TUR-KEY! TUR-KEY! TUR-KEY!
 

That popular chant resounded throughout the stands Saturday at April Zorn Memorial Stadium as the Scots’ faithful celebrated the teams’ 56-10 win over the Knox Prairie Fire and their second 10-0 season since 2005.

The Scots posted their record 10th straight win in the Battle for the Bronze Turkey – the longest winning streak in the series by either school – improving their record to 60-50-10 in the rivalry which began in 1888.

Mike Blodgett hauled in two Alex Tanney passes for the game’s first two scores and Clay Bricker ran two yards to the endzone to put Monmouth up 21-0 after the first quarter. Anthony Goranson caused and recovered a fumble on the second play of the ensuing Knox possession, giving the Scots the ball at the Fire 22 yard line. 

Enter freshman running back Caleb Pratt. One play, 22 yards, one TD.

How’s that for efficiency?

Not bad, but Kramer Matzen had a pretty economical day, too. The sophomore tight end hauled in three passes for 35 yards. Not bad, huh? What? Three catches for 35 yards doesn’t impress you? Did we forget to mention two of those three receptions ended in touchdowns?

For the day, Blodgett led all receivers with seven grabs for 102 yards and two scores. Pratt picked up a team-best 123 yards on 15 carries and two TDs.

“Our intent was to get out in front early,” said Steve Bell. “We were pretty efficient offensively, especially on the first two series.”

The defense didn’t look too shabby, either, holding the Fire to just 25 yards through the air. Knox’ option attack netted 252 yards, but only yielded 10 points.

“We got the stops when we needed to,” praised Bell. “Coach (Chad) Braun did a nice job of directing the defense. He called for blitzes a few times early on and was effective.”

Like the offense, the defensive unit spread the wealth, Danny Weiden led with 12 tackles, Sean Wells added 10 and Wes Levy jumped in with nine. All told, the Scots recorded three sacks, 10 tackles for loss and one interception. 

“That’s the nature of the option,” reported Bell. “It really spreads the tackles around.”

The Scots offense has spread it around this season. Seventeen different players have recorded touchdowns – although two of those were by the defense on an interception return and a fumble recovery – three receivers have more than 40 catches and four backs have more than 40 carries. While nearly no one individual racked up gaudy numbers, the overall wealth was astounding.

A plethora of records fell this season. Some of the notable marks included: Points in a Season – Old Mark 447 (set in 2005), New Mark 491; Touchdowns – Old Mark 62 (set in 2005), New Mark 68; Passing Yardage – Old Mark 2,696 (set in 2007), New Mark 3,072. You get the idea.

Now the Scots have an extra week to rest up for their second NCAA playoff appearance since 2005…and enjoy some Turkey.

WORTH THE WAIT

As the football team awaits Sunday’s announcement of their first round playoff opponent, the pollsters have rewarded the Scots with a move up the rankings.

The 10-0 Scots climbed to No. 15 on the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll – their highest ranking since reaching No. 16 in 2005 – and to No. 22 on the D3football.com rankings. Regionally, they’re ranked third in the West behind Willamette and Occidental. Two UW schools – Stevens Point and Whitewater – are ranked fourth and fifth in the region and could leapfrog the Scots with wins this weekend, diminishing hopes of a first round home game.

All that adds up to two burning questions: 1) Who will be the Scots’ first round opponent in the NCAA playoffs next Saturday, and 2) will the Scots get a home game?

Coach Steve Bell has taken a wait-and-see attitude.

“You can figure all the scenarios you want to,” said Bell. “You can try to figure it out by regional rankings, but I honestly have no idea who we’ll play. We’re just anxious to play.”

Speculation runs rampant in the week prior to Selection Sunday. Some message boards lobby the Scots should get a home game because of their 10-0 record. Others suggest a home game to balance the long trip the Scots took to St. John’s in ’05. 

“Past history has nothing to do whether you play home or away,” said Bell, dispelling the argument the Scots travelled in ’05 and therefore should receive a home bid this season. “The selection committee will decide that based on what they believe is best for the playoffs. What everyone needs to remember is that it’s not like a usual tournament bracket. No. 1 doesn’t necessarily play No. 8 and 2 won’t play 7.”

      By virtue of their conference title, the Scots are one of only 32 teams that will receive bids. Opponents and locations are typically based on a variety of issues including geographic location and, to some degree, regional rankings. The quality of the facilities also comes into play in determining the home field. The wildcard may be the at-large teams.

