College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
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College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin 2008 Football Notes (#1) September 3, 2008 Augustana • Carthage • Elmhurst • Illinois Wesleyan • Millikin • North Central • North Park • Wheaton Commissioner: Chris Martin • (630) 637-5693 • [email protected] • 30 N. Brainard St. #402 • Naperville, IL • 60540 • www.cciw.org • FAX (630) 637-5694 CCIW Sports Information D3Football rankings Both North Central and Wheaton enter the 2008 season ranked in the Assistant Commissioner/SID: D3Football.com Preseason Top 25 after impressive 2007 campaigns. The Mike Krizman Cardinals of North Central earned a share of the conference title for the second Office: (630) 637-5719 straight season and third straight NCAA Division III Football Championship Cell: (630) 201-5339 berth. Wheaton jumped out to an 8-0 start last season before injuries caught up with the Thunder as they finished 8-2. Illinois Wesleyan, a co-champion email: [email protected] with North Central in the conference, and Carthage both earned a spot in Fax: (630) 637-5694 the “Others Receiving Votes” category with 15 and four votes respectively. D3Football.com is a website devoted strictly to the coverage of NCAA Division 2007 NCAA Championship Scores III football, which releases a top 25 poll that’s voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, sports information directors and media members from across the November 24, 2007 (2nd Round) country. The poll is published weekly. UW-Whitewater 59, North Central 28 2008 team previews November 17, 2007 (1st Round) Augustana (5-5, 3-4) North Central 44, Franklin (Ind.) 42 There will be a new look to the Augustana offense in 2008. Since 1979, the Vikings were known for their wing-T formation, which relied upon a strong Upcoming Games running game and ball control offense. Head coach Jim Barnes will switch to a spread offense this season, led by senior quarterback Tim Podulka (Elk September 6 Grove, Ill./Elk Grove Village). Podulka showcased a strong passing game Coe @ Augustana, 6 p.m. last season, completing 36-of-51 passes for 392 yards and five touchdowns Benedictine @ Elmhurst, 1 p.m. with only one interception. Senior Josh Galliart (Orion, Ill./H.S.), a second- Ill. Wesleyan @ Hope, 12:30 p.m. team all-conference performer last season, will be looked upon in the running Millikin @ Ill. College, 1 p.m. game after rushing for 490 yards on 101 carries and six touchdowns a year North Park @ Carroll, 7 p.m. ago. Junior Jake Parke (St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Ogden) will play slot- back after earning first-team all-conference honors last season while leading September 13 the team in rushing. Preseason all-American Blaine Westemeyer (Overland Greenville @ Augustana, 6 p.m. Park, Kan./Blue Valley NW) will anchor the offensive line at tackle. Hope @ Carthage, 1 p.m. Defensively, a strong secondary will lead the way, led by senior free safety Elmhurst @ Olivet, Noon Brad Monier (Walnut, Ill./Bureau Valley) and senior cornerback Bill Lynch Alma @ Ill. Wesleyan, 1 p.m. (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy). Monier is a three-year starter, while Lynch Loras @ Millikin, 1 p.m. led the team in tackles last season with 64. Ohio N. @ North Central, 1 p.m. Rose-Hulman @ North Park, 1 p.m. Carthage (7-3, 4-3) Bethel @ Wheaton, 1 p.m. Red Men head coach Tim Rucks enters his 14th season at his alma mater and will have 15 starters (eight on offense, seven on defense) returning from last September 20 season’s 7-3 team. Offensively, quarterback Dan DeBoeuf (Lemont, Ill./ H.S.) is back after passing for 1,264 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. Carthage @ Lakeland, 1 p.m. DeBoeuf, who didn’t attempt a pass in three appearances in 2006, stepped in Ill. Wesleyan @ Aurora, 1 p.m. for the injured Brennan O’Boyle to complete 30-of-42 passes for 316 yards and Albion @ Millikin, 1 p.m. four touchdowns in a week two 35-16 win over Lakeland. He set Carthage game North Central @ Benedictine, 7 p.m. records for both completions and yards. Junior wide receiver Jeff Koeneman Wheaton @ Concordia (Ill.), 1 p.m. (Barrington, Ill./Fremd) is also back for the Red Men after leading the team with 757 yards on 67 catches last season. On defense, second-team all- September 27 conference linebacker Nate Hughes (Antioch, Ill./Community) will lead the Augustana @ UW-Platteville, 6 p.m. way after tallying 49 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions last season. Campbell @ Carthage, 7 p.m. Junior safety Eric Brightwell (Rolling Meadows, Ill./H.S.) returns to the Chicago @ Elmhurst, 1 p.m. Red Men after tallying 51 tackles, one sack and one interception