Today's Blue & White September 9, 2011
Today’s Blue & White
The Citadel Brigadier Foundation’s Official Electronic Newsletter
Friday, September 9, 2011
Opening Kickoff!
This rivalry game against Furman is one in which people often say, “throw out the record books.” Rest assured that we won’t be discarding any records, yet hope to create some new and positive ones. This is one of the games that we circled when the schedule was released.
We saw great improvement in the football team during the terrific, opening-season win last week against Jacksonville in Johnson Hagood Stadium, and we welcomed the 2011 campaign in great style. And now, arch rival Furman comes to town. We are expecting a great crowd for this very exciting contest that kicks off at 6:05 pm.
Congratulations are extended to sophomore standout Vanessa Aponte for her being named the Southern Conference Women's Soccer Player of the Week for her efforts against USC Upstate and Navy. She is coming off a spectacular freshman season and is evidently off to a grand start as a sophomore.
Accordingly, we applaud quarterback Ben Dupree for being named College Sports Madness’s Southern Conference Player of the Week while defensive lineman Derek Douglas copped a spot on the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Performers of the Week list.
As you’ve come to expect, we have another packed issue of news and notes, so enjoy and Go Bulldogs!!!
’61 Football Team to Be Recognized Saturday
While most eyes will be on the game with arch rival Furman, we will stop at halftime to honor the 1961 Citadel football team as they huddle for the 50th anniversary of the college’s first Southern Conference Championship. Lt Gen John Rosa and Director of Athletics Larry Leckonby will re-present the ’61 trophy to the group immediately following a brief video that features interviews with top players quarterback Bill Whaley, end Charlie Brendle and lineman Dan Coury. Film from some of their games will also be shown.
As part of the celebration, the team is having a reunion gathering tonight at the Altman Athletic Center.
Football Rolls Past Jacksonville in Opener
The Citadel scored 31 unanswered points as the Bulldogs defeated the Jacksonville Dolphins, 31-9, before a season-opening crowd of 12,099 at Johnson Hagood Stadium on Saturday evening.
The Bulldogs produced the most rushing yards of any Citadel team since 1994 with 439 yards on 54 carries, led by sophomore quarterback Ben Dupree who rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns. The defensive effort was widespread as sophomore Derek Douglas recorded three solo tackles, including two sacks for a loss of 15 yards and one fumble recovery.
Jacksonville was first to put points on the board after both teams struggled in their opening drives. A sack by Rod Harland during the Dolphins' second possession gave them extra yardage they were unable to make up. A 55-yard punt by Jacksonville's Garrett Mohr backed Bulldog punt returner Greg Adams to the 4-yard line where the ball slipped through his fingers, creating a turnover and setting up the Dolphins 2-yard touchdown run with 8:49 on the clock. The extra point attempt was bobbled on the snap and was no good.
With five minutes left in the second quarter, the Bulldogs found their rhythm, getting in scoring territory on three occasions and scoring two touchdowns before the end of the half. The first score came on the first play of the fourth drive when Dupree broke loose for a 58-yard run with 4:29 on the clock. The Citadel defense kept the Dolphins in their own territory for the next drive and Dupree showed his speed and agility once again as he brushed past Jacksonville defenders for a 28-yard touchdown run with 1:12 left in the half.
The Bulldogs kept the momentum going into the second half, outscoring the Dolphins, 17-0. The Citadel ended the first drive with a 30-yard field goal by Sellers to extend the lead, 17-9. The Citadel followed on the next drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by Darien Robinson, marking his first career touchdown and giving the Bulldogs a 24-9 lead with 3:07 left in the third quarter. Junior slot back Dalton Trevino also recorded his first career touchdown with a 7-yard run and the final score of the game with 13:16 left on the clock.
The Citadel totaled 472 yards of offense, including 33 yards passing. The Citadel defense held the Dolphins to 186 yards with -22 on the ground. Special teams blocked three punts and punter Cass Couey averaged 44.8 yards a punt with two inside the 20 and a long for 50 yards.
For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.
Dupree Named College Sports Madness SoCon Player of the Week
College Sports Madness named Citadel sophomore quarterback Ben Dupree as the Southern Conference Player of the Week for his season-opening performance against Jacksonville. The Madness identities the highest impact player nationally and one from each FCS conference in their weekly feature.
The Harrisburg, Pa. native led the Bulldogs to a 31-9 victory over the Jacksonville Dolphins with 141 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs produced the most rushing yards of any Citadel team since 1994 with 439. Dupree rushed for 58- and 28-yard touchdowns in the second quarter to overcome an early deficit that eventually led to 31 unanswered points.
Named a 2011 team captain by his peers as just a sophomore, Dupree earned the starting role as the Bulldogs kicked off their second season running the triple option offense.
