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Post by hc1996 on Oct 8, 2023 13:41:04 GMT -5
Hoping some on this board can help clarify as the COVID year and eligibility confuse me a little. Which seniors have another year of eligibility next year? Will we be seeing Sluka and Coker again??
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Post by nycrusader2010 on Oct 8, 2023 14:00:39 GMT -5
Hoping some on this board can help clarify as the COVID year and eligibility confuse me a little. Which seniors have another year of eligibility next year? Will we be seeing Sluka and Coker again?? Sluka definitely has another year. Will it be at Holy Cross? Who knows.
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Post by rgs318 on Oct 8, 2023 14:36:16 GMT -5
One can always hope!
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Post by hc1996 on Oct 8, 2023 14:51:36 GMT -5
So, it appears we have benefited from the extra eligibility due to the COVID year. Once that is gone, there will be more of a difference between us and the other FCS schools who can field fifth year guys on the regular, correct?
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Post by hc2020 on Oct 8, 2023 18:51:55 GMT -5
Stuka and Coker are seniors who have a 5th COVID year of eligibility. All of the current seniors on the roster have a COVID year, but after this year’s senior class there are no more classes with a COVID years left.
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Post by sader1970 on Oct 8, 2023 19:14:22 GMT -5
The Crusaders have unquestionably benefited from the extra year of eligibility and losing that playing field leveler for us against our non-PL competitors makes me a bit concerned that without it, staying at Holy Cross might be a bit less attractive to Coach Chesney.
But, let's focus on this season. There are a lot more games to play as we are just at the midpoint of the season. Not sure why I'm a wee bit disappointed with a 4-2 record. Oh, yeah, because I predicted we'd go undefeated and with just an average amount of luck, we would be. BC was definitely winnable. Harvard, even 2-3 turnovers and we would have won. But 5? 5!!! Ugh!
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Oct 8, 2023 19:19:47 GMT -5
So, it appears we have benefited from the extra eligibility due to the COVID year. Once that is gone, there will be more of a difference between us and the other FCS schools who can field fifth year guys on the regular, correct? Yes and if HC isn’t able to do non-medical fifth years, I fear it makes retaining HCBC that much more difficult.
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Post by cruskater31 on Oct 8, 2023 19:20:39 GMT -5
Pull a Fordham and start offering non-medical redshirts. Tell the PL we will focus on an at-large and not worry about winning an auto-bid.
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Post by hcpride on Oct 9, 2023 7:17:44 GMT -5
If both Sluka and Dobbs depart at the end of this year that is a huge blow. Both made tremendous contributions as starters their respective frosh years and have been among the tops in FCS at their postions ever since. Nobody on the roster has close to their talent at quarterback and linebacker IMHO (despite some very good recuiting in the interim).
Between these losses (especially Sluka) and a future without fifth-years (if we buy into some sort of a PL self-defeating mindset) we may be scaling our program goals back to PL Championships in the very near future.
Holding on to Chesney with a goal like that seems a no-go from the get-go.
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Post by dlshc27 on Oct 9, 2023 7:19:39 GMT -5
Hoping some on this board can help clarify as the COVID year and eligibility confuse me a little. Which seniors have another year of eligibility next year? Will we be seeing Sluka and Coker again?? Just for a little perspective on this topic...Mason McCormick the stud OG for SDSU's National Championship team is a 6th Year Senior. The playing field is different depending on the school you play at and the opportunities offered academically. Holy Cross not offering a post grad option limits their options once the HS class of 2020 completes their 5th Year in 2024.
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Post by rgs318 on Oct 9, 2023 7:21:15 GMT -5
hcpride, that sounds like a vote of "no confidence" for those currently on the roster. Next year will certainly be very different with new personel at key positions, but those who fill them may already be on the team. I, for one, am looking to see just how the coaches "reload."
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Post by hcpride on Oct 9, 2023 7:23:52 GMT -5
That sounds like a vote of "no confidence" for those currently on the roster. Next year will certainly be very different with new personel at key positions, but those who fill them may already be on the team. I, for one, am looking to see just how the coaches "reload." Not suggesting we don't have good players throughout the roster and incoming. Do you really think there is a QB like Sluka on the bench? An LB on the bench like Dobbs? Those two guys started and starred as frosh in key postions.
