Friday, February 28, 2014

Camp Town

Click to enlarge.
The camp season is when an interesting cocktail of kids looking to develop their skills and a more serious group of potential recruits hoping to catch the attention of the coaches show up on college campuses all over the nation. A good number of the latter group who come to Hanover in late June will make pilgrimages to some or all of the other Ivy League schools to get a feel for the coaches and for the coaches to get a feel about them.

For more information, visit the Buddy Teevens 2014 Football Camp site.
The Harvard Crimson is reporting that Harvard coach Tim Murphy was hospitalized earlier this month for "a few days," after undergoing "offseason surgery," and is at home recuperating. He is expected to make a full recovery. From The Crimson:
In Murphy’s absence, offensive coordinator Joel Lamb and defensive coordinator Scott Larkee have assumed head coaching duties. Over the past few weeks, they have managed offseason practices and drills in preparation for Murphy’s return to spring practices.
• 
Davidson of the Pioneer Football League will play 12 games for the first time this fall, including one at Princeton.

The Wildcats are kicking Aug. 30 at College of Faith-Charlotte, a member of the American Small College Athletic Association.

While Davidson and the others playing 12 games are in action the Ivy League, which is stuck at 10 games, will be . . . wait for it . . . just watching. Same as when the NCAA football playoffs being. Same as when the rest of the free world is enjoying a postseason basketball tournament.
A brisk seven below here on the mountain last night.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Big Green Spring Schedule

Snow or no snow, the FieldTurf on Memorial Field was ready for action Wednesday.
Dartmouth's spring football practice schedule. All sessions are slated for Memorial Field. (Schedule subject to change):
Tuesday, Apr. 8, 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, Apr. 10, 4:45 p.m.
Saturday, Apr. 12, 9:45 a.m. 
Tuesday, Apr. 15, 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, Apr. 17, 4:45 p.m.
Saturday, Apr. 19, 9:45 a.m. 
Tuesday, Apr. 22, 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, Apr. 24, 4:45 p.m.
Saturday, Apr. 26, 9:45 a.m. 
Tuesday, Apr. 29, 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, May, 1, 4:45 p.m.
Saturday, May 3, TBA (Green-White scrimmage)
Former Dartmouth and Cincinnati Bengals great Reggie Williams thinks the NFL should flag an "unholy trinity" of hurtful words. Find the story here.
The Sports Network is posting a "primer" on each league heading into spring ball. You can read about the Patriot League here.

Holy Cross will be the lone PL opponent on Dartmouth's schedule next fall. Here are a few outtakes from the story about the Crusaders:
Holy Cross has three tailbacks who missed games because of injury last year, sophomores Gabe Guild and Brendan Flaherty and junior Elad Covaliu. 
Holy Cross is replacing its two top wide receivers. Sophomore Jake Wieczorek will have an expanded role after catching 12 passes last season.
Holy Cross has to start winning the close games. After going 1-5 in games decided by seven points or less in 2012, the Crusaders were 1-6 last season. 

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

*** ** *

Editor's note: Updated 11:30 to reflect changes, add omissions. (Keep 'em coming.)

The fine print is right here at the start ;-)

The star system recruiting services employ is flawed, although in its defense the Internet, Hudl and YouTube, and the common camps and clinics high school players attend these days probably makes the system more accurate than it was back in the days when we used to get calls at the newspaper asking us about the best players in our area.

While the FBS kids who camp together can be reasonably compared with each other, the evaluation of FCS players is still dicey. Anecdotally, at least, it seems when an FCS-level kid is reported as receiving an offer from an FBS school he suddenly gets another star. Conversely, when a kid who is getting serious FBS attention opts for an FCS school he loses a star -- or two.

All that said, the star system is out there. It's the best we've got, but take what follows with a truckload of salt.

Here are the "star" recruits being reported by three services for each of the Ivy League schools, with the number of stars they have been awarded preceding each player. Once again, keep in mind that stars come and go. Positions are per the particular service. (Apologies in advance for typos and transcription errors.)

RIVALS
Brown
** TJ Linta, QB
** Zachry Neill, DB
** Frank Tull, WR
Columbia
** Markham Paukune, OL
Cornell
*** Richie Wenzel, OL
** Jake Jatis, QB
** Colar Kuhns, QB
** Alberto Sandoval, DE

Dartmouth
** Jarius Brown WR
** Forrest Town, RB
Harvard
*** Larry Allen Jr., OL
**  Alec Coyle-Nicolas, TE
** Tim Haehl, DB
**  Chris Keegan, ATH
**  DJ Mott, OL
**  Jack Stansell, TE
** Alex White, LB
** Cecil Williams, ATH
Penn
*** Antonio Woods, ATH
** Nick Rittenhouse, QB
** Louis Vecchio, DE
Princeton
*** Kurt Holuba, DE
** Logan Dziak, DT
** Jacob Lewis, ATH
** Andrew Shofner, OL
** Quincy Wolff, DB
Yale
*** John Bezney, OL
** Cody Arledge, OL
** Stephen Barmore, QB
** Earl Chism, DE
** Tim Dawson, DE
** Jake DeHart, WR
** Ross Drwai, DB
** Jaeden Graham, DB
** Blake Horn, K
** Anders Huizenga

247 SPORTS
Brown
None
Columbia
**  Liam Talty, OLB
Cornell
*** Daniel Crochet, ILB
** Colar Kuhns, QB
Dartmouth
None
Harvard
*** Larry Allen, OG
*** DJ Mott, OT
** Tim Haehl, CB
**  Jacob Mayes, ILB
Penn
***  Justin Watson, WR
** Austin Stapelton, OT
Princeton
*** Kurt Holuba, DE
*** John Lovett, QB
**  Richard Bush, OG
**  Logan Dziak, DT
Yale
*** John Bezney, OT
***  Jordan Schlueter, S
*** Jaeden Graham, S
**  Jake DeHart, ATH
**  Rafe Chapple, QB
**  Ross Drwal, QB
**  Tim Dawson, II, DE
**  Blake Horn, K
**  Cody Arledge, OT
**  Stephen Barmore, QB

ESPN
Brown
*** TJ Linta, QB
Columbia
None
Cornell
***  Seth Hope, DE
***  Colar Kuhns, QB
***  Richie Wenzel, OG
Dartmouth
** Jarius Brown, ATH
Harvard
*** Larry Allen, Jr., OG
*** DJ Mott, OG
*** Kenny Smart, K
Penn
*** Antonio Woods, ATH
**  Louis Vecchio, DT
Princeton
**** Kurt Holuba, DE
*** David Hartmeier, C
*** John Lovette, QB
Yale
*** John Bezney, OT
** Tim Dawson, II, DE

 *
I've written this before but I always find it silly that around this time of year schools start to "release" schedules that have been common knowledge for years. On the other hands, sometimes there's something interesting that accompanies the "news." Such is the case with a Sports Network blurb about the Penn schedule, which included this note:
"The Quakers finished 4-6 last year - only the second losing record under coach Al Bagnoli, who begins his 23rd season."
I knew "Bags" had enjoyed tremendous success in West Philly, but just two losing records in 23 years? That's impressive.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

2013 Highlights

Enjoy!

