2010 CAA FOOTBALL SPRING BLOG - MAY 21
CAASports.com will follow the current spring action which leads up the to the CAA Football season in 2010. Various student-athletes, coaches and conference personnel will be contributing to the fourth-straight year of CAASports.com's Spring Football coverage throughout the offseason. Log on each Wednesday and Thursday beginning March 24-25 to get a behind-the-scenes look at what CAA Football student-athletes are doing leading up to and during their spring practice seasons. You can also follow CAA Football on Twitter: http://twitter.com/The_CAAFootball.
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May 21
CAA Football Blogger
The Blogger is back...gotta lot to fill you in on from around CAA Football so lets get started. I think we are going to be selfish at first and talk about all our league-specific news then let you in on the information from around the league.
We finalized the 2010 CAA Football television package late last week and several of our schools have released their tv times as well as home game times. Be sure checkout how many times your favorite team will be on television. Also keep checking back as more game times will be posted as we learn then. More television coverage is possible as we get closer to the season itself. The league won't release a full television schedule until Media Day, July 28, because several of our non-conference games have the possibility of getting picked up. We definitely have to thank our Comcast television partners for the hardwork and effort they put in to producing these games and helping us extend the CAA Football brand.
Thursday marked the release of our fully-interactive 2010 CAA Football Preview. Like last season, we posted our preview publication online with hyperactive links inside the PDF files. This season we linked even more information to give media and fans all sorts of access to nearly everything in the book. Clicking on the PDF page headers will help you download the raw text in the book. Clicking on the photos or logos anywhere on the PDF files will open that specific image which can be downloaded and used anywhere. Be sure to visit the preview site so you are prepped for the 2010 preseason! We also plan to involve the Preview in our next CAA Football Trivia contest on Twitter come next week.
Last Thursday the NCAA recognized some special efforts in the classroom from our league when it announced APR special recognitions. Proof that the league is not only one of the best on the field, but three of our five publicly recognized teams took part in the 2009 NCAA Division I National Championships. Villanova, the 2009 National Champion, was one of two National Championship teams to be recognized. Congrats to Maine, Northeastern, Richmond, Villanova and William and Mary.
Two of our league's stadiums continue to undergo rebuilding of sorts. James Madison demolished its west stands and are re-constructing them. Richmond has rebuilt an existing on-campus stadium and will be moving in this fall. Click on the respective links above to see the progress of each project via web-cams and photo galleries!
News from the defending National Champion Villanova Wildcats include Angelo Babbaro and Matt Szczur. Babbaro was recently named the Villanova Senior Student-Athlete of the Year. Babbaro will be back in 2010 competing in his fourth-year of eligibility. Szczur, the league reigning Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Year, was mentioned on SI.com for his donation of peripheral blood stem cells to a one-year-old leukemia patient.
Delaware's Charles Graves, a First Team All-CAA Football safety in 2009, was awarded the UD Football MVP Award earlier this week. The Blue Hens also held their Annual Alumni Golf Outing in early May...click here for all sorts of pictures from the event.
Towson football continues to insert itself into the Towson/Baltimore community, most recently taking part in the 79th Annual Johns Hopkins Turtle Derby. A handful of football student-athletes escorted Children's Hospital patients to the derby and helped serve lunch to the patients in conjunction with the event.
The Spring Football version of the Mickey Matthews Show is now available on-demand at JMUSports.com and below. Coach Matthews breaks down the spring season for the Dukes with host Curt Dudley in the free episode. The spring show also features an interview with recently-drafted Arthur Moats. Check it out below.
Lots of news out of UMass...Former Minuteman Milt Morin was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame. Morin was a three-time All-Yankee Conference end from 1963-65. The Minutemen and New Hampshire also recently announced their conference match-up Oct. 23 will be played at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, in Foxboro, Mass. That same game is set to be televised as part of the league's TV package on Comcast SportsNet New England. Massachusetts also just posted a video recently-drafted Vlad Ducasse at a New York Jets minicamp...check that footage out below.
CAA Football Trivia will be back next week. Be sure to pay attention to Twitter Monday & Tuesday for more details on your chance to win a CAA Football Prize Pack. It will likely involve something from this blog...HINT, HINT!
Thanks for the questions on Twitter, and please keep them coming. Keep checking back here as we move throughout the summer months for more CAA Football information leading up to the 2010 season.
2010 CAA Football...You Better Be Ready!!!
May 12
CAA Football Blogger
We are back on the blog front with some news on CAA Football since our last post a week ago. Plans are in the works to keep this blog going throughout the 2010 season. One change will be the location...chances are good we will be moving it off the CAASports.com site and into a more remote location. We still plan on featuring all sorts of league news and will have our own take on a few things. Stay posted to this current blog for more updates and news on the blog switch/move!
New Hampshire wrapped up the CAA Football spring season last weekend with its Spring Game. Despite some less-than-ideal weather the Wildcats seemed to show why they are one of the 2010 favorites in the league. Click here to read the full recap from CAASports.com. Another note came out of the New Hampshire spring game -- a quarterback battle between last year's CAA Football Preseason Offensive Player of the Year R.J. Toman & junior Kevin Decker...we can't speculate on whether or not this is really true, but we will throw it out there. It certainly is a good place to be in for Head Coach Sean McDonnell.
Craig Haley of the Sports Network has been filling up TSN's website will tons of content lately. One of his most recent pieces was previewing some of the top quarterbacks at the FCS level for 2010. Second-guessing will always occur as I am sure Haley will welcome, but CAA Football isn't going to complain about who he picked. Of the 10 QB's he lists as his Top-10, four hail from CAA Football! Click on this link to read the entire piece. Haley is also on Twitter so be sure to follow him.
Richmond's Robins Stadium is well on its way to being ready for the opening weekend of 2010. One major part of the on-campus stadium rebuilding was to preserve a tree that has been part of the Spider campus for ages. Richmond Times-Dispatch writer John O'Connor featured the tree in an article earlier this week and touched on the lengths at which the tree has been spared amongst all of the construction.
Jim Ducibella of wm.edu penned a tremendous article earlier this week highlighting the accomplishments of William and Mary's student-athletes both on and off the field. It relates to CAA Football by including 2009 CAA Football First Team safety David Caldwell, who was recently signed as a free agent by the Indianapolis Colts. We also included a great video feature from the online article below.
Free agent transactions continue to trickle in from various NFL franchises. Richmond's Eric Ward just signed a deal with the Atlanta Falcons...Ward is from the greater Atlanta area. We check the NFL transaction wire frequently to see if our alums are listed and so should you.
We are frantically compiling information for our 2010 CAA Football Preview. Here is a sneak peek at two of the first few pages in the book which will be an interactive-online published piece this offeseason. Keep checking back to this blog and CAASports.com in the coming weeks as we hope to have it ready to go live soon.
Thanks for the questions on Twitter, and please keep them coming. Keep checking back here as we move throughout the summer months for more CAA Football information leading up to the 2010 season.
2010 CAA Football...You Better Be Ready!!!
May 5
CAA Football Blogger
It has almost been a week since our last post and there have been several noteworthy topics to blog about.
In case you missed it Massachusetts and Towson both held Spring Games last weekend. New Hampshire is the last CAA Football team in 2010 to hold a Spring Game, and the Wildcats are set to kickoff this Saturday.
Speaking of New Hampshire, more news on the Scott Sicko free agency drama. Dave Crome at KDAF-TV in Dallas produced a great piece on the Undrafted Free Agent during his first day at Rookie Camp and used some CAA Football Television footage. Check his article out and be sure to watch the video below.
CAA Football and some of its current and former student-athletes have been in the news. James Madison's Charlie Newman (Sr.; TE; Harrisonburg, Va.; Turner Ashby) and Maine's Eric Lee (Sr.; DL; Changewater, N.J.; Warren Hills) were recently named as 2010 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society Members. Jon Wagner of Football Reporters Online wrote a great article on CAA Football and the 2010 NFL Draft. The piece highlights the league's five draft picks and points out our numerous free agent signings as well. Craig Haley of the Sports Network has been writing some great off-season articles. One of his most recent pieces involved the possibility of what he called break-through teams...first on his list was William and Mary.
The reigning CAA Football Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Year Matt Szczur is in the midst of one of the greatest things a person can do...save another person's life. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported the Villanova RB/WR underwent a procedure Tuesday (May 4) to donate bone marrow to a 1-year old girl who is suffering leukemia, according sources. Details of the procedure can't be released due to confidentiality standards, but Szczur is scheduled to address the media Thursday (May 6).
Since we are here in Richmond, we thought we would make sure some of the locals know about some of our CAA Football alums still playing locally. The Richmond Raiders will take on the Fayetteville Guard this Saturday, May 8 (7 p.m.), at the Richmond Coliseum. Local CAA Football/Atlantic 10/Yankee Conference fans might remember the names Jerret Brown (LB, William and Mary, 2004), Mike Jenkins (QB, James Madison, 2001-04) and Will Patrick (DL, James Madison, 2003-06), all of which are part of the Raiders' roster. Saturday's game is being dubbed Faith & Family Night. For more details visit the Raiders' website. Go Raiders!