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Post by rgs318 on Oct 9, 2023 7:30:57 GMT -5
No one said that. I did say next year will be different. Do you believe that the only QB who can be successful is a dual threat who played HS lacrosse? Both the players you mention are tryly unique and when they move on there will be a lot of work readjusting for the coaches and their players.
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Post by trimster on Oct 9, 2023 7:52:01 GMT -5
If both Sluka and Dobbs depart at the end of this year that is a huge blow. Both made tremendous contributions as starters their respective frosh years and have been among the tops in FCS at their postions ever since. Nobody on the roster has close to their talent at quarterback and linebacker IMHO (despite some very good recuiting in the interim). Between these losses (especially Sluka) and a future without fifth-years (if we buy into some sort of a PL self-defeating mindset) we may be scaling our program goals back to PL Championships in the very near future. Holding on to Chesney with a goal like that seems a no-go from the get-go. I don’t see the league buying redshirting other than the medical variety and I don’t see HC leaving the PL so I don’t see 5th year seniors at HC after next season.
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Post by sader1970 on Oct 9, 2023 8:10:03 GMT -5
When we had Dom Randolph at QB we thought no one could replace him. Turns out, that was pretty accurate as I believe we had Edgar and Taggart who were not his equal. Then Peter Pujals came along a few years later. Yes, Matt was a LAX player but, for me anyway, a very pleasant surprise - kind of out of no where (yes, Long Island). That said, while I don't believe we have another QB in the wings that is as capable as Matt because of his running ability, I suspect we have some QBs that are more/better pure passers than Matt and we will still have some very good RBs that can provide the ground game. My bigger concern might be more about filling in the experience that will be lost on the OL. On defense, Jake will be a HUGE loss but, then again, I didn't think we'd see a LB as good as McBeast ever again. Duh! Wrong again. Yes, sometimes I get sick about being so right all the time! In Chesney we trust . . . . unless we win a national championship and BC comes calling.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Oct 9, 2023 8:10:50 GMT -5
Beyond replacing the extraordinarily talented Jacob Dobbs and Matt Sluka we have a tremendous offensive line that will be graduating some players. Still I take comfort in knowing that Bob Chesney and staff think about this every day and that we do have some high potential recruits.
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Post by alum on Oct 9, 2023 8:19:53 GMT -5
I think that the business model going forward for FCS schools might well feature QBs who transfer in from BCS schools.
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Post by mm67 on Oct 9, 2023 8:30:30 GMT -5
Some of the comments are merely a back door to greater emphasis, namely, 5th-6th year, non-med redshirts, larger rosters, larger budget overall for glory on the gridiron. To wit: Gee, HC football would be so much better if Sluka & Dobbs stayed another year. Too bad HC can't do this. If we made certain changes then we could keep players longer. In other words subsume our academic policies to the benefit of athletics.Thus, HC could be a school the football team & its delirious fans could be proud of. Sort of a tail wagging the door approach. Glad successive administrations continue to hold fast & true to the mission of the school and its underlying values as encapsulated in the praiseworthy PL.
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Post by hc1996 on Oct 9, 2023 8:43:40 GMT -5
Clearly the playing field will be less level in the coming years. We will have zero chance of competing with the SDSUs of the world. That said, I’ve heard Chesney say the goal is to win a national championship. It would be ridiculous to set that goal just during the years we benefited from the COVID year. HC will need to adjust accordingly. And I hope they do so quickly having learned from the disastrous experiment of of going non-scholarship in hopes people would mistake us for being an Ivy League school.
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Post by rgs318 on Oct 9, 2023 8:44:54 GMT -5
Let's remember when our backup to Matt went to another school and became a star QB there for two seasons. Who knows what the future may hold for HC?
