|
Post by cviller on Nov 30, 2007 13:18:01 GMT -5
If we lose this game to Spitt, the sun will not rise Sunday morning.
|
|
|
Post by cviller on Aug 30, 2007 8:19:33 GMT -5
What a bunch of BS! If all of our players are that bad, how come we are #1 in the BE and #3 in the Nation?
What a jack ass!
|
|
|
Post by cviller on Jan 7, 2008 10:40:09 GMT -5
A very PROUD time to be a Mountaineer
|
|
|
Post by cviller on Jan 6, 2008 13:00:53 GMT -5
Small panhandle town swells with pride at the unexpected rise of native son
Sunday, January 06, 2008 By Ron Musselman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Can one night change your life? A Wednesday night in Glendale, Ariz., changed Bill Stewart's.
NEW MARTINSVILLE, W.Va. -- As a teenager at Magnolia High School, newly named West Virginia football coach Bill Stewart used to scrawl offensive plays on scraps of paper. Then he'd pass his notes around the room and ask his classmates to devise defenses to try and stop them.
"He was an X's and O's guy during study halls in high school even when he was 16 or 17," said lifelong friend, Dennis Balcerek. "Coaching has always been his true passion, and football his true love."
Balcerek left western Pennsylvania in 1960 and moved to this tiny town of less than 6,000 in the northern panhandle of Wetzel County. He and Stewart quickly became friends.
"I first met him when I was 8 years old and we were in third grade," said Balcerek, who works for Bayer Corp. "We lived two blocks apart from each other and were always doing things together."
Stewart and Balcerek had a mischievous side to them. They lived along Route 2, the main road leading into town.
They used to throw snowballs at passing cars, and kept a running tally of how many they hit.
Stewart also has said that he skinny-dipped in the nearby Ohio River, stole turnips from neighbors' gardens and toilet-papered the houses of some cheerleaders and majorettes.
"Bill was a little ornery, and I guess I was, too," Balcerek said.
Stewart played football and ran track for the Magnolia Blue Eagles. As a freshman football player, he broke his leg. He did not play as a sophomore, but by the time he reached his senior season, he was named Mr. Football of the team, which finished 7-3 a year after going 2-8.
"Billy was a hard-working kid," said Keith Smith, who coached Stewart as a junior before turning the reins over to his brother-in-law, Lou Nocida. "Billy wasn't a great athlete, but he would do anything you asked him to do."
Mike Wolf played football with Stewart and they were part of Magnolia's Class of 1970. Wolf started at right defensive tackle, and Stewart lined up beside him on the left side.
Both were 5 feet 10 and 165 pounds, and were considered small for linemen even in that era.
"Bill was all football, all the time," said Wolf, a teacher at nearby Tyler Consolidated High School. "He was always thinking football, talking football, playing football or watching football.
"After the games, he was in the back of the bus and everyone would be gathered around him. He just had them all captivated. He was part comedian, part politician and part coach. He doesn't have to worry anymore. He can just coach.
"I'm really excited for him. Nobody deserves this opportunity more than him. He's paid his dues as a long-time assistant."
Stewart, a 55-year-old coaching nomad, has had a dozen jobs, including high school, college and in the Canadian Football League, spanning more than three decades.
He had the word "interim" stripped from his coaching title Thursday morning. A long shot, he was named the Mountaineers' 32nd coach after leading the team to a 48-28 upset victory against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl the previous night.
Stewart received a five-year contract worth $4.5 million. His only other previous head coaching experience came at Virginia Military Institute, where he was 8-25 from 1994-96. He resigned after being accused of using a racial slur during practice.
His hometown has been abuzz ever since Stewart was picked to replace another West Virginian, Rich Rodriguez, who has moved on to Michigan.
"We couldn't be prouder to have one of our very own leading the West Virginia football program," said Kathi Blair-Schmalz, an assistant principal at Magnolia. "I haven't seen this much excitement around here in a long time.
"I told the kids on the intercom that Bill Stewart walked the halls here at Magnolia High School, just as you are walking the halls here. I told them, 'Anything's possible, so dream big.'"
Blair-Schmalz graduated from the school on Maple Street in 1975, along with Stewart's future wife, Karen. They are good friends, and Stewart's in-laws, Ted and Gretchen Kacor, still live here.
Stewart proposed to his wife several years ago under a goalpost at Alumni Field. His older brother, Ted, also played football at Magnolia, and they are in the school's athletic hall of fame.
