Football News
UIW FOOTBALL TRAINING CAMP UPCOMING -- posted Friday, June 26 2009
June is winding down, the daily temperature hovers near the 100 mark, and that must mean Incarnate Word Cardinals football is straight ahead on the calendar.
Coach Mike Santiago and his staff will open the doors on August 5 to begin the inaugural season of football at UIW and it is estimated that nearly 100 prospective players will report. The Cardinals ended their first year, the 2008-2009 schoolyear, with a spring game back in April and the event had some 65 players. Add to that the second recruiting class of nearly 30 and the roster grows in numbers.
UIW will play its first-ever, real-live game on August 29 at 7 p.m. at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium on campus. The opponent that evening represents the best in international play as Monterrey Tech, Mexico’s perennial national champion, comes to town.
In this first year Incarnate Word will play 10 games, five home and five away. The Cardinals are playing an NCAA Division II independent slate before joining the Lone Star Conference for the 2010 season.
Meanwhile, Coach Santiago has set the August schedule leading up to the first game.
Beginning August 6 and covering the first five days the Cardinals will practice once daily. The August 6 session will be shorts and T-shirts only. The team then progresses through helmets only for one day to shells (shoulder pads and helmets) for two days before donning full pads on August 10. All these practices will be at 3:30 p.m. at Benson Stadium.
With the arrival of August 11, the squad will alternate two-a-day sessions with one-a-days. The morning times are 8 a.m. while the evening practice is at 7 p.m. for two-a-days while the single days will be at 3:30 p.m.
This schedule is expected to be continued until Friday, August 21 when the team breaks camp after its 7 p.m. session. Then the Cardinals get a day off before launching themselves into what will become their routine game-week schedule.
As it was all last year, Cardinals fans are welcome to visit Benson Stadium and to watch as UIW prepares for the historical opener on August 29. Meanwhile season tickets continue on sale with information available on the UIW athletic web site (www.uiw.edu/athletics) or by telephoning (210) 829-2722.
INCARNATE WORD FOOTBALL TICKETS ON SALE -- posted Friday, May 29 2009
After two years of talk and preparation the inaugural football season of 2009 is at hand for Incarnate Word and fans can now purchase their season tickets.
The Cardinals have a five-game home schedule at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium on campus with the first-ever game set for August 29. This first game has an international flavor with Mexico’s national champion Monterrey Tech coming to challenge UIW. Kickoff that date is 7 p.m.
Incarnate Word is offering four types of ticket plans. Full information is available on the UIW athletic web site…uiw.edu/athletics…or by telephoning (210) 829-2722.
The Black Club package is $649 for the five-game schedule. It includes two seats beneath the press box overhang. The seats have chair backs and there is one parking pass. Also, at all home games during the season these ticket holders will have access to a catered buffet and a post-game session with Cardinals Coach Mike Santiago.
The Red Level package includes two seats with chair backs, and one parking pass, and the cost is $250. The $125 individual offering is for one seat with a chair back.
The fourth selection is Reserved Season and is one seat without a back. This cost is $50 for the year.
A unique opportunity for Cardinals fans will be tailgating. For $1,000 fans can own a premium slot for tailgating on game days along with four Red Level seats. These slots are immediately outside the north side of Benson Stadium, between the football field and the McDermott Convocation Center.
A General Reserved tailgate package is $750 and is for spaces nearby the Barshop Natatorium on campus in addition to four Red Level seats in the stadium.
2009 UIW FOOTBALL HOME SCHEDULE
August 29 Monterrey Tech 7 p.m.
September 19 Midwestern State 7 p.m.
October 10 East Central Oklahoma 2 p.m.
October 17 Texas Lutheran 2 p.m.
October 31 Southern Arkansas 2 p.m. (Homecoming)
SEASON TICKET INFORMATION: uiw.edu/athletics or (210) 829-2722
UIW FOOTBALLER NATIONAL KEMPER SCHOLAR -- posted Thursday, April 23 2009
UIW's Caleb Kocian is a new Kemper Foundation national scholar.
Incarnate Word freshman football player Caleb Kocian is one of 15 college students throughout the nation named to be a Kemper Foundation Scholar.
The first word uttered by Kocian when informed of his selection? “Awesome”. He continued. “I have been waiting for a while to hear the results and I guess this shows all the hard work paid off. I feel like this is my day.”
Founded and still-based in Chicago, the Kemper Foundation, into its 60th year, selects one student from 15 diverse colleges and universities across the nation such as LaSalle in Pennsylvania, Wake Forest in North Carolina, William and Mary in Virginia and of course Incarnate Word. It is a three-year scholarship assistance program including two summers with projects and internships.
Kocian is finishing up his freshman year at UIW and is studying international business. His grade point average is 3.59. His long-range plans after he completes his studies at Incarnate Word include a master’s in international business and then a law degree.
After his sophomore year he will be in Chicago where he will have a summer internship with a non-profit organization to learn about financial management, organizational strategy, fund-raising and non-profit administration. After his junior year he will design his own summer project which could take him overseas for an internship.
The selection process begins when students apply through a Kemper Scholar Institution. A local committee then screened the applicants and selected finalists as was Kocian at Incarnate Word. At that point a committee from the Kemper Foundation interviewed each finalist in the students’ home campus environment before the 15 hoorees were named.
Kocian, a football tight end and a product of Judson High School, was a member of the inaugural signing class for the UIW Cardinals in February of 2008. He and his teammates will play the first-ever football season at Incarnate Word in the fall of 2009.
His parents are Dina and Artie Kocian of Converse.
DEFENSE CAPITALIZES ON SKEWED SYSTEM FOR WIN -- posted Wednesday, April 8 2009
Linebacker Dakota Mawyer led all tacklers with eight solos in the Spring Game.
Quarterback Paden Lynch totaled 72 rushing yards and 110 through the air in the UIW Spring Game.
Having made the decision to play offense against defense in the first-ever football Spring Game at Incarnate Word, the Cardinals’ coaching staff devised a system to allow the defense to score points. And the black shirts did exactly that in a 49-23 victory over the offense.
