No update today. Taking a day or two to recharge the batteries after a busy weekend. I should have something up in the next couple of days.
Month: June 2020
UPDATE :AFTERNOON
It looks like at least one recruiting publication thinks McNeese got a steal with Alijah Hamilton of Hahnville.
Jimmy D Smith@JimmyDetailPublisher of @TigerDetails and @Hawgbeat, Battle 7on7 Director, founder of @LaBootleggers, former scout, 3-time mullet toss champ
Jimmy Smith is a known recruiting guru in Louisiana and especially the New Orleans area. He founded the top 7 on 7 group in Louisiana known as the LA Bootleggers.
“Huge pickup for McNeese. Alijah is arguably the best pure cover corner in the state.”
Alijah Hamilton– Bootleggers profile from 2019
Hamilton may be the most sound defensive back in the state, despite being a 2021 prospect. He has a tremendous feel for the game and is way ahead of the technical aspect of the game. He is comfortable in press and off coverage and is great in zone. This kid will play major college football and should garner double-digit offers in time. He was exceptional on this day.
JUNE 28 SUNDAY
FLIP FLOPPING SCHEDULES?
Idea of flip-flopping fall and spring seasons is gaining support among coaches in high school as well as college. It was discussed on the Big 12 ESPN Radio Show on Saturday and Texas UIL coaches are discussing it as well. The fear is that the spike in Texas cases are going to force more shutdowns in July and August. All bars were closed yesterday which set off a panic among business owners state wide.
Coaches fear starting a season and then having it interrupted. Several coaches stated they feared losing too many players to sickness which would affect the team’s ability to compete. Since the Big 12 schools depend on football to carry their athletic departments, the AD’s are worried that a stoppage in October could kill their season and their budget.
Even LSU has discussed the possibilities of playing in February through April, but are very concerned that several pro prospects would pass up playing to prepare for the NFL draft. It gets even worst for the UIL discussion. Over 50% of local coaches that were contacted said they would prefer to play in the spring if it meant having a complete schedule. However, with the early signing period in December for football, many worry that early graduates would not hang around for the spring to play if they can enroll in college.
Don’t get me wrong, every college and high school coach is preparing to play in the fall. They are just trying to be prepared if the trend continues and it becomes impossible to play. I find it ironic that the UIL is preparing to switch track and baseball to the fall as well as allowing basketball to start playing in October. I have to tell you that my experience in fighting for fairness for sports other than football during my coaching days, this could really open up a war between coaches.
For example, duel sport athletes playing baseball or basketball as well as football could be threatened to not play in the fall in order to prepare for football. As it stands now, all senior football players can play in the spring sports full-time with no interruption, and underclassmen have more choices since spring football has been pushed back until late April in most schools.
I have been at schools in which the rules read that any player quitting football could not play basketball. Would this be enforced if a player quit baseball or track in the fall to prepare for football? At Garland HS underclassmen were not allowed to play basketball if they played football. So would this change if football was in the spring?
Let’s hope that none of this will come to fruition. I prefer my seasons to remain as they have always been. I have to admit that the year 2020 will go down as the worst of my lifetime. All Texas and Louisiana needs in the fall is a hurricane to top of this crazy year.
POKES PICK UP 2ND 2021 COMMITMENT
ALIJAH HAMILTON – HAHNVILLE HIGH SCHOOL DB
2-star DB from Rivals
https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/alijah-hamilton-236239
Alijah Hamilton is a defensive back from Boutte, Louisiana in the 2021 class. The sophomore, who plays for Hahnville High School, stands at 5’11 and tips the scales at a powerful 185lbs, and runs a speedy 4.56 forty. As an eighth grader he was an Under Armour All-American, and selected to play in the All American Game coached by former NFL players LaVar Arrington and Deion Sanders.
McNeese State Status: Committed (6/27/2020)Visit:-Offer:Yes
Grambling State NoVisit:-Offer:Yes
Lamar NoVisit:-Offer:Yes
South Alabama NoVisit:-Offer:Yes- Memphis Visited March 11 Offer: No
JUNE 27 SATURDAY
The transfer portal continues to grow as players remain away from campus with too much time on their hands. It appears the majority of players leaving LSU, ULL, LaTech, Tulane, and ULM are searching for playing time, or not satisfied with not starting. McNeese , on the other hand, are losing starters who seek higher ground. Roscoe(Syracuse) and Fulp (LaTech) appear to have meet their goals, while Bolding (Tarleton St.) will finish his career in D2. It remains to be seen where Jacob Logan lands.
LSU PLAYERS JUMPING IN PORTAL
Marcel Brooks a former 4-star player who was the #2 outside linebacker in the nation entered the portal just yesterday. Brooks has three years to play and is from Flower Mound , Texas. He played in 11 games as a freshman.
Eric Monroe is a former 5-star player from Houston who was the #3 safety in the country his senior year. Eric has only one year left to play.
Dee Anderson is a former 4-star WR from Mesquite, Texas who has landed at Oklahoma State for his final two years.
Donavaughn Campbell is a former 3-star OT that has landed at La. Tech and is expected to start.
Kendall McCallum is a LB from Alabama that is leaving LSU after only two years and will have three years to play.
Kenan Jones is a former 3-star safety from Berwick who is expected to land at Nicholls Stae with two years to play.
Connor Culp was the starting kicker two years ago, but was replaced by freshman Cade York of Prosper, Texas. Culp has landed at Nebraska for 2020.
