There’s nothing I love more about this job than calling play-by-play of a Division III football game. I grew up loving sports on the radio, and living in Ypsilanti, Mich., as an impressionable youngster, I got to listen to Detroit Tigers legend Ernie Harwell call baseball games on WJR.
If I’m not broadcasting, I like being on the sidelines taking pictures, as it gets me right up close to the action. Not taking pictures? In the press box watching the game. But when I’m doing that, I’m distracted by the other 100 games going on the same day.
This week, none of that — I’m at home. I’ve seen five games through the first three weeks of the season and this is how I keep the peace with my family. It’s time to sit back and watch things unfold from the D3sports.com newsdesk here in Minneapolis. So I’ll have multiple live stats windows open, as many video streams as our crappy Comcast bandwidth will allow, and will follow live audio, Twitter and any other updates that are available.
In short, I’m like you are, today, if your team is on the road and you’re not there. Expect lots of updates. Ryan Tipps is at Gettysburg-Muhlenberg and we have photographers out in the field as well.
By the way, you’d hear a little of Ernie Harwell in every football or basketball broadcast I do. When you hear me rattle through that copyright/disclaimer at the end of the game, that’s verbatim what I heard him say at the end of every broadcast from about 1979 to 1983. Harwell is 91 now, recently revealed he has cancer and is on a bit of a farewell tour. Bless him.
Great atmosphere here at LaGrange in Georgia as they prepared to take on Wesley at 1:00. Both starting tailbacks will not play today. Mario Wallace (LC) and Aaron Jackson (WC.)
At least it’s not hot here in Gettysburg …
That’s because it’s cold and rainy, more reminicient of March weather than September’s. We’re about 18 minutes till game time, and the stands on both Gettysburg’s side and Muhlenberg’s side are still sparce. Hopefully more folks with brave the weather and show up.
As much respect as I have for the new-style turfs out there, I miss the excitement of grass and mud on rainy days. Sure, it’s not cost-effective to tear up the field, but it sure made it feel more like football.
85 and humid in LaGrange
Gburg started with a solid drive, but missed the FG. Now, they force a fumble and recover at MC’s 45.
35 yard pass on 3rd down all the way to about the 10. Wobbly pass, but it floated over the D and right in stride with the receiver.
Made it all the way down to the 2 yard line, but two penalties set them back. Hit the field goal this time. 3-0 Bullets.
Wesley 7-0 but LaGrange runs back kick to Wesley 4
Mariners get on the board first after SLU turns the ball over on their opening possession. MMA has a long FG attempt blocked by SLU so it remains 7-0 about mid-way thru the 1st quarter in Canton.
Wesley holds for 5 downs and LaGrange kicker misses fg
St. John Fisher with a 6-3 lead on Salisbury at the half. Just 109 yards rushing for Salisbury so far, but that’s 130 more than Fisher has.
Ithaca and Utica tied at 7 early in the 1st qtr
scratch that – 14-7 Utica
Wesley 14-0 G Knight 50 td pass recept. Wolverine D playing very well
Wesley 14-0 at the led of the first quarter. LaGrange has had some good field position, but couldn’t take advantage. Wesley holds them to 5 yards in the 1st.
Back and forth here in Gettysburg. 3-3. Muhlenberg defenders have dropped three passes that should have been INTs. It’s raining harder here, so the game is moving fast with many run plays.
Saint RB Eric Jones has scored 2 TDs and SLU has jumped out to 21-7 lead over the MMA. Less than 2 minutes to go in the first half of the Hoffman Cup game in Canton, NY.
Gettysburg gets 40 yards on a screen pass but fumbles during the tackle. Muhlenberg recovers at the 20. 51.9 seconds left in the half.
Wilkes returns an interception to take short lived 7-3 lead on Christopher Newport. The Captains counter with a 59-yard pass play a couple moments later.
CNU 10
Wilkes 7 – Half
Lycoming and Bridgewater combined for 2 passing yards more than midway through the second quarter. Somehow, they’ve both still managed to score at least twice, the Warriors on a kick return and a fumble return.