Here is a "CHECK THIS ONE OUT" video from UMass and YouTube (be sure to subscribe to Massachusetts YouTube Channel). As you previously read, UMass held its Spring Game last weekend. Returning All-America linebacker Tyler Holmes puts a monster hit on QB Octavious Hawkins after a throw-back pass! CHECK THIS ONE OUT!!!
Thanks for the questions on Twitter, and please keep them coming. Keep checking back here as we move throughout the summer months for more CAA Football information leading up to the 2010 season.
2010 CAA Football...You Better Be Ready!!!
April 29
CAA Football Blogger
A few notes and some news to pass along this Thursday...A big congrats to our winners in the first-ever CAA Football Trivia contest on Twitter...@danefan, @WM_VA_Josh were our first two to respond with the correct answer. @Mr_MB then chimed in moments later...being the nice people we are here at CAA Football, we decided to award them a CAA Football Gear prize pack also!
We do want to point out that due to some conflicting information (thanks to @) that the real answers to our trivia questions were somewhat wrong. Our contest asked who are the two CAA Football athletes to sign Un-Drafted Free Agent contracts with the Denver Broncos...Maine's Landis Williams was the correct answer. It was our belief that JMU's Rockeed McCarter had signed a contract, but in reality he was only invited to the Broncos mini-camp this weekend. We apologize, and promise to do a better job of researching those answers in our upcoming trivia contests.
Maine, Massachusetts and Towson will all wrap up spring drills this weekend. Checkout each schools previews for those spring games below. Maine will be taking donations for "Airing It Out For Ashley" during its game...the Black Bears will also be hosting "Coffee with Coach Cosgrove" before Saturday's scrimmage. Towson has a number of fan-friendly activities planned prior to and during its game Saturday. UMass will play its Spring Game Friday night, April 30, and host "Spring Fling" around the event. Tailgating begins at 4 p.m., with several promotions and giveaways on tap. You can also checkout Massachusetts' Spring Game Preview video below.
News from around the league trickled in the last couple days. James Madison named its quarterback for the 2010 season, following the conclusion of the Dukes' 2010 spring season. After entering the 2009 season with a "tandem" approach using Drew Dudzik and Justin Thorpe, head coach Mickey Matthews announced JMU will go with Dudzik at QB when it hosts Morehead State in the opener Sept. 4.
The 2009 CAA Football Offensive Player of the Year, Villanova's Matt Szczur is a two-sport athlete for the Wildcats. Szczur has served as the baseball team's starting rightfielder for most of the 2010 spring season, and recently became the 16th player this season in NCAA Division I Baseball to hit for the cycle. The accomplished running back/wide receiver threat during the fall, finished the 17-10 win at Temple this past Tuesday going 5-for-5 with four runs and a career-high five RBI. We are all keeping an eye on the Major League Baseball Draft projections as Szczur's name continues to be among those mentioned as a high pick.
Thanks for the questions on Twitter, and please keep them coming. Check back throughout the remainder of the spring season for more student-athlete updates also.
2010 CAA Football...You Better Be Ready!!!
Matt Rae - Rhode Island
Defensive Line
Hello everyone, this will be the last post this spring
considering our annual blue vs. white game was held this past Weekend. Saturday was a great day for the URI football
program. Both sides of the ball came out
to prove a point. The blue team ended up
with the final victory, but the white team was not very far behind. The atmosphere was extremely competitive,
which led to extremely hard hits and explosive plays.
Our team ran our running test today to determine how much
work each individual has to do during this summer. Our strength and conditioning is at its peak
right now and I'm sure that we will only continue to improve throughout this
upcoming summer break.
Everyone here is very excited for August to come and for us
to show the progress we have made during this offseason. Come support us at our opener at Buffalo on
September 2nd.
Go Rhody!!!
#97 Matt Rae
April 27
CAA Football Blogger
Back from a day at home under the weather...full of ideas and also lots of CAA Football news to recap!
One big idea we had while laying back on the couch yesterday...why not try a contest/giveaway? Here is what we will do...you have to follow us on Twitter! Sorry, but it is easy just go to our twitter page: The_CAAFootball, and follow the directions on how to "follow" if you are new to Twitter. Wednesday we will tweet a trivia question...probably will be tied to info in this blog post and info on a release we posted to the site over the weekend. Be one of the first two to reply to us on Twitter and you will win a CAA Football merchandise prize pack which includes adidas and Champion brand gear.
A few housekeeping news and notes that came through over the weekend. Both Delaware and New Hampshire will be holding Bone Marrow Donor Registration drives. Click on the schools' names above to learn specific details. You can also click on this link to learn more about the Marrow Donor Program -- Get In The Game!
Towson will play its Spring Game this weekend, Saturday to be exact...click here for more info on the game and all of the tailgaiting festivities prior to kickoff. This past Friday the entire Towson football team took part in "The Big Event" and helped beautify parts of Baltimore Country as well as Towson. Take a look at how the Tigers helped in their community.
Both Delaware and Rhode Island wrapped up spring drills this weekend...if you haven't already be sure to read up on each program's game here.
To the big news...be sure to pay attention if you are in the market for some sweet CAA Football gear from adidas and Champion! The National Football League held its 75th Annual Draft over the weekend and a record-tying five CAA Football athletes were taken in the 7-round event...back in 1999 the league saw five NFL picks. Really the league has had as many as seven athletes chosen in one offseason, but three of those selections were by the AFL (1966).
UMass' Vlad Ducasse was the first CAA Football player taken and the first FCS level player taken when the New York Jets and UMass alum Mike Tannenbaum took him in the second round. Four more CAA Football athletes went in day three of the draft...rounds 4-7. James Madison's Arthur Moats was taken by the Buffalo Bills (sixth round), William and Mary's Adrian Tracy went to the New York Giants (sixth round), James Madison's Scotty McGee was picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars (sixth round) and the Dallas Cowboys took William and Mary's Sean Lissemore (seventh round).
Loads of NFL Free Agent signings have happened since the end of the Saturday's seventh round. Be sure to checkout the bottom of this release to see where some of the non-drafted CAA Football athletes are headed for rookie mini-camp. On a side note: We will only post free agent signings...there are others out there who were invited to mini-camp on a tryout basis so venture to your favorite school's website to find that information.
One more thing...All publicity is good publicity in our case. New Hampshire's Scott Sicko recently made national college football news with his initial decision to spurn all NFL Free Agent offers...Yahoo Sports broke yesterday's story nationally. Give it 24 hours to settle in and look what happens...Sicko is now a Dallas Cowboy. Like we said publicity is good anyway you can get it...in our opinion.
Thanks for the questions on Twitter, and please keep them coming. Okay there you have it...read up and click the links in this post. The gear is waiting...follow us and you will have a chance come Wednesday (April 28). Check back throughout the remainder of the spring season for more student-athlete updates also.
2010 CAA Football...You Better Be Ready!!!
April 22
CAA Football Blogger
This week and next week will be the final times we update this and call it the Spring Journal...keep watching CAASports.com for upcoming information on blog information and other fan-interaction initiatives being introduced in the 2010 season.
Some housekeeping things to get you caught up on the 2010 Spring season...Delaware, James Madison and Rhode Island wrap up spring practice this weekend, while Maine, Massachusetts and Towson will spring drills next weekend. Towson keeps coming out with exciting news around their Spring Game and the Towsontown Spring Festival...Be sure to checkout all of the details.
Villanova head coach Andy Talley earned the Marine Corp Scholarship Fund Sportsman of the Year honor last week. Friends and alumni of the Villanova Football program can also now register for the Ninth Annual Lou Ferry Golf Tournament by clicking this link.
Maine has jumped into the video era by documenting its spring drills on YouTube. Checkout the Maine YouTube channel to get Spring Practice video diaries from Black Bear Players and head coach Jack Cosgrove as well as practice highlights. We even dropped in a sneak peek below.
Tonight is the first of three-straight days of the 2010 NFL Draft! Below is some pre-draft coverage we found. FoxSports.com's Peter Schrager projects UMass' Vlad Ducasse as a second round pick (Friday at 6 p.m. ET) and the 55th selection overall to the Philadelphia Eagles. ESPN Draft Analyst Mel Kiper, a friend of CAA Football rates Ducasse as the fourth-best Offensive Tackle in this year's draft class. The Sports Network's Craig Haley outlines the possible picks from the FCS ranks in his peice that dropped Wednesday online. James Madison and William and Mary also both have Draft Preview articles online, highlighting some of the selections that might happen this weekend.
