Sports from www.bgdailynews.com
By ROB HERBST, The Daily News, rherbst@bgdailynews.com/783-3238
7/31/2008 11:45:37 AM
Being a Bowling Green East Little League All-Star comes at a price, but the memories have been priceless.
The East 11- and 12-year-old team headed to Indianapolis on Wednesday in preparation for Friday’s opening game against Illinois in the Great Lakes Regional Tournament. Hitting the road has become awfully common for East All-Stars and their parents.
They’re familiar with the Natcher Parkway, because they played five straight days in Owensboro for the area tournament. The state tournament took East to Louisville, where they stayed for five games before earning a bid to the Great Lakes Regional.
“It’s not bad,” East All-Star Quentin Cooke said. “We get to go back to hotels or wherever and swim, go to sleep and wake back up.”
However, it can be tough on the parents’ wallets.
Quentin Cooke’s father, Joey, estimated the family spent $1,000 in Louisville for five days on hotel, food, gas and entertainment.
But considering his son Quentin and the East All-Stars are one tournament championship from playing in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., the price is worth it.
“It is expensive, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Joey Cooke said. “It’s the only shot you’re going to have.”
The Cooke family isn’t alone.
Others have to find a way to manage finances during the postseason run - but stress it’s a rare opportunity.
“It’s indescribable and it’s just amazing,” said Kerrie McDaniel, mother of All-Star Christopher. “There’s a lot of expenses and all the little incidentals add up, but it’s worth it.”
Teresa Hayes, mother of Devin, said, “You’ll do what you have to do. It’s definitely a big commitment, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, so you cough up the money and you cough up the time.”
One key is planning ahead.
Because most members of the squad were 11-year-old state champions last year, aspiring for another state championship wasn’t out of the question.
But unlike the 11-year-old age group, where postseason ends with the state tournament, the 11-12 tournament includes a regional tournament and World Series.
“You think about and you plan (ahead),” Kerrie McDaniel said. “You kind of put things back. We haven’t done a big vacation this summer. (Owensboro, Louisville, Indianapolis and hopefully Williamsport) may be it.”
Having a flexible work schedule or understanding bosses also helps too. Assistant coach Greg Sibalich had 20 days of vacation available from his engineering job.
“I saved a lot in anticipation for this,” Sibalich said.
McDaniel is a biology teacher at Western Kentucky University. Classes start Aug. 25, the day after the final game of the Little League World Series, so she should be in the clear. She’s spent off time completing syllabi.
“My schedule is great and I’ve got a lot of support administratively,” she said.
Teresa Hayes also had 22 vacation days from work as a human resources professional at a printing company.
“I’ve got six left and I have other people willing to donate,” Teresa Hayes said. “I haven’t missed an inning.”
Her husband, Junior, has some work conflicts. He’s a physical education teacher at three Bowling Green schools. School begins Tuesday, when Devin and the All-Stars are playing in Indianapolis.
Junior Hayes is also an assistant football coach at Bowling Green High School and practice has begun.
“Coach (Kevin) Wallace is totally supportive,” Junior said. “He says it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing and he understands. If it was his kid, he’d be there too. But teachers want to be there for the first day.”
Junior Hayes doesn’t want to miss school, but the All-Stars aren’t complaining. It also provides them a bit of extra juice.
“All the boys are missing school and that’s their motivation,” Teresa Hayes joked. “Devin is already doing his algebra homework. But all the schools have been very good.”
By NICK BAUMGARDNER, The Daily News, nbaumgardner@bgdailynews.com
8/2/2008 10:30:10 PM
Houchens-Smith Stadium can be a distracting place these days.
Maybe it’s because the background noise sounds more like massive road construction than the usual early August calm on the eve of a new season. Or perhaps it’s the fact that the Western Kentucky football staff and players are only “almost” moved into their new offices and locker rooms in the renovated facility.
Oh, and then there’s the tiny matter of the most daunting schedule in school history, staring the team in its collective face. All reasons to lose focus, all distractions.
But WKU football coach David Elson seems used to the distractions these days, and none seem to get under his skin. Probably because he knows one familiar thing - football - is right around the corner.
“This all feels real when you don’t have to walk to the other side (of the stadium) to get to your office anymore, and you have to park a little different, but it’s just like moving in a personal situation,” said Elson, who will lead his team onto Feix Field on Monday for the first official day of preseason camp. “There’s still some equipment being delivered in the training room, we don’t have hooks for towels in the showers yet and little things like that, but we’re getting really close to being fully operational in here.
“It’s all just part of the process.”
The Hilltoppers soon begin their second season as a full-fledged Football Bowl Subdivision member, and anticipation about the newly renovated stadium - as well as the beast of a schedule that features more FBS opponents than ever before - is starting to boil over.
WKU’s mandatory once-a-day practices for the first five days of camp begin at 6 p.m. Monday. And once the first week of what the NCAA calls an “acclimatization period” ends, full-time two-a-days commence.
Despite all the change and forward thinking surrounding the team, Elson said that on Monday the Hilltoppers will have a one-track mind.
“It’s going to be a challenge, there’s no question,” Elson said. “No. 1, we can’t get all caught up and enamored and think that this building is going to beat Indiana and win us any games. It’s something we appreciate and enjoy, but at the same time we’ve got to realize that we’ve got a lot of work to do, and it’s still about people and relationships and this team coming together.
“It’s easy to get distracted on moving in and getting used to everything, but we need to be proactive and have some vision so we can be as fully operational as we possibly can.”
Elson said it will be important to quit thinking about the schedule as a whole and start thinking about things one week at a time.
“I’ll let you in on this little secret,” Elson said. “From now on, we aren’t going to be talking about anything other than preseason camp and Indiana. I sense that so many people are caught up with the BCS schools on our schedule, and our guys sense the excitement of the stadium and everything.
“And (today) I’ll let (the players) know that, we’re all about preseason camp first of all, focusing on us, getting to know the playbook and welcoming the freshmen in full-time … this is the first time we’ll all be together and this is our 105 guys that we’re going to win with in 2008. And it’s going to take work, and there’s not enough time to focus on anything else.”
