Big Blog on Campus

TicketCity Bowl preview

2012-01-01T20:00:00.002-05:00

Houston (12-1) vs. Penn State (9-3)
TV: Noon (ESPNU)
Line: Houston by 7.
Series record: Penn State leads 2-0.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Two teams that encountered coaching upheaval try to end the season on an upbeat note. Gary Levine leads the Cougars for the first time since being promoted to replace Kevin Sumlin, who left to take the job at Texas A&M. Longtime defensive coordinator Tom Bradley hopes the game isn’t his last with the Nittany Lions since being appointed interim coach after Hall of Famer Joe Paterno was fired Nov. 9.
KEY MATCHUP
Houston QB Case Keenum vs. Penn State defensive line. The Cougars’ record-setter with the quick release has been lighting up defenses all season. But Penn State’s defensive line will likely be the best front four he’ll face all season, particularly All-American tackle Devon Still. The Nittany Lions hope they can shuffle linemen in and out to keep up with Houston’s fast-paced offense.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Houston: Keenum. The NCAA career leader in passing yardage (18,865) and touchdown passes (152) gets a shot to prove the Cougars’ 12-0 start wasn’t a fluke against the Big Ten’s stingiest defense (15.7 points).
Penn State: QB Rob Bolden. The sophomore gets the start with first-stringer Matt McGloin sidelined after suffering a seizure and concussion Dec. 17 following a locker room altercation with a teammate. Bolden is more mobile than McGloin, but Penn State’s middling offense has especially struggled with Bolden behind center.
FACTS & FIGURES
This will be Penn State’s first bowl game without Paterno as head coach since the 1962 Gator Bowl, a 17-7 loss to Florida. ... Penn State will contribute its bowl proceeds, estimated to be up to $2.3 million, to causes devoted to the research and treatment of child sexual abuse. ... The two teams last met in 1977, with Penn State winning 31-14 in Happy Valley. ... The TicketCity Bowl is just one of four non-BCS games featuring a pair of Top 25 teams. Houston is ranked 20th, while Penn State is 24th. ... Houston has won just one bowl game since 1980, a 34-28 victory over Air Force in the 2008 Armed Forces Bowl. The Cougars are 1-9 in their last 10 postseason appearances. ... Keenum is Houston’s career record-holder for victories (36) and has lead the school to four straight bowl games as a starter. ... Houston LB Sammy Brown is the nation’s leader in tackles for a loss (28).

Wilcox gets PAC honor

2011-12-12T20:39:00.007-05:00

Bethany College junior forward Nick Wilcox, a Venetia native and Peters Township graduate, has been named the Presidents' Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week after leading the Bison to a pair of victories.

In wins over Carnegie Mellon (88-75) and Thomas More (89-74), the 6-3 Wilcox averaged 21.5 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. Against Carnegie Mellon, Bethany trailed by three at halftime, but Wilcox scored 16 of his game-high 24 points in the second half to help the Bison rally. Wilcox also had six steals, five rebounds and four steals.

The Bison ran their record to 8-0 overall and 3-0 in the PAC Saturday by handing Thomas More its first conference loss. Wilcox again led the way with 19 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. He also had six assists, four steals and two blocked shots. The victory gave Bethany its longest winning streak since the 2006-07 season and the program's best start since going 18-0 in 1963-64.

Wilcox is first in the PAC in steals (4.0) and offensive rebounds (4.5) while ranking second in assists (3.88).

"Nick optimizes everything you want in a college basketball player," said Bison head coach Andrew Sachs. "He comes play to play every night, has a strong desire to win and makes everyone around him better."

A pre-physical therapy major, Nick is the son of Sharon and David Lacey.

PAC expanding?

2011-12-12T20:36:00.001-05:00

The Presidents' Athletic Conference has scheduled a media conference call for 2 p.m. Tuesday "for a conference membership announcement." No other details released.

Convocation center opening

2011-12-01T14:06:00.004-05:00

California University will open its new 6,000-seat convocation center Saturday with a men's and women's basketball doubleheader against Mansfield.

Doors will open at 11 a.m. The women's game will tip at 1 p.m. followed by the men's game at approximately 3 p.m. A dedication ceremony will be held between games.

California also will host Bloomsburg Sunday with 1 and 3 p.m. start times.

Local look to Allegheny football

2011-11-29T19:34:00.002-05:00

Though it's located about 100 miles to the north in Meadville and is the only Pennsylvania school in the North Coast Athletic Conference, Allegheny College has found Washington County and its surrounding communities fertile recruiting ground, especially when it comes to football players.
Several local players were key performers for Allegheny during its recently concluded season that produced a 5-5 record, including a 3-3 mark in the NCAC.

One player who has been a multiyear stalwart for the Gators is senior left offensive tackle Sam Taylor. A Cuddy native and South Fayette High School graduate, Taylor (6-4, 285) was named first team All-NCAC for the second year in a row. Taylor anchored the Gators' offensive line, which allowed only 14 quarterback sacks, the second-lowest total in the NCAC.

Taylor is the first Allegheny offensive lineman since 2004 to receive first team all-conference honors in consecutive seasons.

Current rating: NaN The person who benefited from Taylor's pass blocking was Allegheny senior quarterback Jordan Fowler, a Donora native and Ringgold graduate. Fowler (6-0, 178) started all 10 games for the Gators and had a terrific year. An accurate passer, Fowler led the NCAC and was 13th in NCAA Division III in completion percentage (64.9 percent) and finished fifth in the league in passing yards (1,952).
Fowler's 203 completions was the third-highest single-season total in Allegheny history. The completion percentage was the sixth-best rate in more than 100 seasons of Gators football.

Fowler received North Coast Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks during October. In a 31-28 win over Denison Oct. 15, Fowler threw a three-yard, game-wining touchdown pass with 11 seconds left to deal the Big Red their first conference loss. On the day, Fowler completed 29 of 39 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns.

Fowler was one of 11 Washington County players on the Allegheny roster. The other include freshman quarterback Brad Martin (Trinity), freshman outside linebacker Justin Portz (Peters Township), junior tight end David Bassi (Ringgold), senior offensive lineman Anthony Pizzuti (Canon-McMillan), freshman offensive lineman Tyler Clark (Peters Township), senior offensive lineman Sean Connors (Peters Township), freshman wide receiver Damon Cupp (Avella), junior defensive lineman Blayze Schindler (Ringgold), junior inside linebacker Rudy DeStefano (Ringgold) and junior defensive lineman Zach Minney (Chartiers-Houston).

In wrestling
Lock Haven sophomore Fred Garcia, a Donora native and Ringgold graduate, won the 184-pound title at the 6th Annual Mat Town Open hosted by the Bald Eagles. Garcia, who is Ringgold's all-time leader with 124 wins, made a first-period takedown stand up for a 2-0 victory over John Bolich of Lehigh in the tournament final.

"First open tournament title for Freddie is a great thing," Lock Haven coach Robbie Waller told reporters. "He is a guy who never went to the state tournament, so you can see the improvement in him. He is a guy who, if he gets to the national tournament, could become an All-American if he gets better and better each week. Right now, he is doing that."

In soccer
Goalkeeper Megan Junker, a sophomore from McMurray, came within one shutout of tying the St. Bonaventure single-season record.

A Peters Township graduate, Junker had five shutouts and posted a 5-5-2 record in 14 games for the Bonnies, who advanced to the Atlantic 10 tournament.

In basketball
Eli Obade, a 6-9 junior forward from Charleroi, had his best game as a member of the Millersville men's team Saturday when he scored a career-high 22 points in an 80-77 loss at Wilmington.

Obade made nine of 10 shots from the field, grabbed nine rebounds and played a career-high 31 minutes for the Mauraders (2-3).

For the season, Obade is averaging 11.8 points and a team-leading 7.8 rebounds.

Wash High graduate Marguerite Sargent, a senior for Chatham, is the Cougars' leading scorer, averaging 12 points per game. In the season opener against Penn State-Altoona, Sargent scored 16 points for Chatham (2-2).

Freshman Josh Valentic is off to a good start for Wheeling Jesuit. The Trinity graduate has played in all five games for the Cardinals, who are 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Valentic is the team's fourth-leading scorer, averaging 10.4 points per game. He has made 10 of 26 three-point field goals and 12 of 16 free throws. In 95 minutes of playing time, Valentic has committed only four turnovers.

In Wheeling Jesuit's 94-78 win at Tiffin (Ohio) Sunday, Valentic came off the bench to score a career-high 17 points in only 20 minutes.

In swimming
The Edinboro women's team is off to a 2-1 start in dual meets, and Sarah Weeks, a sophomore from Donora, has played a big part for the Fighting Scots. A Ringgold graduate, Weeks won the 200-yard freestyle in Edinboro's win over Malone. Weeks also was victorious in the 100 butterfly during the Fighting Scots' victory over Shippensburg.

Weeks qualified for the PSAC Championships last season in the 200 butterfly.

In football
Anthony Steratore, a senior offensive lineman for the College of Wooster, received honorable mention status on the NCAC all-conference team. A two-year starter at center Steratore was instrumental role in Wooster's offensive success. The McMurray native and Peters Township graduate made all of the line calls for an offense that averaged 381.6 yards per game over the second half of the season, including a high of 463 at Hiram.

Jeravin Matthews finally found a position on the Northwestern football team. The Canon-McMillan graduate spent several seasons changing positions between offense and defense until settling into a starting role this year at cornerback.

Matthews played his final home game for the Wildcats Saturday against Michigan State and intercepted a pass.

Matthews was named Northwestern's Special Teams and Defensive Player of the Game against Army when he made a career-high 10 tackles and broke up a pass. Matthews also received the team's special teams honor for his performance against Penn State, when he recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff.

Cal's convocation center

2011-11-18T18:57:00.005-05:00

This is a photo taken Friday by the Observer-Reporter's Jim McNutt inside California University's new $59 million convocation center. Click on the photo to get a larger image.

Check Saturday's O-R for a story and more pictures of the multi-purpose facility. Plus, observer-reporter.com will have video.

Crown preseason No. 1 in wrestling

2011-09-22T23:51:00.002-04:00

Even though the first action of the 2011-12 wrestling season is still more than a month away, junior Alex Crown is already getting attention.
Crown, who finished fourth at the NCAA Division III National Championships last March, was ranked No. 1 in the country at 125 pounds by d3wrestle.com. It is believed to be the first time a Waynesburg wrestler was given the top spot by the national website.
As a sophomore last season, Crown not only won his second-straight Presidents’ Athletic Conference title, but finished in the top two at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Championships for the second-straight season after winning the event for the first time.
After losing his opening match at nationals, Crown bounced back to win four-straight bouts, including a thrilling pin of Mt. Union’s Riki Reynolds, who opens the 2011-12 season ranked second in the country.
Crown has a career record of 62-17 and 26-3 in dual matches.
The Yellow Jackets, who placed 20th as a team at the national championships, will open the season Nov 5 at the Messiah Invitational.

Cal's Fromknecht gets West's top weekly honor

2011-09-07T22:08:00.003-04:00

For her play in the season-opening Ferris State (Mich.) Invitational, California University junior volleyball player Kelly Fromknecht earned PSAC West Athlete of the Week honors.

Fromknecht, an Erie McDowell graduate, helped the Vulcans post a 3-1 record at the two-day tournament in the debut of first-year head coach Peter Letourneau. Cal opened the weekend with sweeps of Southern Indiana, Urbana (Ohio) and Wisconsin-Parkside before suffering a loss to the host Bulldogs.

An All-PSAC West second-team selection last year, Fromknecht posted 109 assists last week and led the Vulcans with 10 blocks and seven service aces. She also finished with 17 kills and 21 digs.

The 6-0 junior opened the year on Friday by establishing a career high with 36 assists and adding three kills, six digs and four blocks in the win over Southern Indiana.

Abel is able

2011-09-06T17:50:00.004-04:00

James Madison University redshirt junior volleyball outside hitter Natalie Abel (Washington/Trinity High School) was named the Colonial Athletic Association co-Offensive Player of the Week after helping JMU to a 3-0 record at the Days Inn Invitational last weekend.

Abel was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after collecting 41 kills on .398 hitting while adding 31 digs, four blocks, four assists and two service aces. She committed only four errors in 11 sets, and averaged 3.73 kills per set. In James Madison's three-set win over Robert Morris to close out the tournament, Abel had 16 kills against one error in 28 attempts.

Through six matches this season, Abel leads the Dukes in kills (67), kills per set (2.79), aces (seven) and digs (72). She was a preseason All-CAA honorable mention after collecting third team recognitions a year ago.

Nothing gets past Hoffman

2011-09-06T17:45:00.003-04:00

Freshman goalkeeper Brittany Hoffman (McMurray/Peters Township) had a spectacular collegiate debut, recording consecutive shutout victories and a 3-0-0 record while leading the defensive effort that helped New Jersey City University win the championship of the Michelle Robin-Vargas Memorial Tournament at SUNY-New Paltz. For her efforts, Hoffman was selected as the season's first New Jersey Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Rookie of the Week.

Hoffman, the first goalkeeper in school history to be selected as the NJAC Rookie of the Week, made 12 saves while facing 32 shots and registered a .923 save percentage.

Hoffman, who is attending NJCU on a full Presidential academic scholarship and studying Fire Science, extended her current shutout streak to 259:46. That represents the third-longest scoreless minutes streak in school history and stands just 8:45 of eclipsing the school record set in 1995.

On Sept. 1 in a 6-1 win over King's to open the season, Hoffman made five saves to register her first NCAA victory.

In an 8-0 romp of SUNY Canton Sept. 3 in the tournament's opening round, Hoffman made four saves for her first shutout.

In a 1-0 overtime victory at SUNY New Paltz in the championship game, Hoffman made three saves while leading NJCU to its first road overtime victory in the 19-year history of the program.

Sixth-year head coach Robert Bielan had high praise for his rookie netminder. “Brittany Hoffman is the best keeper I have had in my six years as head coach, hands down," he said. "She has all the attributes of a good keeper and the potential to be even better. She absorbs everything Leah Tepperman [assistant coach/goalkeepers coach] tells her and executes it perfectly.”

PAC preview

2011-08-29T10:01:00.002-04:00

Here is the link to the PAC football preview:

http://www.pacathletics.org/fbpreview11.htm

PSAC preview

2011-08-29T09:58:00.002-04:00

Here is the link for a preview of all teams in the PSAC East and West football conferences:

http://www.psacsports.org/news/2011/7/31/FOOT_0731114921.aspx

Thomas More the pick in PAC

2011-08-08T15:23:00.004-04:00

Three-time defending conference champion Thomas More College has been picked to again capture the 2011 football championship in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), according to the preseason poll released at the 2011 PAC Football Media Day at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe today. Voters in the polls included conference head coaches, sports information directors (SIDs), and members of the media present at the conference media day.

The three-time defending PAC champion Saints of fifth-year head coach Jim Hilvert return 19 starters and 42 lettermen from last year's team which finished 11-1 overall, including a perfect 7-0 mark against conference competition. Thomas More earned 24 of 26 total first-place votes and 232 points in the conference poll to top second place Washington & Jefferson (200), followed by Waynesburg (165), Bethany and Grove City (tied with 117), Geneva (110), Saint Vincent (108), Westminster (78) and Thiel (43).

Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) 2011 Preseason Football Poll

2010
Points Record
1. Thomas More (24) 232 11-1 (7-0)
2. Washington & Jefferson (1) 200 9-2 (6-1)
3. Waynesburg (1) 165 6-4 (4-3)
4t. Bethany 117 5-5 (4-3)
4t. Grove City 117 5-5 (3-4)
6. Geneva 110 5-5 (n/a)
7. Saint Vincent 108 3-7 (3-4)
8. Westminster 78 2-8 (1-6)
9. Thiel 43 0-10 (0-7)

(xx) - first place votes

"It is an honor to be picked first again this year. This pick recognizes past and present players," said Hilvert. "But, last year is last year. We have a lot of hard work to do this year. We must play with a certain edge this year to accomplish the goals we set this off-season. In the PAC, you must be ready week in and week out. We must also stay healthy."

In the 2010 postseason, Thomas More topped Washington & Lee 42-14 in the NCAA first round before falling at Mary Hardin-Baylor in the second round. W&J captured the ECAC D-III Southwest Bowl with a 54-41 victory over Franklin & Marshall.

Following is the voting breakdown among coaches, SIDs and media:

Coaches
1. Thomas More (8) 80
2. Wash. & Jeff. 68
3. Waynesburg (1) 58
4. Grove City 46
5. Bethany 41
6. Saint Vincent 40
7. Geneva 32
8. Westminster 24
9. Thiel 17

SIDs
1. Thomas More (9) 89
2. Wash. & Jeff. (1) 76
3. Waynesburg 63
4t. Bethany 48
4t. Grove City 48
6t. Geneva 39
6t. Saint Vincent 39
8. Westminster 29
9. Thiel 19

Media
1. Thomas More (7) 63
2. Wash. & Jeff. 56
3. Waynesburg 44
4. Geneva 39
5. Saint Vincent 29
6. Bethany 28
7. Westminster 25
8. Grove City 23
9. Thiel 7

Cal picked in PSAC

2011-08-08T15:23:00.003-04:00

For the sixth straight season, the California Vulcans have been tabbed the favorite to win the PSAC West while Bloomsburg has been selected unanimously to win the PSAC East. This marks the second time in the last three seasons that the Huskies have been picked to win the East. The Vulcans and Huskies top the divisions in the 2011 PSAC football coaches' preseason poll that is being announced today as a part of PSAC football media day.

Bloomsburg will be looking to advance to the PSAC Championship game for the second straight season while California will look to return to the "State Game" this year after missing it last season for the first time since it was reinstated for the 2008 season. The Vulcans claimed the PSAC title in 2008 before falling to Shippensburg in the 2009 game. Last season, Mercyhurst won its first PSAC title by topping the Huskies in the championship game. Additionally, the Vulcans will be looking to make their fifth straight appearance in the NCAA playoffs. California had its run of three straight regional title snapped last season as Bloomsburg knocked out the Vulcans in the first round of the playoffs. The Huskies will be looking to return to the playoffs for the third time in the last four seasons and the fourth time in the last seven years.

In a complete reversal of last year's Eastern Division preseason poll when four different teams received first place votes, not including the team that finished first in the poll in West Chester, Bloomsburg received all eight first place votes to be the consensus pick to win the division. Kutztown, which finished just one game behind the Huskies in last year's standings and advanced to the NCAA playoffs for the first time in school history, came in second as the Golden Bears were listed in second on six of the eight ballots. West Chester and C.W. Post follow in third and fourth place, respectively, as those two teams were separated by just one point. East Stroudsburg came in fifth, just two points ahead of sixth place Shippensburg, while Millersville and Cheyney rounded out the poll.

The Western Division featured a very close race for the top spot as both California and second place Mercyhurst received four first place votes apiece and the Vulcans edged out the Lakers by just two points for the top spot. This represented a departure for the preseason polls of the past three seasons when the PSAC started tracking first place votes in its preseason polls as California received a majority of first place votes in each of the last three polls. IUP and Slippery Rock tied for third place while Gannon came in fifth, two points ahead of sixth place Edinboro. Clarion and Lock Haven rounded out the poll.

The results of the coaches' poll are listed below. First place votes are in parenthesis.

Eastern Division
1. Bloomsburg (8)
2. Kutztown
3. West Chester
4. C.W. Post
5. East Stroudsburg
6. Shippensburg
7. Millersville
8. Cheyney

Western Division
1. California (4)
2. Mercyhurst (4)
T3. IUP
T3. Slippery Rock
5. Gannon
6. Edinboro
7. Clarion
8. Lock Haven

Waynesburg's Moses gets preseason All-America honor

2011-07-25T16:22:00.002-04:00

Prior to the 2010 football season, Waynesburg University tight end Adam Moses (pictured) was a rather unknown commodity. However, after a breakout sophomore season, the 6-4, 250-pounder drew plenty of attention and one college football publication has taken notice.

Moses was recently named a first-team preseason All-American selection by Lindy’s magazine. He led the Yellow Jackets in catches (37) and touchdown receptions (7) last season. The Fairview Park, Ohio, native was honored as a first-team All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) pick and a first-team D3football.com 2010 All-South Region pick following his breakout 2010 campaign.

Moses is the team’s first All-American since Scott Cree was a 2009 first-team preseason pick by d3football.com.

Waynesburg opens the 2011 season Sept. 3 in Newport News, Va., against Christopher Newport.

Bostock in, Fralic out of Pitt radio booth

2011-07-13T15:57:00.002-04:00

Former quarterback Pat Bostick, who was under center for some of the Panthers’ most stirring victories in recent years, will join Bill Hillgrove in the booth to form Pitt’s new radio broadcast team for the 2011 season.

Bostick was a three-year letterman for Pitt (2007-08, 2010) and quarterbacked the Panthers to such memorable victories as their 13-9 upset of West Virginia in 2007 and 36-33 quadruple-overtime win at Notre Dame in 2008. An honors graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Bostick earned his bachelor’s degree in three years and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Pitt’s School of Education.

In addition to game day, Bostick will have a weekly guest segment on Sportsradio 93.7 The Fan, to discuss all things Pitt football.

