After being disgruntled about their first-round site in 2002, shocked they were left out of the field in ’03 and disappointed with last year’s first-round matchup, it was business as usual for the Crusaders on Sunday at Andersen Fieldhouse.
As expected, American Southwest Conference champion UMHB (9-1) will host Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference champ Trinity (9-1) in a first-round game at noon Saturday at Tiger Field.
It will be the fifth postseason meeting between the teams, but the first in Belton.
“We’ve never had the opportunity to host Trinity in the playoffs,” UMHB coach Pete Fredenburg said. “We’ve always had to go (to San Antonio), so this is kind of a new deal for us.
“But first and foremost, we are always excited to be in the playoffs. And we like the competition with Trinity. They’re a wonderful program and (Trinity coach) Steve Mohr is a good friend.”
The Crusaders’ first two postseason appearances (2001 and ’02) resulted in first-round losses to the Tigers. UMHB returned the favor in ’04 and ’05.
“My freshman year was the first time UMHB had ever beaten them in the playoffs, but that was quite a few years ago,” said senior quarterback Josh Welch, who helmed the ’04 victory in place of injured starter Andy Padron. “I realize now how big this is. When I was a freshman, I don’t think I realized the magnitude of everything around me.”
UMHB is seeded fourth in the South Region, and Trinity is the No. 6 seed. Saturday’s winner will advance to face the winner of the first-round matchup between 10-0, top-seeded Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) and No. 8 seed North Carolina Wesleyan (8-2). W&J would host in the second round, and Wesleyan would travel.
The other half of the South bracket features first-round games between 10-0 Muhlenberg (Pa.) and 9-1 Salisbury (Md.), and 8-2 Hampden-Sydney (Va.) and 9-1 Wesley (Del.).
“This is when the adrenaline starts running,” sophomore tailback Quincy Daniels said. “We just have to focus and execute our plan. If we do that, we always feel like we should win.”
While the matchups in the South came as no surprise, the same can’t be said for the other regions.
No. 1-ranked and nationally top-seeded Mount Union (Ohio) was lifted out of the North and placed in the East, and national No. 2 seed Wisconsin-Whitewater was moved from the West into the top of the North bracket.
It appears the NCAA selection committee made those moves in order to give unbeaten Central (Iowa) a top-seeded spot in the West.
Once the 32-team field is whittled to four squads, the South and West champions will meet in one semifinal, and the East and North in the other.
The semifinal winners will square off Dec. 15 at 3 p.m. in Stagg Bowl XXXV in Salem, Va.
“To be in the playoffs has been one of our goals since last January,” Fredenburg said. “We’ve gotten to a point where this is kind of expected for our program, and that’s a good thing.
“As for the seeds, they are just a matter of how the (committee) make the decisions. It’s so difficult to equate from one part of the country to the other, but we’re excited to play anybody in the country.”
edrennan@temple-telegram.com
