Wednesday update: Navy QB Proctor resigns, Falcons look forward, Byers makes a promise
April 18th, 2012 | Air Force Army Football Navy Wrestling | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Navy quarterback Kriss Proctor looks downfield during the 2011 Army-Navy football game, his last game as a Midshipman. (US Presswire photo by Danny Wild)
Three quick hits from around the web on a Wednesday morning:
1. Proctor resigns: Bill Wagner at The (Annapolis, Md.) Capital broke the news yesterday — Navy quarterback Kriss Proctor, who finished his senior season with a win over Army in December, has resigned from the Naval Academy and will not graduate. The resignation hasn’t been accepted, according to the report, but it likely will be, and was reportedly triggered by an alleged honor code violation.
2. Falcon free agents: Frank Schwab at The (Colorado Springs, Colo.) Gazette brings better news, reporting on the pro football dreams of Air Force receiver Jonathan Warzeka and safety Jon Davis. Don’t expect to hear either name during NFL draft coverage, but both hope they’ll get a look as free agents despite the service commitment that comes with an academy education. Warzeka tied for the team lead with 31 receptions and caught four touchdowns while also handling kick return duties, racking up 254 rushing yards and throwing a touchdown pass. Davis had a team-best four interceptions and was second in tackles with 94.
3. Byers’ medal hunt: From Tim Hipps of Army Installation Management Command public affairs (via TheMat.com) comes this story about Army Sgt. 1st Class Dremiel Byers, who will attempt to make his second U.S. Olympic team this weekend. Byers has owned the 120-pound Greco-Roman wrestling division for years — a 10-time national champion who’s earned gold, silver and bronze at the world championships. Byers opens up about the Olympic medal he promised his grandfather, along with his thoughts on the return of Rulon Gardner, his time with the Army’s World Class Athlete Program and his career plans beyond the London games. Byers, 37, won’t have to participate in the Olympic qualifier tournament on Saturday in Iowa City; he will meet the winner of that event Saturday night in a best-of-three showdown for the Olympic berth. Gardner will attempt to make weight on Friday.
Academy sports roundup: Friday night Navy football, Army documentary debuts, Air Force hoops
April 12th, 2012 | After Action Air Force Army Basketball Football Navy | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Hundreds of soldiers attended Army's spring football scrimmage March 9 at Fort Benning, Ga. A documentary on the game airs this weekend on CBS Sports Network. (Army photo by Staff Sgt. Teddy Wade)
Three Thursday-afternoon academy sports bits, one per service:
1. Army at Benning, on TV: It’s a little early for Saturday college football, but if you’ve got the itch, scratch it with “Army Spring Football Mission: Fort Benning,” a 60-minute documentary on the Black Knights’ trip to Georgia for a scrimmage at Doughboy Stadium. Catch a short preview here, during which Army head coach Rich Ellerson says the magic words regarding the Benning experience for all Black Knights fans: “It’s going to pay off on Saturdays.” CBS Sports Network will air the doc at 8 p.m. Eastern, according to an Army release; if nothing else, it’s a fine excuse to find that channel on your local cable provider — all three academy football teams likely will be featured on CBS Sports Network sometime this season.
2. Friday night lights: Speaking of football on the magic box, the Naval Academy announced via Facebook that the Navy-Central Michigan game will move from Saturday, Oct. 13, to Friday, Oct. 12, and will air in prime time on ESPN2. The Mids are 2-0 all-time against the Chippewas and last faced them in 2010, winning 38-37. It’s the only Friday game on Navy’s schedule (so far) this season; fittingly, CMU will celebrate Military Appreciation Night that evening.
3. Falcon hoops recruits: The academies don’t participate in the high school hoopla that is signing day for either football or basketball, so digging up the details on recruiting classes can be a challenge. Frank Schwab at the Colorado Springs Gazette answers the call, however, with this primer on the Air Force 2012 men’s basketball class. The usual recruiting-link caveat: Every class looks good on paper.
