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HerdInsider.com
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Herd football: Coming attractions
HUNTINGTON – A look at the 2015 Marshall football schedule (times still TBA on most games):
Date
Opponent
Time
Sept. 6
Purdue
3 p.m.
“Labor Day Sunday” opener is first
visit by a Big Ten Conference team to
Edwards Stadium
at Ohio
TBA
Last date in six-game contract of
“Battle for the Bell” series; teams
resume rivalry in 2019-20.
Norfolk State TBA
Hall of Fame Weekend; first meeting
with NSU; Herd is 15-1 versus FCS
teams since 1997
at Kent State TBA
First meeting since 2004, when Herd
left Mid-American Conference; Marshall
has won last 10
—
Oct. 9
Southern Miss 7 p.m.
Friday game; series at 5-5, with Herd
winning last four; MU has 59, 61, 63
points in last three
Oct. 17
at Florida AtlanticTBA
49ers are football newcomers to
C-USA, guided by former Herd assistant
coach Brad Lambert
Nov. 7
at Middle Tenn. TBA
Herd leads series 3-1, but last visit to
Murfreesboro brought 51-49 loss on last
play of game
Nov. 14
FIU
TBA
After Herd romps at Miami the last
two seasons, Panthers make first trek
to Huntington
—
North Texas TBA
MU Homecoming; First date as C-USA
foes; Herd won, 7-0, in 1988 Division
I-AA first round
—
at Charlotte TBA
—
Herd has won two in row here – at
0:00 over Owls in 2013, then Boca
Raton Bowl last season
Oct. 24
Oct. 31
—
—
—
Sept. 26
Herd’s Conference USA opener;
Monarchs’ first visit to “The Joan;’
Marshall leads 1-0
—
—
Sept. 19
Old DominionTBA
—
—
Sept. 12
Oct. 3
Nov. 27
at Western Ky TBA
Herd out to avenge lone 2014 loss
on Thanksgiving Friday; first trip to
Western since 1950 win
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Hoop honors
Features
Ryan Taylor, Austin Loop, Justin Edmonds and Cheikh Sane got
awards, and Coach Dan D’Antoni gained a European signee last
week in Herd men’s basketball
Sunny days
Jack Bogaczyk: Herd football found some rare sunshine last Saturday – and put it to good use — for its scrimmage pointing toward
the spring-finishing Green and White Game
The Veep
Whether she’s running for Herd cross country and track or running
for her new role with the Student Government Association, Isabelle
“Izzy” Rogner brings attitude to the job
No ‘Shu,’ no problem
Former star Tommy Shuler had more than 300 receptions in the last
three Herd football seasons, but receivers coach Mike Furrey likes
the opportunity and depth of his 2015 bunch
Making a name
Ryan Yurachek came to Marshall football as a project, but it didn’t
take the tight end long to establish a presence – and a future – for
Coach Doc Holliday’s program
Mr. ‘Sandman’
When push comes to shove, Sandley Jean-Felix is “well-armed” at
left tackle for the Herd, as offensive line coach Alex Mirabal pushes
the big guy to more consistency
True freshman quarterback Chase Litton (14), shown here running for
a score in Saturday scrimmage, has impressed in Herd spring drills
Photo by Brad Helton
Tennis reaches final
Coach John Mercer’s team reached the Conference USA championship match before falling to nationally ranked and host Rice, ending
a schedule that included 13 ranked foes for the Herd
Daniel’s deeper
Herd women’s basketball Coach Matt Daniel added a seventh signee
to his 2015 recruiting class. His 2015-16 roster features a new
depth and youth, and he’s scheduled for that
Honor rolls
Marshall puts an increased number of student-athletes on Conference USA academic lists in 2014-15, including 40 with Commissioner’s Medals for 3.75 GPAs
HERDSPYs
The Big Green Scholarship Foundation dinner this Friday goes Hollywood with its theme, while planning to celebrate the ‘champions’
that are Marshall student-athletes, past and present
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4
The Herd Insider Magazine
Taylor, Loop, Edmonds, Sane earn honors
By JACK BOGACZYK
Herd Insider Editor
HUNTINGTON — Ryan Taylor, Marshall’s redshirt sophomore forward who
was a 2014-15 All-Conference USA third team selection, was named winner of
the Hal Greer Most Outstanding Player Award on Saturday night at the Herd
Men’s Basketball Banquet.
Taylor, who led Marshall with averages of 14.1 points and 8.6 rebounds, was
one of four honorees with special awards following Coach Dan D’Antoni’s first
season on the sidelines at his alma mater.
The Mike D’Antoni Mr. Marshall Award was presented to redshirt sophomore
guard Austin Loop, while junior shooting guard Justin Edmonds earned the
Bob Allen Most Improved Player honor. Senior post man Cheikh Sane won the
Charlie Slack “Toughman” Award.
About 200 attended the banquet, held at 21 @ the Frederick in downtown
Huntington to celebrate D’Antoni’s free-wheeling, uptempo first team (1121, 7-11 Conference USA), which set a school record for three-point goal
attempts in a season with 788. The 249 made threes rank No. 4 in Herd
season history.
A look at the top honors:
Hal Greer Most Outstanding Player – Ryan Taylor, 6-6, r-So., F – Award
is named for Basketball Hall of Famer Greer, a Herd legend from the 1950s
… Taylor, an Indianapolis native, started all 32 games and led the Herd
with averages of 14.1 points and 8.6 rebounds … Taylor ranked second in
Conference USA in rebounding and 13th in scoring. He also averaged 2.8
assists per game as a ‘Point forward” in Herd offense … Shot .698 at the free
throw stripe … Matched career-scoring high with 25 in victory over WVU Tech
… Career rebounding his of 18 came in loss at No. 7 Louisville in November,
tying for high in C-USA this season … Posted 13 double-doubles to lead all
C-USA players … Was C-USA All-Freshman Team pick in 2013-14.
Mike D’Antoni “Mr. Marshall” Award – Austin Loop, 6-6, r-So., G —
Award named for former Herd point guard and brother of Coach D’Antoni
goes to the player who best excels on and off the court with emphasis on
strong play and commitment to academics … Loop, from South Webster, Ohio,
averaged 11.3 points (second on team), and his 84 three-point goals ranked
No. 2 in C-USA this season … Scoring high was 26 points in January loss to
Charlotte … Averaged team-best 32.3 minutes per game … His .887 free
throw percentage (63-of-71) would have ranked as tops in the league, but he
was 17 made FTs short of NCAA qualifying standard (2.5 per game played) …
Former walk-on, earned scholarship for a second time at Marshall … Named to
2014-15 C-USA All-Academic Team (five players) with his 3.60 GPA in clinical
exercise physiology/biomechanics … Was Marshall’s selection for C-USA Spirit
of Service Award for Winter … Named to C-USA Honor Roll for 2014-15 (3.0
or above cumulative GPA).
Bob Allen Most Improved Player Award – Justin Edmonds, 6-4, r-Jr.,
G – Award named for No. 4 rebounder in Herd history … Edmonds, an Albion,
Mich., native, coming off multiple knee surgeries and emerged as a starter
early in the season … Averaged 9.8 points per game, with 54 three-pointers
… Led the Herd to a late-season Henderson Center win over Florida Atlantic
with career-high 27 points, going 9-of-11 from the floor … Had six assists in
December loss to West Virginia, his second start … Scored in double figures
15 times … Suffered another knee injury in regular-season finale at Charlotte
and missed C-USA Tournament.
Charlie Slack “Toughman” Award – Cheikh Sane, 6-9, Sr., C — Award
named for Marshall’s career rebounding leader and one of the top rebounders
in NCAA major college history … Sane, of Dakar, Senegal, averaged 4.8 points
and 4.4 rebounds in the post, starting 19 of 32 games for the Herd … Had
career highs of 16 points (Jacksonville State in November) and 16 rebounds
(WVU Tech in November) … Had double-figure rebounds and double-figure
points in two other games … Played 17.9 minutes per game … Came to
Marshall in 2013-14 as a junior college transfer from Snow College in Utah.
D’Antoni’s team makes
‘stretch’ for Dozic
From Marshall Sports Information
HUNTINGTON — Marshall landed another foreign talent in men’s
basketball last week, as Coach
Dan D’Antoni announced
the addition of forward
Aleksandar Dozic of Podgorica,
Montenegro.
Dozic signed last Wednesday
in the first hours of the April
signing period. He joins Serbian
returnees Aleksa Nikolic – a
returning starter at point guard
— and Milan Mihovic on the
2015-16 Marshall roster as
European imports.
Herd assistant Scott Rigot,
who was the primary recruiter
on the Serbs last season, was
the lead recruiter on Dozic.
“He has the ability to shoot
with range and has a post
presence,” D’Antoni said. “He
has a nice feel for the game,
and he fits our style of play. I’m
looking forward to working with
him.”
Dozic, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound
forward, spent the 2014-15
season at Don Bosco Prep
Academy in Crown Point, Ind.,
where he started 26 of 27
games and led the team with
11 rebounds per outing.
Aleksandar Dozic
Courtesy photo
Dozic’s homeland has produced three current NBA players – Nikola Vucevic
(Orlando Magic), Nikola Pekovic (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Nikola Mirotic
(Chicago Bulls).
“Aleks’s game is similar to Mirotic in that he is a stretch-4 who can really
shoot the ball, but he is also a very good driver with the ability to make plays
off the dribble,” Don Bosco Prep Athletic Director Dave Maravilla said. “He is a
hard worker with a great feel for the game.”
Dozic contributed 18 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the
field, 39 percent from 3-point range and 81 percent from the free throw
line. He was also a starter for the U18 Montenegro National Team this past
summer at the U18 European Championships, in A Division.