Monday, February 24, 2014

Embracing Winter

Did a 5-1/2 hour hike to Moose Mountain's North Peak yesterday with a naturalist, checking out a porcupine that had been killed by a predator, spotting a few bear "nests" high in the tree canopy, seeing a fisher cat day den in the snow and finishing with a bushwhack down the mountain that saw a number of us deal with the most challenging stretches by planting our rear ends in the snow and sliding. (I've got ripped pants to prove it.)

When it comes to winter in the Upper Valley, you conquer it or it conquers you . . . which brings me to the following video posted on the Dartmouth football video page. The gist might be that yeah, we have winter in these parts and guess what? It's special.

See if you recognize football players doing the polar bear swim in Occom Pond at the 3:09 mark.



USA Today reports that ESPN will be broadcasting the Eastern Washington-Sam Houston State football game this Aug. 23. That's the earliest college game since 2003. The game is being billed as the "FCS Kickoff."

From the story (italics are mine):
The commissioners of the teams' two conferences – Tom Burnett of the Southland and Doug Fullerton of the Big Sky – requested a waiver from the NCAA to open the season early that was backed by the commissioners of every other FCS league (except for the Ivy, which does not compete in the FCS playoffs and opted to abstain). The waiver was granted. The schools will be able to open practice earlier than their peers because practice start dates are based on the date of a team's first game. 

When they revealed the numbers before a packed house at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center yesterday, THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, had raised $13.34 million this year for the fight against pediatric cancer. The 46-hour dance marathon at Penn State now has raised more than $113 million over its 42 years. It makes a Penn Stater proud. Find a story here.

Watching this always brings a tear to my eye:

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Sunday Stuff

A Gannett story out of New York looks at Cornell quarterback Jeff Mathews and the challenges he faces at the NFL Combine.

The New York Post also writes about Mathews, who will be throwing at the Combine today, and mentions the "inferior" competition he faced in the Ivy League. Ouch.
Speaking of quarterbacks, a loyal reader has shared a link to a story about the 14-year-old nephew of Ty Detmer receiving a scholarship offer from LSU and giving an oral commitment to play QB for the Tigers. Read the ESPN story about Zadock Dinkelmann here . . . and wonder what the world is coming to.
Congratulations to the Dartmouth women's basketball team, which earned its first Ivy League victory last night with a 53-50 win that knocked the 17-6 Quakers out of the Ivy League lead. The Big Green is now 4-20.

It also was a very good weekend for the Dartmouth women's ice hockey team, which won a pair of games to clinch a berth in the ECAC playoffs. Dartmouth is 9-18-1 overall and 8-13-1 in the conference.

The men's ice hockey team defeated Brown in overtime Friday and skated to a 3-3 tie against No. 14 Yale to improve to 7-16-4 overall and 6-12-2 in the ECAC. After a difficult start Dartmouth has gone 3-0-1 in its past four games.
And finally, Dartblog dug up the following video headlined, "My First Week at Dartmouth, 1950." It's a nearly 20-minute time capsule that starts slowly but is well worth watching. Lots of fun stuff here, including a climb to the top of the ski jump, which came down 20 years ago, a quick scene from freshman football practice and a touch football game on the Green.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Hall of Fame



Andrew Hall '05, was best known when he was at Dartmouth for The Catch, a one-handed grab against Harvard that had the TV announcers raving. (Check out the video here.)

A recruited decathlete from Maine who walked onto the Dartmouth football team, Hall continued in track after graduation. The ShiftFit site bills him as, "USA Javelin, Decathlete, Fitness Model, ShiftFit Pro Athlete."



I always thought Hall looked a little like former NBA player Rick Fox, who went into acting, and Hall has followed him onto the screen, albeit one that's a little smaller than the silver screen. Here's another commercial that features the former Dartmouth football and track athlete:


That Certain '14 absolutely loves Dartmouth, something that comes through when she gives tours to prospective students and their families. Last spring she ran for student body president (finishing a healthy runnerup) and yesterday she learned she's been elected to a five-year term on the Dartmouth Senior Executive Committee, whose mission is "to continue and strengthen the connection between all members of the senior class to each other and to the College."

Friday, February 21, 2014

While You (We) Were Gone


To be sure, there are still a few more Signing Day photos out there. Here's one of Haymarket, Va., tight end Cam Skaff of Battlefield High School that showed up while BGA was AWOL.
From an ESPN story about analytics in sports and the conservatism of football coaches:
This is a culture that fosters extreme risk aversion. Going for it on fourth down is risky twice over: in the micro sense of staking more on the result of one play, and in the macro sense of defying custom and tradition.
A mention in that story sent me scurrying off to find the original posting from the New York Times Fourth Down Bot (which bills itself as being "based on a statistical model created from more than 10 years of data from real NFL plays)."

From the Fourth Down Bot:
Perhaps the most common mistake coaches make is punting or kicking a field goal on fourth and only a few yards. Recent football history suggests teams should often go for it on fourth and short even deep inside their own half of the field. By punting, they guarantee the other team will have the ball with good field position. By going for it, they are risking giving their opponents fabulous field position – but with the potential reward of keeping the ball. 
Obviously, the best strategy varies, depending on a team's strengths and weaknesses. But the overall pattern seems clear: coaches are far too conservative.
There are a couple of charts comparing what the 4th Down Bot recommends and what NFL coaches do most often. What's your call?
Believe it or not, former Dartmouth offensive coordinator/Princeton head coach Roger Hughes is one-third of the way through spring practice at Stetson University. The Hatters began spring ball last Friday and are scheduled to have their fifth practice today.

But it's not just in Florida that they are getting a jump on spring. Air Force Academy also has started practice. Tulane is more than midway through its spring schedule.

Dartmouth's spring schedule hasn't been released yet but expect practice to begin in early April. It will culminate with the Green-White scrimmage on May 3. As always, there will be full coverage of every session on Green Alert Premium.
Holy Cross usually has the most comprehensive spring information of any Dartmouth opponent. The Crusaders haven't posted their spring prospectus yet, but they have posted the Crusaders' spring roster.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Snow Fooling . . . We're B-A-C-K

Welcome home!
Landed at Manchester airport around midnight last night (this morning?) and shuttled to the motel parking lot where we had to clear a week's worth of snow off the car. Got home around 2 a.m. and fought our way into the house like Omar Sharif into the Siberian "ice palace" in Doctor Zhivago. (Google it, kids ;-)

When Dartmouth football opens against Central Connecticut on Sept. 20, it will be the Blue Devils' fourth game. But here's the thing: CCSU could already be beaten up.

Before making its first trip to Hanover, Central Connecticut will open at national championship finalist Towson on Aug. 30, play host to Albany and then travel to Holy Cross.

Like a lot of teams the Blue Devils are again playing a 12-game schedule. Here's how it looks:
Aug. 30 at Towson
Sept. 6 Albany
Sept. 13 at Holy Cross
Sept. 20 at Dartmouth
Sept. 27 Rhode Island
Oct. 11 Duquesne* (Homecoming)
Oct. 18 at Robert Morris*
Oct. 25 Wagner*
Nov. 1 at Bryant*
Nov. 8 Sacred Heart*
Nov. 15 Howard
Nov. 22 at Saint Francis (Pa.)*
* Northeast Conference 
For what it's worth, CCSU went 4-12 last fall.