Elson said that first and foremost, the early focus will be on jelling as a team. He said there will be slight preparation for the season opener at Indiana on Aug. 30, but the real prep won’t come until the game is directly in view.
“It’s really about teaching our fundamental techniques and schemes, installing our offense, defense and special teams,” Elson said. “You’re sort of starting from scratch when it comes to teaching those fundamentals, and we’ll carry some of the stuff over from the spring, but the younger guys have to get caught up to speed.
“For us right now, it’s a matter of a lot of teaching, coaching, getting used to that playbook and getting everyone used to those concepts.”
For the moment, Elson said the entire program is bursting at the seams with anticipation and excitement.
“I’ve had that feeling for about a week now,” he said. “It’s a good feeling to be getting back at it, and every year that (anticipation) feeling comes about a week or two before you get started.”
And while “chaotic” has been the offseason theme for this year’s team, the Hilltoppers understand the hectic surroundings only mean that FBS football is closer to becoming reality.
“This year’s a little bit different because of all this chaos around,” he said, “but it’s much welcomed chaos.”
By NICK BAUMGARDNER, The Daily News, nbaumgardner@bgdailynews.com/783-3239
8/5/2008 12:17:59 PM
The themes Monday night at Western Kentucky’s first football practice of the 2008 season seemed to be tempo, nerves and more tempo.
The Hilltoppers took the field for the first session of what is arguably the most anticipated season to date. While first-day jitters were apparent, the focus on both sides of the ball was speed.
“You could tell everybody was excited, especially this morning - even at breakfast it seemed like everybody had a little more pep in their step,” sophomore quarterback K.J. Black said. “You can tell we’re all excited to be out here, everybody’s moving fast and I’m one of those guys. I was just ready to get it started.
“But if you’re not nervous the first day, something’s wrong. Everybody was a little tight, just trying to show the coaches what we could do.”
With the nerves and excitement, errors are expected. Coach David Elson admitted there were a decent number of miscues Monday, but one thing occurred that he’s never seen during his tenure at WKU.
“I thought we started slow and sloppy in a lot of places, but I don’t remember a first practice where we were able to get all our reps in - and we did today,” Elson said. “We got everything in, and I think they understood the tempo and the way we wanted to practice. With everybody being quick to get back to the line of scrimmage, we saw a lot of good things out of the young guys, so overall I think it was definitely a positive.
“But the big eye in the sky doesn’t lie, so we’ll look at the film and evaluate it.”
The offensive and defensive units almost seemed to rush back to the line of scrimmage, something Elson said is all part of a plan.
“It’s part of what we’re trying to do, and it’s something that gives us trouble on defense, when the offenses are good at changing tempos and speeding it up it makes it tough,” Elson said. “And the other thing it does for you is conditioning - we have to be able to finish games in the fourth quarter, so practicing at that high tempo, when we get into games it should feel slow - things should almost slow down and be easier for them.
“That’s how we’re trying to design practice - we used to say get in and out of the huddle, but we don’t huddle anymore so get everybody back up to the line as quick as possible.”
Senior offensive tackle Greg Ryan - who returns after a volunteer redshirt last season - said everyone noticed the up-tempo pace, and it’s something he hopes continues throughout the season.
“We’re going to have a high-tempo offense and a high-tempo defense this year,” Ryan said. “With the spread, no-huddle offense we’re trying to get that (tempo) started and set on day one.
“The quicker we get up there, the more confused they’ll be.”
But even with all the talk of tempo, the main undercurrent on Day 1 was excitement.
“The first day of fall practice is an exciting day any way you look at it,” Ryan said. “Even though we’re just in helmets, we were still getting after each other today and we had a great practice.
“We’re just as excited as we were as freshmen.”
But over-excitement and sloppiness sometimes go hand-in-hand. The nerves figure to be around for at least a few days.
“I think it will take about a week (to settle in),” Black said. “Once we get full pads on and have a couple of tough practices in, things will get better and tougher. Every time we add a layer of shoulder pads or things like that, you’ll have those same jitters in you.”
Still, Elson said he expects the sloppiness to begin fading away once the routine sets in.
“I think that sloppiness has to do with (nerves),” Elson said. “Young guys have their hearts pounding with their first college practice, everybody’s out here and it’s hot and we all have to deal with it.
“I know it always takes me some time to get back into rhythm of working in periods, so I would expect that practice two will be a little less sloppy.”
--Click here to read a WKU football blog post from Daily News sportswriter Nick Baumgardner.
By NICK BAUMGARDNER, The Daily News, nbaumgardner@bgdailynews.com/783-3239
8/6/2008 12:03:31 PM
As the Western Kentucky football team inches its way closer to the dog days of fall camp, the amount of work that must be done on both sides of the ball can seem staggering.
But learning to do it all as a team is just as important.
Whether in the meeting room, during wind sprints or at the breakfast table, the WKU players and coaches put just as much emphasis on jelling as a unit as they put on game plans.
“The first couple days of fall camp is when the team really comes together,” senior defensive end Dan Cline said. “It really just sets a cohesiveness amongst all of us on the gridiron. We get to see what the young guys can do and bring to the table, and they get to see what kind of attitude the older guys have.
“It’s more of a learning process when it comes to teamwork, and you realize who’s going to be there to support you.”
Though there are far more returning players than incoming freshmen, many players are in new roles - changing last season’s huddle culture.
So when a season ends and a new one begins, the challenge of becoming a team again is critical.
“It’s not just practices, it’s the locker room, it’s eating meals together, we do things during team meetings where we have a picture of every person that’s in the program on a PowerPoint presentation and when we call someone’s name, they have to get up and tell us about themselves,” WKU coach David Elson said. “There’s 105 players, a full coaching staff, trainers, managers and everybody’s a part of it - and we’re really trying to build that family culture and atmosphere.
“It’s really 24/7 looking out for each other.”
Elson said that during his tenure as head coach, he has tried to make the team-building concept something that never stops.
“I think it’s year-round, to be honest with you,” Elson said. “It comes with adversity - we’re going to have some tough practices and that will bring them together. But you also look to the summer time with our workouts, and that’s one of the most important times because it’s just them.