“He is a great teammate and a great person off the floor,” Maravilla said.
“We will miss him.”
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HerdInsider.com
Green and White to finish a ‘saved’ spring
HUNTINGTON — There was something really different last Saturday morning
at Edwards Stadium as Marshall finished Week 4 of its five-week spring
football practice in preparation for Coach Doc Holliday’s sixth season.
The sun shone. So did several Herd players.
You can scour every position on the Thundering Herd’s 2015 early depth
chart, and you still won’t find the most valuable player on spring ball.
That’s because with 12 practices down entering this Tuesday’s session,
only five have been held outdoors. The MVP is next to the stadium … that
vast indoor facility Marshall opened last fall as part of the Chris Cline Athletic
Complex.
With the Tri-State getting over seven inches of rain this month, the indoor
facility has given the Herd good work even when it’s poured or thundered.
Add in bowl workouts last December and offseason conditioning during a
frigid winter, and that place has been the right prescription for at least one
Doc.
Now, Marshall is primed for a big weekend, with the annual Big Green
Scholarship Foundation soiree on Friday night (story, Page 12), followed
by the Spring Memorial Fountain Ceremony on Saturday at 11 a.m. – with
keynote speaker Vic Winburn, the trainer for the Young Thundering Herd after
the football team plane tragedy.
Then, Holliday’s team will take to the turf at “The Joan” for the 2 p.m.
Green and White Game.
#
#
#
OK, I know everyone in “Gang Green” wants to know who is going to follow
record-setting former quarterback Rakeem Cato behind center. It’s been the
overarching focus of these
spring drills, for good reason.
This second scrimmage
pointing toward Green and
White left no indication other
than James Madison junior
transfer Michael Birdsong is
going to be tough to push off
the top line of the depth chart.
And that’s not just because
he’s a big, strong-armed – and
surprisingly agile – 6 feet 5,
242 pounds.
Holliday, however, wasn’t quite ready to anoint the redhead from Matoaca,
Va., just yet.
“The bottom line is that whomever our quarterback is going to end up being
… we’re getting a little bit closer to getting that figured out,” Holliday said.
“There’s some ability out there on the field. They can all make some throws. I
saw some good things out there from all of them, so that’s good.
“By the time the spring game is over, we’ll have a decision. We want to. I
think it’s further enough along that we feel good about the direction we’re
going and I think by the time the spring game is over that we’ll be able to
make a decision.”
See BOGACZYK, Page 22
6
The Herd Insider Magazine
Rogner running to success down Herd avenues
By JACK BOGACZYK
minors in marketing and political science.
Herd Insider Editor
The duo appealed to student-athletes to get out and vote last month, and
it paid off. Of the 1,733 votes cast – believed to be the largest ballot-box
participation in school history — the Waugaman-Rogner ticket received 945
(54.5 percent) – an almost a 35-percent landslide in a three-team race.
HUNTINGTON — It seems Isabelle Rogner isn’t soaring skyward anymore
– at least literally – so she’s on this running kick.
Running for Marshall cross country … Running the 1,500 and 5,000 meters
for the Herd track and field team … Running for vice president of the Student
Government Association?
“Yeah,” Marshall assistant track and field coach Don Yentes said, “one day,
Izzy Rogner will be elected governor of West Virginia.”
Rogner, of Lewisburg, came to Marshall as a pole vaulter from Greenbrier
East High School. She had a 10-foot effort as a high school senior. Coach Jeff
Small’s Herd, however, had no track and field facility in those pre-Chris Cline
Athletic Complex days, and therefore no pole vault athletes.
So, Rogner – known as “Izzy” to friends and teammates – fell into love with
distance running. Politics? The Atlanta-born Marshall junior already was into
that.
“Back in high school, I was in student government and then I was elected
student body president in my senior year (2011-12),” Rogner said. “I was
able to do a lot … It got me involved, so then when I came here the next
year, I was a senator for the College of Business.
“Then, being a freshman and with a lot going on with track so I backed off a
little bit. I became friends with 2014-15 SGA President) Duncan Waugaman.
We’d talk a lot about SGA when we’d see each other, and I was able to open
my schedule more and it just went from there.”
The SGA vice president this school year, Lila Magnus, is an MU senior.
Waugaman, from Huntington and a Spring Valley High graduate, wanted to
run for 2015-16 as an incumbent. He needed a running mate.
Waugaman chose Rogner, who is majoring in international business with
The 2015-16 inauguration is scheduled Sunday. And when Rogner takes
over, she will become only the third known student-athlete to hold one of
the top two spots in the SGA. The two previous office-holders were football
players.
In 1999-2000, safety Rogers Beckett was also the SGA vice president. And
for two school years (1978-79 and ’79-80), place-kicker Ed Hamrick – the
older brother of current Marshall Athletic Director Mike Hamrick – was the
SGA president.
So, what does Rogner view as her connection between athletics and student
government?
“I’ve kind of always tried to take on a leadership role with my sports,” said
Rogner, who also was honored last week with a C-USA Commissioner’s Medal
(3.75 cumulative grade point average). “It (2014) was my first year with
cross country, and I would say that the girls see me as one of the leaders on
the team. I definitely want to make an impact.
“At Greenbrier East, we didn’t have the best sports program in the state,
but it doesn’t mean you can’t try. You can look at it like, ‘I don’t think I’m
good enough.’ Or you can look at it, ‘Uh, I think I can take this.’ So, I think
that’s how I felt with student government.”
Rogner didn’t just bring student-athlete voting power to the election
process. She and Waugaman have an aggressive platform that the Herd
See ROGNER, Page 23
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HerdInsider.com
Shuler gone, so opportunity knocks at WR
By JACK BOGACZYK
Herd Insider Editor
HUNTINGTON — In the last three seasons, Tommy Shuler caught 308
passes at his slot receiver spot for Marshall. With 322 career receptions,
Shuler ranks fourth in catches in major college football history.
As the Thundering Herd headed into a final Week 5 of 2015 spring practice,
Shuler is gone but not forgotten, as third-year receivers coach Mike Furrey
looks to replace those numbers with a new distribution plan.
In Furrey’s two previous seasons on the Herd sideline, no other wide
receiver has had as many as 40 receptions, while Shuler posted 106 and 92
to follow his school-record 110 in 2012. That season – when then-sophomore
quarterback Rakeem Cato didn’t have the run game the Herd possesses now
– Antavious Wilson had 69 and Aaron Dobson 57 to go with Shuler’s tripledigit year.
A year ago, Furrey and Coach Doc Holliday challenged the MU outside
receivers to be more reliable and make more plays. A young group did just
that.
Four freshmen receivers – Angelo Jean-Louis and Deon-Tay McManus
outside, Hyleck Foster inside and tight end Ryan Yurachek – ranked fifth in
the FBS in reception yards (1,315) by freshmen, and tied Oregon for the most
freshman TD receptions (17).
made us become outside-dominant. And then last year they tried to take the
outside guys away toward the middle of the season, and then Tommy became
dominant again (53 catches in the last six games).
“So, we want to try to get to the mark where, ‘Hey, (an opponent) better
pick … ‘Today we’re going to stop the slots,’ and we’ll get our outsides go to
work, or the next week they’re trying to stop the outsides, so our slots are
open. So, all three receivers
who are on the field at the
same time, they have to be
that main guy.”
If there’s been a top five in
spring drills, they have been
Allen and McManus outside
with the “ones,” and JeanLouis having transitioned into
the slot, where Foster backed
up Shuler last season. The
emergence of junior Justin
Hunt has opened eyes, too,
said Furrey, the former
seven-year NFL veteran.
“There’s no Tommy, and it’s a different challenge,” Furrey said of a very
young receiving corps led by redshirt senior Davonte Allen. “The message is
— and we talked about it the other day — is I hope there are five or six guys
who all have the same amount of catches, 50-plus.
Herd receivers coach Mike Furrey guides
“There’s not just one guy
a unit that tied for the most touchdowns
who’s dominant in that room
scored by freshmen last season in major
anymore,” the Herd assistant
college football
coach said. “We want to be
Photo
by Brad Helton
a three-, four-, five-headed
monster, and when we need
to rotate we can rotate and there’s no dropoff.
“That’s what we want, to be so consistent that if you take one away, we
still have plenty. A couple years ago, they just tried to take Tommy away and
See FURREY, Page 24
That was then …
8
The Herd Insider Magazine
Yurachek makes project-to-starter move with effort
By JACK BOGACZYK
Herd Insider Editor
HUNTINGTON — There were seven Rivals three-star prospects in
Marshall’s 2014 football recruiting class. Tight end Ryan Yurachek wasn’t one
of them. He was a two-star guy.
There were eight true freshmen to play for Coach Doc Holliday’s nationally
ranked Conference USA championship team in 2014. Of those, Yurachek was
among the three players most productive for the Herd, along with backup slot
receiver Hyleck Foster and Antavis Rowe, who was a second-unit corner and
nickel.
Most would say that Yurachek’s best moment last season came with 0:05
left in the first quarter on Oct. 18 at FIU Stadium, when he caught his first
college touchdown … and the 1-yarder lifted quarterback Rakeem Cato to the
NCAA’s major-college record for most consecutive games with a TD pass.
Yurachek might say he was most excited back on Aug. 30 – only three days
after his 18th birthday – when he played on special teams and as senior Eric
Frohnapfel’s tight end backup in his first Herd game, an opening win at Miami
(Ohio).
That was after he was regarded good enough to earn a grant-in-aid, but in
Herd coaches’ minds perhaps not a major contributor for a season or two.