“It might come down to what conference gets two reps,” said Bell of the Scots’ opponent and location. “It’s doubtful any conference in the Midwest will get two berths. My guess is it may go out west.”

While the waiting may be causing anxiety among the fans, Bell is glad his team has a weekend off.

“The good news is we get two weeks off to let everyone heal,” said Bell. “We’ll use this time to get rest and get healthy. We’re like any other team at this time of year. We have some guys that are hurt.”

The banged-up Scots have put the hurt on their opponents, outscoring them by an average of 63-10 over the last third of the season, but that might be a bit misleading. Monmouth needed three come-from-behind wins in the first seven games, including back-to-back wins against perennial power St. Norbert and league runner-up Ripon in Weeks 6 and 7. Their offensive surge has them listed as the top scoring offense in Division III for the second straight week and the defense is ranked fifth.

“We faced some tough competition this year,” said Bell. “We had some tough games late in the season unlike ’05 when our toughest game was early in the season. We had seven games after that before the playoff game. I feel better this year that the quality of games we’ve played late in the season has us better prepared for the level of competition we’ll face. The guys have put a lot of work in to get to this point and they’re pretty excited to see who we’ll play.”

Comparisons of the 2005 team and the current edition of the Scots was inevitable. Both teams reeled off 10-0 seasons, both won conference titles, each team was quarterbacked by a Tanney – Mitch in ’05, Alex in ’08 – and this year’s seniors were freshman in ’05.

“I don’t think you can compare the two teams,” said Bell. “They’re different teams with different strengths and weaknesses. This year’s seniors weren’t really that involved in ’05. Most of them didn’t dress for the playoff game and of the few that did, most were in a backup role.”

While the previous trip to the playoffs might not be that much of a factor for the players, the coaching staff is reaping the benefits of that experience four years ago.

“It’s not the football part that’s tough to deal with,” said Bell of the selection process. “It’s the logistical part of it – setting up hotel rooms, meals, practice facilities and travel. During the regular season all the accommodations are made well in advance. In the post-season, we only have a week lead time. Until you’ve actually been through it as a coaching staff, you just don’t understand how it affects you.”

Fans can get the Scots’ playoff information first-hand Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. The selections will be announced on ESPNews, which is available on DirecTV channel 207 and Dish Network channel 142. The information will also be posted on the Monmouth College Web site at www.monm.edu/sportsinfo. Complete brackets will be available at www.ncaa.com.

KEEP ON RUNNING

The cross country teams are hoping they can continue their strong finish to the season and make more history at Saturday’s NCAA Regional Meet at Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island.

The Fighting Scots women made history two weeks ago at the Midwest Conference Championships by winning their first team title in school history. This week, they’ll try to qualify their first woman for the NCAA national meet.

Two-time all-conference sophomore Mary Kate Beyer (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria) and three-time all-MWC junior Katie Staab (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) are the Scots’ top hopes for a trip to nationals. Taryn Tang, Amy Aghababian and Whitney Didier ran strong races at the MWC meet to earn their first all-conference honors and will lead the rest of the pack using a race plan similar to the one that earned the Scots a league title.

“We’ll use the same formula as the conference meet,” said Roger Haynes of his team, which has no seniors on the roster. “We should have scoring runners not too far behind our top two, so our pack will be strong, too. I’m hopeful we can finish in the top half of the region. It would be a big step forward for our women’s program.”

The Scots compete in a region that is traditionally one of the strongest in the nation and may have as many as six strong contenders for the five team spots which will be considered for the national meet. Three of those teams are ranked in the top seven nationally. Only seven runners not affiliated with a qualifying team will advance to next weekend’s national meet in Hanover, Ind.

The men’s field will not be any easier, as four of the nation’s top six teams will be competing.

Three-time all-conference junior Clay Staley (Hanna City, Ill./Illini Bluffs) is Monmouth’s best hope for the Scots’ first national qualifier since Zach Barr in 2004. The distance veteran has steadily been improving his performances and hopes to make his national debut next week.

“He’s running better,” reported Haynes. “It’s about what we do to prepare for this type of race experience. We’re looking for everyone to run season-best times.”

The Scots got a look at the relatively fast course in September, but Haynes doesn’t see that as a huge advantage in what will be the final race of the season for many runners.