As long as we're at it, here's the schedule for Dartmouth's other two non-conference opponents:

New Hampshire
Aug. 30 at Toledo
Sept. 13 Lehigh
Sept. 20 at Richmond*
Sept. 27 Dartmouth
Oct. 4 at Elon*
Oct. 11 William & Mary*
Oct. 25 Stony Brook*
Nov. 1 Albany*
Nov. 8 at Rhode Island*
Nov. 15 Delaware*
Nov. 22 at Maine*
*CAA
Holy Cross
Aug. 30 at Albany
Sept. 6 Morgan State
Sept. 13 Central Connecticut
Sept. 19 at Harvard
Sept. 27 Fordham*
Oct. 4 at Colgate*
Oct. 11 at Brown
Oct. 18 at Dartmouth
Oct. 25 at Lafayette*
Nov. 8 Lehigh*
Nov. 15 Bucknell*
Nov. 22 at Georgetown* 
* Patriot League
Now I've got to get outside and start digging.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

As Tough At It Gets

Editor's note: The regular BGA blog returns tomorrow. In the meantime, here's the full BGA Premium game story from last fall because 1) the game deserved it, and 2) so you get a sense about what you'll find on BGA Premium in the fall. This story was posted, along with a sidebar, the night of the game. There was a follow story about the game on Sunday.

Oct. 5, 2013, Philadelphia, Pa. – Penn 37, Dartmouth 31 (4 ot)

PHILADELPHIA – If you thought Dartmouth couldn’t suffer a more agonizing loss to Penn than it did two years ago when the Quakers drove 89 yards on their final possession to win on a touchdown with 17 seconds remaining, think again.

If you thought battling back from a 20-0 deficit to get within one possession last fall only to see Penn run out the clock just when the game was in reach was as painful as it could get for the Big Green, think again.

If you thought nothing that could happen in Philly that would ever hurt any more than it hurt when the Quakers beat Dartmouth on a quarterback sneak in overtime the last time the teams played here, think again.

On the brutally hot Franklin Field turf, the Big Green had the presumptive Ivy League favorites seemingly beaten three times during the longest game in conference history Saturday only to see the Quakers wriggle away with a 37-31 win in four overtimes.

Reserve running back Kyle Wilcox matched his season rushing total coming into the game with a 20-yard sprint around right end on a third-and-five play for the touchdown that put an end to a 3-hour, 49-minute marathon that kept Dartmouth winless in Philadelphia since 1997.

“It doesn’t feel good,” said Dartmouth linebacker Michael Runger, who led both teams with 13 tackles and his first interception of the year. “I mean, yeah, it kind of hasn’t really sunk in yet what the result is. It just kept on going. . . .  A lot of guys played well and it will hurt a little bit more as it starts to sink in.”

Dartmouth drops to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in the Ivy League with its third one-possession game in as many tries this fall. Penn, which is bidding for its fourth Ivy title in five years and to tie the Big Green’s record of 17 conference championships, improved to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the league after Dartmouth let three golden opportunities to win the game slip through its collective fingers.

• Given a life when a 51-yard Penn field goal fluttered harmlessly short with 1:21 remaining, the Big Green used five consecutive completions by Dalyn Williams (26-of-46 for 292 yards and two touchdowns) and a four-yard run by the quarterback to move the ball to the Penn 20. On second-and-six, Williams carried to the four only to be stopped on a saving tackle by Penn’s Dylan Muscat. With no timeouts left and the final seconds winding down, Williams had to spike the ball to stop the clock and send Riley Lyons out for a 21-yard field goal to win the game.

But Penn linebacker David Park, who had rumbled 84-yards for a touchdown after a Williams fumble midway through the second quarter, rose up and blocked the chip shot field goal to force overtime.

• Winning the coin flip for the overtime, Dartmouth stopped Penn short of a first down on third-and-one at the five and yet again on fourth-and-one.

Needing just a field goal to win after the defensive stand, the Big Green could only look on in disbelief as a 34-yarder sailed wide left.

• Dartmouth’s third chance to win the game came after Dominick Pierre (151 yards rushing, 43 receiving) rumbled 12 yards for a first down at the 12. One play later Williams hit Kirby Schoenthaler (team-high eight catches for 65 yards) with a 12-yard strike and a 28-21 lead with the PAT.

But once again the Quakers dodged the bullet. Facing a third-and-12 at the 27 on an obvious passing down, Penn quarterback Billy Ragone dropped back, took off to the right and turned upfield. Big Green defenders finally closed in on him as he neared the goal line but the fifth-year senior plowed through for the touchdown that tied the game yet again with the PAT.

• Dartmouth appeared to take the lead in the fourth overtime when Pierre escaped a tackler on the left side on a throw-back and scored from the 11. But a personal foul call nullified the play. A a six-yard completion and a five-yard sack later, the Big Green’s 43-yard field goal attempt was wide left.

Even if the kick had split the uprights, though, it wouldn’t have helped as Penn’s Wilcox, who was switched to defensive back in spring ball a couple of years ago and then returned to the offense that fall, took a handoff intended to go over tackle, broke it outside and sprinted down the sideline for the winning touchdown.

Penn ended Dartmouth’s seven-game winning streak – second-longest in the nation – by defeating the Big Green for the 14th time in the last 15 meetings.

“We came down and we played hard,” said Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevens. “I am very proud of our offense, our defense, our special teams effort across the board. They did everything they could. A couple of opportunities we just misfired on cost us a ballgame.

 “But we came down and played the way I anticipated, and I expect us to continue that style of play from this point forward.”

So does Penn coach Al Bagnoli.

“It was two good football teams,” said the dean of Ivy League coaches. “I give Dartmouth a lot of credit.. . .  I thought they played well enough to win. We caught a couple breaks. I thought our kids hung in there really well. We have kids that somehow, some way, find a way to get things done. . . .  We were very fortunate.

“I think Dartmouth is a legitimate football team that is going to cause everybody problems this year. I think they do a lot of really good things from a coaching perspective, how they utilize their personnel. It was a great game if you are a spectator. If you are a coach on either side, it had so many highs and lows and peaks and valleys, you don’t know how to react. Really, it was the last man standing.”

Dartmouth opened the scoring after Andrew “Troy” Donahue picked off Ragone’s second pass to give the Green possession at the Penn 26. Six plays later Pierre burst over from the 1.

Penn answered on the ensuing series with help from a 52-yard Ryan Mitchell pass from Ragone (17-of-28 for 213 yards with one TD and two interceptions). Ragone hit Ty Taylor from four yards out to make it 7-7 after one period.

Penn took a 14-7 lead when Williams dropped back to pass at the Quakers’ 16 and his arm was hit by defensive back Sam Chwarzynski. Park, who would block the potential gamewinning field goal, grabbed the bounding ball on one bounce and set off toward the Big Green end zone. Well ahead of the chasing Dartmouth players with an escort between him and the would-be tacklers, the 240-pound linebacker slowed to a crawl with about 20 yards to go but somehow made it the rest of the way.

The Big Green had a golden opportunity to tie the game before halftime after a defensive three-and-out, a short punt and Bo Patterson’s 10-yard return set the visitors up midfield with 2:38 remaining.

