OCR Text |
Show Monday, April 19, 2010 StateSManSpOrtS Page 11 r Aggie Notebook: Big day for Aggie football :Graduation Special! e may be five months away from the start of the 2010 football season, but the Aggies were in full swing on Saturday, as the coaching staff and team took a break from their normal spring routine to host both local football recruits and BYU coaching legend LaVell Edwards. Holding their annual Junior Day, the Aggies and head coach Gary Andersen had the chance to showcase the USU football program to dozens of soon-to-be high school seniors, many of whom the team hopes to eventually sign following the 2010 season. Edwards, who coached BYU to the 1984 National Championship, served as a guest coach for USU during the scrimmage and spoke to the Aggie football team prior to the day's events. With a 257 101 3 career record, Edwards is considered by many to be the very embodiment of Cougar football, but holds a soft spot in his heart for Logan and the USU program. Edwards was a three-year letter-winner on the Aggie State football team before graduating from USU in 1952 and was even named to the Utah State All-Century Team in 1993. Speaking after the scrimmage, Edwards commented that he sees definite potential in next year's Aggie squad. "Coming into the valley here, there's always something special about it," Edwards said. "I was very impressed with the enthusiasm these guys had today. That was a long practice. That was a lot of contact and a lot of hitting. They had good execution, and I liked the screens. Both offensively and defensively, I think it's going to be a good ball club." Edwards went on the praise Andersen, saying, "I've always admired his work, and I thought when they hired him up here, it was a great hire. I was just tremendously impressed with (his team's) enthusiasm and their attitude and the way they worked today." Having the chance to hear a living legend, such as Edwards, speak to the Party of 6 or more receives 15% off total bill ($30 min) or Group Party of 10 or more W - - Buffet $10 Each Coupon Good April 19-May 15 Not valid with any other offers Reservations required for Buffet nittiOSA RESThVR t CHINESE F OD COACHING LEGEND LAVELL EDWARDS (left) stands next to head coach Gary Anderson prior to Saturday's scrimmage. TODD JONES photo team was an opportunity for the Aggie players, including running back Kerwynn Williams, who summed up Edwards' message to the team. "He was very informative," said Williams, who rushed for 59 yards on 11 carries during Saturday's scrimmage. "He just basically said we need to have a love for the game, a love for our teammates around us and just a love for our college. We've got to have a love for the supporting people around us." The Aggies fell 35-17 to Edwards' Cougars this past season in Provo, but will have their chance to show BYU just how far they've come in the course of a season when they host the Cougars before a nationally televised audience on October 1st. Kerwynn's Big Day A week after starting running back Michael Smith stole the show in the Aggies' first spring scrimmage, sophomore backup Kerwynn Williams stated his case to be a normal part of the USU running back rotation in 2010. Williams showed exceptional quickness on Saturday afternoon, making something out of nothing on several runs while picking his way through the defense. He finished the day with two rushing touchdowns, both of which came in simulated short-yardage situations. Williams has been one of the pleasant surprises this spring for USU and credits injured Aggie star runner Robert Turbin with helping him this offseason. "He's like a second coach atthe running back position," Williams said of Turbin. "He sees things that sometimes our coach doesn't see. So he's right there, off to the sidelines, telling you to play a little more or saying your footwork could be a little bit better. He's always there to coach us a little bit." Andersen praised Williams after the scrimmage, saying that the sophomore is a "great mixed set back." Caldwell Returns Noticeably absent from last weekend's scrimmage was Aggie kicker Peter Caldwell, who also handles the punting and kickoff duties for USU. Caldwell has been attending to some family matters in the week leading up to Saturday's action, but was back on the field and looking true to form during the scrimmage. He made his presence felt in a big way, averaging 40.3 yards per punt while also making 10-11 field goals during the scrimmage, including a 52-yarder. Andersen Sounds off on Rule Changes The NCAA rules cornmittee recently released a set of rule changes for the 2011 season, with two new rules - a ban on "eye black" and stiffer penalties for taunting - taking center stage. Andersen sounded off on the rule changes when addressing the media Women's tennis loses two of three By KAYLA CLARK staff writer Utah State women's tennis traveled to Boise, Idaho, this weekend for two days of compe- tition, facing off with the Boise State Broncos and Idaho State on Friday. On Saturday the team finished up the weekend of play with a match against WAC foe Louisiana Tech. Results of the weekend were mixed, losing both matches on Friday, but claiming