Monthly Archives: April 2006

Random games

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We’ve seen over 900 games go up so far for the 2006 Division III football season. Some are more predictable than others. Here are some others, matchups that are new this season:

Week 1: Huntingdon at Ithaca. Huntingdon doesn’t duck teams and can’t afford to as a geographically isolated independent. Long trip, though.

Week 2: Kenyon at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The surprise 6-4 Lords and the 3-6 Stags. A random cross-country game between teams in the lower half of Division III.

By the way, Kenyon also plays Grinnell, which normally would be interesting enough to make this list. But Kenyon coach Ted Stanley is a Grinnell grad, which makes that game a lot less random.

Week 3: Kalamazoo at Austin. This is Kalamazoo’s first game of the season, by the way.

Week 4: Washington and Jefferson at Oberlin. These teams aren’t that far away from each other … geographically.

After this point, we end up with too many conference games in the way. What games that are new this year strike you as the most random?

25 schools gave unacceptable aid

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According to an NCAA news summary, 25 Division III schools’ financial aid awards were found not acceptable and were forwarded to the NCAA’s enforcement staff. In these schools, the aid to student-athletes exceeded the aid awarded to the general student body by at least 4%, when comparing students with similar need.

The original list of schools out of the norm was 60, about 14% of Division III. Some details of the various levels of review were included in the NCAA’s piece.

That wasn’t the committee dealings the NCAA chose to emphasize, but it was what leaped off the page at me. The other big news is a proposal to put in year-round drug testing in Division III. One of the justifications was that a 2005 NCAA study put Division III drug usage at or above levels of usage in Division I. That may be true. It might also be the case that Division III student-athletes were simply more truthful in filling out the survey, since there are fewer consequences at the non-scholarship level. The testing proposal is for a two-year pilot program.

There was a list of things that the Management Council urged the Presidents Council and Executive Committee Working Group to consider:

·Further limitation on the provisional class size (one or two per year).
Not a problem. Division III is going to be too large to manage at some point.

·Tightening the standards applied to exploratory and provisional members to begin the process in lieu of the lottery system.
What a concept. Almost like I posted last August.

·Long-term divisional structure in the NCAA.
Does this sound like the late ’90s movement to subdivide Division III? Ugh.

·Optimal size of Division III based on resource allocation.
Optimal size of Division III is pretty darn close to where we are now.

·More aggressive screening of active members consistent with the Division III philosophy, membership and legislative requirements.
Sounds like more enforcement.

·Raising membership dues, if necessary, to address additional Division III resources, services and long-term membership options.
Seems reasonable.

·Changing demographics in the United States in relation to higher education.
Anyone working in higher education please chime in on this one.

Recruits and scholarships

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It’s always fun to see newspapers talk about the scholarships kids are getting to play football at Division III schools. But of course, sometimes Division III kids do get scholarships. And sometimes players who are destined to get athletic scholarships end up at Division III anyway.

Will Lewis got a full scholarship — academic, of course — to attend Washington and Lee, according to The State of Columbia, S.C. He expects to play both football and baseball after starting for three years at quarterback at Columbia’s A.C. Flora HS.

Berryman mug from Rivals.comFrancis Howell Central HS (St. Peters, Mo.) safety/receiver Andrew Berryman has announced plans to attend Washington U. “Andrew is an outstanding student athlete,” said WU head coach Larry Kindbom. “We like his versatility as an athlete, as he can play a variety of positions. We also like his tough-mindedness. He comes from a well-coached program at Francis Howell Central; that background and his work ethic should help in his transition to college. We look forward to Andrew contributing over the next four years.”

Berryman (left) is on the recruiting services’ radar and is listed as 6-2, 200; 6-3, 185; 6-0, 190; and 6-1 in a basketball story. He missed his entire senior season with an injury.

Lexington Catholic HS linebacker/strong safety Will Osborne will play football at Mount St. Joseph, according to the Louisville Courier Journal. He had 87 tackles for Lexington Catholic, which won the Class AAA title last season.