Big East update: Temple could go west, Navy’s future rivals remain unclear
April 10th, 2012 | Air Force Football Navy | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Navy slotback Reggie Campbell races down the sideline during a Nov. 19, 2005, game between the Mids and Temple. Both teams will be in the Big East Conference come 2015, with Temple entering this year. (Navy photo by Damon J. Moritz via Getty Images)
What’s clear: Navy football will join the Big East come 2015.
What’s unclear: Everything else.
From the size of the conference (13 teams in 2015, as planned, or an even number to avoid a scheduling nightmare?) to the fate of future TV deals to the structure of college football’s postseason, nothing is certain. But there’s at least a hint at one of the big mysteries — how the league will set up its two divisions.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports today that in 2013, with 12 teams likely participating, the conference will divide into East and West divisions, with geography the deciding factor … almost. Temple, which rejoins this season after being gone since 2004, will be shipped westward, rounding out a division with Boise State, Houston, Memphis, San Diego State and Southern Methodist, according to the report. That would leave Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Rutgers and South Florida in the Big East (East).
Where does that leave Navy? Would the league blow up the divisions after two years to allow the Mids to play an East Coast-based schedule, including nearby Temple and Rutgers? Would Navy take Temple’s spot and head west, taking advantage of the Mids’ national profile and drawing power in places like San Diego? Would Villanova finally get a long-rumored invite and create an I-95 regional rivalry with Navy and Temple?
Or, with its TV future uncertain, would the Mountain West Conference be prime hunting ground for further Big East expansion? Would an in-house service academy rivalry between Navy and Air Force be a natural fit? The Falcons may have been left out of the initial western movement, but that hasn’t stopped reports like this.
Tired of waiting for this superconference stuff to sort itself out? Want some actual Navy football to hold you over? Click here for details on Saturday’s annual spring game.
Altitude adjustment: Where does Air Force football go without The Mtn.?
April 9th, 2012 | Air Force Football | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Fans of Air Force Academy sports, and the rest of the Mountain West Conference, may have some channel-surfing to do with the death of The Mtn. (US Presswire photo by Ron Chenoy)
If you’re not a fan of the Mountain West Conference, this item is a bit like the old riddle about the tree falling in an empty forest. Except instead of a tree, it’s a cable network.
The Colorado Springs Gazette reports The Mtn., the regional all-sports network that was home to six of Air Force’s 13 football games last year as well as scores of contests in other sports, will go off the air for good May 31. When it came to the forest of pay TV, the network barely made a sound outside its home region, leaving the naturally far-flung Air Force fans (those without DirectTV, anyway) without a way to see their team play.
The Gazette’s Frank Schwab blogs a bit about what might happen next: CBS Sports Network will take over the broadcast rights left behind by The Mtn., and games could end up there or on NBC Sports Network (which used to be Versus, which used to be the Outdoor Life Network, which might’ve aired home shopping, at some point). Or, the rights could be sold to another network. Or, as Schwab points out, the rights for some home football games (read: not the popular ones) could revert back to the school itself, meaning the school would need to find a willing TV partner to spend the tens of thousands needed to put on a quality football broadcast in exchange for ad revenue.
One possible bright side, especially for the cable-disinclined: The Mtn. didn’t stream games over the Internet, something that could be part of a new broadcast package.
An early test for how hard it’ll be to see your Falcons: The Sept. 1 home opener against Idaho State, which most national cable networks would pass on fairly quickly. If your rabbit ears are big enough to pick that one up, you should be good for the rest of the season.
Academy sports update: Wojcik’s new job, Army baseball sweeps Navy, football schedule strengths
April 2nd, 2012 | Air Force Army Baseball Basketball Football Navy | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Naval Academy standout (and former assistant coach) Doug Wojcik will take over the top job at the College of Charleston this season. (US Presswire photo by Marvin Gentry)
Three quick academy sports hits to start your week:
1. Back on the bench. Doug Wojcik, who set a variety of Navy assists records while playing alongside all-everything center David Robinson and later served as an assistant coach with the Mids, was hired by the College of Charleston over the weekend to take over for retiring head coach Bobby Cremins. Wojcik was fired last month after seven seasons at Tulsa, compiling a 140-92 record but never reaching the NCAA tournament. Speaking of all-everything college players, Wojcik will be replaced at Tulsa by Kansas assistant Danny Manning.
