Congrats NCC. I wish I could say I am surprised by what played out on Saturday, but it is what I expected. The solace is that in D3 it takes years for a team to finally get over the hump to win it all. Look at NCC, it took them 15 years from their first playoff appearance to finally win the Stagg Bowl, so if this years Seniors took the lumps in the semi's, it shows recruits that one can win at JCU, and that each passing class is hopefully a tad better than the one before it, and that is how you build a program.

Quote from: Crawford on December 20, 2025, 09:09:33 PMCongratulations on your inaugural NCAC season JCU. Final Four and bringing the conference up with you.

In my opinion, the conference is only going to continue to get better with the addition of Wash U next season as well. Will be fun to see the top go at it each season

Quote from: GusD on December 15, 2025, 02:15:44 PM"Going away" is nothing new for Naperville kids. Of course there are athletes from Naperville at NCC, but often if recruiting a local kid you'll hear something on the order of "Sorry, but I'd never really consider NCC. I've lived in Naperville all my life. I need and want to spread my wings, and see what else is out there. Besides, if I went to school here my mom would expect to see me at least once every weekend."

true, but I went Army first, so I went away... far away... to another continent.

Quote from: Cardinal773 on December 15, 2025, 12:57:32 PM

Quote from: JCUStreaks70 on December 15, 2025, 12:40:26 PM

Quote from: Cardinal773 on December 15, 2025, 12:37:50 PM

Quote from: JCUStreaks70 on December 15, 2025, 11:26:32 AMExcited for the game on Saturday. My dad is an NCC football Alum, and I grew up in Naperville, and my brother and I both played ball at JCU. So this game is making an interesting week for our family!

Well I hope your dad has more fun on Saturday than you! 

All kidding aside, congrats to JCU and I'm looking forward to a great game between the two teams.  Your QB is scary good and that defense looks stout.

hahaha, well played. I think it'll be a great game!

I should also add that I picked JCU to make it to the semis on my bracket.... just not to Canton, sorry.

No matter what happens, this was a GREAT year for us.

1. If we lose, our two losses will be to at two semifinalists at minimum.

2. All the people who said we were running away from Mount (because you know in DIII that is how schools make decisions), shut up real quick once we beat them.

3. We got the Mount monkey off our back, by FINALLY beating them in the playoffs. I believe NCC and JCU are actually the only two teams in the last 15 years who has beaten Mount more than once, but I could be wrong.

4. We're in the freaking semi's!

5. I have wanted this game for so long! having played HS with many NCC guys and my own dad having played there, I grew up watching NCC. But I went to a certain Catholic school across the street, so when came time for college, I wanted to actually "go away", so I do have a soft spot for you all.

Quote from: Cardinal773 on December 15, 2025, 12:37:50 PM

Quote from: JCUStreaks70 on December 15, 2025, 11:26:32 AMExcited for the game on Saturday. My dad is an NCC football Alum, and I grew up in Naperville, and my brother and I both played ball at JCU. So this game is making an interesting week for our family!

Well I hope your dad has more fun on Saturday than you! 

All kidding aside, congrats to JCU and I'm looking forward to a great game between the two teams.  Your QB is scary good and that defense looks stout.

hahaha, well played. I think it'll be a great game!

Excited for the game on Saturday. My dad is an NCC football Alum, and I grew up in Naperville, and my brother and I both played ball at JCU. So this game is making an interesting week for our family!

Quote from: pradierguy on December 09, 2025, 12:47:24 PM

Quote from: IC798891 on December 09, 2025, 10:57:04 AM

Quote from: pradierguy on December 08, 2025, 08:03:10 AMNo longer are extremely talented kids choosing to come to Mount knowing they might not play until their Junior or Senior years. Kids would rather take the "easier" route to playing time a join programs like BW, Wittenberg, etc. so they can play immediately


It used to be a honor to wait your turn at Mount Union, but now that is just an insult to the player and their families if they aren't starting.

What's wrong with a player wanting to play throughout their career?

This just reads like bitterness that every quality football player in the area doesn't worship at the altar of Mount Union, and like every other OAC program should have to make due with the players Mount doesn't deem worthy enough to play for the Raiders.
 

Could not have been further from the point I was trying to make, but clearly failed in doing so.

I knew what you meant. the quotation marks were a giveaway. ha

Quote from: purple on December 08, 2025, 06:09:58 AMAsk the thousands of guys who played in the OAC if an OAC title is meaningless? This group of seniors won four OAC Championships and beat a lot of excellent non conference teams. They had a hell of a run. Congratulations to them and their coaching staff. I cant believe I have to root for JCU the rest of the way, but I will.

I'll allow it! haha

Quote from: D3fanboy on December 07, 2025, 04:38:17 PM

Quote from: JCUStreaks70 on December 07, 2025, 04:13:25 PMFollow up question I have 24 hrs after the game. For well over 30 years, it required a perfect game to beat Mount, and even then it was often not enough. I believe that JCU played a far from perfect game yesterday; look at the turnovers and blowing the chance to win in the first OT. Has JCU joined the "ranks" of elite teams? or do you think Mount has fallen from utter supremacy? For so long, there was only one team in all of D3 who could play toe to toe with Mount, and be able to get away with mistakes. Are we seeing a broadening of talent and more "tier one" teams? Or is it NCC standing alone, followed by a level of a half dozen teams? then a respectable tier 3, and then the rest? If Mount is no longer elite, has JCU hit the same level?

Now, I do not believe that one win means "we're equals", but I cannot help but think that because of the mistakes we also had proves that the gap between Mount and JCU closed immensely, at the very least.