There were several factors contributing to the defensive win and Coach Mike Santiago cited some after the session was concluded.
“I told the offense that they couldn’t win if they turned the ball over,” Santiago said. The black-shirted team did capitalize on turnovers. Each fumble lost was six points for the defense and there were three of those. Then an interception added another six points giving the defense 24 markers on the board and that was enough right there to win the game.
The defense scored in other ways such as sacks for three points each while two points were recorded every time the offense went three and out. Then, any other kind of defensive stop such as a punt was worth one point.
“The defense really looked good,” Santiago said. “We will see some good things when we look at the film. Another factor was that we had only eight offensive linemen available and they just ran out of gas.” Playing offense against defense means those position guys don’t get much rest at all.
On offense, the white shirts racked up some yardage during the game which was four quarters. The three UIW quarterbacks combined for marks of 29-55-1 for 341 yards. All three cracked the 100-yard mark—Paden Lynch (8-13-0, 110), Eric Massoni (10-21-0, 115), Thomas Specia (11-21-1, 116). Specia got the only passing touchdown with a 52-yard strike to wideout Robert Williams in the second quarter.
“I thought our quarterbacks ran hot and cold tonight,” Santiago said. “But it was tough to get a rhythm with the three of them alternating series.”
In the rushing department the white shirts had an even 50 carries for 205 yards and two scores. Lynch carried 14 times for 72 yards while J. J. Johnson handled it 13 times for 70 yards. Trent Rios (11-34) got one touchdown on a two-yarder in the fourth quarter. Earlier Massoni scored on a third quarter, three-yard keeper.
“Our running backs played well,” Santiago said. “J.J. had that fumble in the first half but he came back and played hard. Rios just ran hard all night.”
Defensively, in the conventional manner, linebacker Dakota Mawyer was the team leader with eight solo stops and one assist. One of his solos was a five-yard sack on the quarterback.
Safety Josh Boone put his name on the book with six solos and three assists while safety Aaron Willis had four solos and four assists.
The Cardinals now will settle into their off-season program ahead of playing their first game on August 29 against Monterrey Tech. That contest will be at Benson Stadium and will mark the first time in history that UIW has played a football game of any kind.
YEAR'S FINALE SET FOR WEDNESDAY -- posted Monday, April 6 2009
A session on Monday, a Tuesday tuneup and then on Wednesday Incarnate Word’s football Cardinals are going to hit on one another.
These three sessions will wrap up the first-ever spring drills at UIW as the Cardinals look ahead to August when they will begin playing real NCAA football games.
The first Spring Game at Incarnate Word will be at Benson Stadium on Wednesday (April 8) with kickoff set for 7 p.m. San Antonio football fans are invited. You can also watch the game live via webcast here.
It will be offense against defense Wednesday. The coaching staff has devised a scoring system for the defense based on such things as turnovers, stopping without first downs and others. So both sides of the scoreboard will have points.
With the game Wednesday more than 60 athletes will have completed their first year of UIW football which began back in August with fall drills. Through the fall and now through 15 days of spring practices the Cardinals have worked on their own system of doing things. Now, the coaches and players will be pointed to August 29 when they get to play someone else, namely Monterrey Tech in the opener.
Incarnate Word has a full 10-game schedule in 2009, playing as an NCAA Division II independent. Once that is done things change again as on July 1, 2010, Incarnate Word will move to the Lone Star Conference as a full member.
But first up is the Spring Game. The talk already has started between the two sides about who will be victorious. What remains to be seen is what the scoreboard says at the end of the night.
SPRING GAME SCORING
The offense will record points in the conventional ways -- touchdowns, extra points, field goals.
The defense will register points in the following ways:
Turnover -- 6 points
Sack -- 3 points
3 and out -- 2 points
Any other stop (punt, 4th down) -- 1 point
UIW HAS ANOTHER FIRST, SPRING PRACTICES -- posted Tuesday, February 24 2009
As it approaches two years of historical firsts Incarnate Word will put another chapter into its new football book during the middle of March.
That is when the Cardinals will conduct their first-ever football spring practices. UIW Coach Mike Santiago said his squad will begin the spring segment of its schoolyear calendar on March 16 at Benson Stadium on campus.
According to NCAA rules, the Cardinals have five weeks to complete 15 days of drills. Santiago said plans now call for the team to work on the field Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays for three weeks, generally at 3:45 p.m. In the fourth week the Cardinals will go outside on Monday and Tuesday and before completing the process with a spring game on Wednesday, April 8.
There are some nuances to the NCAA rules. There must be three days of no pads. Two of those will be the first two days, March 16 and 17. The third no-pads session will come the day before the spring game. No pads means helmets only.
All of the history revolves around the fact that Incarnate Word has never fielded a football team until now. The program was announced in the spring of 2007. Santiago and his coaching staff were brought on board after that and the first signing class was announced in February of 2008. Meanwhile Benson Stadium was underway on campus to be completed in August of 2008.
A squad of more than 100 student-athletes reported in August of 2008 giving UIW its first football team. That group red-shirted in the fall while going through a complete schedule of all things football save the actual games themselves. The second signing class was announced in February of 2009. Now come spring drills.
And finally kickoff for the first and only scholarship football program in Greater San Antonio. The Cardinals will tee it up on August 29 against international powerhouse Monterrey Tech of Mexico. The game will be at Benson Stadium.
For these historical spring practices the UIW coaching staff expects to have 70-plus players on hand at 3:45 p.m. March 16.
FIVE HOME GAMES HIGHLIGHT FIRST SCHEDULE -- posted Thursday, February 19 2009
Incarnate Word some two years ago outlined plans to field San Antonio’s first scholarship football team in the fall of 2009. Now, that reality is just months away and the Cardinals have announced their first-ever 10-game schedule.
UIW Coach Mike Santiago said his squad will play the 10 games beginning August 29 and the schedule includes that game plus four others at Benson Stadium on the Incarnate Word campus.