the victory on Saturday. USU lost a harsh 4-0 to Boise in its first match of the weekend. "We knew they were going to be a tough team going into the match, but the girls played hard," head coach Christian Wright said. "Boise has a great program, that's just it." Boise State claimed three of the singles points, with the rest of the matches left unfinished due to BSU's victories. BSU's Pichittra Thongdach, who is nationally ranked at No. 46, played an unfinished match against USU's junior Hayley Swenson at No. 1. Freshman Jaclyn West played an unfinished match as well, at No. 2, against the Bronco's Lauren Megale. Freshman Kristina Voytsekhovich fell, at the No. 3 position, to Bianca Jochimsen, 6-0, 6-3. At No. 4, sophomore Monica Abella was defeated by Stephanie Jasper, 6-1, 6-0. Junior Taylor Perry went on to play an unfinished match against BSU's Marlena Pietzuch at No. 5, and senior Britney Watts fell 6-1 6-1 to Rocio Frej at No. 6, finishing up the singles action against Boise. Swenson and West took the court first in doubles, losing to Megale and Thongdach, 8-4, at No. 1. Voytsekhovich and Perry were up next, falling to Boise's Jochimsen and Edwards, 8-7. At No. 3, Watts and Abella lost 8-1 to Jasper and Frej, finishing up USU's first match of the day. Idaho State was the next opponent, starting the match only a short time after the match against Boise State had ended. "Doubleheaders are hard," Wright said. "You get physically and mentally tired really fast, but the girls do a great job about keeping up with it all." USU lost the match 7-0. Swenson lost at No. 1 to U of I's Gabriela Niculescu, 6-1, 6-1, as did West, losing at No. 2 to M. Perevoshchikova, 6-0, 7-6. Voytsekhovich battled through three sets to be defeated by Silvia Irimescu, 4-6, 6-1, 11-9. Abella lost 6-4, 6-1 to Idaho's Alexandra Ulesanu, and, at No. 5, Perry fell to Barbara Maciocha, 6-1, 6-0. Watts finished up singles action with a three-set match, losing to U of I's Yvette Ly, 4-6, 7-6, 10-4. Doubles action saw same results as that of singles. West and Swenson lost a close 9-8 to Niculescu and Perevoshchikova at No. 1, and, at No. 2, Perry and Cecile Vichery fell to Cohen and Ly, 8-4. Abell and Watts were the last to play, with a loss against Maciocha and Ulesanu, 8-3. On Saturday, USU concluded the weekend of competition with a win against Louisiana Tech, 5-2. The doubles point was dropped with losses at the No. 2 and 3 positions. West and Swenson won at No. 1 against Vichery and Juarez, 8-7, but Voytsekhovich and Perry couldn't keep up with Louisiana Tech's Erofeyeva and Maartje de Wit, losing 8-5. Swenson and West improved to a 14-8 doubles record with this match, also giving them a 3-5 WAC mark. Abella and Watts lost, as well, at No. 3, losing to Dolle and Rodriguez, 8-3. Momentum for USU picked up despite the doubles-point loss, gaining points in all singles positions, save for No. 1. Swenson who was defeated by LTU's Vivian ten Dolle, 6-3, 4-6, 11-9. "It's hard to come back after losing the doubles point, but I was really impressed with the girls for fighting back," Wright said. Hayley sure tried hard, and it was such a close loss." West, at No. 2, proved victorious over Cecile Vichery, 6-3, 63, and, at No. 3, Voytsekhovich defeated Alena Erofeyeva, 6-3, 6-3. West currently leads the Aggies with WAC singles record. Abella continued the winning streak, beating de Wit 6-2, 6-0. Perry won 6-1, 6-0 to LSU's Laura Rodriguez, and Watts finished up the weekend on a high note, with a win against Rocio Juarez, 6-3, 6-4. Wright said he was happy about the win and was a good ending to the weekend. Wednesday, April 21, will mark the final home and regular season match for Utah State, when the Aggies host their match against Idaho State. "We're excited to be back at home and want to finish the season strong," Wright said. - kayla.clark@aggiemail.usu.edu after the scrimmage, saying that "we're okay with the changes" and added that he agreed with the ban on "eye black." USU will practice on Tuesday and Thursday this week before returning to the field of Romney stadium for a final time this spring on Saturday, April 24. The Aggies will play their annual spring game that afternoon at 2 p.m. Admission is free, and fans can receive autographs from their favorite USU football player's prior to the action. Adam Nettina is a junior majoring in history from Ellicott City, Maryland. Adam is a guru of all things college football and member of the Football Writers Association of America. Comments can be left at aggietownsquare. com 890 North Main Street (435) 753-7889 Monday-Thursday: 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM Friday & Saturday: 11:00 AM - 10:30 PM Sunday: 12:00 PM - 9:30 PM Come live with us! seNsA)T W°I° 0e4 e University Pines Forest .111• . 6 Gate School Year: $2350-2850 ($200 Deposit) Private Bedrooms Utilities Included Cable TV Internet On-Site Laundry 454 N 400 E Logan 435-752-1516 High prices paid for used textbooks IN, j cl ick Go to amazon.com/buyback ship Send us your used textbooks at no cost to you spend Millions of items to choose from at amazon.com amazon.comibuyback Buyback titles are purchased by a third party merchant |