Coe tackles the powerful WIAC

CEDAR RAPIDS – To be the best, you've got to beat the best. Someone has said that once or twice over the years.

When it comes to NCAA Division III football, it doesn't get a whole lot better than the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

League schools Wisconsin-Whitewater and Wisconsin-La Crosse have combined for seven national championships since 1992. Whitewater is ranked No. 1 this season, with Wisconsin-Platteville seventh. Wisconsin-Oshkosh just dropped out of the top 25.

Of course, these are all public universities, so they should be successful athletically at the D-III level. But, still, this is a big-time power conference.

One Coe (1-1) tackles Saturday with its home opener. Wisconsin-Stevens Point (1-1) is the homecoming opponent at 1 p.m.

Believe it or not, this is the very first time the Kohawks have played a WIAC school in the regular season and just the second time overall. Coe – and Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson – knocked off Wisconsin-La Crosse, 21-18, in 2002 D-III playoffs.

That's been it.

'We have these guys for two years, home and away,” Coe Coach Steve Staker said. 'Following that, we've got River Falls on the schedule. Well, they've said they want to play us, though we don't have a contract from them, yet. Guess we'll wait and see.”

Part of the reason Coe has never played a WIAC school is that it didn't play non-conference games as a long-time member of the Midwest Conference. It was the same thing when it first got into the Iowa Conference.

But with the IIAC down to eight schools, league teams need to find three non-conference opponents each season. One of Coe's is Cornell, but that still leaves two open spots.

The Kohawks scheduled tough this season, with Stevens Point and top-25 ranked Wheaton, which beat them in the season opener, 36-28.

'The competition we've played non-conference is good,” Staker said. 'Wheaton is a top 25 team. Stevens Point isn't a bottom-of-the-league type of team. I think it'll be a really good contest for us … I'd like to say it's kind of a barometer, as far as where we are at.

'You see other Iowa Conference schools play (the WIAC) … We used to scrimmage Platteville every year. Now Wartburg does.”

The WIAC is 4-1 against the Iowa Conference this season. Platteville beat Buena Vista, La Crosse and Platteville beat Dubuque, Stout beat Loras and Simpson beat River Falls.

'Finally get to play on our turf. It's a new turf, so the kids are excited about that,” Staker said. 'First home game, and wouldn't you know it's homecoming.

'I don't know if this always means anything but we've had three really good days of practice. Hopefully that translates into a good showing.”

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