“And I’ll tell you right now, our guys really improved on some techniques over the summer and were out here getting work done, so they were really holding each other accountable and being there for each other.”
Perhaps the biggest challenge in all of this is with the incoming freshmen, who usually enter camp without recognizing many faces.
WKU’s veterans take it upon themselves to correct that situation as soon as possible.
“When the young guys come in, we don’t want to leave them out,” junior running back Tyrell Hayden said. “We want to show them that Western is all about family, about being together and if we go somewhere, we’ll call them and ask them if they want to go.
“We want to show them what being a college football athlete is all about, and what being a student at Western is all about - it’s about being a big family and reaching out to everybody.”
So while it appears the team concept is part of the squad’s everyday life, the first few weeks of fall practice are truly a critical time.
“It’s vital during those first couple of weeks, because if you don’t have a close team, you’re going to fall apart,” Cline said. “If you’re a strong team, you’ll look to the guy next to you and play your heart out for him.
“And team success is really built on family, and pushing for the guy next to you.”
The emphasis on making everyone feel involved seems to be working. Cline said this current group - freshmen included - might be one of the closest teams he’s ever played on.
“It’s going great,” Cline said. “I feel like this year’s team is closer than any team I’ve ever been a part of over the past five years.
“The young guys aren’t intimidated to ask the older guys questions, and you don’t see that too much throughout the landscape of college football, but we know if we want to be successful this season, we have to do it together as a team.”
On the Web
--Read WKU beat writer Nick Baumgarder’s blog about the second day of the Hilltoppers’ preseason camp at
http://bgdailynews.wordpress.com.
By NICK BAUMGARDNER, The Daily News, nbaumgardner@bgdailynews.com
8/9/2008 10:02:41 PM
Each fall, some of the top high school football talent in the country makes its way to various campuses with big dreams, lots of confidence and maybe just a little bit of nervousness.
Every fall, most feel they’re ready to jump right away into the college fray.
And like clockwork, every fall, many of them are swept up by the tornado that is college football.
For the 17 football freshmen at Western Kentucky, the scenario is the same.
“Man, it’s just been so fast,” said freshman quarterback Marcus Vasquez, who played high school ball in Chula Vista, Calif. “We move, we just move so fast, and for us, it’s just learning all that offense, all the signals, the plays and everything.
“And with everyone else going so fast, we’ve just got to learn really quickly.”
Increased speed is often the biggest challenge for freshmen.
“They don’t get it (at first), I promise you they don’t,” WKU coach David Elson said. “You always ask them at the end of the season about what’s the biggest difference between high school and college, and the first thing that always comes out of their mouth is the speed of the game.
“The competition level is higher, everybody’s pretty good and I think we do everything we can by having them here in the summertime and going through 7-on-7. But when it comes to putting those pads on, it’s always a bit of a shock to their systems.”
Freshman offensive lineman Adam Smith didn’t quite understand the change until he strapped on his helmet for the first time a few days ago.
“It’s completely different from high school, and you knew it would be, but you really never knew what to expect,” said Smith, who was sporting a fresh samurai-style hairdo, courtesy of his veteran linemates. “The guys are all great and it’s just something to be a part of, and I’m glad to be a part of it.
“It’s just overwhelming, and I really don’t know what to say.”
Despite the whirlwind of playbook study and cranked-up speed, the adjustment process appears to be going smoothly.
“So far it’s been good, it’s a lot of hard work and the tempo’s much higher here so you’ve got to go hard every play,” freshman linebacker Sergio Joyner said. “They’ve got everything planned out, you move quick from one period to another so fast.
“It caught me by surprise, but I’m adjusting to it kind of quick here. Everybody’s working great, and I feel a lot better now than when I first came in.”
Elson said freshmen typically take several practices to settle in and start playing to their full potential. The coaching staff and veteran players are prepared for that.
“They’ve been solid, we told them they wouldn’t be getting as many reps as they’re used to and some of them are getting a little more, they’re swimming a little bit,” Elson said. “But that’s normal, we put a lot in over five days and once everything starts to slow down for them and some of these words we throw at them start to mean something, they’ll get a little more aggressive.”
Meanwhile, adjusting to a new life away from home is another matter altogether. So relying on one another for support is something that this group began early in the summer when they arrived for 7-on-7 drills and workout sessions.
“The freshman group that came in is really close,” Vasquez said. “We’ve blended in well with the rest of the team, they’ve really welcomed us and really accepted us.
“A lot of people around here are from Georgia or Florida and I’m really the only person here from out west that far, but I’ve been here for a month now and everyone gets along pretty well.”
Elson thinks the camaraderie goes a long way.
“They’ve been great,” Elson said. “Being here in June and July for most of them has really help with building some chemistry and also with the older guys helping and putting their arms around them.
“As a class themselves, they’re pretty together and leaning on each other, so it’s been really positive at this point.”
Going from top dog in high school to the grunt work of the scout team in one year can be a roller coaster. But this year’s freshman class appears ready for the ride.
“In high school, you’re one of the best on the team,” Smith said. “And here, everybody’s exactly like you, so it’s different.
“But one of the things I love about this program is everyone’s together, we’re a team and we’re all brothers and when I came to college I was always scared about how we’d be treated, but everybody’s welcomed us in great and it’s been a plus.”
8/9/2008 10:02:40 PM
inspiration in WKU’s tough schedule By NICK BAUMGARDNER, The Daily News, nbaumgardner@bgdailynews.com
Perhaps no one understands the meaning of Western Kentucky University’s motto - “Where the spirit makes the master” - quite like Bill “Whitey” Sanders.
Sanders, who led the nation in pass completions in 1953 at WKU, maintains that WKU spirit more than 50 years after he took his last snap on the Hill.
After football, Sanders embarked on an acclaimed career as an editorial cartoonist, including nearly a quarter century at the Milwaukee Journal. Now retired and living in Florida, Sanders recently gave WKU head coach David Elson a gift Sanders feels embodies the Hilltoppers’ athletic spirit.
Sanders’ cartoon depicts a small football player dressed in a Hilltopper uniform holding a slingshot. The weapon holds a football bearing the phrase “the spirit,” and looming over the spirit-toting player are three gigantic players dressed in Indiana, Kentucky and Alabama uniforms.
