Before We Get To The Last Post

I will really miss this joke.

I should probably explain why I've failed to post for awhile.  Basically, I fell behind and didn't get to the 2 1/2 posts I usually do after the Pulaski game post.  Then, I found discovered that my stable of photographers was one short for the De Pere game (everyone was out of town).  So, without photos, I wasn't motivated to blog.  Well, that, and the way the season ended.

But that ends now.  I've had so much fun following this team so closely over the last two years that it would be silly if I left this thing unfinished.



I want to make sure that the last post on this blog is a positive one.  So this post is a little out of place, chronologically.  Oh well.

This post is about post-season awards.  Specifically, All-Conference awards.

100 years ago, when I played high school football, I pictured the coaches of the conference getting together in a hall that resembled Britain's Parliament.  I pictured a moderator, perhaps someone from the WIAA, asking for nominations for each position.  For example, "Let us begin with nominations for All-Conference quarterback.  Does anyone have a player they believe worthy of 1st team honors?"  And then the coaches would, in turn, make their nominations.  In doing so, they would talk about why their nominee should receive the honor.  If someone else was nominated, there would be a discussion as to pros and cons, then a vote.  I assumed the coaches knew the ins and the outs of all the possible candidates heading into the meeting.  And I assumed that there would, at the very least, be some measure of consistency.  This is not how it operates at the FRCC.

In the FRCC, the coaches do meet.  I don't know where, but it isn't Parliament.  My understanding is that one well-prepared coach put together player bios of the players his team chose to nominate.  He then distributed those at the beginning of the meeting.  No one else did this.  Then, each coach in the 12 team conference was given time to stand up and discuss every player he nominated.  Then, the next coach went, etc.  I can't imagine how long this took.  I have no idea if anyone even listened to the coach who spoke last.  I'm sure these coaches didn't remember much.  What a terrible system.  And the results show.

Lincoln received one 1st team All-FRCC honor (thanks Austin).  That was a no-brainer.  Without getting into my more than a few issues with particular players and their lack of recognition, I think I can illustrate the problem with just two Lincoln athletes.

The first is Muscles.  Muscles made the 2nd team.  That's not a misprint.  That's a travesty.  You will hear no argument from me, or, I'm sure, even Muscles himself, that Jake Wallenfang deserved to be the first running back chosen for All-Conference honors.  But the FRCC honors not one, not two, but three running backs on its 1st team.  Muscles was the 2nd best back in the FRCC, without a doubt this year.  He had the second most yards and the third highest yards per carry (Sheppard, from East, led the conference, but had 50 less carries than Ethan and 115 less than Wallenfang).  And he accumulated those stats without getting to run against the worst run defense in the conference (us) and the third-worst run defense in the conference (West).  (Wallenfang and Sheppard both played us, while Sheppard also got to play against West).

So, here's another kicker - the rumor is that East's coach told the room that Sheppard should be considered for honorable mention, nothing more.  So who could possibly have eclipsed Muscles for those two extra spots?  Alec Ingold (Bay Port) and Evan fucking Zellner (De Pere).  Ingold was 5th in the conference in yards and yards per carry.  He excelled, however, at touchdowns - he was 2nd with 19 (Muscles had 9 rushing TDs).  Ingold runs in an offense that gives him the ball, straight ahead, at the goal line.  As anyone who watch the Ships play this year can tell you, Muscles does not.  Muscles could have had 5 more easy touchdowns had we had a FB dive play and ran that instead of QB sneaks on the 1.  So, what I'm saying is - I don't get this.

Zellner is even weirder - he wasn't even his team's best running back (but he is a coach's son).  Zellner was 4th in yards and yards per carry but doesn't appear among the FRCC's leaders in touchdowns (Muscles is actually 3rd among running backs).

When I found out about this, I simply lost my cool.  I was told that teams that do well in conference get the All-Conference spots.  Whaaaaaa?  Sure enough, I looked at the FRCC standings - Preble, Bay Port, and De Pere finished 2, 3, and 4 in conference (league champ SW's top running back ran for 336 yards, total).  Now, I am very, very upset by this.  The playoffs are a team's reward for doing well, not individual awards for their kids.  "But you have to understand, we were the beneficiaries of that last year."  So what!?!  It was wrong both times.

I should feel lucky, as Muscles was Just one vote from dropping to Honorable Mention (a quarterback, yes, a fucking quarterback, got more votes at running back than Muscles).  What a crock.

Now, I promised (threatened) to talk about two players.  Well, J-Life set kicking records for the Ships this year.  He didn't miss a PAT until the De Pere game, and that one was simply blocked.  He was 3/3 or 4/4 on FGs until De Pere, and just missed one.  That's a heck of a season.  So what happened?  Not a vote.  Not one.  The 1st teamer?  The De Pere kid.  Missed 2 PATs and 2 FGs.  What did I hear: "He was 1st team last year and is a college-level kicker."  Great.  Good for him.  J-Life had the better season.  You wanna vote based on their future success?  Put Hollywood as the 1st team QB, then, since he's the only one with a chance at D1.

I'm frustrated, so I can't imagine how the kids feel.  All I can offer is to say that the system is completely and utterly flawed.  If this was done by an objective and knowledgable media, things would be much different.  It isn't.  And, if nothing else, it's good to learn that life is rarely, if ever, fair.  Muscles - you want to be on 1st team next year?  Recruit 10 more people who didn't play football this year.  Get them in the weight room with you.  Make sure The Department Store, Lodes, and Saubs spend extra time in the weight room.  All year.  Make sure David and Brennan play catch.  Constantly.  And the defense.  Good God, get them involved too.  Make sure Chris and Brian become leaders.  Get Mitch into Yoga.  Because the better they are, the more recognition you'll receive next year.  Oh, and it'll be a lot more fun than 3-5.

On another note, congrats to Austin (1st), Muscles (2nd), Alex (2nd), Mitch (HM), Jonah (HM), and Lodes (HM).  I strongly believe all of you deserved it.