Stewart's parents, Blaine and Bobbie, are deceased, but his only child is named after his late father, who played in a country-western band.
When Stewart's hiring was announced three days ago, signs and marquee boards dotted the town, congratulating Stewart on his new job. On Main Street, Quinet's Court Restaurant was advertising a popular "Bill Stewart Special" -- a 10-ounce strip streak with French fries for $5.95. "We're loving every minute of this, and we wanted to honor Bill Stewart for his great achievement with a permanent item on the menu," said Jim Quinet, whose family has owned the popular diner since the mid-1930s.
"This is a great hire not only for New Martinsville, but for the state of West Virginia, as well."
There have been discussions about holding a "Bill Stewart Day" and officials are pondering the idea of putting up a sign along Route 2, informing travelers of their hometown hero.
Stewart, a Fairmont State graduate, is the second native of New Marinsville to hold the West Virginia job -- Mont McIntire led the Mountaineers to a 24-11-4 record from 1916-20.
"Bill Stewart is a loyal, down-to-earth guy, who also happens to be very humble," current Magnolia football coach Mark Batton said. "I've coached a couple of his nephews and I have another one on the team right now. It's a great family, all the way around."
Stewart last visited Christmas Eve, shortly before West Virginia departed for Glendale, Ariz.
"I had an inkling then that he might end up with this job permanently," Balcerek said. "I had my fingers crossed."
The Stewart hiring ended a tumultuous 18-day stretch for West Virginia, which is suing Rodriguez for the $4 million required as part of his buyout.
"To tell you the truth, I don't think people care about Rich Rodriguez right now," Batton said. "Bill Stewart has stolen the hearts of all West Virginians.
"He took a football program that was in total turmoil, from losing to Pitt and costing itself a shot at a national championship, to losing its coach a few days later, and within a 60-minute period against Oklahoma, he brought the whole state back together again."
|
|
|
Post by cviller on Nov 29, 2007 8:55:37 GMT -5
The Backyard Brawl turns 100
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads has played a role in some of college football's biggest rivalries, including Ohio State vs. Michigan. None, he says, is like Pitt vs. West Virginia in one special quality.
To Rhoads, the Backyard Brawl is a perfect nickname for an always-physical, always-meaningful series that will be played for the 100th time Saturday night when Pitt tries to block No. 2 West Virginia's path to the national championship game.
Other rivalries are better known nationally and make a bigger impact on the Top 25 rankings, but the Brawl decides who is the toughest kid on a very small block.
"This rivalry is big and it's important," Rhoads said Wednesday. "This one is mean. This one is physical and these are two teams that like to get after each other for 60 minutes."
Separated by only 75 miles of interstate highway, the Panthers and Mountaineers often recruit from the same talent pool, with brothers and former high school teammates sometimes landing on opposing sides.
The teams even share the same colors, gold and blue, though in much different shades.
"There's a lot of great stories in this game," said Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt, a player and a coach in the Backyard Brawl. "They're recruiting a lot of the same players we are, so the kids know each other. That always brings a rivalry to life, when the kids know each other."
If Bobby Bowden didn't know much about the Brawl, he learned quickly. With his 1970 Mountaineers manhandling the Panthers 35-8 at halftime in Pitt Stadium, Bowden pulled in the reins, content to sit on a big lead.
Instead, Pitt came surging back for a 36-35 upset victory that rankles West Virginia fans to this day. Some fans were so incensed they beat on West Virginia's locker room door, demanding Bowden come out and explain what happened.
Bowden joked later he wasn't worried so much about being hung in effigy as he was about being hung for real.
Those same fans weren't much happier when West Virginia squandered a 31-9 lead in the final 17 minutes in 1989 and Pitt came back for a 31-31 tie, the last Brawl in which both teams were ranked in the Top 10.
There seem to be 99 quirky stories for the previous 99 Backyard Brawls, an informal nickname that usually appeared in lower case until about 30 years ago.
After all, this rivalry once produced the highest-scoring game in major college football history. The Brawl was decided one year by a walk-on kicker, the next by a Heisman Trophy winner -- and, nearly 20 years later, by another walk-on from the same city as the earlier walk-on star.
Talk about fanning a rivalry. Imagine how West Virginia fans felt in 1955 when, with Sugar Bowl representatives on hand to invite the Mountaineers to the New Year's Day game, the bowl reps changed their minds and chose Pitt instead.
