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HerdInsider.com
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Junior forward Leah Scott (1) had career highs of 26 points and eight assists as the Herd gained its first women’s basketball postseason victory
with a WBI first-round triumph last Thursday at Northern Kentucky
Photo by Kody Kahle
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HerdInsider.com
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QB or not QB
Features
As Marshall opens spring football practice, offensive coordinator Bill
Legg says the Herd must find out who will succeed star quarterback
Rakeem Cato by the Green-White Game on April 25
Defensive development
After helping the Herd to a national ranking, 13 wins and a C-USA
title, Marshall defensive coordinator Chuck Heater says his unit
needs the same kind of player development that made 2014 special
Resort life
Want to go to The Greenbrier resort for the Herd’s April 11 football
scrimmage? You’ll find all of the who, what, when, where, why and
how for White Sulphur Springs right here.
Digging deep
Names like Van Horn and Samuel are in familiar spots, but with the
Herd opening spring football drills this week, the two- and threedeep roster does have some new names in new places
No cutting corners
Jack Bogaczyk: While the Herd needs to find a new starting quarterback this spring, a competition on the other side of the ball is crucial
to Coach Doc Holliday’s team, too – at cornerback
History in WBI
Woody Woodrum: The Herd was one of the last seeds in the Women’s Basketball Invitational, but Coach Matt Daniel’s team pulled an
upset at Northern Kentucky to make history
Herd softball senior outfielder-DH Emileigh Cooper (12) is known for
building the emotion among her teammates (story, Page 12).
Courtesy photo
Swagg-er of success
When NFL scouts came to MU’s indoor facility for Pro Day two weeks
ago, former Herd star cornerback Darryl “Swagg” Roberts starred
among 12 Marshall players trying to impress
A Gray area
Paul Swann: Veteran Herd Coach Bob Gray added another Hall of
Fame to his long resume, with the West Virginia Soccer Association
naming him among its elite contributors
Confidence game
As a senior, Marshall’s Emileigh Cooper is using the confidence that
got her into the softball program in 2012 as a springboard to a
strong finish to her career
Silver mettle
Maddie Silver came to Marshall tennis as one of the nation’s top 50
recruits, and against an imposing schedule, the freshman is having
success while playing No. 2 singles
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By JACK BOGACZYK
The Herd Insider Magazine
Herd’s ‘QB Derby’ needs spring winner
Herd Insider Editor
HUNTINGTON — The Kentucky Derby will be run May 2. The Saturday
prior to that – the date of Marshall’s spring football Green-White Game –
Coach Doc Holliday’s program needs to have another derby winner.
That’s in the four-headed Herd quarterback battle, now that four-year
starter Rakeem Cato has finished his record-smashing career. When Holliday’s
sixth MU team starts its schedule of 15 spring practices this Tuesday, finding
the successor to No. 12 will be Job 1.
And veteran offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bill Legg – over
the last three seasons he has schemed and guided one of the most prolific
offenses in major-college football – said the race that begins next week needs
to reach the wire by that April 25 spring game at Edwards Stadium.
“I think so, yes, I think we need to know who the starter is coming out
of spring,” Legg said recently in his Shewey Building office. “I think it’s
important for our football team from a leadership standpoint to come out of
spring ball and name a starting quarterback.
“Now, understand, whether it’s the starting quarterback or starting right
guard or starting free safety, those guys have to continue to do what’s
necessary through the summer and fall camp to remain that guy.
“However, I do feel that by the end of spring ball we need to say ‘Johnny,
you’re going to be the starter and then into fall camp, it’s your job to lose.
And Jimmy, you don’t want to be the backup? You want to be the starter?
Then this is what you need to do to beat Johnny out.’
“Cato had to re-compete for his job every spring. I mean, is it fair? Is
it reality? Yes it is and no, it isn’t. Returning starters have an inherent
advantage over the other guys, but they still need to go re-establish
themselves as the guy at their position.”
There really is no Jimmy or Johnny in this race. It’s among Gunnar
Holcombe, Michael Birdsong, Cole Garvin and Chase Litton – two juniors and
two freshmen. Holcombe was No. 2 to Cato last season, when Birdsong sat
out after a transfer from James Madison. Garvin redshirted as a Herd rookie
last season. Litton is a promising recruit from Tampa, Fla.
Asked for a pre-spring depth chart, Legg said it “doesn’t make any
difference to me.”
“Gunnar has got an advantage because he got playing experience in
games,” Legg said. “He played in (nine) games, and there’s no question he
needs to take full advantage of that experience. Nobody else we have has
played in a game for Marshall.
“Now, Michael has been a starting quarterback, but he wasn’t a starter at
Marshall. Just like Cole has a slight advantage over Chase, as young guys,
because Cole has been here for a year and Chase just got here.
“But at the end of the day, it’s how they take advantage of those situations
and those circumstances to put themselves into position where they’re
performing at the level we need in order for them to be the guy, or be the
backup guy, and so on.”
Legg said it’s different than a year ago, when the Herd didn’t need to
choose a No. 2 behind Cato until August camp. This time, it won’t be the
same offense in which Cato – who started 49 career games, including his last
43 – helped Marshall to three bowl wins and 35 wins, including 23 in the last
two seasons.
“You always make changes every year, and that’s whether you have guys
coming back or not,” said Legg, whose offenses have gained 21,245 yards
(almost 12.1 miles) in the past three seasons. “So, there will be tweaks just
based on simple things we feel can be done better.
“But now you’re also changing personnel. And you’re not only talking about
a particular style of play that Cato played with, but also about a veteran, a
four-year starter gone. Obviously, things are going to be different.
“So, a) we need to find out who’s the starting quarterback and b) we need
to tailor the offense to fit his style – and that’s what will happen. We tailored
the offense to Cato’s style, because he was the best quarterback and then
everybody else has to fit into that style, until they become the quarterback.”
While the 6-foot-3, 202-pound Holcombe played behind Cato, the rugged
Birdsong – 6-5, 239 – impressed enough to be named the Herd’s Scout Team
Defensive Player of the Year for the looks he provided the other side of the
ball in practice. Garvin is 6-1, 212, while Litton is 6-6, 215.
“Holcombe will get the first rep in the first team period on the first day,”
Legg said. “Where it goes from there? Who knows? I’m going to be rotating
them constantly and who’s going with A, B, C, and so on. Right now, Gunnar
See OFFENSE, Page 22
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HerdInsider.com
On defense, Heater wants ‘D’ — development
By JACK BOGACZYK
Herd Insider Editor
HUNTINGTON — Chuck Heater is pointed toward his 40th season as a
college football coach. So, spring practice isn’t anything new to the veteran
Marshall defensive coordinator.
With his third Herd spring opening this week, Heater has taken one of the
nation’s most porous defenses and made it into a top 10 unit. The statistics
show that.
Now, his bunch that helped Marshall to a Nos. 22/23 national ranking, a
13-1 record, Conference USA title and Boca Raton Bowl win needs to do what
Heater always wants.
“You want to get better,” Heater said. “Coaching is trying to move guys
along, developing guys who want to develop but don’t know how to do it by
themselves. Some guys don’t want to work that hard, don’t want to deal with
issues, so you’re constantly trying to manage that, battle that, get it out.
“That’s what coaching is.”
Heater’s defense lost six starters from 2014, including three-fourths of the
front, two linebackers and cornerback Darryl Roberts, who impressed NFL
scouts at the Herd’s recent Pro Day. Asked to look back as well as look ahead
to spring drills, Heater considered the past, present and future.
“Statistics do tell a story – not the whole story – but they give you some
story, tell you if you’re on the right track,” Heater said. “I mean, we were the
best defense in our league (Conference USA), which is a good place to start.
And for the sake of having confirmation of what you have done, you like to be
statistically good.
Herd in spring practice
HUNTINGTON – Here’s a look at Marshall football’s spring practice dates.
Workouts will be held at Joan C. Edwards Stadium or the Chris Cline
Complex’s indoor facility.
The Herd is the last of the 13 Conference USA programs to open spring
sdrills and the last to hold a spring game.
Most workouts will be held on Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays. For
information on open workouts and additional practice times, please go online
to HerdZone.com or HerdInsider.com:
Week 1 – March 24, 26, 28.
Week 2 – March 31, April 2, 3 (Friday instead of Saturday)
Week 3 – April 7, 9, 11 (Scrimmage at The Greenbrier, 3 p.m.)
Week 4 – April 14, 16, 18 (Scrimmage at Edwards Stadium)
Week 5 – April 21, 23, 25 (Green-White Spring Game, Edwards stadium, 2:30 p.m.)
“But what we’d like is to be is a top 10 — at least top 20 team — in all of
the important statistics. And we were. You don’t want to overdo it on stats,
but it does give you an indication of what’s going on.”
So, it’s more about player development this spring for Heater, whose unit
this spring will be without regulars like cornerback/nickel Cory Tindal and
linebacker Evan McKelvey (both rehabbing following surgery) and safety
Tiquan Lang. Coach Doc Holliday said Lang “is dealing with some personal
issues at home” in Georgia, and is expected back this summer.
“Some players that had to get better — had to develop for us — they did,”
Heater said when asked what he liked most about the Herd defense last
season. “(Ends) Arnold Blackmon had his best year of football and Ra’Shawde
Myers did well. At linebacker, Jermaine (Holmes) had his best year of football
and Neville Hewitt was really good.
“Up front, (tackle) James Rouse played very well. A few of those guys we
had challenged to play better. Armonze (Daniel) and Joe Massaquoi developed
(as backup ends), on a completely different level – but before that, they
weren’t even existent as far as playing. Massaquoi didn’t have to be the guy
last year. Now, he has to be the guy.
“So, across the board — particularly up front — it was a tremendous job by
our coaches to get those guys better. Raheim Huskey comes in off the bench
at mike linebacker in the (C-USA) championship game, and just doesn’t play
– he does great.”
Heater wants players to make a similar step this spring and in 2015 fall
camp, too.
“Player development is always critical to your success,” he said. “This year
See DEFENSE, Page 23
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The Greenbrier scrimmage … details
From Marshall Sports Information
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS — Here’s a look at details for fans wishing to
attend the Marshall football scrimmage on April 11 at The Greenbrier resort.
The practice is scheduled here from 3-5 p.m.:
Site: AdvoCare Sports Performance Center at the resort, home to the NFL
New Orleans Saints’ training camp.
Admission: Admission to this event is complimentary. Transportation and
parking will be $10 per adult; no charge for children 18 and younger. Walk-up
ticket purchases will not be permitted.
