LH Panther Mom
11-13-2013, 07:37 PM
For anyone who doesn't know the history, here's the Reader's Digest version. And if you do know it, skip to the good part at the bottom. :p
In 2008, UIW started their football team & signed their first recruiting class, who were all red-shirted.
In 2009, Brandon ( my son aka "the beast"), a 3-year OL starter for LH, 2006-2008, signed to play with them.
In the THSCA All Star game, he tore his ACL with less than 4 minutes to play and had to have a medical redshirt season during UIW's inaugural season as a DII football team. They went 5-5.
In 2010, knee all healed, they started playing in the Lone Star Conference with A&M Kingsville, A&M Commerce, WTAMU, Tarleton, ENMU & some Oklahoma teams. They didn't do so well.
In 2011, about halfway through the season, he tore his other ACL against WT just before halftime. They again, didn't do so well. Early in the season, in a nonconference game against Lamar, the President announced that they were interested in moving up to DI-FCS and hoped to join the Southland Conference.
Last year, knee all healed, still in LSC, their record was worse than previous years & they went 2-8. In December, they started the transition to DI and are playing an Independent schedule again, before joining the SLC next Fall. They won't be eligible for postseason play for a few years.
They started the season at the University of Central Arkansas, last year's SLC champion. A couple of games later, they played Sam Houston, who has played for the National Championship the past 2 seasons. A couple of games after that, they played Southeastern Louisiana, who will at minimum, share the SLC title after this coming game. A couple of games after that, they played Abilene Christian, who is also moving up to FCS from LSC & into SLC. The best part of that game is that pirate4state surprised me & came to the game, as did Sweetwater Red. None of those games turned out well. In fact, I guess you could say all 4 put on a clinic when they played us. :doh:
Now for the good part! They got their first shut-out this year, then a second one a week later. Two weeks ago, UIW won their first road game since October, 2011, against McMurray. Since ACU is also playing whoever they can get, we played twice. This past Saturday, shocking the LSC (and probably the SLC), UIW beat ACU at home, 34-31. They play their final game this coming week against another LSC rival, Angelo State. Regardless of whether they win or lose, they will finish the year with a WINNING record...for the first time in school (football) history.
Here's Brandon taking out the ACU quarterback. Unfortunately, hubby missed getting the shot of him body slamming a RB earlier in the game. :twitch:
http://youtu.be/XJCQT46-WZI?t=1s
And now for the tough part. I've got tears in my eyes typing this. Senior Day is this week and as much fun as we have had watching their program start from nothing, it is going to be extremely tough knowing that this is the last game I will ever watch one of my kids play football. :(
In 2008, UIW started their football team & signed their first recruiting class, who were all red-shirted.
In 2009, Brandon ( my son aka "the beast"), a 3-year OL starter for LH, 2006-2008, signed to play with them.
In the THSCA All Star game, he tore his ACL with less than 4 minutes to play and had to have a medical redshirt season during UIW's inaugural season as a DII football team. They went 5-5.
In 2010, knee all healed, they started playing in the Lone Star Conference with A&M Kingsville, A&M Commerce, WTAMU, Tarleton, ENMU & some Oklahoma teams. They didn't do so well.
In 2011, about halfway through the season, he tore his other ACL against WT just before halftime. They again, didn't do so well. Early in the season, in a nonconference game against Lamar, the President announced that they were interested in moving up to DI-FCS and hoped to join the Southland Conference.
Last year, knee all healed, still in LSC, their record was worse than previous years & they went 2-8. In December, they started the transition to DI and are playing an Independent schedule again, before joining the SLC next Fall. They won't be eligible for postseason play for a few years.
They started the season at the University of Central Arkansas, last year's SLC champion. A couple of games later, they played Sam Houston, who has played for the National Championship the past 2 seasons. A couple of games after that, they played Southeastern Louisiana, who will at minimum, share the SLC title after this coming game. A couple of games after that, they played Abilene Christian, who is also moving up to FCS from LSC & into SLC. The best part of that game is that pirate4state surprised me & came to the game, as did Sweetwater Red. None of those games turned out well. In fact, I guess you could say all 4 put on a clinic when they played us. :doh:
Now for the good part! They got their first shut-out this year, then a second one a week later. Two weeks ago, UIW won their first road game since October, 2011, against McMurray. Since ACU is also playing whoever they can get, we played twice. This past Saturday, shocking the LSC (and probably the SLC), UIW beat ACU at home, 34-31. They play their final game this coming week against another LSC rival, Angelo State. Regardless of whether they win or lose, they will finish the year with a WINNING record...for the first time in school (football) history.
Here's Brandon taking out the ACU quarterback. Unfortunately, hubby missed getting the shot of him body slamming a RB earlier in the game. :twitch:
http://youtu.be/XJCQT46-WZI?t=1s
And now for the tough part. I've got tears in my eyes typing this. Senior Day is this week and as much fun as we have had watching their program start from nothing, it is going to be extremely tough knowing that this is the last game I will ever watch one of my kids play football. :(