Four years ago it was a monumental challenge to just get the program off the ground. Three years ago play began with an improbable win in their first game at a brand spanking new facility called the Neta and Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl. Two years ago this upstart program waltzed into the home of a program that hadn't a lost an RMAC game in 28 previous tries and beat them. Last year they would turn the trick again and for all intents and purposes missed the post season on the basis of one play. This season this same upstart program faced a daunting schedule with road games against perennial powers West Texas A&M, Chadron State and RMAC bully Nebraska Kearney. Victories at all three powers home stadiums seemed like the ultimate impossible dream. But if you are gonna dream you might as well dream big. It also helps to have a defense hell bent on not only winning football games but denying their opponents the common courtesy of a first down let alone a touchdown. When you wake up in the morning now you realize its not a dream but a blissful reality that CSU-Pueblo not only won those three huge road games but ran the table on everybody else to make the postseason. And as if that is not enough the Pack is the number one seed in Super Region Three. Oh and one other thing. This band of brothers with the coaching staff led by John Wristen will wake up Monday morning as the number one ranked team in all the land of NCAA Division II football.
Dreams are one thing but reality is knowing there is a distinct chance the defending national champion Minnesota-Duluth will be marching into the Thunderbowl to do battle with the Pack on Saturday November 26th at high noon. Win that and odds are that Nebraska Kearney will come calling December 3rd intent on avenging the defeat that cost them the RMAC crown. After that, any number of opponents will await in the final two weeks. One thing is for sure. It will be an opponent far more polished and talented than the Mesas, Western New Mexicos and Western States of the world.
That reality is just what Wristen and company want. The 1984 graduate of the then University of Southern Colorado told his players as much before the pairings were announced Sunday afternoon. "We can do this" he told the assembled players as they waited anxiously for the news they pretty much already knew. Now the challenge will be continuing to play at such a high level against competition that is just as battle tested as they are.
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----------TICKETS-----There will be no freebies for this one. Now of course the citizens of Pueblo can wait around as they are accustomed to do for CSU-Pueblo football to see what the weather forecast is going to be but something tells me you better not wait too long unless you want to be like all the kids sliding down Thunder Hill on a pizza box. Season ticket holders have already had their shot but now the general public will get theirs starting at 8am Monday morning. All seats are $10.00 http://csupueblobookstore.com/MerchDetail.aspx?MerchID=35152&num=0&start=&end=&type=1&CategoryName=2011-12%20COMBO%20SEASON%20TIX&CatID=759&Name=2011-12%20COMBO%20SEASON%20TIX
----------BIG MAC-----On my Facebook Fan Page I equated watching and enjoying the Denver Broncos option attack to eating McDonalds Big Macs. We all love that greasy burger with the special sauce but if one eats too many of them you get indigestion and eventually it just might kill you. A steady diet of Tim Tebow and company running the rock is fun but sooner or later some linebacker or safety is gonna knock Tebow into la la land. And watching Tebow throw the football is akin to watching someone lob hand grenades. All it takes is for one to hit its target and WHAMMO you are a goner as a defense. Something does tell me however 2-8 against the Jets will not equate to victory Thursday night. I think most of us will settle for a little 10-20. Call it a Quarter Pounder value meal. But as long Tim Terrific keeps winning pass the special sauce!
----------HOOPS ANYONE?-----Lost in all the hoopla surrounding the success of Pack football is the opening of this years basketball season. It all gets underway Friday night as part of the Al Kaly Shriners annual season opening tournament. The women under the direction of Kip Drown tip it off at 5:00 pm against Eastern New Mexico. The men follow at 7:00 pm versus Colorado College. First year head coach, Ralph Turner, takes over for Pat Eberhart in a season most see as a rebuilding campaign. But those close to the program see signs that point to the Thunderwolves men surprising some people this season.
----------PROGRAM REMINDERS-----The John Wristen Show presented by Miller Lite will continue on as long as the Pack stays alive in the post season. We will be at Buffalo Wild Wings Wednesday night as usual with the program getting underway at 7:06 pm on 590KCSJ-AM and www.590kcsj.com . You are always welcome to join us at BWW as the show can be listened to on their in-house sound system while you enjoy dinner and a cold one. And as an added treat you can help celebrate my 50th birthday before, during and after the show! I promise I won't go Harry Carey on all of you during the program but after the show It might get interesting!
1 comment:
People in my section at the Thunderbowl freaked out every time Western NM got a first down; everyone went quiet after their single touch-down. The nail-biters were always away games this year; we got spoiled, we're used to shutouts at home.
The playoffs are going to be a different story - I think we Pueblo fans better get used to sitting on the edge of our seats.
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