“The rhythm of the race will have more to do with how we run,” said Haynes of his men’s and women’s teams. “It will be the last race of the year for many athletes, so there will be that element of excitement and everyone will be anxious to run their best.”

The men’s race begins at 11 a.m. and the women’s start is scheduled for noon.

FINISHING STRONG

You’ve got to give the volleyball team credit, they never quit.

Entering last weekend’s Midwest Conference Tournament, the Scots had all but guaranteed their first sub .500 record in Kari Shimmin’s 11 years guiding the program. Only a conference title to gain an NCAA Tournament berth and a deep run in the national tournament would avoid that fate.

The squad found themselves down 2-0 in the best-of-five match with No. 1 seed St. Norbert. Down to their last set and trailing 23-13 – remember the sets are the first to 25 – the Scots staged a furious rally before falling 25-21.

“We played quite well in that third set,” said Shimmin. “Sara (Schoon) got a couple of aces. We got several blocks during the rally and had some good attacks. We were almost in a desperation mode. The women realized this was it. The end was near. That’s what I’m most proud of, that they never gave up.”

In the end, St. Norbert avenged their loss to the Scots in last year’s semifinals and the Scots ended with a 12-18 record. Not exactly the final record Shimmin or her players were shooting for.

“They were all disappointed,” said Shimmin of her senior-laden squad. “The coaches and the players had higher expectations, but we played a very tough non-conference schedule. There were a few matches we could have won if we just performed at a little higher level.”

That higher level came into play in the final day of the Washington University tournament when the Scots went the full five sets before falling to the fourth-ranked Bears. Monmouth carried that over to a 3-0 win against Culver-Stockton, but couldn’t find the magic the following weekend at the league tournament.

“We’re glad we were one of the four teams to qualify for the conference tournament,” said Shimmin. “We had to battle some adversity just to get to the tournament. I’m really proud of the way they were able battle through it.”

It was the last tournament for the six seniors – Anna Damos, Samantha Robinson, Tanesha Hughes, Amanda Boonstra, Rachel Leffleman and Crystal Myers who recorded over 2,000 career digs.

“Samantha really gave us some positive leadership down the stretch,” praised Shimmin. “We also had some younger players who had to step it up when injuries occurred. (Sophomore) Heather Hull and (freshmen) Megan Creen and Jenna Bean were asked to take on more responsibilities because of some injuries.”

While the Scots lose six seniors, they’ll be able to rely on a core of talented underclassmen in 2009. They’ll return two of the top four attackers in Alyson Schroeter and Kendra Newlon, no setters will be lost to graduation and the development of Hull, Creen and Bean should provide the Scots with a good starting foundation to begin another string of winning seasons.

The Scots are in good hands to begin a new string – Shimmin is the only coach in the history of the program with a string of 10 seasons finishing at .500 or better.

SWIMMERS NEARLY SWEEP

The swim team nearly pulled off a sweep of Lake Forest last weekend – the men dominating 156-54 and the women narrowly falling 106-93 in the Foresters’ pool.

“We had the full complement of men,” reported Dave Yez. “Their performance shows what we can accomplish when we have this group of talented swimmers together.”

The results backed up Yez’s comment, winning seven of 13 events a week after the men’s team at half strength fell to Millikin. Freshman Andrew Wright (Quincy, Ill./Quincy) led the charge for the men, winning the 800-meter freestyle (9:46.34) and the 400- freestyle (4:40.37). Jim Travnik placed second in the 800- freestyle (10:31.47) and Ed Novak was second to Wright in the 400- freestyle (4:48.87). Another freshman, Josh Dunn, captured first in the 100- freestyle (58.30) and second in the 50- freestyle (26.43).

“Andrew won convincingly,” said Yez. “We’re looking for big things from him in the distance events in the future.”

The Scots finished 1-2 in three events. Harrison Heilman took first in the 200- IM (2:27.62) and Kevin Satler was second (2:33.27). John Kaiser touched first in the 100- fly (1:03.82) and Tom Pederson was second (1:08.64). Satler placed first in the 100- breaststroke (1:14.38) and Jack Clifford was second (1:21.91).

Monmouth’s relays picked up a pair of firsts. Heilman and Satler were joined by Steve Whittle and Jeff Skalon to win the 200- medley relay (2:01.27). The Scot’s placed 1-2 in the 200- freestyle relay. Pederson and Kaiser picked up Steve Collins and Josh Dunn to touch first (1:45.14) and the foursome of Travnik, Wright, Whittle and Ken Collins placed second (1:54.10).

