IWU football prepares for ‘second season’ against undefeated Case Western

Posted on November 15, 2017
Josh Akin and Jack Healy
Josh Akin (left), Jack Healy and the Illinois Wesleyan Titans host Case Western in the first round of the NCAA DIII playoffs on Saturday. (Photo courtesy www.iwusports.com)

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – With a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championship in toe, Illinois Wesleyan football coach Norm Eash has his team’s sights set on the postseason with an NCAA Division III first-round game Saturday against Case Western Reserve.

“Now it’s our job to prepare for this new season and there’s four games to play to get to the national championship,” Eash said. “I’ve probably been talking about that to this team more to this team than the other teams I’ve been involved with because of the way this team has performed all year.”

Senior linebacker Josh Akin said the Titans are hungry for more.

“I guess no one will be satisfied unless they win a national championship and I guess neither will we,” Akin said.

Sophomore receiver Jack Healy said the sense of urgency has been there all season, noting that the Titans know they likely had to win their last seven games to have any hopes of making the postseason after suffering an early season loss to CCIW co-champion North Central.

“Every game we’ve had so far has been a playoff game,” Healy said. “We’ve been playing for conference and a playoff berth, it’s been must-win.”

The No. 11 Titans (9-1) and No. 16 Spartans (10-0) are meeting for the first time. WJBC.com will have the game at 11:45 a.m.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…