Event Parking: Parking is available in White Sulphur Springs at three
designated lots. Details on these locations can be found at Greenbrier.
com/Marshall. Please watch for clearly marked flaggers to direct you to
the appropriate parking lot on the day of the scrimmage. The only form of
transportation allowed to enter the AdvoCare Sports Performance Center
for the scrimmages is in the form of buses. Personal vehicles, walk-ins,
and private buses/motor coaches are not permitted at the AdvoCare Sports
Performance Center at The Greenbrier.
Transportation schedule: Transportation will run continuously from the
designated parking areas to the AdvoCare Sports Performance Center at The
Greenbrier on the day of the event.
Transportation tickets: Transportation tickets are $10 per adult (no
charge for children ages 18 and under) and must be purchased in advance
online. Tickets will be available for purchase until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April
10 or while supplies last. Walk-up ticket purchases will not be permitted.
Will call: Will Call will be located near the entrance to the scrimmage.
Please bring your online purchase receipt and photo ID.
Seating: For fans wishing to attend the scrimmage, seating availability is
on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited bleacher seating and seating on
the berm are available. There is no reserved seating. Handicap seating is
available.
Special Needs: Visitors with special needs should see a Greenbrier
representative for appropriate assistance. An ADA bus to and from each
spectator parking area and a special viewing area is available for fans with
special needs.
Concessions: There will be a variety of food and drinks available for
purchase on site from local vendors. Outside food and drinks are not allowed
on the premises.
Restrooms: Restrooms are available at the scrimmage.
Prohibited items: Prohibited items include purses larger than a clutch bag;
coolers; briefcases; backpacks; fanny packs; cinch bags; non-approved seat
cushions; luggage or bags of any kind; computer bags; camera bags; video
cameras; weapons; knives; pepper spray; food or drink.
Lodging: The Greenbrier has availability during the scrimmage. Please call
their reservations team for rates and availability at 855-421-0201 (option 4).
Still photos and video: Fans are welcome to take still photos of the
players during the scrimmages. Video is prohibited. Marshall University staff
may request at any time that you cease using photography devices.
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HerdInsider.com
The 2015 Herd … for spring starters
Compiled by JACK BOGACZYK
Rehabbing, no contact –
Herd Insider Editor
RB Devon Johnson (Sr., 6-1, 243); RB Remi Watson (r-Sr., 5-11, 190)
HUNTINGTON — The Marshall 2015 spring football practice opening twoand three-deep, as provided by the Thundering Herd coaching staff (nocontact players rehabbing from surgery, injury also listed):
OFFENSE
Wide receiver (x) – Davonte Allen (r-Sr., 6-2, 200), Justin Hunt (Jr., 6-3,
194)
Wide receiver (z) – Deon-Tay McManus (r-So., 6-2, 227), Angelo Jean-Louis
(r-So., 6-0, 176)
Slot receiver (y) – Hyleck Foster (So., 5-10, 183), Donquell “Gator” Green
(So., 5-8, 152)
Left tackle – Sandley Jean-Felix (r-So., 6-5, 319), Fred Binot (r-Fr., 6-4,
279)
Left guard — Sebastian Johansson (r-Sr., 6-5, 277), Tom Collins (r-Sr., 6-5,
281)
Center – Michael Selby (Jr., 6-2, 288), Nate Devers (r-Fr. 6-3, 273)
Right guard – Cody Collins (r-So., 6-1, 283), Jordan Dowrey (r-Fr., 6-1,
293)
Right tackle – Clint Van Horn (r-Sr., 6-5, 310), Eric Ansley (r-Jr., 6-7, 300)
Tight end — Ryan Yurachek (So., 6-3, 235), Joe Woodrum (r-Sr., 6-6, 255)
Quarterback — Gunnar Holcombe (r-Jr., 6-3, 202), Michael Birdsong (r-Jr.,
6-5, 239) OR Cole Garvin (r-Fr., 6-1, 212)
Running back – Steward Butler (r-Sr., 5-9, 185), Tony Pittman (r-So., 5-10,
204)
DEFENSE
End – Joe Massaquoi (r-Jr., 6-5, 259), Armonze Daniel (r-Sr., 6-4, 238),
Ryan Bee (r-Fr., 6-8, 260)
Nose – Jarquez Samuel (r-Sr., 6-4, 273), Tomell One (So., 6-3, 270)
Tackle – Steve Dillon (r-Sr., 6-4, 284), Ricardo Williams (r-Sr., 6-5, 244),
Malik Thompson (Fr. 6-6, 275)
End (Fox) – Gary Thompson (r-Jr., 6-1, 255), Blake Keller (r-So., 6-2, 218),
Damien Dozier (Fr., 6-4, 215)
Sam (strongside) linebacker – D.J. Hunter (r-Sr., 6-0, 214), Chase Hancock
(r-Fr., 6-2, 205)
Mike (middle) linebacker – Raheim Huskey (r-So., 6-2, 209), Shawn Petty
(r-Jr., 6-0, 235)
Will (weakside) linebacker – Stefan Houston (Jr., 6-3, 210), Marquis Couch
(Fr., 6-2, 215)
Field cornerback – Keith Baxter (r-Sr., 6-0, 192), Rodney Allen (r-So., 5-11,
175)
Boundary safety – Taj Letman (r-Sr., 6-2, 185), Kendall Gant (So., 6-3, 196)
Field safety – AJ Leggett (r-Jr., 6-0, 185), Cody Carter (r-Jr., 5-10, 176)
Boundary cornerback – Antavis Rowe (So., 5-10, 160), Chris Williams-Hall
(Fr., 6-0, 190), Michael Johnson (Jr., 5-9, 160)
Nickel – Antavis Rowe (So., 5-10, 160), Chris Williams-Hall (Fr., 6-0, 190),
WLB Evan McKelvey (r-Sr., 6-2, 210); Boundary CB/Nickel Corey Tindal (rJr., 5-9, 180); Field CB/Nickel D’Andre “Chocolate” Wilson (r-So., 5-10, 169)
Personal leave (scheduled to return in summer) –
Field S Tiquan Lang (Jr., 5-8, 177)
SPECIAL TEAMS
Punter – Tyler Williams (Sr., 6-0, 194), Kaare Vedvik (r-So., 6-4, 200)
Field goal/PAT – Nick Smith (r-So., 5-10, 168), Amoreto Curraj (r-So., 6-2,
202)
Long snapper – Matt Cincotta (Sr., 6-1, 207), Eli Gates (r-Fr., 6-4, 191)
Holder – Tyler Williams (Sr., 6-0, 194), Gunnar Holcombe (r-Jr., 6-3, 202)
Kickoff – Amoreto Curraj (r-So., 6-2, 202), Nick Smith (r-So., 5-10, 168),
Kaare Vedvik (r-So., 6-4, 200)
Kick return — Deandre Reaves (r-Sr., 5-10, 175), Angelo Jean-Louis (r-So.,
6-0, 176)
Punt return — Hyleck Foster (So., 5-10, 183), Donquell “Gator” Green (So.,
5-8, 152)
KR Remi Watson (r-Sr., 5-11, 190)
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Cornerback search crucial for Herd this spring
HUNTINGTON — As Marshall starts 15 spring football practices this
week, the major focus will be on the quarterback position, where Coach doc
Holliday’s program will be trying to find a successor to the record-setting
career of four-year starter Rakeem Cato (story, Page 4).
No easy task … but the opinion here is it may be just as crucial to fill a void
in the backfield on the other side of the ball.
That’s at cornerback, where Marshall lost an All-Conference USA first team
senior in Darryl Roberts. Roberts, who likely ran, jumped and lifted his way
into an NFL Draft position at the Herd’s Pro Day two weeks ago. Roberts was
the kind of lockdown corner that defensive coordinator and secondary coach
Chuck Heater will spend the spring trying to find.
Although Roberts ranked in the top 10 nationally and tops in C-USA in
passes defended, his numbers were shortchanged because the Lakeland, Fla.,
native was such a good defender … so opponents didn’t often throw his way.
In what the Herd tries to do defensively, man coverage on the back line is
critical, “taking away those easy access throws,” as Coach Doc Holliday likes
to say.
In spring drills, plenty of reps are going to go to young talent, while redshirt
senior Keith Baxter opens drills in Roberts’ old spot. However, Baxter has
been plagued by various injuries throughout his Herd career.
Baxter has superb man-cover skills, but he has to be able to stay on the
field. Meanwhile, on the other side, redshirt junior starter Corey Tindal
won’t have contact work this spring as he continues to rehab from offseason
surgery on his left arm.
Tindal suffered a broken arm
in high school and Heater said
it never healed properly and the
Fort Lauderdale, Fla., product
and 2013 C-USA co-Freshman
of the Year then reinjured the
arm in Marshall’s conference
title-game win over Louisiana
Tech last season.
So, Tindal got a wintertime fix
of that arm.
So, sophomore antavis Rowe will get plenty of opportunity to show what he
can do with Tindal limited – as is D’Andre “Chocolate” Wilson, who is bouncing
back from shoulder surgery that curbed his 2014 freshman season.
Heater is going to find out about promising newcomer Chris Williams-Hall
and also Rodney Allen, who a year ago at this time was running pass routes
with receivers before switching sides of the ball. Junior Michael Johnson will
get a chance, too, and Heater is anxious for the summer arrival of 2015
recruit Antonio “Speedy” Howard.
Just like at quarterback, cornerback is going to be a position to watch this
spring. Those four QBs vying for the job will be throwing against defenders
See BOGACZYK, Page 24
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HerdInsider.com
Herd makes hoops history with WBI win
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Marshall was the No. 8 seed in its Women’s
Basketball Invitational bracket, and certainly was one of the final teams
selected for the field, with a record of 16-14.
But in a day of upsets in the NCAA Men’s Tournament last Thursday, the
Thundering Herd got its first national postseason tournament win in the
program’s NCAA era with an 81-79 upset of No. 1 seed Northern Kentucky at
the Bank of Kentucky Center.
Whether or not the Thundering Herd was able to pick up a second win in the
WBI on Sunday at Mercer University, Coach Matt Daniel was excited about the
step forward for his program in the third year.
