Selection Sunday will be here before you know it. Over 300 schools all across America are fighting to see their name up on the board come 6pm March 15. For some, the question is not whether or not their name will be called, but what seed they will be and where they will go. For others, however, the next five weeks will determine if their spot is in the Big Dance or the NIT.
One such team is Western Carolina University out of the Southern conference. They are one of several mid-majors who are, as they say, on the bubble. They have a 50/50 chance of getting in. So far, for the most part, the Catamounts have done all they can do to give themselves at least a faint possibility of an at-large bid. They are currently 16-4 overall and 6-2 in SoCon play, sitting in second place behind College of Charleston.
WCU has already scored a major upset this year, defeating Louisville at Freedom Hall 91-83. There are games against top 25 opponents didn't go so well. They lost to No. 3 Texas 71-44 and to Clemson 79-57. However, they have already beaten College of Charleston, who scored a monumental upset over North Carolina a week ago. That, along with the win over Louisville, should help their RPI. The negative part is that they have some "softies" on their schedule, some non-Div. l schools such as St. Catherine's College and Berea College.
The bracket buster game coming up in February is a crucial game for the Catamounts. They will probably play somebody like St. Mary's or Northern Iowa. Right now, the Panthers of UNI are ranked #14. Should the Catamounts be paired up with UNI and they pull off the upset, that will go a long way towards helping WCU get an at-large bid assuming they take care of business in the rest of their SoCon games and do well in the SoCon Tournament. One big reason for the Catamounts' success is the play of Junior Guard Mike Williams. Williams scored 24 points in the Catamounts upset over Louisville. Another Catamount that has been come through big time is Senior Guard Jake Robinson. The Canton, NC native scored 23 in the Louisville upset, including 3 straight three pointers to spear head a big run in the second half of that game. Robinson came into his Senior season having made 194 career three pointers, ranking him third all time in school history. He has probably by now moved into second place behind the all time leader, Anquell McCollum, a current assistant coach with the Catamounts who finished his career in 1996 with 245 three pointers.
No doubt Western Carolina is a team to keep an eye on should they make the field of 65. They have 11 regular season games to go. Should they go 8-3 during that stretch, including a win in the bracket buster game, that would put them at 24-7 going into the SoCon Tournament. They are an excellent bet to win the tournament, thus giving them an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Should the Catamounts get in, it will be the first time WCU has made the tournament since 1996. That year, they were a 16th seed and nearly upset #1 seeded Purdue, losing by a score of 73-71. Should they get in this year, they will make their first round opponent very nervous.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Two Former Gwinnett County Stars Lead Clearwater Christian to National Title
I want to take this time to highlight the accomplishments of two former Gwinnett County area high school soccer players who led their team, Clearwater Christian College, to a National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Div. ll National Title last Fall. It was the first national title won by the school's Mens' Soccer program.
They both hale from my alma matre, Killian Hill Christian School.
Matt Tewes is a Sophomore Defender on the CCC squad who earned Second Team All-Region honors his Freshman year in 2008. This past season, Tewes improved on that performance by being named NCCAA First Team All-American. Tewes had 1 goal and 1 assist for a total of 3 points during the 2009 season. That may not sound like a lot, but Tewes is a tenacious defender who anchored the Cougars' defense. His performance during his Freshman year earned the respect of Head Coach
James whitaker, so much so that Whitaker named Tewes a team captain: "Matt will be counted on to lead our team in the back. His speed, toughness, and much improved ball possession will make our defensive unit tough to beat", Coach Whitaker said. "He was a 2nd Team All-Region player last season and will serve as our sophomore captain".
Tewes' high school and college teammate, Sophomore Defender Mac Hilderbrand, finished the 2009 season with 4 goals and 3 assists for a total of 11 points. Both of these players played big roles in the Cougars' run to a record of 15-2-4 and a national championship. Their alma matre, Killian Hill Christian School, doesn't get the recognition the other Gwinnett area schools and their student-athletes get because they don't play those schools and their current competition isn't quite as good, but that does not take away from the accomplishments of Tewes and Hilderbrand or those of their former teammates at KHCS. There have been several former KHCS student-athletes who have earned college athletic scholarships. They have done and are currently doing well at the college level. And of course, they are from the county that produces possibly more college athletes than any other county in the country, Gwinnett County, Georgia.