“We have the five at home and five on the road and it was not easy to put them together,” Santiago said. “It is hard to assemble an independent schedule like we will play the first season but we have a good mix with the six Division II teams along with two from the NAIA, one Division III and one international.”
The Cardinals open at home on Saturday, August 29, against Monterrey Tech from Mexico. “This is going to be an historic season,” Santiago said, “and we thought this particular international game would make it even more notable.”
Another significant date on the schedule comes October 17 when the Cardinals will play Texas Lutheran in the University’s first-ever homecoming weekend which includes football.
In the fall of 2010 the Cardinals will move into the Lone Star Conference in football and all other University-sponsored sports. In the meantime, in 2009, UIW will play three of its 10 games against Lone Star competition—Midwestern State and East Central Oklahoma at home and Eastern New Mexico on the road.
The diversity of the slate includes two members of the Gulf South Conference, Arkansas Tech and Southern Arkansas, along with Division II independent Oklahoma Panhandle.
The schedule includes games with teams from four states and four different conferences. “The 10th game took a while,” Santiago said. “We had a team drop off and we had to replace it without much notice.
“This is going to be a challenge for our young team,” Santiago said. “We will essentially be freshmen and quickly they will have to learn how to handle the increased competition as well as some long road trips. Playing as an independent the first year will make for some extensive travel.”
DATE OPPONENT SITE TIME
August
29 MONTERREY TECH Benson Stadium 7 p.m.
September
5 at Arkansas Tech Russellville, Ark. TBA
12 Open Date
19 MIDWESTERN STATE Benson Stadium 7 p.m.
26 at Langston State Langston, Okla. 5 p.m.
October
3 at Oklahoma Panhandle Goodwell, Okla. 2 p.m.
10 EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA Benson Stadium 2 p.m.
17 TEXAS LUTHERAN Benson Stadium 2 p.m.
24 at SW Assemblies of God Waxahachie 2 p.m.
31 SOUTHERN ARKANSAS Benson Stadium 2 p.m.
November
7 at Eastern New Mexico Portales, N. M. TBA
WILKERSON PLACED ON SUSPENSION -- posted Monday, February 9 2009
Incarnate Word football Coach Mike Santiago said that freshman wide receiver Jerrell Wilkerson will be on suspension for the remainder of the spring semester and will be limited in his football activities.
“Jerrell will be allowed to continue with his eight hours a week of conditioning,” Santiago said, but he will not participate in our spring drills between March 16 and April 9.
“If Jerrell ever puts on a Cardinals helmet again it will be because he has committed to this University academically and to our football program. He will be given and will continue to receive the same opportunities to succeed as do all students at UIW.”
Santiago continued. “Everyone, everyone wants Jerrell to succeed but he must have that same desire. We hope to see Jerrell wear a Cardinals helmet but at this point in time the ball is in his court.”
A product of Clark High School in San Antonio, Wilkerson is a member of the UIW inaugural Signing Class of 2008. Santiago and his staff on February 4 announced the Signing Class of 2009 and those two groups together are pointing to the first-ever football game at Incarnate Word set for August 29.
CLASS OF 2009 -- posted Wednesday, February 4 2009
INCARNATE WORD FOOTBALL
SIGNING CLASS OF 2009
Robert Anderson TE 6-1 210 San Antonio (Taft)
Zach Behnsch TE/LS 6-2 203 San Antonio(Reagan)
Ross Bishop CB 5-9 160 Franklin (Franklin)
Chaz Cobb TE/DE 6-3 215 Goodwell, Okla.
Tim Dixon OL 6-2 298 Leander (Leander)
Matt Garza WR 5-9 165 Corpus Christi(Calallen)
Jesson Gil CB 5-10 175 The Woodlands (College Park)
Robby Horton DL 6-2 285 Beeville (Jones)
Brian Hughes OL 6-4 300 San Antoni(Madison)
J. J. Johnson RB 5-8 200 Schertz (Clemens)
Shane Knight QB 6-0 190 Houston (Northland Christian)
Todd Lyons S 5-11 185 Humble (Humble)
Diego McClain LB 6-2 255 San Antonio (Highlands; TAMU/Kingsville)
Bryden McClure RB 5-10 175 Corpus Christi (Calallen)
Cody McCoy OL 6-2 280 Rockwall (Rockwall)
Chase Nickerson QB 6-2 205 San Antonio (Central Catholic)
Colton Palmer WR 6-3 215 Kerrville (Tivy)
Rashaad Patterson LB 5-11 215 Katy (Morton Ranch)
Eric Salas OL 6-2 275 San Antonio (Roosevelt)
Steve Seaman OL 6-2 280 Corpus Christi (King)
Klayton Smith OL/DL 6-2 265 Cuero (Cuero)
Aaron Stokes S 5-11 185 Mansfield (Timberview)
Anthony Stokes S 5-11 185 Mansfield (Timberview)
Brandon Terry DL 5-11 282 Liberty Hill (Liberty Hill)
Anthony Vela DL 6-0 275 Blanco (Blanco)
Derrick Walls WR 5-8 155 San Antonio(Reagan)
Zack Zellars DL 6-2 240 Baytown (Lee)
SECOND CLASS AT UIW BRINGS GOOD MIX -- posted Wednesday, February 4 2009
True to the concept of signing day in college football, player commitments to Incarnate Word’s program began rolling in shortly after the opening bell on Wednesday (February 4).
Cardinals Coach Mike Santiago and his staff were waiting by the fax machine to receive the national letters of intent and within minutes some of their anxiety began to abate when the machine delivered Rashaad Patterson’s paperwork. He is a linebacker out of Katy Morton Ranch in the Greater Houston area.
Patterson and 26 others make up UIW’s Signing Class of 2009.
According to NCAA rules, football recruits can verbally commit to a school earlier than the first Wednesday of February, in this case the 4th, but 7 a.m. on this day is the first time they can sign and deliver the official documents.
