Senior Day was held at many places around the country this past week, and more in previous weeks. The Class of 2006 (yes, we know, most will graduate in ’07, but this is their final football season) experienced a fun time to be in Division III football.
This class saw the playoff expansion from 28 to 32 teams, giving more than twice as many conference runners-up a chance to participate. This class never knew the days in which the NCAA selections came via fax or telephone; rather, they always were able to watch on ESPNews.
We offer up two different takes on Senior Day 2006, and leave this post open for comments congratulating your own favorite senior.
The first piece comes from a columnist for The Sun in Baltimore. His son is a senior on the Johns Hopkins football team. There are likely many stories like this across D-III, so this one is definitely worth a read.
At Christopher Newport, Senior Day was treated a little differently. It was cancelled. But you didn’t hear any complains from the senior class, according to a piece in the Newport News Daily Press.
Congrats to all the seniors who have played their last games, and those participating in the playoffs. Don’t go away after graduation — be a Division III football fan for life.
Great topic.
I would like to say goodbye to the Cortland seniors, who still have an ECAC game waiting in the wings.
Cortland has changed so much since I attended the school circa 1990. The level of education has risen substantially, and frankly it has become a difficult school to get in to. New construction seems to occur daily.
The quality of the student athlete at Cortland is well beyond what it was even 4 years ago. Many of the top players at Cortland are also outstanding students. Adam Haas, for instance. Besides being an absolute defensive terror, he is also a SUNY Chancelor Award winner with a 3.53 gpa (2005) in Childhood Education.
Josh Jablonski is our all-time leader in blocked kicks. He also is an ESPN Academic All-District award winner with a 3.70 gpa.
It has been a great 4 years guys. I want to thank each and every one of you for raising the level of expectations both on, and off the field, at Cortland. You make me proud to be a Cortland fan.
Senior day was great at Whitewater concluding 5 great years (1 redshirt) and Brez Day was an added plus. I will always be a D3 football fan and love this website and Post Patterns. This has been an awesome experience for my son and me. We have traveled all over the country Oregon,Texas, Ohio, the Midwest,and Virginia….tailgating in all of them. I will really miss this but am also sure we will attend some games every year. Now the playoffs and hopefully a crack at the Championship….No matter what happens it has been a treat so GO WARHAWKS ….POUND THE ROCK FIVE MORE TIMES OLINE!!!!……
I’d like to wish all of the seniors at Augustana College the best of luck with the rest of their year. Congrats on winning a share of the CCIW Conference Championship.
Well said Cortland Football and Sakman.
Pity Union!
Although I only had the opportunity to see them play this year, I would like to wish the Curry College seniors a fond farewell (just not yet! with the NCAA tournament stil ongoing.) Unfortunately, their Senior Day was on that torrential rain storm and they missed out on being honored properly. They have been inspiring to watch in their athletic ability, their intensity and most importantly in their camaraderie. They have been wonderful leaders for the underclassmen and a tribute to their program. They have won 4 NEFC Conference Championships and just completed an undefeated regular season. I will truly miss seeing them out there next year 🙁
can’t begin to say how proud I am to be a DelVal Aggie fan these past three years. Thank-you to this senior class (23 strong) who stayed together in spite af adversity and finished the season with 3 shutout victories – not to mention being a vital part of the very exciting and successful ’04 and ’05 squads. I’ve never had so much fun as the thrills you guys provided in pulling out so many close games … I’ll be a D3 fan for life because of you!! So to Don Marshall, David Carmon and John Kiphorn (receivers extraordinaire!), Bill Miller – all-time scoring leader for the Aggies as a place kicker, Kevin Harrigan and Nate Martone – our invaluable offensive tackles, Joe Palladino at center, Sean McMahon and Andrew Kovach – our tight ends, Chase Lauth and Steve Doerner at fullback, Anthony Silver – a monster defensive end, all-time sack leader, our great linebacker core of A.J. Neal, Joe Whitesell and Justin (turnover a week) Porter, Matt Murphy and Kevin Bliss – always strong in the defensive secondary – sorry to the other fellows not mentioned but play an invaluable role on special teams and leadership … there’s just too many of you! Thank-you guys for keeping it together and making this another successful season for the program … good-ludk vs. Salisbury in the ECAC game this week … GOOOO AGGIES!!!
Class entry Aggiefan. I hope you have a great rest of the year.
Though the season is FAR from over, I’d like to congratulate the 2006 Millsaps Majors seniors. It’s been a long time coming, and all of these men deserve the SCAC championship they’ve finally earned, and whatever else this season still holds.
It’s been an honor and a pleasure playing along side these guys, fighting through adversity, the good and the bad, while battling back when no one else believe in us.
After our second heartbreaker to Huntingdon College (week 3), these seniors pulled our young team aside and told us we that wouldn’t lose another game–and that’s exactly what’s happened.
We bought into our coaches, and most importantly, believed in each other. When the season looked as if it could be a repeat of years past, these men were the glue that held our team together. We all owe this season, our efforts, blood, sweat, tears, and success to these men.
