Greetings,
I watched the WCU/New Haven NCAA 1st round playoff game via live stream (I graduated from WCU many, many years ago).
It was a good game. However, there is a question that I had that I could not find an answer for anywhere. WCU's qiarterback A.J. Long
was injured on a play in the 4th quarter and the score tied. He was playing well/proficient, and one can only wonder "what if....".
However, the 3rd string quarterback went in. Was Paul Dooley (the 2nd) injured? Ineligible for some reason? Disciplined? They
said nothing on the broadcast, and I could find nothing in print. Dooley is very experienced and competent....in fact, he was
"platooned" in and out of several games this year, and he was very successful. This is not to dis the 3rd stringer. To suddenly
have to appear, down 7, in an NCAA tourney game, is a daunting task for someone who has seen very little action, and it showed.
When Long went down, and no Dooley to replace him, that essentially all but ended the team's chances. This is not to downplay
New Haven, who played an excellent game, and I think that it would have gone down to the very end with Long or Dooley in there,
although WC would have had a shot with either of those guys. At any rate, a great season comes to a sudden and disappointing ending......
I felt that this was their best team overall since they made the final 4 some years back. Next year a likely rebuilding one, as this team
had a lot of seniors, though I believe (hopefully) that Dooley is back.
I watched the WCU/New Haven NCAA 1st round playoff game via live stream (I graduated from WCU many, many years ago).
It was a good game. However, there is a question that I had that I could not find an answer for anywhere. WCU's qiarterback A.J. Long
was injured on a play in the 4th quarter and the score tied. He was playing well/proficient, and one can only wonder "what if....".
However, the 3rd string quarterback went in. Was Paul Dooley (the 2nd) injured? Ineligible for some reason? Disciplined? They
said nothing on the broadcast, and I could find nothing in print. Dooley is very experienced and competent....in fact, he was
"platooned" in and out of several games this year, and he was very successful. This is not to dis the 3rd stringer. To suddenly
have to appear, down 7, in an NCAA tourney game, is a daunting task for someone who has seen very little action, and it showed.
When Long went down, and no Dooley to replace him, that essentially all but ended the team's chances. This is not to downplay
New Haven, who played an excellent game, and I think that it would have gone down to the very end with Long or Dooley in there,
although WC would have had a shot with either of those guys. At any rate, a great season comes to a sudden and disappointing ending......
I felt that this was their best team overall since they made the final 4 some years back. Next year a likely rebuilding one, as this team
had a lot of seniors, though I believe (hopefully) that Dooley is back.
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