This David vs. Goliath take on WKU’s difficult 2008 schedule depicts the challenge that awaits Elson and his current squad. But it also shows Sanders’ belief that with WKU’s tradition behind it, anything’s possible.
“Western has always had - and this is what motivated me to send coach Elson the cartoon - a kind of unique spirit and relationship with its students, and I think that’s truly unique,” Sanders said. “He and I have had conversations about the general area, and as the campus grows and the athletics become more upscale, we all hope that they don’t lose that ambiance. I kind of get the sense that coach Elson tagged onto that pretty quick and I think he’s helping perpetuate that.
“And that makes a big difference on how the team functions, outside of its brawn and talent and everything else.”
After hanging up his cleats in 1953, military service took Sanders overseas to Korea. When his active duty ended, Sanders caught on as a general assignment reporter for an English newspaper in Tokyo. While in Korea, Sanders came across a book of political cartoons by the famed Herb “Herblock” Block of The Washington Post. In reading the book, Sanders said he found a passion that’s been with him ever since.
From there, Sanders sent out several brochures back to the United States in hopes of catching on with a newspaper as a political cartoonist. His timing was good.
“I had at one time been through a town in the Carolinas that had the word ‘green’ in it,” Sanders said. “I couldn’t remember the name, and then I ran across this place called Greensboro, North Carolina, and sent a brochure to the Daily News there and another one to the Courier-Journal in Louisville.
When I woke up in the morning I had two letters, one from Greensboro, one from the C-J. I opened the C-J’s first and they said they had just hired a cartoonist and wouldn’t have an opening in the foreseeable future, so I went back and opened the Greensboro letter and it said their old cartoonist had just been hired by the C-J. So I immediately came back to the U.S. and went to work in Greensboro.”
Sanders has also drawn for the Kansas City Star, the Milwaukee Journal and Newsweek. Sanders has been listed in the Who’s Who in American Graphic Arts, as well as earning a place in the Wisconsin Media Hall of Fame.
Still, Sanders said some of his fondest memories came from his days as a Hilltopper.
“The ’52 and ’53 bunch have been like brothers for 50 years,” Sanders said. “We get together once or twice a year, most of us married people we knew from school, and over the years we just bonded in a way that was really unusual.
“We’ve all just had a really marvelous relationship, and that bonding process with us in school has been one of the most important things to me.”
Sanders, who currently resides in Fort Myers, Fla., said he and a group of his former teammates return to WKU every year for Homecoming. They plan to gather again on Nov. 1, when the Hilltoppers host North Texas.
Like many, Sanders believes the 2008 schedule is as big a challenge as the program’s ever faced. He made no bones about the possibility that 2008 could be a bumpy ride.
“There’s no question that these are going to be three or four games that they’re likely not going to be favored to win by all standards, but the rest of that schedule has games that they’ll get through in pretty good condition,” he said.
Long-term, however, Sanders thinks the program is headed in the right direction. He said he has faith in Elson’s commitment to keeping WKU’s spirit alive and well.
“If it comes down to just brawn and talent, (college football) becomes more businesslike than it should be,” Sanders said. “Where you have successful athletic programs, you’ve got someone that helps agenda that kind of spirit, and I don’t think it’s true everywhere.”
By NICK BAUMGARDNER, The Daily News, nbaumgardner@bgdailynews.com/783-3239
8/15/2008 11:30:15 AM
Western Kentucky coach David Elson maintained during Tuesday’s WKU Football Media Day that he wants one quarterback to lead the team this season.
In almost the same breath, though, Elson admitted injuries have influenced the Hilltoppers’ quarterback outlook, making what once was a two-horse race a three-man sprint.
With the return of sophomore K.J. Black to the field Thursday for WKU’s second mini-scrimmage, all three signal callers - including senior David Wolke and junior Brandon Smith - split reps with the first and second teams for the first time in nearly a week.
Black’s return leaves the starting quarterback job as up for grabs as it was at the beginning of fall camp.
“We want to get everybody healthy and let those guys compete to see who our guy is going to be,” Elson said. “Now it comes down to a matter of consistency, and getting out there day after day and see what (Black) can do and see how that matches up with what David and Brandon are doing.”
Black - who entered fall camp as the leader on the depth chart - participated in essentially his first full contact practice of the fall after sitting out several days with a sore hamstring. Due to Black’s injury, Wolke - who missed all spring with a weight room injury - had taken most of the first-team snaps.
To make matters more interesting, Smith has been solid throughout the entire spring, summer and fall sessions.
Black said he was happy to be back on the field, but acknowledged has a lot of ground to make up.
“This felt like a first day for me,” he said. “I’m really trying to catch up to everybody. It felt good, though - this was my first full practice really and I’m just trying to get back.
“Yesterday was probably the first day I felt 100 percent with it, and I’m ready to go now.”
With Wolke and Smith playing well, Black said he got antsy while watching from the sidelines. Missing field time would only hurt his chances for the starting quarterback slot.
“I know the offense, but we add new wrinkles every day, and I just wanted to make sure that I know everything that everybody else knows,” Black said. “It’s different being out here than just watching film, so I really wanted to get back out and get those reps in.
“(Sitting out) has been killing me every day. I just wanted to get back out here and get back to where I was when we got started in camp.”
Elson said the team is in no rush to find the top quarterback, saying that the competition will probably continue all the way through fall camp. WKU opens its season Aug. 30 at Indiana.
“We’ll look at today’s scrimmage, and the scrimmage Saturday and the work next week,” Elson said. “We’ll do some things in practice to help us determine that.”
Injury updates
Black wasn’t the only Hilltopper to return after an injury Thursday. Senior linebacker Alonzo Higgins was in full pads for the first time this fall and participated in light hitting drills before the mini-scrimmage.
A few players are still nursing small injuries, most notably starting cornerback Marcus Minor (ankle).
“Marcus Minor’s getting close; we let Alonzo do a few more things today so he’s progressing back slowly but surely; a few lineman returned also,” Elson said. “Our training staff is doing a good job and the new training room (in the renovated Houchens-Smith Stadium) is really helping out.