But after a 17-yard Williams run for a first down, the quarterback and Dean Bakes just missed on a pass in the end zone. On fourth-and-two at the Penn 25 the Big Green eschwered the field goal, rolled the dice and saw Penn’s Evan Jackson knock away a pass intended for Victor Williams as the half ended with Penn leading, 14-7.

The Big Green made it 14-all after Runger’s interception gave Dartmouth the ball at the Penn 44 early in the third period. Pierre did the bulk of the work with consecutive carries of 8, 14, 6 and 3 yards on the drive before Williams hit a tumbling Bakes from the 11.

Penn answered right back with a 78-yard march capped by a three-yard run by reserve tailback Mike Elespuru to make it 21-14 after three quarters.

Dartmouth evened the score at after Pierre exploded up the middle on a 58-yard burst before being hauled down at the two. On the next snap Williams kept on a run to the right to tie the game with 10:18 to play.

The Big Green seemed poised to break the tie when Williams drove Dartmouth from its own 20 to the Penn 22 on its next possession only to see the Big Green quarterback throw the first interception of his career.


Undaunted, he marched Dartmouth right back down the field the next time he touched the ball only to see the winning field goal blocked.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Showtime In The Big Apple

Oct. 20, 2012, New York, NY – Dartmouth 21, Columbia 16

Columbia’s Wien Stadium is at 218th and Broadway, and the Lions and visiting Big Green put on a show for a Homecoming crowd of 11,127.

The reviews might have been mixed about the performance, but there was drama galore.

Things got interesting in the fourth quarter as the Lions drove 45 yards in five plays to turn a 14-10 deficit into a 16-14 lead on a 14-yard touchdown run by Marcorus Garrett with 2:46 to play. The extra point failed.

Dartmouth took over at its own nine with 2:40 remaining after a short kickoff return and an illegal block penalty. The Big Green would need a field goal to take the lead but a touchdown to feel a little more comfortable.

Heading up the two-minute drill, sophomore quarterback Alex Park missed his first throw but then hit three consecutive passes to Ryan McManus, ran 13 yards for a first down and then hit McManus for 15 more to the Columbia 15.

A seven-yard completion to Victor Williams brought the ball to the Columbia eight and a roughing-the-passer penalty on the same play advanced it to the four.

After a penalty, Park found Dean Bakes for a nine-yard touchdown that with Riley Lyons’ PAT gave Dartmouth a five-point lead with 1:09 showing. The Big Green had needed just 1:31 to go 91 yards and take the lead.

But Dartmouth has scored almost too fast.

A celebration penalty against the Big Green and a penalty for the kickoff going out of bounds saw Columbia take possession at the 50 with fully 1:09 remaining.

After the Lions got one first down, John Golio put them in a hole with a 10-yard sack and then Stephen Dazzo ended things with an interception of a fourth-and-30 pass at the Dartmouth 23 that he returned to the 26. One snap later the game was over.


Park was an efficient 20-of-28 passing for 197 yards with McManus hauling in seven passes for 96 yards. Dalyn Williams stepped in and completed 3-of-4 throws including a critical 67-yarder TD to Bo Patterson down the right sideline. Garrett Waggoner, Bronson Green and Michael Runger had 10 tackles apiece for Dartmouth.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Going For It (Or Four It)

Nov. 12, 2011, Providence, RI – Dartmouth 21, Brown 16

There was no lack of drama as Dartmouth converted three fourth downs – twice keeping touchdown drives alive – to eliminate a once-beaten Brown team out of the Ivy League race.

Nick Schwieger powered his way for 137 yards on a career-high 37 carries although it was his refuse-to-go-down, 10-yard carry of a swing pass on fourth-and-10 that kept the go-ahead drive alive and might have been the key to the game. The bruising tailback would go on to carry eight times on the drive, the last for a one-yard touchdown and a five-point lead with 11:01 remaining.

Brown tried to answer right back, picking up four first downs and marching to the Dartmouth 25 before JB Andreassi saved the day with an interception at the goal line on a pass hurried because of pressure from Eddie Smith.

Dartmouth proceeded to march to the Brown 28 before Penn made a stop with two seconds remaining. 

Any chance the Bears would pull off a Stanford band play ended when Mike Banaciski fell on a Brown fumble before the laterals could begin.


Just 2-5 at one point in the season, the Big Green would go on to finish the year 5-5 overall and 4-3 in the Ivy League with a 17-14 win over Princeton one week after upsetting Brown.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Finally

Nov. 20, 2010, Princeton, N.J. – Dartmouth 31, Princeton 0

The Big Green dominated both sides of the ball to finish 6-4 and celebrate its first winning season since 1997.

Tailback Nick Schwieger topped the century mark for the sixth time in the season with 105 yards and the Dartmouth defense posted its first shutout since the unbeaten and untied 1996 Ivy League champions turned the trick in their final game, also against Princeton.

Schwieger had TD runs of six yards in the first quarter and three in the second to give Dartmouth a 14-0 lead aft the half.

Foley Schmidt’s 21-yard field goal made it 17-0 after three and there were smiles all the way around in the fourth quarter as popular third-team quarterback Dan Rooney hit Timmy McManus for a 69-yard touchdown to end the scoring with 9:52 remaining.

Luke Hussey and Charles Bay each posted 10 tackles for Dartmouth, which got the whitewash when Shawn Abuhoff intercepted a Princeton pass at the 1-yard line with 2:18 remaining.


Princeton actually had a 21-19 advantage in first downs but Dartmouth outgained the Tigers, 348 yards to 284 to help Big Green defensive coordinator Don Dobes win family bragging rights over son Kevin, a Princeton defensive back.

Chase Womack also had a key interception at the Dartmouth 15.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Overtime Anyone? And Another?

Nov. 7, 2009, Hanover, NH – Dartmouth 20, Cornell 17 (2 ot)

Just promoted from the junior varsity, freshman Greg Patton ran for a school-record 243 yards and two touchdowns in his inaugural varsity appearance as Dartmouth won the first double-overtime game in school history.

Recruited as a defensive back and playing as a quarterback with the jayvees, Patton came on as a wildcat QB and, in a remarkable coincidence, erased the school rushing record teammate Nick Schwieger set two weeks before by . . . wait for it . . . just one yard.

Patton, who had just 16 yards in the first quarter, had gallops of 27, 45 and 52 yards among his 29 carries.

Still, Cornell carried a 10-0 lead into the fourth quarter only to see Diego Fernandez-Soto pick off a pass and Patton take advantage by breaking off a 52-yarder for a score that made it 10-7 with 12:04 left. Then it was Foley Schmidt booting a 26-yard field goal with 2:17 left to tie the game.

The comeback seemed to be for nothing, though, when the Big Red lined up with two seconds remaining for a 35-yard field goal to win the game. But Dartmouth safety Pete Pidermann blocked the attempt to force overtime.

Bryan Walters, who just earned a Super Bowl ring with the Seattle Seahawks, gave Cornell the lead in the first overtime on an 8-yard reception, but Patton answered with a 13-yard TD run.


In the second overtime, Schmidt booted a 40-yard field goal to give Dartmouth a lead that would hold up when Cornell’s 36-yard kick sailed wide left.