“It was a big day for us, and I’m happy to make history to be the first
team to win in the postseason play, and I’m real happy for McKenzie Akers
today, as she was accepted into nursing school, so it was a really big day all
Midwest Regionals in 1972-7374-75-76 — state champions
in 1972-73-75-76 under
Marshall’s first coach, Donna
Lawson — and a final time
in 1980 before the Marshall
program joined the NCAA in
1981-82 under the new banner
of “Lady Herd” for new Head
Coach Judy Southard, who
won five Southern Conference
regular season championships
from 1985-89, but came up
short for the NCAA bid every
season by falling in the SoCon
Tournament, in the finals of that tournament in 1985-86-87-88 and the
semifinals in 1989.
Daniel will take this first win in a national postseason tournament by the
program in the modern era of the sport, a tournament the Herd only found
out it was going to play in on late Monday night before pulling together a
travel team and quick scout of Northern Kentucky and making the trip down
to the Greater Cincinnati area.
“We were pretty balanced off the bench, everybody played and everybody
contributed. They competed, and that’s when we are better, with a
short roster and no point guard. There were a lot of 14-3s (in the men’s
tournament) today but I will take this 8-1 win over them,” Daniel said with a
laugh.
The Herd was led in scoring by junior Leah Scott, who scored a careerhigh 26 points with five rebounds and career best eight assists. Scott also
around,” Daniel said.
“I was really pleased with the following we had, and everybody commented
on it when we went in (to the locker room before the game). It helped it
really helped. I thought our team was really mature tonight, and I think that’s
the only way you pull a game like that out, with a short scout … Always nice
to be part of history.”
Marshall had not been to a postseason national tournament since it
made its one and only trip to the NCAA Tournament, winning the Southern
Conference Tournament in its last season in the league in 1997, then losing
at second-seeded Colorado by 69-49. The Herd women’s last win in national
tournaments was a 102-90 win over Indiana State at the Midwest Regional of
the AIAW Tournament on March 6, 1980, before two losses sent MU home in
the double-elimination tourneys.
While the Herd is now 7-14 all-time in postseason national tourneys, it is
now 1-1 in the NCAA era and 1-0 in the Daniel era as well.
Marshall had previously been in the Women’s National Invitational
Tournament in 1971 in Cullowhee, N.C., going 0-2 in that tourney in the
early days of the program then known was the “Green Gals.” Then the Herd
participated in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW)
See WOODRUM, Page 25
10
By JACK BOGACZYK
Scouts’ honor: Roberts rules Pro Day
Herd Insider Editor
HUNTINGTON — March 11 was a very good day for Darryl Roberts. You
might say he made some money that Wednesday.
On the 2015 Pro Day for Marshall football, the two-hour session opened
some eyes and displayed the same thing that the last two seasons have for
Coach Doc Holliday’s program.
“There’s a reason we’ve won 23 games the last two years,” Holliday said
as 12 of his 2014 seniors went through their paces before scouts from nine
National football League clubs. “We’ve got good players. Like I always say, it’s
a personnel-driven game, like I always say.
“We’ve got good players, and I think it showed out here today.”
There were five offensive players and seven defensive players participating
in the workout – held for the first time in the indoor facility of the Chris Cline
Athletic Complex. And the Herd dozen were supported in person by the MU
coaching staff and plenty of their teammates.
The group included quarterback Rakeem Cato, center Chris Jasperse, tight
end Eric Frohnapfel, wideouts Tommy Shuler and Craig Wilkins, defensive
linemen James Rouse, Arnold Blackmon and Ra’Shawde Myers, linebackers
Neville Hewitt, Jermaine Holmes and Raheem Waiters, and Roberts, the
Herd’s star cornerback.
Mark Gale, Marshall’s assistant athletic director for football operations, kept
things running smoothly. And while all 32 NFL clubs will receive reports on
performances, the teams with reps eyeing the Herd up close were Baltimore,
Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, New England and
Pittsburgh.
Many among the Herd had their moments – especially when it is considered
no Marshall players were invited to the NFL Combine last month — but if this
were a final exam, the guy who really aced it was Roberts, the cornerback
from Lakeland, Fla., known to his teammates as “Swagg.”
“Swagg has blown me away all along,” Holliday said. “Why he didn’t get
invited to any of the (senior) all-star games or the combine is beyond me. He
blew away all of the Combine numbers at corner.”
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Roberts wasn’t alone in putting up big numbers.
Rouse, the Herd’s star defensive tackle, did 38 in the pro bench (number of
reps at 225 pounds). That topped the best Combine number, 37, by Miami
(Fla.) defensive tackle Ereck Flowers.
No. 2. His 23 pro bench reps would have ranked second among corners and
his best 40-yard dash of 4.36 would have played sixth against other Combine
corners. He ran a 4.39 in his first attempt.
Roberts also had a 1.48 10-yard split in the 40 and did a 4.08 short shuttle
and 6.66 three-cone drill. Gil Brandt, the former Dallas Cowboys’ executive
and now an NFL.com senior analyst, projects the Herd star as a late-round
pick.
And for the last session of Pro Day, Roberts was out there in appropriate
fashion as a man cover corner, alone, on an island, so to speak.
‘It was all right,” Roberts understated on his day, when asked if he was
disappointed he didn’t get a Combine invitation. “I just did what I was
supposed to do. I don’t worry too much about what I can’t control. I do what
I’ve been doing and just try to keep the chip on my shoulder and perform the
way I can.
“The whole time I was training in Cincinnati at Ignition, I was putting up the
same numbers. I told myself, ‘Go hard, and it will pay off.’ Do the drills the
way I can do them.”
Rouse and Roberts gave credit to their Herd coaches and teammates in
addition to the Ignition personnel.
“I just think we do so much repetition of things, that a lot of other
organizations don’t do with their guys, so when we do it, we’re just
comfortable and it feels like second nature. We worked with Coach Ben
(Creamer) and Coach Clif Marshall there and we do this every day, 2-3
months. It’s not hard. It’s non-stop, a good program, a faith-based
organization. We train, we work, we grind. It’s blue-collar, and that’s me.”
The 6-foot-5, 275-pound Rouse said he “loved” his broad jump of 9-7, a
number that would have put him just outside the top 10 at the Combine.
“I think my experience going into this was about working hard in
Cincinnati,” Rouse said. “I think I did pretty well, and yes, I do feel better
about my (NFL) opportunity. I think I showcased today what I needed to
showcase.
“The biggest thing for me today was just to work hard, be technically
sound. You’re going to get out of it what you put into it, so just work hard.”
Cato, the Herd’s record-setting quarterback, was hampered by a hamstring
pull and his running was limited. But he threw well in position drills, out of
direct and shotgun snaps from Jasperse.
“That’s the most I’ve ever done,” said Rouse, who spent recent months
with Roberts and other NFL hopefuls in training sessions at Ignition Athletic
Performance in Cincinnati.
“I feel good,” said Jasperse, the erstwhile Herd walk-on who started every
game of his college career and played in two postseason all-star games,
including the Senior Bowl. “I PR’d (personal record) on everything I wanted to
do, did a lot better than what I have been doing. I’ve improved a lot. It just
As for Roberts, he posted a 39-inch vertical jump that would have ranked
fifth among corners at the Combine. His 11-1 broad jump would have been
See SCOUTS, Page 28
11
HerdInsider.com
Another year, another Hall pass for Gray
HUNTINGTON — It wouldn’t surprise me if one day, Marshall men’s soccer
Coach Bob Gray ends up in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
Gray was recently inducted as one of the inaugural members of the West
Virginia Soccer Association Hall of Fame, adding to a long list of honors for a
coach that is the very definition of rock star in the sport of soccer.
“If I was ever up for (The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame),” Gray said, “I would
have been on The Gong Show and been gonged 15 seconds into my singing.”
So, maybe Gray wouldn’t survive the Gong Show panel consisting of Jaye P.
Morgan, Jamie Farr, Arte Johnson, Rip Taylor and Phyllis Diller, but the always
humble and soft-spoken soccer coach remembers some words of wisdom a
friend told him about being nominated for such honors.
“When you get eligible for halls of fame you are either getting old or you’re
dead,” Gray said. “I know I must be getting old because I’ve got kids playing
for me now whose fathers played for me before.”
Gray’s induction into the hall of fame didn’t just happen because of his two
terms as the WVSA Director of Coaching, Olympic Development Program
coach and Director of Competition, his years at Alderson-Broaddus and
Marshall University. As one of the forces for growth of soccer in the state,
Gray sees this more as validation for the work of others to help the sport.
“This West Virginia Soccer Hall of Fame is kind of neat, it’s probably about
time they did something like that,” Gray said of the West Virginia Soccer
Association’s decision to create a state hall of fame.
“Years ago there was hardly any soccer being played in the state, we went
from sending two teams to the regional tournament in 1980 to now hosting
the regional tournament. There will be over 200 teams this summer coming
again for the third time.
“We’ve had tremendous growth and it’s the accumulation of a lot of people
to put a lot of work into it to grow the sport.”
There are no 50 Shades of Bob Gray, just one, the shade that is about the
game more than the man.
“A lot of people have paid
a lot of dues,” Gray said. “I
was teasing in my acceptance
speech that they’ve sent me to
places like Webster Springs and
Ranger, W.Va., to do coaching
clinics, camps and many of
coaching sessions with various
teams, and really the joy of
it all is the kids you have a
chance to coach and watch
them grow up, not only maybe
pursue soccer but make a
good living for themselves and
pass the game on to their own
children.”
Gray isn’t a stranger to awards and honors.
Besides the WVSA Hall of Fame; Gray has
been inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame,
the Alderson-Broaddus Hall of Fame, The
Ewing High School Athletic Hall of Fame
and the Mercer County (N.J.) Hall of Fame.
He’s especially fond of the honor by Mercer
County.
“(Mercer is) our local county, I hold
that one in high regard because we had
tremendous soccer back in the 60s and
70s in the Trenton, N.J., area,” Gray said.
“Listen, I appreciate the honors and all, but
you just try to do your job.
“Ewing High they actually put me in
there for baseball, too. I was a lefty; I told
everybody I invented a new pitch called the
‘auto ball.’ I throw it in and they’d fly it out.
It’s really neat.”
Bob Gray
Photo courtesy Marshall SID
For a man who has lived his life trying to
grow the game of soccer, maybe his biggest reward came in 2013, when the
U.S. national soccer team played Mexico in World Cup Qualifiers.
“I was never so thrilled,” the 20-year Herd coach said. “It was a year and a
half ago when I got to go to the U.S.-Mexico game for the World Cup qualifier
in Columbus and it was the first time I’ve been to a qualifier that I saw a
majority of red white and blue, the fans just getting into it, ‘USA., USA, USA.’”
Gray said. “It was just thrilling and that’s what we hoped for this game in our
country and the professional sports it’s growing. I think we’ve finally arrived,
you see a lot of soccer on TV now.”