I personally would like to thank all of you for the honor of playing with you each and every day. I wish you the best of luck in whatever endeavor you choose to pursue, knowing you will be successful. Though I write it, I am sure I speak for the rest of our team in wishing you the best of luck and congratulating you on your accomplishments.
We’re glad that all of you get to go out on top….
Chris Jackson (8), Joey Doxey (1), Michael Gleason (80), Conell Phillips (63), Charles “Coach” Stall (59), Jeep Darnell (31), Kirk Jackson (20), Ben Robichaux (29), and Josh Hanna (82).
There are two seniors that come to mind that in my obviously biased opinion deserve recognition. Hobart would not have enjoyed the success it has had in the past 4 years without QB Shawn Mizro and “tough as nails” Linebacker Nolan Robinson. Mizro broke virtually every Hobart passing record in his 3 years as a starter. Robinson started in the opening game as a freshman and it seems as if he didn’t miss a play in 4 years. Both of these fine young men demonstrated talent on the football field, but more importantly leadership, loyalty and tenacious “never say die” attitudes that will take them both far in life. They are both examples of what makes D-3 Football great. Go Hobart!!!!!
I would also like to congratulate the ’06 Hobart Statesmen.. On top of Nolan Robinson and Shawn Mizro being fantastic athletes, there are 14 other tremendous players who will be graduating in ’07. I have watched them play for 3 years, and have enjoyed every minute of it. I congratulate them on being terriffic players, a great team, and the best 3 hours of my week!
good luck at rowan boys!!
As a 1998 graduate of Carnegie Mellon, I am truly proud of the manner in which this year’s team performed both on and off of the field. Twelve members of this year’s squad were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District selections for 2006, and eight of them were named with First Team honors. The Tartans have more student athletes named to the Academic All-District team than any other team in any of the eight districts. Throughout the season, I have observed as much has been made of CMU’s relative lack of “strength of schedule,” and while some of the criticism may be deserved, I would simply state that there are very few, programs in all of Division 3 football (let alone those in the playoffs) that have the same combination of athletic and academic prowess as CMU. CMU is the only team in all of D3 Football that is in the top 25 in both the national rankings for football and U.S. News and World Report’s Top 25 Universities.
I would like to be the first to congratulate the Carnegie Mellon seniors for their accomplishments both on and off the field, and on behalf of all my fellow Tartans, know that you have made us extremely proud.
Best of luck to all of the seniors from all of the universities in whatever life may hold for all of you. I hope that each of you remember your wonderful times as D3 athletes and continue to support your respective universities and their athletic programs.
Go Tartans, Beat Millsaps!
Co-opted from last week’s Around the Nation:
(Self-promoting, maybe, but fitting the topic)
“And honestly, whether there’s a rivalry involved or not, Saturday will be the last game for a lot of seniors in Division III across the country. Most will be lucky to play football again with a belt and flags. They’ll probably move on to bigger and better things (after all, everyone from CEOs to NFL genius head coaches to U.S. Presidents played at Division III schools), but they’ll never quite move on from being a football player. It remains a part of who you are, either subconsciously when you buckle up for life’s big hits like you used to on a fourth-quarter fourth-and-1, or consciously, when you smell fresh-cut grass or feel a chill outside and think it’s a great day for football.
Saturday is the last game for a lot of parents too, who I know have taken road trips, made friends and generally discovered a highly competitive level of football they may not have known existed. If you’ve fallen in love with the Division III game, don’t leave us. Come back next year. Your son’s alma mater would be glad to have a lifetime fan. If you find that time draws you away from the game and the school you once loved, drop in on one of these rivalry games sometime. Just for fun. You won’t regret it.
Saturday, give it up for everyone playing their final game.”
Here’s another one, from the Nov. 9, 2001 Around the Nation:
“Appreciation
This is a familiar refrain for me at this time of year. In fact, a version of what’s below appeared in my final regular-season Mid-Atlantic column last year. But on the national stage, I feel it bears repeating:
We focus quite a bit on playoff teams, individual achievements and gaudy statistics here at D3football.com, and deservedly so. But quite a few players — guys who quite frankly are the backbone of Division III football — will suit up for the last time on Saturday. They won’t retire with records set, they won’t visit a combine or a large-scale awards banquet. Few, if any, had their education paid for.
For every star, every press clipping and every all-conference nomination, there are twice as many players whose accomplishments have been overlooked because their contribution can’t be measured by football statistics alone. On the field Saturday will be several players whose sacrifice will go unnoticed by the casual fan, but whose importance was not overlooked by his coaches and teammates. Players who play simply for the thrill of competition and the feeling of belonging to a team will walk between the white lines for the last time.
In the end, hundreds of players will walk off the field Saturday without tasting the nectar of the playoffs, instead savoring a greater victory: completing a career as a Division III football player.
