Today’s Blue & White

The Citadel Brigadier Foundation’s Official Electronic Newsletter

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Opening Kickoff!

All members of the football and soccer teams arrive today (Thursday) with their respective practices set to begin Friday.  Before you know it, the gates to Johnson Hagood Stadium will open on Saturday, Sept. 1 for the Charleston Southern game, which kicks off at 6 pm.  And don’t forget that we’re having postgame fireworks, too.

While volleyball reports on Sunday with their first practice on Monday, Cadre for the Corps of Cadets also arrives this weekend.

Congratulations are extended to shooter Richard Hunton for capturing a national title.  We also salute center Mike Sellers, defensive lineman Chris Billingslea and punter Cass Couey for earning first team preseason all-Southern Conference recognition.

With summer coming to a rapid conclusion, this will be the final Thursday of distribution as we return to our regular Friday schedule next week.

As you’ve come to expect, we have another solid issue of news and notes, so enjoy and Go Bulldogs!!!

Shooter Richard Hunton Captures Junior National Prone Championship

Sophomore shooter Richard Hunton fired an impressive mark of 2,333 to earn a national title and six award points at the National Rifle Association's Prone Metallic Sight Championship.

The Columbia native is about to enter his second season with the rifle team and is coming off an outstanding freshman season as he posted an overall air rifle average of 545.91 and a smallbore average of 525.17, fourth-best on the team.

Hunton's score is a recorded mark and will count towards his national average, earning him his first varsity letter in his collegiate career.

Football Coaches, Media Pick Bulldogs to Finish Eighth

The Georgia Southern Eagles have been selected the preseason favorite in the Southern Conference for 2012 in balloting conducted by the league's head football coaches and media.  It is the first time the Eagles have been picked in the top spot of the coaches’ poll since 2003.

The Citadel was tabbed eighth.  Head Coach Kevin Higgins enters his eighth season with the Bulldogs and returns nine offensive starters from 2011. 

Coaches Poll

School (First-place votes)                  Points

1.   Georgia Southern (7)                      63
2.   Appalachian State (2)                     57
3.   Wofford                                           48
4.   Chattanooga                                  44
5.   Furman                                           36
6.   Samford                                          27
7.   Elon                                                24
8.   The Citadel                                     17
9.   Western Carolina                             8

School (First-place votes)                  Points 

1. Georgia Southern (25)                      266

2. Wofford (4)                                       225

3. Appalachian State (1)                       223

4. Chattanooga                                    163

5. Furman                                             152

6. Samford                                           105

7. Elon                                                 104

8. The Citadel                                        79

9. Western Carolina                              36

Sellers, Billingslea & Couey Named to First Team Preseason All-Conference

Center Mike Sellers, defensive lineman Chris Billingslea and punter Cass Couey each earned first team preseason all-Southern Conference recognition during the league’s media day last week.  Running back Darien Robinson and defensive lineman Derek Douglas received second team accolades.

Sellers took over the starting center job late in his true freshman season in 2010 and has held that position since, becoming the anchor of The Citadel offensive line.  A year ago, the Fort Dorchester High graduate started all 11 games and helped the Bulldogs average 286.6 rushing yards per game, the third-highest mark in the nation, and was named first team All-SoCon by the coaches and the team's offensive player of the year.

Billingslea is in his fifth year at The Citadel and is a mainstay on the defensive line, having played in all 33 games in his career with 28 consecutive starts dating back to the middle of his redshirt freshman season in 2009.  The Fort Mill High product had 53 tackles last season, second among returning Bulldogs, while adding 11 tackles for loss, two sacks and three fumble recoveries to earn second team All-SoCon honors.

Couey is in his fourth season and has established himself as one of the top punters in the nation.  He led the SoCon and ranked fifth in the nation last season with an average of 43.0 yards per punt, including 14 inside the 20, 10 of at least 50 yards and nine fair catches.  He was named first team All-SoCon by both the coaches and media and enters the year ranked third in school history with an average of 40.5 yards per attempt, trailing only Greg Davis (42.1) and Kenny Caldwell (40.7).

Robinson is coming off a 2011 campaign which saw him play in all 11 games with 10 starts and carry 136 times for 862 yards and nine touchdowns.  He led the Bulldogs and ranked sixth in the Southern Conference and 48^th nationally with an average of 78.4 yards per game. Robinson's career average of 5.90 yards per carry is seventh in school history, and he enters his senior season just 38 yards shy of reaching the 1,000 plateau.

