The
Sports Ledger
www.thesportsledger.com Be sure to check out our Facebook page
JSU to open Season against Arkansas By Brandon K. Pierce Publisher Jacksonville State held its 2012 football media day on Friday, August 3, 2012 and during the event Head Coach Jack Crow said he was "optimistic” about the upcoming season. "We do have a good program here and a program that has come a long way,” said Crow, who is in his 13th year at the helm of the Gamecocks football team. "I can honestly say that this program has passed many milestones. We have continued to raise the expectations of our program and I think tradition pretty much explains the expectations. We are here to raise our program to the standards that the University has established in its traditions and I think we have made progress.” The Gamecocks hope to continue setting traditions and making progress during the upcoming season. One way the program can accomplish this is by picking up a season opening victory at the University of Arkansas on September 1, 2012 in Fayetteville. The game will kick off at 6 p.m. and will be the first meeting between the Razorbacks of the SEC and Gamecocks of the OVC. "With every year there are hurdles and challenges with each football team and this one has those. I think we have the best opportunity to develop and I think we have more talent on this campus right now than there has been since I have been here,” stated Crow. Despite the talent level of the players at JSU, the fact remains, the 2012 squad will be a relatively young team. "This is the youngest overall group of players that we have ever had here,” added Crow. "I think the day we play Arkansas, the average age of the 95 players we have on this team will be 19.6 (years old). That is a really young football team, but at the top of that is a really good group of returning players. The vast majority of those players are on offense. Defense is where we lost the most players last year. We will take a hard look at some of these young guys and see if they can step up and play. We have some guys that measure up and we have had the best time between January and now of guys doing the right thing. The average ACT score of our freshman class is 21.6 and it's a little higher than the University's in-coming freshmen class. I have a sense that we have a bunch of young people that will be ambitious and it will take a lot of ambition for this defense to roll out there against Arkansas in about a month. I don't think there is another team in the country that has two Heisman Trophy candidates on the same team.”
Coach Crow highlighted Brooks Robinson and DiMetrio Tyson, two of the Gamecocks' returning starters on defense. "They are two seniors that have played a lot of ball here and they will have to be our leaders on that side of the ball. I think we have 25 players entering their third or fourth year and about 70 entering their first or second year. I am very excited about the group coming and it's a solid group.” Offensively, JSU has a high level of talent leading the team at the quarterback position and the program will see two different players taking snaps from behind center during the upcoming season. "We have two starting quarterbacks here,” said Crow. "On offense, we have some dynamic players and we have (quarterback) Marques (Ivory) back after an injury last year. He is the leader of this football team. Offensively, you look for a triple combination when you have a runner, thrower and a catcher.” The other quarterback is Centre native Coty Blanchard, who is also a dangerous offensive weapon for the Gamecocks. "When the question comes up, I say Coty Blanchard is a starter. He is a guy that played the majority of the season last year and won a conference championship, so I don't think you can really call him a back-up quarterback. He is playing in the Cape Cod summer baseball league this summer and they just made the playoffs, so that will run well into fall camp. Marques (Ivory) is our starting quarterback, but I am going to get Coty in the Arkansas game somehow because he is a playmaker. I think he is one of the best playmakers that I have ever been around and I have been around a few. He does some unique things that are really, really special – he just makes athletic plays.” Coach Crow noted the Blanchard could see playing time against the Razorbacks very early in the game, and his decision on who will finish that game will be difficult and may depend on which quarterback is doing the best job in leading the Gamecocks offense against Arkansas. Other players impacting the program on offensive include Washaun Ealey as a premier runner and Alan Bonner as a premier receiver. On the offensive line, JSU will have a sprinkling of young people that have played. "We played three freshmen last year: Blake Burks, Max Holcombe and Tarik Milner, who played 80 percent of the season last year. They have game experience and will be playing with two returning seniors,” added Crow.
Stabbing Victim in Stable Condition By Brandon K. Pierce Publisher The victim of a stabbing near the Lathamville community of DeKalb County is now in stable condition. According to authorities, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office received a call at approximately 7 p.m. on August 5, 2012 that a male was walking down County Road 8 just outside of Crossville in the Lathamville community and was supposedly making obscene gestures at cars passing by. When officers from both the Crossville Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office found the reported person, later identified as Christopher Norwood, they realized that he was bleeding from cut wounds. Mr. Norwood (age 29) initially ran from the officers but they were able to catch up with him quickly. Mr. Norwood was transported to Marshall Medical South by ambulance and later flown to Huntsville Hospital where he remains in stable condition. The investigation continued well into the night and the case remains open at The Sports Ledger, Brandon K. Pierce this time. Anyone with information concerning this incident is Several hundred people visited downtown Albertville this past weekend for the 2012 Main encouraged to call the DeKalb Street Music Festival. In addition to great music, folks also had the chance to enjoy other County Sheriff’s Office at (256) 845-3801. aspects of the event such as spending time with Disney Charters like Minnie Mouse.
Albertville Holds 2012 Main Street Music Festival
The Sports Ledger, Brandon K. Pierce
Fort Payne Wildcats Football The Fort Payne Wildcats held their annual football picture day on Thursday, August 2, 2012. The Wildcats will kick off the 2012 season on August 30 at North Jackson. For more Fort Payne football photos, check out The Sports Ledger online at www.thesportsledger.com
The Sports Ledger, Brandon K. Pierce
JSU Head Football Coach Jack Crowe and Washaun Ealey
The Sports Ledger, Brandon K. Pierce
Collinsville Panthers Football Country Case, led by lead Singer Trent Slaton, was one of the bands that preformed at the 2012 Main Street Music Festival.
The Collinsville Panthers held their annual football picture day on Tuesday, August 7, 2012. The Panthers will host Coosa Christian in the season opener on August 30. For more photos, check out The Sports Ledger online at www.thesportsledger.com