They both hale from my alma matre, Killian Hill Christian School.
Matt Tewes is a Sophomore Defender on the CCC squad who earned Second Team All-Region honors his Freshman year in 2008. This past season, Tewes improved on that performance by being named NCCAA First Team All-American. Tewes had 1 goal and 1 assist for a total of 3 points during the 2009 season. That may not sound like a lot, but Tewes is a tenacious defender who anchored the Cougars' defense. His performance during his Freshman year earned the respect of Head Coach
James whitaker, so much so that Whitaker named Tewes a team captain: "Matt will be counted on to lead our team in the back. His speed, toughness, and much improved ball possession will make our defensive unit tough to beat", Coach Whitaker said. "He was a 2nd Team All-Region player last season and will serve as our sophomore captain".
Tewes' high school and college teammate, Sophomore Defender Mac Hilderbrand, finished the 2009 season with 4 goals and 3 assists for a total of 11 points. Both of these players played big roles in the Cougars' run to a record of 15-2-4 and a national championship. Their alma matre, Killian Hill Christian School, doesn't get the recognition the other Gwinnett area schools and their student-athletes get because they don't play those schools and their current competition isn't quite as good, but that does not take away from the accomplishments of Tewes and Hilderbrand or those of their former teammates at KHCS. There have been several former KHCS student-athletes who have earned college athletic scholarships. They have done and are currently doing well at the college level. And of course, they are from the county that produces possibly more college athletes than any other county in the country, Gwinnett County, Georgia.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Oregon Tech Survives Eastern Oregon Comeback
The Hustiln Owls of Oregon Tech, ranked #3 in the NAIA Div. ll Top 25, jumped out to a 20 point lead and were seemingly cruising to an easy victory over #18 ranked Eastern Oregon University.
However, poor free throw shooting by Oregon Tech in the second half opened the door for EOU to mount a huge comeback, cutting O.I.T's lead to one point with under a minute left. The Hustlin Owls held on to win 72-67, giving Head Coach Danny Miles victory #895 on his storied coaching career. Up until Oregon Tech Senior Guard Justin Parnell sank two critical free throws with under 30 seconds left, plus 2 at the end of the game, the Hustlin Owls were 13-28 from the free throw line. Teams that shoot around 50% from the foul line lose games much more often than they win.
As for Eastern Oregon, they shot brilliantly from the charity stripe. They were 20-24 for 83%. If O.I.T hadn't built up a big lead in the first half, Danny Miles would probably have to have waited to get win #895.
Oregon Tech officially finished 17-32 from the foul line. What helped save Oregon Tech in this game was their being able to force 13 turnovers from the Mountaineers to Oregon Tech's 6. This game is one big example of the importance of foul shooting.EOU's excellent foul shooting gave them a chance while Oregon Tech's poor foul shooting nearly did them in.
One other footnote to this game. Eastern Oregon came into this game with a 30 game losing streak to Oregon Tech at the Hustlin Owls' home court. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, that streak is now at 31, possibility a national record.
If the Hustlin Owls want to win another conference title, let alone another national championship, they must improve their woeful free throw shooting. "We came inot this game shooing 74% on the season. If we had made 7 more foul shots, we would have won this game by 12 against a very good team", O.I.T. Head Coach Danny Miles said.
Shooting as low as 50% from the foul line won't get it done in the rugged Cascade Collegiate Athletic Conference, arguably the toughest conference in the nation at the NAIA Div. ll level.
However, poor free throw shooting by Oregon Tech in the second half opened the door for EOU to mount a huge comeback, cutting O.I.T's lead to one point with under a minute left. The Hustlin Owls held on to win 72-67, giving Head Coach Danny Miles victory #895 on his storied coaching career. Up until Oregon Tech Senior Guard Justin Parnell sank two critical free throws with under 30 seconds left, plus 2 at the end of the game, the Hustlin Owls were 13-28 from the free throw line. Teams that shoot around 50% from the foul line lose games much more often than they win.
As for Eastern Oregon, they shot brilliantly from the charity stripe. They were 20-24 for 83%. If O.I.T hadn't built up a big lead in the first half, Danny Miles would probably have to have waited to get win #895.
Oregon Tech officially finished 17-32 from the foul line. What helped save Oregon Tech in this game was their being able to force 13 turnovers from the Mountaineers to Oregon Tech's 6. This game is one big example of the importance of foul shooting.EOU's excellent foul shooting gave them a chance while Oregon Tech's poor foul shooting nearly did them in.