Josh Van Swol took second in the 200- freestyle (2:11.98) and the 100- backstroke (1:08.73).

“The addition of our freshmen has really enhanced the strength of our men’s team,” praised Yez. “They have come in very well skilled and are already at a competitive level.”

The diving competition was crucial for both the men and the women. Clifford dominated in the 1-meter, winning the event by nearly 50 points. Danielle Kita took second in the 1-meter for the women. A pretty fair accomplishment for the Scots divers, considering they have only been able to do land work thus far.

“Diving was instrumental in the outcome of both the men and the women,” said Yez. “Our divers are at least five weeks behind due to the absence of a board. They basically haven’t done any diving since last school year. For Jack, it was like riding a bike. Danielle did a very nice job. I firmly believe if our divers had the same amount of actual practice time Danielle could have come close to winning.”

The Scots have spent the season doing land workouts with dive coach Al McGuire – a lot of weight training and footwork. Now it’s just a matter of waiting for the board to arrive.

Back in the pool, freshman Rachel Holm (Oregon, Ill./Oregon) picked up a pair of wins, taking the 200-meter freestyle by .15 (2:21.13) and she had an easier time while winning the 100- butterfly (1:13.65).

“Rachel swam a very good technical race in the 200,” said Yez. “She really swam the last 100 well. She did what she needed to do to win it in the last 25 meters.”

Holm teamed with Kendra Kuehl, Krysta Sparks and Jamie Schingoethe to win the 200- medley relay (2:15.53).

The Scots placed 1-2 in the 100- breaststroke. Sparks won the event (1:23.24) for the second week in a row. Colleen Zumpf placed second (1:25.58). Kuehl added a first in the 200- IM (2:50.56). Rachel Buckham touched first in the 100- backstroke (1:14.25). Buckham was second in the 800- freestyle (10:29.94).

Other seconds came from Schingoethe in the 50- freestyle (31.24); Lauren Nelson in the 400- freestyle (5:23.78) and the 200- freestyle relay team of Zumpf, Buckham, Nelson and Jessica Holbrook (2:17.60).

“We have the base of a very strong women’s team,” reported Yez whose women were one swimmer short due to a school conflict. “If we can recruit properly, we’ll have a very strong team when this year’s freshmen are juniors and seniors. Our women can do well at the big meets despite their low numbers because of their talent. This is the best recruiting class of women in my five years at Monmouth.”

Yez can personally thank former coach Keith Crawford this weekend for the talent pool in the pool. Crawford will bring his Rose-Hulman team to the 11-team Monmouth College Invitational Saturday. Ironically, Crawford’s men’s team is expected to battle the Scots for the Invitational title.

The meet begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Pepper Natatorium.

HERE’S THE BEEF

Men’s basketball coach Mark Vershaw easily identified his task for the 2008 season – add depth and size to the Fighting Scots’ lineup.

Vershaw accomplished his mission and then some, bringing in 16 new players to add to the 11 returners from his first team. The second-year coach lost five seniors – four of them post players – from a year ago, including leading scorer and rebounder Joe Terwelp (16 ppg, 7 rpg).

“Joe did a lot for us,” said Vershaw. “We had one post returning, so our immediate need was to get post players who were going to be game-ready.”

That one returning post player will be delayed in joining the team. Senior post Kyle Weyeneth (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) is busy as a wide receiver for the Fighting Scots’ conference champion football team. Weyeneth didn’t have gaudy numbers, but contributed in areas that don’t always show up on the stat line. Two other football players – sophomore three-point specialist Alex Tanney (Lexington, Ill./Lexington) and 6-5 freshman forward David Milroy (Toulon, Ill./Stark County) –  will have at least one more game to play once the NCAA playoffs begin Nov. 22. Tanney adds value with 49 treys as a freshman.

In the meantime, Vershaw is getting a good look at a trio of big men transfers – 6-7 junior Zach Ott (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria), 6-5 sophomore Eric Cogdill (East Moline, Ill./United Township) and 6-6 classmate Rhett Standard (Monmouth, Ill./Monmouth-Roseville). Called a “complete” player by Vershaw, Ott has an inside-outside game and can hit the trey in addition to being an able passer. Cogdill’s strength lies in his ability to run the floor well and is touted as a “good finisher.” Standard brings rebounding and scoring ability to the table so the Scots won’t go hungry.