Bostick replaces the monotone and Bill Fralic, who spent seven seasons as Pitt’s radio analyst.

“I've greatly enjoyed the opportunity to work Pitt football radio broadcasts the past seven years,” Fralic said. “It has been an honor to call the games with Bill Hillgrove, who is truly the best in the broadcast business as well as a dear friend. I’m excited for Pat Bostick, who has made Pitt very proud on and off the field. I know he will do a great job on the air. Though I'm stepping away from the booth, I will certainly continue to follow the Panthers very closely and wish Coach Todd Graham and the team the very best this year.”

Hillgrove begins his 38th year as the “Voice of the Panthers” and 42nd overall doing Pitt football broadcasts.

Cal to induct 7 into Hall of Fame

2011-07-08T16:06:00.003-04:00

Seven individuals and one team make up the 17th class to be named to California University's Athletic Hall of Fame.

The 2011 inductees are Antoine Bagwell (football), Rich Kotarsky '67 (men's basketball), William Lee '67 (football), Candice Pickens (men's basketball), the late Paul Ross '37 (athletic director/wrestling coach), Megan Storck '06 (women's basketball) and Jack Zduriencik '74 (baseball).

These former Vulcans standouts will be inducted at the 2011 Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame banquet Oct. 21, at 5:30 p.m. in the Performance Center inside the Elmo Natali Student Center.

In addition to the individual honorees, this year's banquet will recognize Cal's 1968 PSAC co-champion football team. Cal's Hall of Fame began honoring teams in 2005.

Tickets for the Hall of Fame banquet are $35 each. For reservations, contact Montean Dean in the Office of Alumni Relations, at 724-938-4418. Proceeds from the banquet will be used to establish a Hall of Fame athletic scholarship.

For more information about the inductees, contact Bruce Wald in the Cal U Public Relations Office (724-938-5898) or Matthew Kifer in the Cal U Sports Information Office (724-938-4552).

* Antoine Bagwell (football) — A running back during the 2004 and 2005 seasons, Bagwell earned Associated Press Second Team All-America honors in 2005 and also was a two-time Daktronics Second-Team All-American and two-time Harlon Hill Regional Finalist. In just two years he rushed for 3,353 yards and scored 272 total points with 41 rushing touchdowns, 45 overall touchdowns and one two-point conversion. Despite playing for only two seasons, his career rushing, touchdown and scoring totals still rank second in school history.

Bagwell's 1,765 rushing yards and 1, 894 all-purpose yards in 2004 both ranked second in NCAA Division II that year. He scored a single-season, school record 25 touchdowns in 2005 and helped the Vulcans win their first PSAC West title in 21 years. He twice was named the PSAC West Offensive Player of the Year.

Last spring, Bagwell was the leading receiver for the Ultimate Indoor Football League's Johnstown Generals with 51 receptions for 660 yards and 18 touchdowns.

* Rich Kotarsky (basketball) — A three-year starter, Kotarsky was a four-year letter-winner from 1964-1967. He scored 1,067 points, the fourth-highest total in school history at the time and now No. 27 overall. During his senior year, Kotarsky helped the Vulcans and Cal Hall of Fame coach Myles Witchey win the program's first PSAC West title. He scored 31 points in the division championship win over Slippery Rock.

Kotarsky scored 30 or more points during three different games in 1966-1967, and Cal achieved consecutive 16-win seasons over his final two years in the program. After his senior season Kotarsky received NAIA All-American honors, as well as Associated Press All-State and first-team PSAC West recognition.

He recently retired as a basketball and softball official after working for many years at the NCAA and PIAA levels. An elementary and special education teacher, he retired from teaching after 36 years of service in the Pittsburgh area.

* William R. Lee (football) — Cal's starting quarterback from the end of his 1963 freshman season into 1966, Lee guided the Vulcans to a 21-14 victory over Edinboro in his first collegiate start, the season finale of 1963. Two years later, the Vulcans ranked among the nation's top 10 in passing offense and chalked up the program's eighth winning season in nine years.

During his 1966 senior season, Lee passed for a then-school record 367 yards and earned PSAC Player of the Week honors in a 27-20 home victory over Lock Haven. His primary receiver was Cal Hall of Fame inductee Ettore Perri, who scored 27 career touchdowns, another school standard at that time.

After leaving Cal U, Lee served as a PIAA football official for 28 years.

* Candice Pickens (men's basketball) — A three-year starting point guard from 1992-93 through 1995-1996, Pickens scored 1,214 career points with 226 steals and 675 assists. During his career, Cal compiled a 98-24 record and 42-6 PSAC West mark with four PSAC playoff appearances, four PSAC title game appearances, three NCAA Regional title game appearances, two PSAC championships and one NCAA Final Four appearance (1996).

A two-time All-PSAC selection, Pickens was named MVP of the 1995 and 1996 NCAA Division II Regional tournaments. He had a PSAC-record 21 assists in a 1995 home win over Slippery Rock. Pickens scored 16 points with 16 assists in the 87-84 PSAC title win over IUP in 1996 and followed that with 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists in Cal's 78-68 NCAA Regional title win over IUP a week later. He averaged 19.3 points, 9.3 assists and 7.0 rebounds in the three-game 1996 PSAC Tourney, and he shot over 71 percent from the foul line (442-621) during his career.

* Paul Ross (athletic director/wrestling coach) — The school's first wrestling coach, Ross guided the Vulcans from the program's inception in 1958-59 through 1967-68. A member of the PSAC Wrestling Hall of Fame, Ross compiled a 66-45-5 career dual-meet coaching record. He was also a standout football and wrestler at Cal during his undergraduate days.

One of the many student-athletes Ross coached was Cal Hall of Fame inductee William “Bull” McPherson, who in 1961 became the school's first PSAC wrestling champion. Ross also served as head coach of the men's tennis from the 1950s until 1963. He turned over the wrestling and tennis coaching duties to eventual Cal Hall of Fame inducters Dr. Allen Welsh (2000) and Frank Vulcano Sr. (wrestling, 2005).

Ross was a faculty member in Cal U's former Health and Physical Education Department from 1957 until 1968, when he was appointed athletic director. He served in that capacity until his retirement in 1976. Ross passed away on Sept. 28, 1980.

* Megan Storck (women's basketball) — A three-year starting point guard and four-year letter-winner, Storck played for the Vulcans from 2002-2003 through 2005-2006. The 2003 PSAC West Freshman of the Year and a three-time all-conference selection finished her career with 1,409 points, 767 career assists, 359 steals and 160 three-point baskets.

Storck's career assists total remains the school and PSAC record, as does her single-season total of 285 assists in 2004. Her 132 steals in 2004 still ranks second in PSAC history.

Storck was named the 2004 NCAA Division II Elite Eight MVP, after she made the winning three-point basket in the final minute of Cal's 75-72 NCAA National Championship victory over Drury (Mo).

During Storck's four years on the team, Cal compiled a 120-14 cumulative record with a 46-2 PSAC West mark. She helped the Vulcans win four straight PSAC West titles and NCAA tourney appearances, three consecutive conference titles, two straight Final Four showings and one national championship.

* Jack Zduriencik (baseball) — A two-time all-conference catcher, Zduriencik was team captain in 1972 and 1973 after transferring from Middle Georgia College. He was Cal's second-leading hitter in 1972 at .359.

Zduriencik played minor league baseball in the Chicago White Sox organization for two years.

In 1982 Zduriencik began what is a now a 29-year career with professional baseball by scouting for the New York Mets. He continued in scouting and front office roles with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Dodgers before joining the Milwaukee Brewers in 1999. At Milwaukee he was the first non-general manager to be named Baseball America Executive of the Year.

In fall 2008 Zduriencik was named executive vice president and general manager of the Seattle Mariners. He was inducted into the Lawrence County Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

* The 1968 PSAC co-champion football team finished its season with a 28-28 tie against East Stroudsburg in a title game contested at Cal's Booster Field. The Vulcans, who were coached by Bill Hepner, twice overcame 14-point deficits.

Cal averaged 28 points per game in 1968. The Vulcans went a perfect 5-0 to win the PSAC-West championship and made the program's inaugural appearance in the PSAC “State Game,” which began in 1960.

Ugliest football field ever ...

2011-06-03T00:59:00.004-04:00

Read the story here.

W&J wins another PAC men's all-sports trophy

2011-05-25T16:37:00.004-04:00

Washington & Jefferson College has won its seventh consecutive Presidents’ Athletic Conference Men’s All-Sports Trophy.

The seven consecutive trophies are a conference record. The award was established during the 1989-90 season and W&J has won the men’s honor 12 of the 22 years. W&J won its first and only women’s all-sports trophy in 2005-06.

The Presidents’ garnered 55.5 points and used a men’s golf title during the spring season to clinch the trophy. Grove City (48) was second, with Westminster (43), Saint Vincent (42.5), Thomas More (40.5), Bethany (39), Thiel (35.5) and Waynesburg (34) rounding out the standings.

Grove City won four PAC team championships and earned the women’s all-sports trophy with 61 points. Westminster (59) and W&J (49) completed the top three. Washington & Jefferson won women’s conference championships in soccer and track & field to grab the third spot. The women’s soccer title was the Presidents’ third in a row, and the track & field squad picked up its third league championship in six years.

Saint Vincent was fourth in the women’s competition with 47 points, while Thomas More (39), Waynesburg (37.5), Bethany (37), Thiel (24.5) and Chatham (24) wrapped up the standings.

The PAC All-Sports Trophies are awarded to the schools which perform the best across the board in league competition. First-place finishes are worth nine points (eight for men), second place equals eight points (seven men) ... last place is worth one point.

W&J men’s teams finished among the top three places in six of the 10 PAC-sponsored sports, including the 15th men’s golf conference championship in school history as well as runner-up finishes in football and track & field.

PAC coaching changes

2011-05-11T17:37:00.004-04:00

The PAC lost two of its most successful coaches in the last two days.

On Tuesday, six-time Presidents’ Athletic Conference cross country/track & field Coach of the Year Mark FitzPatrick resigned from Washington & Jefferson to become the head men’s and women’s track & field position at Denison University.

FitzPatrick, who guided the W&J women’s track & field team to its third PAC title two weeks ago, spent eight years as the head coach for the Presidents. He coached two track & field NCAA All-Americans and led W&J to its first men’s track & field team championship in 2010, He also had PAC women’s titles in 2006, 2007 and 2010. In 2005, he helped Matthew Rudzki become the first PAC cross country medalist in W&J history.

Today, Brian Neal resigned as the head women's basketball coach at Thomas More to become an assistant at Xavier University.

Neal had an .847 winning percentage (171-31) over seven seasons. He led Thomas More to NCAA postseason play each of the last five seasons, including Sweet 16 finishes in 2008 and 2011. Neal guided the Saints to six straight PAC regular-season titles, five straight PAC tournament titles, six straight 20-win seasons and two undefeated regular seasons in his seven years in Crestview Hills. This past season, Thomas More spent several weeks ranked No. 1 in Division III.

Skirting the gender issue

2011-04-26T17:28:00.007-04:00

An article by the New York Times about Title IX and the roster management policies that universities use to balance their compliance numbers – or circumvent the law – is an interesting read.

For example:

* At South Florida, more than half of the 71 women on the cross-country roster failed to run a race in 2009. When asked about it by The Times, a few laughed and said they did not know they were on the team. South Florida reported 71 women on its cross-country team, but race results show only 28 competed in at least one race.

* At Marshall, the women's tennis coach recently invited three freshmen onto the team even though he knew they were not good enough to practice against the scholarship players, let alone compete. In other words, they got free court time in return for counting on the roster. (On a side note, one of the scholarship players at Marshall is former Chartiers-Houston standout Karlyn Timko).

* Texas A&M women's basketball, which recently won the national championship, took advantage of a federal loophole that allows women's hoops teams to report male practice players as female participants. Texas A&M reported 32(!) women's basketball players in the 2009-10 academic year, although 14 were male students who practiced with the team.

These roster tricks are done to to mask the fact that schools have fewer female athletes.

As former Syracuse athletic director Jake Crouthamel said, “It’s easier to add more people on a roster than it is to start a new sport.

Read the story here.

After reading the story, I wondered how lower-level NCAA schools are trying to balance the male-female ratio numbers, and how Title IX has caused some sports, such as the wrestling program at NCAA Division II California University, to be dropped. One way, it appears, is to give scholarships to foreign-born players.

For example, California has nine women's sports with 41 athletes listed as being from outside the United States. None of the eight players on Cal's highly successful women's tennis team are from the United States (two each from France and Germany, one each from Brazil, Sweden, South Africa and Kazakhstan). Seven of the nine players on the Vulcans' women's golf team are outside the U.S.

In all, 18 countries are represented on Cal's women's sports rosters.

For the sake of argument, let's say that all 41 foreign-born women's athletes at Cal receive some sort of athletic scholarship. You think some of those scholarships could have been given to a player or two from the WPIAL without compromising the quality of play? Or that some of those scholarships could have been given to a wrestling team that could have been stocked entirely with Pennsylvania athletes?

I'm not picking on Cal, though it might seem that way. This practice goes on at many Division I and II schools. Cal just happens to be the one in our backyard.

It seems that Title IX is the best thing that could have happened to female athletes outside the United States. I'm guessing that when Title IX was instituted in 1972, nobody thought that would happen at the expense of American-born athletes.

W&J football schedule released

2011-04-21T16:58:00.000-04:00

For a second-straight season, Washington & Jefferson College’s football team will play a pair of NCAA Division III playoff teams in the first month of the season. This year, both games will be played at Cameron Stadium.
W&J, last year’s ECAC Division III Southwest Bowl Champions, opens its season in central Pennsylvania on Sept. 3 at Juniata with a 1 pm kickoff.
The Presidents and Eagles have not met since the 1989 season opener, a 20-0 W&J victory. The two schools also met in the season openers in 1984 (a 28-24 W&J win) and 1988 (a 13-13 tie). Juniata leads the all-time series, 3-2-1.
The second and final installment of the “PAC-MAC Challenge Series” will be at Cameron Stadium on Sept. 10, when the Presidents host Delaware Valley in a 1:30 p.m. game. The Aggies blanked the Presidents, 27-0, last fall in Doylestown.
W&J travels to Bethany on Sept. 17 for the only night game on the schedule (7 p.m.). The last time W&J played only one night game was in the 2004 season.
Three-time defending PAC Champion Thomas More comes to Washington on Sept. 24 for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff. The Saints have beaten the Presidents three consecutive years by a combined 21 points. Buffalo State is the last team to defeat W&J four consecutive seasons from 1996-99.
W&J plays PAC games at Westminster (1 p.m.) Oct.1 and Saint Vincent Oct. 8. The Presidents host Geneva for Homecoming Day on Oct. 22. The game against Geneva will be the first against the Golden Tornadoes as a member of the PAC. They had been on provisional status.
Grove City hosts the Presidents on Oct. 29 (1:30 p.m.) and W&J ends the season with home games against Thiel (1:30 p.m.) Nov. 5 and Waynesburg (1:30 p.m.) Nov. 12.
W&J ranks third among NCAA Division III football programs with 675 victories. The Presidents have 27 consecutive winning seasons, the fourth-longest active streak in NCAA Division III and eighth among all divisions. Head coach Mike Sirianni enters his ninth season with a 79-14 overall record (.849).

2011 Schedule
Date Opponent Time
Sept. 3 at Juniata 1 pm
Sept. 10 Delaware Valley 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 17 at Bethany* 7 p.m.
Sept. 24 Thomas More* 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 1 at Westminster* 1 p.m.
Oct. 8 at Saint Vincent* 1 p.m.
Oct. 15 Bye
Oct. 22 Geneva* 2 p.m.
Oct. 29 at Grove City* 1:30 p.m.
Nov. 5 Thiel* 1:30 p.m.
Nov. 12 Waynesburg* 1:30 p.m.
*PAC games

2011-04-14T17:06:00.002-04:00

W&J junior RHP Dave Trushel, a graduate of Bethel Park, threw a school-record 12 innings Thursday in the Presidents’ 4-1 victory in 13 innings over Saint Vincent in Latrobe. Trushel allowed just one fifth-inning run, allowed four hits and struck out seven in the 119-pitch performance.

The game was scheduled for 7 innings as the first game of a doubleheader.

Matthews has job cornered at Northwestern

2011-03-29T17:39:00.005-04:00

Here is a link to a good story on the Northwestern University website about former Canon-McMillan standout Jeravin Matthews (pictured), who has been working this spring as a first-team cornerback for the Wildcats. Matthews will be in his senior season next fall.

Read the story here.

W&J's Haver 5th at NCAA Division III Championships

2011-03-23T21:46:00.004-04:00

Washington & Jefferson College junior Bethany Haver (pictured), the first women’s diver in Presidents’ Athletic Conference history to compete at nationals, placed fifth Wednesday evening in the finals of the 3-meter event at the 2011 NCAA Division III Diving Championships at the University of Tennessee’s Allan Jones Aquatic Center.

With her fifth-place finish, Haver earns NCAA first team All-America status. She is the first President since swimmer Kaitlyn Orstein in 2008 to earn an All-America award.

Haver was in seventh place out of 22 divers following the afternoon trials, but vaulted up the standings thanks in part to a 50.4 dive on her fifth attempt.

The final six dives this evening were added to the individual’s top five dives from the afternoon session. Haver finished with 423.10 points.

Danica Roskos of The College of New Jersey won the national title with 502.45 points.
Haver was edged out for fourth place by just two-tenths of a point by Springfield’s Jen Thompson (423.30).

Haver is one of 22 divers who will compete in the 1-meter national championship Friday.

Sunday's TV/announcer schedule

2011-03-19T18:17:00.003-04:00

Round 3
Sunday, March 20

12:15 p.m. CBS – (2) North Carolina vs. (7) Washington – Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg, Tracy Wolfson

2:45 p.m. CBS – (1) Duke vs. (8) Michigan – Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg, Tracy Wolfson

5:15 p.m. CBS – (1) Ohio State vs. (8) George Mason – Gus Johnson, Len Elmore, Marty Snider

6:10 p.m. TNT – (4) Texas vs. (5) Arizona – Marv Albert, Steve Kerr, Craig Sager

7:10 p.m. TBS – (3) Purdue vs. (11) VCU – Spero Dedes, Bob Wenzel, Jamie Maggio

7:45 p.m. Tru TV – (3) Syracuse vs. (11) Marquette – Gus Johnson, Len Elmore, Marty Snider

8:40 p.m. TNT – (1) Kansas vs. (9) Illinois – Marv Albert, Steve Kerr, Craig Sager

9:40 p.m. TBS – (2) Notre Dame vs. (10) Florida State – Spero Dedes, Bob Wenzel, Jamie Maggio

Saturday NCAA basketball TV/announcers schedules

2011-03-18T17:28:00.002-04:00

SATURDAY, MARCH 19
12:15 p.m. (KDKA) – (4) Kentucky vs. (5) West Virginia - Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkel, David Aldridge

2:45 p.m. (KDKA) - (2) Florida vs. (7) UCLA - Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkel, David Aldridge

5:15 p.m. (KDKA) - (12) Richmond vs. (13) Morehead State - Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery, Lesley Visser

6:10 p.m. – (TNT) - (2) San Diego St. vs. (7) Temple - Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Dan Bonner, Sam Ryan

7:10 p.m. (TBS) - (1) Pitt vs. (8) Butler - Tim Brando, Mike Gminski, Lewis Johnson

7:45 p.m. (CBS) - (3) BYU vs. (10) Gonzaga - Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery, Lesley Visser

8:40 p.m. (TNT) - (4) Wisconsin vs. (5) Kansas State - Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Dan Bonner, Sam Ryan

9:40 p.m. (TBS) - (3) UConn vs. (6) Cincannati - Tim Brando, Mike Gminski, Lewis Johnson

Headlee, Ryan lose in first round

2011-03-17T23:26:00.001-04:00

Ethan Headlee of Pitt and Matt Ryan of West Virginia each suffered losses in the first round of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Arena Thursday.
Headlee, a graduate of Waynesburg High School, lost by a 22-7 technical fall to Jordan Burroughs of Nebraska, the top seed at 165 pounds.
Ryan, a graduate of Canon-McMillan High School, dropped was beated by a 10-0 major decision by Josh Ihnen of Nebraska at 184 pounds.
Penn State led Cornell following the first round in the point standings. The Nittany Lions had 30 points and seven wrestlers in the winners’ bracket. Cornell had 29 points and five of its nine wrestlers in the winners’ bracket.
Iowa and Oklahoma State were tied for third with 24 points apiece.

