Cortaca Jug Press Conference Notes

My co-pilot Mike Millstein and I just made it over to Ithaca College on time this morning to take part in the Cortaca Jug Press Conference. The Cortaca Jug Press Conference Conference lineup featured:

(Photo's courtesy of Ithaca Athletics, Dan Padavona and Mike Millstein)

Brian McAree, Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Life- Ithaca College
 Greg Sharer, Vice President for Student Affairs- SUNY Cortland
Terri Stewart, Director of Public Safety- Ithaca College
Mike Welch, Head Football Coach- Ithaca College
Dan MacNeill, Head Football Coach - SUNY Cortland
Adam Drescher, Defensive End/Captain- Ithaca Bombers
Bryan Wiley, Defensive End/Captain- Cortland Red Dragons

Here are some quotes from Mike Welch when he was at the podium:

"I would like to congratulate Coach MacNeill on the season the Red Dragons have had in a very tough NJAC.  Our football team is looking forward to another great game this year. We have had an up-and-down season. It is amazing to think that this game comes up early in media discussion every season from day one of training camp. The discussion of the Cortaca Jug is something we try to put aside until this week. This a very exciting game for our football team to take part in. Our players have always been outstanding during this rivalry and the sportsmanship is top notch. We hope the great sportsmanship can extend off the field as well. Our student-athletes love the atmosphere that the fans bring. I would hope the fans keep this game a clean and safe environment."

Some quotes from Dan MacNeill when he was at the podium:

"We want to congratulate Ithaca College on a long tradition of winning seasons in their program. I always look forward to hearing Mike Welch's history of Cortaca speech because I believe he was part of the first kickoff in this rivalry. (That got the crowd going) It has been quite a different year for our football team. We have lost four quarterbacks as well as had a freshmen quarterback finish a game. I was not sure if I just wanted our quarterback to solely hand off the ball because we did not want to see another injury at the position. We had faced a bit of adversity this season because of injury. There are tremendous stories for our team coming into this game as we continue to find new ways to win. Every year both programs come in with a winning culture. We have found a prescription and I know our opponent has done the same. I have enjoyed coaching our players this season because our guys aspire to win as well as talk about it. Our team is excited about this game. I hope everyone can enjoy and honor the contest."

Adam Drescher was very short and brief at the podium:

"We want to congratulate Cortland on a successful season. We remind the fans to be safe as well as have fun on Saturday. (Drescher noted he was sticking to his index cards in keeping things brief)

Bryan Wiley had some other thoughts:

"We would also like to congratulate Ithaca on another successful season. The first thing on everyone's mind on campus is the Cortland-Ithaca game. We are now finally here again. This game is why student-athletes come to both schools. There is quite a bit of history and tradition in this rivalry. I believe every student-athletes come to both schools to become a part of history. For the Seniors of our team this game brings a little extra sentiment because it is our last chance to grab hold of the jugs one more time. We feel confident in our chances to take back the Cortaca Jug on Saturday."

I had a chance to catch up with a few players after the press conference which included Red Dragons LG Chris Van De Weert (Captain), Bombers QB Brian Grastorf (Captain), and a follow up with Bombers head coach Mike Welch.

Red Dragons senior left guard, Chris Van De Weert: 


At the start of the season the Cortland offensive line looked to be a big concern. How have you made this young inexperienced offensive line so effective this season?

"We knew coming into this off-season that we were coming in with five new guys. In this off-season we took pride in working harder than other unit because we knew we had too. At the start of the season it was very tough in the beginning, we went through quite a bit of growing pains. Each week we continue to grow as a unit and we find what works best for us. We have found all season long that we were able to protect the quarterback very well. It took our unit a little bit of time to develop a running game, but we have come together to make it work."

On what the Cortaca Jug game means in his last season:

"This game means everything to all of our seniors including myself. This is an opportunity to take part in a great rivalry on the big stage. This will be my last opportunity to put on the jersey in the regular season if we get an opportunity at a bowl game next week."

On the difficulty of the constant shuffling of quarterback due to injuries this season:

"It does not effective our unit as much as you would think. It does not matter who is under center for our team. We know we have a job to do each and every game regardless of who is taking the snaps. The injuries to the quarterback position are unfortunate, but they are part of the game. The injuries that we have sustained this season have said a lot about who we are as a football team because we have found a way to come together.


Bombers senior quarterback, Brian Grastorf:

What is the confidence of this Ithaca team coming into this game this year as oppose to last year when you faced an undefeated Red Dragons team looking for their first perfect regular season since 1988? Do you feel that this years Cortaca Jug game is different because both teams have an outside shot of making the playoffs?

"The confidence of our football team is just the same as it was last year. The records coming into this game do not matter regardless of this year or last year. We try to remain just as confident of a football team each and every week. The victory we had over top seeded Alfred in our conference helps us feel better going into this game as well. "

Ithaca Bombers Head Coach, Mike Welch:

The Bombers have beaten the Red Dragons in the last two Cortaca Jug games. How difficult is it to keep the pace each season and continue to throw new looks at your opponent in such a hyped game?

"The past outcomes real do not play a factor in our game plan or coaching strategies. Every year is a new year with a different approach. I do not feel it is more difficult to devise a gamelan based on past outcomes. It seems like the playoffs are a long shot for both teams. We need to just concentrate and prepare for this game and not look at the past or future."

On how he evaluates the Red Dragons record this season based on conference:

"We do not take our opponent lightly in any way. The Red Dragons play in a very talented New Jersey Athletic Conference. We do not factor conference and competition when we looked at how much more talented our opponent is compared to ours."

On what he believes are the keys to stopping the Red Dragons:

Cortland has a very strong running game that has now become a big part of their running game. Dom Sair is great running back who is a north-to-south runner. We need to stop the run game. The Cortland defense is very talented unit from top-to-bottom. We believe the defensive line tandem of Bryan Wily and Evan Wyler are a big cause of concern. 

On his thoughts on Alex Smith being the Red Dragons starter and how to prepare against a former foe:

Alex Smith is fortunate to have another opportunity to partake in this rivalry. It is very ironic to see Alex back under center after he had become a coach. We know how talented Alex Smith is and we are very aware of how successful he has been against our football team. We have looked at old tape on Alex from the past, but we have tried to focus on his performance from the last few weeks overall. We believe that we should have a good handle on Alex based on seeing him frequently over the years.

The 51st Cortaca Jug game should be quite different than it was last season. Both teams come in with respectable records, but a very slim shot at getting bids to the DIII playoffs. The Bombers are coming off a huge victory at home over first place Alfred last week while the Red Dragons have won four in a row. The Red Dragons have faced quite a bit of adversity due to injuries at the quarterback position. I was at last year's press conference and it seemed that the Red Dragons were trying to say all the right things coming into the game undefeated. The Bombers deserve a ton of credit for beating the Red Dragons in last year's 50th anniversary Cortaca Jug game. The Bombers seemed to make the Red Dragons offense become conservative until the game fell out of reach.

This season the Red Dragons seem to have the mentality that they have nothing to lose going into this game. Coach MacNeill seemed very confident once again at the podium, but the players seem to have revenge on their mind from last season. The Bombers coaching staff and players seemed very passive in the press conference, although the Bombers have always seemed to be a quiet bunch since I've seen them talk with the media over the years. I would like to think this year's contest will be decided in the late in 4th quarter.