Central looks to make the ‘big time’

Published 11:57 pm Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Even in his 11th NFL season, Jon Kitna still cannot escape the ribbing that comes with his small college roots.

When asked this week about his alma mater, Central Washington, reaching the NCAA Division II quarterfinals and facing No. 1 Grand Valley State, Detroit Lions backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky chimed in before Kitna could.

“Are they driving?” Orlovsky said of the more than 2,100-mile drive from Ellensburg to Allendale, Mich.

“No, we fly now. We’re big time,” responded Kitna, the Lions starting QB.

Big time is all relative. But should the Wildcats pull a second consecutive road upset on Saturday at Grand Valley, and snap the longest current win streak in college football, then maybe the “big time” tag would apply.

After all, before this season the Wildcats (10-2) made the playoffs only once in their 10 years in Division II. Central’s two playoff wins so far, including last week’s stunning 20-17 upset of undefeated, No. 3 Nebraska-Omaha, are the most since Kitna led the Wildcats to share of the 1995 NAIA Division II championship.

Just as impressive, Central is doing it with rookie head coach Beau Baldwin, who had never been a head coach at any level before landing the job at his alma mater in January.

Baldwin also didn’t mind his players thinking about conference crowns and playoff trips before the season began.

“I dream big and think big,” said Baldwin, who took over for John Zamberlin when he left to become head coach at Idaho State last December. “I didn’t mind our guys talking big. Some coaches get worried when players start looking at conference chances and national chances. I’m fine with that. We had big dreams, but they went back to last February and a work ethic last February understanding what it was going to take.”

Certainly, the Wildcats’ weren’t void of talent when Baldwin arrived. The Wildcats went 6-5 in 2006 — playoff hopes vanished with consecutive losses to end the season.

But quarterback Mike Reilly, a transfer from Washington State, was returning and getting the opportunity to work with Baldwin, who was Kitna’s quarterbacks coach more than 10 years ago.

Including Reilly, the Wildcats roster features 12 players who started their careers at Football Bowl or Football Championship Subdivision schools. Eight of the 12 are on the two-deep depth chart.

“It definitely makes an impact … as long as they’re the right fit,” Baldwin said of the transfers. “It’s big as far as chemistry.”

Last Saturday against UNO, Central trailed 17-7 with 3 minutes left, before scoring the final 13 points to stun the Mavericks.

Having already dispatched one national power, the task for Central gets that much tougher against the Lakers, the defending national champs and holders of a 39-game winning streak.

Even though the game is just 180 miles from Detroit, Kitna, who has quietly assisted his alma mater this year, helping pay for some new equipment, won’t be able to attend as the Lions will be traveling to Minnesota.

“I’m very excited for him and the program,” Kitna said. “He’s talked about turning Central into a Division II power, like Grand Valley, and staying a while to make it happen.”