While these Mountaineers (10-1, 5-1 in Big East) seemingly have little chance of losing to Pitt (4-7, 2-4), they might want to be a little wary.
In 1954, a mediocre Pitt team that fired its coach during a 4-5 season took West Virginia out of the national title race with a 13-10 upset, the Mountaineers' only loss.
In 1997, underdog Pitt landed a surprise bowl bid by scoring a stirring 41-38 three-overtime comeback win in Morgantown after Pete Gonzalez completed a 20-yard pass on a fourth-and-17 play in overtime.
There's another first in this Backyard Brawl: Dec. 1.
Backyard Brawls have been staged in August, September, October and November, but this will be the first December meeting.
Pitt once led the series 49-22-1, but West Virginia -- which played only a handful of home games in the series until 1962 -- has been catching up under coaches Don Nehlen and Rich Rodriguez. The Mountaineers are 15-7-2 in the last 24 games and have won 11 of 15.
Pitt's early dominance was largely the result of famed coach Jock Sutherland, who went 14-1 against the Mountaineers. The lone loss came in 1928, when gleeful West Virginia fans followed the Pitt team home and spent all night celebrating at a hotel close to Pitt's campus.
The rivalry has produced approximately 400 NFL players, about two dozen first-round draft picks, a lot of hard feelings and many off-the-wall moments. A public address announcer and some reputed garbage men once played prominent roles in the Brawl.
With West Virginia coming off an 0-8-2 season in 1960, a Pitt player noticed the Mountaineers were heavily recruiting in western Pennsylvania. In an offhanded remark to the Pitt student paper, he said the Mountaineers were rebuilding "with western Pennsylvania garbage."
It might be football's first known example of trash talking.
The story wound up on West Virginia's bulletin board, and the motivated Mountaineers upset Pitt 20-6 in Pitt Stadium in 1961. A year later, to prove it wasn't a fluke, West Virginia won again at Pitt, 15-8, during an eight-win season.
Proof perfect that one coach's trash is another coach's treasure.
In 1965, West Virginia's 63-48 win at old Mountaineer Field was the highest-scoring game in major college football until then.
West Virginia's biggest win may have been in 1975. With Bowden soon to leave for Florida State, walk-on kicker Bill McKenzie's last-play field goal gave the Mountaineers an unexpected 17-14 victory. The next season, Pitt bounced back behind Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett to win the national title, but only after a tight 24-16 win over a losing West Virginia team.
McKenzie, a straight-on kicker who had kicked only two other field goals that season, was from Wheeling, W.Va. In an unusual twist, another Wheeling walk-on, wide receiver Zach Abraham, caught a decisive 60-yard TD pass with 16 seconds remaining to give West Virginia a 47-41 win at Pitt Stadium in 1994.
That game featured three touchdowns and as many lead changes in the final 1 minute, 32 seconds, with West Virginia's Chad Johnston throwing for scores of 81 and 60 yards only seconds apart. The game also featured four touchdowns on blocked kicks and interceptions and some barnyard humor.
Pitt Stadium announcer Don Ireland caused a stir by making several hillbilly-type jokes about the Mountaineers. In one announcement, he said, "The owner of a tractor with the West Virginia license plate number E-I-E-I-O, please report to the parking lot -- your lights are on."
Just another day in college football's biggest Brawl of them all.
|
|
|
Post by cviller on Feb 13, 2008 15:45:54 GMT -5
As a man, J.J. Dorsey a can't-miss prospect
By Chuck McGill -- Daily Staff Writer nvdaily.com
WINCHESTER — J.J. Dorsey smiled as the cameras flashed, and hesitantly stood up to acknowledge the applause from his teachers and peers who had gathered for a small ceremony at Handley High School last Wednesday.
He smiled as his coaches gushed about his character and work ethic, and did little more than firmly place a blue and gold cap on his head, with West Virginia University's logo gracing the front, and then sign a stack of forms that guaranteed his spot on the Mountaineers' football team this fall.
Handley basketball coach Tommy Dixon, a towering figure not known for his sensitive side, briefly spoke of his relationship with Dorsey — although his tears and the emotion of the moment outweighed the few words he was able to muster.
And after his coaches and principal were finished doling out their well wishes, Dorsey declined to speak, opting to pass on the spotlight on a day centered around him.
That's what makes Dorsey's recruiting process so rare, but a breath of fresh air in an era where high school kids dodge text messages and drool from college coaches across the country.
