same leaders year in and year out. Nine times out of 10, you can be sure Mary Hardin-Baylor will be leading the American Southwest, St. John's will pummel the others in Minnesota or Washington and Jefferson will be tops in the Presidents' pack. Elsewhere -- as with Mount Union -- the odds of correctly picking the conference champ are even better.
But it was the four conferences in the mid-Atlantic that threw folks for a loop in 2006.
None of the last year's conference champs were at the top of their conference in '05. None. Dickinson stood alone at the top of the Centennial Conference a year after Johns Hopkins reigned. Washington & Lee supplanted Bridgewater, which had spent years in the top spot. Wilkes in the MAC and the shared Christopher Newport/Averett throne in the USAC were changes, as well.
For three of those teams -- Wilkes, W&L and CNU -- defense was a large factor in their success. However, Wilkes and CNU already have stumbled considerably this year, each falling out of the D3football.com Top 25 after combining to go 1-5 after three weeks. W&L pitched a shutout in its only game so far, and defense again looks to be its strong point. But Bridgewater is again tough, and that gives the Generals a bumpy road to cross to return to the playoffs. Further changing of the guard across the region is very likely.
But change is good. New conference champs help limit the perceived parity of its member teams. Coaches know there are few -- if any -- "gimmes" on the field, and they play harder knowing that any opponent can be that straw in the team's back. Sure, teams risk never feeling that satisfaction of topping the conference "big dog," but maybe setting sights on other conferences' big dogs is the way to tap into that feeling.
For a fan, especially one who is well-traveled on the message boards, a changing of the conference leaders livens debate, and in a sense, validates the always growing variety of viewpoints. In this Pandora's Box, hope is a motivator. I see hope as a good thing on the football field. It keeps you in the game when you're down by three scores going into the fourth quarter; it keeps that second- or third-string running back pushing himself to get better; and it keeps that coach optimistic that no matter how bad last week was, Saturday is a brand new game.
The potpourri file
Gettysburg topped Johns Hopkins for the first time since 1994, with a 41-10 trouncing. Bullet quarterback Matt Flynn ran for two touchdowns and averaged almost 15 yards a carry in eight attempts.
The Methodist Monarchs gave up a total of 508 yards in a one-point loss to former conference foe Chowan, which is now Division II.
Another set of former conference opponents lined up Saturday, in a game that was riddled with turnovers. Moravian and Lebanon Valley each had five turnovers, with a total of four of them coming in the span of five plays. The Greyhounds eked out the win 19-18 thanks to a late fourth-quarter touchdown pass.
Widener fell apart in the second half after being tied 17-17 with No. 7 Wesley at the break. The Wolverines returned the second-half kickoff 89 yards to the end zone, giving them the go-ahead score.
High five
The Around the Mid-Atlantic top teams:
1. Bridgewater
2. Widener
3. Christopher Newport
4. Ursinus
5. Dickinson
Many folks I spoke with this past weekend were equally baffled as me about how the mid-Atlantic teams stack up. Many of the traditional powers have lost most or all of their games, and others aren't playing the kinds of teams that would draw a lot of attention to their wins. Delaware Valley fell victim to a bye week and dropped off the list, though the team is still hovering on the fringes. Dickinson played well enough to impress me this weekend and snag that fifth-place spot from the Aggies.
At the head of the class
By grade level, here are the mid-Atlantic's players of the week:
Freshman
Adam Irving, cornerback, Guilford: Snagged two interceptions against Averett in his first collegiate start.
Sophomore
George Eager, wide receiver, Franklin & Marshall: Hauled in two touchdowns en route to 125 total yards in the Diplomats' loss. But the stats don't tell the whole story. Eager's big plays -- including a catch for 36 yards near the end zone and a fingertip grab on fourth down -- helped keep his team in the game.
Junior
Josh Vogelbach, quarterback, Guilford: Completed three-fourths of his passes for 360 yards and seven touchdowns. Vogelbach has led his team to a 3-0 start, something it hasn't had since 1999. And for those keeping track, yes, this is the second time this year Vogelbach has been in this spot.
Senior
Kyle Follweiler, linebacker, Wilkes: Racked up a game-high 20 tackles in the Colonels' narrow loss to Rowan. Follweiler also has six tackles for loss, one sack and one interception.
Upcoming games of the week
Widener at No. 21 Rowan: A sluggish second half caught up with the Pride last weekend, but they have a chance to redeem themselves in a Friday night game against the Profs.
Delaware Valley at No. 25 Salisbury: The MAC is up for grabs now, and the Aggies have a chance here to prove that their strong first 45 minutes against Wesley wasn't a fluke. The Gulls are playing tough, though, riding a three-game win streak that left CNU in its dust last weekend.
Contact me
I would be happy to hear from anyone who has questions or feedback regarding the Around the Mid-Atlantic column. Please write to me at ryan.tipps@d3sports.com. Or, if there is an idea you'd like to see me write about, I'm always open to hearing about that, too.