2010 NFL Draft -- CAA Football Prospects
Vlad Ducasse (OL) - Massachusetts
Arthur Moats (DL) - James Madison
Dorian Brooks (OL) - James Madison
Adrian Tracy (DL) - William and Mary
Catch all of the three-day 2010 NFL Draft coverage on NFL.com by logging in to the live streaming coverage here.
Thanks for the questions on Twitter, and please keep them coming. Check back throughout the remainder of the spring season for more student-athlete updates also.
2010 CAA Football...You Better Be Ready!!!
Matt Rae - Rhode Island
Defensive Line
Spring practices are winding down for us here at Rhode
Island. Today was our last full padded
practice until our spring game this coming Saturday. These past four weeks have revealed so much
about who we are as a team and where are going as a program.
We have two intra-squad scrimmages behind us already this
spring. The first scrimmage seemed to be
dominated by the offense. However, this
past week the defense battled back and controlled the offense during the second
scrimmage. It is incredible to see the
bitterness between the two sides of the ball on the field. The environment is very hostile which helps
generate competitiveness.
All of us are extremely excited for Saturday to come and for
us to show just how much progress we have made as a team. Every player is focused on perfecting new
techniques and schemes learned during this spring and earn a starting position
going into summer. I am sure our team
will ride the momentum created during this spring to help us work even harder
towards this upcoming fall.
Come support Rhody football at Meade Stadium this Saturday
at 11:00 A.M.!
April 20
CAA Football Blogger
After another weekend in the books CAA Football has just six Spring Games left. William and Mary played its Spring Game last weekend...check out this link for a recap and visit the tribeathletics site for more on the festivities.
Delaware will hold Fandemonium this Friday prior to its Spring Game and Rhode Island will play its Spring Game Saturday.
If you are in the Towson, Md., area today (Tuesday) around 3:30 p.m., and want to checkout a spring football practice then head over to Burdick Field in the heart of the Towson University campus. Head Coach Rob Ambrose and the Tigers will be hitting the field for a practice open to the public this afternoon...click this link for more details.
This Thursday the 2010 NFL Draft begins in Primetime. It is unlikely for any CAA Football athletes to be taken in Thursday's first round, but projections do show UMass' Vlad Ducasse as a possible selection in Friday's 2nd and 3rd rounds. Check back at CAASports.com throughout the weekend for daily recaps of the draft as well as video coverage of the league's selections.
Thanks for the questions on Twitter, and please keep them coming. Check back throughout the remainder of the spring season for more student-athlete updates also.
2010 CAA Football...You Better Be Ready!!!
April 16
CAA Football Blogger
William and Mary's Wes Steinman checked in as did Richmond's Martin Parker below...be sure to check those two entries out.
CAA Football and Comcast SportsNet officials met yesterday in Bethesda, Md., to hammer out a preliminary television schedule for the 2010 season. We left the meeting yesterday pleased with the preliminary picks. Now comes the part of hammering out kickoff times for each game and making sure the gameday productions are in line on the television partners' sides. Look for information on this season's television games to start surfacing in late April and early May. CAA Football's official television announcement will be made July 28, 2010 as part of its Media Day celebration in Baltimore, Md.
Yesterday Towson announced its plans for it Spring Football Festival, May 1. Festivities begin at 9:30 a.m., while the Black and Gold game will kickoff at 12:30 p.m., for more information on Towson's event click this link.
A host of 2009 CAA Football standouts were recognized by the Virginia Sports Information Directors as All-State players. James Madison's Arthur Moats was named the state's Defensive Player of the Year, while William and Mary head coach Jimmye Laycock earned Coach of the Year honors. Check out the full release and list of awards here.
Thanks for the questions on Twitter, and please keep them coming. Check back throughout the remainder of the spring season for more student-athlete updates also.
2010 CAA Football...You Better Be Ready!!!
Wes Steinman - William and Mary
Linebacker
Hello again, Tribe fans!
Wes Steinman checking back in on the Tribe's progress
through spring ball. Since I last wrote, we have been scrimmaging a lot and
working extremely hard. The Tribe held its second full-go scrimmage last
Friday. The offense was able to put together a few drives, but the defense was
much improved and played pretty well. Due to some injuries, especially at
defensive line, certain players have been forced to take a lot of reps and play
multiple positions. Kyle O'Brien, Bryan Jean-Pierre, Harold Robertson, Michael
Stover, Bryan Stinnie, and Chris Johnson have all done a great job playing the
different positions up front and making plays.
Beginning our last week of spring practice, we have done
everything but take it easy. Monday and Wednesday's practice consisted of
competitive one-on-ones as well as some situational scrimmaging. Again, the
defense has continued to improve and got the best of the offense in both
scrimmage opportunities. As a defensive unit, we are working to not only be
athletic, but very physical. As new packages go in, different players have
opportunities to showcase their talent. [Redshirt freshman linebacker] Dante
Cook has shown to be a playmaker along with [sophomore defensive back] Terrell
Wells. The young guys have done an excellent job of buying into the defensive
scheme and learning their assignments and alignments.
As spring ball comes to a close, we have Friday to fix the
little problems and make small adjustments before we partake in the annual
spring game. Defensively, we have made great strides in the right direction,
but still have plenty of work to be done. Leaders must continue to develop ,and
we must find our own identity for the 2010 season.
Make sure to make it to Zable Stadium Saturday at 1:30 to
get a preview of what the 2010 Tribe football team has to offer.
Take care, Tribe faithful. Go Tribe!
#48
Martin Parker - Richmond
Defensive Line
This past Saturday was the finale of our spring practice
and we ended at UR Stadium in front of a crowd of 2,000-plus. The atmosphere
was great; there was an excitement in the air that was felt throughout the
entire team. The Defense came out as the winner with a score of 54-23. There
are a lot of things that we will have to work on as a team, but we have set a
foundation and once the summer hits we will be ready to start building high on
top of it.
In the past three weeks we have grown a lot together with
our new coaches. Trusting in one anther is not hard anymore because we all know
that we are out for the same goals and that is to be the best that we can
possibly be.
This upcoming season you will notice a lot of new faces
on both sides of the ball. Not only have we had to build trust with the
coaching staff, but also we had to build trust within the team. When you're out
there on the field, you have to be able to fully trust the person that beside
you, in front of you, and behind you. When playing with younger guys that trust
takes longer to build. But throughout
spring practice, they have been working hard to make sure when we play our
first game in Charlottesville that the 11 players on the field trust each other
and play as one.
During the Spring Game we were given our 2009 CAA
Football Championship rings. They are very nice and a symbol that there are
things that still need to be finished. We are very happy about our
accomplishments last year and love the rings but we are not satisfied. We are
still hungry because we want more and we know that we have a team that wants to
be known as the best.
We start our summer workouts at the end of May and we
roll straight into training camp. Hopefully the summer goes fast because we're
ready to play and want to kick the season off on the right note! But for now
we'll work out, better our techniques and make the best of the time we have
right now. Thank you to all who support the Richmond Spiders and we can't wait
until we are on the Richmond campus playing those home game in front of our
home fans.
Until the fall.... Go Spiders!
Martin F. Parker #9
April 14
CAA Football Blogger
Been away for awhile! Some news has happened around the league since the absence. Other stuff has gone on as well so be sure to read below...William and Mary athletes have chimed in already today.
Last week Massachusetts announced plans for a Spring Fling to help promote and generate attendance at it Spring Game, April 30. Check out all of the details here. Delaware Head Coach K.C. Keeler is joining forces with Klondike Kate's in Newark, Del., to support the Boys and Girls Club. Click here for the Delaware Athletics release.
The Tribe has its spring game this weekend...click here to find out more details thanks to the W&M Athletics release. Towson just announced that it signed a deal with FOX 1370-AM to carry all of its games and head coach Rob Ambrose's weekly radio show this fall in the Baltimore area. Click here for more details on the exciting news out of Towson.
Hope you didn't miss the recap of Richmond's spring game...click here if you did. Also an update from the league office in regards to some upcoming info and dates. The 2010 Media Day has been set for July 28. All 10 of the league's coaches along with a few selected student-athletes will make their way to the ESPNZone in Baltimore, Md., to celebrate the upcoming 2010 season. Keep your eyes on CAASports.com for all sorts of information, including releases, videos, photos and more that day.
The league's officials will be heading to Washington, D.C., Thursday (tomorrow) to meet with Comcast SportsNet officials in order to hammer out a preliminary 2010 CAA Football Television schedule. Details won't be known right away, but information on broadcasts may start to surface sometime around early-to-mid May. The official television package release will be out on Media Day, and will include all of the conference package as well as any non-conference television selections made prior to the start of the season.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter to receive some updates from our TV meetings and other info throughout the spring. Keep checking back here for more entries from our student-athletes.
2010 CAA Football...You Better Be Ready!!!
Ben Cottingham - William and Mary
Defensive Back
During last Friday afternoon's practice, we held our second
scrimmage of the spring season. Defensively, I would give the performance
a B/B- according to the standard we hold ourselves to. Our run defense
has not skipped a beat from last season's success, and our pass defense still
continues to be too difficult to be broken down. The scrimmages are
intra-squad, but they are highly competitive. Animosity builds up between
the offense and defense throughout the week, and it's always good to get a
chance to line up and compete.
