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02-21-2010, 02:45 PM
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#51 | ||
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Kooistra is looking like an absolute stud. Looks like you made the right play in redshirting him his first year. Was he Indiana All-State his senior year in high school?
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-21-2010, 03:05 PM
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#52 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 4, 2006
We had a bye week, but that didn't mean it was an uneventful week. Two of our starters broke team rules, and I suspended them. Quarterback Josh Roaf and cornerback Mitch Clark will have the rest of the season to think about whether or not they're willing to do what it takes to be an active part of our football program. The NCAA will not become involved, but their offenses were serious enough that I took action. I hated to do it, because both Josh and Mitch have been playing well, but there are some things more important than winning. I think the rest of the team has responded well to my decision; they knew the guilty players deliberately chose to do the wrong thing and understand why that can't be tolerated. Deon Scribner will be our new starting quarterback. I'm confident that Deon can step up and lead the team. True freshman Robbie Nobles will start in Mitch's place at corner, and I have a lot of faith in his ability, too. These are the hardest moments for me as a coach. Josh and Mitch are good guys, and I hope they'll learn from this experience. Recruiting Update Still quiet. It's about time for the nation's top players to make their decisions, and this year, we've got a greater interest in some of those decisions. |
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02-21-2010, 03:16 PM
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#53 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Quote:
Kooistra did make All-State as a high school senior. I was surprised he wasn't more heavily recruited by the Big Ten and by Notre Dame, because he's also an aspiring attorney with a 3.88 GPA. Several times last year, I came close to pulling Blaine's redshirt when I saw that Jake Barton's turf toe wasn't going to get better. I had already used Randall Gillespie, another true freshman, so I really wanted to let Kooistra redshirt. It worked out well, because Gillespie was just fine, and I got some good production from Devin Tippett. Thanks for the comment, Izulde. It's good to see that people are following along. |
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02-21-2010, 03:48 PM
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#54 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 5, 2006
#29 Kent State (2-0) at #86 Northern Illinois (1-2) TV4 Code:
I honestly wasn't surprised that, after the week we had, we didn't go out to Northern Illinois and beat them. They're a very good football team, and I knew we'd have to be at our best to win. For several reasons, we were not at our best. Our offense is going to have to get used to having Deon Scribner at the controls. Deon is an extremely athletic, versatile quarterback who can do a lot of things well. He'll run the ball more than Josh Roaf did; Josh is more of a traditional drop-back passer. Deon completed 12 of 28 passes today and threw two picks, but he also hit Albert Guenther for two TDs. Guenther has had two good receiving games in a row. Blaine Kooistra picked up another 86 yards on 18 carries, and he's now third in the entire NCAA in rushing. He's developing into a threat in our passing game, too; he caught four passes today. And, as usual, it seemed that Adrian Castillo was all over the field: 12 tackles and another interception. I hope he draws some All-American attention this year, because I think he's that good a player. We're through with our on-again, off-again cycle, which might actually help us by putting us into a more predictable, "normal" routine. We need to snap back quickly from this loss, because the conference season has begun. Incidentally, their placekicker, Roger Karamazov, is pretty good. I wonder if he has a brother...  Recruiting Update We learned today that eight of the nationally-ranked players we had recruited signed with other, more prestigious schools. Among them was Wes Gray, who ended up deciding to stay in-state and signed with Louisville. That goes to show that attracting the attention of top players and actually signing them are two very different things. We're still awaiting our first official visit. I'll keep working the phones, making visits, and looking for players who fit our system and our overall goals for the program. Kent State's record: 2-1, 0-1 in MAC play. Last edited by Big Six : 02-25-2010 at 10:59 AM. |
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02-21-2010, 04:15 PM
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#55 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 6, 2007
#70 Buffalo (1-1, 0-0) at #53 Kent State (2-1, 0-1) Code:
We bounced back with an exciting, close win against Buffalo, largely because we have Blaine Kooistra on our team. Blaine caught two TD passes from Deon Scribner and raced 71 yards for another score. The Bulls had to account for him on every play and, even knowing we'd rely on him heavily, he rushed for 199 more yards on 24 carries. Blaine now averages 16 yards per game, which ranks second in all of Division I. The leader, Dennis Duran of UCLA, averages 163.3. We did a lot of things right that didn't involve Kooistra, however. Scribner looked a lot more comfortable this week, completing 16 of 29 passes. He threw three interceptions, which means he still has to work on making good decisions. We'll be patient with him, because we think he has the chance to be a very good quarterback. We got four picks ourselves, including three by Eugene Babin. He brought the crowd to its feet by taking the first one 88 yards to the house. Adrian Castillo got the other one, and added 10 more tackles. It was great to win a close one in front of a big, enthusiastic crowd. Let's hope it's the beginning of a trend. Recruiting Update We learned that we have a player visiting us this week: TE Tommy Nikolaiszyn from nearby Brooklyn, OH. Tommy is the #78 player at his position in the country, #59 on the Ohio Top 100 list, and the #3 TE in the state. He's big and strong--6'4", 222 pounds--and has the ability to catch the ball in traffic. Many of the players we've been looking at are visiting other schools this week, which isn't a good sign. Hopefully we can get back in the running for some of these guys. Otherwise, we'll look at some other options. |
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02-21-2010, 06:33 PM
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#56 |
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n00b
Join Date: Sep 2009
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dang didn't expect roaf to get in trouble you were doing so well to
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02-21-2010, 07:02 PM
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#57 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Quote:
I didn't expect it either. I remember him having a "Very Good" attitude when I recruited him. He was a slacker in the classroom his first year, but I didn't see the team rules violation coming. He'll probably get pissed and transfer out of the program next year because I suspended him, but I've learned that the alternative--not suspending him and having a bunch of his teammates get pissed because I was too gutless to enforce my rules--is usually worse. Thanks for the comment, kobe360x. Keep following! |
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02-21-2010, 07:35 PM
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#58 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 7, 2006
#52 Kent State (3-1, 1-1) at #92 Ohio (1-3, 1-0) Code:
