2011 RECAP
BIG NORTHEAST FOOTBALL
FINAL NCFA RANKINGS RANK 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
TEAM Mount Mercy Hawaii Tech Redmond Lansing State dennison st Kentucky Tech West Texas Los Angeles UC Long Beach Newark State St. Mary's
Valley Forge Lake Erie Continental Sunset Beach Tech Rocky Mountain St. St. Ambrose Walker North State Central Arizona Bayou State Southern Iowa
W 11 9 7 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 4 3 3 2 2 1
L 0 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 8 8 9 9 10
CW 5 5 2 3 3 4 4 3 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 1 0
CL PF 0 1457 0 1463 3 1301 1 1340 2 1287 0 1194 0 1184 2 1140 1 1349 3 1235 2 1115 3 974 3 976 2 971 2 951 4 854 3 892 4 843 3 823 5 854 3 805 4 836
2011 was a banner year for the Big Northeast Conference as Mount Mercy College moved up from Division II to take the title away from perennial and annual title game attendant Hawai'i Tech. NCFA MVP quarterback Case Keenum led the conference in scoring and blistered the NCFA passing records while at MMC and also at his other schools that he was at prior to his ACL tear in 2010. His leadership of the Panthers put them in contention from the start and they completed the second undefeated season in the NCFA. The BigNE had three teams in the top ten last season, second to the Ocean West’s four, but the 3-8 teams all had identical records of 7-4. Dennison State was one of those teams. The Railroaders were the Bulls until the board of regents pushed through their manifesto to bring the school more in line with the are that they were in. This initiated an energetic remodeling of the stadiums and campus. Now the Brakemen Club will be the booster club of the team replacing the Old Westerners. They’ll still fight for the Old Iron Lantern which the new mascot “Rails” will hold until the week 11 matchup. Valley Forge worked hard and made it past Lake Erie to qualify for a bowl game in 2011. Lake Erie looks to get their revenge as the Lakesharks and Continentals end the season at Valley Forge in Week 11. The Celtics face rival Newark State in a nonconference game since the NCFA asked the Tigers to move back to the ECAC for the 2012 season. The league looks to be strong again thanks to the combined strengths of all five teams.
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2012 OUTLOOK Valley Forge worked hard and made it past Lake Erie to qualify for a bowl game in 2011 but Lake Erie looks to get their revenge as the Lakesharks and Continentals end the season at Valley Forge in Week 11. The Celtics face rival Newark State in a non-conference game since the NCFA asked the Tigers to move back to the ECAC for the 2012 season. The league looks to be strong again thanks to the combined strengths of all five teams.
The Mount Mercy College Celtics were the toast of the town in 2011. After getting a steal of a recruit in All-National QB Case Keenum, the Celtics roared through the competition and bowled through the BigNE before defeating a stout Hawaii Tech team that lives at the NCFA Title Game sites.
Mount Mercy looks like they’ll be an average team this season , looks can be deceiving! - Opposing AD
A year later, the Celtics don’t seem to have the same firepower however their athletic director has an eye for talent and that eye will keep them ahead of the league unless an unknown recruit decides that the Mount Mercy campus isn’t a fit. Winning helps everything look better and that’s why the Celtics will be the favorites to repeat as the BigNE Champions.
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2012 OUTLOOK The Dennison State Railroaders were talented enough to move into the Pineapple Bowl, but still didn’t have the talent for their elusive first bowl win. If they can’t move forward then it’ll be another year of high expectations and blown chances. Braxton Miller and Tyler Tettleton are good options at the QB position but the WR depth is not there and the inconsistent play will have to be avoided or at least spread around or the Railroaders won’t get out of the station. Dennison always plays you tough but they have too many mental errors to be considered a top flight program
Lake Erie is a team that fought hard to get within mere yards of a bowl berth. That’s only going to feed the defense that will look to get a boost into the top of the conference. Facing a daunting out of conference schedule, the Lakesharks may have bitten off too much early, but a solid run at the right time will put them in contention for the conference and a berth in a top tier bowl. Lake Erie is right there on the cusp of great things. A break or two and they’re league champs BIG NORTHEAST CONFERENCE 2012
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2012 OUTLOOK
VFC is a team no one sees as a threat, but can’t be overlooked. They’re going to sneak up on someone
Valley Forge worked hard to get into the postseason and even had to get past Lake Erie by the narrowest of margins to do it. The second year BigNE team won't let a little hard work get in the way of their postseason dreams and they have a favorable out of conference schedule to make that happen. With games against Golden Isles, Central Arizona and Rocky Mountain State, the Continentals program may be eyeing that conference crown that Mount Mercy wrenched from everyone in stunning fashion.