Spotswood HS (Penn Laird, Va.) quarterback Chet Landes will be attending Bridgewater, according to Harrisonburg’s Daily News-Record. He tells the paper he believes he might be used as a receiver.

Nate Berkey goes from Sarasota, Fla., to Mount Union. A two-year starter on the Sarasota HS offensive line, Berkey told Sarasota’s Herald Tribune: “I want to have a big rock on my finger, maybe three or four. That’s what pulled me in. I got a good feeling from the coaches and every year they are competing for a national championship.”

Foley (Ala.) HS receiver Chris Rodriguez is heading to Mississippi College, according to the Mobile Press-Register.

Lawrence Central HS quarterback Spud Dick will attend DePauw, according to The Indianapolis Star.

Franklin and Marshall will be getting Ryan Murray, an all-state running back from St. Edward’s, according to the Treasure Coast Palm.

Sheridan (Ind.) HS senior Chris Schweigel will attend Wabash. Schweigel, a 6-4, 181-pound wide receiver/defensive back, helped his team to Indiana’s Class A state title in 2005, according to The Indianapolis Star.

Wake Forest-Rolesville linebacker James Tyndall is heading to Guilford, according to the Charlotte News-Observer.

The Baytown (Texas) Sun reports that Jordan Wooddell, a linebacker for the Sterling Rangers, will attend the Coast Guard Academy.

University School (Jackson, Miss.) offensive lineman Russell Duck is headed to Rhodes, says the Jackson Sun. “They told me if I’d just come visit I’d love it,” Duck told the paper. “And they were right. I’m really looking forward to playing football and going to school there.”

Flatonia (Texas) tight end/defensive end Wade Berger will attend Hardin-Simmons. The Victoria Advocate says the 6-1, 195-pounder had 49 tackles, 5½ sacks, three passes broken up, forced four fumbles and recovered two.

Daniel Barnes, a running back from George Washington HS in Charleston, W.Va., will play at Emory and Henry, according to the Charleston Daily Mail. Barnes tore the ACL in his left knee as a junior, the paper reports.

The Virginian-Pilot’s Brian Black has compiled a list of Tidewater-area high schoolers and their college destinations. The Division III players:

Derek Braxton (Kellam HS), 6-2, 215, DE, Hampden-Sydney
Max Devnew (Kellam HS), 6-3, 215, DE, Christopher Newport
Matt Long (Kellam HS), 5-8, 175, QB, Christopher Newport
Brandon Reap (Maury HS), 6-2, 190, DE, Newport News
C.J. Santos (Kellam HS), 5-10, 205, LB, Salisbury
Derrius Walton (Lake Taylor HS), 5-10, 195, QB/LB, Newport News

We also have a list of Cortland State newcomers:
DB Matt Bieringer, 5-11, 190, Nassau Community College. He started at cornerback at Nassau.
OL Zac Chambers, 6-1, 275, Aquinas Institute
WR Tarod Clarke, 6-0, 185, Mansfield. Started at cornerback at the Division II school but will switch to receiver.
OL Lou Crispo, 6-0, 250, Eastchester HS
LB Kyrie Deger, 5-11, 210, Lake Brantley HS (Fla.)
LB Ryan Harvey, 5-10, 200, Grand Island (N.Y.) HS
DB Dequan Howard, 5-10, 175, last played at Canisius (dropped football after 2002 season)
WR/K/P Jeff Lang, 6-4, 205, Redshirt freshman last year at Northeastern
DL Chris Longinott, 6-3, 250, Cornwall HS
DB Ronnie Rodriguez, 5-10, 190, Erie CC, started at free safety at Erie
OL Ian Storm, 6-4, 250, Wayne Central HS (Ontario Center, N.Y.)
OL/DL Brandon McInerney, 6-3 265, Villanova-CBA, Syracuse
OL Chris VanDeweert, 6-2, 260, Goshen HS
QB Sean Pratt, 5-11, 190, Brockport HS
RB Binney Smith, 6-0, 200, Dryden HS
DB Anthony Posa, 5-11, 185, Sachem East
DL John Bonifer, 6-1, 230, Connetiquot
K D.J. Mazzone, 6-1, 175, William Floyd