“All three can post up and score with their back to the basket,” praised Vershaw. “We’re pretty excited about the group we’ve got. These guys have eased our worries in the post and once we get Weyeneth back, we’ll have a very good big man rotation.”

A pair of freshmen big men – 7-1 Mike Hunger (Manteno, Ill./Bishop McNamara) and 6-6 Ryan Robinson (Milan, Ill./Rockridge) – may be a year away from seeing much action on the varsity court, but will hone their skills with a full JV schedule. Vershaw knows they’ll reap the benefit of practicing against the upperclassmen combined with the rigorous JV slate.

The Scots – top-heavy with guards last season – will be counting on a good mix of returners and newcomers to make for some high-spirited practice sessions. Three sophomores – Eric Grant (Roseville, Ill./Monmouth-Roseville), Corey Gruber (Abingdon, Ill./Abingdon) and Robbie Hinkle (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg) – are expected to give the Scots solid play. Grant and Gruber logged more than 20 minutes per game and Hinkle offers support off the bench. Seniors Kyle Cook (London Mills, Ill./Spoon River Valley) and Corey Turner (Moline, Ill./Moline) add perimeter threats to give the Scots a serious inside-outside game.

“Eric does a good job of getting us in our offense,” praised Vershaw. “We’ll have some competition at each position. Once Alex gets back from football, the competition for guard spots will really pick up.”

Not to be lost in the mix is junior three-point man Scott Ubbenga (Hartsburg, Ill./Hartsburg-Emden). A 42 percent three-point shooter, Ubbenga missed the first half of last season with an injury. Vershaw expects the healthy sharpshooter to open up the paint.

“What Scott did in the last six games is indicative of what we expect from him this year,” said Vershaw. “He has the ability to shoot from way beyond the arch. His job is to shoot and his range will have an even bigger impact this year because of our ability to score inside.”

Freshman guards Curtis Oler (Fox Lake, Ill./Grant Community) and Zo Durias (Eustis, Fla./Christian Home Bible) will also battle for playing time. Durias has quickly developed into a formidable defender and the 6-4 Oler offers extra size on the outside.

      The Scots’ added depth and size gives Vershaw the ability to mix and match his lineup depending on what their opponents bring to the table. Opposing teams will have to prepare for the Scots’ quick, perimeter attack and their solid, aggressive inside game. Fans might even see a much quicker pace this season, but don’t expect the Grinnell “system” track meet.

“Because we’ll be so deep, we’ll probably try to play at a quicker pace,” reported Vershaw. “That’s different than my playing style, but we’ll go with what suits our personnel the best. Our added depth gives us the luxury to get players in the lineup with a variety of skills. Defensively, the man-to-man is still our staple, but we’ll throw in some zone and press occasionally.”

The Scots opened last season with one of the toughest Division III schedules in the nation, meeting two Division II schools and playing three games against other scholarship schools. After dropping their first nine contests, the Scots went 7-6 the rest of the way with two of those losses in overtime. The strong finish put the Scots just outside the Midwest Conference tournament in a tie for fifth.

“We had a nice finish to the season last year,” said Vershaw. “Our goal was to finish fourth and I thought we should have been there. We’re going to have to go out and earn it this season. It won’t be easy with a lot of new guys who are going to have to learn how to win on the road and win on double-header weekends.”

The Scots will have to be quick learners when it comes to winning on the road. Eight of their first 10 games are on the road and they won’t have a home league game until January.

Vershaw’s task for next season? Schedule more home games.

LET’S SEE WHAT FOUR YEARS WILL GET YOU

Women’s basketball coach Melissa Bittner, now in her fourth year at the helm, hopes 15 returners and a talented crop of recruits equals a trip to the Midwest Conference tournament in February.

Among the 15 returners are four seniors. The last time the Fighting Scots had that many fourth-year players was the last year they reached the MWC playoffs – 1998. A year ago, the Scots finished fifth, just missing a playoff berth.

“You win with upperclassmen and returners,” said Bittner. “Freshmen and sophomores come in and help fill roles, but you win championships with upperclassmen. I see no reason why we shouldn’t be a playoff-caliber team. Our team philosophy hasn’t been to look ahead beyond our next game, but I would like to think we’ll be in the championship game with St. Norbert.”