The Panthers can’t get much worse. After moving up from the NAIFA to NCFA FBS, the team under performed and floundered through the inaugural NCFA season. Obviously winning in the Big Northeast is the overarching goal, but improving on their three wins from a season ago is progress enough.
Walker U is a program that just needs to find that one game where all the facets meet, and then they’ll be dangerous BIG NORTHEAST CONFERENCE 2012
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Mount Mercy
CELTICS
2012 SCHEDULE WEEK OPPONENT 1 at Golden Isles 2 Hawaii Tech 3 Sunset Beach 4 California A&M 5 Lakeshore State 6 at Wheeling 7 Dennison State 8 Walker 9 at Valley Forge 10 Lake Erie 11 Newark State
Official School Name: Mount Mercy College Celtics Location: Western, PA Nickname: Celtics Inaugural NCFA Season: 2011 Stadium, Capacity: Washington Park (29,069) All-time Record: 12-0 Bowl Record: 1-0 Conference Championships: 1 National Championships: 1 2012 ROSTER QB Kolton Browning - Louisiana-Monroe - Jr. QB Collin Klein - Kansas State - Sr. QB Matt McGloin - Penn State - Sr. RB Jawon Chisholm - Akron - So. RB Benny Cunningham - Middle Tennessee State - Sr. RB Mike Gillislee - Florida - Sr. RB Ray Graham - Pittsburgh - Sr. RB Rajion Neal - Tennessee - Jr. RB Mark Weisman - Iowa – So. WR Marcus Davis - Virginia Tech - Sr. WR Corey Fuller - Virginia Tech - Sr. WR Josh Lenz - Iowa State - Sr. WR Ty MacArthur - Air Force - Jr. WR Josh Schaffer - Western Michigan - Jr. WR Terrance Williams - Baylor - Sr. DEF Southern California DEF Southern Methodist ST Louisiana-Lafayette ST Toledo
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Mount Mercy
CELTICS
Dennison State
RAILROADERS
SCHOOL INFORMATION NAME: DENNISON STATE LOCATION: DENNISON, OH FOUNDED: 1952 ENROLLMENT: 21,473 ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT INFORMATION NICKNAME: RAILROADERS ATHLETIC COLORS: BURNT ORANGE, GRAPHITE, AND SILVER HEAD COACH: Art Walker 2012 SCHEDULE WEEK OPPONENT 1 Sunset Beach 2 at Southern Iowa 3 at Golden Isles 4 at West Texas 5 Hawaii Tech 6 California A&M 7 at WESTERN PA 8 VALLEY FORGE 9 at LAKE ERIE 10 at Kentucky Tech 11 WALKER
FOOTBALL PROGRAM INFORMATION Began Playing Football: 1952 Stadium Name: Dennison Railyards Capacity: 45,851 Surface: FieldTurf HISTORICAL RECORDS: 2004: 6-4-2 (3-1-1 OWC), Lost Heart of America Bowl 2005: 5-6-0 (2-3-0 OWC), Lost Heart of America Bowl 2006: 8-3-0 (3-2-0 OWC), Lost Paradise Bowl 2007: 5-6 2008: 3-8 2011: 7-5 (3-2) OVERALL: 34-32-11 NCFA BOWL APPEARANCES: 3 (Rainier Academy), 1 (Ohio Western) 2004: Lost Heart of America Bowl to Buffalo College (61-101) 2005: Lost Heart of America Bowl to Kalamazoo (50-111) 2006: Lost Paradise Bowl to New Jersey State (97-131) 2011: Lost Pineapple Bowl to Kentucky Tech (116-180) 2012 ROSTER QB EJ Manuel - Florida State - Sr. QB Braxton Miller - Ohio State - So. QB Tyler Tettleton - Ohio - Sr. RB Ralph Abernathy - Cincinnati - So. RB Charles Sims - Houston - Sr. RB Fitzgerald Toussaint - Michigan - Jr. RB Kerwynn Williams - Utah State - Sr. WR Anthony Amos - Middle Tennessee State - Sr. WR Brelan Chancellor - North Texas - Jr. WR Isaiah Myers - Washington State - So. WR Tobias Palmer - North Carolina State - Sr. WR Harry Peoples - Louisiana-Lafayette - Sr. WR Jamill Smith - Ball State - Jr. WR Robert Woods - Southern California - Jr. DEF Ohio State DEF Kent State ST Florida State ST Kent State BIG NORTHEAST CONFERENCE 2012
