Tag Archives: sports

COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 26TH

Concordia_MICONCORDIA (MI) RULES THE WORLD! – Every weekend during college football season finds at least one NAIA team pulling off an upset of teams from NCAA Division Two or even Division ONE. Yesterday the CONCORDIA (MI) CARDINALS played a neutral site game against Division ONE’s UMass-Lowell River Hawks. The Cardinals played like that other team from Ann Arbor and dismantled the River Hawks by a final score of FIFTY-EIGHT to NOTHING!  

southwestern assemblies of god helmetSAGU RULES THE WORLD, TOO! – And speaking of that NAIA college football tradition of upsetting teams from supposedly higher divisions, yesterday saw another such outcome. The SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD UNIVERSITY LIONS welcomed NCAA Division TWO’s PANHANDLE STATE AGGIES and defeated them in a 42-35 Instant Classic that the SAGU faithful will be talking about for years.   

Robert Morris (IL)NUMBER FOUR TAKES A FALL – The fourth-ranked team in the nation, the UNIVERSITY OF ST FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS, welcomed the NAIA’s unranked but 6-3 ROBERT MORRIS (IL) EAGLES yesterday. Despite being in their first few years of playing intercollegiate football the Eagles have performed very solidly year in and year out and yesterday saw another signature win for Robert Morris. The Eagles toppled the Cougars in a 28-24 game for the ages.

Pittsburg State GorillasAND ANOTHER NUMBER FOUR TAKES A FALL – Meanwhile over in the NCAA Division Two rankings, another number four team found themselves upset, and this one also fell in their own house. The 10th-ranked PITTSBURG (KS) STATE UNIVERSITY GORILLAS were taking on the number 4 MISSOURI WESTERN GRIFFONS in a clash between MIAA rivals. The Gorillas asserted their authority with a Continue reading

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FOUR CCCAA BASEBALL PLAYERS IN THE MLB WORLD SERIES

Saddleback College Gauchos logoFour baseball professionals who played their college ball at institutions covered by Balladeer’s Blog are in the World Series.

The Cardinals have one of them – Rob Johnson, formerly of the SADDLEBACK COLLEGE GAUCHOS. The Red Sox have the other three – Jonny Gomes from the SANTA ROSA COLLEGE BEAR CUBS, Quinton Berry from the GROSSMONT COLLEGE GRIFFINS and Daniel Nava from the Continue reading

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COOL FOOTBALL HELMET: WESTERN STATE COLORADO UNIVERSITY

Western State Mountaineers helmetWESTERN STATE COLORADO UNIVERSITY MOUNTAINEERS

Location: Gunnison, CO

Division: NCAA Division 2

Conference Affiliation: Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference

Comment: Plenty of other institutions have names that seem unusual at first glance – Texas A&M University of Corpus Christi, Indiana University Purdue University of Indiana or Continue reading

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 19TH

Bacone WarriorsBACONE RULES THE WORLD YET AGAIN! – Regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog will remember that each week of every college football season brings us at least one NAIA college football team upsetting a team from NCAA Division Two. (No NCAA Division 3 teams do that) The BACONE COLLEGE WARRIORS are one of the NAIA teams that accomplish this task on a fairly regular basis and yesterday they did it again, trouncing D2’s visiting PANHANDLE STATE AGGIES 47-9.

Northwestern College Red RaidersTOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA – The unranked STERLING COLLEGE WARRIORS brought down the visiting 8th ranked OTTAWA UNIVERSITY BRAVES in an authoritative 30-18 manhandling   ###   The NORTHWESTERN (IA) COLLEGE RED RAIDERS (helmet at left) won a thrilling 30-28 homestand against the number 14 CONCORDIA (NE) BULLDOGS   ###   And the SOUTHERN OREGON RAIDERS sent the 18th ranked MSU-NORTHERN LIGHTS home reeling from a 55-28 beatdown.

Midwestern State MustangsTOP 25 UPSETS – NCAA DIVISION TWO – The number 21 MIDWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY MUSTANGS hosted the 7th ranked WEST ALABAMA TIGERS and crushed them 45-21   ###   Meanwhile the LENOIR-RHYNE UNIVERSITY BEARS smacked around the visiting number 23 NEWBERRY WOLVES to the tune of 35-14   ###   And the EDINBORO UNIVERSITY FIGHTING SCOTS knocked the homestanding 25th ranked IUP CRIMSON HAWKS out of the rankings in a 36-30 nailbiter.

Rowan ProfsTOP 25 UPSETS – NCAA DIVISION THREE – The ROWAN UNIVERSITY PROFS were ungracious hosts, toppling the number 11 WESLEY WOLVERINES by a score of 24-17   ###   Meanwhile the SALISBURY UNIVERSITY SEAGULLS marked Family Weekend by winning a 42-35 Instant Classic against the 19th ranked ST JOHN FISHER CARDINALS   ###   And the UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE SPARTANS clobbered the number 21 COE KOHAWKS 38-14 in Continue reading

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 17TH AND 18TH

Washburn Ichabods helmetFOURTEEN AND FIFTEEN ROLL! – During Halloween season one of the things you think about is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, which makes you think of Ichabod Crane, which makes you think about the WASHBURN UNIVERSITY ICHABODS. The Ichabods are ranked number 14 in the nation and on Thursday night they crushed the visiting FORT VALLEY STATE WILDCATS 41-0   ###   And the 15th ranked OHIO DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY PANTHERS nearly doubled up on the FINDLAY OILERS, smashing them 41-21.