NCAA Tournament network and announcer scheduule

2011-03-15T19:21:00.003-04:00

Note that the Pitt game will be televised by truTV, the Penn State game by TNT and the West Virginia game by CBS:

Thursday, March 17

12:15, Tampa: (5) West Virginia vs. (12) UAB/Clemson (CBS) – Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkel, David Aldridge

12:40, Wash D.C.: (8) Butler vs. (9) Old Dominion (truTV) – Tim Brando, Mike Gminski, Lewis Johnson

1:40, Denver: (4) Louisville vs. (13) Morehead St. (TBS) – Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery, Lesley Visser

2:10, Tucson: (7) Temple vs. (10) Penn State (TNT) – Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Dan Bonner, Sam Ryan

2:45, Tampa: (4) Kentucky vs. (13) Princeton (CBS) – Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkel, David Aldridge

3:10, Wash D.C.: (1) Pittsburgh vs. (16) UNC Ash./UALR (truTV) – Tim Brando, Mike Gminski, Lewis Johnson

4:10, Denver: (5) Vanderbilt vs. (12) Richmond (TBS) – Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery, Lesley Visser

4:40, Tucson: (2) San Diego State vs. (15) Northern Colorado (TNT) – Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Dan Bonner, Sam Ryan

6:50, Tampa: (2) Florida vs. (15) UC Santa Barbara (TBS) --Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkel, David Aldridge

7:15, Denver: (3) BYU vs. (14) Wofford (CBS) – Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery, Lesley Visser

7:20, Wash D.C.: (3) UConn vs. (14) Bucknell (TNT) – Tim Brando, Mike Gminski, Lewis Johnson

7:27, Tucson: (4) Wisconsin vs. (13) Belmont (truTV) – Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Dan Bonner, Sam Ryan

9:20, Tampa: (7) UCLA vs. (10) Michigan State (TBS) – Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkel, David Aldridge

9:45, Denver: (6) St. John's vs. (11) Gonzaga (CBS) – Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery, Lesley Visser

9:45, Wash D.C.: (6) Cincinnati vs. (11) Missouri (TNT) – Tim Brando, Mike Gminski, Lewis Johnson

9:57, Tucson: (5) Kansas St. vs. (12) Utah St. (truTV) – Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Dan Bonner, Sam Ryan

Friday, March 18

12:15, Tulsa: (4) Texas vs. (13) Oakland (CBS) – Marv Albert, Steve Kerr, Craig Sager

12:40, Charlotte: (8) Michigan vs. (9) Tennessee (truTV) – Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg, Tracy Wolfson

1:40, Chicago: (2) Notre Dame vs. (15) Akron (TBS) – Spero Dedes, Bob Wenzel, Jamie Maggio

2:10, Cleveland: (8) George Mason vs. (9) Villanova (TNT) – Gus Johnson, Len Elmore, Marty Snider

2:45, Tulsa: (5) Arizona vs. (12) Memphis (CBS) – Marv Albert, Steve Kerr, Craig Sager

3:10, Charlotte: (1) Duke vs. (16) Hampton (truTV) – Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg, Tracy Wolfson

4:10, Chicago: (7) Texas A&M vs. (10) Florida St (TBS) – Spero Dedes, Bob Wenzel, Jamie Maggio

4:40, Cleveland: (1) Ohio State vs. (16) UTSA/Alabama St. (TNT) – Gus Johnson, Len Elmore, Marty Snider

6:50, Tulsa: (1) Kansas vs. (16) Boston U (TBS) – Marv Albert, Steve Kerr, Craig Sager

7:15, Charlotte: (2) North Carolina vs. (15) Long Island (CBS) – Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg, Tracy Wolfson

7:20, Chicago: (3) Purdue vs. (14) St. Peter's (TNT) – Spero Dedes, Bob Wenzel, Jamie Maggio

7:27, Cleveland: (6) Xavier vs. (11) Marquette (truTV) – Gus Johnson, Len Elmore, Marty Snider

9:20, Tulsa: (8) UNLV vs. (9) Illinois (TBS) – Marv Albert, Steve Kerr, Craig Sager

9:45, Charlotte: (7) Washington vs. (10) Georgia (CBS) – Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg, Tracy Wolfson

9:50, Chicago: (6) Georgetown vs. (11) USC/VCU (TNT) – Spero Dedes, Bob Wenzel, Jamie Maggio

9:57, Cleveland: (3) Syracuse vs. (14) Indiana St. (truTV) – Gus Johnson, Len Elmore, Marty Snider

Attention talking heads: turn off the cell phones

2011-03-15T19:12:00.002-04:00

ESPN's Doug Gottlieb had a bad day Monday. First he couldn't get the touch screen to work properly during Sportscenter, then his cell phone started ringing.

Headlee wins EWL title & other notes

2011-03-09T18:34:00.004-05:00

Ethan Headlee (pictured), a redshirt junior for the University of Pittsburgh, won the 165-pound championship at the Eastern Wrestling League Championships held last weekend at Bloomsburg.

A former Waynesburg High School standout, Headlee’s title earned him a spot in the NCAA Championships to be held March 17-19 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Headlee’s brother, Drew, also was an EWL individual champion for Pitt.

After receiving a first-round bye, Headlee decisioned Bekzod Abdurakhmanov of Clarion, 3-2, in the semifinals. In the finals, Headlee decisioned top-seeded Donnie Jones of West Virginia, 6-0.

Headlee had a third-place finish at the CWL meet in 2008 and redshirted last year.

Headlee’s victory helped Pitt earn its first EWL team title. The Panthers finished with 132.5 points, 16 more than second-place West Virginia.

In swimming
Two area athletes are among the five swimmers from Grove City who have qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships, to be held March 23-26 in Knoxville, Tenn. Sophomores Angela Palumbo of South Strabane Township and Kaitlin Riesmeyer of McMurray each will make their second consecutive trip to the national championships.

Palumbo, a Trinity graduate, has qualified in the 50-, 100- and 200-meter freestyle. Riesmeyer, a Peters Township product, will compete in both the 100- and 200-meter butterfly (2:04.59). Riesmeyer also has qualified in the 200 individual medley (2:15.37).

Palumbo and Riesmeyer earned Division III All-America honors as freshmen. Palumbo was a five-time All-American and Riesmeyer received three All-America citations.

Connecticut’s Matthew Connor, a junior from Venetia and a Peters Township graduate, had the 22nd-best time this year among Big East Conference swimmers in the 400-meter individual medley. Connor swam 4:04.80 at the Terrapin Cup Invitational.

The Connecticut men finished fifth at the recent Big East Championships.

In basketball
Tommy Kelly, a junior from Washington, has helped Slippery Rock to its first appearance in the NCAA Division II men’s tournament in 20 years. The Rock (21-10) is the No. 8 seed in the Atlantic Regional and will play Saturday (6 p.m.) at top-seeded West Liberty.

Kelly has played in 30 of The Rock’s 31 games and is averaging 4.4 points per game. A key reserve, Kelly came off the bench Saturday night to score 12 points in only 16 minutes in the PSAC championship game, an 82-75 win for IUP over Slippery Rock. Kelly was 2-for-2 from three-point range in the game and is shooting 47 percent (23-for-49) from behind the arc for the season.

Emily Correal, a former three-time Observer-Reporter Player of the Year while at Peters Township, finished the season as William & Mary’s second-leading scorer. The 6-3 Correal averaged 10.1 points per game and was the leading rebounder for the Tribe at 5.0 per game. She also led the team with 25 blocked shots.

Megan Stuvek of Carmichaels ended a successful career at Wheeling Jesuit by leading the Cardinals in rebounding. Stuvek, who never missed a game in high school or college, averaged 7.4 rebounds per game, and her 10.3 scoring average was second-best for Wheeling Jesuit. Stuvek had a pair of 21-point games this season.

In track & field
Brianna Liebold of IUP had a successful meet at the PSAC Indoor Championships held at Edinboro.

A former two-time state champion in both the long jump and triple jump while at Chartiers-Houston, Liebold won each event at the PSAC meet. On the first day of competition, Liebold won the long jump with a leap of 18-101⁄2, and followed the performance a day later by winning the triple jump at 39-71⁄4. Liebold also placed fourth in the 60-yard dash in 7.92.

In wrestling
West Virginia’s Matt Ryan, a redshirt junior from Eighty Four, placed third at 184 pounds at the EWL Championships. A former two-time state finalist at Canon-McMillan, Ryan pinned Corbin Boone of Cleveland State in 4:15 in the opening round before losing a 5-2 decision to top-seeded Chris Honeycutt of Edinboro. Honeycutt is the nation’s top-ranked wrestler at 184.
In the consolation round, Ryan pinned Scott Joseph of Clarion in 4:42 and decisioned Nate Graham of Bloomsburg 7-0 to finish third.

Former McGuffey wrestler Tyler Sim placed fourth at 125 pounds at the Southern Conference Championships at the Holmes Convention Center in Boone, N.C. Sim was seeded fourth and earned two wins, beating fifth-seeded Luke Todd of VMI, 16-3, and sixth-seeded Brett Boston of Appalachian State, 12-6.

In baseball
It’s still early in the season but J.J. Jankowski has been busy on the mound for Catawba College. The former Peters Township standout who transferred to Catawba from Miami (Ohio), already has logged 35 2⁄3 innings and six starts, compiling a 3-0 record. Jankowski has struck out 47 batters and has a 3.53 ERA for the Indians, an NCAA Division II school in Salisbury, N.C.

In softball
Waynesburg junior Lauren Minor has been named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week. Minor, a Waynesburg High School graduate, won her first start of the season by tossing a complete-game shutout Sunday as the Yellow Jackets defeated Emmanuel 8-0.

Notebook

2011-03-01T17:38:00.003-05:00

Pitt-Johnstown women’s basketball player Andrea Dalton, a Trinity High School graduate, was named first team All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference by the league’s coaches.
A three-time WVIAC Player of the Week honoree this season, Dalton leads the Lady Cats in scoring (19.4 ppg.), rebounding (9.0) and three-point field goals made (48). She ranks 15th in scoring in NCAA Division II and 65th in rebounding. Dalton recently scored 20 points and had a career-high 13 rebounds in a win over West Virginia State.
Dalton was a second team all-WVIAC choice as a junior and a member of the 2009 All-WVIAC tournament team. She has been nominated for Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), Daktronics, and Division II Bulletin All-America honors.
Sixth-seeded Pitt-Johnstown (16-11) defeated Ohio Valley 58-55 last night in the first round of the WVIAC tournament. Dalton scored 14 points. Brittany Taylor, a Canon-McMillan graduate, scored a game-high 19 points for Ohio Valley.

In wrestling
Ethan Headlee of Waynesburg helped Pitt, ranked No. 22, to its second consecutive Eastern Wrestling League dual-meet championship. The Panthers went 6-0 in the EWL and have won 12 consecutive conference matches.
Headlee, a 165-pound redshirt junior, has a 24-10 record with eight pins. In the Panthers’ 19-16 victory over Edinboro that clinched the EWL title, Headlee used 4:22 of riding time for a 10-1 major decision over the Fighting Scots’ Ethan Saylor.

Derek Anderson, a freshman from Ellsworth and a Bentworth graduate, is having a successful first season for the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport.
Anderson qualified for the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) tournament at the regional held Saturday at Lafayette College in Easton. Wrestling in the 197-pound weight class, Anderson pinned Matt London of Slippery Rock in 53 seconds to advance to the semifinals before losing to Lou Gardone of Penn State-New Kensington. In the consolation final for third place, Anderson decisioned Tim Kierman of Slippery Rock to earn an automatic bid to the national tournament at Mercer University in Macon, Ga.

In gymnastics
Megan Milavec, a sophomore for the University of Pennsylvania, helped the Quakers win the Ivy Classic team title for the first time since 2007. The event was held last weekend at The Palestra in Philadelphia.
A Venetia native and Peters Township graduate, Milavec finished second in the all-around scoring. Milavec posted a career-high score of 9.725 in the balance beam to finish in fourth place. In the floor exercise, Milavec scored 9.7 to break her career-high set only a week ago. She also tied her career high (9.6) in the vault.
Last month, Milavec received the ECAC Coaches Choice Award after setting three personal bests during the Shelli Calloway Memorial Invitational in Towson, Md.

West Virginia’s Kaylyn Millick of Washington is ranked in two disciplines by GymInfo. Millick is ranked 15th nationally in the floor exercise (9.785) and 18th in the uneven bars (9.725).

In basketball
Nick Wilcox, a sophomore forward from Venetia, is the leading scorer for Bethany, which won the Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship Saturday by defeating host Thiel, 74-67. Wilcox is averaging 13.7 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding at 6.8. He also is second on the team in assists and steals.
Bethany (21-7) plays Manchester (Ind.) in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament Friday night in Wooster, Ohio. Manchester (21-6) won the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament.
Wilcox won’t be the only Peters Township graduate in the Division III tournament.

Justin Kovac, a 5-8 senior guard, helped Penn State-Behrend secure a spot.
Kovac has started all 27 games for the Lions and averages 8.0 points per game. He is third in the Allegheny Mountain Conference in assists (4.2 per game), sixth in three-point field-goal percentage (38.6) and his plus-3.4 assist/turnover ratio is the best in the league.
The Lions (23-4) received an at-large berth to the national tournament Monday and will play Friday against Rhode Island College in Oswego, N.Y.
Behrend lost to LaRoche in the conference tournament championship game.

Two former California University women’s head coaches have guided Appalachian State to the regular season championship in the Southern Conference.
ASU, under third-year head coach Darcie Vincent, finished 17-3 in the conference and 23-5 overall. The Mountaineers begin play in the conference tournament Friday.
Vincent was the head coach at California for eight years (2001-08) and guided the Vulcans to the NCAA Division II national championship in 2004. Heather Kearney, who suceeded Vincent at Cal and was the Vulcans’ head coach for one season, is an assistant at Appalachian State.

Kaitlyn Novak helped Penn State-Fayette to its first Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference tournament victory. Novak, a sophomore from Bobtown and a Mapletown graduate, scored 13 points, which included several free throws down the stretch, as the Roaring Lions defeated Penn State-Schuylkill 75-58.
Fayette advanced to the conference tournament semifinals that were held at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College. Novak scored 16 points but the Roaring Lions lost to Penn State-Brandywine 86-73.

In softball
Jaci Timko has picked up where she left off last season for Robert Morris. The junior outfielder from Houston is batting a team-best .667 (10-for-15) through five games with one home run, three RBI and five runs for the Colonials (2-3). A Chartiers-Houston graduate, Timko was second on the team in hitting last year with a .349 average.

In baseball
Chris Douglas, a junior right-handed pitcher from Canonsburg, threw six strong innings to earn the win Saturday in IUP’s 9-1 victory over Chowan in Murfeesboro, N.C. A Canon-McMillan graduate, Douglas allowed two hits and one run and struck out five for the Crimson Hawks (2-2).

Jim Rider has been a sparkplug at the top of the batting order for Kent State, the defending Mid-American Conference champion. The Peters Township graduate is batting .424 through seven games for the Golden Flashes (5-2). A shortstop, Rider had a triple, two singles, two RBI and three runs in Kent State’s 13-0 win Saturday over Winthrop.

Another WVIAC honor for Dalton

2011-02-15T17:18:00.003-05:00

Pitt-Johnstown senior forward Andrea Dalton, a Trinity High School graduate, was named the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the third time this season Monday after averaging 18.3 points and 12 rebounds in three UPJ victories.

Dalton began the week with a 17-point, 15-rebound performance against Wheeling Jesuit. Three nights later in a victory at No. 1-ranked West Liberty, the top-ranked team in the Atlantic Region, Dalton had 28 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. Trailing by 14 points with 4:54 to play (70-56), Dalton sparked the improbable comeback with 13 points in the final 4:28, including the game-winning basket. Pitt-Johnstown dealt West Liberty its first home loss.

Dalton ended the week Saturday with a solid 20-point, seven-rebound performance in a win over Alderson-Broaddus.

Milestone for Conte

2011-02-15T17:02:00.005-05:00

California University's Mike Conte (pictured) became the all-time winningest coach in Vulcans history with his 396th victory Sunday against Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory, N.C.

One of only three head coaches in school history, Conte surpassed the 395 wins set by his predecessor Chuck Gismondi (1980-96).

Conte has guided the Vulcans to a 396-271-4 (.593) overall record with six PSAC West titles, two PSAC tournament championships (2004, 2010) and a pair of NCAA tournament appearances (2007, 2010).

Conte is four victories shy of becoming the 50th active NCAA Division II head coach to reach the 400-win milestone. He would then join Slippery Rock’s Jeff Messer and Mansfield’s Harry Hillson as the only active head coaches in the PSAC with 400 victories.

Conte started his coaching career as an assistant coach in 1994. He has mentored five PSAC West Athletes of Year and three All-Americans. During his tenure, the Vulcans have set 11 school records highlighted by the winningest team in school history in 2007 (36-17). Conte has also coached 14 players that have gone on to play professional baseball, including outfielder Sam DiMatteo who will be in spring training with the Washington Nationals this month.

A native of Brownsville, Conte was an all-conference outfielder with Virginia Tech before playing in the Oakland Athletics' system for five seasons.

New digs for PSAC

2011-02-14T20:04:00.004-05:00

California is not the only school in the PSAC that will have a new basketball arena next season. Indiana will move into the 4,000-seat Ed Fry Arena at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex. It will house the Crimson Hawks' basketball and volleyball teams. For concerts, seating capacity will be roughly 5,000.

Here is a video of the KCAC. For NCAA Division II, it's quite an impressive arena:

Palumbo gets PAC honor

2011-02-08T16:47:00.003-05:00

Angela Palumbo, pictured, a sophomore from Washington and a Trinity High School graduate, was named the Presidents' Athletic Conference Women's Swimmer of the Week. Palumbo recorded three individual wins for Grove City in a 160-130 victory over Westminster, sweeping the 50- (24.38), 100- (53.45) and 200-meter (1:58.25) freestyle races. At the Pitt Quad on Saturday, Palumbo was the top Division III finisher in the 100, placing third in 54.11. She was fifth in the 50 (24.72).

Urban Meyer joins ESPN

2011-01-31T17:49:00.002-05:00

Associated Press

Urban Meyer is joining ESPN as an analyst less than two months after he surprised the college football world by resigning from his plum job as Florida’s coach.
Meyer will call one game a week during the regular season and also serve as a studio analyst, the network said Monday. He’ll start with Wednesday’s signing day coverage.
When he resigned Dec. 8, the 46-year-old Meyer said he wanted to spend more time with his family. He insisted on a conference call his new job wouldn’t get in the way of that, with minimal commitment during the offseason and travel only over the weekend in-season.
“It’s a great opportunity to stay around the game,” he said.
Meyer led Florida to two national titles before resigning in December 2009, citing health concerns. That lasted just a day; a year later, though, he left for good.
He and his family visited ESPN’s studios in Connecticut over the holidays. Meyer, who hasn’t ruled out returning to coaching someday, said he hoped he would like it.
“I not only liked it, I loved it,” he said.
Meyer served as a guest analyst for ESPN’s coverage of the BCS title game. He considered doing nothing with football for a year, but he said: “I don’t sit around very well.”

Notebook

2011-01-30T17:52:00.004-05:00

The NCAA has selected Sally Walker as one of its four regional softball umpiring advisors.
A Waynesburg native, Walker is athletics director at Urbana (Ill.) University High School. She served as an NCAA umpire from 1995-2009, working four College World Series, five Division I Super Regionals and 11 Division I Regionals. She also worked as an assignor for the NFCA leadoff Classic and is currently the Missouri Valley Conference Coordinator of Umpires.
In 2007, Walker was selected for the Illinois Coaches Association Umpire Hall of Fame in recognition of her work as a high school girls softball umpire. She umpired in an Illinois state championship game for five consecutive years.
On the college level, Walker has umpired regular-season games in the Big Ten, Big 12, Missouri Valley Conference and the Southeastern Conference.
Walker played softball in high school at Waynesburg and in college at West Virginia.

In football
Not many area athletes have had the opportunity to play for an NCAA national championship, but former Canon-McMillan standout Alex Pihakis did this season.
Pihakis is a redshirt freshman defensive lineman for Delaware, which advanced to the Football Championships Series (formerly Division I-AA) national title game. The Blue Hens (12-3) lost to Eastern Washington 20-19 in the championship game in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Pihakis (6-0, 241) played in five games for Delaware and made two tackles, including one for a loss.

In basketball
Emily Correal, a former Observer-Reporter Girls Basketball Player of the Year, scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for William & Mary in an 89-75 loss to James Madison in a Colonial Athletic Association game Jan. 6. The 25 points are a career high for Correal, a sophomore who was a standout in high school at Peters Township.

Andrea Dalton, a senior forward from Washington, is the leading scorer for Pitt-Johnstown’s women’s team.
A Trinity graduate, Dalton is averaging 18.8 points per game, which ranks third in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and 24th in NCAA Division II.
Dalton also leads UPJ in rebounding (8.3) and free-throw percentage (81.8) with the latter ranking fourth in the conference. She recently had a 21-point, 14-rebound performance in UPJ’s 79-67 victory over Ohio Valley.

In track & field
In her first event after having ankle surgery in the summer, IUP’s Brianna Liebold won the long jump competition at in the Al Hall Freedom Games at Edinboro.
Liebold’s jump of 18-10 3/4 inches was the longest in nation in the indoor season for NCAA Division II. Liebold also finished third in the 200 meters (26.87).

In wrestling
West Virginia’s Matt Ryan, a redshirt junior from Eighty Four, has a 14-4 overall record, including an 8-2 mark in dual meets. Ryan, who opened the year with nine consecutive victories, has started every dual meet for the Mountaineers at 184 pounds.

Will Cal on CW be worth seeing?