On a rainy, messy day down in Athens, nobody could stop anybody else, and the result was a shootout; we came out on the losing end. Ohio scored an early TD, and their kicker put the kickoff deep in our end zone. I screamed at Adrian Castillo not to bring it out, but he did anyway...and ran it back 108 yards for a touchdown. He broke the Mid-American Conference record for the longest kickoff return, and demonstrated once again why I think he's the best football player in the league. Oh, Adrian made 19 tackles, too. I should probably mention that.  We lost two wideouts to injuries this week: starter Darrin Wampus and reserve Everett Hanson. We pulled the redshirt off Jackie Bosworth, started him, and watched him catch four passes for 118 yards and a score. QB Deon Scribner went 15-27 for 245 yards, and his backup, Roderick Lake, completed two of three and threw a TD pass. We only threw one interception, which was much better. Blaine Kooistra was held to "only" 119 yards. We'll take that any day. There's not much good to say about the defense this week. There usually isn't when you allow 49 points. Recruiting Update No commitments yet, but a whole busload of players are visiting this week: QB Desmond Gonzalez QB Junior Sheehan RB Ralph Monroe WR Skip Butler WR Les Posavec C J.J. Perry G Dan Nussbaum T Brandon Blackburn DT Harris Seamster OLB Cole Wistrom OLB Neal Hawkins CB Will Pierce S Neil Farr All but three of these players are ranked among the top 400 players in the nation, so we're still aiming high. They won't all sign with us, but perhaps some of them will. And, as guys drop off our list, new guys are added. Kent State's record: 3-2, 1-2 in MAC play. Last edited by Big Six : 02-22-2010 at 02:21 PM. |
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02-22-2010, 04:41 PM
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#59 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 8, 2006
#109 Western Michigan (1-4, 1-2) at #56 Kent State (3-2, 1-2) Code:
Boy, did we give the fans their money's worth today! This was a very well-played football game for four quarters, and then some. Neither team made many mistakes, and both teams made some great plays, both on offense and defense. Oliver Weaver, a WMU senior who has been of the best kickers in our conference for three years, hit a long field goal in the clutch to send the game into overtime. Our defense did its job on their last possession--we stopped them and forced them to try a 49-yarder--but Weaver drilled it and kept their hopes alive. We kept things simple during overtime, giving the ball to Blaine Kooistra and daring the Broncos to stop him. He scored on our first possession, and WMU came back and scored to send the game to a second overtime period. This time, Hunter Mitchell and Deron Jamison sacked their QB and forced Weaver to try another long field goal. He missed this one wide right, and we got the ball with a chance to win the game. Kooistra did the rest. Kooistra rushed for 210 more yards on 31 carries, and scored both our touchdowns in overtime. I know he's a freshman, and I know he plays in a non-BCS conference, but I think he deserves to be mentioned among the top running backs in the nation. Our strong defensive effort was, once again. led by Adrian Castillo. He accumulated 11 tackles, two for losses, from his free safety position, and twice intercepted passes deep in our territory to keep WMU off the scoreboard. Like Kooistra, he deserves a lot more attention than he's getting. I hope people remember him when they select their All-American teams. We really needed this win to keep our hopes of post-season football alive. Marshall and Central Florida are leading the MAC North race, and we've got a date with the Thundering Herd coming up next. Recruiting Update This wasn't a great week for us recruiting-wise. We didn't sign anyone, and several of our targets chose other schools. Les Posavec, our #1 choice at WR, signed with Iowa. Guard Dan Nussbaum accepted an offer from Texas Tech. Both Les and Dan signed with big-time programs in their home states, so I suppose we couldn't compete. Losing out on center J.J. Perry hurt a lot more. We thought we had a good shot at J.J.; he's an Ohio boy who said he wanted to stay close to home, and we were the only Ohio school recruiting him heavily. He ended up signing with Boston College. On a brighter note, we're still in the running for some excellent players. All-State RB Ralph Monroe from Attica, OH is a good friend and a former high school teammate of Conrad Piper, our redshirt freshman guard. That might give us the edge we need to land him. We're also hoping to hear good news from Neal Hopkins, a linebacker from Illinois who rivals.com says is the top outside linebacker in the nation. Signing Neal would be a HUGE coup for us. We'd have to lure him away from schools like Illinois, Notre Dame, and USC, so wish us luck. Kent State's record: 4-2, 2-2 in MAC play. Last edited by Big Six : 02-22-2010 at 04:42 PM. |
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02-23-2010, 01:41 PM
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#60 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 9, 2006
#50 Kent State (4-2, 2-2) @ #31 Marshall (5-1, 3-0) TV4 Code:
Sometimes, a football team loses a game because the team they're playing is better than they are. This is what happened to us this week. We weren't expected to go into Marshall's backyard and beat them, and we didn't. That doesn't mean we played badly; it means they played extremely well. Right now, their roster is more talented than ours is. Hopefully, we'll continue to gain ground on the best teams in our conference, but we aren't there quite yet. Marshall stopped our running game, holding Blaine Kooistra to 25 yards on nine carries. They forced us to throw more than we wanted to, and they stopped us then, too; Deon Scribner went 15-37 with two interceptions. They sacked Deon six times, too. We continued our disturbing pattern of losing wide receivers to injury. This time it was Albert Guenther, who led our team with 22 receptions through six games. Albert tore a calf muscle, and will almost certainly be out for the remainder of the season. On a more positive note, OLB Wayne Merrill is back on the field. His broken foot is still bothering him, and he's not nearly 100%, but he's demonstrating a lot of toughness. He made seven tackles today; as usual, Adrian Castillo led the team with 12. Kooistra ended the game with exactly 1000 yards rushing for the season. He's the third back in Division I to reach that milestone. Recruiting Update We were thrilled to learn that RB Ralph Monroe will be coming to Kent State next year! He's the most highly touted recruit to sign with us since Adrian Castillo; Ralph is the #257 player in the nation, the #22 RB, and the #8 player at any position in the state of Ohio. He's a huge signing for us. We're also still in the running for Neal Hopkins, and we found out that Brandon Blackburn, the #5 offensive tackle in the nation, has cut his list of possible schools to three...and we're still on the list. Brandon, who is from Kings Mountain, NC, will be choosing between us, Virginia Tech, and Georgia. Kent State's record: 4-3, 2-3 in MAC play. Last edited by Big Six : 02-25-2010 at 10:57 AM. |
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02-23-2010, 02:07 PM
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#61 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 10, 2006
#60 Kent State (4-3, 2-3) @ #76 Mansfield (3-3) Code:
Welcome to the NCAA, Deon Scribner! At the beginning of the season, all of us--including Deon--thought he'd spend the season backing up Josh Roaf at quarterback. In fact, since Deon and Josh are both redshirt freshmen, it was conceivable that Deon might never get a chance to start at QB for us. Josh's suspension gave Deon his opportunity, and he's experienced his share of growing pains. Today, our patience with him paid off, as he threw five TD passes to lead us to a nice non-conference win at Mansfield. Deon connected with Jackie Bosworth for three scores; Jackie was even less a part of our plans when the season began (we'd planned to redshirt him, until most of our wideouts got hurt). Tight end Shaun Guidry and fullback/tight end/H-back Spencer Alston caught the other two Scribner TD tosses. Our running game bounced back too, as Blaine Kooistra romped for 181 yards on 28 carries. We intercepted three passes and recovered two Mansfield fumbles, as part of an overall defensive effort that pleased our staff greatly. Adrian Castillo got one of the three picks, and he nearly brought it back for a touchdown. However, this day belonged to Deon, whose coolness under pressure earned him a new team nickname: Freon Deon. We have three games left on our schedule, all MAC contests. Our last opponent will be Central Florida, who is in a great fight with Marshall for the MAC North lead. Recruiting Update The newest member of the 2007 KSU recruiting class committed today: QB Junior Sheehan of Rush City, Minnesota. Junior has a howitzer for an arm, and he's athletic enough to move around in the pocket and make plays. He's also a superb student, with a perfect 4.00 high school GPA and an SAT score of 1570. Junior has a terrific attitude and has all the markings of a great team leader. Kent State's record: 5-3, 2-3 in MAC play. |
