Friday, October 23, 2009

The life of a small school football team

By Chad Husted

Sports Editor

The differences between Indiana high school sports classes are no more evident than in football. Large schools can field larger teams, as well as compete at levels below varsity. Smaller school must often operate with as many players as they can get, and they usually must make due with only a few backups.

With three Class A schools and one Class 3A in White County, football is played on a different scale. Frontier, Tri-County and North White aren’t fielding eight-man football teams like they do in Montana and the Dakotas, but small-school football requires a different type of player and a different approach that White County athletes have grown used too, as well as fond of.

Area coaches have each answered the same way when asked what the advantages are when fielding smaller teams, and it has only a little to do with football.

“I’ve really enjoyed coaching at a small school because it’s more personal,” Frontier coach Greg Martz said. “You get to deal with the kids more. If you’re in a system that has 85-90 kids, kids can get lost in the cracks. If we’ve got a kid that has an issue, at least one of our kids and possibly more than that are going to know what his issues are and that’s where we can help him.”

Martz went on to say that with the smaller coaching staff comes the knowledge that the coaches only have to worry about a few players on the sideline.

“We kind of joke about that as a coaching staff,” Martz said. “We wouldn’t know what we would do if we had that many kids.”

Twin Lakes doesn’t have to deal with all of the issues involving small school football, as the Indians have 48 players on their roster while none of the Class A schools break 30. Twin Lakes still isn’t large enough to platoon completely, and several players still play on offense, defense and special teams.

“You’d like to (platoon) at 3A, but most of the teams that we play don’t do that either,” Twin Lakes coach Brad Urban, who grew up at Class A powerhouse Sheridan, said. “It’s a luxury if you can do it, but a lot of times you have some good athletes and you want to play them on both sides of the ball.”

The players see mostly the benefits in small-school ball, including a tighter bond with their teammates and, in the case of players who go both ways, the ability to stay in the game for longer. Conditioning becomes a key component for each player’s ability to stay on the field, another point of emphasis for coaches and players.

“You definitely have to be in shape for (playing both ways),” Frontier wide receiver and defensive back Grant Ream said. “It makes you a lot tougher mentally and physically.”

North White quarterback/linebacker/offensive and defensive lineman Tyler Hileman knows no other way to playing football than just playing whatever position his coach places him in. Players at larger schools can specialize in one position and excel there, Hileman said, but he prefers his ability to stay on the field.

Hileman began the season at quarterback before being moved to guard to help the Viking offense get a better push on the line.

“I feel as my choice I’d much rather have it here at a small school,” Hileman said. “I never do come off of the field. I just love to play football and anytime I do come off the field I don’t like it. I just like being in that action.”

Twin Lakes’ Dylan McKay, who plays defensive back, running back and serves as the Indians’ longsnapper, reiterates that point.

“I think it’s fun to know you’re not going to come off of the field, because every competitor wants to be on the field 100 percent of the time,” McKay said.

One disadvantage to fielding a smaller team can be the lack of playing time and experience for players who do not see the field on varsity. Larger schools can field enough players to play a freshman schedule as well as a JV schedule, allowing players of all ages to play against comparable competition and build experience for the day they can play varsity.

North White coach Jim Davis believes it is hard for those who don’t get playing time on Friday nights to keep with the program, but those that do are the ones who really want to play.

“It’s really difficult when you go all year and you only get a couple of plays in. It’s kind of like a wasted year for some of those kids, all they get is practice time, and that’s well and good, but everybody wants to play the game,” Davis said. “To be honest with you, that’s the most disappointing thing about this year is that some of our freshman and a few of our sophomore kids haven’t gotten a chance to play.

“They have to want to play, they really have to. I really admire some of our kids that come every day to practice knowing that their chance of playing on Friday is limited to a few plays if they’re lucky. You have to give those kids a lot of credit for their determination.”

Published by the Herald Journal on October 23, 2009

Forward sets out to play in World Cup

By Chad Husted

Assistant Sports Editor

The Purdue soccer team has lost its leading scorer just four days before it begins play in the Big Ten Tournament.

Junior forward Loredana Riverso has been called up to the U-20 Canadian national team. The Mississauga, Ontario, native left Sunday to join the team in British Columbia for training before its first match against Japan Nov. 20.

"I was hoping to at least play in the Big Ten Tournament, but it just wasn't possible," Riverso said in a press release. "It's really sad knowing that this is it for this year, but I'm already looking forward to next season. We have a team capable of making a difference."

Coach Rob Klatte said Purdue has always encouraged its players who wish to play internationally to pursue those goals, and the team is excited for Riverso's opportunity. The team had hoped to have her available for the Big Ten Tournament, he said, but the long-term improvement of the team will be greater because of her departure.

"She's going to come back, and our team will ultimately be better," Klatte said. "We'll be better because of the experience she will have had. We're excited for her."

As for how the Boilers (11-6-3, 5-3-2 Big Ten) will compensate for the loss of their leading offensive weapon, Klatte said Purdue might have to develop a more attacking style of team.