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Dennison State
RAILROADERS
Lake Erie
LAKESHARKS
SCHOOL INFORMATION NAME: DENNISON STATE LOCATION: DENNISON, OH FOUNDED: 1952 ENROLLMENT: 21,473 ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT INFORMATION NICKNAME: RAILROADERS ATHLETIC COLORS: BURNT ORANGE, GRAPHITE, AND SILVER HEAD COACH: Art Walker 2012 SCHEDULE 1 Wheeling 2 Coastal California 3 Newark State 4 Sunset Beach 5 at California A&M 6 at Southern Iowa 7 Walker 8 at Golden Isles 9 Dennison State 10 at Mount Mercy 11 at Valley Forge
Official School Name: Lake Erie University Location: Erie, Pennsylvania Nickname: Lakesharks Conference: Big Northeast Inaugural NCFA Season: Football - 2011 Athletic Director (i.e. your real name, or an alias): Patrick Dumas Stadium, Capacity: Brigadier Stadium - 45,250 All-time Record: 5-6, (2-3) Bowl Record: 0-0 Conference Championships: 0 National Championships: 0 2012 ROSTER QB David Ash - Texas - So. QB Seth Doege - Texas Tech - Sr. QB Gunner Kiel - Notre Dame - Fr. QB Ryan Nassib - Syracuse – Sr. RB Johnathan Gray - Texas - Fr. RB Eddie Lacy - Alabama - Jr. RB Mario Pender – Florida State – Fr. RB Isi Sofele - California - Sr. RB Nathan Jeffery - Texas-El Paso - So. RB Chris Thompson - Florida State – Sr. WR Stedman Bailey - West Virginia - Jr. WR Odell Beckham - Louisiana State - So. WR Stefon Diggs - Maryland - Fr. WR Derek Edwards - Texas Tech - Fr. WR Trey Metoyer - Oklahoma - Fr. WR Quintin Payton - North Carolina State – Jr. DEF Michigan State DEF Texas Christian ST Alabama ST Oklahoma
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Lake Erie
LAKESHARKS
Valley forge
CONTINENTALS
2012 SCHEDULE 1 West Texas 2 at Newark State 3 Rocky Mountain State 4 at Central Arizona 5 at Golden Isles 6 at UCLB 7 Sunset Beach 8 at Dennison State 9 Mount Mercy 10 Walker 11 Lake Erie
Official School Name: Valley Forge College Location: Valley Forge, PA Nickname: Continentals Conference: Big Northeast Inaugural NCFA Season: 2011 Stadium, Capacity: Washington Park (29,069) All-time Record: 7-5 Bowl Record: 0-1 Conference Championships: 0 National Championships: 0 2012 ROSTER QB Jeff Driskel - Florida - So. QB David Fales - San Jose State - Jr. QB Zach Kline - California - Fr. QB Tre Roberson - Indiana - So. QB Nick Sherry - Nevada-Las Vegas – Fr. RB Stephen Houston - Indiana - Jr. RB Savon Huggins - Rutgers - So. RB Keith Marshall - Georgia - Fr. RB James Wilder - Florida State - So. RB Cierre Wood - Notre Dame - Sr. RB Zach Zwinak - Penn State – So. WR Devante Davis - Nevada-Las Vegas - So. WR Jordan Leslie - Texas-El Paso - So. WR JD McKissic - Arkansas State - Fr. WR Davonte Neal - Notre Dame - Fr. WR Charone Peake - Clemson - So. WR Marcus Sullivan - Nevada-Las Vegas – So. TE Tyler Eifert - Notre Dame – Sr. DEF Alabama-Birmingham ST Ball State
