The University of Chicago will also move its football program to the SAA. Both teams will have the same rights and privileges as all other football playing schools in the conference.

“Washington University is honored to affiliate its football program, effective with the 2015 season, with the newly formed Southern Athletic Association,” Director of Athletics John Schael said in an interview with bearsports.wustl.edu. “We have a history with several SAA member institutions dating back to 1962 when the Bears were a member of the former College Athletic Conference. It will be nice to re-connect.”

The SAA will include Berry College in Ga., Birmingham Southern College in Ala., Centre College of Kent., Hendrix College of Ark., Millsaps College in Miss., Oglethorpe University in Ga. and Rhodes College and Sewanee: University of the South in Tenn.

Due to the size of the SAA, it could, pending approval from the NCAA, have “automatic-qualifer” status, meaning that the conference champion will automatically receive a bid to the NCAA Division III football playoffs.

Carnegie Mellon University and Case Western Reserve University will move their football programs to the President Athletic Conference. All four schools will continue to face one another in the football regular season and will remain as members of the University Athletic Association in all intercollegiate sports programs.

Courtesy of Chris LaBarge

Brothers Chris and Trevor LaBarge have united on the Wash. U. football team this year. Trevor transferred from Case Western after making all-UAA last season.

Chris, a senior defensive back with the Bears, started his collegiate career at Drake University, an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision school, before being redshirted. After his freshman year, he transferred to Washington University. Trevor, on the other hand, began his collegiate career at the University of Colorado, an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision school in the Pac-12 conference, before transferring to Case Western Reserve University, a member of the University Athletic Association. After his sophomore year, he transferred to Wash. U., where he is now a running back.

The two are very different. Chris is outgoing whereas Trevor is more reserved. Though the pair does not look alike, either, at the end of the day they are best friends.

The brothers reminisce about playing one-on-one tackle football in their basement as little kids. “There was a lot of blood at the end of the night,” Trevor said, chuckling.

Courtesy of Denise LaBarge

“At a young age both of us played offensive line, but we never really got big enough to continue playing offensive line. Our dad demands a lot from us; he is really proud of our accomplishments. He comes to all of our games still,” Chris said.

With three athletic sisters, including Chris’ twin, who plays field hockey at Saint Louis University, the LaBarges always had a positive, competitive dynamic.

“It is great to have someone so close to my age to compete with. We always try to one-up each other whether it be grades or football,” Chris said. “At the same time, however, I want him to do really well. When we played last year he had a career game with 21 carries and 117 yards, but Wash. U. still won.”

Despite initially playing at Division I schools, the LaBarge brothers both missed the Midwestern feel of St. Louis. Most of all they missed playing together.

“In my last high school game I was most devastated that it could be the last football game I played with my brother. You don’t really know what you [have] got until it is gone,” Chris said.

“We really didn’t understand the significance of playing together when we were younger,” Trevor added.

After knowing football head coach Larry Kindbom before their arrival on campus, Wash. U. seemed to be the school destined for the brothers’ reunion.

“Coach K. is an icon over here. He is someone I always wanted to play for,” Chris said.

Though Chris transferred and Trevor enrolled in another school, the brothers still stayed in constant contact with each other. Despite Trevor being second team all-UAA fullback at Case Western, he was always focused on coming to Wash. U.

“My biggest accomplishment at Wash. U. was actually getting into the school. I previously got rejected a couple times,” Trevor said. “At the end of the day I always wanted to come here because I was born and raised in St. Louis. St. Louis is home, Wash. U. is home, and home is where the heart is.”

Despite the academic and athletic challenges at Wash. U., the two brothers have continuously pushed themselves to achieve high marks on and off the field.

The LaBarges have a clear friendship that surpasses many brotherly relationships. Before every game the two usually hug each other and give each other handshakes. Their family loves this dynamic and attends every game.

The brothers still get competitive with each other in practice, even though they are now on the same team.

“We go against each other in practice a little bit. Some of the coaches say we go easy on each other. After going against each other we give each other high fives,” Chris said. “Playing together has made our relationship better. Playing with Trevor is a dream come true. At the end of the day there is no one I care about more.”

In a victory over Wooster on Oct. 15, the LaBarges accounted for all of the Bears’ touchdowns, as Chris returned a fumble on a kickoff 11 yards for a score, and Trevor had two one-yard touchdown runs.

