December 5th, 2001 12:00am
And now there are two – a relatively improbable two.
When this season started the usual suspects were listed as being candidates to play in this weekend’s D-II championship game. Although the two combatants for the title this year, Grand Valley and North Dakota, were reasonably highly ranked, they were about as far from consensus picks to go to Florence as any teams could be. But they are there, and both deserve to be there.
North Dakota earned its spot in the title game after miraculously holding UC Davis to a safety as its only score. Close but no cigar describes the Davis effort to make it to the championship game. How close? Two Davis linemen placed on the field end to end does it. Only 4 yards separated Davis from a slot in the title contest.
In the first period Davis was on the North Dakota three-yard line but came away empty following an interception of an O’Sullivan pass. In the final period Davis was on the North Dakota one and again came away pointless. Several other scoring possibilities went for naught, and once again the Aggies failed to make it to the final despite having one of the Division’s most enviable overall playoff records.
Grand Valley had to do it the hard way. A team losing its starting quarterback, especially a Q that led the Division in passing stats, normally would be done. Not Grand Valley. When Curt Anes went down two weeks earlier Grand Valley called up the reserves and went right on winning.
Despite running up huge point tallies all season by passing, Grand Valley defeated Catawba with the running game. In a rare event, Grand Valley was out-passed but tallied nearly three times its opponent’s rushing total. Ahead by only three heading into the final period the Lakers put the game away with a dominating fourth-period performance.
For decades North Dakota toiled in the shadow of North Dakota State, which has been in the national championship contest five times and has won the title on three occasions. This year NDSU is in the shadow of its in-state rival as North Dakota’s makes its first trip to the final. Grand Valley also is making its first appearance in the title game.
This game shapes up in a similar manner to last week’s North Dakota-UC Davis game. It’s a sharp contrast in styles. Despite Grand Valley’s starting quarterback being sidelined, GVSU is unlikely to stray too far from its normal game. Unlike last week, however, finding running room against North Dakota will be a lot more difficult.
Assessing the two teams seems to point to North Dakota having the edge. Although no one can deny Grand Valley has had a very successful year, without Anes it is a different team. So different in fact that in my view Anes should receive the D-II MVP designation. He put Grand Valley on the football map.
By no means, however, is Anes the only athlete of note on the squad. David Kircus, for example, can catch passes from anyone. The key will be whether or not Grand Valley’s two backups can penetrate the North Dakota defense to get Kircus the ball.
Grand Valley has beaten every competitor it has faced this season, some by outrageous margins, but it has not had to endure the rigors of North Dakota’s schedule.
North Dakota has had the major advantage of playing an unusually large percentage of its games at home in the new Alerus Center and had the benefit of significant home field advantage thanks to the noise levels of an indoor facility. But noise alone certainly did not stop its competition from winning.
If Curt Anes was playing, this game would at least be a toss up if not showing Grand Valley as the favored team. Minus Anes, Grand Valley has to be considered to be the ‘dog, which if North Dakota is not prepared, could come back to bite the Sioux.
The game will be televised on ESPN at 2 PM eastern time.
The night before the title game the Harlon Hill award will be presented to this season’s top D-II player as selected by sports information directors around the nation and the Harlon Hill committee. This season’s three finalists are Josh Ranek (South Dakota State), Curt Anes (Grand Valley) and Dusty Bonner (Valdosta).
Last week I made my position abundantly clear that Ranek should win the award. Whether he does or not we shall see.
The consideration of this season’s D2football.com All-American team was interesting and reinforced my notion that Ranek should win the Harlon Hill Award.
Among the many outstanding athletes considered for All-American status, there was one and only one player that was a consensus pick at his position and that was Ranek. There was no debate, no discussion, no nothing. Hands down he was the pick for the first team running back slot. His selection for that position was as obvious as the sun shining over a tropical island or the nose on your face.
Perhaps we at D2football.com are myopic, but I doubt it. Usually discussions about anything football related are heated debates. Not this time - not about the top running back spot.
Hopefully the Hill committee saw Ranek as clearly as we did. If not, our next cash raising effort should be to buy everyone glasses on the selection committee for the Hill award.
Don’t take this to mean there is anything wrong with Anes or Bonner, but the Hill award is supposed to be special. Ranek matches the nature of the award well. He is special – as special as he needs to be to deserve this award.