November 04, 2009

My Freshman Year: Family, friends, & football

From frustrating academic courses to a haunted house with the entire Wabash College football team, my first couple months as a Little Giant have been exciting none the less. I am Carl Rivera and currently a freshman safety on the football team. When I first arrived on campus I really wasn’t sure what to expect. All of my friends were going to big state schools and were trying to convince me to follow their paths. Since the day the veterans of the football team welcomed us to our new family, I haven’t looked back with regret once. Transition from high school to college is a lot more difficult than people think, especially coming to an elite school like Wabash. What people don’t understand is that at Wabash, the amount of support and help that is supplied is endless and it starts with the football team. Every Tuesday evening senior WR Jake Grow (biology major) voluntarily helps me with my biology whenever I seem to be struggling. If there is ever a problem, personal or not, I know one of my brothers from the football team will always be there for help.

 

Last Wednesday, one of our coaches set up a “spooky” journey down to a haunted house in Indy. The trip turned out to be very successful, ending in laughs from everyone. The chainsaws, bloody knifes, and painful whips put more fear in some of the seniors’ eyes than I thought was possible. As everyone was boarding the bus the stories started to flow. Every group had different stories of their own experiences in the terrifying halls of the haunted house and everyone could laugh at themselves.

 

RED SWARM! Our Red Squad team this year was awesome. We went 5-0 and had a great time dominating our opponents.  We had a lot of talent and these games helped us realize how much of an opportunity and potential we have for the next three years. More importantly, we had a lot of fun. Our coaches are all about winning and dominating the game, but won’t hesitate to laugh on the sidelines. They always put us in situations to win the game and have fun at the same time. Now that our games are over, it’s time to take it to the next level as we make our varsity team better. It is part our job to get this team ready for the final stretch of the season and leading into the playoffs. At the same time we’ll be preparing ourselves for the offseason and next season.

WAF!

Carl Rivera ‘13

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November 03, 2009

Family and Fun

When I was sitting in the team meeting today preparing for Hiram, I realized that the season is reaching the end. However, this past week will be a week that I will never forget. On Monday after practice, Coach Raeburn told the team that there was going to be a team activity on Wednesday night after practice. Nobody knew what the Coach Raeburn had in store for us. So after practice on Wednesday, everyone quickly showers up and gets a bite to eat before we had to get on the bus for our team activity. The team activity consisted of driving to Indianapolis to go to a haunted house. The haunted house was a hit by the entire team. Everyone had a great time and found out some information that people did not know. We found out that Coach Tony is scared of clowns, Coach Gilbert can be frightened and was by a human who walks on all fours, and numerous members of the football team were terrified of the chainsaw killer. However, the most memorable moment of the entire night was watching Jake Kolisek, Kyle Najar, and Dan Ryan Wood run out of the haunted house in nothing but their boxers. The site of them running out was a hit with everyone. The best part was watching Kyle trip and fall and frantically trying to grab his articles of clothing that he dropped.

Then on our way to Oberlin for our game, we made a detour and stopped in South Bend at the College Football Hall of Fame. This was an incredible experience for me, since I have never been there before. We were able to walk around and see various parts of college football history, such as previous Division 3 national champions, winners of Division 1 bowl games, and numerous college football legends. The most interesting par t of the hall of fame was seeing that the Wabash and DePauw rivalry is one of the top ten biggest rivalries. After going to the hall of fame, we got back on the bus and completed the great week by defeating Oberlin 41-9. By going to the haunted house and College Football Hall of Fame, it is evident that Wabash football likes to have a good time and those two experiences will be ones that I will never forget.

WABASH ALWAYS FIGHTS!

Jake Martin ‘11

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October 16, 2009

Family

It has been quite a journey this past year.  I am currently a sophomore here at Wabash and I have had amazing experience with this Wabash Football Family.  I come from Phoenix, AZ and it was very difficult to adapt to college life and being far away from home.  I was not sure what to expect going in to this, but this football FAMILY relieved my stress and anxiety and made me feel right at home.  That was something that was very important to me because I struggled a lot when I got here and it was nice to know that I was already making a lot of friends on the football team.

