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Show HE SIGNPOST Tuesday, July 7, 2009 SPORTS Football team looks to tackle issues Wildcats rely on seniors for leadership on and off the field WSU football in precarious position with lack of depth at QB By James Elmer By James Elmer correspondant I The Signpost correspondant I The Signpost Despite a win over a then No. 3 ranked California Polytechnic State University (49-35) and a competitive loss to the eventual Sugar Bowl champions undefeated University of Utah (37-21), the Weber State University's Football Team was left looking for answers in the off season, not just athletically, but academically as well. Last season the team was featured in USA Today as one of four NCAA Division I football teams sanctioned by the NCAA for low Academic Progress Rates (APR), causing the school to face future NCAA bans if the athletes fail to show improvement. "We've pretty much taken care of all the academic issues of the APRs and so forth and so on," said WSU Head Coach Ron McBride. "But it's still something we continue to monitor. Something we take very seriously." McBride's leadership was made evident when the team responded to the NCAA sanctions by placing 12 football players on the Big Sky Conference Fall 2009 The Weber State University Football Team is searching for new talent to put towards a set of quarterbacks. Cameron Higgins is returning as starting quarterback for WSU but in the event that the 6*2", 195 lb. junior is injured, the team will be put in a bind with no backup quarterback. Higgins passed for 320 yards a game while completing 66 percent of his passes and 36 touchdowns last season-- a total of 4,477 yards. Higgins has experience, but just like Tom Brady (the Super Bowl MVP quarterback of the NFL's New England Patriots) found out in the opening game of last year's NFL season, no amount of experience could make up for a season-ending injury, even for a championship level QB. That doesn't faze WSU Head Football Coach Ron McBride. "He has the talent I look for in a leader," McBride said in regards to Higgins. With a win over a number SOURCE: WSU ATHLETICS Kevin Linehan Weber State University senior Kevin Linehan (Left) returns a recovers a fumble and returns it for a 94 yard touchdown in the last season's home opener. WSU's quarterback, Cameron Higgins (Right), a junior, addresses the crowd last season at an away game against Sacramento State. All-Academic team. Coming off a season where "Our seniors are the key," "The team is growing right McBride said. "We have talent, he had 78 tackles, two. fumble now, building," McBride said. but it's up to [the seniors] to be returns for 94 yards and one "It's important that the senior leaders." touchdown, Linehan followed leadership rubs off. I think up his on-the-field success it will, but we'll just have to "Its about time by being one of the 12 see." members of the team to be The recent academic management There's plenty named to the BSC Fall 2009 improvement shows of time in the day. What's All-Academic Team. sparks that could keep the His experience and important is that you wake team out of trouble with willingness to show the NCAA, but those sparks up early and give yourself leadership in his actions, will have to continue this both on and off the field, fall. give good reason why enough time to get stuff "The team has a lot of McBride has placed the good leaders this season," done/' defense in the hands of his McBride said. "But what senior DE. - Kevin Linehan, stands out is our senior "It's about time leadership." Linehan Defensive End, management," With 21 seniors on Weber State Football Team said. "There is plenty of this year's team (nine on time in the day. What's offense and 12 on defense) important is that you the senior leadership will be After seeing the NCAA wake up early and give yourself pivotal to ultimately overcoming troubles looming, returning 6'3", enough time to get stuff done last year's challenges and 255 lb. WSU Senior Defensive and manage your time correctly avoiding looming NCAA End Kevin Linehan stepped up See Seniors page 4 troubles, according to McBride. and did something about it. See Quarterback page 4 SOURCE: WSU ATHLETICS Cameron Higgins Four WSU track athletes place in top 10 at Junior Nationals Junior Pan American Games and two people didn't want to go, so she has qualified and will have a trip to the Bahamas or Jamaica or somewhere like that." By Lana Larsen Blaisdell also commented on coaches expected him to do and sr. sports reporter I The Signpost Skidmores future as a WSU athlete. made it to the finals. Dustin is used to "She had an outstanding year for throwing a high school discus which Four Weber State University weighs 1.6 kilograms or a college us," BlaisdeU said. "She comesfroma freshmen competed in the United discus which is 2.0 kilograms. The little school in [Terreton] Idaho, and States of America Track and Field discus he competed with was 1.75 she has made a lot of progress and Junior kilograms, she has the opportunity to be one National which WSU's of the real fine distance runners that Meet ^ " e " a " an outstanding year for a t h l e t i c we've had here at Weber State." d u r i n g us- $ne comes from a little school in Skidmore's season may continue department the last [Terreton] Idaho, and she has made did not have on at the Junior Pan America Meet. The rest of the athletes will have a weekend a lot of progress and she has the for him to use bit of a break. The distance runners of June. opportunity to be one of the real in practice. will meet at the end of July and will D u s t i n fine distance runners that we've had H e a d be training for the beginning of the M a r t i n here at Weber State." men's coach threw the Dan Walker season at the end of August. The discus said that track athletes are off until September. "The throwers will be doing some and took - Jim Blaisdell, M a r t i n ' s lifting," Walker said about the athlete's eighth Women's Track and Field Head Coach performance with a was a future training, "and the runners will 1 77 ' 9 " "very nice be running stairs and hills and a little bit of distance. The distance runners throw. John Coyle placed sixth in the accomplishment". steeplechase with a time of 9:24:99. As for the steeplechase runners, will be piling on the mileage." Skidmore, however, will not get a Trevor Ricks was just behind for Coyle and Ricks, Walker said he eighth place in the steeplechase thinks "maybe the long season just chance to rest just yet. "I suspect if she is going to the with a time of 9:28:89. There were wore them out. We expect a lot out Junior Pan Am games she'll be 18 competitors in the USATF Junior of our distance runners. They have National Meet. Coyle and Ricks both been competing since September. training and getting ready for that ran a time of 9:04 to qualify. Laken By the time we got to this point in the and also getting ready for the cross Skidmore ran the 1,500 meters and season they were just over extended." country season which begins at the took fourth place. Head women's coach Jim Blaisdell end of August," Blaisdell said. Despite the unusual weight of praised Skidmores performance. the discus Martin had to throw in Comment on this story at "She did very well," Blaisdell the competition, he did what the said. "The top two qualified for the wsusignpostcom. After strong showing at Junior Nationals, Skidmore qualifies for Pan American Games SOURCE: WSU ATHLETICS SOUKC't: WSU ATHLETIC John Coyle Dustin Martin Laken Skidmore Trevor Ricks SOURCE: WSU ATHLETICS |