2011-01-28T18:07:00.004-05:00

California University announced this week that it will have two men's-women's basketball doubleheaders televised live this season on Pittsburgh's WPCW. The first is Saturday when the Vulcans host Lock Haven in PSAC West Division contests.

WPCW televised live all of the Vulcans' regular-season home football games last fall. As for basketball, California didn't have much wiggle room with dates, having to settle for two Saturdays. The latter will be Feb. 19 against Gannon, the final regular-season games at Cal's Hamer Hall. California will move into a new on-campus convocation center next season.

The games against Lock Haven shape up to be mere exhibitions for Cal. While Lock Haven's women's team sports a respectable 2-3 division record and 9-7 overall mark, Cal (4-1, 13-4) is chasing the West Division title.

The men's game shapes up as one that will challenge WPCW announcers Stan Savran and Paul Alexander to keep viewers interested. Lock Haven is 0-5 in the PSAC West and 1-15 overall, and is coming off a 111-38 loss at Clarion. In that game, Clarion led 57-11 at halftime and had a 46-0 edge in points off turnovers. Lock Haven forced only four Clarion turnovers and shot 29 percent from the field. Clarion led by 73 points with more than six minutes remaining.

The bad part is the 73-point loss isn't Lock Haven's largest margin of defeat. The Bald Eagles lost by 106 points -- that's right, 106 points! -- to West Liberty (154-48), the No. 1-ranked team in NCAA Division II. Lock Haven also shot 29 percent from the field in that game and gave up 21 three-pointers.

Wilcox is PAC Player of Week

2011-01-18T18:13:00.004-05:00

Bethany College sophomore forward Nick Wilcox, a Peters Township graduate, has been named the Presidents' Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week.

The 6-3 Wilcox is a Venetia native. In his only game of last week, Wilcox had a double-double with 19 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, and three blocked shots in Bethany's 71-66 road win over Thomas More, which was unbeaten in PAC play. It was Wilcox's second double-double of the season.

Downturn in bowl viewership

2011-01-17T17:35:00.005-05:00

Are there simply too many bowl games? There were a record 35 games over 24 days and many of the games featured uncompetitive matchups. The average margin of victory was 15.3 points, the highest in a bowl season since 1997. That made for lousy television ratings.

College football's bowl TV ratings were down 9 percent, according to an analysis of Nielsen Media Research data by the Birmingham News.

Twenty-three of the 33 returning bowls drew fewer viewers than a year ago, including the Champ Sports Bowl (West Virginia vs. North Carolina State). Among the 23 with a decline, 13 plummeted by at least 20 percent.

Two of the bowls that had an increase in viewership were the Outback (Penn State vs. Florida) and BBVA Compass (Pitt vs. Kentucky)

The data is for 34 games. Nielsen did not have rating numbers for the TicketCity Bowl because the game was on ESPNU.

This was the first year of ESPN's four-year deal to broadcast all Bowl Championship Series games and the move to cable impacted ratings. The five BCS games were down an average of 12 percent from last season and tied with 2007 for the BCS' lowest average rating. The move to cable cut off about 15 million homes that don't have cable or satellite.

This despite the BCS National Championship Game – Auburn's win over Oregon – being the highest-rated show in cable TV history. The BCS title game was watched by just more than 27.3 million viewers, which is about 5.5 million more than the previous all-time cable high - a 2009 MNF game between Green Bay and Minnesota. That's a huge number for ESPN. It smashed their previous best for college football.

However, as ratings for the title game were down 14 percent from last year's game between Texas and Alabama that aired on ABC. And the 2011 version of the BCS National Title Game was the fifth-lowest rated out of 13 national championship games.

There were ratings winners. The Outback Bowl featuring Florida and Penn State drew more than the Orange or Fiesta. The Insight Bowl, which was previously telecast by the NFL Network, moved to ESPN and saw a ratings spike of 460 percent.

You can click on each chart for a larger view.

3 Pitt players leaving early, declare for NFL draft

2011-01-10T17:17:00.003-05:00

Three members of the Pitt football team will forgo their remaining eligibility and declare for the NFL Draft. Junior receiver Jon Baldwin, junior fullback Henry Hynoski and sophomore tailback Dion Lewis announced their decisions to turn pro Monday.

Baldwin, a two-time first-team All-Big East pick, had 53 catches and five touchdowns this past season. His 2,337 career receiving yards rank sixth all-time at Pitt.

Hynoski was Pitt’s starting fullback each of the past two seasons. He carried the ball only 12 times this season for 33 yards but caught 25 passes.

Lewis rushed for 2,860 yards in only two seasons, eclipsing former standout LeSean McCoy’s school record for rushing yards as a freshman and sophomore. (McCoy had 2,816 yards from 2007-08.) Lewis ranks fourth overall on the Panthers’ career rushing list.

Waynesburg-W&J time changes

2011-01-10T17:12:00.005-05:00

Because of the Steelers' playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens this weekend, Washington & Jefferson College has moved up its men's-women's Presidents' Athletic Conference basketball doubleheader Saturday against Waynesburg by two hours.

The Presidents and Yellow Jackets will play the women's game at Henry Memorial Center at noon, followed by the men's game at 2 p.m.

Three Cal players in bowl game

2010-12-10T09:08:00.001-05:00

California University seniors Tommie Campbell, Terrance Moore and Josh Portis have each been selected to participate in the Valero Cactus Bowl on Jan. 7.

The Cactus Bowl, which is an all-star game featuring NCAA Division II senior football players, will be played at Javelina Stadium in Kingsville, Texas, on the campus of Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Campbell, a 6-3 cornerback, played in all 12 games this season and finished with 29 tackles (17 solo) and two interceptions. A former linebacker and safety at Pitt, he made both of his interceptions in the NCAA Playoffs against Bloomsburg.

A wide receiver for the Vulcans, Moore posted 659 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 51 catches this year. In only two seasons with the program, he totaled 109 receptions for 1,753 yards and 21 touchdowns, which ranks third in school history.

Portis was selected as an alternate for the Cactus Bowl after starting the last two years at quarterback for Cal U. As a senior, he led the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in passing efficiency after throwing 33 touchdowns and completing 61.2 percent of his passes. Portis finished his career as the program’s all-time leader with 69 touchdown passes and ranks fourth with 6,072 passing yards.

This marks the fifth time in six years that the Vulcans will be represented at the Cactus Bowl. Last year, wide receivers Dominique Curry and AJ Jackson and cornerback Terrence Johnson were selected to the Cactus Bowl. Curry went on to play two games with the St. Louis Rams this season before being placed on injured reserve in September.

Big shot Hunter

2010-12-02T16:00:00.004-05:00

Here is the video of Waynesburg University's Hannah Hunter making a game-winning shot in overtime Wednesday night against Chatham, after the Cougars' Barb Petty banks in a tying three-pointer.

College Preview

2010-11-13T00:07:00.001-05:00

Washington & Jefferson at Waynesburg

When: 1:30 p.m., Saturday
Where: Wiley Stadium
Series: W&J leads W&J leads 34-3
Radio: WJPA (1450-AM), WCYJ (99.5-FM)
Internet: http://www.wjpa.com/sports.htm

The series: Washington & Jefferson and Waynesburg renew their local rivalry, the PAC Backyard Brawl, on Saturday for the 38th time. The Presidents lead the series 34-3 and have claimed 18 of the 19 meetings since the Yellow Jackets joined the PAC in 1990. The Yellow Jackets last beat W&J in 2003, a 27-17 victory at Wiley Stadium. In the six games since that loss, Washington & Jefferson's average margin of victory is 16.7 points.

The coaches: Mike Sirianni is in his eighth season as the head coach at Washington & Jefferson with a 76-14 (.844) overall record. Rick Shepas is in his sixth season as the Yellow Jackets' head coach with a 34-26 (.567) record.

Notes: W&J senior wide receiver Jordan Roycroft upped his consecutive game reception streak to 13 after his second-straight, eight-catch performance last week. All eight of the catches at Thiel came in the first half. In 28 career games, Roycroft has produced 92 receptions for 1,043 yards and 13 touchdowns. … W&J senior free safety Craig Sedunov, the fourth-leading tackler in Washington & Jefferson history, enters Saturday's game one tackle shy of 300 for his career. He is also 19 stops shy from tying David Gitlitz '08 and Jim Meyer '87 for second place on the all-time list. Eric Field '04 owns the W&J record with 348 stops. … Waynesburg junior defensive tackle Darryl Moore, Jr. is tied for 36th in all of Division III when it comes to tackles for loss per game with 1.50 per contest. He has 13.5 stops in the backfield on the season. W&J’s Frank Gigler is tied with Moore at 1.50 stops in the backfield per game. … With 231 yards today, Brad Dawson would become just the second quarterback in Waynesburg history to pass for at least 6,500 yards.

Cheyney at California

When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: California
Radio: WCAL (91.9-FM)
Television: WPCW

The Series: California leads the series 13-1.

The coaches: Cal's John Luckhardt is in his eighth season with the Vulcans and has a 77-29 record. He has a career record of 214-66-2. Jeff Braxton is in his third season at Cheyney and has a 1-31 record.

Notes: A win by California will no doubt give the Vulcans a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs. … Cal has won 61 of 72 games dating back to the 2005 season. … The Vulcans average 33.4 points per game, Cheyney 14.5. … Cal has won or shared six straight PSAC divison titles since 2005. Only West Chester has a streak that long (1969-74).

College Preview

2010-11-05T17:00:00.001-04:00

Washington & Jefferson at Thiel

When: 1 p.m., Saturday
Where: Alumni Stadium (1,400)
Series: W&J leads 39-22-2
Radio: WJPA (1450-AM)
Internet: http://www.wjpa.com/sports.htm

The series: W&J and Thiel will meet for the 64th time in history on Saturday with the Presidents holding a 39-22-2 edge. W&J has claimed 27 of the last 28 games in the series, including four in a row. Thiel ended a 22-game losing streak to W&J with a 38-35 overtime, upset victory on Oct. 1, 2005 at Cameron Stadium. However, the Presidents have won 12 consecutive games on Thiel's home turf.

The coaches: Mike Sirianni is in his eighth season as the head coach at Washington & Jefferson with a 75-14 (.843) overall record. The three-time PAC Coach of the Year and 2004 South Region Coach of the Year is second among all active NCAA head coaches in winning percentage (minimum five years of experience). Kurt Reiser is in his second season as the Tomcats' head coach. He spent eight seasons an assistant coach for the Tomcats before taking over for Jack Leipheimer. Reiser owns a 3-15 record

Notes: Washington & Jefferson's 2010 roster features 24 senior players and six senior student coaches. The senior group owns a 36-7 career record, including a 20-2 mark at Cameron Stadium . . . W&J leads the conference in one team statistical category, kickoff returns (22.9 ypr). Individually, sophomore defensive end Andy McGill leads in sacks (8), while senior Jordan Roycroft averages a PAC-high 6.1 receptions per game. Sophomore Ben Hoffer's 28.2 yard kickoff return average leads the league, while senior Joe Kelly tops the PAC punters with a 40.1 yard average. Kelly also is 17th nationally. Junior safety Matthew Gal is also tied for the conference lead with two forced fumbles.

Thomas More at Waynesburg

When: Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Where: Waynesburg
Radio: 99.5-FM WCYJ
Webcasts: www.waynesburgsports.com

The Series: Thomas More leads 6-2 and has won the last two meetings.

The Coaches: Rick Shepas is in his sixth season at Waynesburg and has a record of 34-26. Jim Hilvert is in his fourth season with the Saints and has a 23-10 record.

Notes: Waynesburg junior defensive back Sean Hunt’s eight interceptions not only lead the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, but also are tied for third overall in Division III of the NCAA. Junior defensive tackle Darryl Moore, Jr. is tied for 24th in Division III in tackles for loss per game with 1.63. He has 13 stops in the backfield this season ... Waynesburg and Thomas More come into Saturday’s game as two of just three teams with positive turnover margins in the PAC. The Saints lead the conference and are tied for eighth in Division III with a plus-14 differential. The Yellow Jackets boast a plus-eight advantage in turnovers, which is the second-highest mark in the conference and puts them in a tie for 28th in Division III. The only other team in the conference with a positive difference in turnovers is Washington & Jefferson (plus-one).

California at Edinboro

When: 1 p.m., Saturday
Where: Sam Harrison Stadium, Edinboro
Radio: WCAL-FM 91.9

The Series: California leads the series 39-35-2 and Cal won last year’s meeting, 38-14.

The coaches: Scott Browning is in his fifth season at Edinboro and has a 37-18 record. Cal's John Luckhardt is in his eighth season with the Vulcans and has a 75-29 record. He has a career record of 213-66-2.

Notes: California has won 10 of its last 11 games in November since the 2007 season. Cal has won 60 of its last 71 games dating back to the 2005 season. … The Vulcans have won 25 consecutive PSAC games. … Cal has not lost back-to-back road games since 2006. … Tailback Lamont Smith became the fourth different runner to gain 1,000 yards in a season in the last seven years.

College Preview

2010-10-29T19:33:00.004-04:00

College Preview

Grove City at Washington & Jefferson

When: Saturday, 2 p.m. kickoff
Where: Cameron Stadium
Radio: WJPA (1450-AM)
Internet: http://www.wjpa.com/sports.htm

The series: W&J has defeated Grove City 11 consecutive times and owns a 33-12 lead in the all-time series. Grove City has not defeated W&J since a 31-7 victory at Cameron Stadium in 1998. The Presidents have scored 30 or more points in 11 of the last 12 games versus the Wolverines.

The coaches: Mike Sirianni is in his eighth season as the head coach at W&J with a 75-14 (.843) overall record. The three-time PAC Coach of the Year and 2004 South Region Coach of the Year is second among all active NCAA head coaches in winning percentage (minimum five years of experience). Head Coach Chris Smith is the longest tenured coach in the PAC as he has been the face of the Wolverine program for 26 years. Smith has compiled a 106-148-2 overall record (.418) and has won a pair of PAC titles (1997 and 1998). Smith's teams hold a 2-23 record against W&J.

Notes: Over 75 percent (153-of-203) of Washington & Jefferson's scoring production has come during the first half of games this season. The Presidents have owned a leading heading into the fourth quarter five times and have won four of those games despite being outscored by a combined 29-15 margin in the final 15 minutes this season. ... W&J senior wide receiver Jordan Roycroft has caught at least one pass in 11 consecutive games. In 27 career games, Roycroft has produced 76 receptions for 815 yards and 10 touchdowns. ... Eleven opening day starters have missed at least one game for W&J, including five in senior safety Nathan Harmotto, juniors defensive tackle Darrick Dominick and cornerback Josh Buckley and sophomores wide receiver Zach DeCicco and running back Brian Baldrige, who have suffered season-ending injuries.

Waynesburg at Saint Vincent

When: Saturday, 1 p.m. kickoff
Where: Waynesburg
Radio: 99.5-FM WCYJ
Webcasts: www.waynesburgsports.com

The Series: Waynesburg leads 14-10-4 and won the last meeting, 33-12, last season. Waynesburg also won the first meeting, 19-6, in 1929.

The Coaches: Rick Shepas is in his sixth season at Waynesburg and has a record of 33-26. Head Coach Bob Colbert is in his fourth season and has a 3-34 record.

Notes: Waynesburg junior defensive back Sean Hunt’s seven interceptions not only lead the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC), but are also tied for third overall in Division III of the NCAA. Also, junior defensive tackle Darryl Moore, Jr. is tied for the PAC lead and tied for 18th in Division III with 1.7 tackles for loss per game. He is also in fourth place in the PAC with six sacks. ... The Bearcats boast the top-ranked passing offense in the conference (236.6 ypg), while the Yellow Jackets have the third-most potent attack (225.3 ypg). When it comes to the passing game, Waynesburg has done a better job of protecting senior quarterback Brad Dawson, and looks to continue that trend on Saturday. The Jacket offensive line has given up just seven sacks, which ties for the top spot in the PAC. Saint Vincent, on the other hand, has given up 18. ... Saint Vincent is the least penalized team in the PAC, yielding just 54.9 yards per contest. Waynesburg is at the other end of the spectrum, committing a conference-high 79.4 penalty yards per contest.

Indiana at California

When: Saturday
Where: Adamson Stadium, California
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
Television: WPCW

The Series: Indiana leads the series 59-21-2 but Cal has won four of the last five meetings.

The coaches: In his fifth year as head coach of the Crimson Hawks, Lou Tepper has guided the program to a 34-17 record after posting his first losing season at IUP last year. Cal's John Luckhardt is in his eighth season with the Vulcans and has a 74-29 record. He has a career record of 212-66-2.

Notes: Cal has won 59 of its last 70 games (.843) overall, dating back to the start of the 2005 season. The Vulcans have posted a 39-5 (.886) record in regular season games dating back to the 2006 campaign. ... Cal sophomore running back Lamont Smith is on pace to become the fourth different Vulcan to rush for 1,000 yards in the last seven years. Currently, he ranks second in the PSAC with 964 rushing yards and third with 12 rushing touchdowns. Since 2002, Antoine Bagwell was the fastest player to reach 1,000-yard mark, surpassing the mark in Week 6 during the 2004 season.

Best announcer meltdown ... ever

2010-10-29T11:51:00.003-04:00

Dave Lamont is a former college football play-by-play guy for ABC who now works Florida Atlantic broadcasts (talk about a steep fall). Last week, in a game against Arkansas State, Lamont had one of the all-time great meltdowns after a Florida Atlantic quarterback took a shot to the head without a penalty being called. Lamont wanted to know where the Sun Belt Conference commissioner was and then called out all the writers in the pressbox.

College Preview

2010-10-22T17:05:00.002-04:00

Washington & Jefferson at Geneva

When: Saturday, 7 p.m. kickoff
Where: Geneva
Radio: WJPA (1450-AM)
Internet: http://www.wjpa.com/sports.htm

The series: W&J has defeated Geneva five consecutive times and owns a 36-19-2 lead in the all-time series. Geneva has not defeated W&J since a 19-0 victory at Reeves Field in 1983. Since that contest, W&J has scored at least 24 points in the each of the five games with the Golden Tornadoes, including a 31-10 victory at Cameron Stadium last season.

The coaches: Mike Sirianni is in his eighth season as the head coach at Washington & Jefferson with a 74-14 (.841) overall record. The three-time PAC Coach of the Year and 2004 South Region Coach of the Year is second among all active NCAA head coaches in winning percentage (minimum five years of experience). Head Coach Geno DeMarco is in his 18th season at the Beaver Falls campus and owns a 119-69 overall record (.633). He is Geneva's all-time football coaching wins leader.

Notes: Sophomore running back Tim McNerney has spearheaded the Presidents' last two victories with 131- and 173-yard performances. On Monday, he was selected as the Presidents' Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week. He rushed 40 times in the win over Frostburg State which was only four attempts shy of the school record set by W&J Hall of Fame running back Chris Babirad in 1992 versus Cortland State. His 173 rushing yards were the most in the regular season by a W&J back since Curt Jones piled up 188 against Westminster in 2008. McNerney is now fifth in the PAC in rushing (79.3 rpg) and 96th in the nation ... W&J has played at least one night game every year since 2003 and holds a 16-0 record in those contests. Only two of those were played in the road (2008 at Geneva, 2009 at Frostburg State)

Frostburg at Waynesburg

When: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. kickoff
Where: Waynesburg
Radio: 99.5-FM WCYJ
Webcasts: www.waynesburgsports.com

The Series: Waynesburg leads 26-12-1 and won the last meeting, 21-7, in 2006.

The Coaches: Rick Shepas is in his sixth season at Waynesburg and has a record of 32-26. Head Coach Tom Rogish is in his third year at Frostburg State. He owns a 5-20 overall record after spending 22 years as an assistant coach at NCAA Division II powers IUP and Shepherd (W.Va.).

Notes: Junior defensive tackle Darryl Moore, Jr. is tied for 27th in all of Division III when it comes to tackles for loss per game with 1.67 per contest. He is also second in the PAC with six sacks, including five solo quarterback takedowns ... Waynesburg junior defensive back Sean Hunt’s six interceptions not only lead the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC), but are also tied for fourth overall in Division III of the NCAA ... Frostburg State has played one of the toughest schedules in all of Division III. As one of just four members of the Atlantic Central Football Conference (ACFC), the Bobcats have set up an incredibly difficult slate of non-conference opponents. The Bobcats have faced four teams in their first six contests of the season that are either currently ranked in the D3Football.com national top 25, or were in the rankings at one point. Fellow ACFC member Wesley is currently ranked third in the country.

California at Mercyhurst

When: Saturday
Where: Mercyhurst in Erie
Kickoff: Noon

The Series: This is only the third meeting between the two teams and the Vulcans have won each game since the teams began playing in 2008.

The Coaches: Cal's John Luckhardt is in his eighth season with the Vulcans and has a 74-28 record. He has a career record of 212-65-2. Marty Schaetzle is in his eighth season and has a 37-56 record..

Notes: Cal tailback Lamont Smith is 35 yards shy of 1,000 for the season. He is on pace for 1,513 yards in the regular season. Depending on the length of Cal’s stay in the playoffs, he could challenge the school record of 1,935 yards, set by Wes Cates in 1999 ... Mercyhurst (3-1, 5-2) is coming off back-to-back one-point victories, 22-21 in overtime against Edinboro and 28-27 against Indiana. Both wins came on the road ... Gerald Anderson has rushed for 784 yards and five TDs for the Lakers.