Before coming to Marshall, Gray was honored as the WVIAC Coach of the
Year five times and won seven league titles while at Alderson-Broaddus. He
was also named as the NSCAA national coach of the year in 1991
Gray is among the winningest active Division I coaches (431 wins), and
10th all-time in Division I wins (including former coaches). Overall, counting
coaches in all divisions, he’s No. 25 in victories.
12
Confidence carries Cooper in Herd softball
By JACK BOGACZYK
Herd Insider Editor
HUNTINGTON — As one among a trio of Marshall softball captains this
season, Emileigh Cooper could wear a “C” on her jersey in addition to the
memorial-patch SJK of late MU President Stephen J. Kopp.
Or, perhaps Cooper could wear that “C” to reflect what she and Coach
Shonda Stanton say is the core of the senior’s game — confidence.
“I’m not saying at all that I have the strongest mental game,” Cooper said,
“but I have all the confidence in the world that if I do have a weak moment,
I’ll be right back out of it.”
Cooper’s two-run, walk-off home last Saturday gave Marshall a 10-inning
Conference USA victory over Western Kentucky in a game that was resumed
from a day earlier. It was a special moment in a Herd career that began with
the same kind of confidence that Cooper takes onto the diamond daily.
She arrived at Marshall as a walk-on from Jackson, Ohio. Her travel team
coach – former Herd outfielder Kelli Hall – had talked to Stanton about
Cooper, who one late July 2012 day walked into Stanton’s office at Dot Hicks
Field and said she wanted a spot on the team.
“I’m from a very small hometown, and some people never thought I’d play
Division I softball,” Cooper said. “But that was my goal and I went to see
Coach Stanton. I was technically a walk-on, but some players had left the
team and she got me some academic money.
“I wanted to prove I belonged here, and she gave me confidence. I worked
at it and as a freshman I was a pinch-runner and same thing as a sophomore.
As a junior last season, I was a starter and I’m starting this year, so it’s
definitely been a better experience than I thought it would.
“I kind of figured maybe I’d just be a pinch-runner and maybe get an at-bat
in some situations. But once I got here and was part of it, I thought I could fit
in.”
Cooper, 21, started at second base last season after playing short in her
previous softball years. This season, she’s in right field or at designated hitter.
And from a .182 batting average in 2014, she was hitting .400 (26-of-65)
through 27 games this season (entering Sunday’s game at Charlotte).
Cooper had only 28 hits in her first three seasons, but she’s an emotional
team leader for the Herd. The same attitude that has pushed Cooper through
her career surfaced back in late January when Stanton told her team that if a
player wanted to be a captain, she had to stand and tell the team why.
“It’s the same confidence,” Cooper said. “My freshman year, I said, ‘I’m
definitely doing this’ when I decided I wanted to join the team. We’re getting
ready for the diamond Club banquet and Coach Stanton says those of us who
wanted to be captain had to tell the team.
“I figure I’m always yelling and screaming and getting emotional to help us
and I decided to go for it and try to be a captain. I thought I may not be a
starter this year, but I’m going to stand up there and tell my team why I want
this. Maybe they won’t vote for me, but I’m going for it.”
Cooper got the vote, as did juniors Shaelynn Braxton and Alexandria
Dawes. And as one of only two seniors on the Marshall team – and the lone
senior starter – Cooper’s drive and leadership are crucial, Stanton said.
It also comes in handy in situational softball, as was displayed along with
her home run in last weekend’s series with WKU.
“That mindset can make a big difference,” Stanton said. “We had a
conference the other day during a game and what we wanted to do as hitand-run. Emileigh’s up and she had executed one earlier in the game and we
needed to get some offense going. So, I said to her, ‘What’s it look like here,
what do you think?’
“And the count’s 1-0 and (WKU pitcher Miranda) Kramer is really great.
(Cooper) says, “I’ll do whatever you need. If I have two strikes, I’ll do it,
make it work. That’s the difference with her mentality, her confidence. To
have a kid that says, ‘Hey, I can do hit-and-run regardless of the count?’
“In the lineup we have right now – one that’s very talented, but it’s so
young — we don’t have that confidence, that experience, and she brings that
to the table. You want to be tight mentally and loose physically with your
performance and that’s exactly what Cooper gives us. She gives us that tight
mental toughness and then that looseness, fire and passion out on the field.”
Cooper said she couldn’t have done that last season.
“That’s why I’m so confident this year with my at-bats,” the Herd senior
said. “I don’t care what pitch the pitcher can pitch or care where it’s at, I’m
going to put it in play, make contact, get something out of it. Last year, I was
the same contact hitter, but I wasn’t as confident and now I’m getting more
out of it.”
See COOPER, Page 29
HerdInsider.com
13
Senior Aja Sorrells (11) had five points and four rebounds in the Herd’s
WBI win over Northern Kentucky at Bank of Kentucky Center
Photo by Kody Kahle
Junior forward Ashley Lambert (24), the UMBC transfer who came
off the Herd bench with nine minutes against Northern Kentucky,
leaps to make a pass in the Herd’s WBI victory last week at Bank of
Kentucky Center.e
Photo by Kody Kahle
14
Marshall sophomore guard Enjonae Chambers (23) made the most of her 17 relief minutes in the Herd’s WBI win at Northern Kentucky. She
scored a career-high 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting, including 3-for-3 from behind the 3-point arc.
Photo by Kody Kahle
HerdInsider.com
Herd sophomore point guard McKenzie Akers posted a career-best 18 points in Marshall’s 81-79 WBI first-round upset win at Northern
Kentucky. The Princeton native hit 6-of-8 from 3-point range, her high for threes in a game at MU.
Photo by Kody Kahle
15
16
HerdInsider.com
17
Marshall sophomore center fielder Morgan Zerkle (18) is off to a flying start in
the 2015 softball season. Zerkle, a former Cabell Midland High star, is batting
.547 through 27 games and has 28 stolen bases. She leads Conference USA in
steals and ranks in the top three nationally in Division I. Her batting average
ranks in the top 10 in the country.
Photos by Rick Haye
18
Herd softball Coach Shonda Stanton (left), shown here in a discussion with umpire Marty Abezetian during a recent Dot Hicks Field game
against Western Kentucky, could get her 500th career coaching victory this week when Marshall entertains Northern Kentucky in a 2 p.m.
doubleheader Thursday at “The Dot.” Stanton took 498 victories into her team’s game Sunday at Charlotte.
Photo by Rick Haye
HerdInsider.com
19
Herd Coach Jeff Waggoner’s baseball team makes its debut at Appalachian Power Park this weekend, playing a three-game Conference USA
series against FIU. Games are scheduled at 6 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
Photo by Eric Sullivan
20
Freshman right-hander Nicholas Newton (20) goes “down under”
with his submarine style in a recent Herd baseball game at the YMCA
Kennedy Center Field
Herd senior shortstop Sergio Leon (4) has been a major contributor for
Coach Jeff Waggoner’s team this season, batting .351 with 12 RBI and
six stolen bases
21
HerdInsider.com
By JACK BOGACZYK
Silver makes quick start in Herd tennis
transferred from another NCAA Division I school.
Herd Insider Editor
“I visited and I really loved everything about the
campus and the team,” said the 19-year-old Silver.
“And No. 1, John and Kellie (Schmitt, assistant
coach) are really good coaches. It was pretty much
a tennis decision and I think it was the right one.”
HUNTINGTON — Maddie Silver’s game of
tennis might have a lot of flat moments, but that
isn’t anything like her performance to date in the
Marshall program.
Against the imposing schedule played perennially
by Coach John Mercer’s team, Silver has played
No. 2 singles with success as a rookie. And it
seems some of her run to a 10-5 record is the way
the Grand Rapids, Mich., native plays her game.
One of Silver’s three sisters, Ellen, is a senior
playing tennis for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Mercer said
the Herd’s Silver starred in juniors and “had a
good coach back home” in Mike Flowers.
“Her strength? Maddie hits the ball really flat,
and that’s a little unusual nowadays,” said Mercer,
whose team was ranked No. 62 nationally last
week. “Not so many players have that type of
game, so she can be a difficult player to face.
“Uh, pray a lot?” Mercer said with a laugh. “I
think Marshall had a lot to offer for Maddie – a
lot of her interests, the size of the school. I think
sometime a lot of kids realize that a lot of the
Power 5 schools are larger universities and some
kids realize that and understand it doesn’t fit their
situation.
So, how does the Herd get a top 50 recruit?
“There aren’t many girls who have seen that
particular style that often and I think she really
has a good mindset, too, is a good thinker on the
court. She has a pattern and can read patterns
and how she wants to respond to them based on
the shots that are given to her.
“I think she’s pretty intelligent on the court and
she has that flat ball style that is a little unique,
which works for her.”
“I think she came here on her visit and I think
she felt really comfortable with the coaches and
the players on the team, and she realized she’d
spending lot of time with us.”
Maddie Silver
Photo courtesy Marshall SID
Silver is an uncommon Herd player for another
reason. She was a top 50-ranked recruit – No. 49 by tennisrecruiting.net
– out of high school, although she never played high school tennis at East
Grand Rapids. Mercer could only recall MU getting top 50 players after they’d
Marshall already has played eight ranked teams,
and the regular-season schedule includes another
two teams currently in the Intercollegiate Tennis
Association top 75 – DePaul (39) and William and
Mary (34).
See SILVER, Page 26
22
OFFENSE
From Page 4
goes first because he was the backup last year. He
deserves the opportunity to go out on Day 1.
“But there are going to be days where Birdsong is going to be the first guy
in, days where Cole Garvin will be the first guy in, days where Chase Litton
is the first guy in, because I’m really excited with what I see from him in the
short time he’s been here.
“So, all those guys are going to be given an opportunity. The good thing
is they all have the skills to be good quarterbacks. The end of the day, the
guy who’s able to manage the chaos will be the guy who ends up being the
starter.”
But it’s not like the Herd offense only needs to find Cato’s successor.
Marshall lost six starters on that side of the ball, including center Chris
Jasperse, who started every game (53) of his college career, and star slot
receiver Tommy Shuler, whose 322 career receptions rank fourth all-time in
major-college football.
Legg said sophomore Hyleck Foster – who produced and impressed late
last season – will open spring as the No. 1 slot receiver, while senior Deandre
Reaves, a backup there last season and also one of the nation’s top kick
return men, will get an early look this spring at cornerback, Legg said.