“It was pretty cool that we did that, but we just cared more that we won,” Chris said.

Although their family may be worried that the two only have two games left together, Chris is a redshirt and has another year of eligibility. Since he will be enrolled in a Masters in the Business School for Accounting, there is a chance that we will see the pair playing together next year.

Saturday’s 24-3 loss to No. 12 Wabash College, however, was far from close, despite just a seven-point deficit at halftime.

The Bears knew that the game against Wabash would be a huge test of their capabilities. Though Wash. U. won a 24-20 nailbiter against the Little Giants last season, they could not get it together this year.

“I think defensively, we played physical and we were able to shut down their running game,” head coach Larry Kindbom said. “We held their big guys to minimal yardage and we played well overall. We just couldn’t get inside the red zone and build a good drive with our offense.”

In the first half, both teams showed their defensive resilience, as the Bears and Little Giants both had trouble moving the chains. Incomplete passes and runs for short gains were prominent throughout the first few drives.

The game started to unravel when junior quarterback Dan Burkett turned the ball over on a fumble, and Wabash capitalized on the mistake with a field goal. Unable to respond on the following possession, the Bears punted again on the fourth down; however, the Little Giants returner, Wes Chamblee, broke a tackle and ran for a 67-yard touchdown.

“I thought we actually did a pretty good job of covering on that punt return,” Kindbom said. “But that kid [Chamblee] is one of the fastest kids in the country. That was definitely a very emotional play for us. We tried to recover from it, but I think it was very hard.”

Despite having a 10-point deficit, the Bears’ defense refused to give up any points in the second quarter. On the other end, Burkett was able to lead the offense down the field to the Wabash 28-yard line. Junior kicker Eric Chalifour finished the drive with a field goal, giving the Bears some hope at halftime.

In the second half, Wash. U.’s offense still couldn’t find a running game, but it did pick up some momentum with through the air; Burkett threw accurate passes to his receivers, driving the football close to the red zone.

These long drives ended, however, on two crucial fourth downs. Burkett was constantly under pressure as the Little Giants brought the blitz.

“I think Wabash knew that we were pretty much going with our passing attack in the second half,” senior wide receiver Easton Knott said. “They took a chance and hurried us up a bit.”

The Bears’ special teams unit committed a costly roughing the kicker penalty that gave Wabash a new fresh set of downs, which it took advantage of by scoring an 18-yard passing touchdown on a vertical route.

Although sophomore defensive back Tate Byers’ interception at the end of the third quarter seemed to boost Wash. U.’s morale, the Little Giants’ offense continued to successfully attack through the air, pulling away with a three-touchdown lead.

With a 2-3 record, the Bears hope to break their losing streak with a win against the College of Wooster at home next Saturday. Kindbom believes that confidence can turn the team around.

“We just need a couple of sparks,” Kindbom said. “We need leadership and players to step up. After being around the game for 35 years, I think we just need to get on a roll. I’m looking forward to seeing how our guys respond, and I know my players will be OK.”

Nathaniel Margolies | Student Life

Sophomore Tate Byers (34) tackles Wittenberg University running back Conner Wayre in the fourth quarter during Saturday’s game. Byers picked up nine tackles in the team’s 20-17 loss to Wittenberg.

Francis Field shook with excitement as the Washington University football team was on the verge of an extraordinary comeback against the 21st-ranked team in the country. However, on the Bears’ final drive, Wittenberg’s defense brought the heat, forcing Burkett to throw an incompletion in a crucial fourth-and-long.

The game ended in a 20-17 loss.

“Well, I’m proud of them…We really played our butts off and someone had to lose that football game,” head coach Larry Kindbom said.

“It didn’t quite work out, but, no matter, our kids still played great.”

In the first half of Saturday’s game, the Tigers concentrated on establishing their running game with senior tailbacks Corey Weber and Conner Warye. Despite giving up a few first downs on the ground, the Bears’ defense showed its strength and relentlessness, giving up only 2.5 yards per carry.

“We knew they were going to do whatever it takes in their mind to win and we knew coming in that we had to shut down their running game,” Kindbom said

The Bears’ offense struggled to move the ball in the first half as Burkett found difficulty in establishing his rhythm with his receivers. After failing to convert on third down in their first drive, Wash. U. attempted a fake punt; junior quarterback Adam Banks’ pass sailed incomplete and gave the ball back to the Tigers, who capitalized on the opportunity with a field goal.