“I don’t think it surprised me, but I do think it surprised other people that
I played right away,” Yurachek said after a recent Hered spring practice. “In
recruiting, I was a little bit overlooked because of my size, but I knew I could
do it.
“I worked really hard. I didn’t play baseball my senior year (at Carolina
Forest High in Myrtle Beach, S.C.) so I could get into the weight room. I
missed my first seven games that (football) season with a torn left meniscus,
played the last five.
“I played basketball in winter to get shape, but gave up baseball, and I’d
played baseball since I was 4 years old. I spent those 3-4 months getting in
shape, putting on 10 pounds, doing everything I needed to do.”
Yurachek, the son of
Houston interim Athletic
Director Hunter Yurachek,
admitted the numbers worked
in his favor. However, it was
the Herd rookie who took
advantage of the situation,
and now he’s projected as
the 2015 starter at a position
where Marshall is rebuilding.
When he arrived in
Huntington last summer
prior to August camp, there
were four tight ends in front
of him at a position where
Gator Hoskins had started
and starred the previous
three seasons. In line ahead
of Yurachek were Frohnapfel,
Devon Johnson, Joe Woodrum
and Deon-Tay McManus.
Rising sophomore tight end Ryan
Yurachek (85) wasn’t a highly touted
recruit, but his quick emergence and
performance in 2014 impressed more
than Herd coaches
Photo by Brad Helton
“When I got here in camp,
I needed to catch the ball and run good routes and I think I impressed the
coaches that way,” the 6-foot-2½, 231-poundYurachek said. “I had to be the
most physical person I could be, because I am a little bit undersized, and I
See YURACHEK, Page 25
9
HerdInsider.com
‘Sandman’ arming self for important job on OL
By JACK BOGACZYK
Herd Insider Editor
HUNTINGTON — Sandley Jean-Felix is well-armed for his big assignment
in Marshall football. He just needs to add some length elsewhere in his game.
“He’s a prototype left tackle; we know it; ‘Sandman’ knows it,” said
the redshirt sophomore’s position coach, Alex Mirabal. “He’s just got to
understand there’s no going back.”
The diminutive offensive line coach may be giving up about 13 inches
and 170 pounds to the 6-foot-5, 309-pound Jean-Felix, but the tackle from
Sunrise, Fla., knows who’s the boss.
“It’s a tough transition for me, but with the help of Coach Mirabal, I’m
getting there,” Jean-Felix said. “People say I’m like a born left tackle, and I’ve
just got to see if I’m that in years to come. This is now. Getting there will be
easier with Coach Mirabal teaching me. I should get it.”
Jean-Felix – he celebrated his 21st birthday last Friday — brings a rare
wingspan to the role. His arms have been officially measured at 36 inches
by Herd strength and conditioning coach Scott Sinclair, “from the back of
shoulder acromiale (bony tip of the shoulder) to the tip of the middle finger.”
Mirabal said Jean-Felix may be a fraction more than that, but what’s a silly
millimeter when the Herd tackle already has what many NFL personnel men
drool over in an offensive lineman.
Last season, Jean-Felix backed up Marshall’s All-Conference USA first team
right tackle, Clint Van Horn. The Beckley native is back for his senior season,
but Marshall lost Trevor Mendelson, the starter on the left side.
There are days, however, when Jean-Felix thinks too much about where
he came from for the 2015 spring drills. It can be a challenging transition,
Mirabal said, adding that Jean-Felix’s strong background and correctness can
get into the way.
“The footwork, the hand placement are the toughest things,” Mirabal said. “I
think people think it’s easy from left to right and right to left. No, you’ve got
to completely reverse yourself. It’s just continuing to do that with him.
footwork. He’ll do something and get beat and immediately, ‘Coach, I …’ And I
say, ‘No, no, no. Unless you want to go back and back up Clint, and that’s not
going to happen.”
Jean-Felix trusts Mirabal implicitly. Their relationship goes back to 2012,
when the Herd offensive line coach was in the same job at FIU before he
Panthers made a coaching change and Mirabel came to Marshall.
That’s when Mirabal saw not only was Jean-Felix could be, but how
grooming him for a key position might take some coaxing.
“He doesn’t get frustrated, but he does get down on himself,” Mirabal said.
“Believe it or not, as big a man as he is, there’s not a lot of confidence. He’s
very soft-spoken, comes from a really good family where you’re subservient
to your parents. When I went to my in-home visit to him when I was( at FIU),
Mom and Dad sat down on the couch and ‘Big Man’ stood behind them.
“Big Man did not say a word until Mom and Dad said, ‘You speak now.’
That’s the way it was. That Haitian culture is a lot like that. And, obviously,
football is not that way. You need to be aggressive, so we’ve been able to get
him to that point.
“But our other players have a lot of respect for Sandman. It’s not like he’s
a big softie. They don’t try to mess with him, because they know – a couple
times last year, when he first got here – fuse lit, he’s off … and the Big Man’s
got a bite to the bark, too.”
Besides Mirabal, Jean-Felix gives plenty of credit to Herd senior left guard
Sebastian “Swede” Johansson, who played what is now Jean-Felix’s spot
before moving inside.
“Swede knows everything,” Jean-Felix said. “Having him next to me, it
helps a lot, especially with the plays, where to go and how to do it. Like if the
defensive end loops, then the D-tackle moves to my side and Swede tells me,
‘Bump it off.’ It’s all about working together.
“The hard part for me in moving over has been the feet. The footwork is
different, the kicking part of it. you’ve got to switch your whole game, but I
played some left tackle in the 12th grade (at Boyd Anderson High School).
This, though, is a whole lot quicker.
“I think where Sandman has made the biggest progress is in processing
football information. Quarterback gives him the play and you’ve got about 2-3
seconds not only to a) know what you’re doing; b) what communication call
you’re going to make; c) what your footwork’s going to be; d) what is your
technique going to be. And it has to happen like that (Mirabal snapped his
fingers).
Jean-Felix played in every game last season for the C-USA champion and
nationally ranked Herd (13-1). He was a regular on field goal and PAT units,
but he got only 66 snaps on offense backing up a star like Van Horn.
“That’s where he’s made the most growth. Instead of being told everything
by the left guard or the center, Sandley’s now making calls, making
adjustments, which to me means that’s he gaining a worldly view of more
than just his position.
“Sandley’s arm length is almost 37, which is inordinate,” Mirabal said.
“People talk about D’Brickashaw Ferguson (of the New York Jets) and his
“It’s a matter of getting his footwork down, keeping him confident in his
“Coach Mirabal is getting me there.”
At every turn, Mirabal encourages Jean-Felix to use his best weapon – those
arms.
See SANDMAN, Page 25
10
The Herd Insider Magazine
Herd tennis falls to Rice for C-USA title
HOUSTON — For the first time in five seasons, Marshall advanced to the
final of the Conference USA Women’s Tennis Championships last Sunday here
at Rice’s George R. Brown Tennis Center.
The host and top-seeded Owls – ranked No. 30 nationally — won their third
straight C-USA title, downing the Herd, 4-1.
The final was no exception for Coach John Mercer’s No. 60-ranked team
(16-10). The match with the
Owls – they downed MU, 5-2,
back on March 18 in Houston
– was the 13th this season for
the Herd against an opponent
appearing in the Intercollegiate
Tennis Association top 75
rankings.
Marshall went 5-8 in those
matches and four of the wins
were over higher-ranked teams.
In Sunday’s final, Rice (16-8) took the doubles point and had a 2-0 lead
before Herd freshman Maddie Silver got a 6-1, 6-2 win over Owl senior Liat
Zimmerman at No. 3 singles for Marshall’s lone point. Rice then won the next
two singles (Nos. 1 and 6) for the clincher.
The Herd reached its fifth C-USA tournament title match in 10 seasons in
the league with a thrilling semifinal victory last Saturday. The second-seeded
Herd downed No. 3 seed Old Dominion, 4-3 in a battle of teams ranked in the
ITA top 75.
Eight days earlier, the then-No. 71 Monarchs had blanked then-No. 48
Marshall, 7-0 in a regular-season match in Norfolk, Va.
In the semifinal, Marshall won the doubles point on victories by No. 1 Derya
Turhan and Anna Pomyatinskaya, and No. 3 Silver and Rachael Morales.
The Herd went up 2-0 when Morales quickly won at No. 6 singles, but Old
Dominion won the next three singles to finish.
Down 3-2, Pomyatinskaya tied it with a straight-set win at No. 2, before
Turhan provided the clincher, a 6-4, 6-1, over ODU’s Borislava Botusharova,
who is ranked No. 113 in ITA singles nationally.
“I’m very proud of the way the girls came out and competed,” Mercer said
after the crucial win over the
Monarchs. “As we saw when
we faced ODU in the regular
season, they are a tough team.
We made a great adjustment
the second go-round.
momentum into singles play.”
“Great doubles play really set
the tone for the day. We were
fired up from the beginning
and we were able to carry the
After getting a first-round bye in a 14-team bracket, Marshall opened play
Friday with a 4-1 quarterfinal triumph over No. 10 seed UTSA.
Marshall’s No. 2 seed marked the third time the Herd had a bracket berth
that high in C-USA. The other two times came in 2006 – MU’s first C-USA
season – and 2008.
Marshall’s four previous title-match losses came consecutively – 2007-10 –
to former league member Tulsa, which moved to the AAC following the 201314 school year.
Marshall was ranked eight weeks in the ITA this season. A No. 48 spot late
in the regular season (early April) – just before the whitewash by ODU – was
the program’s highest poll-sitting since No. 41 in mid-March 2011.
The Herd roster loses only one senior, Canadian Kai Broomfield.