Friday, February 14, 2014

So Close

Sept. 20, 2008, Hamilton, NY – Colgate 34, Dartmouth 20

It seemed good things would be in store for Dartmouth in 2008 when the Big Green took a 20-13 into the final minute of the third quarter over the opener at always-tough Colgate.

Even though Dartmouth couldn’t hold onto the lead, Alex Jenny’s 29 completions and 343 passing yards in just his second career start and Phil Galligan’s 10 catches for 146 yards hinted at an exciting season.

But a lopsided loss against New Hampshire a week later and a hard-fought loss to Penn in the Ivy League opener took the steam out of the Big Green, which would go on to finish the season still searching for its first win.

In a quick hole at Colgate after quarterback Greg Sullivan hit lanky Pat Simonds with a 41-yard touchdown pass on the Raiders third play from scrimmage (the PAT failed) Dartmouth cut the lead in half as Jenny drove the Big Green to the 22 and Foley Schmidt came on to boot a 39-yard field goal.

Dartmouth took its first lead as Jenny completed passes of 19 yards to Galligan, 10 yards to Milan Williams and 19 yards to Eric Paul before Williams scooted in from the six for a 10-6 lead at 11:46 of the second period.

A Colgate touchdown and a Schmidt field goal of 26 yards sent the teams to the locker room tied at 13.

Dartmouth went back in front 20-13, midway through the third quarter with Jenny hitting Paul for 49 yards to the Gate three and three plays before finding Paul from the same yard line for the go-ahead score.

The Raiders responded with a touchdown to make it 20-20 but Dartmouth fought right back again as Jenny drove the Green from their own 36 to the Colgate 4.

But Schmidt’s 21-yard field goal was blocked and the Raiders proceeded to march 80 yards for the go-ahead score that made it 27-20.

Dartmouth tried one more time to answer, marching from its own 15 to the Colgate 17 before two sacks ended the bid. A quick Colgate scoring drive then essentially ended the game.

Pete Pidermann had 12 tackles and Andrew Dete nine, including two for a loss.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Holding On

Sept. 29, 2007, Hanover, NH – Dartmouth 21, Penn 13

A 21-6 lead in the final minutes of the game almost wasn’t enough as the Penn Quakers refused to go down without a fight.

The craziness started with 3:01 remaining in the contest and Dartmouth seemingly in command. Using two timeouts to stop the clock and a strong defensive effort, the Quakers held the Big Green without a first down and forced a punt with 2:37 showing.

Aided by a high snap, Marc Washington blocked the punt, giving Penn possession at the Dartmouth 26. A completion for a first down and an incompletion later quarterback Bryan Walker hit Braden Lepisto from nine yards out for a touchdown at 2:17 to make it an eight-point game.

With everyone knowing what was coming, Penn’s Andrew Samson hit an onside kick that teammate Greg Abrogi recovered at the Penn 40.

The Quakers collected two first downs – the first on a pass interference call on a fourth-and-one pass – to advance the ball to the Dartmouth six.

On fourth-and-four from the six, Walker threw to Dan Coleman in the end zone for what at first appeared to be the touchdown that would give Penn a chance to tie with a two-point conversion. But after a conference among the zebras, the play was eventually ruled an incompletion.

Penn coach Al Bagnoli protested vociferously but all he got for his effort was a flag.


Tom Bennewitz completed 18-of-26 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns to lead Dartmouth, which got five catches for 90 yards and one score from receiver Eric Paul.

Tomorrow: A close call

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

A Game To Remember

Nov. 11, 2006, Hanover, NH – Dartmouth 19, Brown 13 (OT)

Wins were hard to come by in a 2-8 season, but this one was memorable.

Trailing 10-0 to start the fourth quarter, Dartmouth fought back to tie the score on a four-yard touchdown run by Nate Servis with 12:24 to play and an Andrew Kempler  35-yard field goal with 6:59 remaining.

After Brown took a three-point lead on a field goal with 1:48 on the clock, quarterback Mike Fritz drove the Big Green from its own 20 all the way to the Bears’ 22 with help from a fourth-and-seven pass interference penalty. Kempler then came on and booted a 39-yard field goal to force overtime.

Dartmouth’s second overtime game of the season – the first was a 24-21 loss to Holy Cross – saw the Big Green lose the flip and have to take the ball first. Aided by a 16-yard Fritz run, Dartmouth grabbed the lead when Jason Bash pounded in from the one. But things got dicey when Kempler, the hero of regulation, saw his PAT hit off the right upright, leading the Big Green’s lead at six.

There were a lot of hearts in throats at the end of the bottom half of the overtime as a penalty flag signaled pass interference on Brown’s fourth-and-15 throw into the end zone. But after a short conference it was ruled that because the pass had been tipped, the penalty was nullified and Dartmouth had the win.


Fritz had a big game for Dartmouth with 24 completions in 36 throws for 250 yards and a team-high 58 yards rushing. Ryan Fusilier caught seven passes for 99 yards while Justin Cottrell led the defensive effort with 13 tackles.

Tomorrow: It wasn't over until it was over

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

A Quick Note

Greetings from Carlsbad, Calif, where we will be setting up our tent overlooking the Pacific shortly. It was 1 degree when we left and it is considerably warmer here;-)

No wifi at the campground so this post via iPod and McDonalds will have to do until the best-game series resumes tomorrow.  Thanks to all for the vacation wishes. 

Ready, Set, Relax

Pulling together this year's recruiting class something wild occurred to me. The players who arrive on campus next fall will be the first group not to overlap with That Certain '14 since the 2006 team. Players on the '07 team were seniors when she was a freshman, and the one-degree of separation thing will continue until last fall's freshmen graduate in 2017.

When all is said and done I will have been able to ask That Certain '14, "Do you know anything about so-and-so," for a full decade.

In case you are wondering, even though she was a varsity athlete for a couple of years, knows a ton of people on campus and even spoke to the football team last spring when she ran for student body president, I've never gotten much more than, "He's a nice guy," or, "He was in my such-and-such class."

An aside: Recently Mrs. BGA was a guest lecturer for a class and That Certain '14 sat in. I asked if any football players were in the class and she thought a bit and gave me the name of an injured player and another who retired. Nothing newsworthy there ;-)

But I digress.

Thinking about That Certain '14 got me reminiscing about Big Green Alert, which will kick off its 10th year this spring.

It was eight years ago this June that "Family BGA" loaded up our '84 VW camper bus and set off to see America! Check out this 2006 blog entry.

I vividly remember lugging my laptop around and updating the blog from Durango, Colo., Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Niagara Falls.

All of which is the long way around to telling you that while That Certain '14 and That Certain Nittany Lion are hitting the books this week, the two of us who are still here won't be. Here, that is.

We are heading out on our first vacation in five years, thanks to a very nice Christmas present from That Certain Sister.

We will be flying out to San Diego Tuesday morning and returning on Feb. 19. We've got a campsite reserved on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean for three days and plenty of books. Precisely where we're headed after the three days is to be determined but unlike 2006, I will not be lugging the computer with me. (I will have my iPod Touch, though, so if you have any ideas or want to meet up at Jack-in-the-Box for a burger and some football talk, email me ;-)

Here's the deal. While I'm away, I don't want you going away. Through the wonders of the Internet, there will be new postings on the BGA blog each and every day while we are on the Left Coast.

