Captain Kangaroo

Chooses Can't? Sucks to be him. What a mamma's boy. I guess if Can't is going to "steal" a recruit from the Zips, it might as well be the 5' 6" one that we were going to grayshirt even though we had a couple scholarships remaining. I guess that's still considered a "steal?" I look forward to him getting planted into the turf by the kids that elected to play for the Zips. Story, for those who care: Football Adds 24th Signee 02/07/2005 Can't, Ohio -- The Can't State University football recruiting class grew by one on Monday (Feb. 7) when head coach Doug Martin announced the signing of running back Eugene Jarvis (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic H.S.). Jarvis becomes the 24th student-athlete to sign a national letter of intent to play football for the Golden flushes, starting next fall. “Eugene Jarvis is a fantastic playmaker and is a great addition to our program,” Martin said. “He is a very elusive runner and can score from anywhere on the field.” Jarvis rushed for 2,196 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior, leading unbeaten Central Catholic (16-0) to a PIAA Class AAAA state championship. He rushed for more than 4,300 yards in his career. Jarvis also was honored as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s “Player of the Year” in both 2003 and 2004, becoming the first player to win the award twice. A two-time first-team all-conference and first-team all-state selection, Jarvis also was twice named the WPIAL “Player of the Year” and shared POTY honors from the Tribune-Review newspaper. He rushed for 1,683 yards and scored 39 touchdowns as a junior. “He has great speed, good hands and makes moves,” Martin added. “He runs tough between the tackles and down near the goalline and also excels in the return game.”

JD said Jabari will be playing QB in the spring. Regardless of what anyone says, Getsy is expected to be the starter in 2005. #2 position is up for grabs...but #1 is pretty much established.

When do the School packages go on sale?

Coming from my end of town, I think BW-3's is more likely, so I'll probably just see you at the game.

I saw that he's going to be #2 QB behind Getsy in the spring. Does that mean: A.) He's going back to QB full-time? B.) He's splitting time at QB and WR? I look at last season and I see: Jabari played "ok" at WR. As good as could be expected for a Fr. learning the position. He did get injured on a play that didn't appear to look all that violent and missed a few games. Does that conjure-up concerns that he's got a "QB build" and might not be suited to take the licks dished out to WR's on a daily basis? I look at this season and I see: We have ZERO game experience at QB. Getsy had a few passes in his time at Pitt, but sat 99.9% of his career. Shoemaker, Fergeson, Jabari and the incoming Fr.'s have hardly a game-day snap from center combined. Is Jabari at QB just to give Getsy some competition? Is he at QB just so we have a decent QB to test our #2 defense in the Spring...then he moves back to WR? Was his conversion to WR considered a failed experiment by JD or a 1-year stop gap? With the totally re-vamped and fairly inexperienced OL we'll have next season, is the chance for Getsy to get injured something that's more "probable" than "possible?" Is the staff planning for the worst...thinking that if Getsy gets injured they want a prepared, game-experienced (athough not at QB) guy to be able to step in rather than a Freshman? If JD's reading this site, I'd give a nickel for his thoughts.

Ill be there.