Douglas was chosen The Citadel's team MVP and first team All-SoCon by the coaches and media last season after ranking fifth in the conference with 14.5 tackles for loss while placing 47^th in the nation with an average of 1.32 per game.  He had a total of 43 tackles and added 3.5 sacks and a forced and recovered fumble.  Douglas has played in all 22 games the past two seasons with 19 starts but will miss the early portion of 2012 after suffering a knee injury during spring practice.

First Team Offense

QB         Jamal Jackson, Jr., Appalachian State
RB         Jerodis Williams, Sr., Furman
RB         Eric Breitenstein, Sr., Wofford
OL         Mike Sellers, Jr., The Citadel
OL         Dakota Dozier, Jr., Furman
OL         Dorian Byrd, Jr., Georgia Southern
OL         Ryan Dudchock, Sr., Samford
OL         Jake Miles, Sr. Wofford
TE         Colin Anderson, Sr., Furman
WR        Aaron Mellette, Sr., Elon
WR        Kelsey Pope, Jr., Samford

First Team Defense

DL         Chris Billingslea, Sr., The Citadel
DL         Josh Lynn, Sr., Furman
DL         Brent Russell, Sr., Georgia Southern
DL         Josh Williams, Sr., Chattanooga
LB         Jeremy Kimbrough, Sr., Appalachian State
LB         Wes Dothard, Jr., Chattanooga
LB         Alvin Scioneaux, Jr., Wofford
DB         Demetrius McCray, Sr., Appalachian State
DB         Greg Worthy, Jr., Furman
DB         Deion Stanley, So., Georgia Southern
DB         D.J. Key, Jr., Chattanooga

First Team Specialists

PK         Cameron Yaw, Sr., Samford
P           Cass Couey, Sr., The Citadel
RS         Fabian Truss, Jr., Samford

QB         Thomas Wilson, Sr., Elon
RB         Darien Robinson, Jr., The Citadel
RB         Fabien Truss, Jr., Samford
OL         Kendall Lamm, So., Appalachian State
OL         Blake DeBartola, Sr., Georgia Southern
OL         Charlie Sanford, Sr., Samford
OL         Adam Miller, Sr., Chattanooga
OL         Jared Singleton, Jr., Wofford
OL         (tie) Calvin Cantrell, Sr., Wofford
TE          Faysal Shafaat, So., Chattanooga
WR        Andrew Peacock, Jr., Appalachian State
WR        Tony Washington, Jr., Appalachian State

 Second Team Defense

DL         Ronald Blair, So., Appalachian State
DL         Derek Douglas, Jr., The Citadel
DL         Tony Thompson, Jr., Elon
DL         Nick Williams, Sr., Samford
DL         (tie) Davis Tull, So., Chattanooga
LB          Brandon Grier, Sr., Appalachian State
LB          Mitch McGrath, Sr., Furman
LB          Darius Eubanks, Sr., Georgia Southern
LB          (tie) Rock Williams, Sr., Western Carolina
DB         Troy Sanders, Sr., Appalachian State
DB         Alvin Hines II, Sr., Samford
DB         Kadeem Wise, Jr., Chattanooga
DB         Nathan Wade, Sr., Furman

Second Team Specialists

PK         Nick Pollard, So., Chattanooga
P            Sam Martin, Sr., Appalachian State
RS         Darreion Robinson, Sr., Georgia Southern

Offensive Player of the Year: Eric Breitenstein, Sr., RB, Wofford
Defensive Player of the Year: Brent Russell, Sr., DL, Georgia Southern

Individual Game Tickets on Sale for Football Season

Tickets for all five Citadel home games this season are now on sale on individual basis by purchasing online at Etix.com, calling (843) 953-DOGS or stopping by the ticket office at McAlister Field House during regular business hours.

Tickets are $30 for premium reserved seats, $25 for standard reserved seats and $15 for general admission for games vs. Charleston Southern (Sept. 1), Georgia Southern (Sept. 8) and Chattanooga (Sept. 15).  Those three games kick off at 6 pm.

The prices are $35 for premium and $30 for standard for the Parents Day game vs. Western Carolina on Oct. 13 and the Homecoming game against Elon on Nov. 3.

General admission tickets for those two games are $30.  Kickoff is at 2 pm.