11
HerdInsider.com
By JACK BOGACZYK
Daniel’s Herd gets younger, but deeper
Herd Insider Editor
HUNTINGTON — After a postseason tournament appearance for the first
time since the 1997 NCAA first round for Marshall women’s basketball, Coach
Matt Daniel continues to build for the future.
He added another player Wednesday, when 5-foot-7 combo guard Ama
Arkoful of Vicksburg, Miss., signed a letter of intent, bringing the Thundering
Herd’s 2015-16 signing class to seven.
Back in November after the early signing period, Daniel’s then haul of six
was ranked as the No. 52 recruiting effort nationally by Blue Star Report,
which follows women’s hoops recruiting.
After a 17-15 finish and reaching the quarterfinals of the Women’s
Basketball Invitational, Daniel – heading into his fourth season – hopes to
push a program rooted in regional talent to greater heights.
He’s tailored the non-conference schedule to a young team in a rebuilding
program. Daniel said the Herd still has three games to add, but to date,
seven of the nine non-league games are at home. The others are “in the
neighborhood” – against Women’s NIT runner-up West Virginia at the
Charleston Civic Center, and a Nov. 13 season opener at Morehead State.
The roster, you ask? It’s packed. Arkoful’s signing brings the 2015-16 Herd
to the 15-player scholarship maximum, and Daniel plans to bring in a walk-on
that he can’t discuss until proper paperwork is filed with MU.
That will be different from this season, when Daniel had only 10 players at
his disposal. Marshall loses 2014-15 seniors Chukwuka “Chika” Ezeigbo, AJ
Johnson and Aja Sorrells, and the Herd coach said junior transfer (UMBC)
Ashley Lambert is leaving the program and plans to graduate this summer.
The eight returnees and seven grant-in-aid newcomers will be led by seniors
Leah Scott and Norrisha
“ReRe” Victrum.
Scott was the Herd’s
leading scorer (15.4
points) and No. 2
rebounder (6.6) and
with Ezeigbo was an AllConference USA second
team selection. Victrum, a
three-year starter at point
guard, had her 2014-15
season curbed in late
February by an ACL tear,
followed by surgery late
last month. She missed
the final six games.
Besides the seven
signees, Daniel also has
two players who haven’t
yet performed for the
Herd – senior transfer
(Cincinnati) Talequia
Hamilton of Huntington
and redshirt sophomore
Taylor Porter of Fort Gay
who played at Louisa
County (Ky.) High and
Coach Matt Daniel has 15 scholarship
players lined up for next season, as his
women’s hoops team tries to build from a
17-15 season and WBI quarterfinal finish
Photo by Rick Haye
See DANIEL, Page 29
12
The Herd Insider Magazine
Herd’s 182 on C-USA Honor Roll up 25
From Herd Insider reports
HUNTINGTON — Marshall University placed 182 student-athletes on the
Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll during the 2014-15 academic
school year.
Gaydosz, Chris Hancock, Kaleb Harris, Zach Higginbotham, Gunnar Holcombe,
Justin Hunt, Chris Jasperse, Trevor Mendelson, Tony Pittman, Darryl Roberts,
James Rouse, Antavis Rowe, Nick Smith, Malcolm Strong, Clint Van Horn,
Tyler Williams, Ryan Yurachek.
Marshall’s total was seventh among 14 conference schools, led by Rice’s
246, followed by Charlotte, with 194. Honor roll members must have a
cumulative 3.0 GPA or better.
Women’s golf: Ashley DeMoss, Megan DiDomenico, Sarah Helly, Korakot
Simsiriwong.
The 182 Marshall honorees is a boost from 157 in the 2013-14 school year.
Thundering Herd student-athletes on the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll:
Baseball: Roscoe Blackburn, Aaron Bossi, Chase Boster, Lance Elder, Dillon
Gee, JD Hammer, Max Joseph, Nick Newton, Tyler Ratliff, Chad Roberts, Billy
Sager, Heston Van Fleet, Wesley Wommack.
Men’s basketball: Brett Bowling, Steven Browning, Austin Loop, Milan
Mijovic, Aleksa Nikolic.
Women’s basketball: McKenzie Akers, Chukwuka Ezeigbo, Taylor Porter.
Men’s cross country: Caleb Bowen, Jordan Brown-Stobbe, William Hayes,
Drake Seccurro, William Shaffer, Jack Whitney.
Women’s cross country: Lauren Bartoldson, Victoria Dent, Samantha
Graffius, Amber Govey, Jane Jensen, Allyson Lawhon, Zoe Leonard, Whitney
Lewis, Alexis McEntire, Rachel Morris, Alexandra Phares, Andrea Porter.
Football: Rodney Allen, Emanuel Beal, Matt Cincotta, Tom Collins,
Amoreto Curraj, Cam Dees, Nate Devers, Jerome Dews, Jordan Dowrey,
Eric Frohnapfel, Jack Gammon, Kendall Gant, Cole Garvin, Eli Gates, David
40 athletes win C-USA
Commissioner’s Medal
From Herd Insider reports
IRVING, Texas — Forty Marshall student-athletes were among 567 to earn
the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal during the 2014-15
academic year, the league announced recently.
Medals are awarded to student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative
grade point average of 3.75 or better.
The 40 medals for Marshall are an improvement from 33 in the 2013-14
school year.
Western Kentucky led C-USA members with 57 honorees. Charlotte was
second with 48. The Herd tied with North Texas for seventh in number of
medal winners.
The Marshall honorees:
Baseball — Wesley Wommack
Men’s cross country — William Hayes; William Shaffer
Women’s cross country — Amber Govey; Jane Jensen; Rachel Morris;
Alexandra Phares
Football — Jordan Dowrey; Cole Garvin; Ryan Yurachek
Women’s golf — Megan DiDomenico
Men’s soccer — Austin Klueh; Ian Lovern; Alex Nelson; Ben Norris; Trevor
Starcher; Brandon Taylor; Tommy Trupo
Women’s soccer — Jordan Parkhurst; Cece Scott
Softball — Madison Marshall; Taylor McCord
Swimming and diving — Nele Albers; Rachel DePietro; Kate Etter; Katie
Kramer; Gloyria Mavrova; Madison Pulfer
Women’s tennis — Anne Gulsrud; Rachael Morales
Women’s track and field — Andrea Chidester; Alanna Dawkins; Isabelle
Rogner
Volleyball — Sammie Bane; Allie Kellerman; Taylor Pelton; Lyxis Reeder;
Jessica Sayre; Kayla Simmons; Maggie Westfall
Men’s golf: Jacob Appleby, Andrew Bott, Alex Weiss.
Men’s soccer: James Campbell, Scott Doney, Nick Edginton, Ryan Forde,
Ben Holt, Jack Hopkins, Christian Kershaw, Austin Klueh, Ian Lovern, Alex
Nelson, Ben Norris, Dominik Reining, Daniel Sellitti, Trevor Starcher, Brandon
Taylor, Tommy Trupo.
Women’s soccer: Berrie Aitcheson-Walker, Sydney Arnold, Kayla Byrnside,
Alyssa Cathey, Kelly Culicerto, Kristine Culicerto, Myka DeMarco, Sarah Dine,
Jenna Dubs, Taylor Fleming, Lia Foster, Liz Kish, McKenna Klodnick, Rachel
Koch, Emily Moreland, Jordan Parkhurst, Cecelia Scott, Chelsea Statler, Erin
Simmons, Katie Suchodolski, Adela Trevino, Casey Walsh.
Softball: Kristina Braxton, Jordan Colliflower, Emileigh Cooper, Alexandra
Dawes, Raquel Escareno, Brittanie Fowler, Caitlin Gale, Morgan Kelley, Katalin
Lucas, Madison Marshall, Taylor McCord, Rebecca Myslenski, Courtney Ross,
Alyssa Woodrum, Morgan Zerkle.
Swimming and diving: Nele Albers, Alex Black, Laura Bradley, Lauren
Cowher, Rachel DePietro, Kate Etter, Kaley Gregory, Teel Hartman, Lauren
Hurd, Carin Ingram, Katie Kramer, Casey Kyriacopoulos, Emma Lockyer,
Gloyria Mavrova, Brianne Mury, Chloe Parsemain, Kacey Preun, Madison
Pulfer, Danica Ross, Savannah Ruedt, Rachel Sleichter, Kelly Toner, Megan
Wolons.
Tennis: Anne Gulsrud, Rachael Morales, Anna Pomyatinskaya, Maddie
Silver, Derya Turhan.
Track and field: Andrea Chidester, Alanna Dawkins, Bethany Drury, Sarah
Ferguson, Andrea Gaither, Naja Greer, Breanna Hargrove, Kearra Haynes,
Isabelle Rogner.
Volleyball: Ashley Arnold, Samantha Bane, Justice Craft, Allie Kellerman,
Ally Kiekover, Lauren Legge, Taylor Pelton, Lyxis Reeder, Jessica Sayre, Jillian
Shemanski, Kayla Simmons, Cassie Weaver, Maggie Westfall.
Helly named C-USA
All-Academic in golf
From Conference USA release
HUNTINGTON — Marshall senior Sarah Helly is capping her college career
in fine style, named last week to the five-player Conference USA All-Academic
Team in women’s golf.
Helly, a senior from Enniscrone, Ireland, joined the Herd program last year
as a transfer from Wayland Baptist. She made the C-USA honor squad with a
3.44 grade point average in her sports management major.
“This is a great honor for Sarah,” first-year Herd Coach Tiffany Prats said.
“She works hard in the classroom. Considering how difficult our travel
schedule is, to maintain such a high GPA is impressive. Sarah — on and off
the golf course this year — has been a great leader for our team.”