The Class of 2009 joins Incarnate Word’s inaugural Class of 2008 which produced more than 30 athletes who were on campus going through fall drills as redshirts. The Cardinals will take the field for the first time ever on August 29 to begin an independent schedule as part of the NCAA ‘s Division II. In the fall of 2010 UIW will join the Lone Star Conference.
“A year ago,” Santiago said, “we had to sign players at all positions. We had to do some of the same this year but we also were able to concentrate somewhat on specifics, like the offensive line and wide receiver.
“This year’s goal was to sign players who are better than those on campus already. Our measuring stick was for these guys to be as good or better than the current players. And I tell our current players that is the goal. That gives them the challenge to stay ahead of our recruits. Of course we won’t know until we take the field in the fall. A big factor in our recruiting this time was this group will not have the luxury of redshirting. They are going to have to come in and play immediately.”
The coaching staff has put together a group of players who will draw fan interest in San Antonio and the surrounding areas. Ten of the 28 are from San Antonio schools. Another seven are from schools nearby the city or in South Texas.
“We have a smart group,” Santiago said. “The cumulative grade point average of these guys is 3.54 while their cumulative SAT scores are 1,060. Because of the types of players we were searching for we found ourselves in recruiting battles that we didn’t have a year ago.
“I just hope these guy’s times in the 40 are as good as their GPAs.”
CARDINALS SHOW WELL AND WIN FINAL INTRASQUAD -- posted Saturday, November 22 2008
Running back Jerrell Wilkerson went for 98 yards and two scores in the final UIW intrasquad of the fall.
On the defensive side of the ball in the final intrasquad James Perez led all tacklers with six stops.
Wide receiver Dominic Hamilton had a day with seven catches for 159 yards and one touchdown.
Incarnate Word’s coaches divided the squad for the final action of the fall for the Cardinals and the coaches even divided themselves into two units and according to Coach Mike Santiago a lot of fun was had by all.
More than 800 spectators on UIW’s homecoming weekend looked on as the number one units defeated the number twos by a count of 42-16 at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium on the Incarnate Word campus.
And the coaches division found those over a certain age working with the ‘ones’ while those under that age line directing the ‘twos’.
“What I saw out there,” Santiago said “was a bunch of guys having a lot of fun. After a long year, they deserved to have fun. And I can tell you this, Coach (defensive coordinator Todd) Ivicic will be happier to play real games so he can run some stunts on defense.” The action of stunting by the first unit was prohibited for the day’s action.
The Cardinals first reported back in mid-August and have been working since without playing any real games. All the players are going through a red-shirt year in preparation for the inaugural season of 2009 when UIW will play its first-ever game. That will come on August 29 when Incarnate Word hosts Monterrey Tech at Benson Stadium.
In the meantime Santiago also said what happened Saturday afternoon was “guys who you would expect to make plays, made plays.”
The first offensive unit, or the white-shirted team, did have some big play makers. Utilizing a spread offense out of the shotgun, quarterback Thomas Specia (San Antonio Reagan) had a day where he was 13 of 18 passing with one touchdown and no interceptions. His scoring toss came in the second quarter to Robert Williams (Floresville). It was a six-yard toss and was one of two catches on the day for Williams.
The principal target most of the afternoon was wide receiver Dominic Hamilton (Smithson Valley). He hauled in seven balls for an impressive 159 yards. His one touchdown came on the final play of the game when he ran a hitch and go for 36 yards and the touchdown. Quarterback Eric Massoni (Cedar Park Leander) had the completion.
In the rushing department, a name familiar to San Antonio football fans led all ball carriers. Give nine carries for 98 yards and two touchdowns to Jerrell Wilkerson (San Antonio Clark). Still the leading rusher in San Antonio high school history with more than 7,000 yards, Wilkerson in the second quarter took a handoff and wove his way 58 yards to the end zone. Later, in the third quarter, he ran eight yards virtually untouched for his second score.
Quarterback Paden Lynch (D’Hanis) had a hand in both second unit tallies. In the third quarter he went 12 yards to wide receiver Austin Quinney (Converse Judson) for a score and then in the fourth quarter he squeezed out two yards on a keeper for the second touchdown. On the day he was 16-30 for 193 yards and the one score. He was intercepted once.
Now, the Cardinals will head for the weight room and the buffet line while the coaches continue their recruiting efforts looking towards February when the second UIW class will sign to play Cardinals football.
FOOTBALL GOES WITH HOMECOMING AT UIW -- posted Monday, November 17 2008
Incarnate Word’s football team has been going through fall drills since early August and now it’s time to put on a show as part of UIW’s homecoming weekend.
The Cardinals will be in full pads Saturday (November 22 beginning at 12:30 p.m. at Benson Stadium on campus. All football fans, particularly those curious about the inaugural season of 2009, are invited to watch the action.
Coach Mike Santiago and his staff will divvy up the players and then step back as the pads pop.
Beginning at 11:30 a.m. the University is sponsoring a tailgate party nearby the stadium as a warmup to the game itself.
Once the Saturday intrasquad is completed, the 80-plus players will then hit the dining hall and the weight room in anticipation of being bigger and stronger for August 29, 2009, when the Cardinals open the season at home against Monterrey Tech.
LYNCH LEADS OFFENSE IN INTRASQUAD -- posted Saturday, November 1 2008
Quarterback Paden Lynch threw for two scores and ran for another in UIW's third intra-squad scrimmage.
The compliments came on both sides of the ball Saturday night following Incarnate Word's third football intra-squad of the fall but it was a freshman quarterback who perhaps stole the show with both his arm and his legs.
"I thought they all did a nice job tonight," Coach Mike Santiago said of his Cardinals. "It's really hard to work on situations like this without actually playing games. We had only one turnover all night and they handled the two-minute drills well."
Santiago continued. "It has not been easy for these guys. I thought they bounced around and there were good hits on both sides."
Among all those good hits it was perhaps Paden Lynch who took the fewest. Rushing three times for 17 yards, he scored one of the five touchdowns put on the boards in the 13-drive, situational scrimmage. Then, he put the ball in the air nine times, completing six for 141 yards and two touchdowns.