That would be an interesting matchup. The Scots were the only blemish on the Green Knights otherwise perfect conference ledger last year.

Leading the way is senior Melissa Gorski (Arlington Heights./Buffalo Grove), who has taken the reigns in her final season. The guard is just 96 points from becoming only the sixth woman at Monmouth to score 1,000 points and at her current pace, the slashing inside-outside threat could reach the milestone before the New Year.

The Scots are loaded with versatility and depth at the guard position, where they return three with significant experience. Bittner expects good things from her sophomores, including Justine Boone (Geneseo, Ill./Geneseo), a 5-8 point guard,  who could be “one of the best in the league.” Classmate Alison Andrews (Algonquin, Ill./Harry D. Jacobs) will be one of Bittner’s tallest guards at 5-9. She averaged nearly 18 minutes per game as a freshman.

“The sophomore class really stepped up,” said Bittner. “They’re really playing like returners. Justine will be one of the league’s best defenders and Alison has developed into one of our best scoring threats. That one year of experience has made all the difference for those two.”

Junior Lynsey Barnard (Pekin, Ill./Pekin), who was used primarily at point last season, will be used at a variety of guard positions. Three-point sharpshooter Katie Sheets (Princeville, Ill./Princeville), a senior, led the team with 42 treys last season and will be in the mix down the road. Junior guard Kelly Sheets – Katie’s sister – is also touted as a player to watch.

“Kelly is the most improved player I’ve ever seen from the freshman to junior years,” commented Bittner. “The strides she has made has been like night and day. She’ll give us some minutes off the bench.”

Inside, the Scots return last year’s power forward, 5-10 senior Tanesha Hughes (Peoria, Ill./Woodruff). The loss of rebound record holder Ashley Yeast to graduation means the aggressive Hughes could move to the center position where her strength and athletic ability will provide some inside punch offensively and defensively.

Finding a rebounder to replace Yeast will require a team effort and 5-10 sophomore transfer Lindsie Pettie (Sherrard, Ill./Sherrard) has the early nod to be one of the main contributors, filling Hughes’ spot at forward. Pettie’s Yeast-like style has caught the eye of the coaching staff.

Bittner believes a deep bench keeping fresh bodies in the rotation combined with good athleticism will be enough to offset the loss of Yeast’s 1,008 career boards.

“We’ll need everyone to pick up an extra rebound or two,” projected Bittner. “It’s going to be a group effort. We won’t have just one person picking up 10 rebounds a game. We’re not as tall, but we’re athletic, quick and aggressive.”

A couple of aggressive freshmen – Keli Jo Hinkle (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg) and Brittany McCline (Markham, Ill./Bremen) – are receiving Bittner’s praise.

“KJ is very strong fundamentally and a very good defender,” said Bittner. “She just needs to think offense. Brittany is very aggressive on both ends of the court. We just need to remind her to stay in control.”

Controlling the opposing offenses will come in a variety of ways – and not just a man-to-man defense.

“We’re coming up with a number of ways to disrupt an offense,” said Bittner. “We want to be the aggressors, forcing the other team’s offense into something they’re not comfortable with.”

Bittner may be one of the more comfortable coaches in the new-look MWC. Four conference teams will have first-year coaches, making Bittner one of the league’s coaching veterans. She knows the growing pains they’ll experience.

“It’s always a struggle implementing a new system,” said Bittner. “We’re much farther along at this stage than we have been in the past because we have so many returners and they know the system. That has definitely enabled us to move at a faster pace and implement new things more quickly. We certainly have the building pyramid advantage.”

Now all that remains is to see if the Scots can harness the power of the pyramid.

Their first test will come soon enough. The Scots open the season Tuesday night at Eureka College.

LEARNING THE BUSINESS

Three years ago, Monmouth College quarterback Mitch Tanney stole the show during the annual Bronze Turkey Game with Knox by completing 21 of his 23 pass attempts for 405 yards and five touchdowns in the Fighting Scots’ 48-0 victory. Included in his national record-breaking day for accuracy were three TDs of 36 yards or more.

That Monmouth team was on its way to a 10-0 regular season and an NCAA playoff berth, and the Scots have an identical résumé this year. Monmouth has locked up an NCAA bid, the team is undefeated and the Scots are quarterbacked by a Tanney – Mitch’s younger brother, Alex.