"We'll probably end up being a more attacking side because of (the loss), because we can't rely on Loredana breaking them down individually," Klatte said.

Riverso will likely not be able to return to the team unless her national team is eliminated early in the tournament and Purdue makes a strong push into the late rounds of the NCAA tournament, Klatte said.

With the loss of Riverso, it will be up to other players on the team to pick up the missing offense. Purdue will rely on senior forward Felicia Schroeder, who is second on the team in goals, and freshman midfielder Kellie Phillips, who is top in assists.

Klatte is also excited about the return of sophomore forward Katie Becker, who has missed the last two weeks with an injury. She had three goals this season before being sidelined.

"It's strange in life sometimes, you know, when you lose someone and you get another opportunity for someone else," Klatte said. "Hopefully she can step into the fold and help to fill that void for us. It's an opportunity for someone else as well as a loss for our team."

Published by the Purdue Exponent on November 4, 2008

New coach brings intensity to practice

By Chad Husted

Assistant Sports Editor

Sound is never lacking near the offensive line drills at Purdue football practice.

While players hitting one another and pads clacking add their distinctive notes, offensive line coach Danny Hope is the primary source of the commotion.

Hope's players spark into motion at his voice as he moves in and out of formations, sparingly using his whistle as he instructs his players. First he's crouching to show the proper technique for pass blocking, then he's hustling his players through chutes - the low bars that linemen run under to teach them to stay low in their stances.

The message is clear: The momentum never stops for the offensive line.

"He's intense, but he gets the job done," junior guard Eric Hedstrom said. "He's always there to actually coach you up. Even though he'll yell ... he'll also sit there and coach you up."

Hedstrom mentioned a film session where Hope demonstrated a technique at the front of a room. Sophomore tackle Ryan Prater recalls the first day of spring practice when Hope explained how to cut block in an impressive manner.

"He dove out and destroyed the little blocking dummy, and he got up and he hurt his back, you know," Prater said. "I've never seen a coach do that, have that much energy to do that."

None of this is strange for Hope, whose coaching philosophy demands a certain tempo from the coaches and the players.

"I've coached the same way all along. You know, get out here and get involved in what's going on and try to demonstrate and try to keep the tempo at a high," Hope said. "So we have quite a challenge ... but we're making progress and we're giving good effort and we're starting to get better."

While both Hope and his players must adjust to each other this spring, Hope is optimistic that the players will soon understand his system and how they can improve within it. Players are already motivated to play for Hope, Prater said.

"We're a long ways away tempo-wise, and coming out here in practice and (trying) to set the tempo for our offensive line, and they still have to buy into it," Hope said. "We have a long ways to go tempo-wise. We have a long way to go technique-wise, but that's what we're focusing on and that's what we're trying to get done this spring."

Published by the Purdue Exponent on April 3, 2008

Defensive end prepares for draft

By Chad Husted

Assistant Sports Editor

Growing up, Cliff Avril would have liked to be the future of the Dallas Cowboys' defense.

Unfortunately for the former Boilermaker defensive end, Anthony Spencer took that job last year. But the two former Purdue standouts may still be drawn down similar paths.

Projected by many scouting services as a 'tweener' defensive end/outside linebacker player in the NFL, Avril could expect the same position change that Spencer underwent after being drafted by the Cowboys in the first round last year. Spencer played primarily as a defensive end at Purdue before switching to linebacker in Dallas' 3-4 style defense.

"I feel like I am athletic enough that, if I have to drop back into coverage or pass rush, you know, I could do both," Avril said. "It's just more so being in shape to be able to do it, but for me I think I'm conditioned."

However, the draft experts of the world may be too quick to take the lineman out of a stance. According to Avril's agent, Jim Ivler, Avril has taken several visits to different teams in the league, including teams that run traditional 4-3 defenses similar to Purdue's. Avril has been projected as either an end or a linebacker in these systems, Ivler said.

"It's been a great postseason, and I think that that reflected on where he's going to go on the weekend," Ivler said. "He can flourish in any system that there is."

Even with all of the talk about his rising draft stock, Avril remains content to not dwell on his future fate. Saturday will be spent at his home in Texas, watching the draft with family and close friends rather than in front of the media.

"It's not in my control anymore; I can only worry about what's in my control, that's just me," Avril said. "I'm just trying not to think about it until Saturday and see how it goes."

How the draft goes for Avril will likely be determined by how teams view his work since the Motor City Bowl. Avril followed up his senior year, in which he totaled roughly half of his tackles from his junior year total, with solid showings at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine.

Avril posted the fastest time for defensive ends in the cone drill at the combine and has spent the remaining time before the draft working out in preparation for camps after the draft.

"I'm just trying to get prepared mentally (for camp) and get right for that," Avril said. "There's no telling where I'll be next week, and I'll just be waiting on it."

Published by the Purdue Exponent on April 24, 2008

Paint Crew tickets out quickly; still opportunities to join

By Chad Husted

Assistant Sports Editor

With the expectations for the 2008 Purdue men's basketball team so high, fans spent hours waiting in line for tickets on Wednesday.