Message boards, recruiting services and head coaches from Jim Tressel to Joe Paterno have fawned over Terrelle Pryor, a 6-foot-6 quarterback from Jeanette, Pa., who can throw, run, kick and rescue puppies from burning buildings. Pryor held a press conference at his school on National Signing Day, hours before Dorsey signed his letter of intent, to inform of his intention to not sign with anyone.
That's right. He summoned the media to inform them that there was, in fact, no news to report. Riveting.
Pryor has visited Ohio State, and once named the Buckeyes a favorite. He's tripped to Rich Rodriguez's new home in Ann Arbor, Mich., and salivated at the opportunity to lead college football's all-time winningest program as a true freshman. He's flirted with Oregon, and his father, Craig, is infatuated with Paterno.
He even once considered Dorsey's Mountaineers, but quickly scratched them from his list when Rodriguez bailed for the maize and blue. Just like that, Pryor had changed his mind — just as he likely will each day leading up to an official announcement, which must come by April 1.
Now, Pryor is in a different class on the football field, but has nothing on Dorsey when it comes to the virtues of character and work ethic for which he was lauded for at Handley last week.
Dorsey is listed as a "three star" recruit, which means that scouts who evaluated him say he's not a can't-miss future NFL Hall of Famer, but he's not exactly bottom of the barrel, either. In fact, Dorsey will be the first one to remind anyone that he's not going to WVU be the next Pat White and rewrite the record books.
"I'm looking forward to working hard in college," Dorsey said at his signing day ceremony, "and I'm looking forward to playing with guys that are a little above my level and on my level."
Most recruits will take a minimum of five visits, oftentimes with a handful of "unofficial" visits sprinkled in. They'll check out this program and that program, load up on free food, listen to the promises and the guarantees, and then proclaim that school their new favorite.
Dorsey took just one visit, to West Virginia University. And although the food did make an impact — "We ate a lot. I couldn't eat all of it" — Dorsey chose the Mountaineers instantly, citing the school's academics, the facilities and then-assistant coach Bill Stewart, who was in charge of recruiting the state of Virginia.
"We all respect him," Dorsey said of Stewart, who was named the interim coach after Rodriguez went to Michigan, and then had the interim tag removed after leading West Virginia to a 48-28 win in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma on Jan. 2.
But then Dorsey started receiving calls, including one from Nebraska. He had committed to play for Rodriguez, had witnessed a month of turmoil in Morgantown, and then had a new head coach. He could have looked around, dipped his big toe in the recruiting waters and then jumped in.
But he never wavered from his commitment, nor did fellow recruit Donovan Miles, a linebacker from Brooke Point High School in Stafford.
"I don't think either one of those guys was infatuated with the head coach as much as they were with the atmosphere and the players," said Handley assistant coach Ben Swartz, who accompanied Dorsey on his visit to WVU. "He didn't want to go anywhere. I told him he could take more visits, but he didn't want to go anywhere else. He loved it."
Dorsey, who finished fourth on Virginia's all-time total yardage list, is likely finished on the offensive side of the ball. Stewart will shift him to defensive back, where he played sparingly at Handley. Dorsey said he doesn't care where he plays, as long as he has the opportunity to play.
Amazing, right?
And remember, Pat White was a two-star recruit, whom most schools did not want as a quarterback. He's ascended to the top of college football because of his heart, character and work ethic.
Just think of what Dorsey will do with that extra star.
*Contact Chuck McGill at cmcgill@nvdaily.com
|
|
|
Post by cviller on Aug 29, 2007 19:56:47 GMT -5
Thanks Bump! I'm about ready to explode ;D ;D ;D
Let's Bring On The MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!!
|
|
|
Post by cviller on Jan 12, 2008 22:32:36 GMT -5
He made my day!
|
|
|
Post by cviller on Jan 12, 2008 11:32:05 GMT -5
January 12th, 2008 by Ern
Head Coach Bill Stewart announced one more addition to his staff today: John “Doc” Holliday. Holliday will be the Associate Head Coach, Director of Recruiting, Fullbacks/Tight Ends Coach & will also coordinate Special Teams.
A native of Hurricane, W.V., Holliday earned both his Bachelor’s Degree and his Master’s Degree from WVU. He also played for West Virginia where he was a three-year letterwinner as a linebacker.
With 29 years of coaching experience at the college level and 18 bowl game appearances, Holliday is a veteran of big games. He has coached in two national championship games – 1989 with WVU and 2006 with Florida.