I've dug into the archives and pulled together something that I hope will be fun. Each day while we're away there will be one post recalling what I think was the most interesting, important or memorable game from each season of the first nine seasons of BGA, starting with the very first game in 2005.

And so, before I lose you completely, here's today's post:

Sept. 27, 2005, Hanover, NH – Dartmouth 26, Colgate 21

Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevens’ first game on the Dartmouth sideline since a 31-13 victory over Princeton on Nov. 23, 1991 wasn’t exactly an artistic success but no one was complaining.

Colgate finished with 18 first downs to the Big Green’s eight, held the ball for almost 10 1/2 extra minutes and had 262 yards of total offense to Dartmouth’s 193 but the Big Green came out on top thanks in no small part to four Raider turnovers.

Trailing 7-0 early in the second quarter, Dartmouth exploded for 17 points to take a 10-point lead into the half. Linebacker Josh Dooley got the Big Green’s first score on a 29-yard return of a fumble forced by Mike Rabil. On the ensuing Colgate drive Steve Jensen picked off a pass at the Raiders’ 38 and returned it to the 3. Charlie Rittgers hit tight end Mark Brogna for a touchdown on the Big Green’s first play and Erik Hinterbichler added a 42-yard field goal to send Dartmouth into the locker room with a 17-7 lead.

After an interception set up a short Colgate scoring drive to make it 17-14 early in the third, Dartmouth answered with a short march also set up by an interception, this one by Kyle Cavanaugh at the Colgate 37. Jason Bash’s one-yard run gave Dartmouth a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Raiders closed to within three points with 9:40 remaining in the game but Dartmouth got a little breathing room when Hinterbichler’s punt was downed at the Colgate 1, and after Rabil and Rich Walton stopped a rush for no gain, Colgate quarterback Mike Saraceno slipped in the end zone for a safety on the next snap.

The Big Green held on for the win when Cavanaugh and Terry Cunningham teamed up to stop a Colgate fourth-and-one run at the Dartmouth 36 with 1:15 remaining.

Tomorrow: A Brown game to remember

Monday, February 10, 2014

Texas Bound


The Eagle Tribune in Massachusetts has a story about former Dartmouth offensive coordinator John Perry moving from the University of Delaware to take over as tight ends coach with the Houston Texans. JP coached at Dartmouth from 1999-2004 and it's safe to say that when he was here we saw some pretty innovative formations and plays adapted from his days at New Hampshire.

Find Perry's most recent Delaware bio here.
It doesn't happen often but on Signing Day a player who starred directly across the street at Hanover High School signed a letter of intent to play college football at the DI level. Shawn Cavallaro, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound speedster, will be on the other side of the field on Sept. 27 when Dartmouth visits the University of New Hampshire. Check out his highlight video on the UNH site.

Rarest of all is a Hanover kid who goes on to the FBS level. The only recruited FBS scholarship player out of Hanover in recent years was tight end Carl Cutler, who had an injury plagued career at Syracuse before finishing up in 2012. Find his bio here.

The most recent Hanover player to suit up for Dartmouth is 6-4 sophomore Daniel Gorman, who last fall led the Big Green jayvees in receiving for the second year in a row. Find his bio here.
Dartmouth senior Will Geoghegan, who earlier this winter set the Ivy League mile record of 3:58.04, broke Jim Sapienza's 29-year-old school record in the 3,000 over the weekend, running 7:51.57. The old record was 7:54.60.

Here's the line from the story in The Dartmouth that caught my eyes:
Three more Dartmouth runners came close to breaking a four-minute mile. John Bleday ’14 and Steve Mangan ’14 both improved on their times from last week, respectively running 4:00.69 and 4:00.86. Tim Gorman ’16 was also close to the elusive mark, finishing in 4:01.64.
Is it possible Dartmouth could have four runners break four minutes before the year is out? It's astonishing even to be able to pose the question.
The Dartmouth has a story and charts about the precipitous drop in applications to the college this year. The good news is that Dartmouth is in pretty select company with the only other school seeing a decline being Harvard. The bad news is that Dartmouth apps dropped 14 percent to Harvard's 2. The worse news is the difference between Dartmouth's decline and the growth in applications around the rest of the Ivies.
And finally, an emailer suggested sharing the address for the blog being written by Hanover's Jeff Hastings (Tuck '90), who finished fourth in the large hill ski jump at the 1984 Olympics and is once again the NBC color commentator for Olympic ski jumping. Find Jeff's blog here and enjoy. I had to laugh at his story about his make-up kit.

For the record, Jeff is a friend and I coached his son in Little League ;-)

Speaking of the Olympics, on-again, off-again Dartmouth student Hannah Kearney earned bronze in the moguls after earning gold in Vancouver. Like Hastings, she's a Hanover High grad. Current Hanover High student Julia Krass is competing in the Olympics as a slopestyle skier.

If you need a refresher, the full list of Dartmouth athletes at Sochi can be found here.


Sunday, February 09, 2014

Where Do I Start?

A website called Collectable Ivy has a posting about the game program for Dartmouth's first Ivy League game at Penn on Oct. 6, 1956. From that posting:
The program announces in an article written by the longtime sports editor of The Philadelphia Bulletin, Edwin J. Pollock, that “The Ivy League, which begins its first formal season on Franklin Field today, is a group of early American educational institutions which have united for a common purpose – preservation of the life and liberty of intercollegiate football.” The author goes on to detail the “decay of principles”, abuses and other problems that college football developed since its inception. By forming the Ivy league, “they were and are leaders in a corrective movement of which the formal Ivy Football League is a manifestation.”
The Ivy League is not a grouping of colleges with a ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude or a desire to dictate, dominate or rule intercollegiate football. Their intent, as this observer sees it, is merely to lead the way back…The Ivies haven’t picked up their marbles to go off to play among themselves in quietude and solitude. The members are committed to play each other member every season, but they are permitted to schedule up to two non-league opponents each year. 
Where do I start?

For what it's worth, I wrote a lengthy essay for the ESPN College Football Encyclopedia that addressed the sins of the game in its early days and how they played into the formation of the Ivy League. Check it out sometime ;-)
Thanks for sharing a link to a posting in The Motley Fool headlined, Want to Know Which Ivy League School Is the Best Investment? Go ahead. Click through the slideshow.
The Motley Fool was the good news. The Dartmouth has the news that there has been a 14 percent drop in applications at Dartmouth.

From the story:
In response to the unexpected decrease in applicants, the College will conduct a survey of non-applicants to better understand the shift, according to a College press release. 
I think I can save the college the effort. The answer is two words: bad publicity.


Saturday, February 08, 2014

Winter Wonderland

Wandering by the Green yesterday (the White?) I snapped a few pictures of the snow sculpture as well as some of the ice carvings that were being finished up. These were shot with a lower-res iPod Touch. Wish I'd thought to bring my camera, but I forgot.

The main sculpture goes with the theme of this year's Winter Carnival, Game of Thrones.

(Click this picture and the others to enlarge. Click again on a Mac to supersize.)