Monessen's Reader still an Eagle at heart By Brian Herman VALLEY INDEPENDENT SPORTS EDITOR Saturday, February 5, 2005 Monessen's Jamie Reader knows how the Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans feel on the eve of Super Bowl XXXIX. It was only three years ago that Reader was Philadelphia's backup fullback when the Eagles were a win away from going to the Super Bowl. The Eagles lost 29-24 to the St. Louis Rams in the NFC title game. Reader's playing days, however, ended some eight months later when he was let go on the final cut before the 2002 season. These days Reader is being kept busy. He's the fitness professional at the Rostraver Center for Fitness and Health, runs the weightlifting program for the Monessen High football team where he's in his third year as a Greyhound assistant and is a new father taking care of his four-month-old daughter Farrah full time two days a week when his wife, Misty, is working. Now 30, Reader saw the handwriting on the wall in Philadelphia. "With Donovan McNabb they were pass first and then run." he claimed. "They wanted to go more with the pass and only keep one fullback on the roster. They ended up getting Jon Ritchie from San Francisco and cut me and Cecil (Martin)." According to Reader, an injury to fullback Correll Buckhalter -- now on the Eagles' injured reserve list as is Ritchie -- led to his departure. "I told Correll, he was the reason I got cut," he grinned. "We were a backfield combination together and it messed up the rotation when he went out." Reader had brief stints with three other NFL teams -- Arizona, Miami and the New York Jets -- before catching on with Philadelphia where he spent three seasons. "My job was blocking for Duce (Staley) and protecting Donovan (McNabb)," he recalled. Reader is glad to be back at his alma mater after going to the University of Akron, where he was a starting fullback four years. "I enjoy coaching and working with kids," he said. "I wanted to go to Pitt, but they were going through a coaching change so I went to Akron, which had three other Monessen players: Jaison and Bryan Coles and Keith Davis." Monessen football coach Andy Pacak was happy to have Reader on his first staff the past season. "He's a great influence on the kids and goes a step beyond being an assistant," he said. "He cares about them off the field and has a good rapport with the kids. They listen to him because they know he made it to the NFL." Ironically, the guy who recruited Reader to the Ohio school was Bob Junko, who's now at Pitt and helped land the Greyhounds' Mick Williams the past week. "I talked with Bob a lot last week," said Reader. "They wanted Mick real bad and I think it's a good fit for him." Who does Reader think will win the Super Bowl? "It's a tough one to call because there are two good defenses," he answered. "I'd like to see the Eagles win but I think it will come down to the wire."

Rhyne is Real Salt Lake's top pick Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY -- Real Salt Lake added former Clemson midfielder Steven Rhyne with the first overall pick in the Major League Soccer supplemental draft Friday. The expansion club also added defenders Michael Lookingland and Cameron Knowles and goalkeeper Noah Palmer with later picks in the draft. "We were looking for two defenders, a reserve goalkeeper and an outside midfielder, and we found all four," general manager Steve Pastorino said. Rhyne had 32 goals and 23 assists in four years at Clemson and can play either outside midfielder position. Lookingland got RSL's attention at a tryout last month and was taken with the No. 13 pick. Palmer started four years at Maryland and posted 34 shutouts. Knowles helped New Zealand to the Under-17 FIFA World Championship in 1999 and started 72 of 74 games playing for the University of Akron.

Irish win, Capital defeated at Classic From staff reports Friday February 04, 2005 Third-ranked Charleston Catholic led by just three points at the half, but pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 56-34 win over Valley-Fayette in the Class A championship game of the Coal Classic in Beckley on Thursday evening. The Irish outscored Valley-Fayette 22-8 in the final quarter. Joe Sassler led Catholic (12-2) with 14 points, while Nate Burton chipped in with 13. For Valley-Fayette (5-6), Jeremiah Thomas scored a team-high 10 points. In other boys basketball action on Thursday: National Christian 76, Capital 56 -- Capital trailed by just five at the start of the fourth quarter, but managed just eight points in the final period to fall to National Christian Academy of Fort Washington, Md., in the Coal Classic at the Raleigh County Armory. For National Christian (15-9), Neal Pitt led all scorers with 22 points, while Akron recruit Jimmy Conyers added 20. For No. 5 Capital (10-3), Josh "Cookie" Miller scored 16 points, while Chris Martin added 11 and Lawrence Thomas 10. Capital will face Class AAA top-ranked Huntington in a 5 p.m. Coal Classic matchup today. Parkersburg 89, Riverside 67 -- The Big Reds, ranked No. 3 in Class AAA, trailed after one quarter, but outscored the visiting Warriors 54-29 over the next two quarters to improve to 13-1. Sean Michael blistered the nets for 36 points to lead Parkersburg, while Chris Strcula added 15 points, Connor Louden 12 and Anthony Smith 11. For Riverside (7-7), Travis Zimmerman led the way with 18 points, followed by David Russell with 17 and A.D. Hale with 12. St. Albans 85, Hurricane 56 -- Senior center Adam Fletcher scored a game-high 26 points to lead the Red Dragons to the road win. T.J. Douglas added 20 points for St. Albans (8-7), while Jacob Miller had 18. For Hurricane (5-9), J.J. Jones led the way with 19 points, followed by Matt Brown with 10.