For children, students and Citadel faculty and staff, ticket prices are $20 for premium and $10 for standard and general admission seats for each of the five contests.

Josh Baker & Lee Glaze Are Added to the Radio Crew for the Football Season

Two names familiar names have been added to the radio broadcasts for the 2012 football season.

Former sports information director Josh Baker and athletic Hall of Fame member Lee Glaze will join Danny Reed and Walt Nadzak on the broadcasts for all 11 games this season.

Reed is back for his second season as the "Voice of the Bulldogs."  Baker and Nadzak will handle The Citadel Tailgate Show, halftime and postgame shows with Baker providing color commentary during the game broadcast. Glaze will be reporting from The Citadel sideline.

In addition to his announcing duties for Bulldog football, basketball and baseball, Reed is the director of broadcasting for The Citadel Sports Network.  Prior to taking over the play-by-play duties, he was the studio host for Bulldog football games and served as the radio announcer for the Charleston RiverDogs.  Reed is a summa cum laude graduate of Waynesburg (Pa.) University.

Nadzak is in his fifth season as a member of the network.  He enjoyed a highly successful tenure as director of athletics at The Citadel from 1985-00 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008.  During his time at the helm of the athletics program, Nadzak oversaw the renovation of McAlister Field House and the Earle Tennis Center and the opening of Vandiver Hall and laid the groundwork for the creation of the Altman Center and what has become the new Johnson Hagood Stadium.

Baker, a native Charlestonian, came to The Citadel as a sports information graduate assistant in 1984 and was promoted to director the following year, beginning a nine-year run as SID.  During that time he led publicity efforts for some of the finest Bulldog teams in school history, including the baseball squad which advanced to the College World Series in 1990 and the 1992 football team, which won the SoCon title and reached No. 1 in the nation.

Glaze is a 1986 graduate of The Citadel and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996.  He was a third-team All-American in baseball in 1986 when he was also chosen the SoCon Athlete of the Year.  He was twice named to the All-SoCon first team in baseball and once in football.  Since his graduation, Glaze has been a successful businessman in the Sumter area and has worked extensively in broadcasting, including Sumter High School football and American Legion baseball.

The Citadel Radio Network consists of 12 stations throughout South Carolina, with ESPN Radio 910 serving as the flagship station.  The 12 stations tie the most that have carried Bulldog football in a decade and represents the second most since The Citadel has been on the air.

All broadcasts – home and away – begin 90 minutes before kickoff with The Citadel Tailgate Show.

Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet Set for Sept. 28

Those wishing to attend the 35^th Annual Induction Ceremony & Banquet on Sept.28 at the Holliday Alumni Center are encouraged to secure their tickets early as this event sells out annually.  Tickets are $50 each and tables of 10 are $500.  To secure your seat(s), please contact Associate Athletics Director Andy Solomon at 843/953-6300 or email him at Andy.Solomon@Citadel.edu.

Four of Eight Finalists for Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame Have Citadel Ties; Voting Ends Friday

The Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame’s advisory committee has released the eight candidates for their Class of 2012, and half of them have ties to The Citadel.

Gettys Glaze ‘92, Tom Hatley ’81, Joe Riley ’64 and Britt Reames ’96 are among the eight finalists that will comprise the Class of 2012. 

Official ballots are at Riley Park and on-line voting will also be available via a link posted at www.riverdogs.com.  Voting will conclude on Friday, Aug. 3 and on Friday, Aug. 10, the top three individuals with the most votes will be inducted prior to the RiverDogs’ game against the Hagerstown Suns.

Glaze was a member of The Citadel’s 1990 World Series team and is one of only a few that both pitched and caught in the same game while Hatley, who was an assistant coach for the 1990 team, is the highly-successful coach at James Island Charter High School.  Riley is in his 10^th term as Charleston’s mayor and the Bulldogs play in the facility named in his honor and Reames, currently the Bulldogs’ pitching coach, played for six years in the major leagues.

The other finalists are Pete Ayoub, Tim Cook, Kiki Cuyler and John Rhodes.

Those from The Citadel that have already been enshrined include Coach Chal Port (2006), Anthony Jenkins and the 1990 Team (2007), Richard Wieters (2008), Donald Morillo and Doug Pounder (2009), and Lee Glaze and Coach Fred Jordan (2010).