 

This is my second year playing red squad and it has been awesome.  I was injured for a few weeks in the beginning of the season and was unfortunately unable to compete in our first game: DEPAUW!  However, I have played in the last two games and it has been an awesome experience.  It is cool to work with all of the freshmen because I remember being in their shoes a year ago.  I know that this offense isn’t easy and I know a lot of guys can attest to that.  I love helping these guys and I think we have grown a lot closer since the beginning of the season.  We are currently 3-0!

 

What I truly admire about this football team is that we are so willing to help and encourage each other even if we are competing for the same spot.  That is something that is difficult to swallow as a player, however it is not all about you as a player, but rather what you can do to help this FAMILY.  It just really showed the selflessness of this team and I really appreciated that and it was actually something I did not expect and that is what makes this program so unique.  When I was a freshman, I was nervous about meeting Matt Hudson and asking him questions, but he was always so willing and open to help any of us quarterbacks and it showed how much he cares about the team and not himself.  Wabash Football is unique and it creates an environment that not a lot of football players get to experience and it is something that will stay with you for the rest of your life. 

 

It is finally Witt week and I know we have all been looking forward to this game all year.  This game means everything to us.  It basically determines our conference and our spot in the playoffs.  We know that this is a challenging opponent but it is up to us to execute and play to our potential.  As long as we take care of the football and play to the best of our abilities, we will win this game.  The atmosphere during this week has been the most intense thus far and we have had a great week of practice and I am really confident in this team and I know we will show up on Saturday!       

WAF!

Daniel Ambrosio '12

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October 14, 2009

WITT WEEK!

The Wabash Football team has officially reached the halfway point in our regular season. It seems like it was just yesterday that we were gearing up for Denison. However, five weeks later we are a perfect 5-0. Since we are at the halfway point, I will give a brief overview of the first half of the season before I mention our upcoming opponent, Wittenberg.

 The first half of the season has been everything that I had hoped and more. The defense is playing absolutely lights out thanks to many senior leaders. Matt Whyde (DL) has been tearing up the offensive line and has been harassing the QB every game. Brian Watson and Matt Kraft have been studs at linebacker for us. They have both made some phenomenal plays and have really stepped up. Addrian Frederick has been a beast at DB and leads the team in interceptions. On offense, Matt Hudson, Kody LeMond, and Wes Chamblee have all played up to their amazing potential. There is no defense in the country that can stop these guys when they are clicking. Also, Tommy Mambourg has been an absolute animal running the ball this year and the experienced O-Line has made it easy for him at times by creating some huge holes. We have been able to have a good mix of run and pass on offense, and I think that has helped us be successful.

While the first half of the season has been great, it does not mean anything to us, because we focused on the game coming up this weekend. IT’S WITT WEEK!!!! Both Witt and Wabash have excellent history regarding their football programs. While Wabash just won its 600^th game a few weeks ago against Allegheny, Wittenberg posts an impressive 677 wins, which is the most of any DIII program. This game coming up will be an absolute brawl. In fact, Coach Creighton used to call this game World War III. The games from the previous two years against Witt have come down to the final play of the game. Believe me, this upcoming game will be no different. We will have to play our absolute best to beat the Tigers, but I know that our men will do just that. We will come into Saturday more focused than ever and we will not let Witt come to Byron P. Hollett and beat us. We will dominate!

 We have our fall break this weekend, so I know a lot of students are going to be traveling home this weekend. However, it would be awesome to have a big crowd on Saturday. So, if any of you are looking for something to do this weekend, come out and support your Little Giants. It will be an outstanding game and you will not be disappointed!

 

Wabash Always Fights!