As a safeties coach, his Florida secondary lead the SEC in interceptions two of the past three seasons. Equally important, Holliday was named one of Rivals.com’s Top 25 recruiters in 2005.
In addition to the considerable time spent at WVU in the past, Holliday also spent time with N.C. State, where his team set school records in almost every statistical category: pass attempts (496), pass completions (357), passing yards (4,580), passing yards per game ( 352.3), passing TDs (35) and pass completion percentage (.720).
During his previous time at WVU, Holliday coached three of the top six receivers in Big East history.
Interestingly, Holliday’s son Cade is a wide receiver at Florida.
Stewart raved about Holliday being a “top notch recruiter” and how he will be a “tremendous asset”, but was equally impressed with his coaching abilities stating that he had “coached both sides of the ball” at the division I level.
With the announcement of Holliday, this leaves 3 openings on the offensive staff plus a strength and conditioning coordinator. No timetable was announced, but Stewart indicated that he would be deliberate in the process in order to get the right fit.
|
|
|
Post by cviller on Nov 26, 2007 10:24:07 GMT -5
Incredible second half ended WVU’s great week
By BLAINE MYERS, Monday Morning Quarterback
MORGANTOWN — West Virginia Mountaineer football fans were on the edge of their seats, tension apparent, fists clenched, hanging on every play.
And that was just the Arkansas-LSU game Friday afternoon on television.
After an upset loss to South Florida on Sept. 28, WVU fans accepted that the dream of seeing their team play for a National Championship was gone for this season. But in what has been the most unpredictable college season in memory, ranked team after ranked team has fallen, and the last barrier was removed in an Arkansas triple overtime upset of No. 1-ranked LSU.
The pathway was thus cleared for the Mountaineers. Win their final two games and they would finish in the top two in the Bowl Championship Series standings and play in the title game in New Orleans on Jan. 7.
THIS SATURDAY: It will be the 100th meeting between rivals West Virginia and Pitt, and none has ever been more important than the one that will be played this Saturday night in Morgantown.
Pitt’s 4-7 record is deceiving. The Panthers lost a close game at Michigan State, had an overtime loss to Navy, fumbled at the 1 when going in for the tying score in the waning seconds at Louisville, had a game-winning TD with a minute to go at Rutgers called back on a penalty, and actually outgained South Florida last Saturday but was done in by two interception returns for TDs and another setting up a 1-yard score. They must be respected, for their frustrating season could be salvaged with an upset win.
But the Mountaineers are too close to be denied now. West Virginia 42 Pittsburgh 24.
|
|
|
Post by cviller on Dec 21, 2007 10:55:36 GMT -5
Parkersburg’s Jenkins decision
By Mitch Vingle Sports Editor
Parkersburg High’s Josh Jenkins, a repeat Hunt Award winner, said on Wednesday he’ll try to wait and see whom West Virginia will hire before deciding whether to honor his commitment to the Mountaineers.
“They’re hire who they think is best,” Jenkins said. “Then I’ll decide if it’s best for me. We’ll see if who they hire is in my comfort zone.”
Jenkins said the only name he knows among the published candidates so far is Florida associate head coach John “Doc” Holliday.
“Doc Holliday was my recruiting coach from Florida,” Jenkins said. “I eliminated Florida not too long ago. I don’t know any of the others. I know one guy [Terry Bowden] was an analyst, but I understand he’s been out of the game for a while.”
Jenkins said he was “really disappointed in Coach and his assistant coaches leaving West Virginia.
“They preached loyalty to the state and then left. But I can’t say much about it. Everything is so selfish in college football. You do what you’ve got to do.”
Jenkins said he’s still looking at Florida State, Ohio State and he’s “recently been talking to Pitt and Penn State,” in addition to the Mountaineers.
The offensive lineman said he could make a final decision by the Jan. 5 U.S. Army all-star game. He also said he’s like to see West Virginia officials make a decision soon.
“I’d like to wait to see who they hire, but it depends on how soon [they make the hire],” Jenkins said. “If they take a long time, it could take a toll on me.”
|
|
|
Post by cviller on Nov 7, 2007 11:58:05 GMT -5
WVU's Pat McAfee was named one of 20 semifinalists Tuesday for the Lou Groza Award given annually to the nation's top kicker.