This week's shout out goes to the defensive line. This week was a tough
week of practice for the entire team. Let's just face it, it was hot
[reaching the 90's on a couple of days]. But for the defensive line you
wouldn't know that they practiced the whole week with six, yes SIX players.
It would be easy as a player to look at the odds you're up against,
having six defensive linemen versus 10-15 offensive linemen, and turn in a
mediocre effort. Against all the odds, they performed to an equal
standard, if not better than if they were at full strength. If the goal
line stand [where the offense had multiple goes from inside the five, including
one from inside the one] at the end of Monday's practice didn't prove anything,
the multiple pressures and sacks on the quarterback during the entire week,
including the scrimmage, was enough to say that our guys have what it takes.
It may not always be perfect, but if the effort is there plays will be
made. The defensive line is still talented. People may think we
have fallen talent wise, with the loss of three high-caliber players [graduated
seniors Adrian Tracy, Sean Lissemore and C.J. Herbert], but the 2010 group will
continue to hold it down on the line of scrimmage.
One week until the spring game! This week's for fine tuning, and then we
get down to business ...
Chase Hill - William and Mary
Wide Receiver
Hello everyone, Chase Hill checking in from Williamsburg
again.
Last Friday we finished our second intra-squad scrimmage of
the season. Compared to our first scrimmage, the amount of plays that were run
was increased. The offense was put in more game-like situations, such as goal
line, backed up, and two-minute. [Sophomore] Tight end Alex Gottlieb was named
offensive player of the scrimmage as he made crucial catches and solidified a
strong run-blocking game.
The offense is always looking for consistency. There are
times when we are hot and others when we are cold, but on average we are coming
together as a unit and increasing the rhythm we hold on the field. All 11
players must work together for an offensive play to be successful, and it takes
a lot of hard work to successfully execute a complete drive down the field.
We have less than a week left of practice and throughout the
course of spring the wide receiver core has been increasing its chemistry with
the new quarterbacks [all seven of them]. Timing is key in the passing game and
every rep is an opportunity for the wide receivers and quarterbacks to get into
sync. This spring we have been "airing" it out more than usual to ensure a good
mesh between the primary players in the passing game.
The team is left with only two practices before the annual
Green and Gold Spring Game this Saturday. As spring winds down, players attempt
to put together everything they have been taught over the past month for the
final practices and hopefully have it carry over to summer practices. Even
though the end is near, players are reminded constantly there is still time to
improve and get better.
Come support Tribe Football this Saturday, April 17th at
1:30 p.m. at Zable Stadium for the annual Spring Game!
Thank You and God Bless!
C. Hill #15
April 9
CAA Football Blogger
In case you missed it the full 2010 CAA Football Schedule was released yesterday. Click here to find a breakdown on the full slate as well as a link to a printer-friendly copy of the 12-week schedule, plus the dates of the expanded NCAA Championships.
Rhode Island's Matt Rae checked in this morning on the blog. The Rams opened spring drill this week and will have their first scrimmage tomorrow.
Thanks for taking the time to visit our blog. Keep checking back as student-athletes check-in virtually every day.
2010 CAA Football...You Better Be Ready!!!
3:00 p.m. Update: Two new journals posted below. Maine's Mark Masterson and William and Mary's Keith Hill, Jr., just sent us their entries. Check them out and let them lead you into a great weekend!
Matt Rae - Rhode Island
Defensive Line
Hello again everyone.
Our team is in the middle of spring football and it has already revealed
a lot about our team. Our players have
been working extremely hard to grasp new concepts that our coaching staff is trying
to implement on the field.
The underclassmen on our team have made enormous strides and
are proving themselves on the field. The
competition during practices has been great and it's improving our team in
every aspect. For the first time since I
have been here I feel as though we have a competition for a starting spot at
every position on the field.
Our first intra-squad scrimmage this weekend will show just
how much improvement we have made as a team.
Every single person is excited to show his ability on the field and
prove that we can be a championship team.
Check back next week for another update.
Go Rhody!
Mark Masterson - Maine
Linebacker
At last the Maine football team gets to start spring
ball. Sometimes it can be aggravating
when you see a team's spring game on T.V. before you even have begun your first
practice but many of us here at Maine have grown accustomed to it. The extra time on speed and strength training
in the winter paid off as we looked explosive in our first two practices.
From a defensive standpoint guys were flying around making
plays which is what we like to see early on.
Being alignment and assignment perfect is and will continue to be an
emphasis this spring for the 'D'.
Offensively, we return all but one offensive lineman and judging by how
unusually reserved Coach Guifre was at practice I would say they were sharp on
their first outing of the year. The
special teams are off to a good start as well.
The kicking and punting jobs are up for grabs with Brian Harvey, Chris
Gennaro, Jordan Waxman, and Nate Doehler all displaying their skills. We put the pads on Saturday and get to hit
for the first team so it should be an intense day. With our first scrimmage coming next week we
look to continue making positive strides.
Be sure to stay tuned as things start to heat up next week!
Keith Hill, Jr. - William and Mary
Offensive Line
Hi everyone,
Here is another update from Tribe spring camp 2010! It was a hot one this week
with temperatures over 90 degrees on several days in a row, but that did not
stop us. On Monday we had a great practice with a little taste of full go
scrimmage towards the end of the day where we had offense versus defense goal
line scrimmage. Unfortunately, after several tries the defense stopped the
offense and won the little mini-scrimmage, but there will be more chances for
our offense to show its stuff.
This Wednesday we dialed things down a little bit since it was another
scorching day like it was on Monday, because we have been going after it since
day 1. It was a nice day to get lots of mental reps and recover from the bumps
and bruises you may have accumulated over the course of spring ball. This by no
means was a day off, but more of a better way to prepare for the big scrimmage
we have coming up.
I am very excited about the scrimmage coming up because it's yet another chance
where we get to test ourselves in the closest thing we can get to a game
situation. On the offensive line, we will have a couple young guys filling in
the guard slots with two of last year's starters sidelined for the time being,
but I have confidence in the young guns to get the job done ... and that the
more experienced guys will be doing all they can to get healthy. It
should be a very exciting night, fueled by competition and who knows, maybe our
new mascot the Griffin will show up to support the Tribe!
Check in again next week to see how the scrimmage went.
Til next time,
Keith
April 8
CAA Football Blogger
Plenty of news and notes to get to from around the league today. Look for the full 2010 CAA Football schedule to be announced later today. All 10 league teams have announced their slates so we have compiled them into on easy-to-find location. Just cleaning up the loose ends and proofing the release before we get it posted later today.
Villanova head coach Andy Talley's Bone Marrow Registry initiative is taking shape this spring. Already several teams have either held registry drives or are planning those drives in the upcoming months. Villanova's will be held April 15, while Rhode Island will gather names during its registration April 29. Richmond's bone marrow registration will run in conjunction with its spring game this weekend, April 10.
On the spring game topic, be sure to visit Richmond's website for details on its spring game and the tailgating policies in place. Delaware announced its plans for the Inaugural Football Fandemonium event in conjunction with its spring game.
Towson is opening up its season ticket sales by showing fans all of the benefits they'll receive when becoming one. Pretty enticing stuff if you are a casual fan in the Baltimore area.
New Hampshire finished off its staff replacements for the 2010 season by hiring two new assistants.
Massachusetts' already took part in the Bone Marrow registration and will have a spring game later this spring. One piece of information we just found was that Vlad Ducasse was named a National Strength & Conditioning All-American. Ducasse is currently prepping for the NFL Draft which takes place April 22-24. Projections still have Ducasse as high as an early pick on April 23 of the television coverage.
One more side note...we talked about how William and Mary was announcing its new mascot earlier this week. Ben Cottingham talked about how he didn't think the Griffin would make much sense as a Tribe mascot. We hope he isn't too disappointed in the fact that the "Griffin" is now the new mascot at William and Mary!
That is all for now. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Also be sure to scroll down and read some of the entries from our student-athletes. Always check back each day to see who has chimed in and to catch up on all sorts of info from around the league.
Don't hesitate to follow
CAA Football on Twitter!...If
you follow us then don't be afraid to @reply us or DM us. We can't
guarantee we will answer questions or retweet your tweet, but we will
certainly see them and do our best! You can also see all our video
productions on the
CAA Football YouTube
Channel.
April 7
CAA Football Blogger
Richmond's Martin Parker just filed an entry for this week's blog...check it out below. We will have some random news and notes up tomorrow, but for now be sure to catch up with the Spiders below...check back later today and into the week for more entries.
