Caleb Troop

* April 30th  (10:20 pm)

I’ve always egocentrically considered myself a “man of the people” for Bobcats fans.  But on Wednesday night, I was humbled on the Ohio University campus.

I skipped work at “The SportsFan” and headed to the Journalism Day Awards Banquet at Baker Center.  There, I received the Dan Lowe Memorial Scholarship Award. 

For one of the first and probably last times as a journalist, I was speechless.  I’m honored.

In an attempt not to become too sappy about an award in the unimportant world that is sports journalism, it truly is awesome.  For every weeknight spent crunching Bubba Walther’s home and road three-point shooting percentages, for every Friday or Saturday night spent at a sporting event or in bed instead of partying on court street, for every hour-and-a-half road trip to broadcast a high school basketball game in the Ohio winter, for every annoying e-mail sent to mentor Tom Hodson seeking advice, for every nagging call to Tim O’Shea or a high school football coach, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I am pretty darn pleased.

Now, though, comes the hard part.  How does one say thank you to the Lowe Family and members of the Ohio University community for not only my award, but also for what Dan Lowe did for Ohio University Athletics?  As only a freshman, it’s hard to comprehend and truly admire the story of Lowe.  But I’ll try.

Meanwhile at the banquet, it was great to see other outstanding college-aged sports journalists like Steve Gartner (The Post), Garrett Downing (WOUB, The Athens NEWS) and Jamie Baker (WOUB) earn recognition.  I get a lot of kind (and unkind) words from ‘Cats fans, but those people do the hard work, too.  I’m just loud, and at times obnoxious, so the attention goes my way.  People know Jimmy Smith and I broke the Ryan Theis hiring on the radio, but how many realize it was Jamie Baker, not the Boston Herald, who reportedly broke the Sylvia Crawley story at WOUB earlier this week?

So for now I’ll try to write something to the Lowe family that truly says what I feel and how grateful I really am.  It will be hard, but not nearly as hard as it was for his family, friends and fellow Ohio Bobcats diehards to say good bye to a man who left us way too soon.

It’s an award that I accept as a challenge to get better as a sports journalist and broadcaster, and it’s an award that allows me to take a step back and smile.

Thanks.

 

If you have a Dan Lowe story you’d like to share, shoot me an e-mail or start a discussion on BobcatAttack.com.

For more information about the Dan Lowe Memorial Scholarship, visit http://ohiobobcats.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/011406aab.html.

 

 

* April 28^th

-  Back in Athens after a weekend on the west coast.

-  Sylvia Crawley will be the new head coach at Boston College.  You can’t blame Crawley at all.  She turned around a program in two seasons, and she is going to make a lot more money at BC.  The worst part for ‘Cats fans?  She is taking her whole staff with her.  The press conference is tomorrow.

-  And just like that Jim Schaus has a job opening to fill.

-  From reading the articles about the Green and White game like every other fan, a few things stand out.  You knew that Boo Jackson and Theo Scott would compete and compete well.  Too me that is irrelevant.  But what is exciting is that Matt Schulte and Paul Belany performed well under pressure for the first time.

-  Be sure to tune in to “The SportsFan” tonight.  Crawley, Landon Cohen, Kalvin McRae NFL Draft, and a lot more.  Remember, you can listen live online, and you can call us live on the air anytime.

-  MUCH MUCH MUCH more to come.  Stay tuned.

 

 

* April 23^rd

-  Jimmy and I are looking for game two video and/or audio footage of the Cleveland Cavaliers-Washington Wizards game on TNT.  Supposedly either Marv Albert or Reggie Miller said Wally Szczerbiak went to Miami of Ohio in Athens.  We’d love to get that clip!  Shoot me an e-mail if you can find a clip of it or you can verify that one of the two broadcasters said it.

-  Am I the only one who is starting to worry that this Bobcats football team is ridiculously hurt all over the place?

-  New Toledo basketball coach Gene Cross is making 280,000 annually.  I repeat: A new Toledo hoops coach is making more than Ohio’s A.D Jim Schaus.

-  Not to be picky, but Schaus, who starts work on Thursday, needs to get his word usage down right.  “I really want to create a vision of excellence at Ohio U., to take it to a higher level,” said Schaus in an article in The Charleston Daily Mail yesterday.  See page one in all of the media guides.