One other footnote to this game. Eastern Oregon came into this game with a 30 game losing streak to Oregon Tech at the Hustlin Owls' home court. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, that streak is now at 31, possibility a national record.
If the Hustlin Owls want to win another conference title, let alone another national championship, they must improve their woeful free throw shooting. "We came inot this game shooing 74% on the season. If we had made 7 more foul shots, we would have won this game by 12 against a very good team", O.I.T. Head Coach Danny Miles said.
Shooting as low as 50% from the foul line won't get it done in the rugged Cascade Collegiate Athletic Conference, arguably the toughest conference in the nation at the NAIA Div. ll level.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Derrick Dooley Will Do Well For The Vols
Both Derrick Dooley and Lane Kiffin are about the same age. They both are sons of football coaches. Dooley's father, Vince Dooley, was a legendary college coach at Georgia. Kiffin's father, Monty Kiffin, was the innovator of the "Tampa Two" defensive scheme and was the Defensive Coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they won the Super Bowl over the Raiders a few years ago.
Also, neither Lane Kiffin or Derrick Dooley had great records as head coaches. When Kiffin was the Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders, he went 5-15. When Dooley was at LA Tech, he went 17-20 in his tenure there. As far as coaching college football goes, Dooley may have more quality experience. He was an assistant coach at LSU under Nick Saban when the Tigers won the National Championship in 2003. Dooley has been around College Football since his first breath. He has seen how his father went about coaching the Georgia Bulldogs. He has the idea of what to do and what not to do. He recently got a ringing endorsement from his former boss, Nick Saban.
In my opinion, one major thing Derrick Dooley has under his belt is that he began his college head coaching career at a program that did not have lofty expectations. Fans and boosters at LA Tech did not expect Dooley to bring home a national championship or a BCS bowl. However, in Knoxville, they are expecting to compete for the SEC Championship year in and year out. It was good for Derrick Dooley that he got experience as a head coach at LA Tech first before he took on a job like that of Tennessee.
The best thing I like about Derrick Dooley is that unlike his predecessor, he has class, just like his father did. He will compete and win at Tennessee without making silly comments about fellow SEC coaches and making unfounded accusations. He, like Vince. will run a clean program. Some may draw a comparison of the hiring of Derrick Dooley to the hiring of Mike Shula at Alabama after Dennis Franchione abruptly left, much like the way Lane Kiffin left Tennessee. Shula had the coaching pedigree, being the son of the winningest coach in the NFL, Don Shula. Alabama was Mike Shula's first college head coaching job, a tough place to cut your teeth at. As we all know, it didn't go so well.
Fortunately for Derrick Dooley, he cut his teeth at a smaller school. This will make the transition to the "big time" more easier. It will be a strange feeling for Dooley when he brings his Tennessee Vols between the hedges next Fall. It was the place his father had so much success. As a Georgia fan, I still don't think much of Tennessee, but I think I can root for them a little more since they have a good man at the helm.
Also, neither Lane Kiffin or Derrick Dooley had great records as head coaches. When Kiffin was the Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders, he went 5-15. When Dooley was at LA Tech, he went 17-20 in his tenure there. As far as coaching college football goes, Dooley may have more quality experience. He was an assistant coach at LSU under Nick Saban when the Tigers won the National Championship in 2003. Dooley has been around College Football since his first breath. He has seen how his father went about coaching the Georgia Bulldogs. He has the idea of what to do and what not to do. He recently got a ringing endorsement from his former boss, Nick Saban.
In my opinion, one major thing Derrick Dooley has under his belt is that he began his college head coaching career at a program that did not have lofty expectations. Fans and boosters at LA Tech did not expect Dooley to bring home a national championship or a BCS bowl. However, in Knoxville, they are expecting to compete for the SEC Championship year in and year out. It was good for Derrick Dooley that he got experience as a head coach at LA Tech first before he took on a job like that of Tennessee.