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02-24-2010, 08:57 AM
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#62 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 11, 2006
#94 Miami of Ohio (2-5, 2-3) #49 Kent State (5-3, 2-3) Code:
This was a very satisfying win. Miami hasn't turned out to be quite as good as people thought they would be this year, but it's still very rewarding to pick up a victory in a conference game and please a big home crowd. The maturation of Freon Deon Scribner continued, as he kept a steady hand at the controls of our offense and completed 13 of 21 passes for two touchdowns and no interceptions. We had to play without another WR, Albert Guenther, who tore a calf muscle this week and will almost certainly be out for the remainder of the season. He was our leading receiver, with 22 catches for the year, and we'll miss him. WR Ethan Osborne electrified the crowd by taking a kickoff back 99 yards for a score. Ozzie will also get additional playing time with Guenther's injury. However, the key to our victory, once again, was Blaine Kooistra. Blaine has carried the ball at least 20 times in five games, and we've won all five of them. This week, he toted the mail 26 times, good for 168 yards and two TDs. Blaine is now the leading rusher in Division I, with 1349 total yards. His 149.8 yards/game. Understandably, Kooistra has become a fan favorite. There was a group of guys in the student section holding up a big "KOOISTRA FOR HEISMAN" sign, complete with a picture of the Heisman Trophy on which they'd Photoshopped Blaine's face. I was told they're some of Blaine's fraternity brothers. A girl held up a sign that read "BLAINE KOOISTRA, WILL YOU MARRY ME?" I don't know how Blaine's girlfriend, Arlene, felt about that. Maybe Arlene was the one holding the sign. Our other "rock star," Adrian Castillo, didn't disappoint, either. He was his usual ball-hawking self, making 13 tackles and picking off two more passes. And, it was great to see OLB Wayne Merrill back on the field. He wasn't 100 percent, as his broken foot is still not completely healed, but our medical staff cleared him and he was chomping at the bit to get back. In fact, our entire defense played very well. We sacked Miami QBs seven times, with DE Hunter Mitchell (2.5 sacks) and OLB Tim Gomez (2.0 sacks) the main contributors. Recruting Update Is it a coincidence that, as we're playing better football, more high school players are committing to our program? Five more future Golden Flashes came on board this week:
We think Vance and Farr have a chance to be real sleepers. Vinny is very raw, but we think the national "experts" have underrated him. Neil is from the southern part of the state, and he's a product of a very good high school program. We're a little concerned about some news we received about Neal Hopkins, the stud OLB we're recruiting. Neal has been a Notre Dame fan since he was a kid, and the Fighting Irish have contacted him. They haven't made him an offer yet, but he's planning a visit there. We just landed Cole Wistrom, so if Hopkins slips away, the blow will be cushioned somewhat. I'm afraid that's what's going to happen. On the other hand, OT Brandon Blackburn cut his list of schools to three, and we made the cut. Brandon, who is from Kings Mountain, NC, will choose between Kent State, Georgia, and Virginia Tech. Bring on Akron! Kent State's record: 6-3, 3-3 in MAC play. Last edited by Big Six : 02-24-2010 at 08:58 AM. |
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02-24-2010, 01:51 PM
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#63 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 12, 2006
#46 Kent State (6-3, 3-3) at #99 Akron (2-7, 2-5) Code:
I wonder how many people, other than those within the program or the most rabid Kent State fans, remember the fact that we recruited not one, but two promising running backs my first year at KSU? Blaine Kooistra's explosive debut has pushed Randall Gillespie into the shadows. It was Gillespie who, as a true freshman, filled in ably for Jake Barton whenever we needed him to. This year, we've shifted Randall to fullback, and he's given us everything we've asked for, all season long. We've always known Randall was talented, and this week he reminded everyone else of that fact, too. Gillespie busted loose for 122 yards and three touchdowns as we knocked off rival Akron, despite gaining fewer yards and making fewer first downs. Kooistra added 85 more yards and a touchdown as sloppy field conditions caused us to depend heavily on our ground game. Wayne Merrill showed very little sign of his foot injury, racking up 10 initial hits and 12 total tackles. And, once again, Adrian Castillo was in the midst of the action with 16 stops, 11 unassisted. Our victory was our seventh of the season, one more than our 2005 team achieved. We face a very, very good Central Florida team in our last game. Although UCF has already clinched the MAC North title, I don't expect them to do anything differently against us. Even if we don't win next week--and most people don't think we will--I'm very proud of what this team has achieved. It's overcome injury and adversity that cost us the services of several players I was counting on to be key contributors. Recruiting Update (Note/OOC: I should have mentioned earlier that KSU has only 13 available scholarships this year. ) This might one day be remembered as one of the biggest weeks in KSU football history. For the first time in my three years here, Kent State got a commitment from one of the top 100 high school players in the country...and then it got a second one! The first to let us know he'd chosen Kent State was OLB Neal Hawkins. The village of Beecher, Illinois is home to about 2000 people, and I think every one of them must have been in the Beecher High School gymnasium to watch Neal announce his decision. When he put a blue-and-gold Kent State hat on his head, I think the folks in Beecher could probably hear the KSU faithful cheer. Hawkins is, according to rivals.com, the #30 high school player in the country, the #2 player in the state of Illinois, and the best outside linebacker in the country. He plays a position at which we have two very good young players already--Ross Bowen and Wayne Merrill--so we'll think about shifting one of the three to the middle so we can get all three players on the field at once. The next piece of good news came out of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, where OT Brandon Blackburn announced his intention to come to Kent State. Brandon is even more highly regarded by the "experts;" rivals.com calls him the #24 recruit in the nation. He's ranked fifth among a terrific crop of young offensive tackles, and he was an easy choice for the North Carolina All-State team. A 6'5", 290-pound athlete, Brandon excels as a run blocker and a pass protector, and he comes from a high school program that prepares its players well for the demands of college football. Many young linemen redshirt a year to develop, but it's possible that Brandon will be able to step right onto the field as a true freshman. The signing of three other players was, understandably and unfortunately, almost forgotten as Golden Flash Nation celebrated the news about Hopkins and Blackburn. However, we think all three of them will be very good college football players. They are:
Jerald is a particularly intriguing player. He's from a tiny town near the Wisconsin-Michigan border, and attends a school with about 350 students, grade 7-12. He may have some catching up to do before he's ready to knock heads with Division One defensive linemen, but he's a smart young man with a good attitude, and we think he'll make it. Kent State's record: 7-3, 4-3 in MAC play. Last edited by Big Six : 02-24-2010 at 01:52 PM. |
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02-25-2010, 10:57 AM
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#64 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 13, 2006
#15 Central Florida (9-1, 6-1) at #41 Kent State (7-3, 4-3) TV4 Code:
What. A. Game. Before the biggest crowd (27,800) to see the Golden Flashes play at Dix Stadium in my three seasons there, we upset the best team the MAC has seen in years. The weather was chilly and stormy, and lots of fans would probably conclude "No wonder those Florida kids couldn't get going. They're not used to playing in that kind of weather." In fact, UCF's offense makes ours look like Air O'Farrell. Only two Division One teams ran the ball more often than Central Florida, and they threw fewer passes than all but 12 teams. So it's not like they would have been throwing the ball all over the yard anyway. Like ours, the Golden Knights' running game features two good backs, who between them rushed for over 2000 yards this year. We held their #1 man, Henry Reader, to 50 yards, while their second back, Vinny Harvey, gained 74. Meanwhile, Blaine Kooistra carried 31 times for 204 yards, and Randall Gillespie added 44. Advantage, KSU. I've never heard Dix Stadium as loud as it was when Kooistra scored the game-winning touchdown with 36 seconds left. Blaine's TD capped a terrific 75-yard drive that featured a clutch 28-yard pass from Deon Scribner to Darrin Wampus. Deon's performance was another highlight, as he guided an offense that didn't turn the ball over once. Veteran O-linemen Edgar Bennefield and Phillip Harrison both played extremely well, and both Edgar and Phillip made key blocks during the game-winning drive. Phillip sprung Blaine loose on the simple counter play that we scored on to win the game. However, in a 12-7 game, both team's defenses had to have played well. And, when our D steps up, it's usually Adrian Castillo who sets the tone. That was again the case today. AC set a new career high with 22 tackles, including 19 initial hits. You read that right: 22 tackles. If he's not the best safety in the nation, I'd like to see who's better. UCF had already clinched the MAC North championship, so they'll be playing either Toledo or Northern Illinois for the automatic bid to the Raisin Bowl. I wonder if our 8-3 record will be attractive enough to draw an at-large bid somewhere? It would be a wonderful way for a very successful season to end. Recruiting Update Ironically, the first high school player to visit us was the 13th and final player to commit this year. Tight end Tommy Nikolaiszyn from Brooklyn, Ohio signed with us this week. I told you a little about Tommy when he visited, but one thing I neglected to mention is that we're taking a bit of a chance with him academically. The current KSU player whose academic credentials match Tommy's the best is offensive lineman Tommie Wallack, and Wallack is sitting out the year on an academic suspension. I hope Tommy's fate is better than Tommie's. Kent State's record: 8-3, 5-3 in MAC play. |
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02-25-2010, 12:31 PM
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#65 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Late Season 2006
Central Florida defeated Toledo, 22-11 to win the Mid-American Conference championship. The Golden Knights will now play Nebraska in the Raisin Bowl. Another MAC team earned a bowl bid...but it's Toledo, not us. They accepted an invitation to the Cherry Bowl, where they'll take on Pitt. Sure, they were the MAC South champions, but are they a better team than we are? I don't think so. Their record was 6-5; ours was 8-3. Our final computer ranking was #39; theirs was #56. The MAC North, with Central Florida and Marshall, had two other teams that I believe were every bit as good as Toledo. No knock on Toledo, whom we didn't play this year, but UCF and Marshall were both very strong. I really wanted to see our guys' hard work rewarded with a bowl bid. I suppose the bowl committees were more impressed with a team that played in its conference championship game over one who, despite having a better record, didn't make it that far. Last edited by Big Six : 02-27-2010 at 12:07 PM. |
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02-25-2010, 02:25 PM
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#66 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Postseason, Part 1
Code:
Code:
That's right; this year's team had only five scholarship seniors. That's why I only had 13 scholarships to offer this year. Last edited by Big Six : 02-27-2010 at 12:09 PM. |
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02-25-2010, 09:08 PM
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#67 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Osaka, Japan via Honolulu, Hawaii via Birmingham, Alabama
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Looks like Kent State is destined for some good things. Keep it going!
__________________
U of Hawaii | U of Alabama | Montreal Impact | Montreal Canadiens | West Ham | West Indies cricket | Portland Trail Blazers |
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02-26-2010, 08:34 AM
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#68 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Quote:
I can definitely say I'm going to stick with this dynasty a while. I'm enjoying it--I think I've set the difficulty at the perfect level for my own understanding of the game and the program I'm running. Take recruiting, for instance. If I choose my targets carefully and make the right moves, I feel like I have a pretty good shot at signing the player. I got two very prestigious recruits this time around, but they both wanted things Kent State could offer. I can't sign five of the top 20 players in the country, but the "real" Kent State coach can't do that, either. Thanks for your comment, bbgunn. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. |
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02-26-2010, 12:21 PM
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#69 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Postseason 2006, Part 2
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02-26-2010, 05:05 PM
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#70 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Kooistra got robbed!
By the way, are you planning on importing to FOF? I'd be very curious to see how Callisto and Koos do in the NFL.
__________________
2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-26-2010, 08:18 PM
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#71 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Quote:
I agree with you, but I'm naturally biased. At the same time, I'm sure if I were coaching Bowling Green, I'd think DeIulio was the better choice. DeIulio came out of high school in Lebanon, VA ranked as the #12 RB and #87 player in the nation. Unlike Kooistra, who could be a Rhodes Scholar, DeIulio has about as much brains as a blocking sled (Intelligence 0, as in zero). I remember not recruiting him because I didn't think he had the brains to remain eligible to play college football, much less fit the profile of the player I want to represent KSU. I've saved the draft classes, but I haven't started a parallel FOF league yet. The presence of Castillo, who looks like a sure-fire NFL player, and Kooistra, who might end up making it, makes it much more likely that I'll get the parallel league up and running. Thanks for the comment, Izulde. It's really great to see more people stopping by and posting. |
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02-27-2010, 11:54 AM
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#72 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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I might have to start posting my recruiting class report as soon as the class is completed, rather than waiting for the offseason, because I seem to be pretty bad at remembering to get the information about the recruits before I end the season.
Anyway, before we move on to 2007, here's the 13-member Kent State recruiting class of 2006-2007. Code:
NRK = ranking among the nation's top 1000 players POS = ranking among the nation's top 100 players at his position ST = ranking among the top 100 players in his state Since I can't see a player's GPA or SAT score after his recruit year ends, I've given his Aspiration and Intelligence score so you can see what kind of student he is. Kent State's recruiting class is ranked #54 in the nation, by far the best ranking we've had in my three years here. Central Florida had a tremendous recruting year; their class is ranked #15. Northern Illinois, at #47, is the only other MAC school with a more highly regarded class, while Marshall (#57) and Miami of Ohio (#59) also have classes that are comparable to ours. |
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02-27-2010, 12:01 PM
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#73 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Here's a look at how the KSU program's final grades from Professor Laertes have compared over the past three years. I've also included the team's record and final computer ranking.