He didn't send in a letter. Looks like he's having second thoughts.

That IS great news! What an awesome recruiting class! My only outstanding question...Does Dustin Basch get a Zips grey shirt, or has someone offered him a scholarship?

We get no respect because we've sucked for 16 years! We haven't done squat in basketball since the era of rotary phones. Who do you want on TV if you're ESPN ? Miami? They beat Purdue, Xavier and the Zips! They're 1st in the MAC East. They are a recognized basketball school with NBA players like Wally and Newble. Western Michigan? They're the defending MAC champs. #1 in the MAC west. Buffalo? They are the favorites in the MAC East. They beat Penn State (yes, beating a "name team" counts to the folks at Big School-loving ESPN). They actually made it to the Gund last season. Can't? Wins vs. Creighton and Florida State this year. A one point loss to Boston College. A big win vs. Creighton in last year's Bracket Buster. A guaranteed packed house. I could go on. The simple point is: Miami (Sunday) was our "Marshall" game, if you want to draw a football parallel. We HAD to knock off Miami to get a TV Bracket Buster game, much like we had to knock off Marshall to get the TV "championship" game vs. Miami (football). We didn't come through. The Zips have had a "nice" season, thusfar. But we've beaten no marquee teams, and struggle on the road against any team with a winning percentage greater than .200. We have no MAC hoops history, unless you want to call losing at home in the first round "history." We have no players in the NBA. We have nothing to offer but a "nice" 12-6 record. That doesn't merit TV. Fastforward to 2005-6: We will be a favorite in the MAC East. We will have scheduled and beaten a name team. We will be coming off a nice MAC tournament run of 2+ victories and a 20 win season. THEN we will get our Bracket Buster TV games. As of right now we've got Niagra on Warner Cable. And that's pretty much what we deserved.