The best thing I like about Derrick Dooley is that unlike his predecessor, he has class, just like his father did. He will compete and win at Tennessee without making silly comments about fellow SEC coaches and making unfounded accusations. He, like Vince. will run a clean program. Some may draw a comparison of the hiring of Derrick Dooley to the hiring of Mike Shula at Alabama after Dennis Franchione abruptly left, much like the way Lane Kiffin left Tennessee. Shula had the coaching pedigree, being the son of the winningest coach in the NFL, Don Shula. Alabama was Mike Shula's first college head coaching job, a tough place to cut your teeth at. As we all know, it didn't go so well.
Fortunately for Derrick Dooley, he cut his teeth at a smaller school. This will make the transition to the "big time" more easier. It will be a strange feeling for Dooley when he brings his Tennessee Vols between the hedges next Fall. It was the place his father had so much success. As a Georgia fan, I still don't think much of Tennessee, but I think I can root for them a little more since they have a good man at the helm.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Former Gwinnett Starts Keeping Georgia in the SEC Mix
Throughout this blog, I have given you stories of how student-athletes from Gwinnett County, Georgia have gone on to have great college and pro careers. there are three members of the Georgia Men's Basketball Team who are playing huge rolls in the Bulldogs' surprising success under first year Head Coach Mark Fox.
Senior Guard Ricky McPhee has gone from being a Georgia walk-on to becoming a vital cog in the success of the Dawgs. He hales from Lilburn, GA in Gwinnett County, and played his high school ball at Parkview High school. He started out at Gardner-Webb University, a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, where he averaged 8.6 PPG and scored at least 20 points on three occasions in the 2006-07 season, including a 22 point performance against Texas Tech.
After that, it was time for a new challenge for McPhee. He transferred to Georgia in 2008 and was a walk-on until earning a scholarship for the 2009-10 campaign. As mentioned above, McPhee has had tremendous success while at UGA. Last year, he played very important roles in the Dawgs' wins over Vanderbilt and Florida. McPhee was 5 for 7 from beyond the arc in their win over Mississippi St. last year. This year, McPhee has continued his good work for Georgia. In a crucial non-conference game against Illinois in December 2009, McPhee went 2-6 from beyond the arc, one of those being the difference in a 70-67 win over their Big 10 opponents. He also 4-7 treys in a big win over GA. Tech.
Trey Tompkins is undoubtedly the "Go t Guy" for the Dawgs. He prepped at the Wesleyan School in Norcross, GA (Gwinnett County) before goign to the famed Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. He also spent part of the 09 Summer playing for the U-19 USA Team in the U-19 world Championships in Aukland, New Zeland, where the U.S Team went undefeated on their way to the championship, and Tompkins was second on the team in scoring with 10.6 points per game. During his Freshman year at Georgia last year, Tompkins was named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman team, as voted by the league’s 12 coaches. He led Georgia in rebounding with the highest total for a UGA freshman (7.4/game) in 11 years. He was ranked second among Georgia players in scoring at 12.6 points per contest. He also led the Bulldogs in blocked shots with 31.
This year, Tompkins has continued his fine work for the Dawgs. He scored 20 points and went 6-12 from the field in the Dawgs' upset win over arch rival Georgia Tech. He had 21 points against Illinois in the Dawgs' 70-67 win. He also had 6 important defensive rebounds in that game. Only a Sophomore, Tompkins will only improve as he helps to lead Georgia to an NCAA Tournament berth.
Ebuka Anyaorah is s 6'4 R-Freshamn Guard for the Dawgs and comes from N. Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, GA, where he was second in Gwinnett County in scoring (26.3 PPG) behind fellow teammate Trey Tompkins. He sat out last year due to a stress fracture in his right tibia for which he had surgery to repair. This year, he averages about 15 minutes a game and provides depth for the Dawgs at the guard position. He is only a Red Shirt Sophomore and will only continue to improve. These three Gwinnett players, Ricky McPhee, Trey Tompkins and Ebuka Anyaorah, will continue to make more noise in the SEC. They will hopefully lead Georgia to a winning record in the conference and a berth in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. the Dawgs are currently 8-7 over all and 0-2 in conference play, with big wins over Illinois and Georgia Tech. In their two SEC losses to Kentucky and Ole Miss, the Dawgs were in both games and had chances to win. If they can have an above 500 record in the SEC with say, a win over Kentucky and Tennessee, plus a good showing in the SEC tourney, the possibility exists for the Dawgs to be in the "Big Dance" come March.