The guy who will follow Jasperse was a “next-door neighbor” on the
offensive front last season – junior Michael Selby.
“We think we’ve got four or five guys who could physically play center,
but what we’re looking for is that leadership, that traffic cop-guy,” Legg
said. “As we sit down (as a coaching staff) and talk, of the four or five guys
who could physically play the position – Mike being one of them – we feel
like his experience as a starter (14 games), playing in a lot of games, his
understanding of blocking schemes up front, how things are ID’d … those
things would give him an advantage over the other guys when it comes to
making all of the necessary calls a center has to make in order for us to
function.”
Legg said senior running backs Devon Johnson and Remi Watson will be
limited to individual drills in spring ball as they bounce back from offseason
shoulder surgeries. That means senior Stew Butler will get plenty of No. 1
reps.
Johnson, moved from tight end as August camp began, ran for 1,767 yards
and 17 touchdowns and is the nation’s No. 3 returning rusher. With Johnson’s
production, the Herd offense found more balance. Marshall was the only FBS
team to gain more than 3,800 yards via the ground (3,807) and air (4,022).
“I’d be a liar if I sat here and said that Devon didn’t surprise me,” Legg said.
“Now, did I know Devon was a good football player? Absolutely. Did I know
Devon had a good skill set? Absolutely. Did I know Devon would be a physical
presence back there? Absolutely.
“Did I ever dream – in my wildest dreams – that Devon would go out and
gain 1,800 yards on the ground and another (121) in the air? No. Did I think
he’d be as productive as he was? No. Did I think he’d bring something to
that position that would help us win football games? Absolutely. But my first
reason for moving him and putting him back there, to be honest, was the
(pass) protection standpoint. That was the first reason.
“I knew he’d be a decent ball carrier. He played running back in high school.
We’d seen what he could do once he had the ball in his hands when playing
tight end. We know he’s got running skills and open-field skills. We know he’s
a physical kid. We know he’s got good skills as far as catching the football.
But did I think he had the vision and the feet to make the decisions and the
cuts to gain 1,800 yards? No way.
“To be honest with you, I thought he’d ram it up in there and get an ugly
4 (yards). And run over people, which he did at times. That’s different than
being in the open field, running. We’d seen him do that. The other parts?
There were two big surprises. One was how quickly he picked things up and,
two, we saw things out of him that made him not just a good answer back
there, but an outstanding answer back there.”
A receiving corps that helped Marshall near the top of a list of freshmen
receptions in FBS (by outside receivers Angelo Jean-Louis and Deon-Tay
McManus, Foster and tight end Ryan Yurachek) is ready to produce a year
after Holliday, Legg and receivers coach Mike Furrey challenged the outside
wideouts to step up.
The offensive front needs starters to replace Jasperse and left tackle Trevor
Mendelson. Legg and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal will build around Selby,
left guard Sebastian Johansson and all-conference right tackle Clint Van
Horn and open spring with sophomore Sandley Jean-Felix at left tackle and
sophomore Cody Collins in Selby’s old spot.
Legg said the challenge isn’t as position-directed this spring as it was a year
ago, when the outside receivers were on notice.
“Going into last year, we had a lot of guys coming back,” Legg said. “And
not that we don’t have a lot of guys coming back this year, but last year, we
had our main pieces coming back — Jasperse being the brains of the engine
up front and Cato also going into a fourth year as a starter. And Shuler, who
had two 100-plus (catch) seasons, back-to-back. So, you go back and look at
2013 season and say, ‘Where are we deficient?’ It was outside receiver.
“It wasn’t inside, with Gator Hoskins, an outstanding senior year at tight
end in 2013, and Shuler, an outstanding junior year. Cato had an outstanding
junior year. Chris got all of the offensive linemen in the right spot. So we
challenged the outside receivers, collectively, as a group, to force me and
force the quarterback to make them a bigger part of the offense.
“And they did … They did a good job, a very good job. Mike (Furrey) did a
great job with them and they took coaching, worked hard and began to make
plays that we thought, all along, they were capable of making.
“This year, the challenge has to go to who’s replacing Chris Jasperse, to
who’s replacing Rakeem Cato, to who’s replacing Tommy Shuler. Now, all
those other cats are going to have to be challenged to continue to improve,
not just sit back and say, ‘I did it once.’
“Hey, we need you to do it all the time, every single day from here on out.
The big challenge is who’s going to fill those shoes. That, right now, has to be
the focus this spring of where we’re going.”
23
HerdInsider.com
DEFENSE
From Page 5
once again.
we’ve got the same challenge, need a half-dozen
or so guys to develop, play better, more consistent
football. We have a chance to be a good defense
“Some kids took the challenge of becoming better players. (Steve) Dillon
and Jarquez Samuel, they became real players (at nose). They had played a
lot of football already, but they weren’t very consistent players. They took a
major step a year ago, and now they need to take another one.”
As spring begins, Dillon is sliding over to fill Rouse’s former spot at tackle,
with Samuel staying at nose. “We’ve got five guys for two sports there,”
Heater said. Massaquoi and Gary Thompson – who dealt with a posterior
cruciate ligament sprain last season – are the ends.
At linebacker, the Day 1 top names are D.J. Hunter, Huskey and Stefan
Houston. In the secondary, with Tindal getting no contact this spring, the
corners are Keith Baxter and Antavis Rowe, with Taj Letman and AJ Leggett
back at safety.
“We’ve got a few guys who need now to take that next step,” Heater said.
“Massaquoi has to keep coming on, Daniel needs to do that. Gary Thompson
needs to take a step. Samuel and Dillon took that step, now they need to
take that senior step where they’re really outstanding players.
very well. We actually responded decently in the second half, but those 30
minutes, it was not going great at all.
“We play that half like we played all year, we’re 14-0.”
Heater’s goal was to have a top 10 defense in what he considered several
critical categories. One is scoring defense, where the Herd ranked 18th, at
21.0 points per game. A 19.2 average got a team into the top 10. Marshall
missed that by 26 points – or a little more than half of the WKU first-half
total.
Elsewhere, Marshall was No. 8 in tackles for loss (7.5 per game), ranked
third in opponents’ third down conversions (30.9 percent) and was No. 9 in
yards per play (4.73), a category Heater called “really big for us.”
“To me, that an interesting statistic,” Heater said, “because among teams
that played 14 games, we played more plays on defense (1,056) than any
team in the country among the teams that played decent defense, because
our offense scored so fast.
“The only teams that played 14 (games) and had more plays than us
were Washington, Bowling Green and Arizona, and they had bad defenses.
Wisconsin had the top-ranked defense in 14 games, and played more than
200 fewer plays than us (839).
“Average per play is a true indicator of what you’re doing.”
“McKelvey was injured (a Week 5 ACL tear ended his season), so we need
him back. Baxter, Leggett … those guys need to be consistent players, along
with some guys that nobody knows about right now need to be consistent
players for us.”
Heater said he’s anxious to get a practice look at youngsters like ends
Ryan Bee (redshirted last season) and Damien Dozier and cornerback Chris
Williams-Hall.
After the C-USA title game victory over Louisiana Tech, Heater said that
one offseason day he’d sit down and look closer at the Herd defense’s
performance in the team’s lone loss – a 67-66 overtime decision to Western
Kentucky at Edwards Stadium.
“And the two transfer guys we have, Blake Keller (UCF) at Fox (rush end)
and Shawn Petty (Maryland) at linebacker, we hope they can come in and
give you something right away,” he said. “They played for good programs
before, so you’d like to think they can improve your situation right away.”
The Herd coordinator got that review of a game in which Marshall gave up
49 first-half points in its own stadium.
Heater is the Herd’s secondary coach, and he knows that the loss of a
lockdown corner like Roberts – particularly for a team that lives in man
coverage – can leave a gaping hole.
“They did a really outstanding job both in scheme and level of execution, so
hand it to them,” Heater said. “They came out that day with a really high level
of execution, how they attacked us. It was kind of like a heavyweight fighter,
you know.
“Here’s a heavyweight fighter who has beaten everybody and one day he
gets punched in the mouth by maybe somebody he didn’t think about. And
he’s got to decide how to handle it and he didn’t handle it great.
“We had our best defensive game the week before at UAB. We won that
game on defense (23-18), a tremendous effort. And you start feeling pretty
good about yourself and you go out and that other team comes out, and they
look different.
“I always say some teams, on certain Saturdays, come out with more
energy, more mindset, a better attitude and they’re not the same team you
saw on tape. Hey, that team was good, but that day, they were really good.
With all that being said, we didn’t handle getting punched in the mouth
“The corners have to show up this spring, for a lot of reasons,” Heater said.
“Tindal’s limited (in his participation) and Baxter’s got the talent; he just has
to stay healthy. Young guys like Rowe, Rodney Allen, Chris Williams-Hall …
they’re going to get plenty of reps.
“And we need more consistent play out of one safety. We were fine at one
spot, inconsistent at the other. We weren’t great at that position, and we
need to be better.
“Overall on defense, the key to our success a year ago, the key this year
is the same – guys taking another step. You can’t stay where you are at any
place. We were good and we’ve want to be good again; that’s our challenge
this year. Two years ago, we weren’t big enough or strong enough. Now, we
are.
“The good news is we have the material to work with, guys who can do
that. The challenge in coaching is to develop players.”
24
BOGACZYK
From Page 8
trying to make a name, too.
#
#
#
The Herd not only reached the 16-team Women’s Basketball Invitational
bracket as one of the last four seeds, but Coach Matt Daniel’s team then won
81-79 at top-seeded Northern Kentucky. It was the first postseason win in a
national tournament in Herd women hoops history.
Marshall played on Sunday (after this Herd Insider edition deadline) in
the quarterfinals at Mercer, and whatever the result in Macon, Ga., Daniel’s
program has had a year of achievement after back-to-back finishes of 9-21
and 11-20 in his first two seasons in kelly green.
Back in November, the Herd’s 2015 recruiting class – it includes Gatorade
West Virginia High School Player of the Year Shayna Gore of Logan – was
ranked No. 52 nationally by Blue Star Report. And while things could have
even gone even better had three-year starting point guard Norrisha Victrum
not suffered a late-season right ACL tear, Marshall had plenty of celebrate.
The Herd is finishing with a winning season and took a 17-14 mark to
Mercer. No Marshall team has won more than 17 since the 19-10 finish in
2004-05. Picked to finish 14th and last in C-USA by league coaches, the
Herd closed in ninth place. And Marshall’s WBI bid was its first postseason
trip in women’s basketball since a 1997 NCAA Tournament first-round loss at
Colorado.
