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The VU Beat
Thoughts from VU Football Media Day
Posted by:
PaulOren on
August 13, 2009 at
10:08PM EST
As my Milwaukee Brewers continue to spin off into oblivion and as I sit watching Monday Night Football on a Thursday, I guess it's officially football season. This was no more evident to me when my alarm clock went off early this morning for Valparaiso Football Media Day.
Now don't fool yourself, this Media Day is not the same kind of event that the big conferences hold where coaches apologize for omitting Tim Tebow from the preseason all-conference team. Matter of fact, I'm not even sure the Pioneer Football League has a preseason all-conference team. I know they have a preseason poll and I know the Crusaders are picked to finish ninth out of ten teams. Valparaiso's Media Day begins with a team picture and then instructions that players were available for interviews. I had done some homework before the event and I had a pretty healthy list of who I wanted to interview. One of the biggest topics to come from Media Day surrounded the unexpected summer departure of transfer Houston Erbstoesser. The talented quarterback came to Valparaiso following a Mormon mission, but when his wife was unable to secure a job, the pair decided to move back to California. Valparaiso coach Stacy Adams didn't downplay Erbstoesser's absence, which is to say that he didn't ignore the topic, but he didn't seem like he was too bothered by the whole ordeal. Sure it would've been nice to have him on the roster, but the football team loses as much from last season as the men's basketball team loses with the departure of Beas Hamga...nothing. The player most directly affected by Erbstoesser's departure is sophomore quarterback Matt Upshaw. The Warren Central product had nothing but positive things to say about competing with Erbstoesser in spring football and he admits the process made him a better football player. Receiver Ryan Myers (Chesterton) and running back Ross Wiemer agreed that Upshaw improved both on and off-the-field. Wiemer and Upshaw were also in agreement that the Crusaders will earn their highest degree of success this season by running the football. Wiemer said he put on nearly seven pounds of new muscle in the off-season in preparation for lowering his shoulders into the defense. Upshaw stated that he would throw the ball 30 times if it meant the team would benefit from it, but his eyes lit up when he talked about running the ball 30 times. If Upshaw doesn't earn the starting position then sophomore Bobby Wysocki or junior transfer Nate Goergen could handle the snaps. Goergen is listed as a junior, but the Phoenix transfer told me on Thursday that he has three seasons of eligibility remaining. On the defensive side of the ball, both Adams and defensive coordinator Sam Bernardi talked about the wealth of experience at the front of the line with Adam Rundh as well as the secondary with Anthony Curry and Kyle Himmelwright. The three players have been starting since their sophomore year or earlier and they'll be expected to lead a strong defensive unit. The biggest question mark on defense will be the linebacker corps, where the Crusaders were decimated by graduation. Sean Dillion (87 tackles last season), Ryan Koepke (69 tackles) and Matt Mancl (39 tackles) have all moved on and they will be replaced by Zac Griffin (missed last season due to injury), James Joos (13 tackles) and JaVon Welch (30 tackles). While the linebackers will be relatively inexperienced, both Adams and Bernardi raved about their athleticism. I’ll try to get out to practice a couple more times before the season begins on Sept. 4 against St. Joseph’s. An interesting note is that while the game against the Pumas has always been one of Valparaiso’s biggest rivalries for years, all of the current players have their eyes on the Butler Bulldogs on Oct. 17. Given that Butler is the only school that Valparaiso competes against in every sport, it makes sense that the two are rivals. I’m sure many players from past Crusader teams are rolling in their proverbial graves with the knowledge that St. Joseph’s is no longer Public Enemy No. 1. – Paul Oren
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