2. Four-game sweep. There weren’t 90,000 fans in attendance and CBS didn’t carry the contests on network television, but it’s still an Army-Navy rivalry — only this time, the Black Knights can claim some serious bragging rights. Army started its Patriot League baseball season by sweeping a two-day, four-game series at Annapolis by scores of 2-0, 6-2, 9-5 and 7-2. Sunday’s opener went nine innings (college doubleheader games are scheduled for seven), but Army senior Zach Price’s two-run triple keyed a four-run rally to give the win to the Black Knights (19-7, 4-0 Patriot League). One of the Black Knights’ hottest bats belongs to freshman Harold Earls, who’s riding a nine-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 23 straight contests. The losses dropped Navy to 11-16 on the year (0-4 Patriot League).
3. An “Army Strong” schedule? Over at the Colorado Springs (Colo.) Gazette, Frank Schwab points us to strength-of-schedule rankings released — and immediately ridiculed — by college football guru Phil Steele. In his post, Steele reveals Navy ranks dead last among the 124 Football Bowl Subdivision schools in SOS as measured by the NCAA, with Air Force at No. 121 and Army way, way up there at No. 35. But Steele only passes along the official figures so he can explain how inferior they are to his yet-to-be released power rankings because the NCAA bases its numbers on last year’s records; top recruiting classes or departing superstars aren’t factored in. Curious who’s playing who when? Bookmark these here sites, presented weakest schedule first.
Big Man on Base: Herschel Walker wins over Eglin airmen
March 29th, 2012 | After Action Air Force Football | Posted by Sean Smyth
Herschel Walker signs a 1983 Georgia Bulldogs pennant for Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Talley during Walker’s March 22 appearance at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (Samuel King Jr. / Air Force)
This slipped through the cracks last week: Herschel Walker made an appearance at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., sharing stories of his battle with mental illness and winning a legion of Air Force fans along the way.
The 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and legendary running back says he’s made stops at numerous military bases in an effort to encourage troops to not shy away from addressing mental health problems.
“Look at me. We all fall short in life,” he said.
A Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal report notes Walker received “multiple standing ovations” during an address inside an Eglin hangar.
Click here to read Bill Verona’s enrapturing report from the Walker appearance.
Boston College puts end to AFA hockey team’s season
March 28th, 2012 | After Action Air Force Hockey | Posted by Sean Smyth
Air Force senior defenseman Scott Mathis shoves Boston College’s Steven Whitney to the ice during last week’s NCAA tournament game. Top-ranked BC won the game, 2-0. Mathis is one of four seniors who’s leaving the Air Force squad via graduation. (Winslow Townson / The Associated Press)
It was a first the Air Force Academy’s hockey won’t brag about: the first time this season it was shutout. The Falcons were held scoreless in their NCAA tournament game against Boston College last Saturday, falling 2-0. Chris Kreider, a first-round NHL Draft selection in 2009, scored both of BC’s goals.
Considering who (the country’s top-ranked team) and where (in a Worcester, Mass., arena filled with BC fans), you shouldn’t be disappointed. It was only the third time in the past 10 games where BC managed to score just two goals. The Eagles are averaging 3.6 goals per game in that stretch.
Air Force coach Frank Serratore wasn’t hanging his head afterward. “That is a heck of hockey team in Boston College, and in my opinion they beat a heck of a hockey team.”
BC coach Jerry York said the Falcons were “a hard, tough out.”
Air Force finished its season at 21-11-7. It was the fifth time the Falcons managed to reach the NCAA tournament.
They’ll return four of their five top scorers from this year’s team and lose just four seniors – albeit some key players – so another tournament run isn’t out of the question.
Click here to read more about the Falcons’ future prospects.