Senior Guard Ricky McPhee has gone from being a Georgia walk-on to becoming a vital cog in the success of the Dawgs. He hales from Lilburn, GA in Gwinnett County, and played his high school ball at Parkview High school. He started out at Gardner-Webb University, a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, where he averaged 8.6 PPG and scored at least 20 points on three occasions in the 2006-07 season, including a 22 point performance against Texas Tech.
After that, it was time for a new challenge for McPhee. He transferred to Georgia in 2008 and was a walk-on until earning a scholarship for the 2009-10 campaign. As mentioned above, McPhee has had tremendous success while at UGA. Last year, he played very important roles in the Dawgs' wins over Vanderbilt and Florida. McPhee was 5 for 7 from beyond the arc in their win over Mississippi St. last year. This year, McPhee has continued his good work for Georgia. In a crucial non-conference game against Illinois in December 2009, McPhee went 2-6 from beyond the arc, one of those being the difference in a 70-67 win over their Big 10 opponents. He also 4-7 treys in a big win over GA. Tech.
Trey Tompkins is undoubtedly the "Go t Guy" for the Dawgs. He prepped at the Wesleyan School in Norcross, GA (Gwinnett County) before goign to the famed Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. He also spent part of the 09 Summer playing for the U-19 USA Team in the U-19 world Championships in Aukland, New Zeland, where the U.S Team went undefeated on their way to the championship, and Tompkins was second on the team in scoring with 10.6 points per game. During his Freshman year at Georgia last year, Tompkins was named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman team, as voted by the league’s 12 coaches. He led Georgia in rebounding with the highest total for a UGA freshman (7.4/game) in 11 years. He was ranked second among Georgia players in scoring at 12.6 points per contest. He also led the Bulldogs in blocked shots with 31.
This year, Tompkins has continued his fine work for the Dawgs. He scored 20 points and went 6-12 from the field in the Dawgs' upset win over arch rival Georgia Tech. He had 21 points against Illinois in the Dawgs' 70-67 win. He also had 6 important defensive rebounds in that game. Only a Sophomore, Tompkins will only improve as he helps to lead Georgia to an NCAA Tournament berth.
Ebuka Anyaorah is s 6'4 R-Freshamn Guard for the Dawgs and comes from N. Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, GA, where he was second in Gwinnett County in scoring (26.3 PPG) behind fellow teammate Trey Tompkins. He sat out last year due to a stress fracture in his right tibia for which he had surgery to repair. This year, he averages about 15 minutes a game and provides depth for the Dawgs at the guard position. He is only a Red Shirt Sophomore and will only continue to improve. These three Gwinnett players, Ricky McPhee, Trey Tompkins and Ebuka Anyaorah, will continue to make more noise in the SEC. They will hopefully lead Georgia to a winning record in the conference and a berth in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. the Dawgs are currently 8-7 over all and 0-2 in conference play, with big wins over Illinois and Georgia Tech. In their two SEC losses to Kentucky and Ole Miss, the Dawgs were in both games and had chances to win. If they can have an above 500 record in the SEC with say, a win over Kentucky and Tennessee, plus a good showing in the SEC tourney, the possibility exists for the Dawgs to be in the "Big Dance" come March.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Eureka Football Players Receive Conference Awards
As I've mentioned many times on this College Sports blog, there are thousands of college student-athletes who excel on and off the field and court, but do not get the recognition because they don't play for "big time" programs.
In this article, I want to recognize some football players from Eureka College, an NCAA Div. lll school located in Eureka, ILL. Ten Eureka players recently received recognition from the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. Headlining the list was Eureka SR QB Nick Lindsey. Lindsey had a tremendous Senior season to finish his four year career with the Red Devils. He led the UMAC with 317.4 yards of total offense per game, and passed for 2,471 yards and 23 touchdowns (second among UMAC quarterbacks). Lindsey also rushed for 703 yards, which was sixth in the UMAC for rushing yards and first among UMAC quarterbacks.
Eureka Sophomore WR Wes Schmidgall led the league with 1,247 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. A transfer from the NAIA's Culver-Stockton College in Missouri, Schmidgall averaged 124.7 receiving yards per game, which was the fifth-highest total in all of Division III. Freshman Kicker Travis Huber made First Team All-UMAC. The Morton, ILL native finished his Freshman year with a perfect 6-for-6 on field goal attempts, and set Eureka's all time record for longest FG made when he converted a 43-yard field goal against Crown College on Nov. 7.