College preview

2010-10-16T07:42:00.002-04:00

Frostburg at Washington & Jefferson

When: Saturday, 2 p.m. kickoff
Where: Cameron Stadium
Radio: WJPA (1450-AM)
Internet: http://www.wjpa.com/sports.htm

The series: Washington & Jefferson and Frostburg State meet for the sixth time in history and for the third consecutive year. W&J has won all five previous meetings. Prior to the 2008 game, the two colleges hadn’t faced off since the 1993 NCAA Division III Playoffs, a 28-7 W&J win in Maryland.

The coaches: Mike Sirianni (Mount Union ’94) is in his eighth season as the head coach at Washington & Jefferson with a 73-14 (.839) overall record. The three-time PAC Coach of the Year and 2004 South Region Coach of the Year is second among all active NCAA head coaches in winning percentage (minimum five years of experience). Head Coach Tom Rogish (IUP ’71) is in his third year at Frostburg State. He owns a 5-19 overall record after spending 22 years as an assistant coach at NCAA Division II powers IUP and Shepherd (W.Va.).

Notes: Junior safety Matthew Gal recorded a career-high 14 tackles Saturday versus Saint Vincent. Two of his stops were behind the line of scrimmage for Bearcat losses. The 14 stops were the most by a W&J defender since Mitch Erdely '10 had 14 in the 2008 NCAA Division III quarterfinals at Mary Hardin-Baylor. ... Despite throwing two interceptions against Saint Vincent, senior quarterback Gino Rometo remains as one of the most accurate passers in NCAA Division III. Rometo ranks 12th nationally and leads the Presidents' Athletic Conference with a 165.93 pass efficiency rating. Rometo has completed 74-of-111 passes, 31 of which have gone to senior wideout Jordan Roycroft. Roycroft is tied for 52nd in the country in receptions per game (6.2 rpg). ... Senior Joe Kelly has continued to impress in his second year as the Presidents' full-time punter. Last year, Kelly became the first W&J punter to earn First Team All-PAC laurels since Brian Plichta in 1996. This fall, Kelly is averaging 40.3 yards per punt, the 20th-best average in the nation.

Westmnster at Waynesburg

When: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. kickoff
Where: Waynesburg
Radio: 99.5-FM WCYJ
Webcasts: www.waynesburgsports.com
The Series: Westminster leads 36-29-3.

The Coaches: Rick Shepas is in his sixth season at Waynesburg and has a record of 31-26. GeneWestminster's Jeff Hand is 21-34 in his 16th season.

Notes: Waynesburg junior defensive back Sean Hunt’s five interceptions not only lead the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC), but they are also tied for fifth overall in Division III of the NCAA. Also, junior defensive tackle Darryl Moore, Jr. is tied for the PAC lead and 9th in Division III with 2.0 tackles for loss per game. He is also tied for the conference lead with six sacks. ... The two teams are similar when it comes to special teams. Westminster is the top team in the conference with a 24.6 yards per return average, while Waynesburg is third at 23.4 yards per return. ... Westminster quarterback Shawn Lehocky has to be looking at this weekend’s game as one he can use to kick start his season. Last year, after being substituted into the game in place of starter Kevin Franz, Lehocky threw for 235 yards, had a game-high 112 yards rushing and five total touchdowns.

Slippery Rock at California

When: Saturday
Where: CaliforniaStadium: Adamson Stadium
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.

The Series: Slippery Rock leads the all-time series that started in 1919 by a 42-27-3 margin. The Vulcans have won six of the last seven meetings against
The Rock after Slippery Rock won seven-straight games from 1996-02.

The Coaches: Cal's John Luckhardt is in his eighth season with the Vulcans and has a 74-28 record. He has a career record of 211-65-2. George Mihalik is Slippery Rock’s all-time leader in career wins with a 152-91-4 record.

Notes: Josh Portis has passed for 1,331 yards (4th best in PSAC) and 14 TDs in the first six games this fall ... Lamont Smith has rushed for 770 yards and a conference-high 12 TDs ... Portis is second in the PSAC in pass efficiency with a 154.2 mark ... Smith is the No. 3 rusher in the conference at 128.5 yards per game ... Junior wide receiver Chedrick Cherry is California’s top receiver with 26 catches for 422 yards and five TDs ... Junior defensive back Erik Harris leads the team in tackles with 34 and has intercepted two passes ... Fellow junior DB Shawn Anderson is tied for the conference lead in INTs with four of the Vulcans’ 13 picks.

W&J Hall of Fame inductees

2010-10-13T17:21:00.002-04:00

W&J President Dr. Tori Haring-Smith, Brian Sullivan '94 (Cross Country and Track & Field), Lynne (Unice) Yater '94 (Basketball), Kenneth Mason '64 (Football and Baseball), A. Michael Pratt '81 (Basketball), Nemanja Kuzmanovic '03 (Water Polo), Angelo Morascyzk '77 (Wrestling), Director of Athletics Bill Dukett

The W&J Athletic Hall of Fame was instituted to honor and to memorialize those individuals or teams who have made outstanding contributions to Washington & Jefferson College athletics and who have helped to bring recognition, honor, excellence, and distinction to the College and its intercollegiate athletic programs.

To be eligible for the Athletic Hall of Fame, an alumnus must have participated in two full seasons of varsity intercollegiate competition at W&J. Coaches, athletics trainers, team managers and any other persons who have made outstanding contributions or offered extraordinary service to W&J athletics are eligible. In addition, alumni may be eligible for the Robert M. Murphy Award if they have made outstanding contributions or offered extraordinary service to athletics at W&J after graduation.

The College used the first four years as a charter membership stage of the Athletic Hall of Fame which was established in 1999 by the W&J Alumni Association.

In 2002, the W&J Athletic Hall of Fame revamped the official ceremony which now honors a select group of individuals and a Robert M. Murphy award winner each fall in a ceremony on campus.

The inductees are chosen by the Hall of Fame Committee from a field of typically 75-100 nominees.

College preview

2010-10-09T08:09:00.002-04:00

Saint Vincent at Washington & Jefferson

When: Saturday, 2 p.m. kickoff
Where: Cameron Stadium
Radio: WJPA (1450-AM)
Internet: http://www.wjpa.com/sports.htm

The series: W&J and Saint Vincent meet for the fourth time in history Saturday. W&J claimed the first two games by an average of 55.0 points, but needed a late defensive touchdown to pull out a 21-7 win last season at muddy Chuck Noll Field. The Presidents averaged 807.0 yards of total offense during the two victories, but were limited to 335 last season.

The coaches: Mike Sirianni (Mount Union ’94) is in his eighth season as the head coach at Washington & Jefferson with a 72-14 (.837) overall record. The three-time PAC Coach of the Year and 2004 South Region Coach of the Year is second among all active NCAA head coaches in winning percentage (minimum five years of experience). Bob Colbert (Maryland '71) took over a new program at Saint Vincent four years ago. Colbert, who has held positions in the NFL with the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Colts, owns a 2-32 record since bringing football back to the Latrobe campus after a 45-year absence.

Notes: W&J will play its 1,082nd game (668-373-40) on Saturday. The Presidents have only lost three times in history when scoring 31 or more points, all of which have come since 2000 (Bridgewater 59, W&J 42 - 2000 NCAA; Thiel 38, W&J 35 - 2005; NC Wesleyan 35, W&J 34 - 2007 NCAA). ... Washington & Jefferson rushed for 279 yards last week against Westminster, the most by a Presidents' squad since Nov. 8, 2008, when posting 288 yards on the ground versus Bethany. The sophomore starting tandem of Brian Baldrige (11-126-2) and Tim McNerney (17-82-2) led the way, while senior Nick Puckett added 59 yards and a touchdown on 10 second-half carries

Waynesburg at Geneva

When: Saturday, 4 p.m. kickoff
Where: Beaver Falls
Radio: 99.5-FM WCYJ
Webcasts: www.waynesburgsports.com

The Series: Waynesburg leads 39-30-4, but lost last year's game 49-39. The first meeting was 1908, a 5-0 victory for Geneva.

The Coaches: Rick Shepas is in his sixth season at Waynesburg and has a record of 30-26. Geneva's Geno DeMarco is 106-67 in his 16th season.

Notes: Waynesburg junior defensive back Sean Hunt’s four interceptions not only lead the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC), but are also tied for fifth overall in Division III of the NCAA. Also, junior defensive tackle Darryl Moore, Jr. is tied for the PAC lead and 13th in Division III with 2.0 tackles for loss per game. ... Geneva has a true double whammy on offense. Senior quarterback David Girardi leads the PAC in passing yards per game (259.2) and passing touchdowns (nine), while senior running back Gerard Muschette leads the conference in rushing yards per game (130.0). ... Waynesburg and Geneva currently rank third and fourth, respectively in scoring offense per game. However, the Yellow Jackets rank third in scoring defense (21.0 ppg), while the Golden Tornadoes are ninth (34.6 ppg).

California at Gannon

When: Saturday
Where: Gannon
Stadium: Gannon University Field
Kickoff: Noon

The Series: The Vulcans and Golden Knights are facing each other in only the third all-time meeting between the two schools. Cal has won each of the previous two games against Gannon, including a 52-10 win last year.

The Coaches: Cal's John Luckhardt is in his eighth season with the Vulcans and has a 73-28 record. He has a career record of 210-65-2. Jim Kiernan is 14-24 in his fourth season.

Notes: Cal has won 57 of its last 67 games (.851) overall, dating back to the start of the 2005 season. The Vulcans have posted a 37-4 (.902) record in regular season games dating back to the 2006 campaign. ... The Vulcans are off to their second 5-0 start in the last four years. Prior to posting an undefeated regular season in 2007, the last time Cal won its first five games of the year was in 1986. Overall, the Vulcans have opened the year at 5-0 only six times since 1916.

College preview

2010-10-01T10:24:00.002-04:00

Westminster at Washington & Jefferson
When: Saturday, 7 p.m. kickoff
Where: Cameron Stadium
Radio: WJPA (1450-AM)
Internet: http://www.wjpa.com/sports.htm

The series: W&J has dominated the series with Westminster throughout history, winning 29 of the 31 meetings. The Presidents have defeated the Titans nine consecutive times and have averaged 48.3 points in the last six games against WC. Westminster's lone victories in history came in 2000 (19-17) and 1910 (W&J forfeit), both played in Washington.

The coaches: Mike Sirianni (Mount Union ’94) is in his eighth season as the head coach at Washington & Jefferson with a 71-14 (.835) overall record. The three-time PAC Coach of the Year and 2004 South Region Coach of the Year is second among all active NCAA head coaches in winning percentage (minimum five years of experience). Head Coach Jeff Hand (Clarion '92) holds a 58-56 (.509) career record in 11 seasons, including a 21-32 mark in six years at Westminster. Hand was Waynesburg's head coach from 2001-2004.

Notes: Washington & Jefferson has forced at least one turnover 32 times in the regular season since 2006 and has won 31 of those games. The only game during that time that W&J forced a turnover and lost was three weeks ago at Delaware Valley (Matthew Gal interception). W&J has won nine consecutive week four contests. Ironically, the last loss came in a 2000 defensive battle to Westminster at Cameron Stadium by a 19-17 margin.

Waynesburg at Bethany

When: Saturday, 2 p.m. kickoff
Where: Bethany
Radio: 99.5-FM WCYJ
Webcasts: www.waynesburgsports.com

The Series: Waynesburg leads the series, 27-15-7, but lost last year's game 35-24. The first meeting was 1903, a 17-5 victory for Waynesburg.

The Coaches: Rick Shepas is in his sixth season at Waynesburg and has a record of 30-24. Bethany's Tim Weaver is 15-29 in his fifth season.

Notes: The Yellow Jackets starting offensive line, consisting of Melvin Warrick, Nebojsa Nedic, Nick Hanley, Corey Dieterle and Mike Broda, was named to the D3Football.com Team of the Week. ... Bethany is second in the conference in rushing yards per game (227.5) and the Bison lead the PAC in rushing touchdowns (9) and yards per carry (5.0). The two men leading the ground game are freshman quarterback Matt Grimard and junior running back Eric Walker, who rank third and fifth, respectively, in rushing yards per game in the conference. ... Waynesburg cornerbacks Sean Hunt and Matt Czulewicz are currently ranked 1-2 in the PAC in interceptions with three and two, respectively, while Bethany quarterback Matt Grimard, primarily a running quarterback, has been picked off six times. No other team in the PAC has more interceptions than the Jackets (8).Outside linebacker Scott Bogdan also leads the conference in fumble recoveries with two.

Lock Haven at California

When: Saturday, Sept. 18
Where: California, Pa.
Stadium: Adamson Stadium (6,500)
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
TV: Pittsburgh CW (live) I FSN Pittsburgh (tape delayed)
Radio: WCAL (91.9 FM) I WVPO (840 AM)
Live Video: America One (PPV) I ESPN3

The Series: The Vulcans and Bald Eagles are meeting for the 67th time this weekend. Cal U has won six-straight and eight of the last 10 meetings against Lock Haven,including a 48-14 victory last year.

The Coaches: Cal's John Luckhardt is in his eighth season with the Vulcans and has a 72-28 record. He has a career record of 209-65-2. John Klacik is 5-54 in his fifth season.

Notes: This weekend features the longest winning and losing streaks in the PSAC West. Behind five-straight divisional crowns, Cal has won 21-consecutive games in league play dating back to 2006. Meanwhile, Lock Haven has suffered 15-straight losses in divisional games dating back to the final week of the 2007 season. Lock Haven has lost 26 straight games. Junior safety Shawn Anderson played in 24 games before becoming a starter in 2010. After four starts, he is tied for the lead in the PSAC with four interceptions and is second on the team with 17 tackles (11 solo).

Sorry state of Big East football

2010-09-27T14:25:00.003-04:00

After West Virginia capped the weekend with a 20-14 loss to LSU that knocked the Mountaineers out of the college football Top 25, the Big East Conference is left with as many ranked teams as the Sun Belt Conference.

Zero!

It has been a terrible season for the Big East. For example:

Pitt, which was picked as the conference favorite, is 1-2 and was humiliated last Thursday at home by Miami. The Panthers have had more players arrested than wins.

West Virginia is the only Big East school receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll, but the Mountaineers needed a miracle to beat Marshall and are on their second consecutive season of poor run blocking by the offensive line.

Rutgers lost Saturday to a North Carolina team that had what seemed like half its players suspended. Cincinnati finally showed some spark offensively when playing a legitimate opponent but still lost Saturday to Oklahoma. The Bearcats have yet to beat a Division I-A team. South Florida, meanwhile, struggled with Western Kentucky.

Connecticut lost to Temple two weeks ago and needed former Trinity High School quarterback Cody Endres to come off the bench and help it pull away from Buffalo in the second half Saturday. Syracuse is 3-1, but look at who the Orange have beaten: Colgate, Akron and Maine. In other words, they've beaten nobody.

Louisville was off last week and the Cardinals' close loss at Oregon State two weeks ago looks like one of the Big East's best performances. Still, it was a loss.

While reading some newspaper articles and blog entries today about the Big East's struggles, here are some reader comments that caught my eye:

"1) Big East is an overrated basketball conference that ranks behind the ACC and Big Ten.
2) Big East is a non-existent football conference.
Any Big East school with any dignity left should just pack their bags and go to a real conference."

"pitt deserves to be in this position for being stupid enough to hire wannstedt in the first place. I will never forgive that abysmally unintelligent moron for screwing up the Bears. Wannstedt should be working a mcdonalds making fries, not behind an NFL or a college sideline."

"Its too bad the Big East had its chances to be another Super Conference. They let Boston College slip away, never landed Penn State. Unsuccessful in getting Notre Dame football, ignore the Army and Navy teams. Lost upstart Temple. I really don't have an answer for a Conference that looks like its glory days are over for the time being. There's no one left in the neighborhood of what could have and should have been."

"The ironic part is that Temple could have been the best team in the Big East this year."

"A Big East team will be in a BCS bowl. Thats all you need to know about whats wrong with the BCS."

"Based on performance on the gridiron for the last few years, BigEast should forfeit their automatic BCS bid to MWC!"

"Report: Villanova Invites Big East Football Schools To Join I-AA."

So what do you think? Are these comments on the money or is the Big East simply off to a slow start?

Endres reinstated

2010-09-22T16:51:00.005-04:00

Former Trinity High School quarterback Cody Endres (pictured) has been reinstated to the University of Connecticut football team. Endres, a redshirt junior, and guard Erik Kuraczea were suspended Aug. 18 for a violation of athletic department policies. Both players will be in uniform Saturday when the Huskies host Buffalo.

"I talked to both young men on Sunday and told them exactly where they stood," UConn coach Randy Edsall told the Hartford Courant. "I asked them what they learned through this experience and was satisfied with their response. There was remorse. They understood in terms of how much they not only let themselves down, but they let their families down and most especially let their teammates down.

"I would expect both of those young men to be better young men for this. It should have never happened in the first place. There should have never been a suspension in the first place, but both young men will be better for this and I would be extremely disappointed if it wasn't this way."

Endres played in seven games last season, starting six. He completed 98 of 154 passes for 1,354 yards and six touchdowns before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.

Edsall did not rule out replacing current starting quarterback Zach Frazer with Endres for stretches Saturday. UConn is off to a 1-2 start, losing last week to Temple.

Penn State-Temple preview

2010-09-22T16:46:00.003-04:00

Temple (3-0) vs. No. 23 Penn State (2-1)
When: Saturday, 3:37 p.m.
TV/Radio: Big Ten Network; ESPN-AM 1250
Line: Penn State by 13 1/2.
Series Record: Penn State leads 35-3-1.
Last Meeting: 2009, Penn State won, 31-6.
What's at Stake: Off to their best start since 1979, the surging Owls can get a measure of their rebuilding progress against in-state rival Penn State. The Nittany Lions have one final tuneup before Big Ten play and hope to stay free of injuries and build running game momentum. An unlikely Temple win would boost coach Al Golden’s resume and send Penn State fans into message-board hysterics.
Key Matchup: RB Bernard Pierce vs. Penn State defense. Temple is touting Pierce as a Heisman Trophy candidate, and there’s no better stage to prove his worth than against the Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. If Pierce and the Owls’ experienced offensive line can wear down a defense plagued by missed tackles at times, Temple might — might — have a chance to keep things close.
Players to Watch: Temple: DE Adrian Robinson led the Mid-American Conference last season with 13 sacks. He has one sack so far this year, but did force a fumble and returned it for a touchdown last week against Connecticut. Penn State’s offensive line hasn’t allowed true freshman QB Rob Bolden to get sacked.
Penn State: RB Evan Royster. While pass blocking may be a strength, the front five has been inconsistent on the run. Royster has just 110 yards on 31 carries, with the senior splitting more time than fans expected with backups Stephfon Green and Silas Redd. Coach Joe Paterno says Royster is fine, and that he isn’t worried about his production.
Facts & Figures: Royster’s slow start has him inching away at the school career rushing record, 371 yards behind Hall of Famer Curt Warner (3,398 between 1979-82). ... Golden played tight end for Paterno at Penn State from 1987-91, while Owls defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio played linebacker. They were Penn State captains together their senior season in Happy Valley. ... Penn State has outscored Temple 154-9 since Golden took over the Owls in 2006. ... Penn State has eight turnovers, though the defense has forced just two — a pair of interceptions.

Pitt-Miami preview

2010-09-22T16:24:00.002-04:00

No. 19 Miami (1-1) at Pitt (1-1)
When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
TV/Radio: ESPN/KDKA-FM 93.7.
Line: Miami by 3.
Series record: Miami leads 21-9-1.
Last meeting: 2003, Miami 28, Pitt 14.
What’s at Stake: A national ranking — Miami will stay ranked if it wins, and Pitt assuredly would move into the Top 25 if it does. The Hurricanes’ 36-24 loss at No. 2 Ohio State wasn’t unexpected, but coach Randy Shannon was upset about the sloppiness. So upset he ordered all of his players to stop posting messages on Twitter. Pitt lost its opener at Utah, and a 1-2 start would be deemed a failure for a Dave Wannstedt-coached team that was a near-unanimous pick to win the Big East.
Key matchup: Miami’s speed vs. Pitt’s offense and defense. Speed was the one Hurricanes’ asset that Pitt consistently failed to match during its six-game Big East losing streak against Miami that ran from 1998-2003, long before any of these players arrived. The teams haven’t played since Miami moved into the Atlantic Coast Conference. Pitt has upgraded its speed under Wannstedt, but no team on Pitt’s schedule has as much speed throughout its roster as Miami does.
Players to watch: Miami LB Sean Spence. Spence already has four tackles for losses on a team that leads the nation with 25. Controlling Pitt RB Dion Lewis and backup Ray Graham on first and second downs will be a priority for Spence and the Hurricanes.
Pitt RB Dion Lewis. The nation’s leading returning rusher after gaining 1,799 yards last season, Lewis is off to a surprisingly slow start with 102 yards and a 2.9 yards per carry average. He was benched for Ray Graham during the second half against New Hampshire. Pitt is ranked 89th in the country in rushing.
Facts & Figures: Miami’s last loss to Pitt was in 1997 at now-demolished Pitt Stadium. ... Miami has won 32 consecutive games against unranked conference opponents. Pitt is 1-10 against ranked non-conference opponents since 1996.... Pitt DE Brandon Lindsey has two sacks while replacing the injured Greg Romeus (back surgery), the 2009 Big East co-defensive player of the year who will miss most of the season ... Shannon was a LB at Miami when Wannstedt was the defensive coordinator from 1986-88 and later was the linebackers coach when Wannstedt coached the Dolphins. ... By winning, Miami would start 2-1 for the third consecutive season.