Jarvis left out in the cold Looking for a home Christopher Horner/Tribune-Review By Kevin Gorman TRIBUNE-REVIEW Tuesday, February 1, 2005 Eugene Jarvis and Justin King shared the spotlight all fall, from the season opener to the WPIAL Class AAAA final, and found themselves on opposite ends of the dais at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Co-Players of the Year shared one last honor on Jan. 22, when they received the PAA's Mercury Award, presented annually to the best high school football player in Western Pennsylvania. Their paths down the recruiting trail, however, couldn't have been more divergent. Gateway's King, rated the nation's top cornerback by scouting services, had received 55 scholarship offers before settling on Penn State. Central Catholic's Jarvis, meanwhile, saw offers pulled by Pitt before the season and West Virginia during it despite rushing for 2,196 yards and 34 touchdowns and leading the undefeated Vikings to WPIAL and PIAA championships. "By me getting all the accolades, people would be expecting me to play in the Big East or something," Jarvis said, "but it didn't work out that way." Instead, Jarvis is trying to choose from Mid-American Conference schools Akron and Can't State and Temple, a potential MAC member which will play as an independent this fall after being expelled from the Big East. Jarvis drew criticism for not immediately accepting the offers from Pitt and West Virginia. After all, he already had a couple of knocks against him. One was his diminutive stature of 5-foot-6, 165 pounds. Another was his questionable academics; Jarvis said he has a 2.4 grade-point average and scored 830 on the SAT. "They were on top of my list," Jarvis said. "If they would have stayed on the table, I probably would have gone to one of them. It hurt a little bit, but it's a business so I have to live with it." Jarvis, however, won't bad-mouth either school for bailing on him because both will sign undersized backs. Pitt opted instead for Johnstown's LaRod Stephens (5-7, 175), while West Virginia took Blackhawk's Jeremy Bruce (5-9, 190). But those close to Jarvis know he's hurting on the inside. "It's really hard to see," said Central senior Graham Rihn, a Cornell recruit who often served as Jarvis' lead blocker. "You couldn't tell by talking to him. He doesn't focus on the bad news, only the good news. When you see what this kid has done for our program and our school, it's a shame big programs passed him up. They don't know what they're missing." Jarvis prefers to look at what Akron, Can't State or Temple is getting - an elusive playmaker who rushed for 4,375 yards in three seasons and led his team to two WPIAL titles, one PIAA crown and a USA Today national ranking. "People figured if I was offered early I should have jumped on it," Jarvis said. "Everything happens for a reason. These three schools want me, and I want to go where I'm wanted. The MAC is an up-and-coming conference. It's an exciting conference where they score a lot of points." Few do that better than Jarvis, who tied a PIAA championship game record by scoring five touchdowns in a 49-14 romp of Neshaminy. He scored 66 times the past two seasons, an average of 2.3 touchdowns a game. Jarvis said Temple wants him to be its version of Philadelphia Eagles star Bryant Westbrook, while Can't State would utilize him in various ways in a system that throws as many as 40 times a game. Akron, though, has filled its allotted scholarships for running backs and told Jarvis it would take him as "grey shirt" - where he wouldn't enroll full-time until next January. "That's a big negative toward them," Jarvis said. "At Can't State and Temple, I can come in and get playing time early. It gives the edge to them. "I've got to sit down and think about things. I'm young. I don't turn 18 until October. Sitting out could help, by lifting and training for an extra season. But it could hurt because I'm not playing football. It could go both ways." In the next 24 hours, Jarvis will make "a hard decision," one not nearly as hard as his road to it.

I can guarantee that if this kid is the better QB, he will get the job. If he isn't, he'll likely redshirt. Getsey is a 4th year Junior that narrowly missed out on being Pitt's QB last year. Thus I doubt he'll be supplanted by a true Fr. Remember, Frye redshirted. Jacobs...BG's outstanding QB, sat behind Josh Harris. Betts sat behind Roetlisberger. Most QB's redshirt, so it isn't a big deal. If he's #2 QB behind Getsey in 2006, and starts for 3 years after that...he's got to be happy. Ok: Which existing Zips QB(s) are filling out their transfer paperwork right now? Looks like Jabari is locked in at WR for the next 3 years.

My bad...it is the Purple Eagles, not the blue pills. Sorry 'bout that. 1/31/05 Akron To Face Niagara On ESPN Bracket Buster Saturday Zips and Purple Eagles face off Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. EST in Rhodes Arena. The University of Akron men's basketball team will play host to Niagara in a Feb. 19 non-conference game as part of the pool of teams under consideration for the third-annual ESPN Bracket Buster Saturday package.

Dwight Smith is still waiting...as is Victor Green. Will The University ever reach out to Victor Green? Is it too late? The guy played in the NFL for 12 years and gets NO love...especially when compared to Schfino, Taylor and Smith.

"The Fighting Little Blue Pills" are 13-6.

I think it will hurt the student turnout. The exposure would have been great too (Can't got a lot of mileage out of their game last year). Other than that, it isn't too big a deal.