Thursday football roundup: Sullivan Award video, more honors for Dowd, Air Force’s future conference
March 22nd, 2012 | After Action Air Force Army Football Navy | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Army linebacker Andrew Rodriguez battles the snow, and the Fordham Rams, during an Oct. 29 game at Michie Stadium. (US Presswire photo by Danny Wild)
Three quick service academy football hits, before everybody gets their hoops fix this evening:
1. Sullivan Award video. As After Action tweeted earlier this week (Hey, let’s all follow that account, could we?), Army linebacker Andrew Rodriguez was presented with the James E. Sullivan Award on Tuesday, given to the top amateur athlete in the country. It’s an elite club, with names both historical (Army’s Doc Blanchard) and contemporary (Michael Phelps, Peyton Manning and, yes, this guy). Head here for a West Point-produced behind-the-scenes video of Rodriguez at the awards ceremony.
2. Dowd gets his due. A 3.9 GPA. In mechanical engineering. At the Naval Academy. While anchoring the offensive line. You can’t really put a value on an achievement like that, but that hasn’t stopped Navy senior John Dowd from collecting some scholarship checks. His most recent: A $7,500 NCAA-provided postgraduate grant, one of 29 awarded to top student-athletes. According to a Navy sports release, Dowd also received $18,000 in postgrad cash from the National Football Foundation.
3. Megaconference update. Navy grabbed headlines for its football-only shift to the Big East in 2015, but Air Force will be in a new conference much sooner, when the Mountain West Conference and Conference USA complete their merger. Reports say details of the move — TV contracts, divisions, expansion, a possible in-conference four-team football playoff, scheduling, you name it — could begin to emerge in June or July. As constructed, the MAC/C-USA has 16 football teams spanning five time zones. A Denver Post report says the merger is on track for 2013. And in a testament of the new league’s wingspan, we have writers from West Virginia and California offering their perspective on the deal. Short version for the link-disinclined: (1) It’s about the money, specifically NCAA hoops tournament payouts, and (2) Putting together a 16-team nationwide college football league is a logistical head-scratcher. Air Force fans, get your frequent-flyer plans in order. Or warm up the remote for road games.
A different Dance for Air Force hockey team
March 20th, 2012 | After Action Air Force Hockey | Posted by Sean Smyth
Everyone’s focused on the March Madness this time of year, but let’s not forget there are other NCAA championships going on, too.
Air Force senior forward Paul Weisgarber (10), shown scoring a goal against Army in January 2011, is one of the Falcons' top players. (Mike Kaplan / Air Force photo)
One of those tournaments is pretty underrated: the NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey tournament. It’s typically filled with overtime games, a smattering of upsets (though not necessarily on par with its cousin on the hardwood) and thrilling play.
Air Force is making its fifth NCAA tournament appearance this year, and the Falcons have drawn a tough road: They’ll face the tournament’s top overall seed, Boston College, at 4 p.m. EDT Saturday at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass., an hour or so west of BC’s campus.
The Denver Post notes that the Falcons (21-10-7) are 0-3 this season against teams that made the 16-team NCAA field, losing narrowly to North Dakota and Michigan State before being routed by Denver University.
Air Force earned its bid by winning the Atlantic Hockey championship, no small feat for a school located about 2,000 miles away from its closest conference foe. The Falcons beat Rochester Institute of Technology last weekend in Rochester, N.Y., for the right to enter the NCAA tourney.
You can read more about the postseason-bound Falcons here.
Cole VonOhlen leads service academy grapplers into NCAA wrestling tournament
March 9th, 2012 | After Action Air Force Army Navy Wrestling | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Not a follower of Air Force wrestling? Then you might not know much about junior 149-pounder Cole VonOhlen.
A quick primer: Of the nine service academy grapplers headed to the 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Tournament next week in St. Louis, he’s the only one ranked, claiming the third seed in his weight class. His 36-2 record this year includes a 13-0 mark in dual meets, and according to his official bio, his “craziest ambition” is to “fight a grizzly bear with a samurai sword.”
At least he has a fallback career as a reality TV producer. Here’s an interview he gave to USA Wrestling after claiming the NCAA West Regional championship; give it a watch, then click through for more on VonOhlen and other academy wrestlers gunning for a national title.
