Augustana College offensive tackle Blaine Westemeyer is preparing to leave Mexico only three days after he arrived as a member of Team Stars & Stripes.  By the weekend he will return, clutching with him the prestigious 2009 Gagliardi Trophy awarded annually to the outstanding football player in NCAA Division III.

Westermeyer was selected from four finalists to receive the Gagliardi Trophy, which recognizes excellence in athletics, academics and community service and is the first offensive lineman ever to win the award.

During a hectic few days, he will depart Mexico on Wednesday in the middle of the Team Stars & Stripes preparations to face the Tec Monterrey All-Stars in the Tazon de Estrellas this weekend on the Tec de Monterrey Campus Estado de Mexico.

Westemeyer will be presented with the trophy on Thursday evening, December 17 at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Va., as part of the festivities leading up to the Division III National Championship game.  He will return the following day to anchor the Team Stars & Stripes offensive line on Saturday, December 19.

“Blaine is clearly the greatest player I have been associated with or coached,” said Augustana head coach Jim Barnes, who has racked up a record of 73-40 in 10 years at his alma mater.  “I have never seen a player who so clearly dominates his position.

“In addition, he is by far the most humble ‘achiever’ I have ever been associated with in sports. He goes about his business, with great success academically and athletically, quietly and without any fanfare.”

Westemeyer just finished a stellar career at Augustana and he excelled in all three areas cited in the description of the award.  He is a two-time American Football Coaches Association first team All-American, a two time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).  His ‘free’ time is spent in a variety of community involvement, most notably with Heartland Hospice.

What the players on the Team Stars & Stripes roster are saying about the Tazon de Estrellas and their experiences so far in Mexico…

LB Eric Kahl, Utica College: “I expect us to come out hard and play like we do in practice. It will be a good game.”

DB Jeff Hilliard, University of St. Thomas:  “I love it here. The hospitality in this country is great. And I love learning about a new culture.  I think the game will be a great matchup. We are here to have fun, butalso to represent our country.”

WR Orlando Webb, North Carolina Wesleyan: “The practices have been going well. But I am tired, not from the weather because I’m from North Carolina but because I run so many different routes!  Saturday’s game will be fun, but it definitely will not be a walk in the park.”

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Team Stars & Stripes completed the first of three two-a-day practices at Tec de Monterrey Campus Estado de Mexico in preparation to take on Tec Monterrey All-Stars in the 2009 Tazon de Estrellas on Saturday, December 19.

The Team Stars & Stripes practice schedule was jammed packed starting with skill sessions and position drills. Afterwards, the team split into offense and defense as the coaches implemented their strategies. The team came back together in a light scrimmage showcasing the skills of the three quarterbacks on the squad. All three — Aaron Fanthorpe (North Central), Kyle Paulson (U. WI-Eau Claire, Mike Isgro (Delaware Valley College) displayed a talent for running the ball.

The quarterbacks connected with a trio of talented wide receivers in Orlando Webb (North Carolina Wesleyan College), Riley Curry (Trinity University), and Jared Manzer (Jared Manzer).

In addition to his great hands, Curry also impressed with his Spanish speaking as he along with Corry Stewart (Hanover College) were interviewed by a local TV station — TVC-Deportes.

After the practices, we met up with wide receiver Orlando Webb (North Carolina Wesleyan College) who had a very impressive first day of practice.

Orlando Webb is orginally from Snow Hill, North Carolina and played college football at North Carolina Wesleyan College. He is currently majoring in Business Adminstation.

“My trip to Mexico was pretty good and uneventful. I must admint I hate flying though. I do not like the thought of being in the air that long.  I had a 30 minute delay in Raleigh because the rain made it real sloppy and I had another 30 minute delay in Charlotte, but eventually I made it to Mexico.

“I was very excited to come play for Team Stars & Stripes and my coaches told me different stories about football in Mexico and how the event would be. I just wanted to come and meet the new guys and put together a team. And try to beat the Mexican team. I want to do the best I can, and help Team Stars & Stripes pull out a victory.

“I love playing football and could not pass up the opportunity to play in another game. Hopefully playing in Mexico will open up some doors for me in my future.  First of all, we need to get this win, and then I want to see what my future has to offer.

“We had our first day of practices today. It went well, and it was fun to play with new players from all over the United States.