Players of the Week

2010-09-21T17:31:00.002-04:00

Athletes from area small colleges who were weekly award winners:

* Waynesburg University junior cornerback Sean Hunt earned his first Presidents’ Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week honor after making life miserable for Thiel quarterbacks Saturday. During the Yellow Jackets’ 34-6 win over the Tomcats, Hunt intercepted two passes, running the second back 18 yards for a touchdown that put Waynesburg up 34-0.

* The Waynesburg soccer teams were front and center when the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) released their player of the week honors.

On the men’s side, junior midfielder Erick Burke was honored as the PAC Offensive Player of the Week, while junior goalkeeper Katrina Kelly was lauded as the Defensive/Goalkeeper of the Week. Kelly also was the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Division III South Defensive Player of the Week.

Burke led the Waynesburg men during a 2-1 week with four goals and an assist. He recorded his first collegiate hat trick during a 5-0 win at Mt. Aloysius, and followed that with an assist during the Yellow Jackets’ 3-2 come-from-behind overtime win at Hood.

Kelly didn’t allow a goal in more than 200 minutes of play, making 15 saves for the 2-0-1 Yellow Jacket women. Kelly was 1-0-1 with two shutouts during the week. She made two saves in a 4-0 win over Pitt-Greensburg, and was spectacular with 13 saves in a 0-0 double-overtime tie at undefeated Penn State Altoona.

* Washington & Jefferson was recently awarded its third consecutive Empire 8 Conference Field Hockey Player of the Week honor as freshman Alexandra Kania was selected for the Presidents.

Kania joined seniors Julianne Zackey and Kim Marcius to give the Presidents the first three conference player of the week winners this season.

Kania took seven shots and scored two goals during W&J’s 3-2 win over Wooster last Wednesday at Cameron Stadium. The forward opened the scoring at the 32:30 mark with an unassisted goal and broke a 1-1 tie midway through the second half off a feed from Marcius.

Kania is tied with Zackey for the team lead in goals with three, and is fourth on the team with 11 shots.

* The Presidents’ Athletic Conference chose Washington & Jefferson kicker Colin Kracinovsky as its football Special Teams Player of the Week.

Kracinovsky, playing in his second game in place of injured kicker Joe Kelly, was 9-for-9 on his kick attempts for the Presidents, who rolled to a 59-21 victory over Bethany Saturday night at Cameron Stadium.

Kracinovsky made eight extra-point attempts and booted a 27-yard field goal. It was the sophomore’s first career field goal.

College preview Week 2

2010-09-17T16:39:00.003-04:00

Bethany at Washington & Jefferson

When: Saturday, 7 p.m. kickoff
Where: Cameron Stadium
Radio: WJPA (1450-AM)
Internet: http://www.wjpa.com/sports.htm

The Series: Washington & Jefferson and Bethany meet for the 87th time in history on Saturday. The series is the longest in both schools' histories. W&J holds a 66-20 advantage in the all-time series and has won 27 consecutive times. The Bison last defeated the Presidents on Sept. 25, 1982, by a 28-9 margin in Washington.

The Coaches: Mike Sirianni (Mount Union ’94) is in his eighth season as the head coach at Washington & Jefferson with a 70-13 (.854) overall record. The three-time PAC Coach of the Year and 2004 South Region Coach of the Year is second among all active NCAA head coaches in winning percentage (minimum five years of experience). Head Coach Tim Weaver (Davidson '90) is in his fifth year at Bethany. He also serves as the BC Director of Athletics. The Bison have posted a 15-27 record since his arrival on campus.

Notes: W&J has posted a 46-5 regular-season record in games at Cameron Stadium since 2000. The Presidents have won 30 of their past 35 home openers. The Presidents have won 11 of their last 12 games during the second week of the season, including seven in a row. The average margin of victory during those 10 wins is 20.8 points. W&J's last week two loss was at Allegheny (28-25) in 2002.

Waynesburg at Thiel

When: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. kickoff
Where: Greenville
Radio: 99.5-FM WCYJ
Webcasts: www.waynesburgsports.com

The Series: Waynesburg leads the series, 23-8-1, including a 38-17 victory last year. The first meeting was 1913, a 20-0 victory for Thiel.

The Coaches: Rick Shepas is in his sixth season at Waynesburg and has a record of 28-24. Thiel's Kurt Reiser is in his second season and has a 3-9 record.

Notes: Waynesburg has won the last four meetings between the two schools, which is the Jackets’ longest such streak against any Presidents’ Athletic Conference. ... Dominic Moore’s two touchdown runs were the most by a Waynesburg freshman on opening day since 2007.

East Stroudsburg at California

When: Saturday, Sept. 18
Where: California, Pa.
Stadium: Adamson Stadium (6,500)
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.
TV: Pittsburgh CW (live) I FSN Pittsburgh (tape delayed)
Radio: WCAL (91.9 FM) I WVPO (840 AM)
Live Video: America One (PPV) I ESPN3

The Coaches: This weekend’s game will feature a meeting of 200-win coaches in John Luckhardt (Cal U; 207) and Denny Douds (East Stroudsburg; 227) for only the 29th time in all NCAA history with the last coming in last year’s Division II playoffs between Luckhardt and Mel Tjeerdsma (Northwest Missouri State).

Notes: Through the first two games of the season, the Vulcans lead the conference and NCAA Division II with a plus-eight turnover margin behind six interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Last week against C.W. Post, Cal U forced five turnovers with three interceptions and committed its first turnover of the year on a first-quarter interception after a tipped ball. … Sophomore running back Lamont Smith rushed for over 100 yards and three scores last week, as Cal U posted a 40-13 win at C.W. Post. The Vulcans scored 30-unanswered points, rushed for over 250 yards and forced five turnovers in the victory.

Back surgery for Romeus

2010-09-14T16:26:00.002-04:00

Pitt senior defensive end Greg Romeus, pictured, will undergo surgery on a disc in his lower back, Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt announced Tuesday.

Romeus is scheduled for surgery on Thursday.

"Our top priority is doing what is best for Greg,” Wannstedt said. “After consulting with him, his family and our medical staff, it was determined that immediate surgery is the best option for Greg both personally and athletically. We expect him to have a full recovery and return for the conclusion of the season.”

An All-America candidate and the reigning Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Romeus started the season opener at Utah and had four tackles and a pass deflection. He did not play in the Panthers’ game Saturday against New Hampshire.

As a junior, Romeus made 11.5 tackles for loss and a team-high eight sacks.

Romeus was named a finalist for the 2009 Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award and was selected to three different All-America teams, including CollegeFootballNews.com (second team), Sporting News (third team) and Rivals (third team).

College previews

2010-09-10T12:23:00.004-04:00

Washington & Jefferson at Delaware Valley

When: Saturday, 1 p.m. kickoff
Where: Doylestown
Radio: WJPA (1450-AM)
Internet: http://www.wjpa.com/sports.htm

PAC-MAC: 20th-ranked Washington & Jefferson and 10th-ranked Delaware Valley meet for the first time in history. The matchup is part of the "PAC-MAC Football Challenge Series." The two-year series between the Presidents' Athletic Conference and the Middle Atlantic Conference pits the top teams in each conference based on the 2009 final results.

The coaches: Mike Sirianni (Mount Union ’94) enters his eighth season as the head coach at Washington & Jefferson with a 70-12 (.854) overall record. The three-time PAC Coach of the Year and 2004 South Region Coach of the Year is second among all active NCAA head coaches in winning percentage (minimum five years of experience). Head Coach Jim Clements (Widener '96) is in his fifth season with the Aggies. He holds a 31-13 (.705) overall record and has led DVC to a pair of conference titles. Last year, Delaware Valley advanced to the second round of the NCAA playoffs.

Notes: During the 11 years Mike Sirianni has been a member of the W&J football coaching staff, the Presidents have passed for 33,991 yards (248.1 ypg) and 341 touchdowns (2.5 tpg). W&J has posted a 107-30 record (.781) since his arrival on campus as offensive coordinator in 1999. Senior Gino Rometo will become only the fifth quarterback to start a season opener for the Presidents since 1999, joining Brian Dawson '03, Chris Edwards '06 and Bobby Swallow '09 and last year's opener day starter senior Steven Shumaker. Dawson, Edwards and Swallow own all 29 school passing or total offense records and combined for 27,850 passing yards and 287 touchdowns.

Waynesburg at Wilkes

When: Saturday, Noon kickoff
Where: Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (Ralston Athletic Complex)
Radio: 99.5-FM WCYJ
Webcasts: www.waynesburgsports.com

The Coaches: Rick Shepas is in his sixth season at Waynesburg and has a record of 28-23. Frank Sheptock begins his 15th year as head coach after being named the seventh head man in Wilkes football history in January of 1996. During his tenure on the Wilkes sidelines, he has led the Colonels to a 94-65 record, including eight post-season playoff berths.

Notes: Waynesburg quarterback Brad Dawson needs 103 yards to move into third place on Waynesburg’s all-time career passing yardage with 4,560 yards. ... The Waynesburg football team has enjoyed its share of success against non-conference opponents in recent years. The Yellow Jackets are 5-1 in games against non-PAC opponents over the last three years and have also gotten used to quick starts. The Jackets have won six of their last 10 season openers.

California at C.W. Post

When: Saturday, 1 p.m. kickoff
Where: Brookville, N.Y.
Stadium: Hickox Field (5,000)
Series Record: First meeting

The Coaches: C.W. POST HEAD COACH: The all-time winningest coach in program history, Bryan Collins enters his 13th season as head coach of the Pioneers. While a member of the Northeast-10 Conference, he guided C.W. Post to four outright league championships and three NCAA Playoff appearances.

Ninth-year head coach John Luckhardt (69-28, 206-65-2 overall) has established a winning tradition at Cal. That tradition has carried over into games against teams from the PSAC East. In the last eight seasons, the Vulcans hold a combined 17-4 record (.810) against PSAC East opponents.

Last week: Cal U rallied from down 17 points to claim a 42-41 overtime victory at then-No. 11 Saginaw Valley last week. The Vulcans scored the final 11 points of regulation, including a game-tying twopoint conversion reception by Chedrick Cherry with 6:24 left in regulation. In overtime, quarterback Josh Portis
connected with Terrance Moore for a five-yard score and senior kicker Marc
Domonkos made the PAT attempt. Saginaw Valley responded with a
touchdown in overtime, but missed the potential game-tying PAT attempt.

Notes: The Vulcans have never faced a team from New York.
C.W. Post marks the only new opponent this season for Cal U. However, head
coach John Luckhardt posted an 11-7 record against schools in the Empire State
while coaching at Washington & Jefferson. ... Junior wide receiver Chedrick Cherry was instrumental in last week’s comeback victory at nationally-ranked Saginaw Valley. The junior receiver finished the game with four receptions for 50 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. On the ensuing PAT attempt, Cherry caught the game-tying two-point conversion with 6:24 left in regulation.

Fashion makeover

2010-09-01T18:57:00.003-04:00

When Pitt and West Virginia meet at Heinz Field in the annual Backyard Brawl Nov. 26, each team will be sporting new Nike Pro Combat uniforms. Pitt's uniforms are designed to represent Pittsbrugh's connection to the steel industry, while West Virginia's represent the state's coal industry.

Pitt and West Virginia are among 10 schools that will wear the new-style uniforms in at least one game this season. The other teams are Alabama, Boise State, Florida, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon State, Texas Christian and Virginia Tech.

The new unfiorms are supposed to be 37 percent lighter than regular uniforms.

Thomas More PAC favorite

2010-08-06T10:52:00.002-04:00

The Thomas More College football team has been selected to repeat as champions in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), according to the preseason poll released at the 2010 PAC Football Media Day at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe today. Voters in the polls included PAC head coaches, sports information directors, and members of the media present at media day.

The defending PAC champion Saints of head coach Jim Hilvert earned 22 of 30 first-place votes to lead the preseason poll, followed by Washington & Jefferson, Waynesburg, Grove City, Westminster, Thiel, Bethany and Saint Vincent. Thomas More posted a perfect 10-0 regular season record en route to its second consecutive PAC football title in 2009 and posted an NCAA Division III playoff win over DePauw before falling to Johns Hopkins in the second round. 2009 PAC runner-up W&J also earned an at-large "Pool C" berth to the 2009 NCAA D-III playoffs.

"It's a credit to our past and present players to be picked number one. We will embrace it and use it for motivation," said Hilvert,now entering his fourth season as head coach at Thomas More. "The PAC is very tough this year and we will have to play hard every week and stay healthy to be successful this season."

NCAA Division III provisional member Geneva was predicted to go 5-3 in 2010 against PAC teams, according to poll voters. Geneva, which captured the 2009 NCCAA Victory Bowl title, is not eligible for the PAC until the school is granted active membershipin Division III by the NCAA at the conclusion of their provisional membership period, tentatively scheduled for the summer of 2011.

Following is the voting breakdown among coaches, SIDs and media:

2009 Poll
Team Points Record
1. Thomas More (22) 220 11-1
2. Washington & Jefferson (5) 191 9-2
3. Waynesburg 154 5-5
4. Grove City 132 5-5
5. Westminster 114 4-6
6. Thiel (3) 92 3-7
7. Bethany 87 3-7 (1-5)
8. Saint Vincent 35 0-10 (0-8)

Cal, West Chester the favorites

2010-08-06T10:51:00.001-04:00

For the fifth straight season, the California Vulcans have been chosen as the preseason favorite to win the PSAC West while West Chester has been tabbed by the league’s head coaches to win the PSAC East for the third time in the last four years. The Golden Rams were also the preseason favorite in the East in both 2007 and 2008. The Vulcans and Golden Rams top the divisions in the 2010 PSAC football coaches’ preseason poll that is being announced today as a part of PSAC football media day.

California will be looking to advance to the PSAC Championship game for the third straight season after the annual “State Game” was reinstated for the 2008 season. The Vulcans will also be looking for their fourth straight NCAA Super Region One championship, as the Vulcans have advanced to the NCAA semifinals in each of the last three straight years. West Chester will be looking to rebound from a 7-4 season last year in which the Golden Rams had their string of five straight NCAA playoff appearances snapped, a streak that had ranked second among all Division II schools.

In what appears to be a shared belief that the Eastern Division will be a close race this year, the Golden Rams got the top spot in the preseason poll despite not receiving a single first place vote, edging out second place Bloomsburg, which receiving only one first place vote, by just one point. C.W. Post, which won five of its last six games last season to finish 6-5 in its second year as an associate member of the PSAC in football, received three first place votes to finish in third place, just five points behind West Chester. Defending East and PSAC Champion Shippensburg also received three first place votes to finish just four points behind C.W. Post and in fourth place, while fellow NCAA playoff participant East Stroudsburg got the nod for fifth place, receiving the remaining first place vote. In total, just 13 points in the poll separated first place from fifth place. Kutztown, Millersville and Cheyney rounded out the poll.

Things were not as close at the top in the Western Division as California garnered all but one first place vote to easily take the top spot. Despite having its first losing season in over 25 years last season, IUP still got the nod for second place, reflecting a belief by the league’s head coaches that IUP’s 5-6 mark last year was largely more a result of a rash of injuries than anything else. Clarion, which posted one of the best improvements in the nation in Division II last year, followed IUP in third place while Erie County residents Edinboro, also an NCAA playoff team last year, and Gannon tied for fourth place while Slippery Rock came in sixth. The Fighting Scots received the other first place vote. The West poll was bunched up in the middle as opposed to the top as in the East, as third place through sixth place were separated by just three points. Mercyhurst came in seventh, just seven points behind Slippery Rock, while Lock Haven rounded out the poll in eighth.

The results of the coaches’ poll are listed below. First place votes are in parenthesis.

Eastern Division
1. West Chester
2. Bloomsburg (1)
3. C.W. Post (3)
4. Shippensburg (3)
5. East Stroudsburg (1)
6. Kutztown
7. Millersville
8. Cheyney

Western Division
1. California (7)
2. IUP
3. Clarion
T4. Edinboro (1)
T4. Gannon
6. Slippery Rock
7. Mercyhurst
8. Lock Haven

Preseason No. 1 is ...

2010-08-02T15:51:00.003-04:00

The University of Georgia has won a national title — top party school.

The Princeton Review announced Monday that Georgia is ranked the country's No. 1 party school on its now famous annual list. The Athens campus has been on the list 10 times since the ranking was created in 1992, but this is the first time the university has taken the top spot. Perhaps what pushed Georgia to the top spot was even its athletic director was charged with DUI last month.

University spokesman Tom Jackson said the list is not one the school with an enrollment of about 30,000 wants to lead.

Georgia beat out Penn State, West Virginia and Florida — which were the top party schools over the last three years. DePauw was the only small college to make the list.

The rankings are based on voluntary e-mail surveys of 122,000 students at more than 370 colleges across the country.

The nation's top party schools, according to Princeton Review's 2010 survey of 122,000 students.

1. University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
2. Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
3. Penn State University, University Park, Pa.
4. West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.Va.
5. University of Mississippi, Oxford, Miss.
6. University of Texas, Austin, Texas
7. University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.
8. University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Calif.
9. University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
10. DePauw University, Greencastle, Ind.

Windell Brown injured in crash

2010-07-02T18:23:00.002-04:00

Windell Brown, a starting tailback on California University's football team, was severely in an automobile accident Saturday. The 25-year-old Brown reportedly suffered a neck injury.

Three other individuals were injured in the accident.

Brown was orginally a Pitt recruit but ended up at Lackawana College before coming to California. He has rushed for 1,784 yards and scored 22 touchdowns for the Vulcans, who have advanced to the NCAA Division II semifinals for the past three seasons.

Cal announces inductees

2010-07-02T18:14:00.001-04:00

California University will induct seven individuals for its 16th class of the Athletic Hall of Fame.

The 2010 inductees are the late Dr. Michael Duda (president emeritus), Jason Foreman '02 (baseball), Dale Hamer '60 (official), John Kovalchick '53 (baseball/football), Dingding Lu '04 (volleyball), Sara McKinney '05 (women's basketball), and Kerry Novak-Drilak '97 (softball).

These former Vulcan standouts will be inducted at the 2010 Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame banquet at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15, in the Performance Center inside the Elmo Natali Student Center.

The inductees will participate in the University's annual Homecoming Parade on Saturday, Oct. 16, and will be shown on the scoreboard during the Vulcans' Homecoming football game against Slippery Rock.

This year's banquet also will recognize Cal's 2003-2004 women's basketball team. The Vulcans won the 2004 NCAA Division II National Championship and finished 35-1 overall.

Tickets for the Hall of Fame banquet are $35 each. For reservations, contact Montean Dean of Cal U Alumni Relations, at 724.938.4418. Proceeds from the banquet will be used to establish a Hall of Fame athletic scholarship.

The following is a brief look at each inductee:

Dr. Michael Duda was Cal U's third President. He served from 1956 until his untimely death in November 1968. A four-sport standout at Donora High School, Duda went on to play football at Saint Vincent College. He returned to Donora to teach, coach and became the junior and senior high principal. One of the athletes he coached was Hall of Fame baseball player Stan Musial. He was the superintendent of the Monessen School District in 1950 and was inducted into the Mid Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame in 1956. A visionary, he helped California State College transition from a limited training institution into a four-year liberal arts college. A Master of Education program was instituted in 1961, enrollment quadrupled and more than a dozen new buildings were constructed during his presidency.

Jason Foreman was a four-year starting third baseman and pitcher for the baseball team from 1999-2002. He earned all-conference honors in both positions each of his final two seasons after earning all-conference pitching honors in 1999 and all-conference third base accolades in 2000. Foreman, 2001 PSAC West Player of the Year, finished as Cal's career leader in doubles (50) and was the first of now three baseball players in school history with more than 200 career hits. On the mound, he made 43 appearances. Foreman helped the Vulcans win consecutive PSAC West titles in 2001 and 2002. He went on to play two seasons for the Washington Wild Things and Chillicothe (Ohio) Paints of the independent Frontier League.

Dale Hamer will begin his 33rd season this season as a National Football League official and ninth as an instant replay official this fall. He was the head linesman in two Super Bowls and past president of the NFL Referees Association (NFLRA). A generous university benefactor, he served as the Cal U Foundation's president from 2005-2009 and has been a board member for 13 years. He was Cal's interim alumni director from 1994-96. Hamer has been inducted into the Western and East Boros chapters of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, the Belle Vernon High School Football Hall of Fame, and the Mon Valley Hall of Fame.