“Absolutely no regrets,” Knott said of the fake punt. “That’s just the way we play and our team likes to take chances. Nine out of 10 times, we’ll run that play and it’ll work. It’s too bad we couldn’t make it work [in the game].”

Later in the quarter, Wittenberg’s defense picked off a Burkett pass that was intended for Knott. Wasting no time and using a no-huddle attack, Weber and Warye moved the chains down to the Bears’ goal line, where quarterback Reed Florence’s touchdown pass gave Wittenberg a 10-0 lead.

The Wash. U. coaching staff subbed in Banks, hoping that he could spark the offense. The decision paid off, as Banks completed several precise throws to junior running back Chris Castelluccio, senior wide receiver Austin Morman and junior wide receiver Drew Sexton, ending the drive with a field goal. The Bears finished the half trailing 10-3.

Wash. U.’s offense exited the break firing on all cylinders as Burkett came back in with much more confidence, establishing a rhythm with his receivers. He connected with senior tight end Brennan Fox for an 11-yard touchdown pass with 8:44 left in the third quarter.

“I thought we took over in the game at that point, but, you know, they’re a good team. They’re tough to beat,” Kindbom said.

Tied at 10-10, the Tigers marched down the field twice in the fourth quarter to score a field goal and a touchdown. Faced with a two-possession deficit, Wash. U. desperately needed to score with six minutes left in the quarter. Burkett connected with Knott for a 30-yard touchdown pass on a crucial fourth down that had the crowd of 863 standing and cheering.

“We knew that we had to get this first down in order for us to have a chance,” Knott said. “I just ran down the field hoping to make a play and Burkett threw a great pass.”

Down by a field goal, the Bears’ defense made crucial tackles to stop the Tigers, but Wash. U.’s offense couldn’t get the chains moving as the Wittenberg defense brought the pressure. Burkett overthrew sophomore wide receiver Mike McGovern, who ran a deep route that could have potentially given the Bears the lead on the drive’s first play. Burkett was sacked on third-and-ten for a loss of 9 yards and overthrew Knott on fourth down to turn the ball back to Wittenberg with 1:02 left.

“Yeah, it’s definitely disappointing. We came in thinking that we would win this game and we know that any given day we could have,” sophomore running back John Hagemann said. “We came out and fought, and that showed a lot about this team.”

The Bears will look to bounce back from their loss against North Park University on Saturday, Sept. 24, in Chicago.

“[The players] will be OK,” Kindbom said. “It’s tough to lose, but I think we’ll be ready for next week. We’ll learn and rebound from our loss and get better.”

Wittenberg established its running game in the first half and capitalized on the Bears’ failed fake punt with a field goal in the first quarter. Playing against a tough defense, the Bears’ offense struggled to move the ball in the first half. Junior quarterback Dan Burkett found difficulty in establishing his rhythm, throwing an interception on a pass that was intended for senior wide receiver Easton Knott. The Tigers took advantage of this mistake and scored their first touchdown. With junior quarterback Adam Banks substituting in for Burkett, the Wash. U. offense gained momentum and ended the half with a field goal.

The Bears’ defense did their best to stop Wittenberg throughout the game, holding them to 2.5 yards per rush and 148 passing yards. Sophomore safety Tate Byers made a crucial deflection in the second quarter that prevented Wittenberg from scoring a long touchdown pass.

The game ended with a dramatic 4th quarter, as Knott caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Burkett with 4:13 to play. Despite stopping the Tigers on crucial third downs, the Bears’ offense failed to muster another scoring drive as Burkett was pressured by the Tiger’s blitz, leaving the Bears with a tough loss. Wash. U. looks to bounce back as it takes on North Park University next week.

Please see Monday’s issue of Student Life for a full game recap.

Nathaniel Margolies | Student Life

Junior Chris Castelluccio carries the ball against Carnegie Mellon University on Nov. 13, 2010. Castelluccio, Wash. U.’s starting running back entering the season, ran for 208 yards and four touchdowns last year.