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Valley forge
CONTINENTALS
WALKER
PANTHERS
SCHOOL INFORMATION NAME: DENNISON STATE LOCATION: DENNISON, OH FOUNDED: 1952 ENROLLMENT: 21,473 ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT INFORMATION NICKNAME: RAILROADERS ATHLETIC COLORS: BURNT ORANGE, GRAPHITE, AND SILVER HEAD COACH: Art Walker 2012 SCHEDULE 1 Coastal California 2 at West Texas 3 at Central Arizona 4 Lansing State 5 at Redmond 6 Lakeshore State 7 Lake Erie 8 at Mount Mercy 9 Wheeling 10 Valley Forge 11 at Dennison State
Official School Name: Walker University Location: Uhrichsville, Ohio Nickname: Panthers Conference: Big Northeast Inaugural NCFA Season: 2011 Stadium, Capacity: Whelan Stadium, 67,800 All-time Record: 3-8 Bowl Record:0-0 Conference Championships: None National Championships: None 2012 ROSTER QB Andrew Maxwell - Michigan State - Jr. QB Nathan Scheelhaase - Illinois - Jr. QB Conner Shaw - South Carolina - Jr. QB Tyler van Tubbergen - Western Michigan - Jr. QB Tyler Wilson – Arkansas – Sr. RB/WR Dri Archer - Kent State - Jr. RB Matt Brown - Temple - Sr. RB Jordan Hall – Ohio State - Sr. RB David Oku - Arkansas State - Jr. RB Jeff Scott - Mississippi - Jr. WR Corey Brown - Ohio State - Jr. WR Frankie Hammond - Florida - Sr. WR La'Rod King - Kentucky - Sr. WR Cordarelle Patterson - Tennessee - Jr. WR Latroy Pittman - Florida - Fr. DEF Clemson DEF Texas A&M ST California ST Pittsburgh
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Walker
PANTHERS
HOLLYWOOD BOWL (NCFA National Championship) Date: November 25, 2012 Time: 9 PM ET Television: TBD Site: Los Angeles, CA Facility: LA Coliseum Capacity: 92,158 Surface: Grass Pairings: NCFA #1 vs. NCFA #2 Sponsoring Association: NCFA Football Sponsor: Coca-Cola
HEART OF AMERICA BOWL Date: November 24 2012 Time: 3PM ET Television: TBD Site: Kansas City, MO Facility: Arrowhead Stadium Capacity: 76,545 Surface: Grass Sponsoring Association: Sprint/Nextel and the Kansas Speedway Sponsor: Sprint
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BEANTOWN BOWL (NCFA National Championship) Date: November 23, 2012 Time: 9 PM ET Television: TBD Site: Foxboro, MA Facility: Gillette Stadium Sponsoring Association: East Coast Athletic Conference, Sponsor: Gillette
PINEAPPLE BOWL Date: November 22, 2012 Time: 9 PM ET Television: TBD Site: Hilo, HI Facility: Protected Bay Field Sponsoring Association: Ocean West Conference Sponsor: Hawaiian Airlines
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LONE STAR BOWL (NCFA National Championship) Date: November 21, 2012 Time: 7 PM ET Television: ESPN Site: Houston, TX Facility: Reliant Stadium Sponsoring Association: NCFA Football Sponsor: Coca-Cola
PARADISE BOWL Date: November 20, 2012 Time: 9 PM ET Television: FOX Site: Miami Gardens, FL Facility: Sunlife Stadium Sponsoring Association: Miami Bowl Coalition Sponsor: Asus Computers
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