In the sixth drive of the night, just before the 'halftime' break, Lynch took the Cardinals offense 65 yards on three pass plays. The final toss was 27-yard to running back Neil Jackson for the score. The proscribed situation of the drive was down one point with one and one-half minutes to go with one timeout.
Later, Lynch would go 10 to the end zone with Dominick Hamilton on the receiving end of the throw.
Every drive of the session had situations attached including two-minute drills.
It was the night of the quarterback as Thomas Specia carried 10 times for 96 yards. He also went 8-22 in passing for 52 yards. Another quarterback, Eric Massoni, was 7-11 for 75 yards and a touchdown toss to Austin Quinney.
On the defensive side of the football, cornerback Mark Soto had four solo stops to go with an assist while linebacker Dakota Mawyer racked up two solos and four assists.
The final UIW intra-squad will come on November 22 at Benson Stadium as part of Incarnate Word's homecoming weekend.
INTRA-SQUAD SET FOR SATURDAY AT UIW -- posted Monday, October 27 2008
The football Cardinals at Incarnate Word promised early-on they would have four intra-squad scrimmages this fall. The third of those is coming this weekend.
On Saturday, November 1, the Cardinals will go at each other at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium. It, like the two before, will be offense against defense.
This time the Cardinals will lineup at 7 p.m. and use the lights at Benson Stadium.
The first such session was dominated by the offense while the second intra-squad found the opposite as the defense came forward.
San Antonio area football fans are invited to Saturday's event. The Cardinals will play their first official game on the final weekend of August, 2009.
GOOD ON BOTH SIDES IN INTRASQUAD -- posted Saturday, October 11 2008
Running back Kenneth King-Odom led all ground-gainers with 52 yards on seven carries during the second UIW intra-squad.
Incarnate Word’s football Cardinals got in their second full-blown intra-squad scrimmage on Saturday and the some 300 fans gathered at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium got their money’s worth, on both sides of the ball.
It was a 60-play affair, offense against defense and early-on the black-shirted defenders had the upper hand. The first drive began at the 35-yard line. For the first four series, the defense shut down the offense with no first downs, let alone any points. The result was four consecutive punts. It was the fifth drive before the white-shirted offensive unit could manage a first down and that was on a late hit penalty.
Things seemed to be improving on offense as the Cardinals managed 57 yards on 11 plays including a 22-yard scamper by quarterback Peden Lynch. But the defense took charge and halted the drive when both linebacker Ryan Reese and tackle Jeremy Bowers knocked down consecutive passes to end the effort.
The first score of the day came on a 31-yard field goal from Saul Meza after the offense had a 10-play drive beginning at the 39-yard line.
Led by linebacker Dakota Mawyer who had four tackles including one for a loss and one for a sack, the defense continues to limit the offensive production until the squads began work on their red-zone materials.
In two drives beginning at the 25-yard line, UIW got two touchdowns. The first was on a two-yard run by quarterback Eric Massoni ending a five-play drive. The second was a 25-yard pass from quarterback Thomas Specia to tight end Caleb Kocian. Meza converted both extra points.
The defensive leaders for the day, in addition to Mawyer, included Chaz Pavliska and his tackle, sack and two assists. Also, Trey Mumme had a solo and three assists while Alan Ford posted two solos, a sack and an assist.
The leading ground gainer on offense was Kenneth King-Odom with 52 yards on seven carries. Trent Rios managed 35 yards on nine attempts while Massoni finished with 31 yards on three tries.
The session saw three quarterbacks in action. Specia was 6-14 for 71 yards and a score while Massoni was 5-16 for 15 yards. Lynch ended the day at 5-11 for 33 yards.
Ten different receivers made catches including three by Rios for 18 yards. Andrew Mocio caught two balls for 27 yards.
The third of four intra-squad sessions for the Cardinals is set for November 1 at Benson Stadium.
SECOND FOOTBALL SCRIMMAGE SET -- posted Thursday, October 2 2008
The second intra-squad scrimmage for Incarnate Word’s football Cardinals has been set and this time it will cover 80 plays, offense against defense.
The Cardinals will line up at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 11. The action will be at the new Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium on campus and South Texas football fans are invited. There will be no admission charged.
The first-ever intra-squad affair at UIW was back on September 20 and Coach Mike Santiago and his staff came away from the 60-play session with positive thoughts and ideas about what they witnessed. As with all practice sessions areas for improvement popped up but the overall assessment was good.
After October 11, the Cardinals will have another intra-squad on November 1 followed by the fourth and final session on November 22, this one as part of Incarnate Word’s homecoming weekend.
CARDINALS GO THROUGH FIRST SCRIMMAGE -- posted Saturday, September 20 2008
Wide receiver Austin Quinney had the big strike of UIW's intrasquad with an 65-yard reception and run for a touchdown.
As might be expected there was excitement in the air Saturday morning when Incarnate Word’s football Cardinals went through their first big-scale intra-squad scrimmage at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium on campus.
The players were anxious to get into some game-condition situations while the UIW coaching staff was highly interested in seeing almost all the players in action. Plus, the weather cooperated and some 250-300 Incarnate Word fans turned out to watch the proceedings.
“It was our first scrimmage,” UIW Coach Mike Santiago said, “and I was pleasantly surprised at what happened. I saw some really good things on both sides of the ball but then I saw some bad also.
“We have gotten a lot done in such a short period of time.” The Cardinals have been at it for a month after having checked onto campus back on August 27 for their first session.
“It is difficult to assimilate the speed of the game without playing games,” Santiago said. “Our coaches know their players and we will have film to grade after today so we will have a better read on what happened.”
The intra-squad was set for 60 plays, offense against defense.
The first offensive score came on a 10-yard pass from quarterback Paden Lynch (D’Hanis) to tight end Caleb Kocian (San Antonio Judson). The second score came quickly when Thomas Specia (San Antonio Reagan) connected with wideout Austin Quinney (San Antonio Judson) for a 65-yard tally. That was a one-play drive.