Derek Douglas Earns CFPA Weekly Honor
Derek Douglas was named to the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Performers of the Week for his efforts against Jacksonville on Saturday. He was one of eight Southern Conference players honored.
Douglas, of Garland, Texas, wreaked havoc against Jacksonville as the starting right tackle recorded three solo tackles, two tackles for a loss of 15 yards, recovered a fumble and picked up a pair of sacks for 15 yards. He was part of the tandem that sacked Dolphins quarterback Josh McGregor five times and held the Jacksonville offense to negative 22 yards rushing. Jacksonville, which led the FCS in total offense in 2010, was held to just 186 total yards in the contest in which the Bulldogs prevailed, 31-9.
The Citadel and Furman Rivalry Continues
The Citadel and Furman meet for the 91st time, and the Paladins lead the all-time series by a 56-31-3 margin. The series began on Nov. 11, 1913 when The Citadel claimed their first win over the Paladins, 75-0, in Charleston (the win was the largest margin of victory until the Bulldogs defeated Webber International, 76-0, in 2007). The Citadel has won two of the last four matchups against Furman, and the most recent victory was in 2009 when the Bulldogs toppled the Paladins, 38-28, in a thrilling Parents Day victory at Johnson Hagood Stadium.
Furman is coming off a 30-23 loss at Coastal Carolina. A career performance by running back Jerodis Williams earned him the SoCon Offensive Player of the Week and College Football Performance Awards National Player of the Week citations. The junior rushed for a career-high 141 yards on just 16 carries and scored all three of the Paladins’ touchdowns.
Stray Dog Society Organizes "Dog Walk" For Fans to Welcome Football Team to Stadium
The Stray Dog Society has organized the opportunity to greet the football-playing Bulldogs at each home game two hours prior to game time (4pm for Furman game). The team and coaches will assemble on Hagood Avenue after arriving by bus at the intersection of Fishburne St. and Hagood. They will assemble down on Hagood Avenue close to the stadium and then walk through the south tailgate area on their way to the Altman Athletic Center.
Please join The Citadel Cheerleaders and the energy and spirit of The Stray Dogs as the team is recognized appropriately through the tailgate area. The team and coaches appreciated last week's cheers, and are looking forward to this becoming a growing Citadel Family tradition!
Look for the Citadel Blue Carpet on Hagood Avenue where it begins two hours before game time. Join the Stray Dog Society and cheerleaders as they welcome the team to the stadium.
Postgame Fireworks Return
For the first time in more than 25 years, real fireworks return to Johnson Hagood Stadium.
An eight-minute postgame tailgate fireworks show is being sponsored by Crews Chevrolet and Subaru along with ESPN Radio 910-AM and the Kirkman Broadcasting Family of Stations. The fireworks display will begin approximately 20 minutes after the conclusion of the playing of the alma mater.
To enjoy the pyrotechnics to the fullest, fans are encouraged to watch from the comforts of their tailgate area as they will be fired from Stoney Field. Those in the Club Level and suites may utilize the terraces for the best view.
Bulldog/Paladin Golf Challenge
No matter what the competition is, whenever alumni from The Citadel and Furman get together, there’s bound to be more than a friendly rivalry at stake.
Therefore, the Bulldog/Paladin Golf Challenge, which is set for Friday, Sept. 9 at Stono Ferry Golf Club near Hollywood, may be for you. Alumni, spouses, family and friends from both colleges will congregate to battle at the 1 pm shotgun start, and the two-man all-encompassing Captain’s Choice format will have plenty on the line. Green fees, cart, beverages and all the challenging fun one can muster will cost $75/person, and proceeds benefit breast cancer awareness.
To sign up for the golf outing, please call Gina at 843/953-5277 or email her at forsbergg@citadel.edu.
Sweet Johnson Hagood Stadium Suite Is Available
An environmentally-controlled luxury suite at Johnson Hagood Stadium is available for the remainder of the season of for an individual game. If you have an interest, please contact Associate Athletics Director John McAleer ’72 at 843/953-1354 or email him at john.mcaleer@citadel.edu.
Attention Suite & Club Seat Patrons
A limited number of single-game club seats are now available for purchase. Only current suite and club seat holders are eligible to secure them. Please contact Bryson Young in the Athletics Development Office at 843/953-6710 (byoung5@citadel.edu) for additional information and to request additional seats.
TCBF Offers Hot Dog Buffet in Altman Athletic Center; Free Coke Product at Concession Stand
The Citadel Brigadier Foundation, in responding to the request from its members, hosts a complimentary hot dog buffet – complete with a multitude of toppings – in the Altman Athletic Center.