Mitch was on campus two days prior to the Bronze Turkey Game to talk football, but the subject wasn’t a college football rivalry that is heralded as the second-longest west of the Alleghenies. Rather, Tanney addressed Monmouth’s “Business in Context” course, a class that is team-taught by political economy and commerce faculty colleagues Don Capener and Mike Connell.

The professors analyzed the business model of the Arena Football League, which hopes to becomes America’s fifth major sport behind the NFL, the NBA, the NHL and Major League Baseball. After explaining some of the differences between the AFL and traditional sports business models, Capener and Connell turned the floor over to Tanney, who is hoping to catch on with an AFL team for the 2009 season.

Tanney has risen through the ranks of professional football since graduating from Monmouth in 2006. In fact, he told the crowd of approximately 60 students, football players and Fighting Scots coaches that he missed his MC commencement ceremony to travel to Sweden, where he played professionally for a season.

In 2007, Tanney played in the af2, a “minor” league compared to the AFL. He became the starting quarterback for the Alabama Steeldogs a few games into the season and helped guide them to the playoffs. However, in what is a somewhat common occurrence in arena football, Tanney saw his team fold following the season.

“That’s when I realized that football was a business,” he said. “As a player, you could see that the organization was really struggling financially.”

Tanney told the class that his pay in those days was $200 per game, with another $50 if the team won.

“People might wonder, ‘Why would you play for that?,’ he said. “If you get the chance to play professionally, you do it.”

Tanney’s professional career in 2008 was an interesting one, to say the least. He felt he had a pretty good opportunity going with the AFL’s Tampa Bay Storm, saying, “I really enjoyed it down there. I went to camp thinking I wouldn’t be their starter, but I could possibly be on the roster. I wound up being on the practice squad.”

Soon, however, he was headed north to pursue an opportunity with the AFL’s Philadelphia Soul after their star quarterback, Tony Graziani, was injured. When Graziani returned, Tanney was released. He headed back to Tampa, where he was informed that he had been claimed by the Kansas City Brigade.

His KC career was so brief, however, that Tanney told the class, “I never went there once.”

Next was a stint with the New Orleans Voodoo, a team that, like the Steeldogs, no longer exists. In all, Tanney dressed for eight of the 16 weeks of play that season, but didn’t take a single snap.

“That was a strange thing,” he said. “It was the first season I hadn’t played quarterback since I can remember.”

Tanney did get on the field, though, serving as a holder on kicks. He said that was ironic, considering how he had been passed over for that responsibility at Monmouth by special teams coach Dave Ragone, who was in attendance at his talk. The two shared a laugh about that.

Tanney told the class that, overall, the talent level in the Arena Football League is close to what is found in the NFL.

“Every player says they want to make it to ‘The League,’” he said, adding that a handful have, most notably Kurt Warner, but also players like Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas, Detroit Lions wide receiver Mike Furrey and the Chicago Bears’ Rashied Davies.  

Speed is often the determining factor in who will get an opportunity to advance, he said, adding, “In the NFL, quarterback speed doesn’t matter, though, which is a good thing if any of you have seen me run.”

When comparing the leagues, Tanney said the NFL has received the reputation of being the “No Fun League,” due to its restrictions on player celebrations and related actions. That’s the opposite of the AFL, or “All Fun League,” which views itself as being extremely fan-friendly as it offers the “total entertainment experience.”

In regard to scoring celebrations, Tanney said, “In the AFL, if you can dream it, you can do it. You’re allowed to do pretty much anything you want. I’ve seen guys get on the pads around the field and pretend they’re bull-riding, and I’ve seen a guy pull out an umbrella and do a little dance with that.”

Who knows? Maybe the former Monmouth great can develop a trademark AFL celebration of his own in 2009 – maybe something with a Scottish twist? 

THE WEEK AHEAD

Sat., Nov. 15
Swimming – Monmouth Invitational, 11:30 am
Cross Country – at NCAA Regional, Rock Island, Ill., 11:00 am & Noon
Men’s Basketball – at Minnesota State, Mankato, Minn., 8:00 pm

 Sun., Nov. 16
Football – NCAA selections, ESPN News, 2:00 pm 

Tues., Nov. 18
Women’s Basketball – at Eureka, 7:30 pm

Wed., Nov. 19
Men’s Basketball – at Central Missouri, 7:00 pm 

SCOTSIVATIONAL

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” - Albert Schweitzer