 Chad Sorenson #89

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October 02, 2009

My First Few Weeks at the Bash

I am now into my 7^th week on campus and have yet to find a reason not to be here. Football camp was a blast. It was great to be here with the Wabash Football Family a week before everyone else arrived. We used that time to learn the plays, practice, watch film, and have some fun! We did different events like skit night, introductions, the human hand-me-down, Air Force, the campus scavenger hunt (until the storm came) and American Gladiators!

 The football team is awesome! The varsity team is currently undefeated at 3-0 and the red squad is also undefeated at 1-0 (against DePauw). I love that fact that we have a red squad because it gives everyone who doesn’t play on Saturdays a chance to get live reps against others teams. Practice at Wabash is different than most other schools. Everyone gets reps the entire practice and no one spends more than three plays standing around. We work hard every single day and have a lot of fun along the way. There is no other school I’d rather play for!

 

Before I came, everyone warned me about how the classes were so much more difficult than high school; they were right in a sense. The classes I’ve taken this semester have not necessarily been harder than high school, but definitely more work. I have done more reading and writing thus far in the semester than I did all of high school. The one thing that separates Wabash from high school is the availability of resources. The professors, students, football team, and the Writing Center all have helped me with assignments that I was unsure of or wanted reviewed.   WAF!

Derek Rowe ‘13

 

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September 30, 2009

On to Meadville

It is finally beginning to hit me that all the clichés that every Senior has said since my Freshman year are actually true.  It goes by fast, enjoy every minute, you’re only a Senior once, etcetera etcetera.  It’s all true—as much as I would not have expected it to be so as a Freshman.  Ironically, I am now the one saying these things, and I certainly hope this year’s Freshman listen better than I did.

It’s been a great beginning to my Senior year here at Wabash so far.  We’re clicking as a team, blowing out our opponents in our wins, and yet we all feel that there is much room to improve.  You know that you’re at a special place when people get upset after a 56-7 win at all the mistakes they feel were made.  Every week we are looking to improve, to not just beat our next opponent, but to play the best we possibly can.

A highlight so far has been being voted captain by my teammates, along with Matt Kraft, Skip Tokar, and Matt Hudson.  It’s been great to have another linebacker at the coin flip with me, especially one as “hard” as Matt Kraft, in the words of Coach Gilbert.  I know that every time Kraft interlocks his fingers with mine at the toss, that he is only thinking “hard” thoughts, and planning how he can make the rest of the team as “tough” as him. 

All joking aside, this week will be a true test for both sides of the ball.  Allegheny is a good team—the best we have seen thus far.  I’m excited to have the opportunity to truly test our team against one of the better teams in the conference.  Trust me, we will be bringing our best to Meadville.

WAF,

Bryan Watson, Senior LB

 

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September 22, 2009

Family

Just as we felt as a team while leaving the field at Chicago following our 48-10 victory last weekend, I approach my inaugural blog with mixed emotions.  I find myself in a unique position.  I will spend one more year at Wabash to graduate in 2011, yet this is my final season as a football player - ever.  The body begins to deteriorate in the latter stages of the college football player’s career.  Going up flights of stairs only means sharp knee pains and waking up to a Sunday morning is always accompanied by the popping of sternums, backs, and elbows.   As I look ahead to next year, part of me eagerly wonders what college life will be like without spending my late afternoons on the field.  Yet, a bigger part of me fears that day.  That day also means that my fellow seniors of Wabash Football will have continued on to the dreaded “real world.”  Some will be married, others will be overseas, and still more may be enrolled in additional school on the eastern coast.  This season has been surreal thus far.  I can only close by thanking my fellow brothers of Wabash Football for the experiences thus far.  As we prepare to take the field on each of the remaining Saturdays left in the season, and for us seniors, our entire football career, I take refuge in knowing that while we all share a passion for this wonderful game we play, this desire is only surpassed by a fervor for each other.  WAF!

-Kenny Coggins, Senior DE

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