Moge's Musings - November 22, 2013

The All-KCAC teams are in for football and as usual, there are a few 'interesting' choices.

Tevis Linnebur was the only Swede to earn a first team berth and when we discussed his selection he wasn't totally sure he deserved it this year.

He ranked 9^th in rushing offense with 721 yards in 11 games and he wasn't sure he should have been included with James Monroe, Luke Lundy or Thomas Hankerson. But he did not the coaches voted him as the 'fullback'.

But, the coaches still felt he deserved to be included somewhere, so fullback it is.

Listed as Honorable Mention were seniors Rocky Castro and Cody Linnebur. I mean if Linnebur 2 is first team, Linnebur 1 should also get a nod. Juniors on the list were Steve Williams and Trevor Smith. A couple of rookies also were tabbed for honorable mention: Rodney Molette and Jafar Thomas.

That leaves the second team and Milton Collins was the only Swede listed that high.

Collins certainly deserved the honor, despite missing the last two games with a broken left arm. He suffered that in the fourth quarter against Tabor in the scramble to recover the muffed punt that led to the tying touchdown. Now, Collins will be setting off metal detectors the rest of his life as a plate was inserted in his upper arm to support the break.

Milton finished 28^th in total tackles for KCAC players with 52, but that wasn't the reason he earned his honors. He was a playmaker and his value was in what he did and when he did it.

He recorded 3.5 sacks in nine games, but his 2 tackles for loss per game is what really caught the eyes of the coaches. That ranked second in the conference.

So, while the coaching staff is out hitting the recruiting trails, the 2013 campaign is officially closed for Bethany. As far as the conference goes, the KCAC got an unheard of three teams into the playoffs. I would think the results of the HAAK-KCAC challenge went a long was to that end as all three teams defeated their Heart counterparts.

Got a message from the past this week—I mean way back when The Great Man (Ted Kessinger) first took over the program.

John Woolf, a tackle TK inherited for the first two years of his career, said he enjoys reading the Musings just like he did back when he played for Bethany. He even flattered me by saying he still had clippings about games he played in and a photo I took of him playing against McPherson.

That was converted into a poster and hangs proudly in his home.

It was really nice to hear from 'Woolfie'.

Another voice from the past said he really enjoyed reading the Musings again, just like when he was a Swede for TK.

It was John Mack and he queried if the first recruiting class from back in 1976 would have been able to help this year's team.

Hmmm! I wonder. I mean it only included first team All-American Quarterback Mark Eggers, All-American defensive tackle Yancy Turner, Mack's running mate at tightend, Randy Linton as well as Dangerous Don Aspegren. He was the linebacker Ted calls the most vicious player he ever had, all 6-3, 235 pounds of him.

Now, if we included men in that class who played their first year of college football that initial season for Kessinger, I guess we could include the Flying Ringneck—Mike Jilka; and The Widow-maker—Wesley Gail Alstatt.

Maybe those guys and a few more I haven't talked about got us ranked No. 1 in 1979 when we won the conference title with that 65-8 win over (then unbeaten) Tabor the last week of the season.

Sure was nice to hear from those old Swedes and find out people are really reading the Musings again.