2009 Around the Midwest columns

November 17, 2009 Lakeland gets a hand, now needs some help

November 10, 2009 Mount St. Joseph didn't see it coming

November 4, 2009 Titans take control of CCIW destiny Illinois Wesleyan's current run in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin has been three years in the making, one could say.

October 27, 2009 Other Concordia still in NATHC hunt When Greg Etter arrived in the suburban Milwaukee town of Mequon to take over the Concordia (Wis.) two years ago, the Falcons already had a strong football reputation as one of the top teams in the Illini-Badger Football Conference.

October 20, 2009 Little Bell again has big implications The suburban Chicago rivals seem to always be playing for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin title and neighborhood bragging rights when this game comes up, in addition to the Little Brass Bell trophy. But few would argue there will be playoff implications abound.

October 13, 2009 Concordia challenging the norm Looking at it from just about any angle and any stat imaginable, few could argue that Concordia (Ill.) is having one of its best seasons in school history.

October 6, 2009 Monmouth gears up for MWC showdown St. Norbert an underdog? Don't try telling that to Monmouth coach Steve Bell. He's not having one syllable of it.

September 30, 2009 Mount St. Joseph's win serves notice For four years, coach Rod Huber had turned around a dormant Mount St. Joseph football program into the kings of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, winning at least nine games from 2004 to 2007 and participating in the Division III playoffs each of those years.

September 23, 2009 Wheaton still takes its cues from Studebaker Andy Studebaker is two years removed from McCully Stadium in Wheaton, Ill., but he continues to have a profound impact on his old college and football program.

September 15, 2009 St. Norbert a work in progress St. Norbert's Jim Purtill isn't ready to get rid of his underdog status in the Midwest Conference just yet. When you ask Purtill about the Knights 2-0 start, including a 42-35 double-overtime victory over a Wartburg team that was ranked No. 17 in the preseason polls, he will point you in the direction of MWC favorite -- No. 11-ranked Monmouth -- as the team to beat.

September 9, 2009 Franklin answers some questions Franklin came into the season fresh off a quarterfinals finish in last season's playoffs, a No. 19 preseason ranking and a ton of unanswered questions.

September 1, 2009 First week has two big games to watch When your teams are the top competitors in leagues like the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin and the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, winning an early game against a power conference like the Ohio Athletic Conference, can go a long way in seeding and playoff matching, regardless when those games occur. Losses, though, could mean a road game instead of a home game or lower seeding.