#
#
#
When the UAB men’s won a NCAA Tournament opener in a 3 versus 14 seed
upset of Iowa State last Thursday, it was the first NCAA bracket win by a
Conference USA team not named “Memphis” in the 10 seasons Marshall has
been in the league.
In the 2005 tournament, the last before several teams left C-USA for what
was the Big East, Cincinnati, UAB and Louisville won their opening NCAA
games.
In the first nine years the Herd was in C-USA (Marshall joined in 200506 with SMU, UCF, Rice, Tulsa and UTEP), Memphis was 17-7 in the NCAA
Tournament (before leaving for the AAC) and the rest of the league was 0-6
(losses by UAB twice, and Houston, UTEP, Southern Miss and Tulsa).
#
#
#
Finally, it’s shaping up as a very competitive year in C-USA. Through the
2014-15 winter sports season, nine of the 14 schools have won conference
championships, including the Herd’s 2014 football title.
UAB became the ninth titlist with its men’s basketball tournament crown.
Western Kentucky leads the way with three championships, in volleyball,
men’s indoor track and field and women’s basketball.
Besides the Herd and WKU, titles have been won by North Texas (cross
country men), Middle Tennessee (cross country women), Rice (women’s
soccer), Old Dominion (men’s soccer), FIU (swimming) and UTEP (women’s
indoor track).
Meanwhile, of the five teams that don’t have a 2014-15 title, Louisiana Tech
won the West Division in football and the regular-season men’s basketball
race; Charlotte was the men’s soccer regular-season leader and UTSA shared
the regular-season volleyball title with WKU.
That leaves Florida Atlantic and Southern Miss looking for success as C-USA
holds eight spring championships – baseball, softball, men’s and women’s
golf, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field and men’s and women’s
tennis.
Herd women’s soccer adds
seven signees
From Marshall Sports Information
HUNTINGTON — Marshall women’s soccer Coach Kevin Long has
announced seven additional signees for the 2015-16 freshman class.
Courtney Andrews (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), Peyton Miller (Wellston, Ohio),
Mack Moore (West Chester, Pa.), Kylie Slusser (Powell, Ohio), Julianna Smith
(Lothian, Md.), Bri Velasquez (Cary, N.C.) and Jenna Zuzolo (Tipp City, Ohio)
will round out the Thundering Herd’s fall roster.
“These incoming players join our three already here who are doing a
fantastic job,” Long said. “Each of them is showing immediately that they are
ready to impact the Herd in 2015.”
The seven freshmen will join Jayne Lawman (Winfield, W.Va.), Ashley
Seltzer (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Shontelle Smith (Dunedin, New Zealand), who
signed and enrolled at Marshall in January and are competing in the Herd’s
spring season.
Long added three forwards in Miller, Moore and Slusser to help fill the holes
left by graduating seniors Kristine Culicerto, Myka DeMarco and Cece Scott.
Miller holds the Jackson High School girls’ soccer record for career assists
(67) and single-game assists (four). During her senior season, she led her
team to its first undefeated campaign (15-0-0) and was named the Southeast
District Player of the Year, all-league Player of the Year and first team allstate. She garnered first team all-district, all-league and Academic All-Ohio
honors while leading her team to the league and sectional championships.
Miller also received the 2014-15 Wendy’s High School Heisman award, was
secretary of her senior class and treasurer of National Honor Society.
Moore was a four-year varsity starter at Bayard Rustin High School and was
named an All-Ches-Mont first team selection in 2014. As a senior, she was
third in her league in scoring while leading her team with 12 goals, five gamewinners and seven assists. Her team won the Ches-Mont league championship
in 2014, and Moore ended her high school career as one of the program’s top
five goal scorers.
Central Ohio native Slusser helped Olentangy Liberty High School rise to a
No. 1-ranking in the state, while leading the team to conference and district
titles. The four-year letter winner was named the team’s MVP while earning
second team all-conference honors. Off the field, Slusser was involved in
Student Mentors and National Honor Society.
Julianna Smith, Velasquez and Zuzolo will join the Herd’s midfield with the
graduation of Chelsea Stalter and Berrie Aitcheson-Walker.
As a four-year varsity starter at Southern High School, Smith scored
42 goals and made 32 assists. She was a two-time First Team All-County
selection as well as team captain and most valuable player as a junior and
senior. She played on Southern’s state finalist team as a freshman, and was a
member of her school’s National Honor Society and Tri-M Honor Society.
Velasquez earned back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors at
Panther Creek High School and is a two-time second team all-conference
honoree. She earned Academic All-Conference accolades in 2012 and 2014,
and led the team to a state runner-up finish in 2013. Additionally, she was a
member of the National Society of High School Scholars.
Zuzolo is a two-year varsity letter winner from Tippecanoe High School,
where she helped lead her team to regional appearances as a sophomore and
junior. Off the field, she was a member of National Honor Society, Student
Senate, Astra Club, Octagon Club and helped with freshman orientation.
Andrews will be a utility player between the midfield and backfield, with the
void left by 2013 All-C-USA third team honoree Alyssa Cathey. She earned
four varsity letters at Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School, where she was
a three-time member of the Mid-Penn All Star second team. She was named
team captain in 2013, and was also involved in National Junior Honor Society,
French Club, Mini-THON, student council and Special Olympics.
25
HerdInsider.com
WOODRUM
From Page 9
led the Herd in steals with three, and had insider
information on NKU, from attending camps of Norse
Head Coach Dawn Plitzuweit while growing up in
Detroit. Plitzuweit hosted basketball camps as an associate head coach at the
University of Michigan and was head coach at Grand Valley State University in
Michigan.
Scott said the Herd had to work on its defense in the second half, when they
fell behind again by 10 points with 15:30 to play, at 53-43, when it seemed
there was a chance for the game to get away from a Herd team who had lost
four in a row since losing junior point guard Norrisha Victrum to an Achilles
tear in a win at FIU on Feb. 26.
“I knew we needed to just get a couple of stops, to force their game in
transition, and I felt pretty good about our transition game getting us going,”
Scott said. “I felt real comfortable in the transition game tonight, and my
teammates got me the ball when I was going. (Northern) moves the ball real
well when they don’t have the ball, and I had the idea they would be really
good three point shooters (at NKU), because back in their camps that’s all
(Coach Plitzuweit) focused on, was having us shooting the ball. She is doing a
real good job here at Northern.
“After we lost back-to-back games to Charlotte, we were real glad to hear
we might have another game, especially for our seniors, and we were excited
to get this game against Northern Kentucky and to play again on Sunday.”
Akers had a big day at point guard, with only two turnovers in 38 minutes
and 6-of-8 from three for 18 points. She had a big three to keep the Herd
from falling no further behind than 10 points at any point in the game.
“It’s been a transition for me, a lot more responsibility taking care of the
ball,” Akers said of running the point much of the time instead of shooting
guard. “But my teammates also help out, I can kick it to Leah and she’ll bring
it up sometimes.”
Daniel sometimes has to talk for Akers, a shy person by nature in the
interview room, but she is a fierce competitor on the hardwood. “(Akers) is
so excited she doesn’t know what to do. To be 6-of-8 shooting the three, and
only have two turnovers in 38 minutes. She will give the glory to God … but
he gave her a pretty big heart.”
“This group has been through a lot over the past two years, but it is really
cool to be at this place with them tonight, pretty cool to be a part of.”
Daniel also talked about what it takes to win, or not win, in the postseason.
“You take a game like this, and you have some teams who want to be here,
and there are other team who don’t. Our kids hung around, practiced for two
days, after taking a couple of days off after the conference tournament, and
were ready to play tonight. That’s a real neat thing.”
When the Herd fell back again in the game’s second half, Scott got hot
in that transition game she mentioned by scoring on four possessions in a
row, with a couple of nice defensive plays. Akers then hit another three to
push Marshall within four, then Scott and senior AJ Johnson (11 points, three
assists) then hit four baskets in a row, two each, and another Akers three put
Marshall up 72, then 75-70, a lead it would hold over the final five minutes of
play.
Johnson, a senior guard, has been in a shooting slump over the last few
games, going 1-of-16 from three over back-to-back losses to Charlotte,
including last Wednesday in the C-USA Tournament. On the night at Northern,
she was 0-for-5 until drilling about a 23-foot three with the shot clock under
five seconds and 15 seconds to go on the game clock to put the Herd back up
by four, and stay up by one when the Norse’s Kasey Uetretch hit a three with
seven seconds.
“She was struggling, but then she hit a big, big, big, big three,” Daniel said
of Johnson’s trey, her 72nd of the season and extending her Marshall record
in the win.
Uetretch had a career game with 11-of-12 shooting and 4-for-4 from three
for 26 points, but the Herd defended well down the stretch to minimize the
damage, a huge factor in hanging on for the win instead of letting mistakes
kill a chance for a win.
It might all have been for naught if not for the first half play of sophomore
Enjonae Chambers, who gave the Herd a career-high 13 points, a perfect
5-for-5 from the field and 3-for-3 from three, plus an assist and a steal.
Chambers, who didn’t play in any of the 10 games between the game with
Brescia on Dec. 22 until the Feb. 5 game at Rice, was averaging 2.1 points
per game and 6.6 minutes.
In the first half, Chambers entered the game with the Herd tied 14-14 in
the first half, and gave the Herd its first lead with 13:12 left on her first three
of the game — and only the eight three of the year and 11th of her two-year
career. She came back into the game with just under five minutes to play,
and immediately hit her second three to cut the largest Herd deficit of the
first half, 34-26, to a five point lead. But NKU then got out to a 10-point
lead with 2:40 left, and Chambers was again to the rescue.
The Herd forced a turnover and Chambers turned it into a 3-for-3 from
three half with another with 1:19 left to cut the lead to five off a Northern
turnover. When Uetretch answered with a three at the :36 second mark,
and then an offensive foul was called on Kiana Evans with 10 seconds left, it
looked like Marshall might go in down 10 or even 11 points at half.
But Chambers picked the pocket of the Norse on the far end, drove the ball
down the court and hit a 10-foot runner, with the ball leaving her hand just
before the light went off and gave the Herd a six point lead to deal with at
43-37. She finished the night with 17 minutes played — after only playing
as many as 17 minutes in only one game the whole season — and a career
shooting and scoring night.
How big was that bucket? Well, the Herd did win by two, and Daniel said it
was a huge emotional swing for his team.