Sweet Johnson Hagood Stadium Suite Is Available

An environmentally-controlled luxury suite at Johnson Hagood Stadium is available in time for the season.  If you have an interest, please contact Senior Associate Athletics Director John McAleer ’72 at 843/953-1354 or email him at john.mcaleer@citadel.edu.

14^th Annual Bulldog Kickoff Classic Information

The 14^th Annual Bulldog Kickoff Classic Presented by Wells Fargo sells out every year and it will again this year.

Set for Aug. 23 at Wild Dunes Resort’s Links and Harbor courses, the event serves as the unofficial start of the football season.  And following the golf, participants are able to take part in The Citadel Club of Charleston’s annual Shrimp and Beer Night that takes place at the Beach House and begins at 6 pm.

Several hundred fans, friends and alums will be at the Beach House to hear Coach Kevin Higgins preview the season.  Also, other coaches will be there to meet and mingle. 

All proceeds from this event benefit athletic scholarships.

For more information – including sponsorship opportunities – please contact Rod Moseley ’74 at 843/708-1053 or Jimmy Bagwell ’74 at 843/270-0591.  For a registration flyer, please contact The Citadel Brigadier Foundation at 843/953-5277 or email forsbergg@citadel.edu.  Don’t be left out; sign up today!

6th Annual Kevin Higgins Golf Classic Set for Friday, Sept. 28

The Sixth Annual Kevin Higgins Golf Classic, hosted by Bufort Blanton ’54, will be held at Miler Country Club in Summerville on Friday morning, Sept. 28.  All proceeds from the tournament will be used to support the football program.  The Citadel Football Association looks forward to your participation as a player, sponsor or both.  

For registration and additional information, please contact Connie Tuza ’58 at Elcid58@knology.net or 843/452-9801 or visit www.TheCitadelFootballAssociation.com and click on "events."

22^nd Annual Homecoming Golf Tournament Set

The 22^nd Annual Homecoming Golf Tournament is set for Friday, Nov. 2 at Patriots Point Golf Club on Mt. Pleasant.  Registration is set from 7:15-8am with the shotgun start going at 8:30.  Participants that sign up prior to Sept. 30 get a discount ($125 as compared to $135 AFTER Sept. 30).  Fee includes green fees, cart, box lunch, beverage, Citadel Titleist golf cap, Citadel Footjoy Golf shirt, sleeve of Prov1 golf balls, range balls and more.  Hole sponsorships are available as is the opportunity for Reunion Classes to battle each other for a tournament within a tournament.  Early registration is encouraged as we are sure to sell out.  For more information, please call The Citadel Brigadier Foundation at 843/953-5277.

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!

They Said It:

“We have two schools (Appalachian State and Georgia Southern) who want to play football at a different level.  But wanting that and being able to make that happen are two different things.  If that doesn’t happen in the next three to five to 10 years, it doesn’t hurt us.”

• Southern Conference Commissioner John Iamarino, on the posturing of membership within the league.
  

"The fact that he was able to shoot a personal best in air rifle and shoot a qualifying score for his team letter showed that the trigger time and focus of the championships benefited both shooting disciplines.”

• Rifle coach William C. Smith, on sophomore Richard Hunton.
  

"We are very excited to unveil our new Citadel football radio broadcast crew for our 28th season representing Bulldogs athletics.  The opportunity to add Josh and Lee, who have such a deep knowledge and appreciation for The Citadel, is tremendous.  Our crew will undoubtedly be one of the best in the Southern Conference."

• Gil Kirkman, owner of Kirkman Broadcasting and the radio rights to Citadel Athletics, on the addition of Josh Baker and Lee Glaze to the established radio broadcast team of Danny Reed and Walt Nadzak.
  

Upcoming Birthdays

Aug. 2              Ryan Powell                             Administration

Aug. 8              Larry Leckonby                        Administration

Aug. 8              Kevin Yeager                           Administration

Aug. 11            William C. Smith                       Rifle

Aug. 19            Britt Reames                             Baseball

Aug. 31            Bill Mottola                              Football

Upcoming Events

Aug. 3              First football practice @Willson Field

Aug. 23            14^th Annual Bulldog Kickoff Classic @Wild Dunes Resort

Sept. 28           6^th Annual Kevin Higgins Golf Outing @Miler Country Club

Sept. 28           35^th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Nov. 2             22^nd Annual Homecoming Golf Tournament @Patriots Point

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