“We’re fine, we’re not any worse off than we’ve been - I think we’re actually better off right now than I can remember.”
Other players not participating Thursday were wide receiver Jake Gaebler, who was resting with minor back pain, and running back Andrew McCloud, who appears to be nursing a slight leg injury.
Wide receiver Seth Tamme, who missed Tuesday’s scrimmage, was back in action Thursday.
Read WKU beat writer Nick Baumgardner’s Hilltopper football blog at http://bgdailynews.wordpress.com.
By NICK BAUMGARDNER, The Daily News, nbaumgardner@bgdailynews.com
8/15/2008 10:19:59 PM
David Elson’s exact words following last year’s season-ending defeat at North Texas: Sometimes you get what you deserve.
Elson was referring to the Hilltoppers’ sloppy effort, which resulted in a season-high 11 penalties - including several personal fouls for excessive celebration.
As if blowing a first-half lead and losing by one point weren’t bad enough - against a future Sun Belt Conference opponent, no less - WKU threw in a postgame, on-field altercation with the Mean Green for good measure.
This fall, though, Elson has shown little patience for such behavior. Even less for excessive celebration.
Motivated by last season’s mess at North Texas, as well as a new NCAA crackdown on personal fouls and excessive celebration penalties, Elson has stopped practice multiple times this fall. His message resonates through Houchens-Smith Stadium: Celebrate with your team, and your team only.
“That’s something quite honestly that’s going to be an emphasis across college football this year,” Elson said. “We want our guys to play with a lot of emotion, play with passion, but just understand that when you go to celebrate, you’ve got to do it with your teammates and not draw attention to yourself.”
Drawing attention was exactly what happened in Denton, Texas, in November. The defense was flagged for an organized team celebration after returning an interception for a touchdown near the end of the first half.
Once North Texas’ comeback was complete, the Mean Green gathered at midfield and recreated the celebration, sparking the postgame altercation.
Elson said the Hilltoppers have moved on from the incident, but not until they learned from it.
“We talked about it across the board after last season and in the offseason and it’s behind us and everything, but it’s still always going to be there in the back of your mind,” Elson said. “But bottom line is, we have to learn from it, and we want them to make plays and we want them to celebrate, but we’ve got to do it the right way and we’re really harping on that.”
The players have noticed the coaching staff’s focus on discipline, and the Toppers agree that keeping emotions in check is a priority - no matter how hard it might be.
“We learned that lesson last season at North Texas, and (Elson) has been preaching it,” sophomore quarterback K.J. Black said. “Celebrate with the team and not by yourselves, and try to be more disciplined when it comes to things like that.”
Still, WKU must find a balance between natural, acceptable excitement and going overboard.
“It’s been a challenge, I even catch myself before I do some things here and there,” Black said. “We have good leadership, though, and we’ve had guys step up and make sure guys don’t get out of hand.
“It’s difficult. I’m an emotional guy and I want to be out there having fun, but I have to make sure that I don’t go overboard and set a bad example for someone else to do the same.”
When wins and losses can sometimes come down to a matter of yards, limiting unnecessary penalties is paramount.
“It’s been focused on a lot, partly because the NCAA has said it’s going to be a lot more strict than it has been in the past and in the offseason some of the officials got a little ripped for letting certain things happen,” junior linebacker Blake Boyd said. “And then last year at North Texas we got the penalty for excessive celebration, and we don’t want that to happen again this year because it could have an effect on a major game.
“We only lost that game by a point, and that could make a difference right there.”
Elson said learning to harness emotions is a simple fact of life, and he’s made it clear that those Hilltoppers who don’t find the balance, won’t find the field.
“You have to know that fine line and where to draw it,” Elson said. “And the thing is, in anything you do, if the intention is to celebrate with your teammates, then there’s no problem.
“They’re getting it, and sometimes we want them out here being more emotional. But it’s just a learning process and I think you need to reteach it every year with your team and never assume that they know some of these things.”
By NICK BAUMGARDNER, The Daily News, nbaumgardner@bgdailynews.com
8/16/2008 10:50:18 PM
If there’s anything to take away from Western Kentucky’s first full-length scrimmage of fall camp Saturday, it’s that the Hilltopper defense is back.
After limping through a spring session that saw the offense dominate nearly every scrimmage, the WKU defense has gradually turned on lately.
Through nearly 100 plays Saturday, the Hilltopper offense crossed the goal line just once, leaving virtually every player in the defensive red jersey with a smile on his face.
“As a defensive unit, we were obviously thrilled with our performance today,” senior defensive end Dan Cline said. “Out of 96 plays, they scored just once - and ratios really don’t get much better than that in college football.”
With the health of the defense improving every day, defenders seemed energized from the start, flying to the ball on every snap and never allowing any of the WKU offensive combinations to find a rhythm.
WKU coach David Elson said he was happy with the defensive performance, but cautioned that the showing might not have been as powerful as it appeared.
“When you just look at getting in the end zone, yeah (they were good), but I don’t think it was quite as dominating as it maybe appeared to be,” Elson said. “Our quarterbacks are a big part of our run game, and not having them live makes a difference - so we can’t get any false sense of satisfaction there.
“But we’re playing with better technique up front. It seemed like a good day. I liked the way everybody came out and competed ... it was guys just going out and really trying to improve and do their job.”
The defense earned just one turnover - a leaping sideline interception by redshirt freshman safety Mark Santoro - but there were several near interceptions and pass deflections.
“We gave them last night off and took them all to the water park. Maybe that helped them - I think everybody was energized,” Elson said. “We kept things very simple defensively and I think it showed that it pays off, we just let guys go out and play.
“The thing I really liked was that we got some tackles for losses. We talk all the time about being good on first down and putting people in long-yard situations, and if we can continue to do that defensively, then we’ll be in good shape.”
Offensively, the positives appeared to be few. None of the three quarterbacks vying for the starting job - K.J. Black, David Wolke or Brandon Smith - seemed to distinguish himself.
“It came down to, I think, that we could have made some more plays here and there when we needed them,” Wolke said. “We just couldn’t consistently make plays and convert on third down, and that’s something we really have to work on.