Last season, the team finished with an impressive record of 7-3, scoring an average of 19 points per game and winning games against tough opponents, including Wabash College, Carnegie Mellon University and Case Western University. Despite the hype and expectation of a possible playoff berth, Wash. U. instead finished with a loss against the University of Chicago, ending the Bears’ chance at a championship run.

The team now hopes to rebound one year later by winning the University Athletic Association and reaching the playoffs for the second time since 1999.

“Our theme [last season] as a team was to finish every drill, practice, and game all the way. I think that was key in helping us win in close situations and defeat some of our toughest rivals,” head coach Larry Kindbom said. “We had two very close games [including one] against U. Chicago, and that could have made our record 9-1, but that’s the past…this year, we’re all in.”

The expectations of a playoff berth remain high as the coaches and players were impressed with how well the team played in a scrimmage against Greenville College on Aug. 27. The Bears won 24-0.

“I was really happy with how well we did,” senior wide receiver Easton Knott said. “We came out of the scrimmage 10 times better than last year and after watching the film, we have a lot to positive things to build on.”

Despite the few mistakes in the scrimmage, Kindbom, entering his 23rd season as head coach, was especially impressed by the speed with which the players executed each play

“The scrimmage was truly beyond my expectation this year,” Kindbom said. “Though there were mistakes, I want our kids to go out there and play at full speed rather than worry about making a mistake on the field. We’re going to practice through those mistakes and become a better team.”

According to Kindbom, the overall talent level of the team, across each unit, is the highest he’s seen so far at the University. With a high number of returning upperclassmen, including sophomore safeties Tate Byers and Scott O’Brien, senior linebackers Nick Hillard and Kyle Larkin and junior running back Chris Castelluccio, will try to lead the team to the playoff berth that they are all hungry for.

“This is the year,” Hillard said. “I really hope this is our time and, by the looks of our roster, I think we’ve got a great chance.”

Though the Bears have a schedule as tough as, if not tougher than, that of last season, the strategy for 2011 is simple: one game at a time. The Red and Green will have to win almost every game of the year once again, because of their small conference, in order to be considered for the playoffs. According to Kindbom, if the Bears can beat any of the top opponents scheduled, they should be able to take on any other team. Players, such as Knott and Larkin, believe that mental focus will be the key to winning each week.

“Physically, we are in great condition,” Hillard said. “But in order to have a successful season, we can’t get distracted and make costly errors.”

With former starting quarterback Stephen Sherman graduated, junior Dan Burkett will start against Knox on Saturday, while junior Adam Banks will play back up; however, Kindbom has not decided whether Burkett will be the starter for all of the season. Castelluccio will have big shoes to fill as he will start in place of all-time leading rusher Jim O’Brien, a 2011 graduate. Despite losing these valuable players, Knott believes that the situation is not a problem.

“Coach does a good job of getting young guys in and having enough time to adjust. When we do have guys that leave, we also have underclassmen ready to back up many of the positions right away. [It’s] just a matter of playing experience,” he said.

In spite of all the pressure of having a successful season, Kindbom wants his players to not only play to the best of their abilities, but also remember the fun in the game of football.

“We have to go out and show the things we’ve been practicing on during the course of the week and not worry about success or failure,” Kindbom said. “We just have to lay it out there and give it the best we can.”

Josh Goldman | Student Life

Freshan shortstop Kyle Billig advances from first base to third on a double by Seth Bensussen against Millikin University on Thursday. Billig has 32 steals this year, a single-season school record, in 37 attempts.

“I was actually recruited by [head football] coach [Larry] Kindbom and [assistant] coach [Jim] Ryan. I hadn’t really talked to [former head baseball] coach [Ric] Lessmann that much,” Billig said. “They said that they would encourage me playing baseball here too so I wasn’t just sitting around in the off-season.”

The baseball team is glad he followed their advice. Billig has torn up the field this year, racking up a school-record 32 steals prior to yesterday’s action, three more than Reggie Crume’s previous record, set in 2002, and good for fourth in all of NCAA Division III baseball.

“To actually break a record as a freshman is unbelievable,” Billig said. “I didn’t know what to expect with baseball. At the beginning of the season, [head baseball] coach [Steve] Duncan told me that I should be getting 30 steals this season and that I should have over 100 by the time my career’s over, so it’s nice that I could actually get that goal.”

Billig attributes a lot of his success to Duncan’s practice regimen and his attention to detail.