“They shot the three, pretty well, but we got it done, and Chambers and the
rest of our bench gave us great minutes tonight,” Daniel said. “Chambers not
only was perfect shooting-wise, but a steal and a big assist for us. That’s how
you win in the postseason. Everyone contributes.”
The nice thing for Daniel is the growth he saw in his team, the reason he
wanted to pursue this opportunity. For that, he needed his players to want it,
the athletic staff to allow them to play and then needed the fans who cheered
for the Herd.
He even did something he seldom does as a man-to-man type coach.
“We went zone, against a team that shoots the three, instead of chasing
them around you know where they were, and kids did a good job with short
scout and a short bench, and when we made mistakes, and we did, we didn’t
let our mistakes kill us,” Daniel said. “We are starting to figure out, we can be
competitive and we may lay an egg on Sunday, but I think we can compete.”
26
Marshall Athletics schedules, 2014-15
BASEBALL
DateOpponentSiteTime
Feb. 13
at Florida A&M
Tallahassee, Fla.
L, 4-3
Feb. 14
at Florida A&M
Tallahassee, Fla.
W, 24-2
Feb. 15
at Florida A&M
Tallahassee, Fla.
W, 10-9
Feb. 20
Alabama A&M
Starkville, Miss.
L, 8-3
Feb. 20
at Mississippi State
Starkville, Miss.
L, 6-2
Feb. 22
Alabama A&M
Starkville, Miss.
L, 8-1
Feb. 22
at Mississippi State
Starkville, Miss.
L, 7-4
Feb. 27
Towson
Winston-Salem, N.C. W, 2-1
Feb. 28
Towson
Winston-Salem, N.C. W, 7-6
Feb. 28
at Wake Forest
Winston-Salem, N.C. L, 6-5
March 1
at Wake Forest
Winston-Salem, N.C. L, 8-3
March 7
George Mason
Thomasville, N.C.
W, 5-4 (13)
March 8
George Mason (DH)
Thomasville, N.C.
S, 4-6, 9-6
March 13
UTSABeckleyL, 2-0
March 14
UTSABeckleyL, 10-5
March 15
UTSABeckleyL, 16-8
March 17
at Eastern Kentucky
Richmond, Ky.
L, 8-4
March 18
Morehead State
Huntington
L, 7-1
March 20
at UAB
Birmingham, Ala.
L, 5-2
March 21
at UAB (DH)
Birmingham, Ala.
S, 7-6, 1-2
March 25
at Ohio
Athens, Ohio
6 p.m.
March 27
FIUCharleston6 p.m.
March 28
FIUCharleston4 p.m.
March 29
FIUCharleston1 p.m.
April 1
at Miami (Ohio)
Oxford, Ohio
6 p.m.
April 3
at Florida Atlantic
Boca Raton, Fla.
6:30 p.m.
April 4
at Florida Atlantic
Boca Raton, Fla.
4 p.m.
April 5
at Florida Atlantic
Boca Raton, Fla.
1 p.m.
April 7
Miami (Ohio)
Huntington
3 p.m.
April 8
OhioHuntington3 p.m.
April 10
Charlotte
Beckley
6 p.m.
April 11
Charlotte
Beckley
4 p.m.
April 12
Charlotte
Beckley
1 p.m.
April 14
at Akron
Akron, Ohio
3 p.m.
April 17
at Old Dominion
Norfolk, Va.
6 p.m.
April 18
at Old Dominion
Norfolk, Va.
3 p.m.
April 19
at Old Dominion
Norfolk, Va.
1 p.m.
April 21
at West Virginia
Morgantown
6 p.m.
April 24
Middle Tennessee
Charleston
1 p.m.
April 25
Middle Tennessee
Charleston
7 p.m.
April 26
Middle Tennessee
Charleston
10 a.m.
April 28
West Virginia
Charleston
6 p.m.
May 1
at Southern Miss
Hattiesburg, Miss.
7 p.m.
May 2
at Southern Miss
Hattiesburg, Miss.
3 p.m.
May 3
May 8
May 9
May 10
May 12
May 14
May 15
May 16
May 20-24
at Southern Miss
Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky
at Louisiana Tech
at Louisiana Tech
at Louisiana Tech
C-USA Tournament
Hattiesburg, Miss.
Charleston
Charleston
Charleston
Huntington
Ruston, La.
Ruston, La.
Ruston, La.
Hattiesburg, Miss.
Noon
1 p.m.
1 p.m.
10 a.m.
3 p.m.
7 p.m.
4 p.m.
2 p.m.
—
MEN’S GOLF
Spring 2015
DateTournamentSite/Finish
March 2-3
Davidson (N.C.) Invitational
6th of 12 teams
March 13-15 Pinehurst Intercollegiate
2nd of 11 teams
March 22
Blue Devil Shootout
Durham, N.C.
March 27-29 Furman Intercollegiate
Greenville, S.C.
April 3-5
Red Wolves Intercollegiate
Jonesboro, Ark.
April 13-14 Greenbrier Intercollegiate
Old White TPC
April 26-29 Conference USA Championship
Texarkana, Ark.
WOMEN’S GOLF
Spring 2015
DateTournamentSite/Finish
March 1-3 Kiawah Island Classic 13th of 40 teams
March 13-15 3M Jaguar Intercollegiate 11th of 13 teams
March 31-April 1 Middleburg Bank Intercollegiate Williamsburg, Va.
April 11-12 River Landing Classic Wallace, N.C.
April 20-22 Conference USA Championship Fort Myers, Fla.
SOFTBALL
DateOpponentSiteTimes TBA
Charleston Challenge
Feb. 6
Army
Charleston, S.C.
W, 10-4
Feb. 6
at College of Charleston Charleston, S.C.
W, 3-1
Feb. 7
Bethune-Cookman
Charleston, S.C.
W, 2-1
Feb. 7
UMass-Lowell
Charleston, S.C.
W, 3-0
Feb. 8
UNC Greensboro
Charleston, S.C.
W, 8-0
—
Pirate Snow Classic
Feb. 12
at East Carolina
Greenville, N.C.
W, 5-4
Feb. 13
Towson
Greenville, N.C.
L, 3-1
Feb. 14
Bucknell
Greenville, N.C.
W, 11-3
Feb. 14
East Tennessee State Greenville, N.C.
W, 3-0
See SCHEDULES, Page 27
27
HerdInsider.com
SCHEDULES
From Page 26
—
USF Tournament
Feb. 20
Dartmouth
Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 20
at USF
Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 21
Auburn
Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 21
USF
Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 22
Dartmouth
Tampa, Fla.
—
Gamecock Invitational
Feb. 27
Tennessee State
Columbia, S.C.
Feb. 28
Charleston Southern Columbia, S.C.
Feb. 28
at South Carolina
Columbia, S.C.
March 1
South Alabama
Columbia, S.C.
—
March 7
at FIU (DH)
Miami
March 8
at FIU Miami
March 14
Western Kentucky Dot Hicks Field
March 15
Western Kentucky (DH) Dot Hicks Field
March 19
Ohio
Dot Hicks Field
March 21
at Charlotte (DH)
Charlotte, N.C.
March 22
at Charlotte
Charlotte, N.C.
March 26
Northern Kentucky (DH) Dot Hicks Field
March 28
at Furman (DH)
Greenville, S.C.
March 29
at Furman
Greenville, S.C.
March 31
Wright State (DH) Dot Hicks Field
April 3
North Texas (DH)
Dot Hicks Field
April 4
North Texas
Dot Hicks Field
April 8
at Kentucky
Lexington, Ky.
April 11
at Middle Tennessee (DH) Murfreesboro, Tenn.
April 12
at Middle Tennessee Murfreesboro, Tenn.
April 18
Florida Atlantic (DH)Dot Hicks Field
April 19
Florida Atlantic
Dot Hicks Field
April 25
at UTEP (DH)
El Paso, Texas
April 26
at UTEP
El Paso, Texas
April 28
Liberty (DH)
Dot Hicks Field
May 2
UAB (DH)
Dot Hicks Field
May 3
UAB
Dot Hicks Field
May 7-9
C-USA Tournament Miami
W, 9-0
W, 6-4
L, 5-4
L, 18-5
W, 1-0
W, 9-1
W, 6-1
L, 2-0
L, 5-3
W, 13-5, 13-3
L, 9-1
W, 2-0 (10)
L, 3-2, 9-5
W, 18-3
S, 0-4, 7-2
Noon
2 p.m.
1 p.m.
Noon
2 p.m.
1 p.m.
Noon
6 p.m.
3 p.m.
1 p.m.
1 p.m.
Noon
4 p.m.
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
1 p.m.
3 p.m.
—
TENNIS
Spring 2015
DateOpponentSiteTime
Jan. 17
College of Charleston Huntington TC
W, 6-1
ITA Kickoff Weekend
Jan. 24
at UCLA
Los Angeles
L, 4-0
Jan. 25
—
Feb. 7
Feb. 7
Feb. 13
Feb. 15
Feb. 21
Feb. 22
Feb. 28
March 2
March 6
March 8
March 13
March 15
March 18
March 22
March 28
March 29
April 3
April 5
April 10
April 11
April 15-19
Cal-Irvine
Los Angeles
Morehead State
Huntington TC
Eastern Kentucky
Huntington TC
Louisville
Huntington TC
Minnesota
Huntington TC
at Liberty
Lynchburg, Va.
at Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Va.
Penn State
Huntington TC
Utah
Huntington TC
at Cincinnati
Cincinnati
at West Virginia
Morgantown
Miami (Ohio)
Huntington TC
Winthrop
Huntington TC
at Rice
Houston
at Houston
Houston
at FIU
Miami
at Florida Atlantic
Boca Raton, Fla.
DePaul
Fox TC (campus)
William & Mary
Fox TC (campus)
at Old Dominion
Norfolk, Va.
at Virginia Commonwealth Richmond, Va.
C-USA Tournament Houston
L, 4-1
W, 7-1
W, 6-1
W, 5-2
W, 4-3
W, 5-2
L, 6-1
W, 4-3
L, 4-3
W, 5-2
W, 5-2
W, 4-3
W, 7-0
L, 5-2
11 a.m.
Noon
2 p.m.
3 p.m.
Noon
1 p.m.
11 a.m.
TRACK AND FIELD
Indoor
DateMeetSiteFinish
Dec. 4
Ohio Duals Jeff Small Track
W, 70-49
Jan. 17
Kentucky Invitational Lexington, Ky.