Bridgewater (Va.) 21
Lycoming 12 – Half
Widener has a passing touchdown from Chris Haupt and a running touchdown from Adam Smith.
Widener 14
Frostburg St. 0 – Half
Monmouth leads Caroll 7-0 9 min left in 1Q.
Whoops 14-0 Scots with 8 min left in the 1Q. Caroll hasn’t crossed the 30 on offense
Hobart leads Susquehanna 7-3 in the 1st quarter.
Hobart up 7-3 after Vella caps a 63 yard drive. Unfortunately Hobart loses their starting RT Kluber on the TD. Looks like he’s out for the game.
Wesley leads 21-0 at the half. LaGrange had one first down in the half and that was on a penalty.
Saxons up 28-14 over Springfield; 9:00 left in the 3rd.
SU RB Paveletz carries about 3-4 Hobart defenders into the endzone. 10-7 SU.
Millsaps leads Trinity, 7-0, 12 minutes left in the first half.
After putting up 270 yards and just 3 points in the first half, Gettysburg finally puts some real points on the board, finding the end zone and bringing the game to 10-3.
Salisbury leading St John Fisher 31 -20 late in the 4th
14-3 Scots after 1Q. MC has the ball on the Caroll 9 to start the 2Q.
Bridgewater21-12 over Lycoming…Lycoing had 50 total yrds in 1st half…Ko return and a fumble return for tds
Wesley 35-0 Krout another td (his 7th of the season) recept and a int run back
Scots hold off Caroll after a fumbled punt at their own 10. 17-3 Monmouth mid 2Q. Scots looking sloppy with penalties and fumbles.
Gettysburg quarterback floats a nice 25ish yard pass over the Mules defender. Touchdown, and a 17-3 score.
Wilkes has an interception return for a touchdown nullified by a penalty. Then the Colonels have a field goal taken off the board (gladly) when CNU commits a personal foul on fourth down. Rob Johnson finds Zangardi (sp?) for the touchdown. Wilkes follows that up with a Harry Reese one-yard score in the opening minutes of the 4th quarter.
Wilkes 24
CNU 10 – 4th Q
Widener cruising against Frostburg State. Albright rallies to beat Pace and finish non-conference play undefeated.
Monmouth goes 95 yards for a 24-3 lead with 4 min left in 2Q. 10 penalties already on MC.
Ithaca has second and goal at the Utica three to start the fourth quarter, trailing 24-17. Lycoming boots a field goal to take the lead on Bridgewater in the third, 22-21.
Alfred up by 21 with about 7:30 left.
Wesley 42-0 after three
Yow. In Salisbury’s 38-20 win over St. John Fisher, the Cardinals ran for negative 44 yards.
Big stop by Utica defense. Holds Ithaca to a field goal.
Ithaca 20
Utica 24 – 14:17 4th
I gotta say; listening to pbp of D-3 football game is good times. None of the hyperbole that comes with D-1.
CNU scores a touchdown and now trails Wilkes by just 7 with 6:27 left.
Good finishes on the way at CNU/Wilkes, Ithaca/Utica, Lyco/Bridgewater. Enjoy the games!
Monmouth leads Caroll 24-3 at half despite some really poor play.
Hobart dodges a bullet with SUS fumbling the ball on the HOB 2 yard line into the end zone for a touchback. Vella leads the Statesmen down field and Callahan coverts a short FG to make it 13-10 SUS at the half.
And AU scores again, with 1:39 left. It’s now 49-21 Saxons.
Gettysburg intercepts the ball being up 20-3 and 3:25 left. Muhlenberg will need a holy miracle as well as a deal with the devil to win this one.
Springfield not going quietly; scoring on a 59 yard run by their backup QB. It’s now 49-28 AU, with 1:05 left. Onside kick fails.
By the way, the Monmouth/Caroll game is at Caroll, not Monmouth, as the website indicates.
2nd down and about 30 for the Scots after their 15th penatly!
Palazzi to Ritter on a 56 yard TD to make it 20-10 Crusaders in the 3rd qtr.
Wesley 56-7
Utica has a much better team than last year..still scratching my head over the calls made by the I C BOMBERS in the 4th I’ll take the “W” and keep scratch’n