No TV game for the Zippers. Our opponent will be announced tomorrow. Pairings For 11 Televised Games: Wichita State at Miami UTEP at Pacific Vermont at Nevada Southern Illinois at Can't State Western Michigan at Northern Iowa Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Hawai'i Buffalo at Fresno State Drexel at Ball State Illinois State at Wisconsin-Green Bay Murray State at Rice Arkansas-Little Rock at Bowling Green

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Sports fans in Akron fail to show up By David Lee Morgan Jr. Maybe Akron sports fans owe Charlie Frye an apology. Here was the Most Valuable Player of college football's Senior Bowl who played four years in front of nobody at the Rubber Bowl. I know. I was there covering every home game. Frye became the University of Akron's all-time leading passer and owns 49 records, but the crowds were sparse, for the most part. Frye's fan support was different from that of LeBron James when James played in high school. True, sellout crowds came to see him, but it seemed like a large number came hoping to see him lose. When St. Vincent-St. Mary didn't lose, then it seemed some people hoped James would be sidelined for the Hummer or throwback jersey incidents. When he got back on the court and led his team to the USA Today national high school poll championship, people talked about whether he was going to be a bust in the NBA. Obviously, he's not. I just don't get it. There have been some recent outstanding athletes right here in the city who have gone on to impressive pro careers. While they were playing here, few seemed to notice. Want another example? That would be former Zips cornerback Dwight Smith. During Smith's senior year (2000), he was a first-team consensus All-American, only the fourth Mid-American Conference player to receive that honor. He led the nation with 10 interceptions and was a finalist that year for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to college football's best defensive back. Smith didn't win the award -- Jamar Fletcher of Wisconsin did. But Smith was considered one of the top three Division I defensive backs in the country that year and was invited to Orlando, Fla., for the college football season awards TV show. Smith just completed his fourth season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was a starting safety. Two years ago in the Super Bowl, Smith returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the Buccaneers' 48-21 win over the Oakland Raiders. There was Dwight Smith -- a winning member of a Super Bowl team. Fans who followed Frye's career are not at all surprised that he won the MVP on Saturday playing against some of the top Division I players in the country. Week in and week out, he proved that not only could he play with the ``big boys'' but also that he is NFL material. Pro coaches, scouts and executives were impressed with Frye during the week leading up to the game. For the record, Frye was 10-of-12 for 138 yards and a touchdown in the North's 23-13 victory over the South. Frye could have left Akron after his junior year to make the jump to the NFL, but he wanted to return for one last try at a MAC championship. The Zips, under first-year coach J.D. Brookhart, did play for the East Division title but lost to Miami University and finished the season 6-5. MAC fans also should be in Frye's corner because he is another in a long line of outstanding quarterbacks who have been routinely overlooked when it came to national recognition but, later, proved that they had what it took at the next level. In recent years, the MAC has been recognized for notching wins against some of the storied Division I programs. A look around the NFL also shows there are some quality starting quarterbacks in the league who played in the MAC, starting with former Miami University and rookie sensation Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Others who have established themselves are former Marshall standouts Byron Leftwich (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Chad Pennington (New York Jets). Frye has the potential to follow their lead. It's a shame, though, that if and when Frye becomes a star in the NFL, just a small percentage of fans in Akron will be able to say they saw him first.

The local Fire Marshall limited the seating. I was at the 1986 CSU/Akron game...7,700 @ the JAR. People were sitting in the aisles...stairways...it was insane...you could barely move. The Fire Marshall thought it was insane too, and limited the capacity soon afterwards.