“It’s all little stuff, man, it’s stuff that can be corrected and will be corrected throughout camp.”
Statistically, Wolke finished 6-for-12 with 59 yards through the air, while Black went 8-for-14 for 80 yards.
When asked if nerves were a factor due to the ongoing quarterback battle, Black shrugged it off, saying all three are used to this situation.
“We’ve been doing this since we’ve been here,” Black said. “They’ve always told us that we’re competing basically every day, there is no for sure job for anybody and I don’t think nerves had anything to do with it.”
Elson maintained that had the scrimmage included live hitting with the quarterbacks, things might have ended a little differently. He added that the coaches must review the film to truly evaluate all three quarterbacks’ performances.
“I absolutely have no idea, it’s hard to evaluate coming right off the field,” Elson said. “The film will tell, and then we’ll look at the numbers as well.”
Higgins plays, Bullard exits
While senior inside linebacker Alonzo Higgins saw his first official contact of fall practice - involving himself on several tackles - sophomore inside backer Chris Bullard was taken out of the scrimmage early with a shoulder injury.
Elson didn’t know the extent of Bullard’s injury after the scrimmage, but Bullard was seen in a sling with an ice bag around his left shoulder.
Also in a sling was defensive tackle Jon Belcher, but Elson said Belcher is fine and should return Monday.
“Belcher we knew about. He had some surgery on a nerve issue in his hand - he’ll be fine and back Monday with a club on,” Elson said. “Bullard had a shoulder issue, we’re not sure exactly the extent of it yet but we’ll find out.”
Other notables who were inactive Saturday were cornerback Marcus Minor (ankle) and running back Andrew McCloud (leg).
8/16/2008 10:50:18 PM
The 2007-08 athletic season at Western Kentucky was among the most successful in university history. The Hilltoppers won 10 Sun Belt Conference championships, more than any other NCAA Division I school. Six programs qualified for NCAA postseason competition, including volleyball, baseball, women’s basketball and men’s basketball - which advanced to its first Sweet 16 in 15 years.
WKU athletic director Wood Selig is entering his 10th season on the Hill this month. He has overseen a period of rapid change in Hilltopper sports, highlighted this fall by the expansion of Houchens-Smith Stadium as WKU football continues its transition into becoming a full NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly I-A) member.
Selig spoke last week with Daily News sports editor Daniel Pike about the growth of Hilltopper athletics, how I-A football benefits the entire athletic department, the Sun Belt Conference, minor league baseball and why there could be still more changes on campus.
This interview has been edited for length and for clarity.
Question: Your thoughts on the 2007-08 season, and are there certain things that stick out to you?
Answer: Last season a couple factors really stick out in my mind. One was just the overall championship effort that all of our student-athletes and coaches gave. To win 10 conference championships out of only 18 possible championships is just remarkable. As we dissected the SEC and Georgia with five championships, the ACC with Virginia with six championships, it was obvious to us at that point what a remarkable accomplishment our programs enjoyed. It’ll be hard to duplicate in the future. Can WKU do better than 10 next year? That’s certainly a goal that will be put out in front of all of our programs.
That was one, and secondly, academically. We just had our spring academic report card turned in and we had 12 of our 20 (counting men’s soccer at the time) teams have a better than 3.0 semester last year. Over half of them have a 3.0 cumulative average for their teams. Then the fact that over the last 10 years we’ve graduated 87 percent of our student-athletes who’ve completed their eligibility.
Q: You’ve said the 10 conference championships will be hard to duplicate, but the goal is to get close to that every year. What has to happen in order for that to be the case, and do you feel like it is happening now?
A: I feel like the role of our university and athletic administration is to put our programs, our coaches, our student-athletes in position to win championships. You do that by providing them with first-class facilities, with budgets that are strong relative to conference competition and perhaps even comparative to some of the nation’s elite. There’s a commitment of resources that goes along with that. And then supporting our programs philosophically. Being in support of the values of intercollegiate athletics and everything that is derived from participation and competition by the student-athlete, by the student body, by the community.
Q: Let’s talk about men’s basketball - the Sweet 16, the fact that you guys have said that being a consistent top 25-type program is a goal. So that sort of run is presumably something you’d like to see happen a little more often. You mentioned budgets - what changes money-wise, budget-wise are going on in that program to help with that?
A: First we’ve got a brand-new (E.A.) Diddle Arena with an outstanding weight room and auxiliary gym space. As we finish the construction of our football stadium, we added a 10,000-square-foot weight room, a training room that’s going to take a lot of pressure off of the Diddle Arena facilities and allow sports to enjoy the new facilities over in the football stadium. That will give basketball and volleyball a primary tenant status in Diddle Arena. It will become more of a basketball facility with obvious markings in the weight room, in the auxiliary gym, so I think there will be greater visibility and prominence by basketball in Diddle Arena now.
Houchens Industries has definitely jumped on board, not only with the football stadium, but with our basketball program. In large part to their financial commitment last year, WKU men’s basketball was televised every single game, home and road (by the Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network). It was on Fox College Sports in 53 million homes, and don’t forget the men’s basketball (selection) committee was able to get all of our games. So that financial commitment to television is a huge impact in the visibility of our program.
We will have a financial windfall from “The Shot.” With Ty Rogers winning the dramatic last-second shot to propel us over Drake and help us get to that Sweet 16 level, the way the Sun Belt Conference’s revenue-sharing policy works, that was a $450,000 benefit to WKU to support our men’s basketball efforts. So there will be some additional funding that will be made available.
Q: Are plans in place again for the same or a similar television package for basketball this year?
A: Well, just like anything, you want to grow from the previous year. We want to somehow find a way to further the Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network. We’re in great shape with our Fox College Sports partner, but if there’s a way to further the penetration of those telecasts, we’d like to try to do that, as well as in the commonwealth of Kentucky.
Q: After the Sweet 16 run, has there been greater interest from or more discussions with, say, ESPN about televising men’s basketball games?
