11-24-2011, 06:43 AM
Each summer Georgetown College hosts the Bengals for training camp. But when the pros pack up and head north, Georgetown's football is still plenty good and plenty Cincinnati.
The Tigers, with a roster heavy on talent from Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, are 11-0, No. 3 in the nation and in the quarterfinals of the NAIA playoffs. They'll play No. 9 Saint Francis at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Toyota Stadium in Georgetown.
Some 40 players in the program came from schools in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region, including junior Adam Schmitz (Ryle), who leads the team in rushing touchdowns with six; sophomore Zach Sowder (Scott), the second-leading rusher; senior center Kyle Pettit (Pendleton County), a three-year starter and anchor of the offensive line; and junior defensive back DeVon Pitts (Princeton), one of the standouts on a defense that ranks third in the NAIA, allowing only 12.3 points per game.
"We have a history of recruiting up there. Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky play a great brand of football, and they have a lot of kids that fit our style of play," said Georgetown coach Bill Cronin, who has a 144-34 record in 15 seasons at the school. "They're good, competitive football players who want to win, and those are the ingredients you look for."
Combing Northern Kentucky for Cronin is offensive coordinator Craig Mullins, a Boone County product and former Georgetown player. Cincinnati is the province of defensive line coach Bruce Owens, a Princeton High graduate and 21st-year assistant at Georgetown who also played there.
"They're guys who take a lot of pride in Georgetown," Cronin said. "When they go out and recruit, you can see the passion they have for this place."
The connection with the Bengals keeps the program on the radar, Cronin said.
"It's difficult to measure just how valuable it is being on TV up in Cincinnati, but I think it's been huge for us," he said. "And Marvin Lewis and his staff have always been great to us. The Bengals are very supportive of our program."
Freshman quarterback Neal Pawsat (Mason County), who was pressed into service after senior starter Kaelin Ammons suffered a season-ending injury in week 3, has risen to the challenge, passing for 2,006 yards and 19 touchdowns with only three interceptions in eight games.
"He's been a real student of the game," Cronin said. "He comes down to the coaches' offices twice a day to go over things. He's a fast learner, and it's not often you get a young man with that high a ceiling."
The Tigers and Saint Francis are quite familiar with one another. Georgetown knocked the Cougars out of the playoffs in 1999, 2000 and 2002, but was beaten by them in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Georgetown has won three national championships; under Cronin in 2000 and 2001 and under Kevin Donley in 1991. Donley is now the coach at St. Francis.
"Every week's a learning experience for us," Cronin said. "We're still growing as a team. And we want to keep this going."
http://nky.cincinnati.com/article/AB/201...ext|Sports
The Tigers, with a roster heavy on talent from Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, are 11-0, No. 3 in the nation and in the quarterfinals of the NAIA playoffs. They'll play No. 9 Saint Francis at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Toyota Stadium in Georgetown.
Some 40 players in the program came from schools in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region, including junior Adam Schmitz (Ryle), who leads the team in rushing touchdowns with six; sophomore Zach Sowder (Scott), the second-leading rusher; senior center Kyle Pettit (Pendleton County), a three-year starter and anchor of the offensive line; and junior defensive back DeVon Pitts (Princeton), one of the standouts on a defense that ranks third in the NAIA, allowing only 12.3 points per game.
"We have a history of recruiting up there. Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky play a great brand of football, and they have a lot of kids that fit our style of play," said Georgetown coach Bill Cronin, who has a 144-34 record in 15 seasons at the school. "They're good, competitive football players who want to win, and those are the ingredients you look for."
Combing Northern Kentucky for Cronin is offensive coordinator Craig Mullins, a Boone County product and former Georgetown player. Cincinnati is the province of defensive line coach Bruce Owens, a Princeton High graduate and 21st-year assistant at Georgetown who also played there.
"They're guys who take a lot of pride in Georgetown," Cronin said. "When they go out and recruit, you can see the passion they have for this place."
The connection with the Bengals keeps the program on the radar, Cronin said.
"It's difficult to measure just how valuable it is being on TV up in Cincinnati, but I think it's been huge for us," he said. "And Marvin Lewis and his staff have always been great to us. The Bengals are very supportive of our program."
Freshman quarterback Neal Pawsat (Mason County), who was pressed into service after senior starter Kaelin Ammons suffered a season-ending injury in week 3, has risen to the challenge, passing for 2,006 yards and 19 touchdowns with only three interceptions in eight games.
"He's been a real student of the game," Cronin said. "He comes down to the coaches' offices twice a day to go over things. He's a fast learner, and it's not often you get a young man with that high a ceiling."
The Tigers and Saint Francis are quite familiar with one another. Georgetown knocked the Cougars out of the playoffs in 1999, 2000 and 2002, but was beaten by them in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Georgetown has won three national championships; under Cronin in 2000 and 2001 and under Kevin Donley in 1991. Donley is now the coach at St. Francis.
"Every week's a learning experience for us," Cronin said. "We're still growing as a team. And we want to keep this going."
http://nky.cincinnati.com/article/AB/201...ext|Sports