The line of students waiting for Paint Crew tickets wrapped around Mackey Arena well before the 9 a.m. opening of the ticket windows in the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility. With fewer than 2,000 tickets available for the Paint Crew section, student were eager to claim their spot.

Cameron Capper, a sophomore in the College of Science, said his group had someone in line since 8:30 a.m. and they had yet to get far enough through the line to be inside the building early Wednesday afternoon.

"We can hope that it's going to be worth it," Capper said.

Tom Nielsen, a sophomore in the College of Science and the Paint Crew's treasurer, said the Paint Crew officials were taking steps to ensure everyone would get a fair chance at Paint Crew seats. To keep people from jumping the line, the Paint Crew collected the group sign-in sheets before groups got to the window.

"Before we put this plan in place, they could easily hop up in front and say, 'Hey, we don't know you, but can we join your group,'" Nielsen said. "That just makes it unfair for the people who have been waiting since 9 a.m."

The long wait may have come from the ticket office printing the holder's name on each ticket. When a group reached the window, each game ticket for each person in the group was printed right then.

The demand for tickets was so high that Paint Crew officials knew at 9:30 a.m. that they had more fans in line than they had tickets. The officials told fans towards the rear of the line that they likely wouldn't be able to get tickets. Some stayed, hoping those in line ahead of them might have to leave, but most will have to settle for upper bowl tickets, Nielsen said.

According to Paint Crew president Dylan Reynolds, those students who didn't get a chance to get Paint Crew tickets still have the opportunity to be members of the Paint Crew, including the shirts, events and other member opportunities. The membership fee for the Paint Crew is $15.

"We kind of feel bad that there are people that got there before 9 ' the time it was supposed to start ' that aren't going to be able to join the Paint Crew," Reynolds said. "All the other (events) of the Paint Crew, except for the general admission seating ' students can still be part of the action."

The dedication of the students in line, as well as the quick sellout for the Paint Crew, made an impression on coach Matt Painter.

"The fact that the Paint Crew section sold out in one day demonstrates a loyalty to Purdue as well as a feeling of belonging with a season we hope will be very special," Painter said. "We are looking forward to giving the Paint Crew and all of our fans a season they will be proud to be a part of."

Published by the Purdue Exponent on October 16, 2008

Defense excels despite loss

By Chad Husted

Assistant Sports Editor

COLUMBUS, Ohio - With the likes of quarterback Terrelle Pryor and running back Beanie Wells, No. 12 Ohio State's offense has the big names. On Saturday, names like Purdue's Ryan Kerrigan and Chris Carlino made the big plays.

It didn't prove to be enough to get the win, but Purdue's (2-4, 0-2 Big Ten) defense played well enough to keep the Buckeye (6-1, 3-0) offense out of the endzone for all of its 16-3 loss in Ohio Stadium. They also held Wells to 94 yards, the first time he hasn't achieved 100 yards rushing this season.

"It's pretty hard, when you go on the road in this environment, to play that well on defense and say we're disappointed in anything the defense did," coach Joe Tiller said. " I thought (Ohio State was) strong enough physically, with their speed on the outside, they were going to score against us. We were hoping it'd be one or two scores, but to have none is pretty amazing."

The only touchdown for either team came in the first quarter. Junior kicker Chris Summers had his punt blocked, with Ohio State linebacker Etienne Sabino returning for the score. Ohio State entered the red zone two more times, but came away with only field goals.

Kerrigan, a sophomore defensive end, harassed Pryor continually, totaling six tackles as well as two sacks on the freshman quarterback. According to Kerrigan, the key to containing Pryor was a focus on assignments and knowing what formations he ran out of.

"They definitely had a great game plan and did a nice job of keeping him in the box," Ohio State senior tackle Steve Rehring said about Purdue's containment of Pryor. "We didn't execute as well as we could have and I think that had a lot to do with how well their defense played."

Defensive coordinator Brock Spack went so far as to compare Kerrigan with past Purdue greats like Anthony Spencer and Chike Okeafor.

"Those guys were powerful guys," Spack said. "This guys a little longer, he's 6-foot-5, and he's really strong. He's hard to handle and he's going to be a really good player."

Pressure by Kerrigan and senior defensive tackle Ryan Baker allowed Purdue's linebackers to make plays as well. Senior Anthony Heygood led the team with 12 tackles, while Carlino, a freshman making his second start, was second with seven.

"Chris plays well," Heygood said. "He's a freshman guy, he doesn't exactly have his weight yet, and he doesn't always know what he's doing, but he's really tough. He'll get down in the run game and he'll hit somebody."

The defensive play in the second half was a departure from previous games, where Purdue has allowed opposing offenses to dominate after halftime. The difference was intensity, Kerrigan said.

"I think we came out with more intensity this second half and we had a little more focus, and that really transitioned to not have a second half letdown like we've had in previous weeks."

Published by the Purdue Exponent on Oct. 10, 2008