If you’re at a game Saturday, let go one extra cheer for the offensive linemen, the fullbacks and career special teams players. If you walk onto the field after the game, find the quietly effective senior strong safety or dependable kicker and tell him how much you enjoyed watching him play. It’ll probably mean the world to him.”
I would like to congratulate all the seniors at Wesley College particularly the team captains and senior guard Nick McCulley. I have enjoyed watching the games and watching each of the seniors grow as individuals as the years went by, ever so quickly. Congratulations to Chris Warrick for setting every quarterback record in the history of the college. A great run in the playoffs in 2005 to the national semifinals, 10-0 during the regular season in 2006 with, hopefully, a playoff run to the Stagg Bowl in 2006. Good luck to the Wesely College Wolverines and all the seniors during the 2006 playoffs. The seniors will carry all the good memories with them from their time at Wesley! Great memories to tell friends and the grandchildren!
Keith we will be back next year as I said previously tailgating at one of my favorite places the parking lot at the “Perk.” Congrats on 20,000,000 hits….I guess I am responsible for a few thousand of those….I can’t tell you how many friends and relatives have become users of your website over the last 5 years. Now with the playoffs it can end any weekend but it has been a great run for Whitewater and their seniors. It is great fun to now have over 9,000 people at a game and have the Perk rocking…..it wasn’t like that 5 years ago. A salute to one senior (I am somewhat predjudiced on this subject) who has been a starter in every game Whitewater has played (45 so far) for the last 4 years– MAX SAKELLARIS, offensive tackle. Here is hoping he can start 5 more games for the Warhawks for an even 50 and a Division 3 Championship…..
I’m with you Sakman – I’ll be rooting for your son, and the other UW Whitewater players.
I will also hope that all seniors in the playoffs can leave their last game knowing they tried their hardest – even St. Norbert’s players.
Not every player can expect to win them all, but they do have the opportunity to give it everything they have.
My old high school coach said, “There are winners, and there are non-winners. There are only losers if you fail to try”
I just wanted to say, well put Keith. Congratulations to all of those unsung heros that played for the last time and for those whose careers will end in the weeks to come! And also, go Warhawks and “Pound the Rock”!
I am proud to be one of the only people I know that cares about what happens in D3 football. I was a four year member of the UW La Crosse marching band and saw more than my fair share of great games and devastating losses. There is something special about football played for the sake of playing football.
I watched La Crosse go from a team who had just lost a legendary coach to a team building its own legacy of great football.
I am now attending seminary at the University of Dubuque and have had the pleasure of watching a previously awful football team win more games than they have won in decades. D3 football is special and no matter where I end up, I will be a fan.
Congrats to all the seniors of UWL and UD, you have accomplished something great, though millions will never know.
Right on scoob and 4life.
I guess I wrote that piece five years ago because I remember being a guy who has a school record and was listed by one of the major papers as one of the five best guys on the team, but I was never all-conference and I thought there were other guys that made sacrifices for the team that made us a lot better, and I respected their contributions as much or more than my own. I realized having guys like them, and myself, who were willing to move positions, share time, play special teams and let someone else get the shine was what made us better than a lot of the teams we beat.
I don’t think you have to have played to cover the game really well, but I know that’s one thing I look for and see when I’m watching games. Who’s in it mentally when the chips are down. Who does little stuff that only officials and coaches and players/ex-players really notice and appreciate?
And I also know, and have received e-mail from many a parent who never knew about D3 football until their son continued the dream there … and it ends up becoming a great part of the parent’s life too.
It’s hard not to be a fan of a place that truly and honestly wants the best for your kids, and does football on the so-called right terms.
Anyway, tangent aside …
Sakman 1111,
I think you guys can do it. Support them though, win or lose … there’s a lot of teams gunning to get where they got last year. The playoffs often show how close the talent is. Sometimes its something like a dropped snap that ends up making the difference in a Stagg Bowl. And I don’t mean that as a slight, I just mean when these games get tight, you never know when the moment that changes the game is going to be. Hopefully the teams that practice all-out play all-out, and even if you fall, you know you gave it all you had and the other guys just beat you.
Wow. I ramble.
Sometimes I get to feeling it though … I have my own memories of my own team and how much fun we had on the journey, during the games and beyond … and I try to look at these teams, no matter if they’re Mount Union or Heidelberg, and remember that they are having a blast the whole time.
congrats to the hobart football class of 2007.
regardless of the outcome saturday (which i hope is a win!), you guys accomplished something no other hobart fb sr class has ever done – 4 consecutive post season appearances (1 ecac bowl win and 3 trips to the ncaas)!
you guys should be proud of yourselves and know that your families, friends, and fellow hws alumni are equally as proud to have you represent the school as such fine student athletes.
thanks, congratulations and good luck in glassboro this saturday!
D3keith,
Your right, no matter what team the player is on, I think we all kind of wish we could be there too.
First Post…My Johnnies are trailing @ half, But kudos to UWW….this webcast is wonderful…..Great Job.