Friday, February 07, 2014

More Signing Day


Signing Day photos keep trickling in. Here's 6-foot-1, 220-pound Pennsylvania linebacker/running back (or running back/linebacker) Ian Hanselman. Read the first BGA post about him here.

Well, Hello . . . Better Late Than Never


Turns out the whispers were correct and the Dartmouth recruiting class does indeed include a big guy from New England. Patrick Flathers is a 6-foot-5, 275-pound lineman from Dracut, Mass., who actually goes to school at Bishop Guertin, across the state line in New Hampshire.

The Lowell Sun had a story about him headlined, Quiet Flathers Lives For The Big Hit.

Flathers is also a member of the Bishop Guertin ski team.

Find his Hudl page here.


Here's his senior year highlight video:



Editor's Note: There are a couple of names in the recruiting class I better spell right. (Actually I should spell them all right, but stay with me here.) For the first time in 10 years of BGA, there will be a Wood on the Dartmouth football team (Ross Wood from Norcross, Ga.) And before Mrs. BGA was Mrs. BGA, she grew up in Massachusetts as Miss Flathers.


At the wonderfully named Kiski Area HS in Western Pa., 6-3, 290-pound Andrew Yohe puts pen to paper.  Read the first BGA post about him here.
The Sports Network reports that Cornell quarterback Jeff Mathews and Princeton defensive lineman Caraun Reid have been invited to the NFL Combine Feb. 19-25 in Indianapolis.

Mathews is referred to on the list of invitees as a "throwing" quarterback. If you are wondering what that is – and I was – check this link.
In a story headlined, Books over ball: Bergen Catholic's Kurt Holuba bypasses FBS offers for Princeton, The Newark Star-Ledger writes:
The scholarship offers rolled in one after the other, and his list of college choices grew more impressive by the month. National champion Florida State. Big Ten champion Michigan State. And power programs such as Wisconsin, Stanford, Georgia Tech and Central Florida. 
But Kurt Holuba’s college choice would be about much more than football. 
“It’s a 40-year decision, not a four-year decision,” he said.

Thursday, February 06, 2014

Raring To Go

The Chicago Sun-Times' High School Cube News has a story on Dartmouth-bound Porter Ontko and Benet Academy teammate Nick Surges, who is headed to Columbia. The story details the interest Ontko was receiving from FBS schools that evaporated after he tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee early last season.

Ontko, quoted in the story:
“Before the injury I had a lot of schools interested and they dropped out. It’s been great motivation. I just took it in stride and I’m really excited at the prospect of getting to prove myself all over again. It was tough, what happened, but it’s a business and I know it takes a lot to perform at the next level.”
The story says his rehab is ahead of schedule and he's expecting to be ready for next season. Ontko is listed as a safety by one recruiting site but can also play running back.

Columbia recruit Surges is a linebacker.

Delay Of Game


Weather postponed Signing Day at New Jersey's Don Bosco Prep for 24 hours but incoming linebacker Eric Meile had his moment in the sun today.  Read the first BGA post about him here.

Meile and fellow Dartmouth recruit Nick Tompkins of Matawan appear on the Star-Ledger list of FCS signings from the Garden State.

Football-rich New Jersey is sending 10 players to the Ivy League next fall (Dartmouth, Columbia, Penn and Princeton two each, Cornell and Yale 1 each.) The Patriot League, with one fewer team, landed 22 players from New Jersey including five to Bucknell and three each to Colgate, Lafayette, Lehigh, Fordham and Georgetown. Holy Cross has two.

Another Name? Or Two?

Minnesota Football Hub has 5-foot-8 Blake HS tailback Marcus Berg headed toward Dartmouth. If he was an early decision admit he would be walking on to the team.



Several Tweets report that John Lager, a 6-5, 220-pound "athlete" (per Yahoo) from St. Louis Park, Minn., and Benilde St. Margaret's is headed this way. There's no confirmation in the media at this point that he is indeed a recruit.

This Is A Guess, OK?

After yesterday we have a pretty good idea of most of the "who" in this year's Dartmouth recruiting class. Much less apparent is the "what," as in, "What positions are they going to play?"

Keep in mind that most of these players went both ways in high school and were pretty good on both sides of the ball. In fact, even they might not be entirely sure where they will line up when camp opens in late August.

The final word will have to wait until spring when the class is officially announced. That being said, here's a guess based on what the links we've been following have suggested, and on positions of need. Keep in mind, this is an educated guess and nothing more.

I invite and fully expect emails from around the country correcting my assumptions, and will update anticipated positions as word comes in.

That out of the way, here's one way of looking at the incoming class:

Quarterback
Jarion Brown - Franklin La.
Jack Heneghan - Atherton, Calif.*

Running Back
Ryder Stone - Okotoks, Alberta
Forrest Town -  Zachary, La.
Nick White - Mill Creek, Wash.

Wide Receiver
Charles Mack- Dumfries, Va.

Tight End
Ben Hagaman - Franklin, Tenn.
Stephen Johnston - North Bethesda, Md.
Cam Poole - Buford, Ga.
Cameron Skaff - Haymarket, Va.

Offensive Line
Tanner Aiono - San Diego, Calif.#
Anders Peterson - Leesburg, Va.
Andrew Yohe - Leechburg, Pa*

Defensive Line
Brennan Cascarano - Glenview, Ill.
Charlie Pontarelli - Wilmette, Ill.*
Davaron Stockman - Reserve, La.
Nick Tomkins - Aberdeen Twp, N.J.*

Defensive End
Rocco Di Leo - Elmhurst, Ill.
Justin Edwards - Suwanee, Ga.

Linebacker
Brock Bacon - Addison, Texas
Ian Hanselman - Manheim, Pa.
Eric Meile - Ramsey, N.J.*

Defensive Back
Colin Boit, - Samammish, Wash.
Porter Ontko - Lisle, Ill.
Ross Wood - Norcross, Ga.

Athlete
Jarius Brown - Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Emory Thompson - Lexington, Kent.*

Kicker/Punter
Wyatt Schmidt -  Inver Grove Heights, Minn.*
David Smith - Montreal, Quebec*

* -- confirmed early decision
# -- Class of '20

Editor's Note: I did tell you these were guesses, right?


Recruiting news in the Ivy League, obviously, is hit-and-miss, and never more so than on Signing Day, which of course doesn't exist in the Ivies. There is some information out there regarding a couple of schools, however.

The New Haven Register has a list of Yale recruits. The writer doesn't include links to recruiting sites or local announcements of the commitments, but it seems the information is pretty solid.

The Roar Lions 2014 blog has compiled an unofficial list of Columbia recruits. Links were included as he uncovered each name so the sense is the list is pretty good.

There are message board postings with unattributed commitments from each of the other schools as well. Your mileage on message board chatter may vary.
The Patriot League, which often recruits the same high schools as the Ivies and sometimes goes head to head with the Ancient Eight, is in its second year of offering football scholarships. Here are the classes the Ivy League's cousin announced yesterday (sans Georgetown, which did not reveal its class):

Bucknell
Colgate
Fordham
Holy Cross
Lafayette
Lehigh

Wednesday, February 05, 2014

But Before I Go . . .


Receiver Charles Mack of Dumfries, Va., was the center of attention Wednesday for confirming his decision to attend Dartmouth. Read the first BGA post about him here.