The award is the first of Helly’s career, and a first for Marshall women’s golf
since Molly Ginger in 2011. Helly is the fourth female Herd golfer all-time to
receive the honor, alongside Ginger (2011), Larie Lynch (2009, 2010) and
Allyson Hatcher (2007).
This season, Helly has posted a pair of top-10 finishes and five top-20
showings for the Herd. She was C-USA Golfer of the Week on March 4,
following a 4-over-par 220, including a career-low 70 in the second round, at
the highly-competitive Kiawah Island Intercollegiate.
Prats, Helly and her teammates finish the 2014-15 season this week
(Monday-Wednesday) in the 54-hole C-USA Championships at the par-72,
6,081 Verandah Club course in Fort Myers, Fla.
HerdInsider.com
13
After a move to slot receiver from his outside post of last season, rising
sophomore Angelo Jean-Louis (81) has found a new home for the Herd.
Jean-Louis had five catches in Saturday’s scrimmage, including this one
as safety Cody Carter (36) closes in for the hit
Photo by Brad Helton
With seniors Devon Johnson and Remi Watson limited or out of
contact this spring, Herd sophomore running back Tony Pittman (27)
has displayed strength and toughness in opportunities behind senior
Steward Butler in drills
Photo by Brad Helton
14
The Herd Insider Magazine
Herd Coach Doc Holliday has liked plenty of what he’s seen in his sixth spring practice in charge of Marshall football, with the 2015 Green and
White Game coming up this Saturday at Joan C. Edwards Stadium
Photo by Brad Helton
HerdInsider.com
15
Herd third baseman Katalin Lucas (92) stretches in her attempt to
catch a foul pop in front of the Marshall dugout in last Saturday’s C-USA
doubleheader split with FAU at “The Dot.” Sunday’s series wrapup was
canceled by another dousing of rain in Huntington
Photo by Brad Helton
Herd senior Emileigh Cooper (12) dives toward second base in the Herd’s doubleheader split Saturday with Florida Atlantic at Dot Hicks Field.
Cooper was 3-for-4 in the twinbill
Photo by Brad Helton
16
The Herd Insider Magazine
17
HerdInsider.com
Marshall freshman second baseman Elicia D’Orazio (2) tries to stop an FAU
base hit from bouncing into center field on Saturday at Dot Hicks Field. The
Herd lost the opener of a C-USA doubleheader, but came back for a split as
D’Orazio’s walk-off single gave MU a 6-5 triumph in the nightcap.
Photos byBrad Helton
18
The Herd Insider Magazine
A happy Herd gathers near the plate at Epling Stadium in Beckley to celebrate freshman catcher Tyler Ratliff’s second career homer in the
recent C-USA series against Charlotte. The Herd won two out of three in the set and has won four of its last six C-USA games
Photo by Brad Helton
HerdInsider.com
19
Herd senior TJ Diffenderfer (44) was 7-for-13 in a series win over
Charlotte at Epling Stadium, including a double and triple in an April
12 series-clincher. His .341 batting average and 25 RBI led the Herd
regulars into Sunday’s game at Old Dominion
Photo by Brad Helton
Herd rightfielder Robert Fajardo tries to get down a bunt during the
Herd’s series against Charlotte in Beckley. Fajardo, a junior from Miami,
had a .295 batting average entering Sunday’s game at ODU
Photo by Brad Helton
Left-hander Caleb Ross (23) won the Sunday finale over Charlotte in
Beckley. Ross, of Barboursville, retired four batters on only 12 pitches
in late relief
Photo by Brad Helton
20
The Herd Insider Magazine
In the Herd’s 2015 spring practice, defensive linemen are learning that trying to get past the arms of offensive left tackle Sandley Jean-Felix
(67) is a very, very long trip. See story, Page 9
Photo by Brad Helton
21
HerdInsider.com
HERDSPYs highlight annual Big Green dinner
By JACK BOGACZYK
Herd Insider Editor
HUNTINGTON — You’ve probably heard
of the ESPY Awards, started by a cable
network in 1993. You maybe haven’t heard
of the HERDSPY Awards.
And chances are you wouldn’t be able
to land a ticket to the ESPYs. With the
HERDSPYs, you’re much more in luck.
Marshall’s 37th annual Big Green
Scholarship Foundation Dinner will feature
the 2015 HERDSPY Awards. The fundraising
event for Thundering Herd student-athlete
scholarships will feature past MU greats …
and more.
“This is an event where all of our
dedicated supporters of Marshall Athletics
will have a chance to meet and hear stories
some of our finest student-athletes,”
said John Sutherland, executive director
of the Big Green. “There will be award
presentations for the best moments for the Thundering Herd, as well as
hearing from our coaches and players.
“We’ll be celebrating our champions, both on and off the playing field.”
The event is a night dedicated to celebrate Herd student-athletes –
“Celebrating Champions.”
The dinner is scheduled Friday – the eve of the Green and White football
game and the Spring Memorial Fountain Reawakening Ceremony – at the
Cam Henderson Center. Dinner begins at 7 p.m., with a private reception for
all corporate and table sponsors at 5:30 p.m.
The dress is cocktail attire, and why
not? The festivities include Green Carpet
opportunities for that private reception.
Scheduled to appear for meet-and-greet
is a list of Herd legends including Chad
Pennington, Tamar Slay, Byron Leftwich,
Vinny Curry, Chris Parker, Troy Brown, Chris
Massey and more.
Slay and Herd coaches Doc Holliday and
Shonda Stanton will speak about what it
takes to be a champion, and the Big Green
also will present four student-athletes –
with videos – to speak on Courage and
Commitment, Perseverance, Dedication and
Leadership.
WSAZ Television Sports Director Keith
Morehouse is the night’s emcee.
As with the ESPYs, Marshall fans may go
online to play a role in the night’s festivities.
The HERDSPYs online fan vote in four categories – football and men’s
basketball Plays of the Year, Moment of the Year and moment of all-Time – is:
www. surveymonkey.com/s/HERDSPYS15.
Individual tickets are priced at $80. Table sponsorships are available for
$2,000.
The Big Green office (Henderson Center north concourse entrance) is the
place to go with questions or for reservations – 304-696-4661.
22
The Herd Insider Magazine
BOGACZYK
From Page 5
Redshirt junior Gunnar Holcombe, Cato’s No. 2
last season, and true freshman Chase Litton, from
Tampa, Fla., also played in the controlled session.
Redshirt freshman Cole Garvin is behind those two.
“There’s one thing to have the arm strength and all those things, and the
other thing is a guy that finds a way to make plays,” Holliday said when asked
about Litton. “He seems like he’s one of those kind of guys that can turn a
bad situation into a good situation, and that’s what good players do.
“He looks like he has it. He still has a long way to go. He’s a young
freshman, trying to figure things out. I’m glad he’s here.”
As for Garvin’s lack of repetitions for a second straight Saturday scrimmage,
Holliday said, “It’s hard to get four guys ready to go. We’ll take a look at this
film and see where we are and move forward next week.”
Birdsong was 14-of-24 through the air for 148 yards, while Holcombe went
7-of-21 for 111 yards. He had a 65-yard scoring pass to freshman tight end
Kaleb Harris and threw a pick. Litton was 12-of-20 for 151 with a 10-yard
score to wideout Justin Hunt. The freshman QB also ran for a 24-yard score.
#
#
#
Offensively, the Herd has more of its prominent parts working in spring
drills. The most notable4 absences are two senior All-Conference USA picks
from last season – right tackle Clint Van Horn and running back Devon
“Rockhead” Johnson.
At running back, redshirt senior Steward Butler continues to shine with reps
that Johnson and fellow senior Remi Watson can’t work as they rehab from
shoulder surgery.
At right tackle, as Van Horn looked on, veteran Tom Collins ran with the
ones, and a newcomer to his left with the first group was redshirt freshman
right guard Nate Devers. Cody Collins, who backed up Michael Selby at right
guard in 2014 – Selby is now the starting center – is the second-unit center.
Coordinator Bill Legg’s unit racked up 652 yards on 112 plays (5.8 yards per
play), including 410 yards through the air (33-of-65 passing) and 252 in 47
rushes.
Butler ran for 102 yards on 14 carries, with two TDs, while his backup, Tony
Pittman, had a 12-for-61 day. Receivers Hyleck Foster and Angelo Jean-Louis
each had five catches, as did true freshman tight end Emanuel Byrd.
#
#
#
On defense, Marshall is without more prime personnel than it’s missing on
offense this spring.
Weakside linebacker Evan McKelvey is still bouncing back after surgery on
a second knee for an ACL tear last October and starting corner/nickel Corey
Tindal had offseason arm surgery. Up front, Holliday and his staff also are
taking it easy with senior tackles Jarquez Samuel and Steve Dillon.
The Herd boss doesn’t seem to have questions about that unit.
“There are a lot of pieces that aren’t out there right now,” he said. “You try
to look at some players from a personnel standpoint, to see if we have some
(young) guys that can make some plays. There’s a lot that isn’t out there; the
Jarquezs, the Evan McKelveys, the Corey Tindals.
“So when you put all those pieces together on defense, we’re going to be
OK, but the encouraging thing is that I see some young players that I think
can help us when we want those pieces to start getting put together.
“Unfortunately, I thought we gave up way too many plays today from a
defensive standpoint but there’s some reasons for that.”
And that’s where development comes into play for the Herd. When the
spring drills began, defensive coordinator Chuck Heater had redshirt
freshman walk-on Chase Hancock listed No. 2 at strongside (Sam) linebacker,
behind veteran D.J. Hunter.
The 6-2, 206-pound Hancock, from Daniels and Beckley’s Woodrow Wilson
High (like Van Horn), continued to show why Heater had that faith. He had
seven tackles, an interception and a pass breakup in the Saturday session.