It appeared the offense would be dominant at that point as the third score was a three-yard quarterback keeper by Eric Massoni (Leander). On this drive Massoni carried three times for 70 yards, 51 of which came on one play.
The defense stiffened at that point and there were no more touchdowns from scrimmage until the teams moved to work on their red-zone attacks.
The Cardinals will resume their weekly schedule with Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on the field and Tuesdays and Thursdays spent in the film room and the weight room.
CARDINALS SCHEDULE FIRST INTRASQUAD -- posted Tuesday, September 16 2008
They have three-plus weeks of drills under their collective belts and now its time for Incarnate Word’s Cardinals football squad to have a go at each other to determine the progress that has been made.
UIW Coach Mike Santiago and his staff have scheduled the first intra-squad for Saturday (September 20) at the Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium on campus. The session will begin at 10 a.m. and fans of football are invited to attend free of charge.
Coach Santiago said the day will feature offense against defense. The session will be 60 plays total. The format says that if the offense makes a first down they continue down the field. If not, they retreat and begin again.
The Cardinals had their first team session back on August 27. Since that time Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays have been given to on-field practices while the players spend Tuesdays and Thursdays in the weight and film rooms. That first day in August more than 100 players reported. This Saturday’s event will find more than 90 still in uniform.
BENSON STADIUM OFFICIALLY OPENS -- posted Thursday, September 4 2008
The UIW fans and athletes gathered, more than 2,000 of them, and ceremonies declared Benson Stadium officially open.
Freshman running back Trent Rios, the first player to commit to UIW football, represented his teammates at the event.
Tom Benson and his wife Gayle, for whom the complex is named, offered his own words of encouragement saying he would be at many Cardinals games beginning in 2009.
Incarnate Word in the spring of 2007 announced its intentions to compete in scholarship football at the NCAA Division II level. And things began to happen.
While the assembling of a coaching staff and the recruitment of the Class of 2008 was underway, the Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium began to rise on campus.
Then, on September 1, 2008, the Bensons along with more than 2,000 Cardinals supporters arrived to officially open the facility.
Now, the Cardinals are pointing directly towards the final weekend of August, 2009, when UIW will charge onto the field for the first-ever football game at Incarnate Word.
DEBOSE JOINS CARDINALS FOOTBALL STAFF -- posted Friday, June 6 2008
Nick Debose has joined the Cardinals as the secondary coach.
Nick Debose has arrived in San Antonio as a member of the Incarnate Word football coaching staff. At UIW he will be charged with direction of the defensive secondary.
“We truly believe,” Incarnate Word Coach Mike Santiago said, “that Nick is one of the up and coming secondary coaches in the nation. We are extremely happy to have him in our program as we gear up for the inaugural season of 2009.”
He spent the fall of 2007 as the secondary coach at Texas A&M / Kingsville. Prior to that, he was on the coaching staff at his alma mater, Southeastern Oklahoma, for the 2006 season.
Debose, a 2006 graduate of Southeastern, played defensive back for the Savage Storm, starting all 10 games in 2005 and registering 40 tackles with five passes defended. He was an honorable mention All-Lone Star Conference pick as a freshman
A product of Houston Westbury High School, he received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Southeastern Oklahoma.
The Cardinals will welcome their first-ever recruiting class in August of 2008. That group will go through a red-shirt year before opening play in September of 2009. Upon arrival on campus this group will be the first to utilize the Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium and fieldhouse which are slated for completion in mid-summer.
INCARNATE WORD HAS FOOTBALL SIGNING CLASS -- posted Wednesday, February 6 2008
UIW announced its first-ever football signing class and 27 athletes are coming on board.
(SEE FOOTBALL HOMEPAGE, "ROSTER", FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF NEW UIW PLAYERS.)
The fax machine beeped at 7:01 a.m. Wednesday and the biggest day in the history of football at Incarnate Word got a jump start when an NCAA national letter of intent arrived signed by quarterback Thomas Specia, a former San Antonio Reagan player.
With February 6 as the official signing day across the nation, the atmosphere in the UIW football offices was akin to that of a political convention when the delegates are being counted. All-in-all, Coach Mike Santiago and his hard-working staff registered 27 athletes who will be known forever as the Cardinals’ Class of 2008, the very first.
In April of 2007, Incarnate Word announced its intentions to begin a Division II scholarship football program from scratch. After having hired Santiago as the head coach and after he gathered the first three assistants, the University broke ground in November of 2007 on the Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium on campus.
But what brought the real electricity to the room was the Class of 2008.
Santiago was adamant. “It took real courage for these 27 guys to sign with us. They had to have as much if not more vision than anyone around about the UIW program. When they visited they were looking at a hole in the ground and they had to visualize a stadium. We had two, two uniforms to show them. They had no one already in the program to answer questions. These guys are really special.”
As for the game of football itself, Coach Santiago said the Cardinals are a good one-deep team right now based on the recruiting just concluded. “We addressed every position with the exception of fullback,” he said.
“And I am really excited because we got our offensive linemen who traditionally need the extra year, we got our secondary personnel including those hard-to-find cornerbacks because we will play the nickel package all the time, and we have our defensive tackles who, next to the corners, are the hardest to find.”
Then, Santiago said, “(running back) Trent Rios’ commitment was a really big deal to us and to Incarnate Word. He was the first and he is a good player and a quality young man. Plus he created a name for himself with his play inside a terrific football program at Smithson Valley.”
Santiago admitted that he and his three assistants have been through a real adventure. “This staff of three guys,” the coach emphasized, “has done the work of eight.”
The Cardinals coaches early on put together a profile of future Incarnate Word players. “Of course we want great football players,” Santiago explained. “But we also want strong academic guys, and we want people of great character. We will always recruit to this profile. We evaluated more than 1,000 players and these are the 27 who best represent the mission of UIW.”
He pointed out that the average grade point average of the 27 players from their high school days is 3.52 and the average score on the SAT was 1,020.