-  Some random national sports rifts:

-  Can Prince Fielder please get some baseball pants that fit him?

-  This may be because I’m reading “Moneyball” right now, but can we please stop saying that clubs with the lowest team batting average have ‘the worst offense in the league’?  Judge offenses by what matters—the amount of runs the team has scored per game compared to other teams.  (Example: The Chicago White Sox are 22^nd in team BA in the MLB, but are 5^th in runs scored despite being one of two teams to have only played 19 games.)

-  Good for the Chicago Bears.  Brian Urlacher signed a contract and should therefore play for that contract.

-  The New York Daily News reported yesterday that Billy Packer might be out at CBS.  Please, CBS, get Jay Bilas into your Final Four coverage.

 

 

* April 19^th

Jackson, Flintall Stand Out in Big Play Scrimmage

-  The ‘Cats were in action this afternoon for a 60-play scrimmage on a wet Peden Stadium turf.

-  There were tons of big plays by the offense, but keep in mind the unit was going against a banged up defense.  We also saw several penalties, but such is pretty typical for spring practice

-  Junior quarterback Boo Jackson was 5-7 for 116 yards and two TDs during the scrimmage.  Jackson threw a 72-yard touchdown to tight end Andrew Mooney and also threw an 11-yard fade to WR Robert Mercer (6-5, 198, Soph.) in the corner of the end zone. 

-  The 6-5 Mercer showed outstanding athleticism going up and grabbing the TD pass.

-  Quarterback Theo Scott went 4-6 for 51 yards, and looked good moving out of the pocket on multiple occasions.  Rounding out the QB numbers, Brandon Jones was 5-10 for 60 yards, and Brian Sweeney was 2-2 for 52 yards, including a 41-yard TD pass to senior fullback Jayson White.

-  In the backfield, Vince Davidson (5-11, 194, Soph.) got the starting nod and looked solid.  His eight rushes for 20 yards are a bit misleading.  But junior tailback L.J. Flintall was the most impressive.

-  While Flintall (5-10, 189) had a bad exchange with Jackson that resulted in a fumble early in the scrimmage, he finished with seven rushes for 84 yards, including a dazzling 57-yard TD run.  On the long run, Flintall quickly bounced it outside when he got to the secondary and really showed off his impressive speed.  Chris Garrett (5-8, 178, Jr.) had five rushes for 14 yards.  Redshirt freshman Donte Harden did not dress.

-  The ‘Cats had 13 different receivers catch a pass, but the tight ends led the way.  Mooney led the team with two catches for 99 yards, and David Carter had two catches for 30 yards.

-  Defensively, linebacker Michael Brown (6-3, 229, Sr.) looked impressive with five tackles.  Sophomore defensive end Alex Trouten (6-2, 253, Soph.) stood out with four tackles, including two sacks.

-  Sophomore linebacker Clevon Kirkland (6-2, 253, Soph.) led the team with six total tackles, and again we saw newly transformed DE Stafford Gatling (6-4, 225, Soph.) really look impressive.  Gatling had four tackles and a 14-yard sack.  DE Jameson Hartke (6-4, 265, Sr.) also had a sack during the scrimmage.

-  Defensive tackle Jacob Williamson (6-4, 266, Sr.) looked strong and pretty quick off the ball today.  He should be able to contribute consistently this season.

-  In the special teams department, both Barrett Way and Paul Belany split repetitions.  Way missed both of his 35-yard FG attempts early on, but came back and hit a 37-yard FG a bit later.  Belany hit one of his two 35-yard FG attempts and made his lone 37-yard attempt.

-  The starting offensive line looks to be pretty set right now.  Josh Leuck (6-4, 295, Sr.) and Mike Eynon (6-3, 305, Sr.) are locks as starters at LT and LG, respectively.  On the right side, Chris Rodgers (6-5, 288, Jr.) is at the tackle spot with Michael Philibin (6-4, 305, Soph.) at the guard position.  Right now David White (6-1, 294, Jr.) is atop the depth chart at center, but expect Tommy Stuck (6-2, 292, Sr.) to get plenty of repetitions there.

-  Philibin went down holding his knee late in the scrimmage.  Right now there is no further update on the extent of his injury.

-  Keep an eye on Rogers at RT.  He has a lot of talent and has showed impressive quickness, but he has the tendency to commit the false start.