McAfee, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound junior from Plum, Pa., is 9-for-10 on field goal attempts this season and 40-for-41 on extra point attempts. McAfee also handles kickoffs and punts for the Mountaineers. He has five touchbacks in 59 kickoffs and is averaging 38.2 yards per punt with five fair catches, seven downed inside the 20-yard line and just one touchback.
Louisville's Art Carmody, who won the award last season, did not make the cut. McAfee is the only Big East kicker on the list.
|
|
|
Post by cviller on Nov 6, 2007 9:21:49 GMT -5
Kickers aren't always rivals
By Mike Casazza Daily Mail sportswriter
MORGANTOWN -- Pat McAfee finds himself in an unusual situation this week.
Getty Images Louisville placekicker Art Carmody (18) and WVU kicker Pat McAfee “are pretty tight.”
Getty Images Louisville placekicker Art Carmody (18) and WVU kicker Pat McAfee “are pretty tight.” "I don't know what it is," West Virginia's kicker and punter said, "but I really don't get along with a lot of kickers. I look at a lot of them as my competition."
Certainly, Art Carmody is in that group. Louisville's kicker won the Lou Groza Award last season as the best in the nation, and on Thursday one kicker's team will beat the other's when the Mountaineers play host to the Cardinals at 7:45 p.m. at Mountaineer Field.
These kickers, though, are not enemies.
"Me and Art are pretty tight, to be completely honest with you," McAfee said.
It began in 2005 when they met during the triple overtime game and shared a unique experience. Both had to make extra points in the first two overtimes, both were nervous and both came away impressed by how the other handled himself.
"My extra point in the second overtime was probably my most memorable kick ever," McAfee said. "It barely went in.
"That was a very intense game. When a game goes into overtime, it's a pretty big deal. Everything is so close and if you mess up once, it's pretty much the game. That was my first real challenge."
Carmody, who was a sophomore and a year older than McAfee, had never been tested that way, either.
"I remember going out for the extra point in the second overtime," Carmody said. "We'd just scored (first) and it was a big momentum swing because they had had all the momentum and we were trying to get it back. And you don't kick (extra points) in the third overtime, so you know it's a big moment."
After the season ended with the Mountaineers winning the Sugar Bowl, Carmody contacted McAfee through the online social network "Facebook" and congratulated him and the Mountaineers on their successes.
"Kickers are in our own fraternity," Carmody said. "We try to help each other and talk to each other all the time. I know I don't think of any of them as rivals. Obviously, you want to beat their team, but at the same time you understand you're all in the same situation, so I try to have a good relationship with other kickers."
It was a surprise to McAfee on separate levels. He doesn't normally interact with kickers, but he privately admired Carmody and was honored the message came from him.
"Art Carmody is a machine," McAfee said. "The dude is so mechanical. It's very impressive to watch."
McAfee decided to respond and solicited some advice from Carmody, who had been through a college offseason and could help McAfee with his first.
"He was interested in getting some information how much to kick, what type of lifting he should do, different drills, things like that," Carmody said. "It wasn't anything about technique or questions about form. It was just how to handle the offseason and how to use it to his advantage."
Carmody complied as the two forged an unexpected friendship.
"He's helped me out a whole lot," McAfee said. "It helps that he's a nice guy."
The advice worked, too. Carmody, a senior from Shreveport, La., was 20-for-23 last year and 57-for-57 on extra points and ranked No. 4 in the nation in scoring with 9.75 points per game. McAfee, a junior from Plum, Pa., was 17-for-22 and 62-for-62 on extra points.
This year, Carmody is 9-for-13 and 42-for-42 while McAfee is 9-for-10 and 40-for-41.
The two remain in touch as one keeps track of how the other is doing and sends the occasional message of support or congratulations.
The communications will continue this week.
"I'll send him a few messages and talk some trash, but nothing too serious," McAfee said. "I'll really just want to wish him luck."
|
|
|
Post by cviller on Feb 7, 2008 9:04:01 GMT -5
Jenkins wanted to stand alone
By Mitch Vingle Sports Editor
PARKERSBURG - Josh Jenkins didn't mind sharing the spotlight with his Parkersburg High classmates Wednesday.
Beside him along the PHS gym baseline sat teammates Travis Bunner and Zach Nolan, who both signed to play football at Fairmont State. Michael Pitrolo was there to sign with WVU in soccer.
Now, however, the offensive lineman wishes to stand on his own.
It is why he signed with the West Virginia Mountaineers. It is why he didn't sign with the Ohio State Buckeyes or the Florida State Seminoles.