A: I don’t know that we’ve necessarily seen it from that standpoint, because a lot of it runs through our conference. But I think where we’ve seen it is that we’ve talked seriously with Gonzaga, we’re talking to Arkansas, Mississippi State, Davidson, Xavier, Wake Forest - these are serious conversations about home-and-home games. Not playing one, get bought, go there, or not a two-for-one. They’re serious conversations.
When you look at Gonzaga, Southern Illinois, Xavier - schools love to play them, because if you are lucky to beat them, that’s a heck of a win. And if you don’t have success against them, nobody in their right mind would come close to saying, “How did you let them beat you?” So it’s a great opponent. WKU, in the eyes of the overwhelming majority of college basketball, is now a great opponent, because it’s a Sweet 16 team.
Q: Football. With the renovated stadium, with the (largely FBS) schedule, it’s going to be the big story this fall. There was a time when it would have been hard to believe football might be a bigger story than basketball.
A: I have not been associated with WKU for its entirety, but I can’t help but think that this is one of the most exciting times to be a part of WKU athletics with everything that is in front of us. The transition to I-A and what that means, not just for football. That’s going to be a tremendous asset for all of our programs.
(WKU women’s basketball coach) Mary Taylor Cowles tells about going into a recruit’s home and after a while they said, “Now are you Division II or are you Division I?” I think so much of an individual’s perception of an athletic program is determined by whether or not that school is a I-A school or I-AA.
I think we’re going to start to be known by the company we keep. That company is going to be the likes of North Carolina, Indiana, Army, Kentucky, Virginia Tech on a regular basis, because those are the types of schools that we will be playing in football. Another case of football helping other programs: With the Virginia Tech game, we are talking to Virginia Tech about doing a home-and-home basketball series as a result of that opportunity from football. I think football is going to enhance all of our 19 sports.
Q: You mentioned North Carolina.
A: We don’t have anything with them, but we’ve talked to them seriously about a home-and-home in football.
Q: Coach (David) Elson is in season-prep mode and he doesn’t like talking about the football schedule as a whole. But what does the schedule and the level of teams you’ll be playing do from a perception standpoint? I know there are financial benefits as well.
A: It puts us in an entirely different neighborhood. We’re going to be on the ticker every week. We’re going to be playing top 25 programs. We’re going to be on ESPN SportsCenter. The program’s going to get a lot more notoriety and visibility than it’s ever had.
We felt in 2008, this is our second year of transition. We’re still not competing for a conference championship. The NCAA won’t allow you to, and we still are not bowl eligible. You’re kind of in no-man’s land. You’re truly an independent. You’re competing for pride, so part of the thought process was to challenge ourselves. These are the games and the type of opponents that every 18-, 19-, 20-year-old wants to measure themselves against.
It can certainly help us with recruiting, notwithstanding the financial benefit that comes from several of the games that we’ve scheduled. We can invest in the long-term growth of WKU football.
Q: After the baseball team’s NCAA Tournament appearance, it would stand to reason that next season might be one of increased fan interest. But we’ve also got a new minor league team in town. Do you think there will be a competition factor?
A: I’m not so worried about the competition factor. There may be a little bit of that from a corporate partner standpoint or a season-ticket holder standpoint. But as far as I can see, the minor league team will only elevate the profile of baseball in this market. You look at the success of our Little League, with a local team almost making the Little League World Series, and I think we’ve been flying under the radar from a publicity and recognition standpoint. We play in one of the top baseball conferences in America, and we’ve won the conference championship twice in the last four years, yet we’ve had a challenge drawing consistently to our facility.
I think minor league baseball could be a tremendous asset for WKU baseball, by getting people thinking and attending baseball earlier than just the minor league season.
Q: Have there been discussions about WKU using the minor league park for events?
A: They’ve indicated that if we have a big series that maybe we’re afraid that it’s going to exceed the capacity of Nick Denes (Field), we could “take it downtown.” Or if we have a single game and we want to put 4,000 or 5,000 people in, they’ve been very accommodating in letting us know that, “Hey, we’re here for you.”
Q: This is a question you probably get all the time. Do you think about whether the Sun Belt is the best place for Western?
A: Yeah, probably every day. And not from a dissatisfaction standpoint, but from a standpoint of wanting the Sun Belt to reach its maximum potential and wanting all the members within the league to reach their maximum potential that I think all of us know can be accomplished.
That’s why the CEOs a year ago passed a membership standards document that calls for specific accountability by every one of the Sun Belt Conference member institutions pertaining to attendance, pertaining to the marketing and the funding of the core sports within our league. Let’s lock arms and let’s agree to hold each other accountable, because no one can hold the Sun Belt down perhaps more than our own institutions can. So let’s not be our own enemy. We’ve got enough of those on the outside; there don’t need to be any internally.
So let’s take a I-A conference and let’s see if we can’t start climbing the ladder and start picking off some of the other I-A leagues. I love the footprint of the conference. It’s a southeastern footprint. We’re kind of a mirror image of the SEC. We talk internally that (we should) try and be what the (Mid-American Conference) is to the Big Ten. The MAC is a very well respected conference that happens to match the Big Ten footprint. We want to do the same thing with the SEC.
We’re in the Sun Belt. We’re in the growth belt. We’re where recruits are born and bred. We’re where the population is moving. We’re where fans can be outside and enjoying the sports almost year-round. I think our best days are still ahead as a conference.
Q: So you would rather see the Sun Belt grow and develop instead of leaving for a “bigger” conference?
A: Well, I would like to know what, quote-unquote, a bigger conference is. Because we’re not going to the SEC. The Big East, need to see what happens there, but if something breaks there, who knows? It’s going to be rats off the ship from all conferences in that regard.
What is a bigger conference? Is it Conference USA? I’d say that we’re every bit as good, if not better, than Conference USA. Is it the (Western Athletic Conference)? The MAC?
Everybody wants to recruit in Florida, and we’ve got two schools in Florida that we play twice a year across all sports. I think the biggest handcuff right now within our conference (is) perhaps the funding of programs across the board. I think there’s a direct correlation - the more you invest, the greater your success. We’re now starting to see so many of our conference schools really start to increase their investment and commitment to their intercollegiate programs. That’s why I think in a few short years the Sun Belt is really poised to make some noise among the 11 I-A conferences.
