MTNEER1 10 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 A Spring Thing By John Antonik for MSNsportsNET.com April 18, 2008 PHOTO GALLERY MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The offense West Virginia displayed on Saturday afternoon during the Gold-Blue Spring Game was the one Mountaineer fans have become accustomed to seeing. Jock Sanders catches a pass during Saturday's Gold-Blue Spring Game at Milan Puskar Stadium. An estimated crowd of 18,000 attended today's scrimmage. All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo After having the defense get the best of it in a pair of weekend scrimmages earlier this spring, the offense piled up 336 yards of total offense, had 20 first downs, scored three touchdowns and converted six field goals during Saturday’s 80-play controlled scrimmage. “That was a pretty special performance,†said West Virginia coach Bill Stewart. “We had a couple of holds which I hated to see that and we have to learn get better blocking, tackling, hitting and hustle.†The first and second offensive units took turns operating from different parts of the football field in different down and yardage situations. “That was situational football that we will face throughout the season,†said Stewart. “You can’t wait to practice that.†Quarterbacks Patrick White and Jarrett Brown were particularly efficient, completing a combined 22 of 31 passes for 198 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Brown found Kendall Washington for a 4-yard touchdown with the second group to begin the scoring. Later, Patrick White hooked up with Bradley Starks for a 4-yard score. Brown tacked on an 8-yard TD run for the final TD of the scrimmage. White was 12 of 16 for 133 yards while Brown completed 10 of 15 passes for 65 yards. Third-team quarterback Charlie Russell was 2 of 4 for 7 yards. Brandon Hogan led all receivers with 6 catches for 49 yards while Jock Sanders added 5 catches for 71 yards. Starks, a converted quarterback, finished the scrimmage with 3 catches for 41 yards including a pretty 23-yard catch and run. “As far as helping the team out I’d rather be there than sitting on the bench in two years,†Starks said. “Going from the QB room to the wide receiver room is really no different. It’s just the style of play is more aggressive than what you would see at quarterback.†Mike Poitier led all ball carriers with 54 yards on 17 carries working with the second group. Noel Devine had 6 carries for 33 yards. Six Mountaineer rushers accounted for 131 yards on 45 carries. “We didn’t do a lot of motion and movement out there because there were a lot of films out there,†Stewart said. “We didn’t want the whole world seeing our new attack.†Defensively, Najee Goode led all tacklers with 10 stops. Safety Derek Knight had six tackles while five different players had five stops each. Sacks were recorded by Joe Rhein (two), Sidney Glover, Ovid Goulbourne, Julian Miller and J.T. Thomas (one each). Quarterbacks wore black jerseys (no contact). Linebacker Pat Lazear had the only interception of the scrimmage, picking off a White pass in the end zone. “That was the only bad decision Pat White made all day,†said Stewart. “It slipped right through my hands and into my legs,†said Lazear. “I just clenched it so I got lucky.†The offense was flagged six times for 56 yards while the defense had three penalties for 37 yards. “The twos frustrated me,†said Stewart. “We had a motion; we had a lineman jump and we had to use three timeouts and that frustrated me. We got those guys settled down and then they did fine.†Pat McAfee converted field goals of 47, 24, 34 and 39 yards. Chris Glenn (39) and Ben Rios (30) also made field goals. “Pat McAfee is a true weapon. He’s special,†said Stewart. “If there is a better kicker/punter in the country I’d like to hear about it.†The defense was credited with 15 points based on turnovers, three-and-out possessions and drive stops. “The defense kept it base,†said Stewart. “They brought some pressure and they got to us with the corner blitz. They got to us with the strong safety blitz and that was good to see,†said Stewart. “There’s a lot of skill out there. We’ve got to pray and knock on wood that we don’t get anybody injured between now and fall camp,†Stewart said. An estimated crowd of 18,000 attended today’s scrimmage representing the second largest attendance ever for a spring game. Scoring Summary Gold – McAfee 47 FG Gold – McAfee 24 FG Gold – Washington 4 pass from Brown (McAfee kick) Gold – McAfee 34 FG Gold – McAfee 39 FG Gold – Glenn 39 FG Gold – Starks 4 pass from White (McAfee kick) Gold – Rios 30 FG Gold – Brown 8 run (White pass failed) Scrimmage Statistics Rushing – Poitier 17-55, Devine 6-33, White 6-15, Sanders 4-12, Johnson 3-12, McCloskey 6-minus 1, Total 45-131. Passing – White 12-16-1-133-1, Brown 10-15-0-65-1, Russell 2-4-0-7-0, Total 24-35-1-205-2. Receiving – Hogan 6-49, Sanders 5-71, Starks 3-41, Poitier 2-8, Crow 2-5, Jalloh 1-10, McCloskey 1-7, Arnett 1-5, Gonzales 1-4, Washington 1-4, Devine 1-1, Total Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTNEER1 10 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 Mountaineer fans....your thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JJBrickface Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 It was a beautiful day at Mountaineer Field. The set up of the game was different from years past. The team did a lot of game situation stuff to get ready. Bradley Starks looked really good at receiver and our defense looked pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTNEER1 10 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 Nice! I was hoping starks would get onto the field somewhere. He is too good of an athlete to ride the pine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefieldRocks 14 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 I've been talking about starks ever since he decided to come and play for WVU. that kid has some skill! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTNEER1 10 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 It seems as if he has found a home at WR.....seems he's been giving the secondary some fits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhs7695 185 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 A nice article for the WVU fans..... http://www.winchesterstar.com/article_details.php?ArticleID=6026 And... More on the Kevin Freeland story I would like to tell you the story of a very courageous young man and several other young men that made his dream come true. I am a teacher at James Wood High School, and several years ago I was approached by a student in the hallway who was very excited because I was wearing a WVU jacket. His name is Kevin Freeland, and Kevin is not an ordinary young man. He has the courage of a soldier, the compassion of a nurse, the innocence of child at their first Christmas, a love of WVU football like a seasoned Mountaineer, and the faith of a minister. Kevin also has an inoperable brain tumor that threatens his young life. In the past 5 years he has had 29 surgeries. At times he has had to learn how to walk, speak, and eat all over again. Complications from the tumor have also caused Kevin to need a tracheotomy to help him breath. More than once Kevin’s gentle spirit and positive disposition has been the topic of conversation in the teacher’s lounge. Many of us have tried to make Kevin’s dream of meeting the WVU football team come true. A colleague of mine, Bruce Fowler, was able to make that happen. Bruce attends church with the parents of Nate Sowers, and Nate made it possible for Kevin’s dream to come true on April 11, 2008.. I was lucky enough to be invited to come along, and the entire experience was one that I will cherish for all of my life. Mike Kerin welcomed us to the practice facility around 4:00 in the afternoon. As we walked through the doors of the practice facility, Kevin had to literally be held in the standing position because his knees were shaking so badly. As we watched the team practice, Kevin, was awestruck. He was screaming for Pat White, almost passed out when he realized that the person he had just bumped into was in-fact Noel Divine, and sat in awe as he watched his idols play. During this time, Reed Williams came to the sidelines to talk to Kevin, take pictures, and welcome Kevin to the practice. At the end of the grueling practice, although the exhaustion was evident on the faces of the players, one by one they filed off the field, and instead of heading to the much anticipated showers and rest of the locker-room, they crowded around Kevin, welcoming him into their fold. I was afraid that Kevin would literally pass out. The pure innocence and ecstasy of his face is something that I will never forget. The players treated him as if he were a member of the team. Each one let Kevin hug them, signed autographs, laughed with him, and made the day so amazingly special, that it brought tears to many eyes. Patiently waiting at the back of the pack, was Patrick White. When Kevin met our humble quarterback, he screamed and fell to the Astroturf. I thought he had passed out, but he was mimicking the motions of a worshiping an idol. Though slightly taken off guard, Pat handled it all in stride. He treated Kevin as if he were an old friend. He patiently chatted with one of Kevin’s friends via cell phone, he let Kevin hug him again and again, and spent over half an hour talking with all of us. He made Kevin’s dreams come true. The most touching moment of the afternoon was when once again, Kevin got to his knees to do the 'We’re not worthy', and Pat White returned the gesture and said 'No, Kevin, you are my hero'. Bill Stewart also spent several minutes of his precious time with Kevin and his family. When I told him how impressed I was with the team’s willingness to make Kevin’s day so special he replied, 'I am not raising young athletes, I am raising young men'. Truly this team is full of men who possess not just great athletic ability, but hearts and moral fiber that commands recognition. From the depth of my heart, I would like to thank Mike Kerin, Nate Sowers, Reed Williams, Pat White, Bill Stewart, and all of the WVU football team who made this young man’s dream come true. They have no idea how giving of a little of their time made a world of difference to Kevin. I would also like for all of West Virginia to know what an amazing group of young men we have representing our state, and what a classy gentleman we have leading them. PS. I have sent this to the Dominion Post, WV Gazette, The Journal, Times WV, I want to get the word out what great men we have playing for us. Please spread the story and the word. I have been told that this letter will also be printed in the upcoming Blue and Gold News. Sincerely, Karen M. Kile-Carr Resident of Martinsburg, WV Teacher of Mathematics at James Wood High School. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JJBrickface Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Thanks for the story. It was very good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vthokies4life 10 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Yep. Great story. It's awesome to see guys that work as hard as football players take time out for that kid. Move over Henry, Jones, and Vick brothers. Here come some good guys, some good role models to take your spots in the public eye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbgfan 856 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Thanks for sharing this uplifting story with us. May these young athletes lives be impacted by Kevin's life as much as he is by theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhs7695 185 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 It's rare that good stories come out involving players these days. Most of the stories you hear about involving players are about their troubles on or off the playing field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvuraiders 10 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 I agree with all comments on this story, nice read thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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