Two Eureka Senior defensive players made First Team All-UMAC. they are Linebacker Matt Knake and Corner Back Cody Troutman. Knake led the league in tackles with 105, including 45 solo tackles. Knake also led the Red Devils with 12 tackles for loss. Troutman finished his four year career in a Red Devils uniform with an outstanding season in 09. The Normal, ILL native finished the season with 77 tackles and led the team with interceptions with four. In fact, Eureka went 3-0 in games in which Troutman made an interception.
Five Eureka players earned Second team UMAC honors. Lineman Todd Stewart helped the Red Devil Offense gain 4,296 yards of total offense in 2009, which was third in the UMAC. Jr. tight End Dillon Reed set new personal records this season with 36 catches for 497 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Rounding out (but certainly not least) the list of Eureka stand outs are Rosney Beverly, DeMarco Neal and Mike Minehan. All three are defensive players and earned Second Team All-UMAC honors.
Overall, the 2009 season for Eureka was a struggle. The Red Devils went 3-6 overall and 2-5 in conference play. However, regardless of the final record, to have 10 players to make All-Conference is truly an accomplishment. To find out more about Eureka College and the Red Devils, you can visit the school's athletic web site at www.eureka.edu/athletics. I have had the pleasure of meeting Eureka's Athletic Director Paul Bryant, who I helped as a Clothing Consultant at my place of work; K&G Men's Fashion Store in Atlanta. If you are a high school student-athlete and are interested in playing sports in college, contact Paul Bryant at pbryant@eureka.edu <pbryant@eureka.edu.
In this article, I want to recognize some football players from Eureka College, an NCAA Div. lll school located in Eureka, ILL. Ten Eureka players recently received recognition from the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. Headlining the list was Eureka SR QB Nick Lindsey. Lindsey had a tremendous Senior season to finish his four year career with the Red Devils. He led the UMAC with 317.4 yards of total offense per game, and passed for 2,471 yards and 23 touchdowns (second among UMAC quarterbacks). Lindsey also rushed for 703 yards, which was sixth in the UMAC for rushing yards and first among UMAC quarterbacks.
Eureka Sophomore WR Wes Schmidgall led the league with 1,247 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. A transfer from the NAIA's Culver-Stockton College in Missouri, Schmidgall averaged 124.7 receiving yards per game, which was the fifth-highest total in all of Division III. Freshman Kicker Travis Huber made First Team All-UMAC. The Morton, ILL native finished his Freshman year with a perfect 6-for-6 on field goal attempts, and set Eureka's all time record for longest FG made when he converted a 43-yard field goal against Crown College on Nov. 7.
Two Eureka Senior defensive players made First Team All-UMAC. they are Linebacker Matt Knake and Corner Back Cody Troutman. Knake led the league in tackles with 105, including 45 solo tackles. Knake also led the Red Devils with 12 tackles for loss. Troutman finished his four year career in a Red Devils uniform with an outstanding season in 09. The Normal, ILL native finished the season with 77 tackles and led the team with interceptions with four. In fact, Eureka went 3-0 in games in which Troutman made an interception.
Five Eureka players earned Second team UMAC honors. Lineman Todd Stewart helped the Red Devil Offense gain 4,296 yards of total offense in 2009, which was third in the UMAC. Jr. tight End Dillon Reed set new personal records this season with 36 catches for 497 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Rounding out (but certainly not least) the list of Eureka stand outs are Rosney Beverly, DeMarco Neal and Mike Minehan. All three are defensive players and earned Second Team All-UMAC honors.
Overall, the 2009 season for Eureka was a struggle. The Red Devils went 3-6 overall and 2-5 in conference play. However, regardless of the final record, to have 10 players to make All-Conference is truly an accomplishment. To find out more about Eureka College and the Red Devils, you can visit the school's athletic web site at www.eureka.edu/athletics. I have had the pleasure of meeting Eureka's Athletic Director Paul Bryant, who I helped as a Clothing Consultant at my place of work; K&G Men's Fashion Store in Atlanta. If you are a high school student-athlete and are interested in playing sports in college, contact Paul Bryant at pbryant@eureka.edu <pbryant@eureka.edu.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Bowl Season Coming To An End
There are several people in the sports media who say that all of the "second tier bowls" are meaningless and they don't bother to watch them. I disagree. Let's look at the GMAC Bowl played last night between Central Michigan, out of the Mid America Conference (MAC) and the University of Troy, out of the Sun Belt Conference. the game was an exciting, high-scoring game featuring one of the best quarterbacks in College Football: Central Michigan's Dan LeFevoor.