Code:
PER = Team Performance Rating ACA = Academic Rating REC = Recruiting Rating TV = Television Revenue Rating TCK = Attendance Rating DON = Alumni Donations Rating SCORE = Final Grade The fickle alumni and the TV networks are the ones who bit us in the butt this year. Still, I'm pleased. Note: I updated the "Posteason 2006 Part 1 post" to include the MAC North standings. Last edited by Big Six : 02-27-2010 at 12:14 PM. |
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02-27-2010, 12:33 PM
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#74 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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2006-2007 Offseason News
Last edited by Big Six : 02-27-2010 at 12:35 PM. |
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03-01-2010, 02:09 PM
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#75 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Preseason 2007
Here is the Kent State schedule for 2007. Each opponent's preseason computer ranking is listed, too. Home games are listed in ALL CAPS. Mid-American Conference games are highlighted in blue. Code:
We open the season at #52 in the composite computer rankings. For the third consecutive year, our ranking has been higher than it was the year before. It looks like our home opener against Dayton might be a good, competitive game. Dayton was the runner-up in the Buckeye Conference in 2006, and although we beat them pretty soundly last year, they look like they're better this time around. We face another Buckeye Conference opponent, Lima, in Week 2, and we finish our non-conference slate with a trip to Northwestern. We'll be favored against Lima and, possibly, against Northwestern as well, but it will be tough for us to beat a Big Ten team on the road. Our conference opener against Northern Illinois should be a tremendous game. We'll be looking to even things up after the Huskies beat us at their place in '06. Next up is Miami, whom we beat on the road last year. I expect another hard-fought, close game from them. It's hard to say what might happen when we travel to Ohio and Western Michigan. The computers say we should be able to handle them, but it's never easy to win a conference game on the road. Hopefully we'll still be in the race for a MAC North title, and if we are, the game against Central Florida will be huge. The Marshall game could also have championship ramifications, and I honestly hope our chances to win the division don't hinge on beating them at their place. We finish up with games against Buffalo at home and against Akron on the road, which should both be winnable games. Last year, I predicted we'd go 7-4, and we were one game better. Optimistic prediction: 10-1, with a 7-1 conference record and a MAC North title. Realistically optimistic prediction: 8-3, with a 6-2 MAC record and a second place finish in the division. Pessimistic prediction: 6-5, with a 4-4 MAC record. |
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03-01-2010, 07:57 PM
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#76 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Preseason 2007
Our look at the 2007 Kent State Golden Flashes begins with the offense. Here are the starters and key reserves on that side of the ball: Code:
Scribner's performance as the starting QB was one of the best surprises of the '06 season. Sheehan will be the backup, and looks like he could be a star one day. Kooistra was as aood as any back in the nation, displaying toughness, durability, and versatility. O'Neill gives us our first natural FB, and will start as a true freshman, but Gillespie will also get plenty of opportunity to play. Flynn's impressive upside lands him the starting TE job, but Guidry, who's started for two years, will also see plenty of time. Guenther, who impressed as a true frosh last year, will start alongside Loosman at WR but, for once, we have some depth here. Harrison, a four-year starter at LT, leads an O-line that is, on paper, the most talented we've had. Piper has the potential to be a real stud. Cunningham and Gourdine return to the starting lineup; Gourdine was our most productive O-lineman last year. Prized recruit Blackburn will start as a true freshman. Both Boggs and Bennefield are former starters, and they give us insurance in case one of the starters gets hurt. Last edited by Big Six : 03-01-2010 at 08:49 PM. |
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03-01-2010, 08:17 PM
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#77 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Osaka, Japan via Honolulu, Hawaii via Birmingham, Alabama
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Haha... I like those optimistic and pessimistic predictions. That's really cool.
__________________
U of Hawaii | U of Alabama | Montreal Impact | Montreal Canadiens | West Ham | West Indies cricket | Portland Trail Blazers |
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03-02-2010, 01:31 PM
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#78 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Quote:
I enjoy making the predictions, too. This year, several of the teams we're playing seem to be so closely matched with us in ability that the games are especially tough to predict. The one game that I'm predicting Kent State will lose in every possible scenario is the Marshall game. I've never beaten Marshall, and the Thundering Herd have trampled us flat a couple of times. For that matter, we're 0-3 against Ohio, too. I hope you keep following the story, bbgunn--and thanks for the comments. I enjoy reading comments left in my threads and replying to them. |
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03-02-2010, 01:52 PM
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#79 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Preseason 2007
Now it's time to look at the 2007 Kent State defense. Let's meet the KSU defensive starters and key reserves: Code:
Our ability to evaluate defensive players is so Poor that it's sometimes tough to tell how good, or lousy, we really are. It looks like our defensive line is nothing special, at least not yet. Caskey is a mammoth presence in the middle, and Heller has shown promise as a pass rusher. Drake and Cristal have some potential, and McWilliams is a decent depth player. We'll miss Hunter Mitchell, who gave up his chance to play his senior season by taking money from a booster. Bowen's sophomore season was ruined by injury, and he's hoping to bounce back strong. Merrill, too, missed a lot of action; like Bowen, he's very eager to prove he's all the way back. Hopkins is a natural outside 'backer, but we're shifting him to the middle so we can get him on the field. If all three of these guys live up to their potential, we'll see them all in the NFL one day. Gomez, Geary, and Warren are all battle-tested reserves, and Dunlap looks like he could be a good player, too. Clark decided to take his punishment for last year's misbehavior like a man, and he returns to the starting lineup at one corner. Pierce, like Hopkins a true freshman, won the job at the other corner, but Nobles and Horton are also very good and give us nice depth and versatility here. We could use the nickel and dime packages a little more this season, against teams that like to sling the ball around. However, the heart and soul of our defense is Castillo, who is one of the most exciting and versatile players in college football. Whenever AC is near the ball, as a tackler, pass defender, or return man, good things happen for us. His new partner will be Farr, another true freshman. Senior Shipman is our special teams captain. |
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03-02-2010, 02:16 PM
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#80 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Canada eh
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Good luck this season. Always awesome to see which couple of defensive players become dominant players in early seasons like this before you're able to stock more talent across the board. Been a lot of fun reading so far.
__________________
"I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it." - Rogers Hornsby |
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03-03-2010, 06:30 PM
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#81 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Quote:
That's a very good assessment of where Kent State is right now. Adrian Castillo was a member of my first recruiting class there, and he's turned out to be a monster. Ross Bowen was a star recruit as well, and it's a shame he lost a full season to an injury. Now, we've got Neal Hopkins, who was a true blue-chipper; it will be interesting to see if he turns out to be as good a player as AC has been. I'll be looking to upgrade the talent on our defensive line during this recruiting season. Thanks for the comment,Travis. |
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03-07-2010, 01:45 PM
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#82 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 2, 2007
#26 Dayton (1-0) at #68 Kent State (0-0) TV5 Code:
Well, that's not exactly the way we wanted our season to begin. This game wasn't as close as the score might indicate. Dayton is a very good football team--they beat Wake Forest on the road last week--and they manhandled us on both sides of the ball. The Dayton defense swarmed Blaine Kooistra every time he touched the ball, and helf him to 26 yards rushing. Randall Gillespie picked up some of the slack with 74 yards on 11 carries, but as we've seen before, if a team stops Kooistra they've got a good chance to beat us. Our true freshman OT, Brandon Blackburn, got schooled today (no key run blocks in four opportunities, one sack allowed), which surprised me a little. I guess it shouldn't; most linemen his age get redshirted. We had a nice crowd at Dix Stadium on a rainy, miserable day, and I wish we'd have given them a better show. Adrian Castillo electrified the crowd with his long kick return touchdowns. When he wasn't running kicks back to the house, he was tackling everything in sight; he was in on 16 stops. MLB Neal Hopkins (13 tackles, one sack ) made an impact in his first collegiate game, and Ross Bowen (12 tackles) looked good in his first game action in a year. Still, I hope this isn't an indication of what kind of year we're going to have. Our inability to control the line of scrimmage bothers me. Recruiting Update We're two weeks into the new recruiting season, and we're making our initial contacts and offers. We need to concentrate on the defensive side of the ball, particularly the defensive line. However, we are taking a shot at the #1 player in the country this year! Frank Miller is a linebacker from Sanford, Maine. He's exactly what every coach in the country is looking for--a tremendous player with a great attitude and the ability to excel in the classroom, too. We've already offered him a scholarship, and I've been out to Maine to visit him, and I think he's even better than his scouting reports indicate. Realistically, athletes like Frank Miller don't play college football at Kent State. Still, he shows up as 'blue' on our recruit update, so we're going to pursue him all the way. Kent State's record: 0-1. |
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03-07-2010, 02:18 PM
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#83 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 3, 2007
#123 Lima (0-2) at #78 Kent State (0-1) Code:
We moved the ball a lot better against Lima than we did against Dayton. We still had problems putting it into the end zone, but at least our offense showed some life. Blaine Kooistra got back on track (30 carries, 188 yards), with a lot of help from a much better performance from our O-line. I decided to give our other young tackle, Tyrus Boggs, a lot of playing time, and he responded very well; he led the team with 4 key run blocks. Brandon Blackburn got the job done too, with 3 KRBs in 6 opportunities. With senior Phillip Harrison in the mix, we now have three tackles playing fairly well. The injury bug bit us pretty hard, though. Kicker Dwight Ashworth will almost certainly be out for the year with a knee injury, and WR Carlton Loosman certainly will be. He needs reconstructive knee surgery. Leonard Shultz will assume the placekicking duties once again, and Jackie Bosworth will take over Loosman's starting WR position. Deon Scribner has completed over 60 percent of his passes in our first two games, but he's yet to break out with a big game. We're hoping he can deliver a signature performance soon. Did you notice we had TWO more long returns for touchdowns? All three players who have taken one to the house are DBs. This week, Robbie Nobles had a pick six, and Will Pierce brought a kickoff back all the way. Recruiting Update No real news yet. We're still building our contact list and inviting players to campus. I'm getting some positive vibes from Adrian Hill, a cornerback out of West Virginia who is the #27 player at his position in the country. Adrian is also a very good student who scored 1430 on his SAT. Kent State's record: 1-1. |
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03-07-2010, 08:47 PM
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#84 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 4, 2007
# 78 Kent State (1-1) at #113 Northwestern (0-2) Code:
We struggled again this week, and as result, we got shut out by Northwestern. I thought we might have a good chance to win this one, but we suffered from the same problems that plagued us during our first two games. We're having a tough time putting the ball in the end zone, and our defense is letting teams run the ball down our throat. Deon Scribner (8-23, 154 yards, 2 INT) is really struggling. He can't find his rhythm, and teams are loading up the box against us and daring Blaine Kooistra to get past them. He ran hard today, gaining 81 yards on 19 carries, but otherwise, our offense didn't get anything going. We haven't scored a touchdown in nine quarters, except on returns. LB Neal Hopkins continued to look more comfortable this week, making 15 tackles. We wish more of those ballcarriers were getting knocked down at the line of scrimmage, but we're really struggling at the point of attack. We begin our MAC season with a big game against Northern Illinois at home. I hope we can work a few more of the kinks out before then. Recruiting Update We have two players visiting us this week:
Kent State's record: 1-2. Last edited by Big Six : 03-07-2010 at 08:48 PM. |
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03-07-2010, 09:10 PM
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#85 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 5, 2007
#112 Northern Illinois (0-2) at #82 Kent State (1-2) Code:
Well, at least we scored a touchdown. We ran the ball a lot better, with Blaine Kooistra picking up 158 yards on 28 carries. Last year, as soon as you read a stat like that, you correctly concluded the Golden Flashes had put another mark in the win column. This year, you apparently can't draw that conclusion. This week, it was our inability to defend against the pass that killed us. Frankie Webb, the Huskies' senior quarterback, completed 27 of 45 passes for 282 yards and kept the sticks moving all day. They'd usually get the ball in close, switch to the running game, and ram the ball into the end zone. On a more positive note, both of our highly touted true freshmen played well again. Brandon Blackburn had three more KRBs in four opportunities, and Neal Hopkins chased the ball from sideline to sideline and made 15 tackles. I'm beginning to wonder if my "pessimistic" prediction (6-5) was way, way too "optimistic." Recruiting Update No news to speak of. Frank Miller is visiting Michigan and Miami of Florida this week, and a number of other highly prestigious programs have contacted him, too. We'll see if we can hold off the big dogs a little while longer. Kent State's record: 1-3, 0-1 in MAC play. |
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03-08-2010, 12:48 PM
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#86 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 6, 2007
#28 Miami of Ohio (3-0, 2-0) at #97 Kent State (1-3, 0-1) TV5 Code:
I know the season's only half over, but it seemed as if it hung in the balance as we took on Miami this week. We came through with a big, big win, in which we reversed--at least for the time being--several of the trends that had been dragging us down lately. Our defense rose up and played its best game in a long time. We throttled Miami's running game, put lots of pressure on their QB, and held the Redhawks to 120 total yards. All three of our starting linebackers got a sack, and DE Quinn Cristal got two. Quinn also pressured their QB four more times. Offensively, several of our playmakers did just that--they made plays. Blaine Kooistra ran hard against a defense that was obviously geared to stop him, gaining 106 tough yards on 28 carries. Randall Gillespie spelled him effectively, with 61 yards on 10 carries. Deon Scribner looked like Freon Deon once again (13-22, 204 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT). He's developing a good rapport with Albert Guenther (5 catches, 83 yards), and he's making good decisions about when to flip the ball out to Kooistra in the flat. It's only one game, but it's a whole lot easier to look forward to the rest of the season after a strong performance like this one. Recruting Update We're still awaiting our first signing, but it's getting close to the time when the nation's top high school players make their choices. That means we'll probably find out about a few of the guys we've taken long shots at, including Frank Miller. Frank has chosen the five schools he's visiting, and we're on his list! The other four schools who are still in the running for him are Michigan, Miami of Florida, Texas, and Penn State. Frank tells us he's very interested in Texas. Another very good player, CB Derrick Harrison, will be visiting us this week as well. We had success signing an elite LB prospect last year when we landed Neal Hopkins. Could we pull off the same kind of move again? We're obviously the underdog in this fight, but at least we're still in the fight. Kent State's record: 2-3, 1-1 in MAC play. Last edited by Big Six : 03-08-2010 at 12:49 PM. |
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03-08-2010, 04:34 PM
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#87 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 7, 2007
#83 Kent State, (2-3, 1-1) at #96 Ohio (1-3, 1-1) Code:
Don't get me wrong; I'd love to win every single football game we play. However, sometimes things happen to a college football program that takes a lot of the sting out of losing a game. That's exactly what happened at Kent State this week. We went out to Athens and lost a good, close football game to Ohio, 20-17. Both teams played better than our records would indicate, and the best players on the field made lots of big plays. Free safety Adrian Castillo certainly qualifies as one of our best players, probably the best of all. After several games in which he didn't make as huge an impact as he usually does, he busted loose this week with 20 tackles. Neal Hopkins, who is living up to the hype he received as the nation's top LB prospect, was in on 17 stops. Our most talented offensive linemen, guard Seth Gourdine and tackle Brandon Blackburn, both delivered key blocks on more than half the plays we ran their way. Blaine Kooistra gained 99 yards on 19 carries against a defense that impressed me greatly. However, it's the news from the recruiting front that has Golden Flash Nation celebrating this week... Recruiting Update WE DID IT! This week Frank Miller, the top high school senior football player in the United States of America, announced his intention to play his college ball at Kent State University. "The New Linebacker U?" read the headline on ESPN.com's story today, which pointed out that, for the second consecutive year, the top high school linebacker in the nation has chosen Kent State. Frank's natural position is outside linebacker, but he's big enough to possibly move inside. We're already discussing a move to a 3-4 base defense, which would enable us to get Ross Bowen, Wayne Merrill, Neal Hopkins, and Miller on the field at the same time.  We lost out on two other players we were recruiting heavily. FB Paul Conway committed to Zanesville, and CB Derrick Harrison is going to Canton. Paul and Derrick are certainly good players, but they're not Frank Miller. With the buzz surrounding our program, it's probably not an accident that eleven more players announced today they will be making official visits to Kent State:
I hope I haven't gotten too greedy and spent too much time on big-time recruits, rather than working the guys from the #300-500 range who are much more likely to sign with us. Miller was the rare exception: a stud who showed up as "blue" on our recruit listing. The other guys I just mentioned are "red". Right now, I'm probably the happiest 2-4 coach in the country. Kent State's record: 2-4, 1-2 in MAC play. |
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03-08-2010, 07:06 PM
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#88 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 8, 2007
# 85 Kent State (2-4, 1-2) at #120 Western Michigan (0-5, 0-2) Code:
Doesn't it seem like we've played a lot of teams who were winless going into their game with us? Earlier this season, we would probably have found a way to lose this game, but now, it seems like we've finally turned the corner. Our ground game worked well today. Blaine Kooistra was a real workhorse today, carrying the ball 37 times for 136 yards. His performance wasn't pretty--he didn't average 4 yards a carry--but he kept the chains moving and scored two touchdowns himself. Deon Scribner hooked up with Everett Hanson on a nice scoring play, hitting Hanson in stride on a post route. And both our guards, Conrad Piper and Seth Gourdine, played extremely well. Our freshman fullback, Jeff O'Neill, is developing into a very good lead blocker, which is one more reason why our running game has improved since the beginning of the year. Once again, our defense played well, too. The cool thing about this game was the fact that none of our defensive players had a monster game, but the entire unit played well together. We held WMU to 25 yards rushing and 193 total yards. We have two very tough games coming up, against Central Florida and Marshall. Fortunately we have a bye week to prepare for them. Recruiting Update For the second straight week, we've landed one of the nation's top players! Ernie Lesch, from Teaneck, New Jersey, is regarded as the top running back prospect in the nation. Bob McKie, the assistant who was our key recruiting contact with Ernie, rates him a perfect 100; I wasn't nearly that impressed, but he's still an extremely talented football player. Ernie is a big back--223 pounds--and he almost never goes down on first contact. We can afford to be patient with him, since Kooistra is only a sophomore and we have Ralph Monroe redshirting this year. If Ernie is as good as people say, however, it will be impossible to keep him off the field. We received commitments from two other players this week, too:
Also, we learned this week that a very good DE prospect, Max Rockwood, will be making an official visit to KSU. I don't know how I missed Max earlier--he seems like a great fit for us, both athletically and academically. I hope we haven't jumped on board too late; he's looking with interest at Syracuse, which is close to home, and at Boston College. I'm still flying high from our victory, and also from the news about Miller and, now, Lesch. Kent State's record: 3-4, 2-2 in MAC play. |
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03-08-2010, 07:37 PM
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#89 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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A 3-4 defense eh? That should be a lot of fun to watch.
__________________
2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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03-09-2010, 11:48 AM
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#90 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Quote:
I've been tempted to switch to the 3-4 this year, and probably would have already if the Golden Flashes' defense hadn't started to play better. Thurman Talley would be the fourth LB, and Brandon Caskey would be the nose tackle. I'll see what kind of player Frank Miller is when he arrives on campus next year. If he's as good as predicted, I'll give the 3-4 a try. Thanks for the comment, Izulde. Last edited by Big Six : 03-09-2010 at 11:49 AM. |
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03-09-2010, 12:28 PM
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#91 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 9, 2007
Off week. Recruiting Update This week, I saw the downside of the strategy of pursuing top-flight recruits. While we did manage to land Frank Miller and Ernie Lesch, the rest of our big-time targets committed to other schools. Xavier Burton, Ricardo Hodges, Van Tremblay, Adrian Mulhollon, Lamont Beam, and Kendrick Moon, all Top 200-calibre players or better, all passed on KSU scholarship offers. Would I have been better off targeting players who aren't as talented, but who might have been more likely to sign with us? I guess I'll never know. DE Max Rockwood and ILB Kelly Austin are the most highly-touted recruits still considering us. Max is listed at #176 on the rivals.com Top 1000 list, and Kelly is #205. We did sign another player this week: C Calvin Horner. He's the #100 player at his position in the country, but we think he's better than the experts do. Last edited by Big Six : 03-09-2010 at 12:29 PM. |
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03-10-2010, 02:01 PM
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#92 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 10, 2007
#31 Central Florida (6-2, 4-1_ at #84 Kent State (3-4, 2-2) TV5 Code:
This week we achieved as satisfying a victory as any I've enjoyed here at Kent State. Against a quality football team, we executed very well both on offense and defense, refusing to let the rainy, windy conditions affect us. Blaine Kooistra stepped up the way star players do, scoring all three of our touchdowns--two on runs, one on a pass from Deon Scribner. Blaine's yardage total wasn't exceptional--82 yards on 19 carries--but he's dealing with offenses that are geared to stop him every week. We found some more carries for Randall Gillespie this week, and he responded very well--88 yards in 11 rushes, making him the game's leading rusher. He set up Kooistra's first touchdown with a 33-yard romp. Guard Seth Gourdine is making a claim for All-MAC honors once again. Today he had six KRBs in eight opportunities. Freon Deon went 18-30, and even more importantly, he didn't turn the ball over. He's playing the same kind of football he did late last year, which is a very good sign. The starting QB position will be his going into next year, but he knows he'll have to work hard to hold off Junior Sheehan. Speaking of Sheehan, he's completed all four of the passes he's thrown this year. I would have loved to have redshirted him, but we have absolutely no depth at QB behind Scribner. Leonard Shultz drilled a long field goal to complete our scoring. He had the wind at his back, but 57 yards is still a heck of a kick. Wally Higgs, CFU's talented RB, gained 80 yards against us; he's a big-time player, and I think we did well to keep him 40 yards under his average. Even more importantly, we kept him out of the end zone. And, once again, Adrian Castillo was awesome when we needed him to be. Central Florida players will be seeing his blue and gold #9 in their nightmares, after he busted them up for 20 tackles, four for losses. Unlike many DBs, when AC makes a hit, he usually sticks the guy at or near the line of scrimmage. OLB Ross Bowen had a very good game on defense, too, with 12 tackles, and DE Leon McWilliams had a sack and four hurries. It's gratifying to see our guys turn their season around with a game that will probably be remembered as the signature win of our season. Recruiting Update We went into the recruiting season knowing we had to bring in some talented defensive linemen, and this week we landed a very good one. DE Max Rockwood comes from Long Island; he's a huge kid with a wingspan like a pterodactyl, and he loves to step up and stick ballcarriers. Max was an All-State player in New York this year, and rivals.com lists him as the #19 DE in the nation this year. Since many of our original targets are no longer available, we've recently begun recruiting a second wave of players. Several of them are visiting us this week:
Kent State's record: 4-4, 3-2 in MAC play. Last edited by Big Six : 03-10-2010 at 02:19 PM. |
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03-10-2010, 05:02 PM
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#93 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 11, 2007
#66 Kent State (4-4, 3-2) at #36 Marshall (6-2, 3-2) TV5 Code:
This has been such a crazy year! We went into this game with a shot at the MAC North championship. Central Florida and Miami were tied for first at 4-2, with Marshall and Kent State a half-game back at 3-2. It makes our slow start even more frustrating to think that we could have taken control of the division race if we'd played better. At any rate, we would still have needed to win this game, and although we didn't play too badly, Marshall played that much better. They're more talented than we are right now, and it showed. They completely shut down our running game, holding Blaine Kooistra to minus-5 yards on 14 carries; the worst game of his short, but excellent, career. The Thundering Herd intercepted Deon Scribner four times and held him to 14 completions in 35 attempts. Meanwhile, their outstanding quarterback, Donnell Southrey, killed us. He completed 26 of 45 passes for four touchdowns, and RB Jared Barrett rushed for 114 yards. Plain and simple, we got beat. That happens sometimes, especially when you play good football teams. Recruiting Update Two of our newest recruiting targets quickly agreed to become part of the KSU football family, and another promising young linebacker informed us of his desire to help build the Kent State tradition at his position. Welcome to Golden Flash Nation:
Dunlap is a pocket-sized receiver with excellent speed who could make an immediate impact as a kick returner. He's from Barnesville, Ohio, in the southeastern corner of the state. Austin is the top player in Maryland at his position, an All-State selection, and ranks #11 nationwide among ILBs. He has a non-stop motor and a nose for the ball, and unlike most of the excellent LBs we've signed, he's most comfortable playing inside. Kent State's record: 4-5, 3-3 in MAC play. Austin Last edited by Big Six : 03-10-2010 at 05:28 PM. |
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03-10-2010, 08:34 PM
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#94 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 12, 2007
#75 Buffalo (4-4, 2-4) at #80 Kent State (4-5, 3-3) Code:
This week, we treated a good-sized home crowd to an old-fashioned, grind-it-out football game and, best of all, we won. It was Senior Day at Kent State, so it was great to send some of our guys out with a victory in their last home game. We only have one senior who starts regularly--OT Phillip Harrison--but we started another senior on our O-line, Edgar Bennefield. Edgar started for us for two years, and he's been a great leader. He deserved a chance to start today, and he proved it by delivering four key run blocks. Blaine Kooistra was the game's MVP, rushing for 106 yards on 29 carries. Again, it wasn't pretty, but he got the job done. Blaine finished the game with 980 yards rushing for the season, so he's a very good bet to pass the 1000-yard barrier next week. His sophomore season hasn't been quite as dominant as his freshman season was, but he's still the key to our offense. Speaking of dominant freshmen, Oliver DeIulio of Bowling Green has had another huge year, averaging over 160 rushing yards a game. Deon Scribner played well, too. He completed 13 of 22 passes, and threw one pick that didn't end up hurting us, because our defense got the ball right back. Jackie Bosworth led our receivers with four grabs for 82 yards. And, as usual, Adrian Castillo was the leader of our defensive corps with 16 tackles. We had to make do without Wayne Merrill at linebacker, as he was recovering from a bad case of tonsillitis. Neal Hopkins shifted from the middle to the outside, and Thurman Talley started at MLB. Recruiting Update Three more solid players committed to Kent State this week. None of them have big-time national reputations, but we think they'll all be good football players. They are:
Shannon is an old-school O-lineman who likes run blocking best, and he's good at it. He was interested in us early, and after we didn't hear much from him, we wondered if we were still in the running. He finally narrowed down his choices to us, Zanesville, and Marshall, and he picked us. And Ford fills a need for us at defensive tackle; while he may never develop into a stud, he's smart, he has a good attitude, and he'll probably be very coachable. We now have 12 commitments, and that means we have four remaining scholarships. Five players are visiting us this week:
We have a shot at finishing the season with a winning record if we beat Akron this week. That's not the position I thought we'd be in at the beginning of the season, but it's frankly a better position than I thought we'd be in a few weeks ago. Kent State's record: 5-5, 4-3 in MAC play. Last edited by Big Six : 03-11-2010 at 07:13 PM. |
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03-11-2010, 09:32 AM
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#95 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 13, 2007
#71 Kent State (5-5, 4-3) at #102 Akron (3-7, 3-4) Code:
We closed out our season in style with a big win at Akron. Our victory gave us a winning record (6-5) for the season, which was a goal we were determined to achieve. Over the last seven games, we went 5-2, which is really more in line with what I thought we'd do this year. Our offensive line took over the line of scrimmage, led by G Conrad Piper (7 KRB/14 opportunities), C Colin Cunningham (4/7) and T Brandon Blackburn (4/7). When the big guys play that well, the backs will have productive days, too. Blaine Kooistra (29-136) and Randall Gillespie (11-79) both enjoyed good days, and Kooistra vaulted over the 1000-yard barrier with ease. Deon Scribner went 16-28 for 238 and a TD, a nice throw-and-catch with senior Everett Hanson. And, in keeping with what seems to be the theme of the season, we got another long return for a TD, this time an Adrian Castillo pick six. It wasn't the season we wanted, but our players showed a lot of tenacity as they fought back from a horrible start. Recruiting Update We completed our recruiting class with the signing of four more players:
However, we're very happy with the guys we just signed. Froese is a pro-style QB from the West Coast, a big, strong guy with a powerful arm. Blaylock is a very intelligent player from the southern part of Ohio who excels in pass protection. Hundley should be able to step right in when Pat Sawyer graduates. Shockey is HUGE--6'9", and nearly 300 pounds--and he's very raw, but we think he's got some real potential. My pessimistic prediction turned out to be exactly right. The good news: we have almost all our key players returning, so we should be better in 2008. Kent State's record: 6-5, 5-3 in MAC play. Last edited by Big Six : 03-11-2010 at 07:13 PM. |
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03-11-2010, 11:22 AM
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#96 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Postseason 2007
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03-11-2010, 06:04 PM
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#97 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Osaka, Japan via Honolulu, Hawaii via Birmingham, Alabama
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Congrats on the winning season!
__________________
U of Hawaii | U of Alabama | Montreal Impact | Montreal Canadiens | West Ham | West Indies cricket | Portland Trail Blazers |
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03-11-2010, 07:27 PM
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#98 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Quote:
Thanks! The team pulled it together after a horrendous start, and our 5-3 MAC record was actually the same as it was last season. Here are the MAC North standings for 2007: Code:
Look at how well our defense played during the conference season! We weren't any match for teams like UCF or Miami offensively, but we were, by far, the best defensive team in either division of the conference. Thanks for the comment, bbgunn. I'm looking forward to the best year yet for the Golden Flashes in 2008. |
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03-11-2010, 07:38 PM
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#99 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Postseason 2007
Here are the statistics for the 2007 Kent State Golden Flashes. Senior players and their stats are highlighted in blue. Code:
As you can see, most of the key contributors to this year's team will be back for 2008. |
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03-13-2010, 11:02 AM
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#100 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Postseason 2007
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