Provided by Aramark, The Citadel’s on-campus food service provider, the hot dog buffet is open to all members and their families as long as they have with them their Altman Athletic Center pass that comes with a TCBF lanyard. The buffet is open an hour prior to kickoff and closes at the conclusion of halftime. Popcorn will also be available an hour before the opening kick until the end of the game.
Also, as a benefit to the membership, those who present their TCBF membership card at the Knights of Columbus concession stand on either the West or East side may secure a complimentary Coca-Cola product or bottled water at no charge. Please, only one freebie per member.
Soccer Falls to Navy, 2-1; Tops USC Upstate, 5-0
Navy came to Charleston on Sunday and downed The Citadel, 2-1, at WLI Field in The Citadel Nike Classic. Both teams played tough in the first half with stellar defensive play from seniors Hannah Warne, Leah Hawkins and Shanna Couch, who allowed just four shots in the opening 45 minutes. The Citadel kept the ball on their end of the field for most of the first half, but it took almost 24 minutes for the Bulldogs to land their first shot on goal, a 20-yard laser by sophomore Vanessa Aponte that was nabbed by Navy’s keeper.
The two teams continued to play scoreless soccer until the 44 minute mark when Aponte drilled an unassisted goal to the back of the net to give The Citadel a 1-0 halftime lead.
Tempers flared in the second half of play as the rain began to fall harder in Charleston. A total of four yellow cards were issued, two to each team, as both sides were playing physical soccer. The Midshipmen were able to handle the ball better in the second half, forcing 14 shots to The Citadel's four, including a 72nd minute deflected goal to even the score at one.
No decision was made in the first 90 minutes of play, so the teams entered a sudden death, 10-minute overtime period. Navy was able to maintain possession in Bulldog territory for most of the first overtime, firing three shots but to no avail as The Citadel defense thwarted the Middies again. However, Navy would only need five minutes of the second 10-minute overtime period, as Mids forward Ashlynn Soelner squeezed one in off a deflected cross-bar shot.
On Friday, four different Bulldogs found the back of the net en route to The Citadel's 5-0 victory over USC Upstate in The Citadel Nike Classic at WLI Field.
The first shot of the game did not come until the seventh minute of play, but it was worth the wait, as sophomore Vanessa Aponte fired a direct kick on a foul shot from approximately 40 yards out. Not even seven minutes later, Bulldog freshman Grace Raines recorded her first career collegiate goal as she drilled a 25-yard shot from the middle of the field. In the 36th minute, sophomore Mariana Garcia drilled a shot that deflected off the cross-bar and onto the foot of sophomore Ruth Leiva, who recorded her first goal of the season. The Bulldogs finished the first half with a 4-0 lead, and made it 5-0 on Garcia’s goal.
For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSportsl.com.
Vanessa Aponte Earns Southern Conference Player of the Week Honors
Forward Vanessa Aponte was named the Southern Conference Women's Soccer Player of the Week after scoring three goals on 11 shots along with a pair of assists in two games.
The Orlando, Fla., native tallied career game-highs in shots (7) and goals (2) in Friday's match against USC Upstate as the Bulldogs completed a 5-0 rout. Aponte's first goal was a 40-yard direct kick that was drilled into the top of the net to give The Citadel a 1-0 lead. Later, the sophomore divvied out the assists on the second and third goals in the first half that gave the Bulldogs a comfortable 3-0 lead.
In Sunday's game against military rival Navy, Aponte fired four more shots, three on goal, including a 44th minute laser from 20 yards out to give The Citadel a 1-0 lead.
Volleyball Goes 2-1 in SC State Tournament
On Saturday, the volleyball team completed this weekend's matches at the S.C. State Tournament with a 25-10, 25-19, 25-19 sweep of Claflin. The combination of Rachael Farrell (10 kills, five digs) and Amanda Rudnik (nine digs, eight kills) were instrumental in victory as the Bulldogs improve to 4-1 on the season and set a mark for the best five-match start in program history.
Junior Kaona Mercer, who brought home all-tournament honors, was also a key for The Citadel's offensive attack with five kills. She teamed with Ise d'Angelo (six kills) to give the Cadets a 38-24 edge in team kills. Defensive specialist Emily Dalton continued her solid play as she finished with eight digs.
The volleyball team rallied from a 2-1 deficit to win a five-set thriller over Alabama State (25-21, 22-25, 22-25, 25-16, 15-10) at the opening day of the South Carolina State Tournament on Friday. Junior middle hitter Mercer sparked the Bulldogs with 15 digs, 14 kills and four blocks, as The Citadel began the season 3-0 for the first time in program history.
Farrell, Ise d'Angelo and Cassie Uribe came through with solid performances as each finished with seven kills. On the defensive side, Dalton established a new career-high in digs (14), while Jessica Maxwell recorded six assisted blocks, tying a career-high. Alexa Dahlstrom led the offense with 35 assists.