Martin Parker - Richmond
Defensive Line
Coming into this spring as a team, we did not know what to
expect from our new head coach and the new coaching staff. There were a lot of
questions that needed to be answered by the coaches and there were a lot of
questions that the coaches had to find answers for when it came to our team. We
are now in our last week of practice and through the past three weeks, we have
worked hard with our new coaches, we have learned new schemes, we have had our
rough times but we have definitely had our share of laughs as well.
The transition of a new staff is always one that comes with
a lot of baggage. There were a lot of expectations from both sides. There is a
new attitude that Coach Scott has brought into this program. We are a group of
guys that will not back down from any challenge and that will push through
brick walls to get what we want if we have to. Yes we have lost a lot of
talented guys from last year but that does not change what type of team we are.
We are winners; we have learned how to win and we love that feeling of winner.
No matter who leaves the program, winning will always be what the University of
Richmond football team is about.
This past weekend we had our second scrimmage. Once again I
would like to thank the fans for their support. The scrimmage was very exciting
as we had guys like Kendall Gaskins breaking off some nice runs between the
tackles and we had Tyler Kirchoff putting his shoulder down and plowing through
people. We have two great quarterbacks in John Laub and Aaron Corp -- day in
and day out they are competing with each other to see who will lead this team
next year. As a team we are very confident in both guys and wouldn't mind
having both out there at the same time if we could.
On the defensive side, we had a handful of interceptions and
a couple that were returned for touchdowns. The team is starting to come around
very well. Every day you can see the improvement from both sides of the ball
and special teams. It will take some time for us to get to where we want to be
as a team but I know we will get there because we want to win.
Our Spring Game is set for this Saturday and we hope that
everyone can come out to support the team and get a taste of what we will look
like next year. Also, be sure to help
out a great cause and sign up Saturday to become a bone marrow donor as our
team is taking part in the National Bone Marrow Registry once again this
season.
Until next week.... Martin F. Parker
April 6
CAA Football Blogger
Wow what a ball game last night! Don't forget about Opening Day yesterday either...probably one of the greatest days of the year if you are a sports fan. This weekend will be a good one also if you like golf...a tradition unlike any other!! (hope we don't get in trouble for using that phrase!).
Enough with the small talk...check out the blogs below from two of the William and Mary student-athletes. Both Ben Cottingham and Wes Steinman shed some insight on the Tribe's prep for its Spring Game April 17.
Maine's head coach Jack Cosgrove discussed the Black Bears' upcoming spring practice opener on April 8 via a YouTube video...check it out here. Rhode Island opened its spring practice last weekend and here is a short recap of the first practice and preview of what is to come for the Rams.
All sorts of news at William and Mary...be sure to visit their Spring Football Headquarters page for additional video and photos from their spring season. You will also find the same William and Mary student-athlete entries that you see below. One more piece of information about the Tribe...plans are in place to announce its new mascot today (Tuesday, April 6) at 5:30 p.m. Be sure to read Ben Cottingham's take on the mascot search below including the finalist he prefers have represent the school.
Ben Cottingham - William and Mary
Defensive Back
Spring football is continuing at a fast pace as
usual. With one full scrimmage down, coaches truly have a good grasp of
what they can expect from their players in game-time situations. Not
saying that anything has been solidified or that there is no room for growth of
players, but during a scrimmage you see what players are capable of without
their coaches standing behind them. Some standout performers from last
week's scrimmage include [redshirt freshman outside linebacker] Dante
Cook, who was awarded the defensive player of the scrimmage, [freshman
offensive lineman] James Johnson, offensive player of the scrimmage,
redshirt freshman wide receiver C.J. Thomas, and junior defensive tackle Harold
Robertson III.
The Tribe 'Green Swarm' defense played particularly
well in run defense, but turned in an underachieving performance in pass
defense. A goal for our team defensively is to execute the fundamentals
in order to ultimately master the schemes and strategies implemented by the
coaches. Throughout the spring we strive daily to get better at the little
things so when game time comes they are second nature. Every day there is
an emphasis on creating turnovers and scoring on defense. As the spring
continues, we look to turn up the heat by executing more defenses at an intense
pace and develop an unrelenting mentality.
In other news, on Tuesday, April 6 at 5:30
p.m. at Kaplan Arena the new Tribe mascot will be selected.
The Wren, Pug, Griffin, Phoenix, and King and Queen are the five
finalists. My choice would either be the Wren or the Phoenix because they
could at least have green and gold feathers resembling the former Tribe
logo. The King and Queen would be a ridiculous choice for
mascot. They seem to fit in more at a William and Mary theme
park rather than a football game. As for the Pug and the Griffin, they
don't seem to make much sense as mascots for the Tribe.
The Spring Game is looming as April 17th
approaches...
Wes Steinman - William and Mary
Linebacker
Hello again, Tribe fans. Senior Linebacker, Wes Steinman
checking back in. The 2010 William and Mary football team is now halfway done
with its spring season. Everyone has been working hard and pushing themselves,
so we've been rewarded with an extra day off to celebrate Easter and get our
bodies back.
The team finally got to scrimmage full go Wednesday night.
Offensively, the scrimmage consisted of a lot of passing and a few big plays.
Defensively, we still have some work to do. It was encouraging to see the
physicality of some of the young guys. We're going to need to continue to gel
as a unit and find our own identity, but we're definitely on the right track.
This week is going to be a hot one, so that will test our
mental toughness and execution as a team. With another scrimmage opportunity coming
up, we're looking to continue our progression to become a championship defense
and ultimately a great team. Be sure to check back in after the scrimmage for
updates. Take care, Tribe faithful.
#48
April 5
CAA Football Blogger
Maine's Mark Masterson checked in the blog/journal over the weekend...sorry for the delay in posting it to those of you who were looking for it. The CAA Football Blogger had easter egg dyeing duties to tend to! We will be back in full swing Tuesday with an entry from the blogger on a few football topics that happened since our last post.
Until then check out the entry below from Maine's Mark Masterson. The Black Bears will get their Spring season underway this week.
Mark Masterson - Maine
Linebacker
Greetings, my name is Mark Masterson, senior linebacker for
the Maine Black Bears. As the Maine
football team enters it's last week of training in preparation of spring
football there is a feeling of excitement in and around the locker room. The disappointing fashion in which our season
ended last November has left us with a bitterness that has fueled us with
motivation through the last three months.
We have been working hard, placing an emphasis on getting better one day
at a time.
As we wind down here this last week in preparation for our
first practice on April 8, we are eager to get back in the pads and
compete. A few key losses to graduation
will offer an opportunity for our younger players to step up and make an impact
this spring. I can personally say that
with my season being cut short last year I am as enthusiastic as anyone to get
back into the swing of things and to see how much the guys have progressed this
offseason. We have set our goals high
and our first true test as to where we are as a team will be this upcoming
Thursday. I can say with confidence that
we have made many positive strides thus far but for us to be successful next
season we must continue to improve everyday!
-Mark Masterson
"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be
greater than your fear of failure."
April 2
CAA Football Blogger
The Good Friday holiday is a floating holiday at the CAA Football offices which means the CAA Football Blogger is enjoying the beautiful Richmond, Va., weather at home! Work still must get done, and when a CAA Football student-athlete sends you his journal entry then you've got to post it so others can read it.
Check out the entry below from Rhode Island's Matt Rae. He is new to this season's edition, and plans to send us more.
Matt Rae - Rhode Island
Defensive Line
Hello, I am Matt Rae, a junior on the defensive line for the
University of Rhode Island. It is an
extremely exciting time of year for us as a program here at URI. We have just finished our winter conditioning
and are just starting to get out on the field again. The strides that we have made in the weight
room during the winter have been nothing short of tremendous. I haven't seen the attitude and work ethic of
this team be this great since I have been here.
It's clear that every player is motivated to another level to ensure
that we do not have a repeat of our past season.
There is no doubt in my mind that our team will use this
momentum that we have generated in the winter and attack this year's spring
practices with one goal in mind, to outwork our competition. Our first practice this spring has revealed
that although we have made progress we need to continue to work hard to
guarantee we are where we need to be in the fall. Our head football coach, Joe Trainer, appears
as though he has gotten every single person involved in our team to invest all
that they have in order for us to be successful this upcoming season.
I look forward to talking to you next week.
Go Rhody!!!
April 1
CAA Football Blogger
We will go ahead and get it out of the way...April Fools!!! Everything from here on out is fact so don't go thinking we are changing the league's name (see Topeka, errr - Google!!!).
Anyway, here are somethings you might have missed yesterday. Richmond announced its plans for the Spiders' 2010 Spring Game. Also, the Richmond Times-Dispatch's John O'Connor wrote in today's edition about UR's offensive line and its youth.
New Hampshire's football squad will hold a 3-on-3 hoops tourney as a fundraiser for the program. The event will be in conjunction with the team's Spring Game, May 8, and is open to all UNH Football Alumni. We are wondering if the football team will also assemble a couple of teams for that event...Does anybody think R.J. Toman can dunk it? He is a pretty good athlete!!! What about David Ball coming back to team up with Ricky Santos again!
