S PORTS
T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
APRIL 8 , 2011
15
Word on the Street
F
ormer St. Patrick High School boys’ basketball coach Kevin Boyle stepped down yesterday from his position at the dominant Elizabeth, N.J., school. Boyle spent 23 years leading the Celtics, but will take over the same position at Montverde Academy (Fla.). He ran into problems last season with St. Patrick, which the NJSIAA investigated and barred from the playoffs due to illegal practices. Boyle made St. Patrick one of the “Big Three” high school basketball programs in the state, along with St. Benedict’s and St. Anthony. St. Patrick most recently produced Villanova guard Corey Fisher, North Carolina guard Dexter Strickland and Duke guard Kyrie Irving, who declared for the NBA Draft yesterday after one season. Senior forward Michael Gilchrist is headed to Kentucky.
THE
SOUTH
CAROLINA
Gamecocks suspended quarterback Stephen Garcia for the fifth time in his career due to “behavior that is unacceptable.” Head coach Steve Spurrier confirmed the suspension would last throughout the spring semester, and further action would be decided upon afterward. Spurrier would not go into details on what caused the suspension. The suspension for the troubled quarterback — his second this spring — is just the latest in a string of incidents since Garcia arrived at the school. Garcia released a statement on March 24, stating, “nothing bad is going to happen again.”
CHICAGO BEARS
GREAT
William “The Refrigerator” Perry had his one and only Super Bowl ring returned to him with the help of a 10-year-old boy named Cliff Forest. Forrest reached deep into his college savings to withdraw $8,500 to buy Perry’s ring, which was for sale in New York. The 10-year-old took a flight to Chicago to attend an autograph session and return the ring to Perry, who was recently diagnosed with GuillainBarre syndrome. The lineman and occasional goal-line running back, who led the 1985 Bears to a Super Bowl win, declined to comment on how his ring ended up for sale.
FURTHER
PROVING
THAT
the NFL players’ union debate is far from over, the two sides agreed to continue talking but cannot agree as to where. A lawyer representing players suing the NFL wrote to District Judge Susan Richard Nelson, stating that the players are willing to reengage in mediation in her federal court in St. Paul, Minn. But the NFL sent its own letter proposing to resume talks more than 1,000 miles to Washington in the office of Federal Mediator George Cohen.
RAMON DOMPOR / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Junior tight end D.C. Jefferson caught only 10 passes for 166 yards and a score last season but figures to be more involved in new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti’s pro-style offense, which will be predicated on the running game.
Jefferson focuses on off-the-field factors BY TYLER BARTO ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
At 6-foot-6 and 258 pounds, junior D.C. Jefferson has all the physical tools to be an imposing presence at tight end FOOTBALL for the Rutgers football team. So it is only fitting that Jefferson’s biggest adjustments occur off the field, where the Winter Haven, Fla., native works with firstyear offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti and first-year tight ends coach Brian Angelichio. “Personally, I think I’ve been doing pretty good,” Jefferson said. “I haven’t done the best, but we just have to get into our playbooks and get everything together. I just want to master the playbook, give myself the most opportunities and our offense the most opportunities to excel.” The former quarterback recruit now has a full year and offseason at tight end under his belt and has the potential to be a featured receiver in Cignetti’s pro-style offense.
But head coach Greg Schiano still wants to see more from Jefferson and the tight end unit as a whole during the spring, while the rest of the offense grasps Cignetti’s offensive formula. “Consistency,” Schiano said of his expectations for the tight ends. “We’re still not consistent with any area of the game, whether it’s footwork, pass receiving. There’s talent there — we just need to get more consistent.” In order to fulfill Schiano’s requirement, Jefferson regularly spends post-practice time with Angelichio working on footwork and getting off the line of scrimmage. Through four spring practices, Jefferson is a fan of Angelichio, who ser ved under the same capacity last season at Pittsburgh, along with Cignetti and defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley. “He’s a great tight end coach,” Jefferson said. “He’s very strict on our details and stuff and helps us out on the field so we can focus on it. He knows a lot of things that help us out.”
