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Post by breezy on Feb 10, 2019 8:12:57 GMT -5
Tribute to Ari from Jen Toland and Mark Allen:
My favorite story about Ari comes from that same win over Army in 2002.
I was listening to the game on the radio in the den at my home. Army scored a TD to take the lead (I think it was 17-14). I said something like "Nuts!" (or worse) and went to the bathroom. I come back and resume listening, and all of a sudden Army has the ball. I say to myself "How can that be?" But as I continue listening, I find out that Ari Confesor had run the ensuing kickoff all the way back for a TD, putting HC ahead (I think it was 21-17) -- and it was a lead that HC would never surrender. (I also remember in the fourth quarter, with Army deep in HC territory, Army went for it on a fourth-and-short, and Andy Martin stuffed the runner so that HC took over on downs and sealed the victory.)
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Post by hcpride on Feb 10, 2019 8:20:57 GMT -5
Congrats to Ari. I was at that AWP game referenced and he simply blew that team away. (The season did not get any better for AWP BTW...1 win that year and 0 the next)
(Checking out the football staff page it looks like we still have one HC grad on staff [Chris Smith '09] and only the smallest of connections/overlaps remain with the TG regime.)
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Post by purple1 on Feb 10, 2019 9:39:35 GMT -5
Duffner had a $3M+ deal for 5 years to leave HC. He received a 400% increase, that is why he left.
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Post by HC92 on Feb 10, 2019 9:54:20 GMT -5
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Post by Ray on Feb 10, 2019 10:06:42 GMT -5
Ari will undoubtedly make a lot more money at the AFA than at HC and his future as a coach in football will be brighter with the AFA on his resume than if he remained at Holy Cross. We should be happy for him and wish him well . . . . . until and if we see AFA on a future Holy Cross schedule. P.S. Ray, you know I was joking, right? But your statement was comparing a head coaching job - Duffner at D-IA Maryland vs. an Ari assistant at D-IA AFA. If Ari makes more at AFA than Duffner made at Maryland, I am pretty sure that while that may be true in absolute dollar terms, it is not true in relative terms. I guarantee you that the head coach at Maryland today makes more than Ari will make as an assistant at AFA today.
Of course it's not true in relative terms. Or are you joking again? I can't tell.
This is what I get for venturing into the football board.
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Post by sader1970 on Feb 10, 2019 10:48:09 GMT -5
Ray, we're good.
As for Army, I've been to almost every HC-Army football game (curiously, all at West Point, go figure) since 1966 including Ari's great game. I did miss the 1974 game as I had an important prior commitment - I got married. But, some of the many Crusaders at the wedding/reception checked up on the score for me, a close 13-10 loss after winning 17-10 the year before.
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Post by gks on Feb 10, 2019 10:55:18 GMT -5
Ari's performance at Army that year was one of the best individual performances in HC history.
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Post by hcpride on Feb 10, 2019 11:00:28 GMT -5
Ari's performance at Army that year was one of the best individual performances in HC history. Having been present for both Gil's 3-quarter domination of Columbia (337 yards rushing on just 18 carries with 6 touchdowns) and Ari's awesome tearing apart of FBS Army (327 all purpose yards - -including 83 on just two handoffs from scrimmage - and one touchdown) I have to agree. In both cases they appeared to be, by far, the quickest guys on the field (no doubt blocking paid a part). In both cases the opposition was beginning historically awful stretches - - almost unfair mismatches as Gil and Ari were just too good those days.
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Post by hc87 on Feb 10, 2019 11:32:57 GMT -5
I'd throw John Provost's game against Brown in 1974 into the mix as well...punt returns of 59 and 85 for TDs and 4 int's. Also a "Bob Hope All-American"
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Feb 10, 2019 11:42:42 GMT -5
I'd throw John Provost's game against Brown in 1974 into the mix as well...punt returns of 59 and 85 for TDs and 4 int's. Also a "Bob Hope All-American" I ws there and I cannot imagine anyone challenging that as the greatest single performance in HC football history,. I believe he also blocked some kicks that game.
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Post by rgs318 on Feb 10, 2019 11:44:08 GMT -5
Who selected the "Bob Hope All-Americans"? Was that a poll of USO performers?
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Post by sader1970 on Feb 10, 2019 11:47:47 GMT -5
. You don't think Jerry Colonna, Raquel Welch, Joey Heatherton (the "Merry Mailman's" daughter), Connie Stevens aren't as qualified as sports writers or football coaches? P.S. Just checked to see if Joey was still alive - she is! 74 years old and I knew she was a fellow Long Islander as my grandfather knew her father but I did not realize she was born in Rockville Centre. So unless she was born in her house, she was born in Mercy Hospital like me.
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Post by rgs318 on Feb 10, 2019 11:48:51 GMT -5
lol
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Feb 10, 2019 11:48:54 GMT -5
Steve Silva definitely had a few games that are worth mentioning.