-  The ‘Cats practiced from 9-10 am this morning to make up for the practiced they missed a few weeks ago.

 

* April 18th

-  O’Shea on new point guard Frankie Dobbs: “I’m very pleased that Frankie is going to join the Bobcat family.  He really is a very good prospect.  He’s got an understanding of the game.  He’s a coach’s son.  He’s certainly going to add to our strength at the point guard position.  My thought is he is going to compete for playing time (next season).”

-  Sophomore-to-be DeVaughn Washington is in a cast after recently breaking his pinkie finger.  O’Shea said Washington will be in that cast for a couple more weeks but expects a full recovery in plenty of time before next winter. “Actually he did it catching a football,” O’Shea said.  “So he’s got to stay away from football.”

-  Did You Know?  O’Shea’s nephew is Joe O’Shea from Burlington High School.  The younger O’Shea is a 6-5 shooting guard who recently became the first sophomore in Vermont state history to be named the Player of the Year.

-  A look at roster as it stands right now for the 2008-2009 basketball team:

Point Guards: Mike Allen (Sr.), Frankie Dobbs (Fr.)

Wings: Tommy Freeman (Soph.) Bert Whittington IV (Sr.), Justin Orr (Sr.), Steven Coleman (Fr), Mike Harris (R-Soph.), Asowyn Sawles (Jr.)

Forwards: Jerome Tillman (Sr.), Devaughn Washington (Soph.),  Maurice Pearson (R-Fr.)

Center: Kenneth van Kempen (Jr.), Zach Nagtzaam (R-Fr.)

 

 

* April 17^th

-  Things that make you say ‘Huh?!?!?’:  The Post columnist Justin Thompson compares a lawn mower to the new salary for Jim Schaus

-  On the flip side, The Athens Messenger reporter Jason Arkley produced a great read on senior WR Tyler Huffman two days ago.  Click Here to Read

-  Speaking on “The SportsFan” last night, new Ohio point guard Frankie Dobbs said his visit with Jim Kahler, executive director of the Sports and Administration program at OU, had a big impact on his decision.

-  A late spring practice note: linebacker Kyle Robbins had his cast off at times yesterday and took repetitions long snapping during punting drills.  Robbins’ performance made it clear that, if healthy, he is the man for the duty.

-  “The SportsFan” co-host Jimmy Smith asked ‘Cats tailback Chris Garrett what advice he would give to kids trying to increase their speed, to which the always entertaining Garrett responded:  “When I was a kid in upstate New York, I just chased squirrels because those are the hardest things to catch…I’m not trying to say go out there and run against dogs and chase squirrels, but that’s what I did, and it kind of helped me out.”  Thank you, Chris.

-  Sticking with football, the “Biggest Bobcat Award” is in a tight spring practice battle:  Sophomore offensive linemen George Batsakes (6-6, 324) and Cole Bunner (6-5, 326) lead the race, with DL Marcellis Williamson (6-4, 330) and Redshirt freshman Marcus O’Hara (6-6, 325) not too far behind.  It should go down to the wire, but I’ll give the edge to Williamson, who somehow “managed” to “reportedly” grow three inches since last fall.

-  Speaking of the height and weight statistics, LaVon Brazill has gone from 5-10, 172 pounds last season, to 5-11, 189 this season.

-  In case you missed it from The Wichita Eagle: A Jim Schaus Timeline

 

 

* April 16^th

Dobbs Lands at Ohio

 

(Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Ohio University basketball head coach Tim O’Shea has filled his last roster spot for the 2008-2009 team by signing point guard Frankie Dobbs.  The St. Edward’s High School product committed to the Bobcats late Monday night after a weekend visit in Athens.  He chose the Bobcats over Bowling Green and Colgate.

“I took my official last weekend, and I had a good feel for the campus,” said Dobbs. “The players and the coaches and everything were great.”

Dobbs was a standout in his senior season for the Eagles (22-5), who lost to Newark H.S. in the Ohio Division I state championship.  He averaged 10 points, nine assists and four rebounds per game this season under head coach Eric Flannery.

Today marks the first day high school seniors can sign letters of intent for basketball at colleges and universities nationwide.  Dobbs said he has yet to officially sign his LOI. 

