Congratulations on a fine season Maryville. You played a good game today and competed well on both sides of the ball. Your school and your conference were well represented today.  Good luck as you prepare for next season. Everyone should be proud of the Scots. The game was an excellent example of what is special about D3 athletics.

Congratulations HSC!  First playoff win in school history. Good luck next week against Linfield. SHOCK the world Tigers.

I think that the preseason poll is nice but the end of season results is what counts ( cliche' ). 

With that said the bunching at the top indicates that any of the top four teams can win the conference.  i think that HSC gets more points due to the fact that more coaches worry about defending the offensive weapons on their team than on the other teams.  However as has been shown over the past two seasons, if HSC does not figure out a way to stop the power running game or the option running game they will have a very unhappy end to their season.  When the defense has been really good (as in 08- 10 ), HSC plays a more balanced game.  They are more difficult to defend. This balance allows them to be more aggressive in attacking weak spots in opposing defenses.  When the games are going to be shootouts, or Marty feels that he has to score almost every time he has the ball, he takes more risks and attempts more low percentage gambles.  Some of these work out and HSC does have success.  However against better teams, there has not been consistent results. 

So my prediction for this year is that HSC will be as successful as the defense is improved.  The offense will rank first or second in the ODAC and very high nationally.  They will win games.  But the thing that will determine if they win the ODAC will be the improvement of the defense.  I feel that the pieces are in place.  We will just have to see how they perform. 

Good luck to all the ODAC teams this weekend!

Quote from: algernon on February 14, 2013, 11:20:49 PM
Immediately after the game ended, D.J. Woodmore came over to the end of the court where I was sitting, where there were mostly older people (including a former Prince Edward County Sheriff), as well as a smaller number of high school and college students.  He was yelling at the fans and actually threw up both arms and gave two middle fingers to the crowd.  I could hardly believe it.  I have never seen anything like it in the ODAC, even from Marlins players.

I also witnessed players flip the bird with both hands to the section of the crowd that had the older people in it.  I understand when people come to the VWC players defense in their reaction to a hostile environment.  It was very emotional for all sides.  I hope that when all of these players and fans encounter a similar situation they can act like the posters on this board would like them to act.  I am an HSC fan.  I have been embarassed by behavior of members of our athletic teams and fans over the 30 plus years that I have followed HSC sports.  I try not to defend bad behavior by blaming the environment or blaming the other guy or the officials.  These young men playing this sport need to understand that they have a responsibility to rise above being baited into bad behavior.  We have to remember that they are 18-23 year old young men.  This is not an excuse only an observation.  I know that I did things that I wish I would not have done when I was that age.  While not casting blame we should reinforce the positive things about the game, the effort by both teams, the atmosphere and the competition.  Then we can point out how to better handle the disappointment of losing and the elation of winning to the players and the fans. 

The game on Wednesday was one of the most competitive games that I have every seen.  Everyone who participated should be proud of the effort.  Both teams are good enough to win the ODAC tourney and if given the chance to go deep into the NCAA tournament. 

I think the reason that HSC is considered a difficult place to play is that the size of the crowd is usally much larger than any other road game in the ODAC.  This is a different environment than many of the other schools due to the larger crowd.  I know people resent HSC and do not like to play there.  I believe one comment was "it feels like 1950."  I really do not know what that means.  The other comment regarding having ever been to Duke for a home game then there is nothing to complain about is more accurate.  Fans should be passionate but they get out of control sometimes.  The larger the crowd the more likely that will happen. 

This board has some great supporters of their respective teams.  Please do not try to excuse behavior or build your team up by tearing another team down. 

Congratulations to W&L for an outstanding win on Saturday.  As has been stated before, the game on Saturday was one of the best games that I have seen at any level.  Both teams had multiple chances to win.  Both teams came from behind and made great defensive stands when the game was on the line.  All I can say is WOW.

Good luck to the Generals in the playoffs!