UMass standout and NFL Draft Prospect Vlad Ducasse will be on ESPN2 this morning...catch him around 10:50 a.m. on First Take! If you missed it (or this didn't get posted quick enough) then you can catch the re-air between 2-5 p.m. on ESPNNews.
The Tribe just put their 2010 season tickets on sale...get them while you can. Did you know that William and Mary head coach Jimmye Laycock will be coaching in his 30th season in 2010. That length of tenure is unheard of in the world of college football these days.
James Madison started spring practice Wednesday and with two healthy quarterbacks, head coach Mickey Matthews will again watch Drew Dudzik and Justin Thorpe battle it out for some PT. Read about it in today's Daily News Record edition by Mike Barber.
Delaware and Coach KC Keeler will hold it Annual Alumni event and Golf Tournament April 23...the same day as the Blue Hens' Spring Game. Do you think Joe Flacco plays golf? We are pretty Rich Gannon does. Talk about some quarterback alumni!!!
Be sure to read the journal entries from the student-athletes below.
They have taken time out of their schedules (practices, classes, etc.)
to write these for our website. We hope you enjoy the insight they
provide not only to their team, but also their lives.
CAA Football 2010....You Better Be Ready!!
Chase Hill - William and Mary
Wide Receiver
Hello everyone, Chase Hill checking in from Williamsburg
again.
Wednesday's night practice allowed for the team to see its
first extended time for live action as we completed our first intra-squad
scrimmage. The first part of Wednesday night's practice was dedicated to
gearing up for scrimmage. Specialists and lineman both competed in one-on-one
drills and afterwards the team participated in the seven-on-seven passing
perimeter. Coach Laycock broke up the scrimmage into sections as each rotating
group ran between eight and 10 plays. The scrimmage lasted around 50 plays, as
it was an opportunity to display how far individuals have come within the first
two weeks of spring.
The offensive focused mostly on the passing game, as we
continually search for a quarterback to replace graduated senior R.J. Archer. Redshirt
junior Mike Paulus and redshirt freshman Brent Caprio took the majority of the
quarterback reps, while redshirt junior Terrance Schmand and redshirt freshman
Mike Graham also received action. All
forms of the passing game were attempted as variations of tailback screens were
accomplished and deep play-action shots were taken down the field. Rhythm was
found on multiple occasions as the offensive was able to move down the field
while racking up consecutive first downs. The offensive line was anchored by
the veteran play of redshirt seniors Keith Hill [right tackle] and Derek Toon
[right guard].
Offensively, big plays were made by the wide receiver corps.
Each receiver made the most of their reps whether it was running routes or
blocking defenders down field. Two big plays came from redshirt senior Marshall
Dill, who scored on a dig route across the middle, and by redshirt sophomore
C.J. Thomas, who scored on a deep post route burning the corner and safety.
On a lighter note, spring is in full bloom in Williamsburg and
the team is taking advantage of the warming weather. Even with the large load
of practice and school work, players are still finding time to make it down to
Jamestown Beach to soak up the sun rays or to the lakes to catch the early
spring bass. These "social" events outside of football allow for greater team
bonding as we grow closer as friends and teammates. With the spring season also
comes preparation for the summer season. Players are beginning to find jobs and
sign up for classes, as the majority of the team is prepared to be in
Williamsburg during the summer months.
The team is halfway through Spring Practice and we are left
with only one more scrimmages before the Spring Game. Even as the two sides of
the ball compete against each other daily, Coach Laycock reminds the team to
focus on competing against ourselves to become better players. The Spring Game
is upon the horizon, and we are all excited to display our improvements and our
ability to be athletes on a Division I level.
Check in often for more detailed updates, thank you for
supporting Tribe Football, and God Bless.
C. Hill #15
March 31
CAA Football Blogger
It's the middle of the week so keep checking back for some journal entries from our student-athletes. We got one from Delaware's QB Pat Devlin late Tuesday. William and Mary's Ben Cottingham also shot us one yesterday. This week is Devlin's first entry, while Cottingham wrote about how he and some of his teammates have gotten involved in the Williamsburg community by coaching youth basketball.
3:30 p.m.: Another entry from Richmond's Martin Parker was just added.
More will get posted as the week progresses!
Martin Parker - Richmond
Defensive Line
As a senior you feel like you have built enough wisdom to
know and see when a player has the potential to become a very dominant player.
When looking at the young guys this spring the one thing that scares most of
the upper classmen this year is losing our positions to the younger guys. This
says a lot about the type of program that we have from top to bottom. Every day
that we come out to practice it is a competition, somewhat like a showcase of
what you have to offer.
I can say that there are some young guys that are doing just
that. When I sit back and look at
particular guys like DB Evan Joseph, RB Jovan Smith, LB Darius McMillan, and OL
Mark Speir. The talent that these guys show can only make you wonder about the
kind of things that they can bring onto the playing field next year. There are
a lot of guys that have to step up this year and fill big shoes but those guys
that have to fill those shoes are ready and eager to play. I can see it in
their eyes every time we practice. They are willing to learn, fix their
mistakes and compete everyday that we are there.
This past Saturday was our first scrimmage. First I would
like to thank those fans that came out to support the Richmond Spiders. The
scrimmage was extremely competitive. There were big hits, batted down balls,
interceptions, longs runs and a TD. The
team is coming along very well. Coaches are starting to put more trust in the
players and the players are doing the same. The family bonds are starting to
get stronger and everyone is starting to just have fun. We are out there having
fun learning the techniques and plays that we will need if we planned on
accomplishing our goals for this upcoming season.
There is no one on this team that is happy about where we are
right now because we know that there is always room to be perfect. Some people
may say that perfection can never be reached but those people have not and will
not put as much effort into being perfect like we will and have been doing here
at the University of Richmond.
Until next week... Martin F. Parker #99
Ben
Cottingham - William and Mary
Defensive Back
Monday's practice was pretty tough. As I've said
before spring football is very competitive, and the offense decided to
step their game up yesterday afternoon. I would say that they got the
best of us. Well actually they got worst of us, because each day you get
better or you get worse and although the defense may have not had their best
practice we will only get better from here on out.
During the spring players have a little more free time than
the fall. While most of this time is devoted to studying, a sad truth
of William and Mary, some players find time for a few
extra-curricular activities. One of the activities myself and a few other
teammates have gotten involved with this spring is the Neighborhood
Basketball League (NBL), here in Williamsburg. Four Defensive
backs including Terrell Wells, Ethan Lee, Ryan Smith and myself are
involved, as well as Linebacker Jabril Mines, Wide Receiver Terreon
Conyers, student coach Lee Williams and All-CAA Punter David Miller.
Miller and I coach a 10-12 team that has seen better
days. Although our players have made great strides during our short
season so far, our record, which I will not disclose, does not
show it. David has been an excellent assistant coach and loves working with
the kids to see their improvement.
After last Saturday's practice, however, there was
a showdown between teams coached by Terrell Wells and Terreon Conyers.
The game was intense, as Wells, assisted by Lee and Mines, led his team
into halftime with a large lead. However, Conyers, assisted
by Smith, implemented various defensive strategies and staged one of the
greatest comebacks in NBL history. The comeback culminated in overtime,
with a game winning lay-up off or a well-coordinated in-bounds play by
Conyers' team.
It is great to see the Tribe in the
community. Football is part of our daily lives, but it is not
all we do. My next blog will include highlights from our
upcoming scrimmage. Make sure to check back.
GREEN SWARM ON THREE!!!
Pat Devlin - Delaware
Quarterback
Hey everyone, Pat Devlin here to tell you all about how our
winter went and how our spring is going here at the University of Delaware.
First off I want to congratulate Villanova on a successful
end to their post season. They did a
great job representing the conference in the tournament.
We started our off-season activities when we got back for
our winter session. The team lifted
strong in this six week session. With no
serious conditioning work and a fewer classroom responsibilities it is easier
to spend time in the weight room focusing on strength. Along with the start of spring classes,
spring conditioning started up. These
workouts really got us on our way having productive spring practices.
We successfully completed our first two practices without a
hitch. No pads just helmets in order to get into the swing of things. The
defense showed a lot of enthusiasm and the offense focused on their alignment
and assignments during this time.
Our third practice (March 22) was accompanied by thunder and
lightning so we were only able to get in a film session. Finally, on Wednesday we were able to put on
the pads and put all of the lifting and running to good use.
Everyday the focus on offense is to get more precise. On the
defensive side they are focusing on bringing a little more excited play to
every down. They routinely do their best to get under the skin of the
offense.
It's spring break this week and everyone is resting up so we
can finish our spring off strong. I will
check back in another week or so to update you again on our progress.
March 30
CAA Football Blogger
Another week for the CAA Football Spring Blog! Today marks the start of spring football for
UMass, while both
James Madison and
Rhode Island will take part in their first practices of the spring tomorrow.
