Harsh Conclusions

After looking at this past season from a far, we had to sit back and diagnose what our weaknesses were. We had to accept the fact that we were probably one of the slowest teams in the HCAC (Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference). So to resolve this problem we are doing more and more running. We want to make sure that we are sound in all facets of play. We also felt that as a team we were sufficiently strong, so we are going to cut into our lifting program a little bit and replace some lifts with some more agility and running. As a starter on last year's team I feel as if the corrections we are making right now could be pivotal in our success next year. Let's all hope that the work we put in this off-season will pay dividends!

MSJ Football Fan Base

With the on going off season at a stand-still, and there is nothing going on football related, I figured I would take this opportunity to talk about the football fan base at the Mount. From personal experience, I've noticed that the stands at our home games are packed, compared to other games where we are away, and there are hardly any fans. When you come to a Mount home game you will see a plethora of different fans. You will find the obvious (players parents), student fans, alumni, professors/teachers, recruits, and on specified games you may see some youth teams as well. I think the combination of all these different fans leads for a pleasurable experience for not only the fans, but the players too. One of the best things about playing at the Mount is the post-game activities. Once us players leave the locker room after the game, what was once the pre-game tailgate then becomes the post-game tailgate, win or lose.

Football and Playing Motivated

Some people who play football, can't get in "the zone" unless they are motivated. For some it takes music, whereas for others it could be a coach giving that special pregame pep-talk. I know personally, that I like to do a combination of the two. It hypes me up to know that my coach is as excited as I am. But, I also listen to my I-Pod to put me in the right mind set. Nevertheless, football is a game of emotion, and if you're not motivated then you're going to play flat. So I encourage all football players to get hyped, and stay motivated before and during any game.

Coaching Changes!

Looking back on the 08' season, if you were to ask anyone of the players/coaches if we had the talent to win; nearly everyone would've said that, yes the players on the field had enough raw talent to win. But, why did we have such a miserable season then? Defensively the team felt as if we just weren't on the same page with our D-Coordinator. As of January we had replaced the former defensive coordinator with our very own coach, Brad Philips. As soon as all us players heard the news we were ecstatic. Since that move had been made there have been a couple of other coaching changes. Stu Shestina has stepped down from his position to continue his professional career. Coach Jeff Hill was asked to step down from his Cornerback coach position, and resumes as the MSJ track and field coach. From here out there are expected to be a few more coaching changes in the near future.

Super Bowl

As a football player and fan I had to post something about the Super Bowl. Overall, I thought it was a very good game. I can't stand the final outcome but I guess I can live with it. The Steelers winning their six Super Bowl was a crushing blow to a die hard Bengals fan like myself. I can't hate on them too much because they won fair and square, but I still wish the Cards would've pulled out a win. Oh well, at least the commercials were good!

D3 Football

Division Three football is very versatile. In the past five years Mount Union College has won four national championships. Other than that, nothing in D3 football is set in stone. From one season to another it is a guessing game as to who is going to win any conference. Another great thing about D3 football is they use the playoff system, whereas D1 football uses the Bowl Championship Series. In my opinion this is the only true way to figure out who is the champion.

The Who, the What, the Where, and the When!

Expectations for the 09' Season
Who: The Mount is renowned for our strong run stopping defense, so we will be looking for a big contribution from Alex Harbin, and the rest of the Mount's D-line to contain the run. As far as the offense is concerned, with us returning four of last year's starting O-linemen we will be looking to pound the rock!
What: With our disappointing season last fall, the Mount's record of three straight conference championships was put at a standstill. So we are trying to redeem ourselves as far as that goes.
Where: Scholar Field will be where all the action packed home games will be played this 2009 season.
When: The 2009 season.

Latest Changes

This past season was a real "eye opener", it made us realize how physically weak we were on both offense and defense. The whole team made a commitment together to get bigger, faster, and stronger. To help us in our pursuit of becoming bigger, faster, stronger we had added two more lifting platforms in the weight-room. With this latest addition to our weight room we now have 5 platforms, and will no doubt help us get stronger.

Off Season Changes

Once the final whistle had blown against our rival school (Thomas More), we all knew changes needed to be made in some shape or form. Thus far in the off season, there have been reports straight from the coaches saying we have over 500 recruits expressing interest in the Mount. Hearing this was a relief to us players, because after having a 5-5 season we all assumed that no one would want to come here. This past Friday was our first team work-out, it was very promising. It was one more step in the right direction.