One that comes to mind was in 2005 against Sacred Heart -- 89 yards rushing for three TDs, two passing TDs, four catches for 40 yards and one TD, and two punt returns for 30 yards.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Feb 10, 2019 12:24:02 GMT -5
Who selected the "Bob Hope All-Americans"? Was that a poll of USO performers? If I remember correctly, Look Magazine determined the ALL American team that appeared on the Bob Hope Show.
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Post by rgs318 on Feb 10, 2019 12:50:50 GMT -5
Thanks Crucis#1. I had blocked that out.
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Post by hchoops on Feb 10, 2019 12:55:30 GMT -5
Ari's performance at Army that year was one of the best individual performances in HC history. Gill’s 337 yds (18.7 ypc) and 6 TDs vs Columbia or one of Gordie’s many 2 way games would rival it
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Feb 10, 2019 13:07:58 GMT -5
Wasn't it Kodak that sponsored the Bob Hope All-American teams?
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Post by Crucis#1 on Feb 10, 2019 14:08:06 GMT -5
My mistake regarding Look Magazine. Their last All American team was announced in 1971. The 1974 All American team that appeared on the Bob Hope show was determined by the Associated Press. The clip above shows John Provost #43, in the background. The original broadcast had a very brief exchange between Bob Hope and John Provost. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1974_College_Football_All-America_Team#DefenseJohn Provost was an AP and Walter Camp Foundation All American.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Feb 10, 2019 15:30:24 GMT -5
Hope would say something borderline clever about each player as he was presented. As I recall (have not checked videos) hope said something along the lines of “John Provost from Holy Cross—that shows you what prayer and a great pair of hands will do for you”. He might have mentioned the interceptions
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Post by hcpride on Feb 10, 2019 15:35:20 GMT -5
Ari's performance at Army that year was one of the best individual performances in HC history. Gill’s 337 yds (18.7 ypc) and 6 TDs vs Columbia or one of Gordie’s many 2 way games would rival it Gill's 337 yards on just 18 rushes, 6 TD performance (playing just 3 quarters) day v Columbia was just ridiculous. Even by the standards of the top rusher in HC history (Gill) it was ridiculous. Although he had several 200+ yards rushing games in his (pre-Patriot League) HC career, he was never within 100 yards of that mind-boggling day v Columbia.
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Post by hc87 on Feb 10, 2019 15:54:18 GMT -5
No slight on the Thrill but the Lions were brutal that year....though they did have a decent QB (Witkowski?)...if memory serves, they kept throwing the ball which led to many HC possessions that game...hence the 77 points.
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Post by hc87 on Feb 10, 2019 17:04:45 GMT -5
This was probably Gordie's signature game....don't have the exact stats in front of me but played almost the entire game both ways. Great 17-14 W ovah a pretty decent Black Knights of the Hudson 11 before a packed Michie. The WCHC guys were nearly thrown out of the press box multiple times. Army 1986:
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Post by hcpride on Feb 10, 2019 18:17:38 GMT -5
No slight on the Thrill but the Lions were brutal that year....though they did have a decent QB (Witkowski?)...if memory serves, they kept throwing the ball which led to many HC possessions that game...hence the 77 points. Columbia was starting the nation's longest winless streak as I recall. Absolutely terrible. After being walloped by us on October 29, 1983 they did not win a game until October 8, 1988! The game before ours they tied Bucknell and two weeks before they had defeated Yale. So, we knew they weren't good but the previous two games they did pretty well....I don't think Coach Carter knew quite how badly they would match up against Gill's speed. Gill only carried the ball three times in the second half. None in the 4th quarter. HC 4th string (!) played the entire 4th quarter. Columbia did continue to throw like crazy (QB was 26 of 54 for 316 yards) in an ill-advised attempt to catch up - and scored 4 TDs. Anyone who thought HC deliberately ran it up should read both accounts on p. 24: college.holycross.edu/departments/archives/exhibits/crusader/crusader_pages/1980s/11-04-1983.pdf Funny enough, the next week we tied Harvard in the rain...and Columbia tied Dartmouth! Gordie's '86 game against a solid FBS (6-5 final record) Army team was quite a performance (especially considering the quality of the opponent). As I recall his offensive output was modest (for him) but he made a billion game-saving tackles. I've seen the tape and his speed is apparent.
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Post by hc87 on Feb 10, 2019 18:51:22 GMT -5
He actually had 4 receptions for 73 yds and around 30 yds rushing along with the 22 tackles....just checked.
Army had beaten a Liberty Bowl bound Tennessee in Knoxville a week earlier.
Joe Wilson also had a great game vs. Rutgers in 1972 as well. Something like 270 yds rushing.
I think those are the Top 5 or so individual game performances post 1970 (Ari, Gil, Provost, Gordie and Wilson) imo.
Congrats again Ari....good luck in Colorado.
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