John Kovalchick was a four-year starting shortstop and standout defensive back and halfback for the baseball and football teams from 1949-53. He was a member of the football team's 1951 Pythian Bowl team, which won seven games. Kovalchick batted .401 his senior year and the Vulcans went 10-5-1 overall. Also an excellent fielder, Kovalchick helped California's American Legion team reach the state finals and was selected to several local all-star baseball teams. He went on to play semipro baseball in Kansas and enjoyed a distinguished scholastic teaching and coaching career in Maryland.

Dingding Lu was a four-time, first-team all-conference middle hitter for the volleyball team from 2000-2003. She was also a two-time AVCA and Daktronics all-region selection. She helped the 2000 team make the program's first-ever NCAA Division II post-season appearance and win 27 matches. Cal won the Atlantic Regional Championship in its initial NCAA tourney and advanced to the national semifinals, which remains the deepest a Cal volleyball team has advanced nationally. Lu led NCAA Division II in hitting percentage (.446) that season and finished with career school records at the time in blocks (463), service aces (156) and kills (1,807).

Sara McKinney was a four-year starting guard for the women's basketball team from 2001-2005. She was a three-time WBCA All-American, four-time all-conference selection and three-time PSAC West Athlete of the Year. She earned PSAC West Rookie and Athlete of the Year honors in 2002. During the McKinney years, Cal compiled a 119-15 cumulative record with four PSAC West titles, three PSAC championships, two National Four appearances and the 2004 NCAA Division II National Championship. She was the first Cal women's basketball player to score more than 2,000 points and pull down more than 1,000 rebounds. McKinney finished her career with 2,117 points, 1,204 rebounds, 882 field goals, 423 assists, and 315 steals.

Kerry Novak-Drilak was a four-time all-conference right fielder from 1994-97. She was a 1997 NFCA All-American and Academic All-American who was the 1997 PSAC Scholar Athlete of the Year. Novak-Drilak helped the Vulcans win four PSAC West titles, three NCAA Regional championships, two PSAC titles and the 1997 NCAA II National Championship. Novak-Drilak finished with a PSAC record 214 games played which now ranks ninth in PSAC history. She was named to the 1997 NCAA All-Tournament team after hitting a three-run homer in Cal's opening game and knocking in the winning run in the title game. Cal compiled a brilliant 184-35 cumulative record during her four years.

The 2003-2004 Cal women's basketball team compiled a school-best 35-1 overall record and joined the 1997 and 1998 softball teams as Cal's three NCAA Division II National Championship teams. Coached by Darcie Vincent, the Vulcans won a third straight PSAC West and PSAC championship and advanced to the National Final Four for a consecutive season. Cal capped its 6-0 NCAA tourney run with a 75-72 win over Drury in the nationally televised championship game contested at St. Joseph, Mo.

NCAC adds DePauw

2010-06-15T16:46:00.001-04:00

DePauw University of Greencastle, Indiana, has accepted a unanimous invitation to join the North Coast Athletic Conference. The conference had considered a number of teams, including Washington & Jefferson College.

The NCAC was founded in 1983 based upon the principles of a strong commitment to equality for women, a firm belief in a broad-based athletic program as part of an institutions’ greater academic mission and a reliance on presidential leadership. With the addition of women’s golf for the 2010-11 season, the NCAC will sponsor 23 championship sports, 11 for men and 12 for women.

DePauw will begin NCAC competition in 2011-12 in all sports with the exception of football, which, due to existing contracts, will begin play in 2012.

“The North Coast Athletic Conference is home to many of the most outstanding undergraduate liberal arts colleges in the lower Great Lakes states. We are as proud that all members host chapters of Phi Beta Kappa as we are of the high level of athletic competition that makes the NCAC one of the leading conferences in NCAA Division III,” said Dale Knobel, president of Denison University and president of the NCAC. “DePauw University already partners with other NCAC colleges in a variety of academic activities. It just seems natural that DePauw's student-athletes should now join their peers and friends of the NCAC on the playing field.”

The expansion brings the core NCAC membership to 10 NCAA Division III institutions stretching from Pennsylvania through Ohio to Indiana. DePauw joins Allegheny College (Meadville, Pa.), Denison University (Granville, Oh.), Hiram College (Hiram, Oh.), Kenyon College (Gambier, Oh.), Oberlin College (Oberlin, Oh.), Ohio Wesleyan University (Delaware, Oh.), Wabash College (Crawfordsville, In.), Wittenberg University (Springfield, Oh.) and the College of Wooster (Wooster, Oh.).

This addition provides permanent quality opponents for North Coast athletic teams and moving back to a 10-team core conference will help the NCAC retain its position in a region composed of conferences of similar or larger size.

From Waynesburg to the Mountain West Conference

2010-06-14T17:14:00.001-04:00

The two seasons Andrea Williams, pictured, spent as head women's basketball coach at Waynesburg University were rather forgetable. Williams' teams compiled a 13-35 record, including 4-12 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference, during the 19997-98 and 98-99 seasons.

That's not a way you want to start your career as a head coach.

Williams, however, will have another chance to be a head coach. Williams was recently named head coach at the Air Force Academy. Since leaving Waynesburg, Williams has been an assistant coach at several stops, including Navy and South Florida for the last two years. Williams is a graduate of Edinboro and played basketball and softball in the PSAC.

North Carolina hires Kolat

2010-05-28T09:51:00.001-04:00

CHAPEL HILL - Cary Kolat, former two-time NCAA champion and member of the 2000 United States Olympic Wrestling Team, is returning to UNC as Director of Wrestling Operations, Tar Heel head coach C.D. Mock announced. Kolat will also be the director and head coach of the North Carolina Olympic Training Center based in Chapel Hill.

Kolat was on the UNC staff for two years in 2002-03 and has worked on collegiate staffs at Lehigh, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Lock Haven, his alma mater. For the past two years, Kolat has been directing a private wrestling club in Maryland and operating Kolat.com, a wrestling training site.

"We are thrilled to have Cary back at Carolina," says Mock. "He's been an assistant coach at several other top wrestling schools. As director of the new Olympic Training Center, Cary brings some tremendous opportunities to our state. He is one of the premier trainers in the nation. Last year he coached Team Maryland in the Cadet and Junior National Championships and they performed exceptionally well.

"The Training Center is going to be an asset for amateur wrestlers and coaches throughout the state. There is so much to offer here; I am certain that Olympic hopefuls will come to Chapel Hill to train with Cary and other members of the Club."

Kolat won NCAA championships in 1995 and 1996 at Lock Haven and finished second as a freshman at Penn State in 1993. He finished his collegiate career with a 111-7 record. He went 137-0 in high school, winning four Pennsylvania state titles. In addition to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Kolat competed for the United States in a dozen other international competitions.

"Getting back to Chapel Hill has been a priority of mine, so to work with Coach Mock and his staff is a real privilege," says Kolat, who won World Cup gold medals from 1998-2000 and finished in the top four at the World Championships on three separate occasions. "Directing the Olympic Training Center gives me a chance to make a positive impact on my sport and help amateur wrestlers and coaches from around the state. The Training Center will not only attract some of the best wrestlers from around the country at the senior level, but will also help boost wrestling in North Carolina at all levels. Local athletes can watch, learn from, and train with some of the best wrestlers competing to make the 2012 Olympics and other international teams."

W&J in D-III tournament

2010-05-17T18:06:00.002-04:00

The Washington & Jefferson College baseball team received an at-large berth to the NCAA Division III tournament.
The Presidents (32-10) are the No. 4 seed in the seven-team Mideast Regional that begins Wednesday at Don Schaly Stadium in Marietta, Ohio. The Presidents will play fifth-seeded Adrian (Mich.) at 9:30 a.m. in the first game of the double-elimination tournament.
Heidelberg (37-6), the Ohio Athletic Conference champion, is the top seed. The Student Princes have a first-round bye and will play the W&J-Adrian winner in the second round Wednesday at 8 p.m.
North Coast Athletic Conference champion Wooster (34-7) is the No. 2 seed and will play Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference champion Penn State-Behrend (29-14) at 4:30 p.m. At 1 p.m. Presidents’ Athletic Conference tournament champion Thomas More (31-14) plays Marietta (32-11).
Washington & Jefferson won the PAC’s regular-season title but lost to Thomas More in the finals of the conference tournament. Adrian is the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion and making its fifth trip to the NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs won a regional in 2008 and advanced to the World Series, finishing fourth.
W&J is in the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year. The Presidents had a 2-2 record in a regional at Salisbury, Md., last season.

How many are too many?

2010-05-13T22:47:00.003-04:00

While reading a recap Thursday of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional baseball tournament game between California University and Kutztown, I couldn't get past one particular sentence:

Sturgill was most likely unable to clap his hands after the final out after throwing 172 pitches in his 8 1/3 innings.

Sturgill is California starting pitcher Randy Sturgill, pictured. And he's no stranger to throwing a lot of pitches. When asked if he was surprised he threw 172 pitches, Sturgill said, "No. I mean, against West Chester I threw 160 in the (PSAC) tournament. I've thrown a lot before but never really thought I would throw that many pitches in a game in my life."

According to something called boydsworld.com, a Website that follows college baseball, Sturgill's 172 pitches matches the most thrown by any Division I pitcher (Cal is a Division II program) this season. Texas Southern freshman Abel Flores threw 172 pitches against McNeese State.

It doesn't matter if the pitcher is a freshman or a senior, a lefty or right-hander, an amateur or professional. If you ask me, 172 pitches are too many. Heck, 160 are too many.

Few things get baseball fans more fired up than a debate about pitch counts. Some argue against the mere concept of a pitch limit. Some coaches live by strict pitch limits. If you believe in pitch counts, where do you draw the line? Is 125 too many? How about 150? Or 172? There are many variables that go into determining how many pitches a player should be limited to, but selecting a specific number is never easy.

As someone once told me when discussing pitch counts, "Too many pitches are like pornography. I can't tell you what it is, but I know it when I see it."

D-I's youngest coach

2010-05-11T19:18:00.005-04:00

Andrew Toole, pictured, became the youngest head coach in Division I men's college basketball when he was promoted Tuesday to the position at Robert Morris.

Toole takes over for Mike Rice, who left for the Big East and Rutgers, and at age 29 becomes the youngest head coach in NCAA men’s Division I basketball. Toole was the school’s associate coach for three seasons.
Toole was the only candidate interviewed for the job and was recommended by a coaching search committee. He is a former player at Elon and Penn and was an assistant for one season at Lafayette.

Previously, Appalachian State’s Jason Capel was the youngest Division I head coach. Capel is 30.

"Andy is the perfect candidate to provide leadership to our program," Robert Morris athletic director Craig Coleman said. "He has been instrumental in helping to get the program to the heights that it's already achieved, and for that reason we believe the continuity that he provides for our program is important. I'm extremely pleased to welcome him as our newest head coach."

While the hire keeps some continuity within the program and is a popular one with the players, it's a risky move for Robert Morris. It's rare that a program that has made the NCAA tournament two years in a row – and outplayed Villanova in an overtime loss this past season – is turned over to a 29-year-old with no head coaching experience and only four years as an assistant. It will be interesting to see if Toole can continue the success the Colonials had under Rice.

Rice to Rutgers

2010-05-03T19:47:00.003-04:00

According to espn.com and the Asbury (N.J.) Park Press, Robert Morris basketball coach Mike Rice, pictured, has been hired by Rutgers to replace Fred Hill.

A press conference will be held later this week to announce the hiring.

From the Asbury Park Press:

Rice's body of work includes stints as an assistant at Marquette, St. Joseph and Pittsburgh and an impressive three-year reign at Robert Morris, which went 73-30 and made two NCAA Tournament appearances under his direction. Rarely, however, has a head man made the leap from the low-major Northeast Conference directly to the Big East. The last was Kevin Bannon, who went from Rider to Rutgers in 1997 and flamed out four years later.

The news closes a two-week search and a bizarre month-long transition from the time athletics director Tim Pernetti told then-coach Fred Hill he would not be back for the 2010-2011 season.

After Hill's $850,000 buyout was finalized April 19, the search played out like a Survivor season. Two of the coaches Rutgers looked at, Scarlet Knights legend Eddie Jordan and Dayton skipper Brian Gregory, publicly declared their non-interest. A courtship of Temple's Fran Dunphy, who was believed to be Pernetti's top target, proved fruitless. Deposed Boston College coach Al Skinner was interviewed after Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski called to recommend him, but he did not gain much traction.

That left Rice and former St. John's coach and ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla. Multiple sources with knowledge of the process said Fraschilla wanted assurances about renovations to the aging Louis Brown Athletic Center and the addition of a practice facility, and that might have affected his candidacy.

In the end Rice was the one candidate who wanted the job badly — and he got it.

A 1991 graduate of Fordham, where he played guard, Rice has won praise within the coaching fraternity for his assistantships at Fordham (1991-94), Marquette (1994-97), Niagara (1997-98), Chicago State (1998-2001), St. Joseph's (2004-06) and Pittsburgh (2006-07). He also made numerous New Jersey connections among key high school and AAU coaches as director of the Neptune-based Hoop Group's prestigious Eastern Invitational Basketball Camp from 2001-04.

Those connections reportedly rang Pernetti's phone off the hook with recommendations for Rice. Of course, many of those same people firmly backed Fred Hill when he was hired — and stuck with him throughout much of his failed tenure.

There is no doubt that Rice has good basketball bloodlines. His dad, Mike Rice Sr., served as head coach at Duquesne and Youngstown State and posted winning records at both places before moving on to a successful broadcasting career. He currently is the television color commentator for the Portland Trailbazers.

Bertagnolli captures 600th win

2010-04-29T20:34:00.002-04:00

CALIFORNIA – In the process of advancing to this weekend's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship Series, California University of Pennsylvania head softball coach Rick Bertagnolli collected his 600th career victory with the Vulcans.

Bertagnolli is now one of only 15 active head softball coaches in NCAA Division II to amass 600 victories at one school. The all-time winningest coach in school history across all sports, he has compiled a 600-193 (.757) record while in the dugout with the Vulcans behind five NCAA regional crowns and back-to-back National Championships (1997-98).

In his 17th season at Cal U, Bertagnolli has guided the program to a 30-win season for the 12th time during his tenure. Including the 2010 campaign, he has guided the Vulcans to 13 PSAC West titles and 17 PSAC Tournament appearances.

During the spring trip last year, Bertagnolli earned his 800th career victory and now boasts an all-time coaching record of 863-243 (.780) in 25 seasons.

This weekend's PSAC Championship Tournament features two of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA Division II history in Bertagnolli and Bloomsburg head coach Jan Hutchinson, who enters the double-elimination tournament with a NCAA-record 1,206 victories over 33 seasons.

Trettel's streak stopped short of D-III record

2010-04-20T23:10:00.005-04:00

Washington & Jefferson junior center fielder Andy Trettel had his 55-game on-base streak came to an end on Tuesday when he went 0-for-3 during the Presidents' 6-2 loss to Thomas More at Ross Memorial Park.

During the streak, Trettel batted .351 (67-of-191) with eight home runs and 53 RBI. He scored 62 runs during the 55 games.

Trettel's streak started on April 5, 2009, when he went 2-for-4 in the first game of a doubleheader at Westminster. He kept the streak active by recording at least one base hit 43 times. During the games he was held hitless, the streak remained active because Trettel either drew a walk (nine times) or was hit by a pitch (three times).

Trettel’s 55-game streak is the second-longest in NCAA Division III history. Salve Regina’s Damian Costantino retains the longest streak in history at 60 games.

Waynesburg's Marisa retiring

2010-04-13T16:53:00.009-04:00

Waynesburg University athletic director Rudy Marisa will retire in July, ending a 41-year affiliation with the school.

Marisa spent 34 seasons as Waynesburg's men's basketball coach, winning 565 games and building the program into a national power during the school's days in the NAIA. He guided the Yellow Jackets to 15 consecutive appearances in the District 18 playoffs, including seven championships and trips to the national tournament in Kansas City, Mo. Waynesburg won an unprecedented six consecutive district championships from 1984 to 1989 and had a 131-21 record over a five-year period.

Waynesburg reached its peak under Marisa during the 1987-88 season when the Yellow Jackets compiled a 32-3 record and advanced to the NAIA Final Four, which was televised by ESPN.

At one stretch, Marisa's teams won 70 of 71 home games.

“Rudy has been a respected member of the Waynesburg University athletics department for more than four decades and has done an outstanding job as both a coach and administrator,” Waynesburg University President Timothy R. Thyreen said. “He will be missed, and as a campus community, we wish nothing but the absolute best for him and his entire family as he moves on to this next chapter in his life.”

During the same decade that his basketball program was thriving, Marisa became Waynesburg's athletic director. Seven years after his hiring, he helped lead Waynesburg into a new era when the school joined the NCAA Division III Presidents’ Athletic Conference in 1990.

Marisa guided Waynesburg to the PAC basketball championship in 1996 and two ECAC regional tournament appearances. He continued to coach until his retirement following the 2002-03 season. He was honored as a two-time PAC Coach of the Year and a five-time NAIA District 18 Coach of the Year.

While his coaching excellence is undeniable, Marisa also had a major impact as an administrator. During his time as athletic director, Waynesburg’s facilities have undergone major upgrades. John F. Wiley Stadium, the home of football, soccer and lacrosse teams, saw its bleachers expanded and an artificial playing surface installed. Waynesburg’s gymnasium, which was renamed the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse in 2000, was expanded and had a second basketball court added. And, in the last year, an artificial surface baseball field was installed.

Marisa said he already has plans for retirement.

“I’ve done a lot of traveling during the summer months, and I would like to do more of that,” he said. “Some of our preliminary plans include a trip to Africa in the fall. I would also like to hunt more and spend more time with my grandchildren.”

Marisa is married to his wife of more than 50 years, Jackie. The couple has four sons: Kurt, Kent, Kameron and Kerry, and a daughter, Autumn.

A Fredericktown native, Marisa is a 1952 graduate of East Bethlehem High School. He played college basketball at Penn State and was a key member of the Nittany Lions' team that advanced to the Final Four in 1954 and was the team's second-leading scorer as a senior.

Marisa's coaching career started at Dunbar Township High School near Connellsville. He became the first head coach at Albert Gallatin High School, where he spent six years before moving to Trinity for one year. In 1969, he took over Waynesburg's struggling program that won only six games over the previous two seasons.

W&J's Cieslinski wins regional

2010-04-06T17:45:00.003-04:00

Washington & Jefferson junior Brad Cieslinski shot a final-round 71 Monday to become the first golfer in school history to earn medalist honors at the Mid-Atlantic Region Invitational played at Hershey Country Club.

Cieslinski opened with a round of 75 Sunday and then followed it with the 71. He finished three shots ahead of the runner-up.

Wesley (614) posted a team score of 307 for the second-straight day to top the 15-team field. McDaniel (615) and Susquehanna (615) were one stroke back of the Wolverines with W&J (620) fourth .

W&J senior John Williams, who tied for second place last year, posted back-to-back rounds of 80.

10 reasons to say no to 96 teams in the NCAA tournament

2010-04-03T14:04:00.003-04:00

10. The extra teams will make your bracket look like a Sudoku puzzle gone wild.

9. It means more Duquesnes, not more Dukes, get into the field.

8. The extra games will add nearly 300 more possible timeouts. Enough already.

7. You don't want Cinderella teams. You don't. This tournament has been filled with upsets and the television ratings are down. You really don't.

6. It doesn't resurrect a season. North Carolina isn't going to win the NCAA tournament simply because it gets a second chance. A bad team remains bad. Just ask UConn.

5. Because the NCAA is nothing but a hypocritical mass of fat bellies. If it's OK for basketball players to miss weeks of school to have a playoff, then why not football?

4. The level of play in college basketball has steadily dropped over the years because of the NBA early entrants. What type of talent does team No. 96 have?

3. It ruins the conference tournaments. If the Big East is going to get 12 teams into the tournament under the revamped format, why watch. It's just for seeding.

2. It won't save a coach's job.

1. It ends the NIT. And if the NIT doesn't exist, what will we watch on the off days of the NCAA tournament?

NCAA two-step to 96 tune

2010-04-03T11:26:00.003-04:00

Sports writer John Feinstein grilled NCAA Senior VP of basketball and business strategies Greg Shaheen over the NCAA's new 96-team format and the extra amount of time that playters will miss in class.

This is a textbook type of avoiding the question by an NCAA that doesn't care about class time when they canb line their pockets with more cash.

Oh, and missed class time is the main reason why the NCAA says it doesn't want a football playoff:

Q: Basically they'll be out of school an entire week the second week?
Shaheen: Actually, if you were to look at the window for each individual team, you have to take each team and contemplate the fact right now you have half the field leaving campus on Tuesday, returning on Sunday or Monday.

Q: If they lose. I'm talking about the teams that win in advance. You're going to advance 16 teams.
Shaheen: No, actually in the current model you have teams that depart on Tuesday, and even if they win, return on Sunday.

Q: We're misunderstanding each other. Under the new model that you laid out, you play 64 teams Thursday/Friday. 32 advance to games Saturday/Sunday. Then you are down after those games to 32 teams.
Shaheen: Right.

Q: You're saying you play games in the round of 32 Tuesday/Wednesday. They would then advance to regionals when?
Shaheen: They would continue into the regional as it's normally scheduled now.