“It’s called player development,” Holliday said when asked about players
making a name for themselves in these 15 spring workouts. “We take great
pride and we try to do a great job developing players around here.
“Hancock is a guy that … We’ve been working hard to get good walk-ons –
and he is. For some reason, that Beckley area has turned out a lot of good
players for us and we’re sure glad he’s here because he’s going to play a lot
of football for us. He’s a good player.”
Another walk-on, junior safety Cody Carter of Barboursville, posted eight
tackles (including a half-tackle for loss), a breakup and forced a fumble.
23
HerdInsider.com
ROGNER
From Page 6
distance runner said ties into her experiences and
Marshall sports in general.
“We have a big platform,” Rogner said. “My understanding is it usually takes
a day or so to put it together. We had a platform done in 15 minutes when I
met with Duncan at Starbucks. It came together just like that.
“For cross country, we run all the time. And when I’m running through
Huntington with the girls, I really see the disconnect between the community
and the campus. There are all of those cute little shops and restaurants
downtown, and then their upstairs, there’s just nothing … empty. And so I see
so much potential for the university.
Rogner will serve as VP during her senior year academically, but after
redshirting while transition to running as a freshman, she redshirted. So, in
2015-16 she will be a junior as a Herd runner.
“I pole vaulted here maybe once or twice, and then Coach Small came up to
me and said, ‘You have pretty good cross country times, and why haven’t we
ever tried you at long distance?’
“So, I started running with the cross country girls last spring and I just
fell in love with it, had a really successful cross country season for my first
one. I was able to break 20 (minutes) in one of our races and made it to the
conference championships.
“I kind of look at Athens, Ohio, as kind of the inspiration for that, where you
see more connect between the community and the (Ohio University) campus.
I think something like that is completely doable. So, my big platform I’m
pushing for – and I’m actually staying here this summer to try to implement
it in time for next fall, or the coming year – is to get a transportation system
with the TTA (Tri-State Transit Authority) service.
“We have the pole vault now with the new indoor facility, but I’m not going
back to it. I’m staying with cross country because I love it … Cross country
is kind of my main focus; that’s what Coach Small has me focusing on right
now, so I’m doing track pretty much to stay in shape. I want to come back
and be one of our top runners for the cross country program and rank in the
top eight as a team in conference.”
“It would come out of students’ tuition, but it would be a way kids could get
all the way from Pullman (Square) to the Rec Center. It could benefit students
on and off campus, and I also think it’s a big safety thing. We’re always
having to find a (designated driver) or walk home, and it’s no surprise the
streets of Huntington aren’t always that safe at night. So, that’s a big thing.”
At Greenbrier East, Rogner competed in track and field, volleyball, soccer
and basketball, where her coach was Marshall alumnus and Vision Campaign
major benefactor Jim Justice, the owner and CEO of The Greenbrier resort.
Another Waugaman-Rogner platform push also involves Herd athletics.
Even in her decision to attend Marshall, Rogner’s drive played a role. Why
would a pole vaulter come to a track program that didn’t compete in the
discipline?
“We’re striving to get alcohol sales at home football games,” she said.
“We think that it can be a big revenue booster and we also think it would
encourage people to stay at the games. I think you see a lot of people at
halftime go out to fill up or whatever, and I think if we have (alcohol sales) it
will keep people in the stands.
“I raced in track in high school, too, I raced, but it wasn’t anything I was
serious about,” the incoming SGA vice president said. “I ran because I was
one of the better athletes on the team. With the pole vault, I felt a connect
here because in high school, we didn’t have a pole vaulting pit either when I
first got there.
“Some people are concerned that alcohol will bring that feeling of WVU,
but I don’t think we have the same character of students, and we don’t have
50,000 people. I think it’s comparing apples and oranges.”
“I was the first pole vaulter at Greenbrier East. And we actually started
vaulting on hills. My first State Meet, the regionals we went to was one of my
practices, and I got over the bar, somehow, at 8 feet. I kind of had a knack
for it, I guess. I was a late bloomer. I thought, well, it would be nothing new
if I came to Marshall and they don’t have the facility yet. At least I’ll have the
coaching.
“I had offers to the University of Charleston, but when I talked to Coach
Small and (former assistant coach) Willie Johnson talked about what they
could do for me, I just knew.
“It was, ‘Go big, or go home.’ I wanted to try Division I, and Marshall just
kind of felt like home.”
Small said Rogner brings more than leadership to a young Herd team.
“She’s multi-faceted, a really good kid, good work ethic,” the 20-year Herd
cross country and track and field coach said. “She came in here as a pole
vaulter morphed into a cross country runner and the fact she’s willing to try
something different says a lot about her. You can’t have enough of those type
kids.
“The fact she always has a smile on her face tells you something. No matter
how hard the workout is, or how cold the weather is, all the hills she has to
climb … She just goes out and does it.”
24
FURREY
From Page 7
“And when the quarterback has to throw us the
ball, he doesn’t have any question in his mind. He
can go to any one of us and we can be reliable. And
that’s my challenge right now, is to get all those guys to be that guy.”
Allen is healthy after returning from a collarbone fracture he suffered
in a Week 4 win at Akron last season. In Allen and McManus at X and Z,
respectively, the Herd will have two outside receivers who not only can run
and jump, but are more than 200 pounds.
“Davonte, he’s been hurt a lot, but there’s no pressure; he just goes and
plays,” Furrey said. “He’s got one year left and he knows that. Deon-Tay
brings us a physical presence and is a good target. He loves to play the
game, loves to compete, and he’s hungry. He’s picked up pretty well what we
do offensively, and he’s got a lot of things going on right now that are good to
see.
“We’ve got talent on the inside, too.”
Furrey – he ranked second in the 2006 NFL season with 98 catches for
Detroit — said it was a good winter for the Herd pass catchers, too.
“Hyleck and Davonte and Deon-Tay – and I’ll even throw Angelo in there
– they all made strides in the offseason,” Furrey said. “I say that because of
the way they’ve developed themselves physically in the weight room, and it
shows and they’ve all become a different player.
“They had the speed, the hands, but now they’ve added that physicality.
Hyleck was about 180 (pounds) at most, now he’s 192. Davonte was 190
and had shoulder and other injuries and now for the first time he had an
offseason where he could work. He’s 200-plus and his strength is back. He’s
much stronger. I think McManus broke every record possible in the weight
room for receivers. Angelo’s put on 10 pounds or so.
“The guy right now who has really put a foot in the ground and said, ‘Hey,
this is my time,’ is Justin Hunt. He’s had several days here that have been
completely different since Day 1 when he got here (August 2013). He’s been
a different player. And (junior) Josh Knight, he’s inside, outside, either. He’s
The Herd Insider Magazine
my main utility guy. He can do everything, all three spots. If we need to give
someone a break for him to go in and plug, he’s going in there.”
Although the receiving corps has been coping with rotating quarterbacks as
the Herd searches for the starter to succeed four-year starter and Shuler’s
Miami buddy Rakeem Cato, Furrey said the transition has gone well for his
group.
The receivers see the opportunity to catch more balls, too, with the Cato-toShuler combination – on which the QB had his slot man as a security blanket
of sorts – having checked their numbers into the Marshall record book.
The move of Jean-Louis into the slot gives the Herd what Furrey has been
seeking, too.
“Hyleck’s not going to be able to play every play,” Furrey said. “Tommy last
year, when he really went hard, he couldn’t play 80-90 plays a game; he
needed to play about 70. We’ve got to have somebody behind Hyleck to help
him.
“Gator Green is there, but he’s still transitioning from an athlete to a
wideout, and it’s gotten a lot better, but he knows he still has a lot to work
on. Hopefully by the end of spring, he’s somebody who has pushed forward
enough that we can trust to put in there.”
Furrey likes what he has seen of redshirt freshman Emanuel Beal and true
freshman Raylen Elzy, too.
“Beal, we don’t know yet because last year, the first day of camp, he takes
‘Swagg’ (NFL cornerback prospect Darryl Roberts) and throws him down on
the ground and runs a 10-yard in and snatches it out of the air and goes 60
(yards),” Furrey said. “And then we didn’t know where he went for about 18
weeks, you know?
“Well, he did the same thing, Day 1, here again this year. And he lost it a
little bit. He knows he’s a target, slowly getting back. If he keeps coming,
you’ve got him, Deon-Tay, Davonte, Angelo, Hunt there’s going to be some
fighting about who’s going into the game.
“Elzy is raw. He just got here (in January). He’s a 6-5, 205-pound kid,
never been in a weight room before and my son probably benches more than
he does, but he’s never had strength training. And when you’re that big,
you’ve got to be physical, especially at the line of scrimmage so people can’t
just hold you up, because he has to get into his stride to play the way he can
play.
“He’s a pup, but one thing about him is he’s hungry. He wants to work. He
wants to be good. He wants to learn, has a great catch radius and when the
light goes on about what play I’m running when we go full-speed and how
to do it, he’s definitely someone who’s going to contribute to our football
program.
“Now, the question is, this year? That’s going to be up to him, but it’s good
he’s here now so he has spring and camp to figure that out.”
Furrey’s receiving corps is deep enough this spring, and figures to add
several competitors when the 2015 signing class arrives this summer. Those
newcomers will be in a long line when August camp rolls around, however.
“We’ve got all the intangibles,” Furrey said. “We just have to put it all
together.”
25
HerdInsider.com
YURACHEK
From Page 8
had to bring more physicality than people thought I
had.
“I needed to be a good blocker. People want those
6-6 tight ends, those end-line blockers, so I had to show that a 6-2, 6-2½,
230-pound guy could do that. And that’s what I focused on.”