O’Shea cannot comment on the commitment until it has been finalized.

Dobbs reportedly carries an impressive 3.6 GPA in high school.  Along with basketball aspect, he said he was impressed with the academic side of OU as well.

“I’m really interested in the sports management program that at Ohio University, too,” Dobbs added.

Dobbs has strong family ties in college basketball.  His father, Frank “Happy” Dobbs, was a guard at Villanova in the early ‘80’s.  The elder Dobbs has had several stints in college coaching as well.  He was the head coach at Brown University for nine seasons (1991-1999).  He currently serves as the assistant Athletic Director and assistant basketball coach at St. Edward’s.

The new Ohio Bobcats guard will be a guest on “The SportsFan” tonight on 970 WATH-AM in Athens.  You can listen live online for free at Athensi.com or by clicking on this link.

 

* April 14^th

Spring Football Notes:

-  Today was the grumpiest practice so far as two small tussles broke out.

-  QB Theo Scott and DT Jacob Williamson had to be broken up during the middle of practice after one play today.  Williamson got a piece of Scott’s face mask during a drill.  After Scott was tackled at the end of the play, he threw the football at the head of Williamson, who then turned around and punched the junior quarterback.  Both immediately were told to run laps by head coach Frank Solich.

-  WR LaVon Brazill, who has always been the loudest, most prophetic trash talker throughout spring practices, got into a shouting and shoving match with CB Mark Parson a little bit later.  Solich stopped and addressed the team as a whole after the second altercation.

-  Long snappers Mark Truesdell and A.J. Oxley again had poor performances during punting drills.  LB Kyle Robbins has yet to take long snapping reps thanks to the huge cast on his arm.  The position remains a huge question mark.

-  Walk-on WR Adedipe Adetunji (6-4, 212) is a huge target for Bobcats quarterbacks and has looked good in route running drills.  Fellow walk-on wide out Paul Hershey (6-3, 180) has looked solid as well.

-  Kickers Barrett Way and Paul Belany were for the most part on target during field goal repetitions today from about 30 yards out.

 

 

* April 14^th

-  St. Edward’s High School point guard Frankie Dobbs enjoyed his weekend visit to Ohio University.  “It went very well,” said Dobbs’ father, Happy Dobbs. “He enjoyed the trip.  They put an offer out there to him.”

-  So what’s next for Dobbs?  According to Happy, his son will take the next 24 to 48 hours to weigh both Colgate and Ohio.  Dobbs is not worried about the basketball atmosphere at the two schools, but is looking at academics.  While Colgate is a strong Patriot League school, Dobbs enjoyed his look at the business school while in Athens.

-  Dobbs could decide to hold his decision and make an official visit to Bowling Green, too.

-  Stay tuned to TroopSports.com over the next few days for an update this developing situation.

-  Check out my column in this morning’s Athens NEWS.

 

* April 13th

-  Breaking: OU, Solich close to three-year extension

-  Kirby Hocutt had plenty of good things to say about incoming Director of Athletics Jim Schaus in a recent interview with the departing A.D. at Ohio. “I’m sure that he will lead Ohio University to sound footing,” said Hocutt. “I did have a chance to visit with Jim the day after the press conference…It was a very good conversation.  I wished him well.  He has been in this business for a long time.  He’ll do a great job.  I believe he’ll be a great fit for this athletic department and this community.  I couldn’t be happier for him or for Ohio.”

-  You can hear plenty more of Hocutt’s candid comments in tomorrow’s Athens NEWS.

 

* April 9th

Dobbs Set to Visit Ohio

 

St. Edward’s High School point guard Frankie Dobbs (6-3, 185) will take an official visit to Ohio University this weekend, TroopSports.com has learned.  “He’s just taking a look to see where he fits in right now with these programs,” said Dobbs’ father, Franklin “Happy” Dobbs.

            Dobbs currently has offers from Colgate and Bowling Green.  He took an official visit to Colgate before the basketball season but has yet to take an official to BGSU.

Dobbs’ Eagles (22-5) lost to Newark High School in the Ohio Division I state championship game last month, 65-52.  Dobbs led his team with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists in the title game defeat.  According to his father, Dobbs averaged roughly 10 ppg, 9 apg, and 4 rbg in his senior campaign under head coach Eric Flannery.

