Game From Obscurity

Time once again to check in with the institutions that live their lives in the small print of the newspapers that people aren’t reading any more. In case you’re interested, here’s the soundtrack for this adventure.

With two more weeks in the regular season, our small college friends are either preparing for the playoffs or saying goodbye to the seniors who’ve been a part of their program. This week, we visit “Senior Day” in West Texas at a Division 3 matchup between two members of the American Southwest Conference.  That’s right, the fantastic group of institutions who are really really excited about their brand spanking new logo. Woot!!

The visiting squadron are the Crusaders of Mary Hardin-Baylor, who come into the matchup with an undefeated record on the season and ranked #6 in the nation. They are averaging almost 38 points a game, led by the runningback tandem of Quincy Daniels (4.8 ypc and 10 TD) and LiDarral Bailey (6.1 and 7). Defensively, the Crusaders have managed eleven interceptions on the year, and have a sack tandem of Silvio Diaz (5.5 on the year) and Brenson Briston (4.5). MHB is only allowing 70 yards rushing per game.

This isn’t all that surprising, given that head coach Pete Fredenburg served as the defensive coordinator at both Baylor and Lousiana Tech, with an additional tenure at LSU. The MHB’s athletes are proudly known as “The Cru” by their supporters.

Located in Belton Texas (mid-distance between Waco and Austin), the University was founded in the Republic of Texas, and was the oldest women’s college west of the Mississippi prior to going coeducational. Theirs is a proud history, and includes traditions that include sharp cutlery and fire. The school song at MHB is “Up With The Purple“, which has not yet been sung by the most logical ensemble. Notable alumni include the first female governor of Texas, and MLB pitcher Buddy Groom.

Their opposition are the Lobos of Sul Ross State University, who are struggled to achieve two wins this season. This Saturday will be the last game at Jackson State for the eleven seniors who have served the program over the past four or five years. It’s been a difficult year for their new offensive coordinator, although they are averaging almost 25 points per game. Monte Morales will seek to lead the Lobos to upset of the heavily favored Cru.

“Sul” Ross was an “Indian fighter” and Texas Ranger as well as a former governor of the State of Texas prior to assuming the presidency of what is now Texas A&M. The institution in Alpine Texas is named for him, and was established in 1917. SRSU houses the Museum of the Big Bend, seeking to archive the cultural legacy of the peoples on both sides of the El Paso river. There seems to be a bit of a chip on the institution’s shoulder regarding a perception that the campus and community are places where there’s “nothing to do” – There are plenty of opportunities, according to the student newspaper, for adventurous Lobos to find something to keep them engaged. The most famous Lobo in the world of entertainment is Dan Blocker; begging the question why the institution hasn’t been renamed “Sull Hoss State”.