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Oct 9, 2023 8:46:34 GMT -5
If we made certain changes then we could keep players longer. In other words subsume our academic policies to the benefit of athletics. You've been consistently wrong on this. None of the football or basketball players who stayed at HC for an additional year tarnished the academic reputation of the school. All graduated. We know that ff you and Father Reidy got your wishes, we'd be playing against Tufts and Trinity and Wesleyan on Saturdays. Fortunately, that never came to pass.
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Post by hcpride on Oct 9, 2023 9:00:14 GMT -5
If both Sluka and Dobbs depart at the end of this year that is a huge blow. Both made tremendous contributions as starters their respective frosh years and have been among the tops in FCS at their postions ever since. Nobody on the roster has close to their talent at quarterback and linebacker IMHO (despite some very good recuiting in the interim). Between these losses (especially Sluka) and a future without fifth-years (if we buy into some sort of a PL self-defeating mindset) we may be scaling our program goals back to PL Championships in the very near future. Holding on to Chesney with a goal like that seems a no-go from the get-go. I don’t see the league buying redshirting other than the medical variety and I don’t see HC leaving the PL so I don’t see 5th year seniors at HC after next season. And if I don't see 5th year seniors at Holy Cross I don't see Holy Cross seriously competeing for a national champioinship so I don't see Chesney at Holy Cross. On a slightly different angle, we lose Sluka, Coker, Dobbs and the offensive line I see a big dropoff in performance next year (even with some 5th years). And with O 5th years the following year.....One thing these up-and-comer coaches know is when you're hot you're hot and when you're not you're not.
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Post by timholycross on Oct 9, 2023 9:07:38 GMT -5
If we made certain changes then we could keep players longer. In other words subsume our academic policies to the benefit of athletics. You've been consistently wrong on this. None of the football or basketball players who stayed at HC for an additional year tarnished the academic reputation of the school. All graduated. We know that ff you and Father Reidy got your wishes, we'd be playing against Tufts and Trinity and Wesleyan on Saturdays. Fortunately, that never came to pass. Dobbs and Sluka are entirely different cases. Dobbs has been at HC since 2019; 5 academic years. Sluka has been there since 2020, so 4. Having a person leave second semester of his fourth year and come back in the fall isn't unreasonable. Unless there's some co-op grad program I don't know about, what work does Dobbs have left to complete?
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Post by alum on Oct 9, 2023 9:09:40 GMT -5
I don’t see the league buying redshirting other than the medical variety and I don’t see HC leaving the PL so I don’t see 5th year seniors at HC after next season. And if I don't see 5th year seniors at Holy Cross I don't see Holy Cross seriously competeing for a national champioinship so I don't see Chesney at Holy Cross. On a slightly different angle, we lose Sluka, Coker, Dobbs and the offensive line I see a big dropoff in performance next year (even with some 5th years). And with O 5th years the following year.....One thing these up-and-comer coaches know is when you're hot you're hot and when you're not you're not. Here is a question for those in the know: Our recruits the past couple of years appear to be of a higher quality than in the past. I would expect that they are getting bigger, stronger, quicker and more athletic under college coaching, but can we expect them to be ready to just step up when graduation results in their number being called? How important is game experience vs. practice experience. Is it possible to simply reload, as opposed to rebuild? What do SDSU and NDSU do to make that happen?
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Oct 9, 2023 9:13:03 GMT -5
I don’t see the league buying redshirting other than the medical variety and I don’t see HC leaving the PL so I don’t see 5th year seniors at HC after next season. And if I don't see 5th year seniors at Holy Cross I don't see Holy Cross seriously competeing for a national champioinship so I don't see Chesney at Holy Cross. On a slightly different angle, we lose Sluka, Coker, Dobbs and the offensive line I see a big dropoff in performance next year (even with some 5th years). And with O 5th years the following year.....One thing these up-and-comer coaches know is when you're hot you're hot and when you're not you're not. Sluka and Coker are eligbile to return for a fifth year if they wanted. Wouldn't blame them if they wanted to test the FBS for a year before pursuing the NFL. If the feedback they receive is strong from NFL scouts, they could also be advised to enter the draft now.
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