in 2007. North Central @ Olivet, 6 p.m. Benedictine @ North Park, 2 p.m. Elmhurst (6-4, 3-4) Wheaton @ Hope, 6 p.m. The Bluejays will usher in new head coach Tim Lester in 2008 as he will look to take the program to the next step of competing for a CCIW title after three October 4 straight 6-4 seasons. Lester will have experience at the quarterback position in Augustana @ Elmhurst, 1 p.m. Chris Kudyba (Des Plaines, Ill./Elk Grove). Kudyba is a two-year starter Carthage @ Ill. Wesleyan, 2 p.m. for Elmhurst and threw for 1,950 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. Wide Millikin @ North Central, 1 p.m. receiver Blake Veldhuis (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./H.S.) is back on offense after North Park @ Wheaton, 1 p.m. catching 49 passes for 653 yards and five touchdowns last season.Demetrios Vrettos (Cicero, Ill./Morton East) is back after an injury cut his 2007 October 11 season short. Vrettos returns to the defensive line (33 tackles in 2007), while Wheaton @ Augustana, 1 p.m. linebacker Eric Puzon (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South) is the lone returning starter at linebacker. Kicker Tyler Lomnicki (Elmhurst, Ill./ Elmhurst @ Carthage, 1 p.m. York) returns after converting 31-of-33 extra-point attempts and six-of-nine Ill. Wesleyan @ Millikin, 1 p.m. field goals. North Central @ North Park, 1 p.m. Log on to www.cciw.org for all the latest information 2008 CCIW Football Notes (#1) Page 2 Illinois Wesleyan (7-3, 6-1) The Titans, after five-straight losing seasons, bounced back in 2007 and earned 2007 CCIW Football Standings a share of the conference title, their 13th in school history. With 16 starters School CCIW Overall returning in 2008, Illinois Wesleyan will look to have an even more successful North Central 6-1 9-3 encore. Gone on offense is all-conference running back Marcus Dunlop, but Ill. Wesleyan 6-1 7-3 the Titans return two of their biggest offensive weapons in quarterback Kraig Ladd (Shelbyville, Ill./H.S.) and wide receiver Martin Ceisel (Deerfield, Wheaton 5-2 8-2 Ill./H.S.). Ceisel led all receivers with 60 catches for 742 yards and eight Carthage 4-3 7-3 touchdowns last season, moving him to No. 4 all-time on the school’s receiving Augustana 3-4 5-5 yards list (2,194 yards). Ladd became the starter in the second game of 2007, Elmhurst 3-4 6-4 throwing for 1,869 yards and 15 touchdowns. Linebacker will be a strong Millikin 1-6 2-8 position for the Titans on defense as they return starters Dan Souder (Elk Grove Village, Ill./Elk Grove) and Nick Nikolich (Libertyville, Ill./H.S.). North Park 0-7 1-9 Nikolich led the team with 94 tackles, while Souder was second with 75. as of 11/25/07 Millikin (2-8, 1-6) The Big Blue return 13 starters to the 2008 squad who are looking to take a 2008 Preseason Coaches Poll step up in the conference. Millikin will have all-conference wide receiver Matt School Points First Place Votes Kormelink (Decatur, Ill./St. Teresa) back this season after a strong 2007 performance. Kormelink had 67 catches for 947 yards and five touchdowns last North Central 48 6 season. Junior Emmanuel Minter (Taylorville, Ill./H.S.) and sophomore Wheaton 44 2 Dion Wilson (Country Club Hills, Ill./Rich Central) return at running back Ill. Wesleyan 33 for the Big Blue. On defense, team captain Sam Jordan (Kankakee, Ill./H.S.) Augustana 28 is back after earning all-conference honors last season. Jordan led the team Carthage 26 with 88 tackles last season including 55 solo stops. Seniors Stefen Edwards Elmhurst 22 (Momence, Ill./H.S.) and Devi Greer (Shiloh, Ill./McCluer North) both return at cornerback. Edwards took home all-conference honors after 65 tackles. Millikin 16 North Park 7 North Central (9-3, 6-1) The Cardinals will look to make their third straight trip to the NCAA Division III Football Championship behind Art Keller Offensive Player of the Year winner CCIW National Rankings Aaron Fanthorpe (Naperville, Ill./North). Fanthorpe, a junior, stepped in for the graduated Kam Kniss at quarterback last season as a sophomore and passed D3Football.com Top 25 Poll for 2,043 yards and 23 touchdowns en route to leading his team to its second (preseason) straight conference title. Josh Delancy (Stuart, Fla./Jensen Beach) returns Rank School (1st votes) Rec. to anchor the offensive line. Delancy was named a preseason all-American by The Sporting News. Running back Dominic Sulo (Oak Forest, Ill./Mt. 1 Mount Union (19) 14-1 Carmel) rushed for 1,055 yards and 14 touchdowns last season and will carry 2 UW-Whitewater (5) 14-1 the running game in 2008. Defensively, junior linebacker Matt Wenger (Davis, 3 Wesley (1) 11-2 Ill./Dakota) returns as the team’s leading tackler (106 tackles, including 4 Mary Hardin-Baylor 12-2 16 tackles for loss).