“My coaches told me the Mexican team is pretty good and big. My school, North Carolina Wesleyan College, was always pretty small and I’ve learned that it’s not always about the size. We have some really good athletes and I know we will get it done on Saturday.”

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With the Tazon de Estrellas approaching this upcoming Saturday, Dec. 19, we opened the Daily dose up to Team Stars & Stripes to give fans an idea of what the D-III senior All-Stars are doing to prepare for the game. They will appear throughout the week.

Coming from eight different states, the Team Stars & Stripes coaches and staff landed in warm and sunny Mexico on Saturday, December 12 to prepare for the 2009 Tazon de Estrellas.

Many coaches gladly left behind the snow and their winter jackets and traded them for the 70 degree weather in Mexico.

The adventures of the journey varied between people, but  Coach Dean Paul of Ohio Northern University took the prize of longest trip by far. He was originally supposed to arrive in Mexico first with his flight leaving Ohio around 6:30am, but with missing his connecting flight and being on stand-by, he ultimately arrived at the Camino Real Perinorte Hotel at 8pm and was the last coach to arrive.

But eventually the entire staff made it to Mexico, and now awaits the players’ arrival.

On Sunday morning before the first airport run to pick up players, the coaching staff took a trip to the Tec de Monterrey Campus Estado de Mexico, observing the practice facilities that will be used by Team Stars & Stripes and the stadium in which the 2009 Tazon de Estrellas will be played.

The facilities were very impressive with the stadium having a newly installed turf field in a picturesque setting of Mexico. The campus also had multiple locker rooms and weight rooms that Team Stars & Stripes will have access to during the stay.

Following the tour, I had a chance to sit down with Team Stars & Stripes Defensive Line coach Todd Glaser to find out his thoughts on the venture so far.

“I was very excited when I first found out about the trip and that I was selected to be part of the coaching staff,” he said.  ”To get the opportunity to coach some of the best players in Division III football and with a coaching staff with this amount of experience is something I could never pass up.

“I arrived in Mexico yesterday after a non-eventful trip. I came from Minneapolis and did not experience any delays. But it is definitely very nice to trade in the cold weather for some warmth!

“I think this week will go by very fast. We don’t have a lot of time, but it definitely should be a lot of fun. Once the players arrive, our goal is to try to get the team together and playing as a team with the cohesiveness you need to be successful.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know the players in all the different areas. It is always nice to get an opportunity to coach football.

“We have great facilities, a great stadium and the game should be a lot of fun. I can’t wait to get out there and coach!”

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The Tazon de Estrellas, this year’s senior All-Star game in Mexico, is approaching on Dec. 19, like the culmination of the Division III football season. While the game is still a little over two weeks away, the roster is being finalized as teams get eliminated from the playoffs. We’ll have more blog coverage of the event as game day approaches, as the game’s organizers at Global Football will be having coaches and players blog on D3football.com.

Like all collegiate All-Star games, this is limited to seniors (or, I guess, to anyone who is willing to sacrifice their remaining eligibility in order to play).

The D-III team will practice at the Tec Monterrey (CEM) facility in Atizapan de Zaragoza near Mexico City, from December 14-18 and will also visit the Aztec Pyramids and the nation’s capital before facing their Mexican opponents. Tec Monterrey is the premier private university system in Mexico, with campuses in numerous locations around the country. Tec teams have captured eight of the past ten Liga Major football national championships.

Here’s the full roster, not including any player on a team still in the playoffs.

Coaching staff: Head Coach/Special Teams, Bill Manlove (formerly of Widener and Delaware Valley); Offensive Coordinator, Dean Paul (Ohio Northern); Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers, Don DeWaard (Central); Defensive Line, Todd Glaser (UW-Eau Claire); Offensive Line, Jim Lyall (formerly of Adrian); Running Backs, Richard Ponx (North Central); Wide Receivers, Brad Spencer (North Central); Defensive Backs, Regis Scafe (John Carroll); Director of Player Personnel, John Roslien (Central); General Manager, Patrick Steenberge (Notre Dame), Athletic Trainer, Ron Blom (Central); Physician, Dan Vande Lune (Iowa), Equipment Manager, Nate Dorpinghaus (Central).

We’ve been waiting on a final roster for the D-III Senior Classic, being played this weekend in Salem, Va., but haven’t heard back. We will have coverage of that game as well, as Ryan Tipps will be on-site in Salem.

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