Jefferson caught a modest 10 passes for 166 yards and one touchdown in his first full season at tight end after converting from quarterback in 2009. The former Louisiana State commit juggled with a completely revamped offensive line last season, along with a pair of starting signal callers, including sophomore Chas Dodd. Jefferson has a “pretty good” relationship with Dodd, and the multiple offensive tackle rotations during the spring have not hindered his chemistry with the line unit, he said. “When everyone is in their playbooks, and we’re all at one, everyone syncs together,” Jefferson said. “So it’s just playing ball and having fun. Outside of football and stuff, we all mingle with each other.” The prospect of playing in a run-first offense — prompted by Schiano and directed by Cignetti — should open up passing lanes down the field for the physically imposing junior, but Jefferson will compete for
passes with a host of skilled wide receivers. The emergence of the middle tier of the Scarlet Knights’ receiving corps during the spring suddenly put receptions at a premium, and Jefferson is up for the challenge, he said. “I like the competition — it makes us play better,” Jefferson said. “I’m excited to be amongst each other, playing good, doing well. That’s what wins games.” Despite the expectations for the of fensive unit under Cignetti, Jefferson still has modest goals for himself to close out spring practice. Jefferson suffered nagging lower-body injuries throughout the 2010 campaign, and the prospect of focusing on a familiar gameplan — one similar to his true freshman season — is enough for him to tackle for the remainder of the spring. “I just want to see myself getting better ever y day,” Jefferson said. “I don’t want to be at a standstill.”
Rookie makes instant impact under Brand BY JOSH BAKAN STAFF WRITER
Second in the Big East in points allowed, the Rutgers women’s lacrosse team’s defense WOMEN’S LACROSSE f i n a l l y found success with a blend of experienced defenders and some who are new to the mix. One of the players who bridged the gap between the two groups was freshman Chelsea Intrabartola, who landed the starting job in the second game of her collegiate career. And the freshman defender is blending right in with the veterans. “I think it’s an honor,” Intrabartola said. “I feel privileged to be out there. I learn from them, and they give me advice every game and every practice.” Although the defender is just star ting her collegiate career, she transitioned more easily than most freshmen not only because of her skill, but also because of her
confidence playing with the Brand had a message for her Scarlet Knights. defense and the entire team after “It’s definitely a lot more an 11-6 loss last Friday to Notre competitive than anywhere I’ve Dame: be more aggressive. played before, but I tr y not to Many of the Knights took that think of it that way,” Intrabartola message to heart in their 19-9 vicsaid. “These girls are students tory over Monmouth earlier this just like me and athweek, especially letes just like me. I tr y Intrabartola. not to think of the “She did have a great competition level game against them and while I play.” really took to heart the By the numbers, it things that we were saylooked like ing in terms of being Intrabartola’s breakout more aggressive on game was on Tuesday defense, and we sent against Monmouth, that message to everywhen the Commack, body as a whole,” Brand CHELSEA N.Y., native caused INTRABARTOLA said. “I think she really four turnovers for a stepped up and took that career high. to heart.” But Intrabartola has been a Intrabartola not only consisconsistent defender all season, tently showed the heart to secure even when her production does a key role on defense, but she not show up in the box score. also showed the ability as a one“I think she did step up and on-one defender. start taking more chances than “She’s probably one of — if not she has been, but I don’t want to our best [one-on-one] defender,” discredit the job she’s done prior Brand said. “There have been very to the Monmouth game,” said few defenders that I’ve seen in my head coach Laura Brand. time here that can guard [Rutgers
leading scorer] Marley Welsh. She consistently stops her in practice.” When Intrabartola was recruited, she had more experience under her belt than just high school lacrosse. She participated in the Under17 World Championship in 2007 at Trent University in Canada and also served as a reserve player on the Long Island Empire team in 2008, which also included sophomore teammates Stephanie Anderson and Lily Kalata. Her experience up to that point helped Brand see Intrabartola’s potential to make an early impact when she recruited the defender to Rutgers. And so far, that vision holds true. “It always comes down to how confident they feel when they get here, and how well they blend into practice and really show what they can do,” Brand said of incoming freshmen. “She’s a smart defender and she understands team defense, so it didn’t take her too long to learn the system and learn how things are done.”