He used his smarts as well as his toughness. Yurachek, a business major
with a 3.85 GPA, is one of three Herd football players who are 2014-15 C-USA
Commissioner’s Medal winners (3.75 or better), along with offensive lineman
Jordan Dowrey and quarterback Cole Garvin – all 2014 signees.
“I just wanted to play, whether I was making an impact on special teams
or if I played five plays on offense or 20,” said Yurachek, who was born in
Greensboro, N.C. “I just wanted to play. I wanted to travel (with the team).
“I felt like I’d kind of missed out on my senior football season, and I think
that pushed me even harder to make the travel squad and do anything I
could to get on the field.”
It’s not like major suitors went to the beach to see him. It was Marshall, a
few Sun Belt Conference teams and several FCS programs. To reach the point
where he played in all 14 games and made 17 receptions for 149 yards and
two touchdowns for a team that finished 13-1 and ranked Nos. 22/23 in the
final polls, Yurachek needed the waters to part, so to speak, to get rid of a
potential redshirt.
“I mean, the odds were against me,” he said. “There were four tight ends
ahead of me when I first came in, and then everything kind of fell into place.’
Rock’ (Johnson) got moved to running back to start camp, and Deon-Tay, they
started realizing he was better outside. So, then there were Froh, Joe and
me.
“I knew I could play, but I really thought I might redshirt just because of
how the numbers were. But then everything fell into place and it worked out.”
Now, under new tight ends coach Todd Goebbel, Woodrum works behind
Yurachek, with redshirt freshman converted linebacker Kaleb Harris and
newcomer Emanuel Byrd making the position deeper than it was last season.
Of the foursome, only the 6-6 Woodrum – a multiyear regular on punt and
field goal units – is taller than 6-3.
As for Yurachek, he has the opportunity to be a three-year starter in a
position where Marshall has boasted names like Hoskins, Lee Smith, Sean
Doctor, Mike Bartrum, Cody Slate, Jason Rader and Eric Ihnat.
“The focus this spring? I think this winter all of us focused on getting
stronger,” Yurachek said. “One thing I needed to work on from last year was
my end-line blocking. I put 30-40 pounds more (on the bar in the weight
room) this offseason, and I’m working on being more physical blocker, being
an end-line presence when I’m in there, rather than they’re having to pull me
out.”
Since his arrival on campus in the summer of 2014, Yurachek has added
170 pounds (up to 460) to his squat and 30 pounds (up to 350) to his bench
press. He does 19 reps at 225 pounds in the pro bench.
“I was 227 when I got here, and I’m 231 or 232 now,” the sophomore tight
end said. “I’m not a lot bigger, but I’m stronger, and I’ve lost some body fat.”
That came after he gained big last season.
SANDMAN
From Page 9
arms. He’s 35½. Sandley, at 37, is something. He’s
the longest I’ve coached.”
By comparison, former Florida tackle Trenton Brown had the longest arms
for an offensive lineman at the NFL Combine back in February. Brown was at
36 – but his 6-8½ height (to go with 370 pounds) has 3½ inches on JeanFelix.
Among Herd teammates, the 6-5 Van Horn has 33½ arms. Jean-Felix’s
much-improved backup, 6-7 Eric Ansley, is at 34¼. Fellow tackle AJ Addison
is 6-6, with 32-inch arms.
“The reason that length is important is it allows you to not have to be
perfect with your feet or be perfect with your technique because with your
length, you can compensate,” Mirabal said. “At right tackle, with Clint not
practicing much now, we’ve struggled some in drills because the guys we
have in there are short-limbed tackles.
“You talk about ideal tackles, you talk about Sandley. You talk about Eric
Ansley, talk about Clint, because they’re long … Sandley extraordinarily
long. We’re looking for that in recruiting, and in the NFL, those scouts and
personnel guys are looking for that, too.
“We’re phobic with length. That’s a reason why (Herd defensive tackle)
Jarquez Samuel causes us a lot of headaches (in practice) is because he’s
so damn long. I mean, he’s long. He’s long for anybody, but especially for
an interior guy. We try to recruit length. You need it. And it’s not height; it’s
length.”
Jean-Felix is listening, too.
“I’m putting it my wingspan to use some, but I’m trying to learn more
how to use my feet in transitioning,” Jean-Felix said. “You need to be able
to play it right, just not fall back on something. Once I get the hang of it,
I can starting using my arms more to an advantage, use everything to my
advantage.”
For Mirabal and his latest protégé with the “ones,” it’s about getting it right
on the left.
“Now, it’s about continuing to keep him comfortable,” said Mirabal, as the
Herd points toward the final week of spring drills. “But to be honest, he’s
more natural and more comfortable at left tackle than right. At right, he’d
overstep a lot, roll over his ankle a lot. He opens his hips better at left tackle
than on the right side.
“He’s played both. He’s played more reps at right tackle than left tackle but
I can tell you he moves much better going to his right than he does to his
left, and I think it might be because he is right-handed so that’s natural for
him.
“But Sandman’sw got a tremendous desire to get better and he’s gotten
himself in tremendous physical shape. He’s just not a big man. He’s a big
man who can move well. He’s got keep working on and keep speeding up the
processing of information … and he will.”
26
The Herd Insider Magazine
Marshall Athletics schedules, 2014-15
BASEBALL
DateOpponentSiteTime / Score
Feb. 13
at Florida A&M
Tallahassee, Fla.
L, 4-3
Feb. 14
at Florida A&M
Tallahassee, Fla.
W, 24-2
Feb. 15
at Florida A&M
Tallahassee, Fla.
W, 10-9
Feb. 20
Alabama A&M
Starkville, Miss.
L, 8-3
Feb. 20
at Mississippi State
Starkville, Miss.
L, 6-2
Feb. 22
Alabama A&M
Starkville, Miss.
L, 8-1
Feb. 22
at Mississippi State
Starkville, Miss.
L, 7-4
Feb. 27
Towson
Winston-Salem, N.C. W, 2-1
Feb. 28
Towson
Winston-Salem, N.C. W, 7-6
Feb. 28
at Wake Forest
Winston-Salem, N.C. L, 6-5
March 1
at Wake Forest
Winston-Salem, N.C. L, 8-3
March 7
George Mason
Thomasville, N.C.
W, 5-4 (13)
March 8
George Mason (DH)
Thomasville, N.C.
S, 4-6, 9-6
March 13
UTSABeckleyL, 2-0
March 14
UTSABeckleyL, 10-5
March 15
UTSABeckleyL, 16-8
March 17
at Eastern Kentucky
Richmond, Ky.
L, 8-4
March 18
Morehead State
Huntington
L, 7-1
March 20
at UAB
Birmingham, Ala.
L, 5-2
March 21
at UAB (DH)
Birmingham, Ala.
S, 7-6, 1-2
March 25
at Ohio
Athens, Ohio
L, 11-8
March 27
FIUCharlestonL, 7-4
March 28
FIUCharlestonW, 5-4
March 29
FIUCharlestonL, 3-1
April 1
at Miami (Ohio)
Oxford, Ohio
W, 16-3
April 3
at Florida Atlantic
Boca Raton, Fla.
L, 9-4
April 4
at Florida Atlantic
Boca Raton, Fla.
L, 10-3
April 5
at Florida Atlantic
Boca Raton, Fla.
L, 6-1
April 7
Miami (Ohio)
Huntington
Cancelled
April 8
OhioHuntingtonL, 4-2
April 10
Charlotte
Beckley
W, 5-1
April 11
Charlotte
Beckley
L, 5-4
April 12
Charlotte
Beckley
W, 8-6
April 14
at Akron
Akron, Ohio
L, 7-0
April 17
at Old Dominion
Norfolk, Va.
W, 6-1
April 18
at Old Dominion
Norfolk, Va.
W, 5-1
April 19
at Old Dominion
Norfolk, Va.
L, 6-2
April 21
at West Virginia
Morgantown
6 p.m.
April 24
Middle Tennessee
Charleston
1 p.m.
April 25
Middle Tennessee
Charleston
7 p.m.
April 26
Middle Tennessee
Charleston
10 a.m.
April 28
West Virginia
Charleston
6 p.m.
May 1
at Southern Miss
Hattiesburg, Miss.
7 p.m.
May 2
at Southern Miss
Hattiesburg, Miss.
3 p.m.
May 3
at Southern Miss
Hattiesburg, Miss.
Noon
May 8
Western Kentucky Charleston
1 p.m.
May 9
Western Kentucky Charleston
1 p.m.
May 10
May 12
May 14
May 15
May 16
May 20-24
Western Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky
at Louisiana Tech
at Louisiana Tech
at Louisiana Tech
C-USA Tournament
Charleston
Huntington
Ruston, La.
Ruston, La.
Ruston, La.
Hattiesburg, Miss.
10 a.m.
3 p.m.
7 p.m.
4 p.m.
2 p.m.
—
MEN’S GOLF
Spring 2015
DateTournamentSite/Finish
March 2-3
Davidson (N.C.) Invitational
6th of 12 teams
March 13-15 Pinehurst Intercollegiate
2nd of 11 teams
March 22
Blue Devil Shootout
7th of 15 teams
March 27-29 Furman Intercollegiate
16th of 18 teams
April 3-5
Red Wolves Intercollegiate
10th of 21 teams
April 13-14 Greenbrier Intercollegiate
3rd of 13 teams
April 26-29 Conference USA Championship
Texarkana, Ark.