In thinking about his and his staff’s efforts beginning at ground level, Santiago was quick to say his biggest surprise was just how receptive all the prospective players were. “The program sold itself because Incarnate Word sells itself,” Santiago said. “The students on campus were phenomenal, the UIW admissions folks went overboard to help, President (Louis J.) Agnese even met with one of our weekend visit groups. This was a community effort.”
In concluding his overall thoughts about the Incarnate Word football Class of 2008, Santiago said the key to this group will be how many are playing for UIW in 2012. “You judge a class on its senior year and our goal is to have more than two-thirds of these guys still together in 2012.”
IVICIC NAMED DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR -- posted Friday, December 7 2007
Todd Ivicic is onboard at Incarnate Word as the new defensive coordinator and special teams coach.
The football program at Incarnate Word took a significant step recently with the announcement that Todd Ivicic would be the Cardinals defensive coordinator.
Head Coach Mike Santiago said Ivicic is on board at UIW and already has joined the search for outstanding student-athletes to be among the first to play at Incarnate Word. Santiago and his staff will have their first group of athletes on campus in the fall of 2008 and those will complete a redshirt year before taking the field for NCAA Division II competition in the fall of 2009.
“I have known Todd for some 14 years now,” Santiago said. “We are fortunate to be able to pull him away from Tarleton State. He is very talented with a great football mind, especially in the areas of defense and special teams. He is a hard worker and his organizational skills are just outstanding.”
For the past three years Ivicic has been at Tarleton State helping the Texans to a 22-9 cumulative mark in that time. The last two seasons he coached the defensive line after spending his first year as the offensive line coach.
Led by Ivicic (EYE - vah- check), the Texan offensive line made way for several good running backs. In 2005, the line blocked for one of the best running backs at the Division II level. A Texan runner led the Lone Star Conference with 1,512 yards, and the offense averaged 383.4 yards per game.
In 2006, the Texan defensive line was instrumental in holding opponents to a league-low 90.5 yards per game on the ground. Ivicic also coached the LSC South Division defensive lineman of the year.
In 2007, Ivicic again coached an all-conference performer, and helped the Texans as a defensive team to the second highest sack totals of the season. The Texan special teams were first in the Lone Star Conference in kickoff returns, first in punting and third in punt returns.
Overall, Ivicic has 14 years coaching experience at the collegiate level.
Prior to his stint at Tarleton State, Ivicic worked six seasons at Stephen F. Austin where Santiago was the head man. Ivicic joined the SFA staff in January of 1999. In 2003, three of four of his starters along the defensive front earned All-Southland Conference honors. He also coached the special teams, which blocked eight kicks on the year. His defensive front produced SFA’s only first team All-SLC pick in 2004 and added six more blocked kicks.
Prior to his time at SFA, Ivicic was the defensive line and special teams coach at Sam Houston State from 1995-1998. He was the defensive line coach at Blinn Junior College in 1993-1994 and was a graduate assistant at SHSU in 1991-1992. He coached SHSU in the 1991 Division I-AA playoffs and coached Blinn Junior College in the Mineral Water Bowl in 1993.
Ivicic played defensive end for the Bearkats in 1989 and 1990 after transferring to SHSU from Blinn Junior College. He was a linebacker at Blinn in 1988 after playing at Trinity Valley Community College in 1987 as a defensive back.
A 1986 graduate of Taylor High School in central Texas, he was a three-time regional qualifier in track and was named All-Central Texas as a defensive back in 1985. Ivicic was a defensive back and a running back in high school.
He earned his a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from SHSU in 1991 and a master’s degree in kinesiology from SHSU in 1993.
SANTIAGO DIALS UP A HEATER -- posted Monday, August 20 2007
Coach Mike Santiago brings the fast ball.
Incarnate Word football Coach Mike Santiago showed his versatility recently prior to a San Antonio Missions baseball game.
As a special guest of the Missions, Coach Santiago threw out the first pitch to kickoff a doubleheader against Texas League rival Springfield (Mo). Afterwards there was a ripple of favorable response through the crowd of nearly 4,000 fans. “I want everyone to know it was a strike,” Santiago said.
While the pitch did reach the catcher, and was in the strike zone, the Wolf Stadium radar gun failed to register the throw’s velocity.
The next morning, Coach Santiago quickly was back on the football recruiting trail.
KEENAN IS ON FOOTBALL STAFF -- posted Friday, August 10 2007
Kyle Keenan is the most recent addition to the Incarnate Word football staff and he brings extensive administrative experience to the job along with strong coaching genes.
His duties with the Cardinals will be as director of football operations as well as
coaching responsibilities.
For the last year, Keenan was a vice president of Coaches Inc., a company which worked with and represented football coaches. The five years prior to that he was with the National Football League Coaches Association. He also has spent working time with the NFL Players Association.
A graduate of Mandeville High School in Louisiana, Keenan earned his bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island.
The gene portion of his resume comes from his father Larry, who has worked 16 years as a coach in the NFL with such teams as the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks.
MARSHALL NAMED OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR -- posted Friday, July 27 2007
The new football program at the University of the Incarnate Word is picking up momentum with the announcement that Jim Marshall is on board as the Cardinals offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.
UIW Head Coach Mike Santiago said Marshall is on campus and will join Santiago as the primary scouts and recruiters for the coming year.
“It was a coup for us to be able to bring Jim on board,” Coach Santiago said. “He is one of the top offensive line coaches in the nation and one of the guys I needed most was one with his experience. We got a wealth of experience in Jim.”
Santiago said he and Marshall first met some 18 years ago while recruiting Texas. Marshall has particular knowledge of the South Texas areas including San Antonio and Corpus Christi.
A veteran of 29 years of collegiate football coaching, Marshall most recently was an assistant at Alabama State University. His resume includes stops Arkansas State, Wyoming, Memphis, Tulane and UTEP, all Division I programs. For six years he was the head coach at the University of Richmond where in 1992 he was voted the Yankee Conference coach of the year. That same time he received the Virginia Division I coach of the year award as well as the Richmond Touchdown Club coach of the year honor.