Q: So they would go Tuesday to Thursday, Wednesday to Friday?
Shaheen: Right.

Q: So they miss an entire week of school. That's what I'm trying to get.
Shaheen: If you listened to my original answer, they leave now on Tuesday.

Q: I'm talking about the second week, not the first week. They play a game Saturday/Sunday, play a game Tuesday or Wednesday, then go directly to the regional. Tell me when in that second week they're going to be in class.
Shaheen: The entire first week, the majority of the teams would be in class.

Q: You're just not going to answer the question about the second week. You're going to keep referring back to the first week, right? They're going to miss the entire second week under this model.
Shaheen: So they're going to go to school the first week, and then they're --

Q: They're going to be under the same schedule you said basically the first week, and then they'll miss the entire second week.
Shaheen: I'm clearly missing the nuance of your point.

Q: You and I miss nuances a lot. Thank you.
BOB WILLIAMS: Next question, please.

Waynesburg's baseball field

2010-03-31T19:16:00.005-04:00

Waynesburg has a slideshow of its new baseball field during the construction phases.

See slideshow here.

Web site celebrates Texas Western 1966 win

2010-03-22T17:07:00.002-04:00

New UTEP Web Site Salutes Historic 1966 NCAA Men’s Basketball Champs

In honor of the 44th anniversary of Texas Western College’s stunning victory over the University of Kentucky in the 1966 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, a comprehensive Web site that salutes the coaches and players of this historic and defining moment in sports is ready to be enjoyed at

The dynamic Web site is a collection of photos, stories, interviews and memorabilia that chronicles the lives of the people involved in that magical championship season that culminated with a decisive 72-65 triumph by the Texas Western Miners over the heavily favored Kentucky Wildcats. TWC, now The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), is the first and only university in Texas to win an NCAA men’s basketball title.

The game, which was played at the University of Maryland’s Cole Field House, featured the first all-black starting quintet in an NCAA championship game. The victory by the Miners helped open the door for African-American players to be more readily recruited onto collegiate athletic teams across the country.

The team was led by Don “The Bear” Haskins, a legendary coach who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997. The hall bestowed the same honor on the team 10 years later. The Miners’ victory “was a key turning point in the civil rights movement in general and in the integration of college athletics in particular,” according to the team’s hall of fame biography.

This technological tribute includes many never before seen photos provided by the Haskins family; interviews with Haskins’ wife, Mary Haskins, and UTEP President Diana Natalicio; historic championship game photos; copies of the 1966 Final Four championship program; the 1965-66 TWC media guide; video highlights of the historic game; and links to stories that chronicled the Miners’ fantastic journey into history.

Haskins died in 2008, but his legacy and that of the ‘66 Miners basketball team will live on through the words and images included in this e-celebration of their accomplishment that changed our country.

The Web site was designed and constructed by UTEP’s office of University Communications.

Basketball coaching silly season

2010-03-17T17:00:00.003-04:00

The NCAA tournament hasn't started yet and already Pitt coach Jamie Dixon, pictured, is rumored to be a candidate to fill the vacant basketball coaching openings at DePaul and Oregon.

DePaul athletic director Jean Lenti Ponsetto said Tuesday the Chicago school is willing to open the checkbook to sign a big-name coach, stating that the next leader of the Blue Demons could have a salary that “would definitely be in the top half and it would be comparably close to the very top” in the Big East.

According to the NBC affiliate in Chicago, DePaul is targeting Dixon as its No. 1 choice with Kansas State's Frank Martin the second choice. The Chicago Sun-Times also mentioned that Dixon could be a candidate.

Oregon fired coach Ernie Kent on Tuesday. The Ducks, with the backing of Nike, are set to open the Matthew Knight Arena (named after the deceased son of Nike co-founder Phil Knight) next season. With a $200 million pricetag, it will be the most expensive on-campus basketball arena in the country. They need a coach who can increase interest in a program that averaged slightly more than 7,000 fans per game this year.

John Hunt of The Oregonian wrote about 10 potential candidates, ranking Dixon the No.3 candidate:

3. Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh: The only knock on the wildly successful Panthers coach is that his style of play isn’t all that entertaining. A former assistant under UCLA coach Ben Howland, Dixon’s offenses are on the deliberate side.

Accomplishments: Since taking over the Panthers in 2003, Dixon is 187-53, with two Sweet Sixteens and an Elite Eight.

Affordability: Dixon, 44, makes a reported $1.6 million, but the belief is that it will take a full $2 million to lure him from Pitt.

Attitude: He is a native of Burbank, Calif., and a member of the Screen Actors Guild. So even if he doesn’t bleed green and yellow, he’d do a really good job of faking it.

Bells will be ringing in the NIT

2010-03-17T16:43:00.003-04:00

Cheap Shot of the Basketball Postseason had early two contenders on the opening night of the NIT. Seton Hall's Herb Pope (Aliquippa High School product) punched a Texas Tech player in the groin twice in as many possessions Tuesday night, leading to his ejection and helping Seton Hall make the decision to fire coach Bobby Gonzalez easier.

There also was Jackson State's Phillip Williams punching Mississippi State's Dee Bost in the groin and getting ejected.

By the way, Washington's Ray Natili was officiating the Seton Hall-Texas Tech game. Natili also officiated the ACC tournament championship game Sunday.

The Butler did it – 5 times

2010-03-14T16:42:00.003-04:00

Here are five game-winning shots this season by West Virginia's Da'Sean Butler:

Digging through the vault

2010-03-14T16:34:00.003-04:00

If your favorite team advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond in the NCAA basketball tournament in the last decade, here's a place where you can watch a replay of those games. NCAA Vault has complete CBS telecasts of every Sweet 16 game and beyond from 2000-09. Use the filter to select your team or simply watch highlights of certain plays. has complete CBS telecasts of every Sweet 16 game and beyond from 2000-09. The best part is it's commercial free.

Watch here.

It's a good way to kill some time and rekindle memories.

End of the Big East?

2010-03-12T19:01:00.004-05:00

Sometimes you have to wonder if West Virginia football coach Bill Stewart, pictured, thinks before he speaks. But, hey, at least he doesn't spout off cliches and coachspeak at every opportunity. Depending on which way you look at, Stewart is either interesting or embarrassingly funny.

For example:

Stewart recently was interviewed by a television station in Parkersburg, W.Va., and talked about several subjects, the most interesting of which was his hint that Big East football as we know it is on life support. He is the first Big East official or coach to talk to the media about possible defections from the league.

When asked about the Big Ten possibly raiding the Big East, Stewart had the following to say:

"It's exciting. It's disheartening as well. ... The Big Ten could ... they'll pick a couple of our teams. However, the SEC and the ACC will also do the same, so that's exciting. I don't know where we're going to land. We could land, whatever, in one of maybe three conferences, the ACC, the SEC, maybe the Big Ten.

"But right now, we're still Big East and we need to keep that focus. And that's the disheartening thing, when you break up a Big East contingency like we had. We had a lot of fun, a lot of rivals, and I hate to see that end. But there are exciting times on the horizon with new conferences. We'll be in one of them; which one I don't know, I really don't. But that's down the road a couple of years, I do believe."

As for West Virginia's future, Stewart said:

"Let's say the SEC invites us in. Well, that gives us a certain prestige. Then you say, where are we geographically compared to them? Now would the ACC be better? Well, geographically it might be, but clout-wise would it be? If the Big Ten would says, hey, come on in, that's an East-West travel. Probably the ACC would be the best travel league. But, really, football-wise, the ACC, SEC, Big Ten ... any will be good. I just hate to see the Big East disband."

Watch here.

The interesting parts don't come until a little more than seven minutes into the video.

Ferraro out as Waynesburg basketball coach

2010-03-12T18:10:00.006-05:00

Frank Ferraro, head men's basketball coach at Waynesburg University, will not return for another season.

The school did not announce the decision or mention if Ferraro was fired or had resigned. A source confirmed Friday that Ferraro will not be returning. On Waynesburg's Web site, the job of head men's basketball coach is listed among the school's job openings.

Ferraro replaced Waynesburg atheltic director Rudy Marisa as the Yellow Jackets' head coach prior to the 2003-04 season. He guided Waynesburg to a 16-11 record and spot in the Presidents' Athletic Conference tournament championship game in 2006. Since then, the Yellow Jackets' record has slipped each season.

After being picked as the preseason favorite in the PAC for the 2006-07 season, Waynesburg stumbled to a 12-13 record and lost its first game in the PAC tournament.

Over the last three seasons, Waynesburg has gone 8-17, 6-19 and 2-22. With only one senior on the roster this year, the Yellow Jackets went 0-12 in PAC play and lost its last 11 games overall. The 22 losses are a school single-season record.

Prior to arriving at Waynesburg as an assistant in 2001, Ferraro was head coach at Moon (1998-2001), Burgettstown (1983-98) and South Fayette (1979-82). He coached Burgettstown to three consecutive section titles.

At Waynesburg, Ferraro had a 63-116 record.

Killeen among top free-throw shooters in NCAA history

2010-03-09T17:12:00.003-05:00

Washington & Jefferson College senior point guard Kennan Killeen, pictured, the 2010 Presidents’ Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, finished her career as the ninth-best free-throw shooter in NCAA Division III history.

Killeen, who scored 1,189 career points, made 85.6 percent (339-of-396) of her free throws during four seasons with the Presidents.

Anderson (Ind.) College's Angel Hall, a 2004 graduate, is the top free-throw shooter in NCAA Division III history at 89.5 percent (323-of-361).

Killeen likely could help many Division I men's teams with their free-throw shooting. For example, DePaul. The Blue Demons, who were eliminated from the Big East tournament earlier today, ranked 347th out of 347 Division I teams in free-throw shooting at 58.5 percent. The Blue Demons have three players shooting less than 50 percent from the line.

Double play for Baughman

2010-03-08T19:22:00.002-05:00

Waynesburg University's Amanda Baughman, pictured, received a rare double honor Monday from the Presidents' Athletic Conference. A Washington High School graduate, Baughman was named both the PAC's softball Hitter of the Week and its Pitcher of the Week.

A junior, Baughman hit a three-run double Sunday to give Waynesburg (2-2) a 4-2 victory over Trine in the Rebel Games at Kissimmee, Fla. Baughman also was the winning pitcher in that game, tossing a two-hitter with only one walk.

Baughman led Waynesburg with a .325 batting average and four home runs last year. She had a 6-6 record as a pitcher.

Cal women to host subregional

2010-03-08T19:07:00.004-05:00

The California University of Pennsylvania women’s basketball team received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II tournament and will host a subregional beginning Friday night at Hamer Hall.
California (23-7), the runner-up in the PSAC tournament, is the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic Regional and will play No. 7 seed Virginia State (22-6) of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
The second game of the Friday doubleheader matches West Liberty State (22-8) against Millersville (23-5).
The winners will meet in the regional semifinals Saturday at 7 p.m.
The other half of the Atlantic Regional will be played at top-seeded and PSAC champion Gannon. The regional championship game will be played Monday on the home court of the highest remaining seed.
Cal has made the NCAA tournament nine consecutive seasons, a record for PSAC schools. The Vulcans have advanced to the Elite Eight two years in a row.
The Atlantic Regional champion advances to the Elite Eight in St. Joseph, Mo., which was the site of California’s 2004 national championship.

UPDATE: Tip-off for the California-Virginia State has been moved to 6 p.m. It will be the first game of the doubleheader.

The regional schedule:

NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional
California Subregional
Friday, March 12
at Hamer Hall
No. 2 California (23-7) vs. No. 7 Virginia State (22-6), 6 p.m.
No. 3 West Liberty (22-8) vs. No. 6 Millersville (23-5), 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 13
California-Virginia State winner vs. West Liberty-Millersville winner, 7 p.m.
Gannon Subregional
at Gannon’s Hammermill Center
Friday, March 12
No. 1 Gannon (33-0) vs. No. 8 Fairmont State (21-9), 6 p.m.
No. 4 Fayetteville State (20-9) vs. No. 5 Seton Hill (22-7), 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 13
Gannon-Fairmont State winner vs. Fayetteville State-Seton Hill winner, 7 p.m.
Championship Game
Monday, March 15
At highest remaining seed
Subregional winners

Vincent named Coach of Year

2010-03-03T17:52:00.003-05:00

Former California University women's basketball coach Darcie Vincent has been named Coach of the Year in the Southern Conference.

Vincent, in her second season at Appalachian State, has quickly turned around the Mountaineers' program. After finishing 9-22 overall and 7-13 in the conference and ending last season eighth in the league standings, Appalachian State finished the this season third in the conference with a 14-6 record and an 18-11 overall mark. The 18 wins and 14 conference victories are the most in a season for the Mountaineers since 1995-96.

Vincent's team is the youngest in the Southern Conference, with only one upperclassman in a playing capacity and four freshman totaling 50 percent of the team's minutes played and 53 percent of its scoring.

Vincent coached California to the 2004 NCAA Division II national championship. One of ASU's assistants is Heather Kearney, who succeeded Vincent as Cal's coach for the 2008-09 season.

Garber, Semple to nationals

2010-02-23T10:00:00.002-05:00

Waynesburg University had two junior wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Division III championships over the weekend. Nick Garber won the 133-pound title and Corbin Semple was first at 184 pounds.
The national tournament will be held March 5-6 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Garber and Semple qualified for the Division III national championships last season but each came up one match short of All-American status.
Garber avenged an earlier loss to Thiel’s Corey Brown in the 133-pound final with a 6-0 decision. Brown beat Garber, 3-2, at this year’s Presidents’ Athletic Conference championships. Semple, the top seed at 184 pounds, beat Trine’s Nicholas Kraus 10-5 in this year’s finals. Semple won the 197-pound title in 2009.
Garber pinned Charles Holmquest of Manchester in 10 seconds to advance to the semifinals. He decisioned Olivet’s Adam Wilson 9-4 to set up the rematch with Brown.
Semple pinned Case Western’s Peter Heggs is 58 seconds in the first round and decisioned Patrick Morris of Thiel 10-5 in the semis.

Shot of the Year

2010-02-22T17:28:00.007-05:00

Best shot of the college basketball season had to be this one from last week. Murray State freshman Isaiah Canaan (No. 3) makes a three-pointer from his knees, nearly from mid-court, as the shot clock runs down.

Click here.

Waynesburg wins PAC wrestling title

2010-02-13T17:22:00.001-05:00

The Waynesburg Yellow Jackets captured their first-ever PAC wrestling title by edging perennial PAC power Thiel in the 2010 PAC Wrestling Championship, hosted by the Tomcats at the Rissell-Beeghly Gym in Greenville.
The championship came down to the final match at heavyweight with Waynesburg holding a half-point lead. Yellow Jacket senior Melvin Warrick then clinched the victory with a 6-2 win. With the victory, the Yellow Jackets snapped Thiel’s 10-year hold (2000-09) on the conference title and earned the first conference crown for Waynesburg in any sport in five years.
Following the meet, Waynesburg swept both major individual awards, as freshman 125-pounder Alex Crown was voted PAC Most Outstanding Wrestler, while second-year Yellow Jacket mentor Ron Headlee garnered PAC Coach of the Year laurels.

So you want to be a sports broadcaster?

2010-02-02T19:21:00.002-05:00

Think you might be the next Vin Scully? Or Keith Jackson? Or Joe Buck? Well, if you're a high school student, then here's your chance to learn some tricks of the sports broadcasting trade from three of Pittsburgh most-experienced broadcasters.

Waynesburg University will host a sports announcing camp June 27 through July 1.
Hosted by Lanny Frattare, assistant professor of communication, the camp will afford 32 high school students the opportunity to train with well-known professionals.
Students will learn the ins and outs of announcing from Bill Hillgrove, voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pitt basketball and football; Paul Steigerwald, voice of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Frattare, the long-time broadcaster of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“If you have the desire and dedication, you can become an accomplished sports announcer, but first you need to understand the philosophy and practicality of the business,” Frattare said.

The camp will provide participants a number of hands-on activities, including the play-by-play announcing of a Washington Wild Things game at Consol Energy Park in Washington. Camp events and activities include general sports announcing techniques, radio and TV sports reporting, sports talk, radio and TV play-by-play, sports interviewing and practical announcing exercises.

Frattare, Hillgrove and Steigerwald will also offer individual sessions related to their respective areas of expertise.

The registration fee is $500 and includes meals, housing and camp materials. The registration deadline is May 7. Space is limited and campers will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, contact the Waynesburg University office of admissions at 800-225-7393.

To register, visit www.waynesburg.edu/sportsannouncingcamp.

Waynesburg hires coach

2010-02-02T12:24:00.003-05:00

Waynesburg University today announced the hiring of Sean McCarthy, pictured, as the Yellow Jackets' head men’s and women’s soccer coach. He replaces former men’s coach Carl DeiCas and women’s coach Jim Rue.

McCarthy comes to Waynesburg from SUNY Old Westbury, where he was working in his second stint as the first assistant coach with the Panthers' men's team. McCarthy's first stint at Old Westbury ran from 2005 to 2008. In 2007, McCarthy helped lead the Panthers to the Skyline Conference title and the school’s first berth in the NCAA Division III tournament.

McCarthy also spent one year as an assistant at Xavier University.

“We did a wide search for a new soccer coach,” Waynesburg athletic director Rudy Marisa said. “We believe we have chosen the right person to make progress with our men’s and women’s teams.”

McCarthy will be one of three coaches in the Presidents' Athletic Conference who handle both the men's and women's programs. The other two-team coaches are at Thomas More and Westminster.

McCarthy certainly has his work cut out for him. Like the majority of teams at Waynesburg, the Yellow Jackets' men's and women's soccer programs have struggled for many years. Victories have been few. The Waynesburg men have an 11-44-4 record over the last three seasons, including a 2-14-2 mark in the PAC. The Waynesburg women have been slightly better, going 20-30-4 overall and 6-14-1 in the PAC.

Duquesne blows it

2010-01-29T00:15:00.002-05:00

How is it that an institution of educated individuals can be so clueless about handling difficult athletic situations? Duquesne University decided to cut four men's athletic programs, including wrestling, then tried to call it a retrenching.
Please try not to insult our intelligence when dealing with such unpleasant moves. Wrestling fans, in particular, are not falling for this crap because they've seen it happen before.
This was nothing more than an effort to come into compliance with Title IX, the civil rights legislation that requires an equal footing for men and women who participate in college athletics. Unfortunately, no one won with Duquesne's situation.
Male athletes were dealt a blow with the loss of swimming, baseball, golf and wrestling. Those athletes will most likely transfer to other programs after this school year. The coaches have little choice but to leave, too.
Women gain nothing other than a slight increase in funding from the revenue saved by cutting the men's sports. It's not a great day for Title IX advocates because the university's sleight of hand does not benefit women or women's programs.
Ah, but here's the rub. Duquesne has dramatically increased the percentage of women participating in athletics without the school having to add any programs. That's because there are fewer male athletes. Let's pop the cork on that, huh?
It's addition through subtraction, and that's not the intent of the legislation.
Of course, Duquesne handled this poorly, using a press release to make the announcement. How cold. If the university is going to squash the dreams of a hundred athletes, it could at least try be more compassionate. Put a live person in front of the microphone for a little gruel and sympathy.
Again, you are dealing with academicians, not public relation experts. They rarely get it right. Their reaction was to say nothing.
Athletic director Greg Amodio should have made himself available to the press, the athletes who were getting their dreams destroyed and the coaches whose careers were disintegrating. When he finally did comment, it was two days after a chorus of criticism streamed down from the media.
Just once, I would like an administrator to come out say what everyone knows. "Look, we don't like cutting these programs but we want to help our other programs survive and we want to be in compliance with Title IX because we feel it's important."
That would be the smart thing to do.
And that's exactly why it would never occur to Duquesne's administration that this would be the best way to handle this.

Rick Majerus hates the Atlantic 10

2010-01-26T17:13:00.004-05:00

St. Louis University basketball coach Rick Majerus, pictured, doesn't like the Billikens being in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Last week, Majerus said playing in the A-10 is too much travel and too time-consuming for his players.

"We belong in the Missouri Valley Conference," Majerus said.

During the A-10 coaches' conference call this week, Majerus didn’t back down from his comments. He prefers St. Louis in another league.

Asked if he'd feel the same if St. Louis was in the Big East, Majerus said, "You wouldn’t have the money issues. You’d be chartering all your flights. And you’d have some relief where you’re going to DePaul, Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame and then Pitt.

“I have no issue with the league except it’s an East Coast league. Look, the offices are in Newport News, Va. The supervisor of officials (former Duquesne coach Jim Satalin) is in Syracuse. The league tournament is in Atlantic City and the league meetings are in Naples, Fla. ... The problem is we’re in St. Louis, and there’s an arch there called The Gateway to the West.”

Majerus is right. St. Louis doesn't belong in the Atlantic 10. The Billikens are in the league only to give the A-10 the large St. Louis market. Schools such as Virginia Commonwealth and George Mason would be a better fit for the A-10.

Majerus, by the way, is a former brother-in-law of ex-Washington & Jefferson men's basketball coach Tom Reiter, who is an assistant athletic director at Purdue.