“One of the things [that has helped] is his conditioning….Our spring practices, we had conditioning after every practice. Usually, baseball teams are known for not doing a lot of conditioning,” Billig said. “I think that helped out a lot once we got to games. Also, he’s all about the minor details, like looking for that slide step, watching if the pitcher’s in the bullpen, getting their times before you get on base, seeing what their pickoff moves are, stuff like that.”

Billig and Duncan have worked together on his jump and his decision making on the base paths.

“I think timing is key,” Billig said. “Pitchers have a certain rhythm that they like to go through. There’s always little details that give you clues to whether he’s going to throw home or pick off. Just watching the pitcher is huge; that’s the biggest part.”

“The big thing is getting a good jump,” Duncan added. “I’ve tried to improve his judgment on shutting him down if he gets a bad jump. After three or four steps, he can push the stop button instead of risking being thrown out. He has a lot of steals, but he’s also barely been caught. I think he’s naturally talented; not just anyone can steal 32 bases. He’s got the speed and the instincts.”

Billig’s prowess on the base paths is largely a new aspect to his game.

“I had speed in high school, but I think it wasn’t a big factor,” Billig said. “Coach Duncan asked if I was like that in high school, and me and my parents said not really. I think that’s just a coaching style difference because Duncan is a lot more aggressive on the base paths than my high school coaches were. I like the aggressive style, I like that I get to run.”

The speed Billig contributes is not the only thing he has brought to the table this year. He was thrust into the starting lineup in center field on opening day and has hit in the leadoff position much of the season. He has reacted well to being in the starting lineup, even after switching to shortstop midway through the year.

To accumulate so many steals, a player needs to first get on base. Billig has been stellar in this regard, posting a .367 batting average, a .447 on-base percentage and has 51 hits. These statistics are good for second, fourth and second on the team, respectively.

“I batted him leadoff in game one, and that’s a lot to ask of a freshman,” Duncan said. “He responded so well to that challenge. The most impressive thing about him is that we have asked so much of him, and he has excelled wherever we’ve put him. He has done nothing but succeed. He has greatly surpassed [our expectations].”

Billig still plays defensive back for the football team, and juggling two varsity sports “is taking up a lot of time.”

“It’s a lot of time management…but the coaches encourage it. It keeps me competitive in the off-season,” Billig said. “It kind of helps me because it sets [limits]. I only have a certain amount of time in between sports and everything else, so I have to get my studying done. It kind of motivates me and keeps me focused.”

Duncan feels that playing football is a major asset for Billig’s style of play in baseball.

“I knew he was a defensive back on the football team where speed is very important, and the coaches had spoken very highly of him before I even saw him play baseball,” Duncan said. “As a defensive back, it is important to [get a] quick first step, and his first steps are very quick. That is very important in stealing bases.”

Billig is taking this season’s successes in stride and is optimistic about the team’s outlook for the future.

“I just had a great first year and had a lot of fun,” Billig said. “[There were] a lot of successes, a lot of areas we can improve on as a team and I can improve on individually, but I look forward to coming back next year and making regionals. We might make it this year, we still have a shot.”

Earlier this fall, the Bears football team was 2-2 after defeating two weak teams and suffering two ugly losses.

On Oct. 9, opponent Wabash College, No. 19 in Division III, was riding a four-game winning streak. Statistically, the Bears were heavy underdogs.

But the Red and Green defense kept the home game close in the first half, and with the score tied at seven and 31 seconds remaining in the half, senior tailback Jim O’Brien broke loose. O’Brien caught a screen pass at the 37-yard line, let his offensive linemen set up their blocks and sprinted the remaining 63 yards for a touchdown, giving the Bears the lead and momentum heading into halftime.

The Little Giants responded to open the third quarter, scoring 13 unanswered points to take the lead. Wash. U. got the ball back with 4:37 left to play in the fourth quarter, trailing 20-17.

Senior quarterback Stephen Sherman led the Bears down the field in eight plays, capping the game-winning drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Easton Knott in the back left corner of the end zone with 1:10 left in the game.

“The victory over Wabash really showed us what were we capable of when we were playing to our full potential,” Sherman said.

The 24-20 win sparked a six-game winning streak that carried the Bears to a 7-3 overall record. According to head coach Larry Kindbom, this was the game that showed “our kids we’ve got a good football team.”