The Tigers had a great game today.  Obviously, the most complete game of the season.  I hope they are peaking at the right time.  They will need a comparable effort to have success this weekend.  I was impressed with the level of talent on the Guilford team.  They have good speed at running back and the defensive line played hard all day.  Both teams played hard.  The difference in the game was that the HSC offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage and the corners for Guilford were a little undersized.  HSC ran the ball when they wanted to and played over the top in the passing game.  Hampden Sydney's defense played like they had something to prove today as well.  Having seen each HSC- Guilford game since 2007, I would say that this team is improved over the most recent ones.  Even though the score was not as close as some of the games, this team had more talent at more positions than others that I have seen. 

Good luck the rest of the season Quakers.

Great article about some great leaders and representatives of D III sports.

http://d3football.com/columns/around-the-region/mid-atlantic/index

Quote from: abnrgr on September 11, 2012, 04:29:22 PM
MOM
It's hard to know why he wants to quit so it's hard to say what to recommend. As a player, coach, Infantry officer, I have seen all kinds of reasons to quit. too many to enumurate.

Mostly it is because it can be a little brutal and not too much leadership on top of it will exacerbate it to the point of lunacy. If you suspect a leadership issue get him to another school (that's cheaper) after the semester of course to get the grades. He has to remember to he is about 0.1 percent of the high school playewrs that get to play at the next level. He's a gladiator!!

The only words of wisdom is when you quit the first time it gets a little easier to quit the next time 

abnrgr

abnrger,

Very wise advice.  I played with two men who have been lifelong friends.  One quit our team due to injury and the other quit mid-season.  They both regret it.  There are so few individuals that get to play college football it is regretable when some do not see it as a privledge but as a right. 

I have no knowledge of the situation at Guilford nor do I have any advice.  I would like to share that in life there will be many chances to quit or to run when things don't seem to be going our way.  How we react will determine how we look at ourselves in the mirror.

I would like to thank you Abnrger, for your service to our country.  You and men and women like you are heros.

HSC was up 35-0 at halftime and 42-0 on CNU at start of 4th quarter when the starter were removed.  Final score not reflective if the one sided game.

CNU really brought support for their team to HSC today.  It was really a treat to see such an impressive marching band perform.  The support for the team reflected well on the strength of the program.  CNU is always a class act and those characteristics were on dispay today by the football team and fans.  Good luck the rest of the season.

One of the most dominating performances that I have seen against a good team at HSC today.  42-0 at end of third quarter when starters were removed.  CNU kept fighting and put up some points in the the 4th quarter.  HSC was impressive on both sides of the ball. 

Good to see RMC and W&L bounce back to the win column today as well. 

Tigerfanalso,

It is good to hear the excitement among the Tigers.  I too am looking for that first ODAC playoff win in awhile. Let's hope it is a Tiger win.

I have watch over 100 games in this conference the past 4 years.  This conference faces some real challenges in women's basketball.  The officating in this conference is worse than high school games in Virginia.  They have some real good young female officials but the bulk of the officiating in games that do not involve the top 3 or 4 teams is just bad.  They just do not take pride in the craft.  They want to manage the outcome of games by blowing a key whistle or not calling obvious things.  I really felt bad for the players.  These players get games called more fairly in AAU or high school.  They are college athletes.  They deserve a conference that takes fairness and consistency seriously.  The USA South needs to improve by not continuing the employment of officials that time and again are not up to the task. 

I feel this is great news from HSC.  It could really answer the largest question mark the Tigers have coming into 2012 with Travis Lane completing his career.  The defense was playing 9-10 players that were Freshman or Sophomore first year starters.  They had to replace 3 all-conference defensive lineman that were multiyear starters with one All-American.  The secondary was new as well and the most experienced DB was lost in week 4.  I think they will be better on defense in 2012.  They may not be as strong as they were in 2009 but they will be better.  They need to find a new center with All-American Ben Rogers ending an impressive career having started every game during the past 4 years. Kyle Vance and Kirk Rhole are other key contributors on offense that will be missed.  HSC will not be the pre-season favorite but they have a chance to repeat as ODAC champs.