A native of Crestline, Ohio, Marshall played football and baseball at Bowling Green State University and competed one year at the University of Tennessee at Martin where he earned his bachelor’s degree. At UTM he was a Small College All-American as a baseball catcher.
Incarnate Word announced the first scholarship football program in San Antonio last April and will play its first game in the fall of 2009. With financial support from New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson, the University soon will begin construction on the Tom and Gayle Benson Fieldhouse on campus.
SANTIAGO DRAWS PRAISE -- posted Tuesday, June 19 2007
Coach Mike Santiago provided answers to a multitude of questions from both media persons and UIW football fans.
MIKE SANTIAGO
HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
INCARNATE WORD CARDINALS
...what they are saying
“We are very pleased and excited that Mike Santiago will be the first head coach of our new football team. He has a stellar coaching background and is a proven winner.”
UIW President Dr. Louis J. Agnese Jr.
“We brought in three exceptionally qualified candidates for our head football coaching position. In meeting with key persons on campus, all three presented a strong portrait on which to build an impressive football program.”
UIW Athletic Director Mark Papich
“The selection of someone who not only is interested in the sport but also interested in the academic aspect for each student-athlete was important to me and I believe our committee has made the best choice in selection of Mike Santiago to start our program.”
UIW Faculty Athletic Representative Dr. Sandra Strickland
“More importantly, Mike fits in with the mission and values of Incarnate Word. We feel he will be a strong role model for our student-athletes and that he will do an excellent job in promoting our ideals with the external
community.”
UIW President Dr. Louis J. Agnese Jr.
“Experience was our first pre-requisite and all three final candidates were well qualified. It is important that our choice fit with our faith-based University. And then, it is important that our coach have an in-depth feel for the pool of Texas football talent.”
UIW Athletic Director Mark Papich
“As the UIW faculty knows, I have promoted the desire for this campus to start a football program for a long time, but probably not as long as President (Dr. Louis) Agnese. The competition for the coaches’ position was overwhelming and we interviewed highly qualified candidates.”
UIW Faculty Athletic Representative Dr. Sandra Strickland
“I also want to thank Tom and Gayle Benson for their support in helping us to start the only scholarship
collegiate football program in San Antonio. Football at Incarnate Word is one of the most important endeavors we’ve ever undertaken, and it would have been impossible without the unwavering support of the Benson family.”
UIW President Dr. Louis J. Agnese Jr.
MIKE SANTIAGO, HEAD FOOTBALL COACH -- posted Tuesday, June 19 2007
A wide and varied background has led Mike Santiago to the position of head football coach at Incarnate Word.
MIKE SANTIAGO
HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
PERSONAL
Name: Michael Santiago
Hometown: Phoenix, Ariz.
Education:
Graduate, Brophy College Prep, Phoenix, Ariz.
Degree, Glendale Community College, Ariz., 1974
BA, psychology, health and secondary education, Southern Utah University, 1977
Family wife Rochelle, son Dallas, son Tyler
HEAD COACHING CAREER
Stephen F. Austin University
1999 8-3 Southland Conference Champions (nation’s biggest turnaround from 3-8)
2000 6-5
2001 6-5
2002 6-5
2003 7-4
2004 6-5
Totals 39-27
ASSISTANT COACHING CAREER
Utah State University, 2005-2006, Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach
McNeese State University, 1990-1998, Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach
Southwest Texas State University, 1987-1989, Passing Game Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach
Western Michigan University, 1985-1987, Quarterbacks/Wide Receiver Coach / Recruiting Coordinator
Northern Arizona University, 1983-1984, Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers/Tight Ends Coach
North Carolina State University, 1982, Wide Receivers Coach
Lamar University, 1978-1982, Wide Receivers Coach
OTHER
Cleveland Browns Area Scout, 1983-1984
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Glendale Community College (Ariz.), two-year starter at cornerback and wide receiver
Southern Utah University, two-year starter at cornerback
SANTIAGO ARRIVES AT UIW -- posted Tuesday, June 19 2007
Mike Santiago is the first-ever football coach at UIW.
He has been a winner as a head coach, he has been an assistant at a variety of college and universities and he has been a professional scout, but Mike Santiago is set to embark on something entirely new to his 30-year coaching career in football.
Incarnate Word today said Santiago is coming on board as the head coach for the University’s first-ever football team. UIW Athletic Director Mark Papich said Santiago will begin work immediately as the lead person in the establishment of San Antonio’s only scholarship football program.
UIW in April announced the football program with the Cardinals having their first kickoff in the fall of 2009. At that same time, the University said San Antonio native and New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson will fund construction of the new Gayle and Tom Benson Fieldhouse in support of the football endeavor.
Most recently, Santiago worked as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Utah State University for two seasons. While there, he coached the top two Western Athletic Conference leaders in all-purpose yards, and two of his quarterback protoges set records for rushing yards.
His head coaching experiences were gained during six years as the leader at Stephen F. Austin University of the 1-AA Southland Conference. His cumulative mark there was 39-27 and the Lumberjacks won the 1999 conference title with an 8-3 mark which was the nation’s best turnaround for that year. To date, that is the school’s only conference championship.
In addition to his stints at those two schools, the Arizona native was an assistant at McNeese State, Southwest Texas State, Western Michigan, Northern Arizona, North Carolina State and Lamar. Over his career, he has worked on the offensive side of the football with either quarterbacks, wide receivers or tight ends.
Another element of his football education was the year he worked for the National Football League’s Cleveland Browns as an area scout.
Santiago’s personal playing career included two years as a cornerback and wide receiver at Glendale Community College in Arizona followed by two years as a starting cornerback at Southern Utah. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern Utah with a double major in psychology and health and secondar education.
First up on Santiago’s agenda will be the hiring of two assistant coaches followed by a
comprehensive scouting and recruiting program covering the schoolyear 2007-2008. UIW will enroll its first class of
football players in the fall of 2008 while the recruiting process continues ahead of the 2009 kickoff.