In the second match of the day, The Citadel was unable to hold off a tough South Carolina State squad, who took the afternoon match by scores of 25-14, 27-25 and 25-13. The Cadets were led by the offensive efforts of Mercer, who notched 11 kills, while the trio of Dalton, Kathryn Johnston and Rudnik finished with four digs.
The Wednesday, Sept. 7 game at North Carolina A&T was rescheduled for Thursday, Sept. 15.
For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSportsl.com.
Keene, McKee Lead Cross Country at Gamecock Invitational
Junior Kyle Keene finished third with a time of 15:55 to lead the men's cross country team to a second place finish, while sophomore Danielle McKee recorded a time of 20:19 to help land the women's team in fourth place at Friday's season-opening Gamecock Invitational hosted by the University of South Carolina.
The men came out of the gate running hard as five of the top 10 finishers were Bulldogs. Behind Keene was freshman Raeven Lantz, who placed fifth in his first collegiate race with a time of 16:24. Juniors Austin Waldrop (16:34) and Atom Young (16:36) crossed the finish line eighth and ninth, respectively, while senior captain PJ Wasilchak ended the 5K race in 14th place (17:10).
On the women's side, McKee, who is expected to break The Citadel women's all-time 5K race time this season of 18:59, finished in 23rd place with a time of 20:19. The freshmen tandem of Emily Fields (20:35, 30th place) and Nicole Ogilbee (21:31, 37th place) finished in the second and third positions for the Bulldogs in their first collegiate race. Sophomore Christina Shonbeck (21:35, 38th place) and junior Micah Wessinger (22:21, 43rd place) rounded out the top ten for the women.
For more information, please refer to www.CitadelSports.com.
Keep Up With Citadel Athletics
For the latest on all athletic events and giveaways, visit the official Facebook and Twitter accounts of The Citadel Athletics at www.facebook.com/citadelbulldogs and at www.twitter.com/citadelsports. Also, the baseball and football teams now have their own Twitter accounts at www.twitter.com/citadelbaseball and www.twitter.com/citadelfootball. Follow them today!
Bulldog Business Partners
The Citadel Brigadier Foundation has started the “Bulldog Business Partners” for the 2012-12 academic year and the first to sign up are:
- Charleston Comfort Inn
- Charleston Crab House
- Piggly Wiggly
We encourage you to please stop by and thank our supporters. If you want more information on how your business can partner with The Citadel Brigadier Foundation, please call us at 843/953-5277.
September Birthdays
Sept. 10 Jody Huddleston Cross Country/Track
Sept. 17 Bob Bodine Football
Sept. 20 Daryle Wong Football
Sept. 28 Lt Gen John Rosa President
They Said It:
"We talked at halftime about physically dominating the second half. We felt that in the second quarter our offensive line took over and we were able to hit some seams so we felt like we could continue that."
- Coach Kevin Higgins, on the second half of the Jacksonville game.
"When you play against a team that throws the ball so well, you have to make sure you control the run because it spreads out your defense. We took the run game away from them and reacted well in the secondary tonight."
- Coach Higgins, on the defensive effort against Jacksonville.
"I think it is good to have this game early in the season, especially with the new coaching staff (at Furman). But I really don't know what that means for the outcome of the game. … Any time you can play a program where the coaches are relatively new and they are still working through the process, that can help you a little bit."
- Coach Higgins, on playing Furman early in the season.
"He doesn't just lead by example. He's not afraid to verbalize what he expects to others. Sometimes you get one part of that from one person and the other from somebody else. He gives you both."
- Senior linebacker Jeremy Buncum, on sophomore captain Derek Douglas.
Upcoming Events
Sept. 9 Bulldog/Paladin Golf Challenge @Stono Ferry
Nov. 11 21st Annual Homecoming Golf Tournament @Shadowmoss
Jan. 28 Alumni Basketball Game (McAlister Field House)
Have a Friend Who Might Be Interested?
Today’s Blue & White is the sister publication of the The Blue & White, the official publication of The Citadel Brigadier Foundation that is printed monthly. In order to receive the printed version, one has to be a member of TCBF. However, we’ve opened Today’s Blue & White to anyone and everyone who has a computer and who is interested in activities of TCBF and, of course, The Citadel’s Department of Athletics. Today’s Blue & White is free. All one has to do is sign up is to click on this link: http://www.citadelsports.com/list-signup
Today’s Blue & White is the official electronic publication of The Citadel Brigadier Foundation, Inc. with its office located at The Citadel, McAlister Field House, 171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC 29409 (office 843/953-5277).
Publishers……………...Jerry Baker & Larry Leckonby
Editor…………………Andy Solomon
Layout…………………Mike Petrini
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