Dobbs appears to be wide open in his college search.  His father said he wanted to wait until the season had completed before his son began to really start looking at schools. Dobbs is reportedly a standout student in the classroom with a 3.6 GPA.

The elder Dobbs has a long history in college basketball.  Currently he is the assistant A.D. at St. Edward’s.  He coached eight seasons at Brown University (1991-1999).

St. Edward’s was loaded with some of the top talent in the state this season.  Two of Dobbs’ teammates are already headed to division I programs next season.  Rivals.com five-star recruit Delvon Roe (6-7, 215) is ranked as the 14th best recruit in the nation and has signed with Michigan State.  He missed the entire season due to knee surgery.  Three-star recruit Tom Pritchard (6-8, 240) was another member of the Eagles squad this season.  He has signed with Indiana University.

-  In football news, Ohio Bobcats senior safety Kendal Moore has quit the team.

 

* April 8^th

O’Shea Tries to Appease Coaching Rumors

-  More Tim O’Shea coaching rumors surface every day, which means more phone calls have to be made to the Ohio University head coach. 

In a conversation with the Bobcats leader this morning, O’Shea said, “The only job I want to talk about is the one I have,” adding, “You don’t apply for jobs.  People call you and say they’d like to talk to you…Way too much is being made of it.”

O’Shea sounded eager to clear his name after reading all of the recent reports.  “I have never applied for a job since I have been at Ohio…I haven’t sought any interviews.  People have reached out and said they wanted to talk to me.”

The coach made it clear that he is very happy at Ohio.  He said he realizes the weekend at the Final Four is one big rumor mill.  The added fact that Brown head coach Craig Robinson accepted the same position at Oregon State and Virginia head coach Dave Leitao dispelled any rumors will only make his name resurface more and more.

“My main concern is doing a good job recruiting with the scholarship we have remaining.”

 

 

* April 7^th

-  A busy day in Ohio University Athletics, and an exciting day, too.

-  Jimmy and I are scheduled to have new Director of Athletics Jim Schaus on “The SportsFan” tomorrow night at 6:06.  The live internet feed has been cleaned up a bit, or you can listen to the podcast afterwards.  If you have a question for Schaus that you’d like us to ask him, send us an e-mail.

-  I’ll hopefully have more insight and opinion about Schaus in Thursday’s Athens NEWS.  I do think he is a great hire.  His record and background as an A.D. speaks for itself.  The fact that he turned a budget deficit at Wichita State to a $1.4 million surplus is astonishing.

-  That said, a few thoughts immediately are raised with his hire.

-  First off, is the move from WSU in the Missouri Valley Conference to Ohio University in the MAC—two programs with roughly the same budget—really a step up for him?  We will find out soon, but I imagine his salary will not change much.

-  One of the reasons for Schaus’ move was to get closer to his ailing father, Fred, who lives in West Virginia.  But if the desire was to “come home” it is a legitimate point to question his interest in the New Mexico A.D. job in 2006.

-  Although he did not list any names, Schaus said he is good friends with six of the AD’s around the MAC.

-  Schaus hinted at a five-year strategic plan to eliminate the deficit in the athletic department.  He also noted that his past experience at Northern Illinois—a small market with a larger market in Chicago close by—is comparable to what he will face in Athens, Ohio.

-  Schaus discussed the importance of getting radio and TV games into the Columbus area.  I completely agree.  I realize it is not easy, but there was no excuse not to have a radio affiliate in the Columbus market this year.

-  Schaus also said that he might try to get a few of his children (Kevin, age 20; Diane, age 18; and Laura, age 16) to become members of the Ohio University community.

-  Of all the smiling photos taken at today’s press conference, who decided that the one on the main page of OhioBobcats.com was the best?

-  Also, today’s news cannot be good news for head basketball coach Tim O’Shea.  With Schaus’ background in a basketball rich MVC, you would think the connections would be strong.  O’Shea has to know this, and look for him to pounce on any job offer he gets.

-  I spoke with O’Shea earlier this evening as he was headed back to Athens from San Antonio. “I’ve got nothing to report,” O’Shea said in a message. “There really is nothing going on at the moment.”

-  Not much to report from practice number four at Peden Stadium today either.  Defensive lineman Marcellis Williamson was helped off the field after a leg injury, although it did not look serious.