No Team Scores
Jan. 30-31 Thundering Herd Inv. Jeff Small Track
5th of 12
Feb. 6-7
Akron Invitational
Akron, Ohio
No Team Scores
Feb. 13-14 Marshall InvitationalJeff Small Track
1st of 8
Feb. 20
Buckeye Tune-Up
Columbus, Ohio
8th of 24
Feb. 25-26 C-USA Championships Birmingham, Ala.
11th of 13
Outdoor
DateMeetSiteFinish
March 19-20 USF Bulls Invitational Tampa, Fla.
No team scores
March 27-28 Raleigh Relays
Raleigh, N.C.
April 4
Cherry Blossom Inv. Athens, Ohio
April 11
WKU Hilltopper Relays Bowling Green, Ky.
April 17-18 Virginia Challenge
Charlottesville, Va.
April 18
JMU Quad
Harrisonburg, Va.
April 23-25 Penn Relays
Philadelphia
May 2
Kentucky Relays
Lexington, Ky.
May 14-17 C-USA Championships El Paso, Texas
May 28-30 NCAA Outdoor Prelims Jacksonville, Fla.
June 10-13 NCAA Outdoor Champ. Eugene, Ore.
28
SCOUTS
From Page 10
shows that hard work
matters.
“I’ve been working out at Charlie Petrone
Training, in Knoxville, Tenn. He’s a guy who (Herd
legend and Knoxville native) Chad Pennington
worked out with from high school on and he gave
a lot of credit to Charlie. Chad thought it would be
a good fit for me. Chad has been there, done that.
Broad jump 9-0
Vertical jump29-0
Pro bench (225-pound reps)
Broad jump 9-7
26
38
QB Rakeem Cato
40 yards4.71 WR Tommy Shuler
Vertical jump34-0
40 yards4.72 “So, I tried it out and I did great and I’m really
happy with how it turned out today. I think I did
pretty well in the position work, all the drills. I was
happy how it went. It was about just keep doing
my thing, keep playing football.”
Broad jump 9-5
Vertical jump29-6
Broad jump 9-0
Jasperse said he was “a little bummed” about
not receiving an NFL Combine chance, but said
everybody in the NFL that needs to know the
numbers and reports from Wednesday’s session
will get that.
40 yards4.78
LB Raheem Waiters
Vertical jump30-6
40 yards4.50 Broad jump 9-6
Vertical jump32-6
Broad jump10-1
“They were doing all the same testing; all the
same drills I did here, that’s what they did at the
Combine,” Jasperse said. “For me, it’s bigger to go
to the Senior Bowl, because it’s actually playing
football, and that’s the stuff that matters.
—
12
TE Eric Frohnapfel
16
17
LB Neville Hewitt
40 yards4.64 WR Craig Wilkins
“I was really pleased to play in the Senior Bowl.
I wasn’t really upset, but I was a little bummed I
wasn’t invited to the Combine but what was most
important was to get ready for this big day. And
so I did.”
Vertical jump37-0
40 yards4.89 Broad jump 9-11
Vertical jump32-6
Broad jump 10-2
Now, it’s a seven weeks wait until the April 30May 2 NFL Draft, and then the flurry of rookie free
agent signing and rookie camp opportunities that
follow.
LB Jermaine Holmes
“I hope I’ll get an opportunity,” Roberts said.
“It’s just so much repetition, it’s second nature out
there. Just try to be smooth, be efficient. There
have been so many reps coming up to this day
and training so much for this day that once I got
here, everything just went out the window.
Broad jump 9-5
“I wasn’t nervous, I just wanted to compete
and show them what I was made of. I probably
could have been better. There’s always room for
improvement, but I felt I had a pretty decent day
today.”
There were plenty of smiles, including those by
Holliday.
“First of all having the opportunity to have our
Pro Day in here in our indoor facility, our kids get
the chance to show what they can do without
weather being a factor,” Holliday said. “A lot of our
guys have done a tremendous job.
“Guys had the opportunity to showcase what
they can do. And at end of the day they’re going
to look at us here at Marshall and say they’ve
got some pretty good players out here running
around. And that’s what you want.”
A look at some of the Herd numbers from Pro
Day
—
40 yards4.82 Vertical jump36-6
22
C Chris Jasperse
Broad jump 8-5
25
DE Ra’Shawde Myers
Broad jump 9-5
21
CB Darryl Roberts
Broad jump11-4
23
DE Arnold Blackmon
40 yards4.94 DT James Rouse
Vertical jump33-0
40 yards4.89 9
29
HerdInsider.com
COOPER
From Page 12
Cooper also said she hasn’t had an issue not being
on the defensive side of the game when she is the
DH.
“Back in my sophomore year or even last year, I might have said that it was
harder to focus,” she said, “But this year, I’m so into my at-bats. I don’t care
if I’m playing or not playing in the field, I’m still going to be cheering on my
team and I’m still going to zone in on whatever pitch.
“And then it’s my senior year, just knowing that it’s almost over and I want
to go out with a bang and help get our team to whatever the best we can be.
It’s hard being a senior and knowing that you’re almost done, but you want to
give it your all.
“I felt last year I gave it my all, but it wasn’t there for me, I wasn’t batting
like I wanted, and learning a new position (second base) maybe was part of
it, but being a starter for the first time, I didn’t succeed like I wanted to. This
year, I’m zoning in a lot.”
Cooper said she will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in health
science. She was a nursing major, but “couldn’t finish a nursing degree
and play softball, so I plan on getting a job, then going back to school and
finishing my nursing, hopefully get hired by a hospital somewhere. I figure I’ll
go back home and live with my parents, finish my nursing degree and pay off
some school loans.”
For Cooper, it’s more that kind of drive than the one she had over “The Dot”
fence against WKU that has made a difference.
“Just about all of it,” Cooper answered when asked how much of her game
is rooted in confidence and maturity. “Obviously, if you have more talent,
you’re going to play. You can’t hide talent; you’re still going to play.
“But if you have someone who has all of the talent in the world and no
mental game, they just tear themselves down. What are you doing for the
team? This game is a game of failure. You fail more often than succeed. You
have to have a strong mental game to keep pushing to succeed.”
Herd baseball to air
on 94.1 FM, AM 930
Herd Insider report
HUNTINGTON — ESPN 94.1 FM and AM 930, from the Kindred
Communications family of radio stations, will air 10 live Marshall baseball
broadcasts this spring.
The broadcasts, via the Thundering Herd/IMG Sports Network, will begin
Friday with a 6 p.m. date
against FIU.
Veteran Herd Network
broadcasters Steve Cotton
and Woody Woodrum will
call the games, which are
scheduled at Appalachian
Power Park in Charleston.
The broadcast schedule
includes three-game
Conference USA series
against FIU, Middle
Tennessee and Western
Kentucky, plus an April 28
game against West Virginia.
The WVU game closes a stretch of four broadcasts in five days.
The 2015 Herd baseball broadcast schedule:
FIU at Marshall – March 27 (6 p.m.), 28 (4 p.m.), 29 (1 p.m.); Middle
Tennessee at Marshall – April 24 (1 p.m.), 25 (7 p.m.), 26 (10 a.m.); WVU at
Marshall – April 28 (6 p.m.); Western Kentucky at Marshall – May 8 (1 p.m.),
9 (1 p.m.), 10 (10 a.m.).
30
SILVER
From Page 17
That kind of challenge also helped Marshall land a
player like Silver.
“At first I did think it would be tough, but I just
realized I had to manage my time well, and I think I’ve succeeded in that so
far,” Silver said. “If I’m stressed about school or something else, you can’t
take it out on the court. It will hurt your game.
“When you’re out there you have to forget about school, and focus on your
game. I’m happy the way I’ve played so far this season. I mean, there’s
always room for improvement … Where I need to improve is coming in on my
volleys and finishing off the point, as opposed to staying on the baseline. The
No. 1 thing is to finish off the point faster than what I have been, by coming
up to the net.”
Silver smiled when asked about her flat ball.
“When I first stepped onto the court, it just happened,” she said. “I always
hit the ball extremely flat, and I do hit some spin, but, yeah, my ball is very
flat and it’s something I’ve always done. It has always been an advantage.
“People have a hard time with it and I hit it low, too. Usually, girls hit with a
lot of topspin on this level and a flat ball can throw them off … It’s all where I
pick up the ball with my racket. I can hit a ball with really a lot of topspin but
it’s not my style, not my game.’
After playing in tournament-style competition in the fall, Silver’s early
introduction to dual-match play was an eye opener. In its second outing of
the spring season, Marshall went to top-ranked UCLA for the ITA Kickoff
Weekend.
Silver’s challenge was the Bruins’ Chanelle Van Nguyen, then the No.
3-ranked college singles player. Silver fell, 6-0, 6-0.
“Playing UCLA, that was very exciting,” Silver said. “I knew I had nothing
to lose, so I just went out there with a bang and had fun, enjoying the
experience. Even though our results weren’t good, it was a very good
experience for me.”
Another new experience for silver is playing collegiate doubles, where she
has teamed with sophomore Rachael Morales of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, for
an 10-5 mark – with four of the five losses coming against teams that are
nationally ranked (UCLA, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Rice).
“In juniors, I didn’t play much doubles,” Silver said. “And college doubles
is completely different. It’s different because you have to be so much more
knowledgeable, like reading the court, certain tactics you have to do.
“Rachael and I do well together, a good team. I think we do well because
she finishes, and I have ground strokes that can set her up to finish.”
Silver said the biggest change for her is the physical nature of Division I
tennis, the weight room responsibilities and “a lot of running … It’s all helped.
I can tell I’m stronger, and I’m faster on the court, too.”
Mercer said he wasn’t worried about playing a freshman at No. 2 singles,
and Silver has handled the challenge.
“Her last year, after Maddie signed with us, she really kind of took off in her
play, really started winning lot of matches, made a lot of improvements,” the
veteran Herd coach said. “She started beating people who were headed to
Big Ten schools and beating them consistently.
“I think she maybe kind of relaxed, worked hard, and her coach at home
(Flowers) did a good job with her. She felt confident in her decision to come
here, and we were hoping when she came here that improvement would
continue, and it has.
“She’s playing how she’s capable of playing and that doesn’t always happen
in your freshman year. It can be a tough transition, with such a major change
in their lives, going off to school. You usually have some ups and downs, but
she seems to have weathered all of that, not only maintained her level of
play, but she has improved.”
There’s nothing flat about Silver’s game, except those returns.
“I just want to play well and have good results,” Silver said when asked
about finishing her rookie season. “It’s been good so far.”
HerdInsider.com
31
32

We hope you enjoy this edition of the Herd Insider!

Transcription

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