Some ticket and fan involvement news was just released by Towson. The Tigers will put season tickets on sale this Thursday (April 1). Another way of engaging devoted Towson Football fans and possibly creating an outside ticket sales force is the Towson Football Gridiron Challenge, announced Tuesday.
Here is some other news and notes from around the league...by way of local media outlets. The Daily News Record's Mike Barber is writing about James Madison's quarterback battle between rising senior Drew Dudzik and rising sophomore Justin Thorpe. Another article recently posted by the Richmond Times Dispatch's John O'Connor discusses Tripp Billingsley's career journey to his current position of wide receiver's coach under new Spider head coach Latrell Scott.
Be sure to read the journal entries from the student-athletes below.
They have taken time out of their schedules (practices, classes, etc.)
to write these for our website. We hope you enjoy the insight they
provide not only to their team, but also their lives.
That is all for now...check back off and on throughout the spring
season for more news and
journal entries. Don't hesitate to follow
CAA Football on Twitter!...If
you follow us then don't be afraid to @reply us or DM us. We can't
guarantee we will answer questions or retweet your tweet, but we will
certainly see them and do our best! You can also see all our video
productions on the
CAA Football YouTube
Channel.
Oh yeah...if you haven't already, subscribe to this email news log. This is the way for fans of FCS
Football to stay on top of all sorts of FCS news throughout the country.
CAA Football 2010....You Better Be Ready!!
CAA Football Blogger
As you can see below, William and Mary is turning out some spring journals. If you are looking for more spring coverage on the Tribe be sure to visit their
Spring Football Central page. You will find all sorts of videos, more blogs and even a spring preview.
One more thing before we call it a week/day on our blog entry...Two of the league's facilities are undergoing major renovations this offseason. James Madison's Bridgeforth Stadium is expanding for the upcoming seasons (projected capacity of 25,000 in 2011!). Construction personnel are currently working on Phase 1 of the project, after demolishing the parking-deck side of the stadium. Take a look at the progress they are making
here. Richmond's program is also renovating...sort of. The Spiders are just moving really...back home to an on-campus stadium. Richmond and
new head coach Latrell Scott will open the 2010 season in the newly built Robins Stadium. Ground broke on the project way back in late 2008 and has been moving along ever since. Take a look at the new digs
here.
Be sure to read the journal entries from the student-athletes below.
They have taken time out of their schedules (practices, classes, etc.)
to write these for our website. We hope you enjoy the insight they
provide not only to their team, but also their lives.
That is all for now...check back off and on throughout the spring season for more news and
journal entries. Don't hesitate to follow
CAA Football on Twitter!...If
you follow us then don't be afraid to @reply us or DM us. We can't
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CAA Football 2010....You Better Be Ready!!
Wes
Steinman - William and Mary
Linebacker
Hello again, Tribe faithful. Wes Steinman checking back in
with updates on the Tribe's progression. The 2010 W&M football team is four
practices in and progress is quite noticeable. The offense has definitely
picked it up as the defensive side of the ball continues to get better each
day. We started competing in 7v7 drills, which is a nice change of pace. It's
encouraging to see everyone get excited about the chance to compete.
The defensive and offensive lines are getting more physical
as one-on-one drills have begun. Every position is making huge strides but
there is plenty of work to be done. I know the entire team as well as myself is
looking forward to some full-go scrimmaging. Football is a tough game to play
at a tag tempo but everyone is doing well at practicing the way they're
supposed to.
Both sides of the ball have players stepping up and making
plays, yet leadership remains a question mark. Offensively, there are position
battles as people compete for starting roles and playing time. Defensively, we
must continue to improve and stay focused on the task at hand. We must
establish our own identity, which I'm sure will come as we progress through
spring ball. Stay tuned for more updates as the competition and intensity is
sure to increase.
Go Tribe
Wes
Ben
Cottingham - William and Mary
Defensive Back
Tribe Faithful,
Wednesday afternoon we put in that hard work that we need to in order to
reach our goal of a NCAA championship next season, as it was an intense practice.
I want to send a shout out to [redshirt freshman free safety] Ethan Lee for
getting a big pick late in practice. Ethan was a walk-on player just like
myself and is challenging to move into a starting role this spring. He
has some big shoes to fill for two reasons; one, he's replacing Rob Livingston,
an outstanding three-year starter, and two, Rob was my best friend on the
team. After his pick (which I had confidently predicted) he's got my
full confidence and went up on my top friends list as well.
I mentioned in my last blog that we have a lot of young talent on
defense, but I did not mention the inordinate amount of
personality that is spread from every position group. My favorite
character on the roster right now is freshman T.K. Hester, a shutdown
corner by day, and a hardcore rap artist by night. While I haven't
really gotten into his music, the kid has incredible personality and he's the
man I look to in order to raise my spirits during practice. He
knows how to lighten up any situation, and only [Tribe Defensive
Coordinator] Coach [Bob] Shoop knows how to bring out his dark
side. Another one of my favorite players is [redshirt freshman]
Dante 'Swag' Cook, outside linebacker, who knows how to make any situation into
the most important and significant circumstance of all time. If he doesn't
make it to the NFL, he's definitely made the smartest career move by entering
the business school for marketing, but I say he'll make a great used car
salesman.
As for me, I love to find the humor in the game of football. One of
my most memorable moments as a Tribe football player was watching
film with [current NFL cornerback and former Tribe CB] Derek
Cox. Watching film with Cox was like watching a great standup comedy
act. We would sit in the front row of the room and giggle like fifth
graders. As cornerbacks we have the toughest position
physically, but probably the least demanding mentally. So watching
film can be tough, just ask any defensive back who has to make it through a
two-hour film session, but humor has been my mechanism to sustain my
focus.
As spring ball continues there will be much
more enduring of film sessions with the search for Tribe football follies. This, of course, comes after the lesson is
learned.
Stay tuned...
March 25
CAA Football Blogger
The 2010 Football season is upon us...the "spring" season at least. Four of the 10 CAA Football programs have already logged spring sessions including Delaware, Richmond, Defending National Champion Villanova and William and Mary. James Madison, UMass, Rhode Island and Towson all have plans to get the 2010 spring season underway next week (March 28-April 3).
It seems like just yesterday we were on the field at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga celebrating with Villanova and head coach Andy Talley after the Wildcats logged their first-ever National Championship in football. Villanova's win added yet another title to CAA Football's list of recent championship dominance. Five different league teams have played in the National Championship game over the last seven years, and four of them have hoised the NCAA Trophy...in case you were wondering, the other three went to Appalachian State from 2005-07. That little note brings us to some NCAA news which happened in late February...Frisco, Texas has been selected as the new home of the Division I Football National Championship, ending the game's 14-year run in Chattanooga. The 2010 National Championship game will also be a couple weeks later than usual due to the playoff expansion. First Round action in this season's championships will begin Nov. 27. Each round will take place on successive weekends with the semifinals landing on Dec. 17-18. Play will then resume with the National Championship game at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, Friday, Jan. 7. CAA Football plans to be there for what would be its third-straight National Championship celebration!
Be sure to read the journal entries from the student-athletes below. They have taken time out of their schedules (practices, classes, etc.) to write these for our website. We hope you enjoy the insight they provide not only to their team, but also their lives.
That is all for now...check back here every week for more news and journal entries throughout the spring season. Don't hesitate to follow CAA Football on Twitter!...If you follow us then don't be afraid to @reply us or DM us. We can't guarantee we will answer questions or retweet your tweet, but we will certainly see them! You can also see all our video productions on the CAA Football YouTube Channel...production has been slow since January, but it never hurts to get yourself refreshed on what happened throughout the 2009 season.
CAA Football 2010....You Better Be Ready!!
Martin Parker - Richmond
Defensive Line
Throughout my four years at the University of Richmond I can
honestly say that our No. 1 opponent has been "change" -- some good,
and some that took time to get over. Walking through the halls of the football
offices today I can say that there is not one coach that has been here since my
freshman year.
We have the privilege of having some coaches come back this
year, one in particular our Head Coach Latrell Scott. As a team we are happy to have him back as a
part of our Spider Family. James Belasco
and Ralph Stayer wrote, "Change is hard because people overestimate the
value of what they have... and underestimate the value of what they may gain by
giving that up."
Here at the University of Richmond have seen a lot of
change. We are now on our third head
coach in the past four seasons; with these new head coaches come new assistant
coaches, new coaching strategies and set of new bonds that you have to form so
that your program can be successful. As
a team, we have learned to take lemons but instead of simply making lemonade,
we have learned to concoct the most elaborate meal that is bringing success and
making the people are around us happy.
Last season was great, but some were disappointed by the way
it ended. We set goals out at the
beginning of the season and we did everything that we could do to accomplish
those goals but we fell a little short. We won the CAA Football Championship
but we thrive to be the best in the nation so we cannot be fully satisfied with
that.