If we get Florida Atlantic and Florida International really, really healthy and turn those programs into absolute beasts overall, and WKU continues to do what we have been able to do over the last five to 10 years, now from top to bottom you take away a lot of your weak links and you turn them into powers and you become one of those power conferences. Florida Atlantic is certainly getting it done in football, and I think we could become a football destination conference, a lot more so than some other conferences.
Q: Can being a power football conference carry the load for the entire athletic program in ways that Sun Belt basketball can’t?
A: Absolutely. When you look at the revenue potential, men’s and women’s basketball has just a finite amount of revenue potential still available given the strong support that we currently enjoy. If we can sell maybe 1,000 more season tickets, we’re going to be close to sold out. The luxury boxes are sold out. So your ability to drive HAF donations and ticket revenue through your basketball facility is approaching capacity.
Football on the other hand, with 22,000 or 23,000 seats, with the stadium club, everything associated with football ... absolutely represents the greatest financial potential that WKU athletics has, as well as visibility. That’s going to be the key to our future - the success of our football program and the level of support that we’re able to gather from our community.
Q: Do you step back and think about all the physical changes and athletic improvements, and how much further do you want to go?
A: I guess I’m lucky that (WKU) President (Gary) Ransdell never showed me my office during my official interview. I had no idea where my office would be; I knew that Diddle Arena needed some major attention. There were positive things that could be done, but it was going to take some effort. So it’s been a lot of work, it’s been a ton of heavy lifting, but we’ve had great leadership. ...
We still say around here our best days are ahead of us. We’re going to be able to sit back and enjoy some of the fruits of our labor in regard to the facility upgrades, in regard to the dynamic young coaches we’ve been able to attract and retain.
Ultimately, facility-wise, we want to get the clubhouse (completed) for baseball, we’d like to complete our track complex with concession stands, scoreboard, lights. ... And at some point we’re going to have to start talking about an indoor football (practice) facility. I think if we want to get serious at the I-A football level, we’re going to have to have some type of indoor facility. It certainly can be multi-purpose in that you can practice baseball and track inside, but the overwhelming support would be directed toward our football program.
Those are some of our future facility projects that I am starting to think about and turn some attention to as we check off Diddle Arena, football stadium, baseball field. Track is halfway there. Soccer, softball in pretty good shape right now, but I’d love to have a soccer/softball coaches’ office/locker room complex that perhaps we’d build into that modest parking area between the two fields. Ideally one day they could have that as their permanent home.
So we’re not going to check the football stadium off and start going home early every afternoon.
By WES WATT, For the Daily News
8/18/2008 11:39:00 AM
SCOTTSVILLE — When the pile of Patriot football players finally unraveled, the players trotted back to the huddle as usual. However, this time not everyone made it back.
Tyler Walker was lying on the ground grasping his knee.
“It hurts,” Walker said of his injury. “I didn’t know what to think when it happened.”
The offensive tackle was just a few weeks away from starting his senior season at Allen County-Scottsville when the injury occurred. But after being forced to watch practice through the first part of August, Walker said he is not going to let an injury slow him down in his final year.
“I don’t want to let my teammates down,” Walker said. “I am resting it and it should be fine when the season starts.”
The loss of Walker would have been a devastating loss for the Patriots on the offensive line. The man that is nicknamed “Moose” started all three years at ACS and is expected to start fourth.
Starting on the offensive line as a freshman is rare, but his large size at such a young age gave him an advantage and the ability to compete with the biggest guys on the team.
“It’s tough to be a four-year starter on line,” ACS coach Brad Hood said. “But he was a man-child from the time he was 5 years old. He probably started shaving at 7. He can grow a full beard over night.
“He came into high school at 6-foot-1, 240 pounds. And he works hard in the weight room and is a terrific football player.”
His 6-foot-2 and 275-pound frame makes him noticeable on the football field. But it is not just his size that has helped Walker become a success at ACS. It has also been his attitude.
“I feel he is one of the better linemen in this area, if not the state,” Hood said. “He’s got the love for the game and that is something that you don’t teach them. He has put in a lot of time and effort in this offseason to hopefully go to college and play football.”
Because of Walker’s experience, Hood considers Walker a coach on the field. Walker’s teammates look to him for leadership as well.
Corey Cooper is expected to begin his third year as starting quarterback and is glad to have Walker’s big body and experience on his side.
“It’s good to have him protecting me,” Cooper said. “I don’t have to worry much about by my skull getting crushed on the backside. He is a great player to have up front. He is a leader and he runs the offensive line. Things had better go right up there, or you have to answer to him.”
One of the biggest challenges facing Walker and the Patriots is the opening schedule. Walker wants to get off to a better start during his senior year then the 0-5 start last season.
ACS finished the season just 1-9 and face the same five opening teams to start this year.
“I want to do good this season,” Walker said. “Last season was well below what we should be. I am not thinking about anything else, not college or anything, just this season. This last three years have gone by so fast and I only have one year left and I want it to be good. I want to go out on a good note my senior year.”
By the Daily News
8/18/2008 11:39:01 AM
The Western Kentucky football team did not participate in on-field activities Sunday, but spent part of their morning helping WKU freshmen get settled into their new homes.
Hilltopper players and coaches were stationed around campus to aid new freshmen involved in the M.A.S.T.E.R Plan program move into their dorm rooms.
“This is something we think is important,” WKU coach David Elson said. “We want to have a connection with our student body, and there’s no better way to do that than starting early when they first move in. It’s important that they realize that our players are normal young people just like they are. It’s important for us to help them out, and in turn our students help us by supporting us on game day.”
That notion becomes even more important starting in 2008 with the renovations to Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. Thanks to the reseating process, WKU students will now occupy the lower level of the east grandstand, a move that the Toppers hope will give them a distinct homefield advantage.
“I think the most important part of our gameday experience is having a student section that is packed,” Elson said. “This off season we’ve met with the Greek and student organizations to let them know just how important they are to us - and that’s evident partly by the improved seating they have in the stadium.”
The Hilltoppers return to the practice field today and are less than two weeks away from opening Aug. 30 at Indiana. WKU will play its first home game at 6 p.m. Sept. 20 against Murray State.