"Finally, it's over,'' said a relieved Jenkins after the Wednesday morning signing ceremony. "I couldn't feel better about it. West Virginia ... the state where I live ... great people that treat me good. That's what it's all about.''
That, he continued, and having his own place among the Mountaineer recruits.
"At Ohio State, they have the 'Brew Crew,' '' he said. "I figured that's not my style. I want to have my own name.''
The "Brew Crew,'' for those that don't spend every waking moment following recruiting, is the name attached to this year's OSU recruiting class. Buckeye recruit Mike Brewster, a five-star offensive tackle, took it upon himself to help recruit the school's class. Thus, the "Brew Crew.''
Jenkins, meanwhile, did it his way. All the way to the end. With the television cameras pointed and the microphones rolling at the press conference, he initially donned a Michigan hat. Then, in a jab at former WVU coach Rich Rodriguez, who left for UM, Jenkins tossed the Wolverine hat aside and pulled on a Mountaineer cap.
The stunt was a hit. But not everything about Jenkins' recruitment was as well received in Parkersburg or West Virginia. He committed to the Mountaineers. Then he said he'd still look at other schools. Then he withdrew the commitment. Finally, he returned to the WVU fold.
"I'm not going to lie,'' Jenkins said. "Recruiting me wasn't easy for West Virginia. I had them completely out of there for a while. They had a rough time. Coach [Doc] Holliday told me he's been doing this for 30 years and I've probably been the biggest pain in his butt. It was all good though. Great people.''
Jenkins also thought the world of Rick Trickett, the former WVU offensive line coach now at Florida State. At least his final call suggests that's the case.
"It was down to West Virginia and Florida State,'' Jenkins said. "And Ohio State. But I went down to Florida State and had a great day. I had a good time down there. I fit in with all the players and the people. I liked the atmosphere. It couldn't have gone any better.
"When I got back, I thought I was going to Florida State. Then I took some time and came to my senses a little bit. I realized West Virginia was the place for me. I fit in well. People know me. I have a support chain.''
It was, however, important that new WVU coach Bill Stewart and associate head coach Holliday dove headfirst into the process after Rodriguez left.
"The good thing about [Stewart and Holliday] is they let me know I was their main guy,'' Jenkins said. "That they would take care of me no matter what. Not many coaches will say you're the main guy. You have to be pretty good for them to dedicate so much time to you.''
So what sealed the deal?
"I don't know if it was anything they did,'' Jenkins said. "I sat down with my family. They said, 'If you do good in college here, you can be remembered for life. You'll be Josh Jenkins. Anywhere else, you'll be just another football player.' ''
There were, though, rough spots for the two-time Hunt Award winner.
"The wildest part was when I de-committed,'' Jenkins said. "One second everyone loved me, then, the next, everyone hated me. That was wild. I had to have the mindset not to let it bother me.
"People were judging me. And only God can judge me.''
Jenkins laughed when the subject of Rodriguez was raised.
"The difference between [Rodriguez and his assistants] and me is they were in my coach's office saying, 'You owe the state this, you owe the state that' - then they up and left,'' said the lineman.
"But that's part of the business. Same reason Coach Trickett left for Florida State.''
Jenkins, who committed to WVU as a junior, considers himself a man of his word. Now, though, he said it's time for action.
"It's time to get ready for the big time now,'' he said. "It's not high school football anymore. You have to train every day. When you step on that campus, you're in a big pond.''
Jenkins said WVU's coaches haven't pinpointed whether he'll play offensive guard or tackle. What they have told him is he'll have a good shot at immediate playing time.
"I have an opportunity to step in and play,'' Jenkins said. "But they have five returning [offensive line] starters back. The coaches said they're weak in a couple of spots and I have a chance to step in. Which is good. But you have to respect the other players they already have there. I'm going to go in, do what I can and, if I don't earn a starting spot, maybe rotate in during the game.''
Whatever the case, he'll sink or swim on his own, not as part of a "crew.'' (Unless, of course, you want to call him "J. Crew.'')
"I'm going to West Virginia for Josh Jenkins,'' he said, "not anyone else.''
To contact sports editor Mitch Vingle, send e-mail to mitchvin...@wvgazette.com or call 348-4827.
|
|
|
Post by cviller on Dec 1, 2007 10:14:34 GMT -5
1,380 - 10:13 am Saturday
Keep it going, this DipShit must go!
|
|