Three good reasons for NSU Demons to root for the LSU Tigers this fall:
Brad Peveto, Darren Drago and Derrick LeBlanc.
Peveto, now using his full name "Bradley Dale" as he's been called much of his life, is in his first year as the Tigers' co-defensive coordinator. He has been safeties coach and special teams coach the last two years. He was seen planting a big kiss on the cheek of "The Hat," head coach Les Miles, in the final moments of the SEC Championship game last December -- or was it the National Championship game in January?
Drago is in his first year on the football staff after being at Stephen F. Austin the last couple of years. He is back home, as a Baton Rouge native and Redemptorist HS grad.
LeBlanc is in his first year as an assistant strength coach after having moved down near his hometown of Breaux Bridge from Henderson State, where he was defensive line coach.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Unbeaten on the beach
Lady Demon volleyball coaches Brittany Uffelman and Dan Nowalk have proven quite the force this summer on the Galveston beaches.
They went 10-0 and won yet another tournament over the last weekend on the Gulf. Nowalk has been ranked as the No. 1 player in his age group in Texas. Not bad for a Pittsburgh native!
Along with the obvious recreational fun, playing in the beach tournaments in Galveston and Houston this summer has greatly expanded the Lady Demons' recruiting contacts. A lot of prep and AAU coaches line up in the sand all summer long.
Beach volleyball will have a more direct connection to the NSU program next spring. The Southland Conference has voted to hold its spring seasons outside on sand courts, not in the gym as has been the practice. These matches and tournaments are considered offseason scrimmages and the seniors from the fall season can't play, but they provide important experience for younger players to develop in roles they will fill in the following season.
Uffelman is considering sites for the NSU sand court.
They went 10-0 and won yet another tournament over the last weekend on the Gulf. Nowalk has been ranked as the No. 1 player in his age group in Texas. Not bad for a Pittsburgh native!
Along with the obvious recreational fun, playing in the beach tournaments in Galveston and Houston this summer has greatly expanded the Lady Demons' recruiting contacts. A lot of prep and AAU coaches line up in the sand all summer long.
Beach volleyball will have a more direct connection to the NSU program next spring. The Southland Conference has voted to hold its spring seasons outside on sand courts, not in the gym as has been the practice. These matches and tournaments are considered offseason scrimmages and the seniors from the fall season can't play, but they provide important experience for younger players to develop in roles they will fill in the following season.
Uffelman is considering sites for the NSU sand court.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Updates on Bell(s)
A couple of weeks ago, just a few minutes apart, I had reason to send out updates on two Demon athletic standouts - NFL rookie Demetrius Bell and two-time USA track and field Olympian Kenta Bell.
Here we go again.
Kenta has begun his journey to Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games which debut 8-8-08 ... as if you haven't watched NBC television in the past year. But NBC's coverage is so extensive there seems to be great hope that we could actually see Kenta jump in the men's triple jump in Beijing, which is more than we got to see from Eugene, Oreg., at the USA Olympic Trials.
For now, Kenta is in Monoco, for a Grand Prix event Tuesday, and will head toward Beijing afterwards. I had a fascinating 45-minute conversation with our hero on Friday morning. We will be posting a link to his blog, his USA Track and Field bio and coverage of the Olympics on this website this week, as well as a way to send him good luck messages.
As to the younger Bell (no relation, BTW), he blocked a field goal today in the Buffalo Bills preseason camp. That's a role I am not surprised to see him taking on -- after all, he blocked a lot of shots in his basketball career with the Demons.
It sounds as though, reading the Bills' excellent website, that the organization realizes what a great opportunity it has to develop a relatively raw but very reliable and potential rich prospect. There's not the pressure to be in the lineup immediately. They have already seen that he works hard and learns fast and has a good skill level.
Hopefully we'll keep ringing in good news about both Bells in the important month of August!
Doug Ireland, SID
Here we go again.
Kenta has begun his journey to Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games which debut 8-8-08 ... as if you haven't watched NBC television in the past year. But NBC's coverage is so extensive there seems to be great hope that we could actually see Kenta jump in the men's triple jump in Beijing, which is more than we got to see from Eugene, Oreg., at the USA Olympic Trials.
For now, Kenta is in Monoco, for a Grand Prix event Tuesday, and will head toward Beijing afterwards. I had a fascinating 45-minute conversation with our hero on Friday morning. We will be posting a link to his blog, his USA Track and Field bio and coverage of the Olympics on this website this week, as well as a way to send him good luck messages.
As to the younger Bell (no relation, BTW), he blocked a field goal today in the Buffalo Bills preseason camp. That's a role I am not surprised to see him taking on -- after all, he blocked a lot of shots in his basketball career with the Demons.
It sounds as though, reading the Bills' excellent website, that the organization realizes what a great opportunity it has to develop a relatively raw but very reliable and potential rich prospect. There's not the pressure to be in the lineup immediately. They have already seen that he works hard and learns fast and has a good skill level.
Hopefully we'll keep ringing in good news about both Bells in the important month of August!
Doug Ireland, SID
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