One more thing. There were a couple of previous pages of photos and news from Signing Day. Find them here and here. Or just hit the link at the bottom that says Older Post.

Now I'm outta here . . . I think ;-)

That's All Folks . . . For Tonight

My back is aching, my neck is stiff, I'm blurry-eyed and that carpal tunnel thing is whispering to me. That can mean just one thing -- I'm calling it a night after a really long day at the keyboard. Can someone please tell me why I do this? Oh yeah, it's a "loss leader" for BGA Premium.

Thanks to the folks who emailed stuff along. Apologies to the Twitter accounts that I raided for photos. Honestly, my intentions were honorable ;-)

There's one more Northeast recruit that I still haven't been able to confirm but his school was off because of snow today, so maybe tomorrow. I was surprised to see another recruit I thought was coming this way end up choosing another Ivy. Win some, lose some.

I'll post what I get Thursday but I won't be on standby all day, and I won't be digging the way I was today because I've got stuff to do that actually helps pay those two college tuitions. There will be a *lot* of links out there tomorrow and if you send them along, I'll post them here.

Thanks.

-bw-

From The Blue Grass To The Big Green



He's been referred to on the Internet as a wide receiver and as an "athlete," but what Emory Thompson of Lexington, Kent. (white hat) will be in the fall is a Big Green. OK, that didn't come out right but you get the idea. Read an earlier BGA post about him here.

And by all means fast-forward until he begins to speak in this Signing Day video. He does a terrific job.


Big Day In The Pacific Northwest


Tailback Nick White of Mill Creek, Wash., celebrates the Seahawks and a lot of hard work in classroom as well as on the gridiron by confirming his decision to attend Dartmouth. Read the first BGA post about him here.

Congratulations, JP

Former Dartmouth offensive coordinator John Perry has been named tight ends coach of the Houston Texans by former childhood buddy Bill O'Brien. Find the story here.

The West Coast Chimes In


Tanner Aiono, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound lineman from San Diego, is joined by Harvard commit Zach Schmid on signing day. Aiono has been reported to be taking a two-year mission before coming east.  Read the first BGA post about him here.
West Coasters – I know you are out there. Email those pictures and links ;-)

Rockin' The Green



Officially headed to Dartmouth (or as officially as you can be in the Ivy League unless you went early decision) is St. Ignatius senior Rocco Di Leo of Elmhurst, Ill. Check out the earlier BGA post on the 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive end here.

Howdy, Partner


Linebacker/H-back Brock Bacon of Trinity Christian Academy in suburban Dallas confirmed his choice of Dartmouth during signing day at the school. Thanks to email and the Internet there's a little more about him than in the first posting of his commitment.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 225-pounds, Bacon helped TCA to the state finals as a junior and the semis last fall. A team captain, he chose Dartmouth over offers from Air Force, UTEP, Ivies Penn, Cornell and Columbia, as well as Georgetown.

Find his Hudl page with highlights here.

As an aside, I like the "still" shot on the Hudl splash page that shows him helping a player on the other team up.


Another One, Eh? (Think About It)


Texan-turned-Canadian-turned Phillips Academy Andover tailback Ryder Stone puts pen to paper confirming his decision to go from Blue to Green alongside longtime coach Leon Modest.  Read the first BGA post about Stone here.

We Interrupt Your Daily Programming With This: Well, Hello!

Editor's Note: There are so many postings today that you have to click on the "older posts" link at the bottom to read them all. And there are more on the way . . . I hope.

Finally!

I've had a note in my ever-increasing files about dual-threat Louisiana quarterback Jarion Brown ever since reading a brief mention in this story. I started searching the Internet after a regular visitor to the BGA site said it looked as if he would be headed this way but kept coming up empty.

I finally found a note in today's Daily Iberian that the dual-threat quarterback from Franklin, La., is indeed headed this way.

From the Daily Iberian (italics are mine):
New Iberia Senior High’s Daniel Lewis; Catholic High’s Gabe Fuselier; Westgate’s Hunter Viator, Devante Brown, Javon Dorsey, Marcel Key, James Walker and Jason Collins; and Franklin’s Jarion Brown, Cedric Paul and Brandon McFarlane all were scheduled to sign binding letters of intent today to continue playing football at the next level.

Also signing today were Paul, who inked with Northwestern State University, McFarlane, who is going to Arkansas-Monticello and Brown, who is headed to Dartmouth College, the Ivy League school located in Hanover, New Hampshire.
Check out the 6-foot-2, 175-pound Brown's highlights on his Hudl page. And his ESPN page.
And rest assured, this is going to get confusing. Dartmouth may have Jarius Brown throwing to Jarion Brown some day ;-)

EDITOR'S NOTE: How confusing might it get? I got that backward alread. JARION might be throwing to JARIUS. Yikes.

The Hits Keep On Coming


Tight end Ben Hagaman of Franklin, Tenn., signs on the dotted line. Or maybe no line?  Read the first BGA post about him here.

Sound!

Jarius Brown doesn't have a speaking role in this University School signing day video, but scroll down about 10 paragraphs and there's a clickable link to listen to Jarius Brown discuss why he chose Dartmouth. The son and brother of Colgate grads answers a bunch of questions about why he chose Dartmouth and where he is expecting to play. Access the page here and look for the icon below (which won't work if you click it here ;-)

The Midwest Checks In


Safety Porter Ontko of Benet Academy and Lisle, Ill., signs . . . something ;-)  Read the first BGA post about him here.

Editor's Note: I'm generally not much of one for reposting pictures off websites and Twitter. I learned better in journalism school, and it always bugged me at the newspaper when people picked my stuff up without attribution, or more important, permission.

Today? Today I bend my own rules as I try to give everyone who deserves it a shout out on a special day.

All that said, you are making me work too hard to dig this stuff up. If you aren't going to send actual jpegs, how about links? Thanks.

Still At It



Signing day photos from the Twitter account of Buford, Ga., tight end Cam Poole.  Read the first BGA post about him here. If you look closely in the top photo I believe there's a Princeton hat there as well ;-)

Yet Another


 Florida's Jarius Brown, listed as a wide receiver/athlete on some recruiting sites, celebrates his future at Dartmouth. Read the first BGA post about him here.

Snow Day

Signing Day postings might be a little more sporadic this year because of snow across the Northeast. Googling high schools that have been reported as sending football players to Dartmouth reveals that some of them are closed . . . postponing the ceremonies.

One More


Tailback Forrest Town of Zachary, La., celebrates his future at Dartmouth.  Read the first BGA post about him here.



Next Up


Jersey Shore tight end/defensive end Nick Tomkins of Matawan Regional celebrates Signing Day. Read the first BGA post about him here.

A Signing Day Start

The Gwinnett Daily Post has a story up this includes this:
Of the four GAC seniors, three are bound for Ivy League schools. The fourth, offensive lineman Britt Lee, will play for Army and get an equally valuable education. 
Quarterback Rafe Chapple and wide receiver Chris Williams signed with Yale, and teammate Ross Wood, recruited as a free safety, signed with Dartmouth. All three Ivy-Leaguers are 4.0 GPA students.


Safety Ross Wood of Greater Atlanta Christian confirms his commitment. Read the first BGA post about him here.