-  Walk-on long snapper Mark Truesdell did not look very good.

-  On the flip side, RB Chris Garrett looked, well, fast, in punt return drills.  The ‘Cats need him to become a threat again in the return game.

-  WR LaVon Brazill repeatedly opened some eyes in one-on-one passing drills against the cornerbacks. 

-  Additionally, WR Taylor Price went up and snagged in an impressive mid-air grab over standout CB Mark Parson in one-on-one drills.

-  Sticking with the wide outs, it’s a nice thought to have a target as big as 6-5, 200-pound sophomore Robert Mercer.  Mercer could emerge as a number three or four option in the passing game if he continues to develop.

-  More to come. Send the e-mails for Schaus.

 

 

* April 7th

-  Ohio University will name Jim Schaus the new Director of Athletics at a 3 p.m press conference in Athens today.

-  The Post reported this morning that Witchita State A.D. Jim Shaus is on campus today.

* April 5^th

Notes from Spring Practice:

-  The ‘Cats were in full pads for the first time today.

-  DE Conor Reilly went down nursing his left leg in practice today.  While he did return after being helped off the field, it does not look too serious.

-  Speaking of defensive ends, Curtis Meyers (6-2, 243) looked very good off the ball in scrimmage work today.  He beat several different right tackles during drills, and was all over the quarterback.

-  Punter Justin Wolf had a 28 yard shank of a punt that drew the ire of the coaches.  Matt Schulte was again punting around 35-40 yards constantly.

-  Kickers Paul Belany and Barrett Way took plenty of field goal repetitions from roughly 37 yards away.  There was not a big disparity between the two.  Freshman Matt Weller will add to the competition when he arrives next fall.

-  The most memorable moment of the day was at the end of practice during an 11-on-11 full contact drill.  Walk-on Scott Starkey came from his safety position to level TE Zac Clark.  Unfortunately, Clark was injured on the play and carted off of the field.

-  DE Ernie Hodge is reportedly sitting at around 295 pounds right now.

-  WR Riley Dunlop looked strong in the open field today.

-  I spoke with LB Lee Renfro and defensive coordinator Jimmy Burrow after practice today for my column in The Athens NEWS on Monday.

-  Safety Steven Jackson appears to be the front runner at this point to start opposite Michael Mitchell.  But the more practice JUCO transfers Hilton Dawson and Patrick Tafua receive, the closer that gap will become.

-  LB Noah Keller, QB Josh Febus, DE Eric Kenkel, and LB Jordan Meyers were held out of practice today, among others.

-  So at the end of week one, Theo Scott looks like your starting quarterback.  I’d put L.J. Flintall, Chris Garrett, and Vince Davidson on the top of the depth chart, in no particular order.  Again, it is hard to replace a Kalvin McRae, but this core looks pretty doggone strong right now.

 

* April 4^th

Notes from Spring Practice:

-  Not too much to report today with the ‘Cats in shorts and jerseys.

-  QB Theo Scott looked solid again.  He connected well with WR LaVon Brazill during 11-on-11 drills.

-  CB Mark Parson picked off a Boo Jackson pass during 11-on-11 drills that sent the secondary into a frenzy.

-  Head coach Frank Solich got extremely agitated at his defense today after Scott was knocked to the ground during a non-contact 11-on-11 drill.  Solich was not very happy his defensive linemen did not hold up on Scott.

-  There was not much of a disparity in the punting game from the few punts I witnessed.  Justin Wolf and Matt Schulte had some 30-40 yard punts into the wind.  It looks like this competition will play out all the way to fall practice.

-  For the second consecutive practice the long snappers did not look comfortable.  A.J. Oxley, Chris Miller and Kyle Robbins traded off repetitions.  Even backup quarterback Miles Schlichter was testing his long snapping skills on the sidelines.

-  Hilton Dawson III worked out today.  Josh Febus was again in street clothes.  He was practicing his playbook and his drop steps, which could put to death the position switch rumors.  Why he thinks he can compete at quarterback is beyond me.

-  I spoke with Boo Jackson on “The SportsFan” today.  You can find a link on the show’s page.

-  The ‘Cats go to full pads on Saturday.

-  A recruit was in the house taking in a practice today.

-  In an unrelated note, ‘Cats hoops coach Tim O’Shea did not return multiple phone calls today.