LeFevoor led his team to another come from behind victory to give CMU a 44-41 overtime win. It is, I believe, the 9th time in his career that he has brought his team back from behind. Many scouts believe he will be a top pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Who can forget the solid win the Iowa Hawkeyes had over Ga. Tech in the FedEx Orange Bowl. Iowa's defense was outstanding, in particular Linebacker Adrian Clayborne, who was named the MVP of the FedEx Orange Bowl. I truly enjoyed seeing Boise St. and TCU battle it out in the Fiesta Bowl. Both teams came in undefeated and ranked among the top 10 in the country. It was the first time two schools from "Non-BCS" conferences were in a BCS bowl game. I would have liked to see them play one of the "big name" schools, but never the less, I thought it was an entertaining game (Boise St. won 17-10).
Other non-BCs bowls that I thought were very compelling include the Capital One Bowl. Northwestern QB Mike Kafka did everything he could to bring back the Wildcats, who were down 21-7 to Auburn, to tie the game at 21 all. The game went into overtime and Auburn won 36-33. If the Northwestern FG Kicker could have made 1 of his 3 missed field goals, the Wildcats would have upset their SEC opponents. It was fun to see Ohio St. finally win a BCS bowl game. They had lost twice in the National Championship Game in years past, both to LSU and Florida, but were able to beat an exciting Oregon team out of the PAC-10. Well, there's one more game left. It's for ALL the marbles: the BCS National Championship Game between #1 Alabama and #2 Texas. I hope it lives up to the hype. I remember a few years ago when USC played Oklahoma for the National Championship in the FedEx Orange Bowl. There was so much hype, but it ended in a blow out with USC winning something like 45-10. The greatest college football game ever played, in my opinion, was Boise St. vs Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl back in 2006. A heavy underdog, Boise St. upset the Sooners 43-42 in OT, and the BSU running back who scored the touchdown proposed to his fiance, a BSU cheerleader, on national television. I think Alabama will win, but I hope the game is close. I'll go ahead and pick a score: 27-20 in favor of the Crimson Tide.
LeFevoor led his team to another come from behind victory to give CMU a 44-41 overtime win. It is, I believe, the 9th time in his career that he has brought his team back from behind. Many scouts believe he will be a top pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Who can forget the solid win the Iowa Hawkeyes had over Ga. Tech in the FedEx Orange Bowl. Iowa's defense was outstanding, in particular Linebacker Adrian Clayborne, who was named the MVP of the FedEx Orange Bowl. I truly enjoyed seeing Boise St. and TCU battle it out in the Fiesta Bowl. Both teams came in undefeated and ranked among the top 10 in the country. It was the first time two schools from "Non-BCS" conferences were in a BCS bowl game. I would have liked to see them play one of the "big name" schools, but never the less, I thought it was an entertaining game (Boise St. won 17-10).
Other non-BCs bowls that I thought were very compelling include the Capital One Bowl. Northwestern QB Mike Kafka did everything he could to bring back the Wildcats, who were down 21-7 to Auburn, to tie the game at 21 all. The game went into overtime and Auburn won 36-33. If the Northwestern FG Kicker could have made 1 of his 3 missed field goals, the Wildcats would have upset their SEC opponents. It was fun to see Ohio St. finally win a BCS bowl game. They had lost twice in the National Championship Game in years past, both to LSU and Florida, but were able to beat an exciting Oregon team out of the PAC-10. Well, there's one more game left. It's for ALL the marbles: the BCS National Championship Game between #1 Alabama and #2 Texas. I hope it lives up to the hype. I remember a few years ago when USC played Oklahoma for the National Championship in the FedEx Orange Bowl. There was so much hype, but it ended in a blow out with USC winning something like 45-10. The greatest college football game ever played, in my opinion, was Boise St. vs Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl back in 2006. A heavy underdog, Boise St. upset the Sooners 43-42 in OT, and the BSU running back who scored the touchdown proposed to his fiance, a BSU cheerleader, on national television. I think Alabama will win, but I hope the game is close. I'll go ahead and pick a score: 27-20 in favor of the Crimson Tide.
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