With Signing Day only three days away, colleges are scrambling to put the finishing touches on their 2005 recruiting classes. One last look around Western Pennsylvania shows this is a class that has produced better-than-expected results, as the WPIAL now boasts 27 Division I-A recruits. That number should increase to 30 when Central Catholic tailback Eugene Jarvis, Monessen linebacker Ernest "Mick" Williams and West Mifflin defensive end Kevin Garner finalize their decisions this week. Both Jarvis and Garner were visiting Akron this weekend, while Williams is down to Akron, Pitt and West Virginia. The number could be greater, if prospects like Penn Hills receiver David Harvey and cornerback Kenny Lewis, Thomas Jefferson quarterback Brad Dawson, Aliquippa linebacker Donnell McKenzie and Farrell's Quentin Odem qualified under NCAA freshman eligibility guidelines. Of the 30, at least half will play in BCS-affiliated conferences. Another 14 players are committed to Division I-AA programs, a number that should increase this week. Here are three players who still are undecided: Pat Byrne, Central Catholic: The 6-foot, 230-pounder was an All-Quad East guard who also started at defensive tackle for the WPIAL and PIAA Class AAAA champion Vikings. Byrne epitomized the toughness of Central's defense, which was undersized but dominant. As a junior, he recovered from a staph infection to play in the 2003 PIAA final at 176 pounds. As an underclassman, Byrne played middle linebacker, a position he would like to return to in college. He has a 4.18 grade-point average, scored 1,160 on the SAT and is a talented sketch artist who designed the cover of Central's football program. Division III schools covet Byrne, who is visiting the College of Wooster this weekend, but he could opt to walk-on at Pitt. James Cole, Penn Hills: At 6-foot-2, 350 pounds, Cole was a two-way starter at tackle who was a first-team All-Quad East selection on defense. Cole has surprisingly quick feet, and was so dominant against Woodland Hills as a junior that Wolverines coach George Novak pulled Cole off the bus to congratulate him on a fine performance. Along with J.R. Robinson, Cole helped open holes for West Virginia recruit Ed Collington, a 1,700-yard rusher, and close them on defense. One thing that hurt Cole was his ejection for a flagrant foul in the WPIAL quarterfinals against North Hills, which caused him to be suspended for the Indians' semifinal loss to Gateway. Cole's absence was felt on both sides of the ball, as Penn Hills struggled to run and Justin King broke free for the winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Morgan State is the only school to offer, but Cole believes he can play at the Division I level. Danny Cafaro, Upper St. Clair: A 5-foot-9, 175-pound cornerback, Cafaro has been overlooked because of his size. Make no mistake, though; he was one of the WPIAL's most dynamic players. He had 30 receptions for 723 yards (24.1 average) and 10 touchdowns, scored twice each by interception, punt return and run. Here is his most amazing statistic: Cafaro blocked 14 kicks in two seasons -- five punts, five field goals and four PATs -- displaying a fearlessness that would make him a special teams ace at any level. Cafaro scored five touchdowns against Plum in the playoffs -- twice each by punt return and interception and once on a run -- and also ran down several McKeesport players from behind in the WPIAL quarterfinals. It's no coincidence that all three players' teams reached the WPIAL semifinals each of the past two seasons, or that they all might believe that they're better than they actually are. But here's something college recruiters should consider when finalizing their classes over the next three days: Maybe that's what made them so good in the first place.

Garner headed to Akron By Kevin Gorman <mailto:kgorman@tribweb.com> TRIBUNE-REVIEW Monday, January 31, 2005 West Mifflin star Kevin Garner made a verbal commitment to Akron on Sunday, making him the Zips' fifth WPIAL recruit from the Class of 2005. The 6-2, 225-pound Garner chose Akron over Can't State after receiving early offers from Toledo and West Virginia. "For a while, it was real quiet," Garner said. "Akron gave me a call and said they wanted me to visit. It was nice. I liked it a lot. They have great new facilities." Garner, a four-year starter, recorded 15 sacks to lead West Mifflin on its Cinderella run through the playoffs to the WPIAL Class AAA final. The Titans finished the regular-season 4-5 but upset Franklin Regional, Canon-McMillan and West Allegheny before losing to Thomas Jefferson. Garner also is a four-year starter in basketball and ran on the Titans' 400-meter relay team in track. He said Akron told him he could play outside linebacker or defensive end. "I see myself playing defensive end, if I can get to 250 and maintain my speed," said Garner, who has yet to qualify academically and is a red-shirt candidate. "I use my quickness to make tackles on the other side of the field."