Just curious your thoughts, from a Mount perspective. Anywho, thanks again for all your congrats and the fact that many of you are cheering for us the rest of the way! I do miss the banter with you all, so this week has been a fun blast from the past. Hate to say I wish MUC57 were alive to see it, but would've been nice to hear his congrats.

imo, neither team really played well at all yesterday.  The defenses were fine, but that was a couple of, as the kids say, "mid" teams.  Fumbles, missed kicks, tons of penalties, etc.  Mount played scared to lose after getting up by 7 and JCU had toughness, mentally and physically. 

I don't know how many times that I can say it, but when Mount is getting their plays lined up under 10 seconds and snapped with 5 or less, the offense is stagnant and stinks.

I don't know that there are many teams in the D3 world with as much talent at the top as Mount Union.  That talent needs leadership and coaching or it shows up to each game thinking that they have won due to the "Raiders" across their chest, despite the fact that they, themselves haven't done anything to earn that.  There is no champion upperclassmen left in the program to keep "the standard", so it's up to the coaches.  In a week where Mount Union alumni dominated the college football coaching moves and made millions upon millions...we are stuck with the same coaching staff in Alliance for over a half a decade now.  Why are there no coaches ever leaving for bigger jobs all of a sudden?

Sorry for the rant, congrats to the Blue Streaks.

Don't be sorry, mine was a long winded question. haha. But exactly my thoughts, as far as the game. I think we all would agree, for soooo long, even when Mount played poorly, their talent was enough. I have to imagine Mount still has more depth in talent than most anyone in D3, including JCU; so then the next logical answer would be coaching. I believe if I asked, Behrman or Dartt, you all would take Behrman??

So, with that said, if changes are not made in Alliance, is Mount just "the best OAC team" and no longer one of the top teams? I am genuinely curious what you all think.

I think parity is good for the sport. Sure, we each want our team to win every year; but as a whole, we would all probably agree fresh blood playing for titles makes it more exciting. So yeah, the homer in me wants to think that JCU has just entered the same arena as Mount, and are now arguable one of the Top 10 programs in D3. Maybe we are, maybe we're not; the coming weeks will tell.

Again, I am not going to take one win as law; but I just keep going back to the fact that with the exception of our D, we played a far from perfect game. And even then, our D was the prototypical "bend but don't break Defense" yesterday.

Now, I do believe we will beat Berry next week; unless we have an emotional let down. And if we get to Naperville, that's gonna be awesome! At least for me and my brother. Our dad is an NCC football alum, but we're obviously not. So, our family is a "house divided" and I only live an hour from NCC. Side note, I think NCC will/would be surprised by the JCU turnout, if it happens. We have a LARGE Chicago base, both for alums and current students.

Follow up question I have 24 hrs after the game. For well over 30 years, it required a perfect game to beat Mount, and even then it was often not enough. I believe that JCU played a far from perfect game yesterday; look at the turnovers and blowing the chance to win in the first OT. Has JCU joined the "ranks" of elite teams? or do you think Mount has fallen from utter supremacy? For so long, there was only one team in all of D3 who could play toe to toe with Mount, and be able to get away with mistakes. Are we seeing a broadening of talent and more "tier one" teams? Or is it NCC standing alone, followed by a level of a half dozen teams? then a respectable tier 3, and then the rest? If Mount is no longer elite, has JCU hit the same level?

Now, I do not believe that one win means "we're equals", but I cannot help but think that because of the mistakes we also had proves that the gap between Mount and JCU closed immensely, at the very least.

Just curious your thoughts, from a Mount perspective. Anywho, thanks again for all your congrats and the fact that many of you are cheering for us the rest of the way! I do miss the banter with you all, so this week has been a fun blast from the past. Hate to say I wish MUC57 were alive to see it, but would've been nice to hear his congrats.

Quote from: hsbsballcoach7 on December 06, 2025, 03:35:45 PMHats off to Mounts defense... They played great and stepped up when they needed to. Of course I wish the team went further and could win another championship, but only one team holds the trophy at the end of the season. The offense just didn't have enough open lanes to make the usual big plays once getting to the 40 yard line. I'm surprised Mount didn't try to get plays outside of the tackles more often.

Good luck JCU.... Still don't like you

I accept your good luck, and still not a fan of you. Respect? Yes. Like? Nope!

Quote from: BergAlum2 on December 06, 2025, 03:09:26 PMWell I guess its up to you to beat North Central, assuming you make it past next week 

My dad is an NCC football alum, so this eventual Civil War thing was bound to happen. Fortunately, JCU has a VERY Large Chicago presence

I might need to go to the hospital to get my heart checked out.

I am NOT here to gloat, but WOW! I want to say great game, but you all will say otherwise.

You all remain a standard bearer of D3, so do not forget that. It was a necessary litmus test, and I am still in SHOCK that we did it.

I thought when we missed that first FG, that it was over. Once CANNOT give Mount those chances. Hats off to you all.

I am going to go take my wife and kids to Christmas stuff to celebrate. Still not looking forward to our next eventual meeting.

Quote from: bluestreak66 on December 05, 2025, 10:17:57 AM

Quote from: Crawford on December 04, 2025, 04:28:09 PMBluestreak66, any predictions for your big game on Saturday?

At first, I was very worried, but as the week goes on, I'm liking our chances a more.

JCU 27, Mount 24

Remind to delete this tomorrow if things go sideways before the Mount faithful can laugh at my blind optimism lol

Your lips to God's ear! Might need to move my daily Rosary up from afternoon to morning, and I may or may not include a special intention for JCU