We played our last season at UR Stadium and will be opening
our brand-new Robins Stadium on campus this year. I know it is only March, but
you can feel the excitement in the air throughout the campus and the team. We
can't wait until that day when we can truly say, "Spider Football is
finally home."
We are in the midst of our second week of spring practice.
There are a lot of new faces when you line up and look to your right and left
but these are faces that have been apart of this program for years and are
ready to compete for a job on this team. Our two goals for this spring are to
get "five percent" better every day and to "commit to
compete." There are position battles that are going on everyday in every
position and the only way that we have learned to win here is to compete. Practices
are up-tempo and we as players are out having fun because this is something
that we love to do.
We are not the 2008 National Champions. We are not the 2009
CAA Champions. We are the 2010 Richmond Spiders who know only through hard
work, great effort and determination will we be able to accomplish what we want
and let no other team stand in our way from getting it.
Go Spiders!!!
Martin Parker #99
Chase
Hill - William and Mary
Wide Receiver
Hello everyone, Chase Hill checking in from Williamsburg
again.
Since my last entry, we have completed two more practices;
four down and 11 to go. With such a short spring season, coaches cannot express
enough that every day is an opportunity to improve and no reps should be
wasted.
The offense has fully installed the entire playbook.
Adjustments for each play are now made with personnel and formation changes as
we constantly tweak the playbook and strive for perfection. With players graduating from key positions,
offensive chemistry is extremely important as all 11 players must all be on the
same page to be successful. Film study has also picked up as virtually every
play in practice is gone over in film meetings. Film allows coaches to critique
play of individuals and helps players learn from their mistakes, as the saying
goes "the big eye in the sky never lies."
Competition is heating up as the offense and defense is beginning
to crack heads more often during practice. From this point on, all practices
are full pads with portions being full go. The one-on-one battles of practice have begun
as receivers try to shake defensive backs and the lineman clash in the
trenches. Even though we are beginning to move to the more physical aspect of
football, we are still focusing on technique and fundamentals.
Our first intra-squad scrimmage of the season is on the
horizon, and the team is excited to get at it.
Check in often for more detailed updates, thank you for
supporting Tribe Football, and God Bless.
Chase Hill #15
Keith
Hill, Jr. - William and Mary
Offensive Line
Hey faithful Tribe,
A couple more practices down and things are going great for the green and gold
thus far. On the offensive line, we came into camp looking to replace our
starting left tackle and center positions. We have some young players who
I think are more than ready to step up and contribute. James Pagliaro and
Mike Salazar have seen a lot of time at center and tackle, respectively, and
have done very well, but there are others pushing them for playing time as
well. Robbie Gumbita and Dan Donker are seeing a lot of reps in the tackle slots,
while our freshman Matt Crisafi and James Johnson are getting lots of work in
the interior positions.
Today we did OL vs. DL one-on-one run blocking, which matches an offensive and
defensive lineman in live, head-to-head drills to see who wants to win
more. This drill creates a lot of
competition and challenges everyone, everyday. After that we had our first
session of one-on-one pass rush drills, and I would have to say that it was a
tie between the offensive and defensive line for both drills, but everyone gave
100% effort, without a doubt.
Wednesday's practice was a slam-packed afternoon, and I'm
sure that our first glimpse of live scrimmage is somewhere in our near future.
Thanks for checking again! GO TRIBE!
Keith
R.J. Toman - New Hampshire
Quarterback
The offseason for the 2010 UNH Wildcats has been one of hard
work and dedication with our sights set on new goals of winning the CAA and
facing a tough schedule. Our team has
been striving to reach new goals that we have set for ourselves in the weight
room and in the classroom. With new
opponents on our schedule like Central Connecticut State, Lehigh, and
Pittsburgh this team's understanding of the new task at hand has allowed us to
realize the hard work and perseverance needed in order to continue the success
that we have had here at UNH. With
spring practices approaching and the addition of new coaches to our staff this
team is extremely excited to continue the diligence needed in order to win in
this upcoming season. Coach Mac has us
motivated and is preparing our team for a new season that has a few wrinkles to
the conference schedule with the losses of both football programs at
Northeastern and Hofstra. Working hard
in the offseason all winter has helped our team to get stronger and faster, but
anxious and ready to take the field again and get back to practices playing
against one another.
-RJ Toman
March 22
Chase Hill - William and Mary
Wide Receiver
Hello Everyone! This is Chase Hill checking in from Williamsburg, Virginia! I
am a native of Virginia Beach, Va., where I played football at Princess Anne
High School. Next year will be my last year with the program as I will be a
fifth-year senior.
I play all positions at the wide receiver spot, and I also long snap for our
punt team. I am double majoring here at the College in Economics and PMC
(Process Management & Consulting), with a concentration in
Entrepreneurship.
Spring 2010 football is underway. It is a good feeling getting back into the
swing of things as we prepare to make big gains and improve both as individuals
and as a team. From the end of last year's season, up until this point in
spring practice, the team has put in a lot of hard work with John "Rock" Sauer,
our Strength and Conditioning Coach. Players are excited to see their offseason
efforts convert to greater individual success on the practice field during these
next couple of weeks.
With two of our 15 total practices already completed, we have worked at an
extremely quick pace. Offensively, we have already installed our fundamental
pass and run packages. Our current focus is on player technique as we do endless
drills on stance, blocking, cuts, etc. Competition is always the underlying
theme of spring practice, as our offense and defense have already begun
scrimmaging at a "tag" tempo.
Last year was a historic season for the team as we finished 11-3 and made it to
the National Semifinals. We plan to build on that momentum entering next
season, and we know the first step on our journey is Spring Ball. Even with the
loss of many key players, we bring back experience on both sides of the ball
along with a talented young group ready to step up and prove they can be relied
on.
Check in often for more detailed updates, thank you for supporting Tribe
Football, and God Bless.
C. Hill #15
Wes Steinman - William and Mary
Linebacker
Hello all, #48 senior linebacker, Wes Steinman checking in. I am a Kinesiology
major, with an Economics minor from Wilmington, N.C. After falling short of a
national championship last fall, the Tribe is still looking to improve on a
great season.
As winter conditioning comes to a close, the guys are excited to get spring
ball underway. Going into my last spring ball, there are mixed emotions but
excitement nonetheless. Great strides were made during winter workouts, but
there is still a lot of work to be done to replace the talent lost.
Our first two practices were just in helmets, as they were conditioning and
installment oriented. With new faces in new positions, the guys are excited
about their opportunity to show what they can do. The defense is graduating a
lot of talent, including quite a few who are looking at potential futures in
the NFL, so we are looking for some players to step up and take on starting
roles this spring. Defensively, we seem to be pretty solid with assignments and
alignment but must continue to get better.
With five captains graduating, we're going to need new leaders to step up and
take ownership of this team. Monday will be the first day in pads, which is
sure to make things more interesting and competitive.
Check back in for updates on the progress of the 2010 tribe football team...GO
TRIBE!
Wes
Keith Hill, Jr. - William and Mary
Offensive Line
Hey y'all, my name's Keith Hill, Jr., No. 72, and I am fifth-year senior this
upcoming season from Hamilton Square, New Jersey.
This spring I will be finishing up my major in Kinesiology and plan to finish
my second degree in Sociology next year. I will be a three-year starter on the
offensive line for the Tribe at right tackle and hope teach some of these young
guns on the OL the ropes.
It's nice to finally get back into the swing of things for football in the
spring, since the semester is half over. I was excited for spring ball to start
since I was unfortunately unable to participate last spring due to a shoulder
injury. The first two practices on Friday and Saturday were helmet practices,
so the coaches could install our respective offensive and defensive strategies.
Now it sure wouldn't be spring ball if the O and D didn't face off on day 1;
even though we didn't have pads on, we still were out there competing against
each other and getting better every snap.
That's all I have for now folks, but be sure to check in real soon to hear
about Monday's practice when we strap on the pads and get down to business.
Yours truly, Keith
Ben Cottingham - William and Mary
Defensive Back
Tribe Faithful,
This is Ben Cottingham, senior cornerback No. 24, and I am happy to be blogging
with you all this spring. I'm from Edgewood, Maryland and am pursuing my
Master's of Education degree here at the College.
After last season's success, it is easy to say that we accomplished a lot as a
program and should be satisfied, but this spring we are looking to improve as a
team and accomplish everything that we missed out on last year. Being a member
of one of William and Mary's best defenses in the program's long and excellent
history was special, but an NCAA championship is what we all are tying to
accomplish. We are looking to take all of our progress to the next level. It
started this winter in the weight room, and we will continue to improve every
day on the practice field.
I'm excited to be a part of the 2010 Tribe football team, especially the
defense. We have a young and talented set of defensive backs. Our linebackers
are explosive playmakers, and the defensive line plays with great technique and
speed. It is going to be a competitive and intense spring season as we improve
daily.
Check back in for updates.
TRIBE ON THREE!