WOMEN’S GOLF
Spring 2015
DateTournamentSite/Finish
March 1-3
Kiawah Island Classic
13th of 40 teams
March 13-15 3M Jaguar Intercollegiate
11th of 13 teams
March 30-31 Hoya Women’s Invitational
2nd of 13 teams
April 6-7
Chattanooga Classic
5th of 10 teams
April 10-11 Murray State Invitational
5th of 11 teams
April 20-22 Conference USA Championship
Fort Myers, Fla.
SOFTBALL
DateOpponentSiteTime / Score
Charleston Challenge
Feb. 6
Army
Charleston, S.C.
W, 10-4
Feb. 6
at College of Charleston Charleston, S.C.
W, 3-1
Feb. 7
Bethune-Cookman
Charleston, S.C.
W, 2-1
Feb. 7
UMass-Lowell
Charleston, S.C.
W, 3-0
Feb. 8
UNC Greensboro
Charleston, S.C.
W, 8-0
—
Pirate Snow Classic
Feb. 12
at East Carolina
Greenville, N.C.
W, 5-4
Feb. 13
Towson
Greenville, N.C.
L, 3-1
Feb. 14
Bucknell
Greenville, N.C.
W, 11-3
Feb. 14
East Tennessee State Greenville, N.C.
W, 3-0
—
USF Tournament
Feb. 20
Dartmouth
Tampa, Fla.
W, 9-0
Feb. 20
at USF
Tampa, Fla.
W, 6-4
See SCHEDULES, Page 27
27
HerdInsider.com
SCHEDULES
From Page 26
Feb. 21
Auburn
Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 21
USF
Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 22
Dartmouth
Tampa, Fla.
—
Gamecock Invitational
Feb. 27
Tennessee State
Columbia, S.C.
Feb. 28
Charleston Southern Columbia, S.C.
Feb. 28
at South Carolina
Columbia, S.C.
March 1
South Alabama
Columbia, S.C.
—
March 7
at FIU (DH)
Miami
March 8
at FIU Miami
March 14
Western Kentucky Dot Hicks Field
March 15
Western Kentucky (DH) Dot Hicks Field
March 19
Ohio
Dot Hicks Field
March 21
at Charlotte (DH)
Charlotte, N.C.
March 22
at Charlotte
Charlotte, N.C.
March 28
at Furman (DH)
Greenville, S.C.
March 29
at Furman
Greenville, S.C.
March 31
Wright State (DH) Dot Hicks Field
April 4
North Texas (DH)
Dot Hicks Field
April 8
at Kentucky
Lexington, Ky.
April 11
at Middle Tennessee (DH) Murfreesboro, Tenn.
April 12
at Middle Tennessee Murfreesboro, Tenn.
April 18
Florida Atlantic (DH)Dot Hicks Field
April 19
Florida Atlantic
Dot Hicks Field
April 22
Northern Kentucky (DH) Dot Hicks Field
April 25
at UTEP (DH)
El Paso, Texas
April 26
at UTEP
El Paso, Texas
April 28
Liberty (DH)
Dot Hicks Field
May 2
UAB (DH)
Dot Hicks Field
May 3
UAB
Dot Hicks Field
May 7-9
C-USA Tournament Miami
L, 5-4
L, 18-5
W, 1-0
W, 9-1
W, 6-1
L, 2-0
L, 5-3
W, 13-5, 13-3
L, 9-1
W, 2-0 (10)
L, 3-2, 9-5
W, 18-3
S, 0-4, 7-2
L, 8-1
W, 3-0, 3-0
W, 2-1
W, 3-2, 11-2
W, 1-0, 16-8
Cancelled
W, 9-0, 14-7
W, 6-1
S, 0-3, 6-5
Cancelled
2 p.m.
4 p.m.
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
1 p.m.
3 p.m.
—
TENNIS
Spring 2015
DateOpponentSiteScores
Jan. 17
College of Charleston Huntington TC
W, 6-1
ITA Kickoff Weekend
Jan. 24
at UCLA
Los Angeles
L, 4-0
Jan. 25
Cal-Irvine
Los Angeles
L, 4-1
—
Feb. 7
Morehead State
Huntington TC
W, 7-1
Feb. 7
Eastern Kentucky
Huntington TC
W, 6-1
Feb. 13
Louisville
Huntington TC
W, 5-2
Feb. 15
Minnesota
Huntington TC
W, 4-3
Feb. 21
at Liberty
Lynchburg, Va.
W, 5-2
Feb. 22
at Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Va.
L, 6-1
Feb. 28
Penn State
Huntington TC
W, 4-3
March 2
Utah
Huntington TC
L, 4-3
March 6
at Cincinnati
Cincinnati
W, 5-2
March 8
at West Virginia
Morgantown
W, 5-2
March 13
Miami (Ohio)
Huntington TC
W, 4-3
March 15
Winthrop
Huntington TC
W, 7-0
March 18
at Rice
Houston
L, 5-2
March 22
at Houston
Houston
L, 5-2
March 28
at FIUMiamiL, 4-3
March 29
at Florida Atlantic
Boca Raton, Fla.
W, 4-3
April 3
DePaul
Huntington TC
W, 5-2
April 5
William & Mary
Fox TC (campus)
W, 4-2
April 10
at Old Dominion
Norfolk, Va.
L, 7-0
April 11
at Virginia Commonwealth Richmond, Va.
L, 4-3
April 17
UTSA (C-USA)
Houston
W, 4-1
April 18
ODU (C-USA)
Houston
W, 4-3
April 19
Rice (C-USA)
Houston
L, 4-1
TRACK AND FIELD
Outdoor
DateMeetSite
March 19-20 USF Bulls Invitational
Tampa, Fla.
March 27-28 Raleigh Relays
Raleigh, N.C.
April 4
Cherry Blossom Inv.
Athens, Ohio
April 11
WKU Hilltopper Relays
Bowling Green, Ky.
April 17-18 Virginia Challenge
Charlottesville, Va.
April 18
JMU Quad
Harrisonburg, Va.
April 23-25 Penn Relays
Philadelphia
May 2
Kentucky Relays
Lexington, Ky.
May 14-17 C-USA Championships
El Paso, Texas
May 28-30 NCAA Outdoor Prelims
Jacksonville, Fla.
June 10-13 NCAA Outdoor Champ.
Eugene, Ore.
28
The Herd Insider Magazine
29
HerdInsider.com
DANIEL
From Page 11
transferred from Murray State after an All-Freshman
Team selection in the Ohio Valley Conference as a
rookie.
two more), plenty of opportunities for people to come out and see us.”
Daniel’s next team has eight scholarship players from the Mountain State or
the Tri-State region.
An 18-game Conference USA schedule (it won’t be announced until this
summer) will include nine home dates. Other home games are against Rhode
Island, NJIT, Cornell, Alabama A&M, Norfolk State and a non-Division I foe,
Crossroads College of Minnesota.
As for Arkoful, ESPN HoopGurlz prospects list has her ranked with a
90 grade and the No. 31 point guard prospect nationally. Daniel said she
eventually could play either guard spot or at the three.
Another home game will be the back end date in the Morehead State Classic
event, but that one will be at the Henderson Center. Daniel said Morehead
State secures that Herd opponent.
“Last summer on her AAU team she was the starting point guard,’ said Herd
assistant coach Caronica Randle, who was the guard’s primary recruiter. “She
is very athletic, can shoot the three and mid-range jumper very well … Great
ball handler, and also skilled with or without the ball.”
“We’ve got two more to schedule besides that one,” Daniel said. “We’re
working on it.”
Arkorful missed about half of her senior season at Warren Central High
School while shoring up her grades. She for the AAU Mississippi Fire and had
mid-major Division I interest. The Herd began recruiting Arkoful last summer.
In the 2011-12 season as a freshman at Vicksburg High, she averaged
17.1 points, 3.6 assists and 2.4 steals per game and was selected as The
Vicksburg Post girls basketball Player of the Year. She transferred to Warren
Central in November 2013 – her mother teaches there, Daniel said — and
had to sit out the rest of the season because she had already played in seven
games for Vicksburg High.
Daniel’s team just began individual workout sessions on Wednesday, and
he’s anxious to see who steps up among the rookies to blend with a solid cast
of returnees.
“It’s a new team, a young team again,” Daniel said, “and hopefully it will be
a team a lot of our fans are familiar with. Hopefully, it’s a team some of them
know and more will get to know. We need people to get behind us, because it
helps us.
“We’ll have a lot of home games (15 to date, with the potential for one or
In the 16-team WBI, Marshall went to Northern Kentucky – one of the top
four seeds – and won 81-79, then fell at Mercer in a heartbreaking 73-71
quarterfinal that the Herd led for nearly 36 minutes.
“The WBI; it’s momentum for us,” Daniel said. “It showed progress from
where we were our first two years (9-21, 11-20 records). We beat a No. 1
seed on the road, went on the road again and almost won. We could have
been in the semifinals… and without our starting point guard.
“We lost our last four (in the regular season and C-USA Tournament)
without Victum, and to lose a key player like that so late hurts a lot. But we
got into the WBI and it really picked us up as we go forward.”
The Herd women’s basketball non-conference schedule to date:
November
13 – at Morehead State; 15 – home game TBA as part of Morehead State
Classic; 18 – Rhode Island; 22 – NJIT; 27 – Cornell.
December
5 – Alabama A&M; 13 – West Virginia at Charleston Civic Center; 20 –
Norfolk State; 22 – Crossroads (Minn.).
Three games TBA (includes Nov. 15 home date)
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The Herd Insider Magazine
Rising junior Justin Hunt (9), making a catch in last Saturday’s scrimmage at Edwards Stadium, has
impressed in spring practice and is running with the second unit at outside receiver
Photo by Brad Helton
HerdInsider.com
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The Herd Insider Magazine