 

 

* April 3rd

-  I mentioned the following on “The SportsFan” tonight and I will reiterate it here.  Again, if you are a huge Ohio Bobcats fan, there is no reason not to tune in to the show or listen to the podcast.  Not that I am biased or anything.

-  While in San Antonio for the Final Four, Tim O’Shea said that he has not been contacted by any school regarding head coaching positions.  He did admit that he has heard all of the publicized rumors, but says he is not looking to go anywhere and that he is happy in Athens.

-  As for O’Shea’s Final Four predictions?  He thinks Kansas will cut down the nets.  O’Shea joked that a KU championship would make that 37-point loss to the Jayhawks earlier this season a bit easier to accept.

-  The search for the new Director of Athletics is starting to quicken.  Stay tuned to TroopSports.com for any breaking news over the next few weeks.

 

* April 2nd (7:15 pm)

Notes from Spring Practice:

-  WR LaVon Brazill (5-10, 172) looked good not only returning a few punts, but in a new jersey number as well.  The 5-10 sophomore receiver wore number seven today, a change from his #88 from last season.

-  Unexpectedly, senior safety Michael Mitchell dressed out and practiced today.

-  A tight battle between sophomore Matt Schulte and transfer Justin Wolf is expected at the punting position.  Both had a fair day—some great punts and some bad punts.  Time will tell on that front.

-  DT Ernie Hodge (6-2, 271 Soph.) practiced alongside fellow tackle Jacob Williamson (6-4, 283 Sr.) on the first team defensive line.  Both of them look near 300 pounds.

-  Transfer safety Hilton Dawson (5-11, 215 Jr.) dressed, but did not participate in full drills work.  Safety Patrick Tafua (6-0, 190 Jr.) did dress out and wore number 20.

-  Kalvin McRae was in attendance.

-  The ‘Cats are still looking for a new long snapper after Ryan Senser graduated. Plenty of athletes got looks today at that spot.

-  In our interview on “The SportsFan” earlier tonight, QB Theo Scott said he primarily worked on his mental game in the off-season.  He had plenty of good things to say.  It’s worth a listen.

-  Between Chris Garrett, L.J. Flintall, Donte Harden and Vince Davidson one thing was clear in practice today—the ‘Cats have a ton of speed in the backfield this season.  Wow.

-  Center David White (6-1, 290 Jr.), left guard Mike Eynon (6-3, 290 Sr.), left tackle Josh Lueck (6-3, 290 Sr.) all worked on the first team Offensive line today as expected.  The two voids on the O-line are on the right side as the ‘Cats look to replace RG Matt Miller and RT David Shelby to graduation.  Michael Phillibin (6-4, 302 soph.) and Chris Rodgers (6-5, 289 Jr.) worked on the first team at RG and RT, respectively.

-  In 7-on-7 drills late in practice the defense looked fired up and a bit ahead of the offense.

-  As for the quarterbacks: Josh Febus was in street clothes.  Theo Scott got the most reps with the first team offense in 7-on-7 drills and 11-on-11 drills today.  In a purely opinionated statement, he looked like the starting quarterback today.  It is only one day, but Boo Jackson did was not completely accurate in all of his throws and his decision making was a bit questionable.  But again, it was one practice.  Give him time.

 

* April 2^nd

-  Breaking News: Ohio Volleyball loses one of two recruits

-  How good of a message would it send to Ryan Theis and the rest of the volleyball program if a strong contingency of fans showed up to the scrimmage at The Convo on Saturday morning?  Hopefully the Bobcat faithful can get it done.

-  Ohio University media relations director Jason Corriher said he plans to produce a post-spring recap instead of a spring prospectus for the football team.

-  Frank Solich’s squad will practice on the Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday of each week leading up to the Saturday, April 26^th spring game.  Ohio will make up the one practice that they lost yesterday due to Solich’s A.D. search committee scheduling conflict on the Monday after the spring game.  Teams are allotted 15 spring practices.

-  Solich’s scheduling conflict and the two day delay of the start of spring practice will benefit the ‘Cats.  Instead of getting back to work on the first day of classes—typically a hectic day for a students—the players will have had time to adjust to new class schedules and campus life before heading back onto the gridiron.

-  More to come.

Filed under: 2008 Bobcat Blog, April '08 Blog Notes |