MercyhurstMASSACRE AT MERCYHURST – On Thursday night the MERCYHURST UNIVERSITY LAKERS welcomed the GANNON UNIVERSITY GOLDEN KNIGHTS into their lair. This game too kept to the evening’s theme of teams playing incredibly lopsided affairs. Per the title of this segment Mercyhurst massacred their opponents in merciless (see what I did there) fashion, with the final score being Lakers 51  Golden Knights 21.

Itawamba College IndiansFINALLY A CLOSE GAME! – Thursday night did yield one close game, fortunately. The ITAWAMBA COLLEGE INDIANS won an Instant Classic against the visiting NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE TIGERS. The Indians eked out a 36-33 win in this nailbiter   ###   And in the only other reasonably close game of the evening the HINDS COLLEGE EAGLES defeated the Continue reading

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS FROM BALLADEER’S BLOG

HELMETMorningside_IANAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) –

1. MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS (2012 runners-up)      ###      2. BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS      ###      3. GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS      ###      4. CARROLL COLLEGE FIGHTING SAINTS      ###      5. UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS      ###      6. MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE VIKINGS      ###     

Rocky_Mountain_MT_OLD57. ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BATTLIN’ BEARS      ###      8. CONCORDIA (NE) UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS      ###      9. OTTAWA (KS) UNIVERSITY BRAVES      ###      10. TABOR COLLEGE BLUEJAYS      ###      11. PERU STATE BOBCATS      ###      12. UNIVERSITY OF SAINT FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS      ###     

NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) –

North Greenville Crusaders1. NORTH GREENVILLE UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS      ###      2. AZUSA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY COUGARS      ###      3. TRINITY INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY TROJANS      ###      4. GREENVILLE COLLEGE PANTHERS ( defending champions)      ###      5. GENEVA COLLEGE GOLDEN TORNADOES       ###      6. Continue reading

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 12TH

North_Carolina-PembrokeUNC-PEMBROKE RULES THE WORLD – Just as various 1AA (FCS) college football teams manage upsets over 1A (FBS) teams the teams in NCAA Division 2 sometimes manage upsets over 1AA teams. Yesterday the UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA-PEMBROKE BRAVES took it on the road against 1AA’s UNC-Charlotte Forty-Niners. The Braves more than doubled-up on their higher division opponents, winning a 45-22 upset smackdown!  

Oklahoma Baptist University helmetHISTORY FOR OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY – The NAIA’s OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY BISON won the very FIRST football victory of this debut year for their restored program! They simultaneously embraced that NAIA tradition of defeating their rivals in NCAA Division 3, too. The Bison traveled to face Division 3’s SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY PIRATES and stampeded them by a final score of 42-21! Congratulations, OBU!

Mayville State CometsTOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA – The MAYVILLE STATE COMETS welcomed the 16th ranked VALLEY CITY STATE VIKINGS and defeated them in a 14-9 nailbiter   ###   Meanwhile the KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS notched a 22-14 road win over the number 17 LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS   ###   And the DAKOTA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY TIGERS toppled the 20th ranked DOANE TIGERS 31-20 in their Continue reading

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 10TH AND 11TH

West Alabama TigersNUMBER ONE TAKES A FALL – The undefeated and top-ranked team in the country, the defending champion VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY BLAZERS, were toppled on the road last night by the number 12 UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA TIGERS. The two Gulf South Conference rivals played things tight through to Halftime, by which point the Blazers actually led the Tigers by a score of 16-14. In the 2nd Half West Alabama exploded for 35 points while holding Valdosta State to just 14. The 49-30 victory gives the Tigers a 5-1 record, the Blazers fall to 4-1.

Fond du lac Thunder helmetTHUNDER OVER MESABI RANGE – Meanwhile, down in the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association), which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year by the way, there was only one game last night that was remotely close. The FOND DU LAC TRIBAL COLLEGE THUNDER took it on the road against the MESABI RANGE COLLEGE NORSE. The Thunder emerged with a Continue reading

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COOL FOOTBALL HELMET: OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY BISON

Oklahoma Baptist University helmetOKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY BISON

Location: Shawnee, OK

Division: NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)

Comment: The cool name and extra-cool logo of the Oklahoma Baptist University Bison have had me wishing for years  that this revered institution of higher learning would add football. This year I got my wish! The OBU Bison are Continue reading

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 5TH

Pittsburg State GorillasTHE GORILLAS RULE THE WORLD – Call it Rise of the Planet of the Gorillas or whatever else you might like. Yesterday NCAA Division Two’s PITTSBURG (KS) STATE UNIVERSITY GORILLAS played host to NCAA Division ONE’s Abilene Christian University Wildcats and pulled off the upset! In what was one of the tightest and hardest-fought games of the day Gus the Gorilla’s team came out on top in the end by a score of 28-20.

HELMETGrand_View_IANUMBER THREE TAKES A FALL – The 4th ranked GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS were on the road against the number 3 team in the nation, the SAINT XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS. This was the marquis matchup yesterday in the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) but the Cougars seemed determined to give the game away with no less than FIVE turnovers. That inability to hold onto the ball helped fuel GVU’s 48-21 upset victory.

American River College BeaversNUMBER ONE TAKES A FALL – Meanwhile down at the CCCAA level of college football, the AMERICAN RIVER COLLEGE BEAVERS handed a rare defeat to the homestanding and top-ranked CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO RAMS. Even more surprising for fans of the storied CCSF football program was the sheer one-sidedness of the game. The final score in this humiliating smackdown was Beavers 34  Rams 13.  

Marian Knights helmet newNEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE HEART OF A CHAMPION – The defending national champions of NAIA college football, the MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS, at last bounced back from the three-game losing streak that caused them to topple from the rankings. The Knights were visited by the number 23 ROBERT MORRIS (IL) EAGLES and defeated them in a Continue reading

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