Mannie Netherly is a former 4-star CB from Houston who entered San Jacino JC in the fall . He has been recruited by Illinois and Memphis.
ULL DROPS AND ADDS
Chase Rogers is a 6’4 240 TE who transferred to Ole Miss.
Gage Rapp is a 5’10 175 WR who transferred to McNeese.
Schdarren Archie is a 5’10 180 DB who is unclaimed.
Beau Kaldbacher is a backup QB who is unclaimed.
Timaje Porter is a 6’2 325 DT from Alabama that played sparingly for the Cajuns. Jacksonville State maybe in his future.
Shoman Hayes is a 6’2 275 DL who has three years left to play.(Unclaimed)
Jordan Cordova is a LB from Kinder who has two years left to play. His dad is at Lamar.
Brayden Hawkins was a backup QB at ULL and will probably have to go to FCS level or D2 to find a spot. (Unclaimed)
ULL has added Zack Robinson(6’4 300) OT from Arizona State where Rob Sale use to coach as did Billy Napier.
ULL also added Golden Elk (WR) from Oklahoma. I remember Elk from the McNeese recruiting list while he was playing high school ball in Houston.
Nathan Synder transferred from Indiana to kick for the Cajuns.
TEXAS STATE BUSY WITH PORTAL
I won’t go through all the names, but a total of six players have transferred out of Texas State, but the new staff have added 5 FBS transfers.
ULM PORTAL
All Sun Belt tight end Josh Pederson entered the portal in the winter, but rumor is he will return. His dad is HC at Philadelphia, so there are all kinds of rumors, but at this point Matt Viator hopes he will return. Kayin White is a graduate running back who was a backup at ULM , so good luck with finding a home. Chance Billington is a 6’3 300 OG that has gone unclaimed at this point.
TULANE PORTAL
Jorien Vallien 3-star WR headed to Southern.
Kevin LeDee 2-star WR unclaimed.
Tyler Johnson 2-star OG unclaimed.
Jamiran Jones 3-star DT headed to Nicholls State.
Quinten Brown 2-star LB headed to Sam Houston St.
Chris Joyce 3-star DB headed to McNeese St.
Sean Harper 2-star DB unclaimed.
Tirise Barge 2-star DB unclaimed.
JUNE 26 FRIDAY
This cartoon is not in reference to my writing. I have been requested to respond to the twitter account of the McNeese beat writer and some of his comments. I respectfully decline. All I will say is that the cartoon pretty much sums up my opinion. Every coach, player, or owner who has made one comment that is not acceptable by the masses, has either been fired, raked over the coals on social media, or made to get on their knees to apologize. I prefer to just look forward to MLB coming back and some college football news.
RECRUITING UPDATE
I tend to look at things in a positive way, so I think the lack of national visits from coaches in Louisiana has to aid some of the programs not in the Power 5.
MCNEESE HAS HIGHEST ACTIVE WINNING SEASONS
FCS teams with the highest active streaks of winning seasons:
1. McNeese State – 15 (since 2005)
2. Eastern Washington – 13 (since 2007)
3.(tie) North Dakota State and Sam Houston State – 10 (since 2010)
BASEBALL NEW RULES ARE OUTRAGEOUS
The new rules handed down by MLB will be almost impossible for players to feel normal or be mentally prepared for battle. I have to wonder if the NFL and NBA will follow with unusual requirements. Here are a few of the requirements, not all.
1.Take two rounds of tests prior to entering the ballpark and then have temperature taken before entering the clubhouse. A test of 19 questions will need to be answered with “No”.
2.Players will be required to wear face-mask before entering the clubhouse and come dressed in uniform to the ballpark. Wouldn’t you just love to pull up next to Justin Verlander is his Astro uniform at a red light in town?
3. No showers after the game. (Stinky) IF they insist, only one at a time. Take a number and wait……….. More than half of the shower heads must be removed from showers.
4. Only one person allowed in the whirlpool or rehab pools.
5. Players are asked to stay 6 feet apart while on the field.
6. 40 players will be allowed to be on the team, but those designated as inactive each day must sit in the stands. Oh, this will be like A&M’s 12th man. You could be sitting next to a guy who is eating a hot dog and drinking a cool one and he gets a text to get down to the dugout. Fun, fun, fun………….
7. No players will be allowed to lean on the dugout ledges without a towel between them.
8. Players must remain stationary while in the dugout so to have proper social distancing.
9. No high-fives, no fist bumps, no hugs, no spitting, no smokeless tobacco, no sunflower seeds. You may scratch your balls while in the batter’s box, but not near the box seat owners.
10. Chewing gum will be allowed, but no spitting it out. You must discard it with the clubhouse manager who will wrap it up in tinfoil and put in a disposable container.
11.Players will wash their hands after every half inning and hand sanitizers will be available in the dugout.
12. Pitchers will be assigned their own balls for the bullpen to warm up with. No sharing of the rosin bags, so you must initial your own bag and bring it to the mound. Don’t you be touching a bag with “KZ” on it……………….
13. Hitters will carry their own bats, pine tar, and donut to the on-deck circle. They must pick up their own equipment after leaving for the plate.
14. Baseballs from batting practice will be cycled out and not re-used for five days, and the people who pick them up must wear clean gloves when doing so.
15. After a ball has been put in play, it must be exchanged for a new ball. Players are “strongly discouraged” from throwing the ball around the infield after an out. A 6-4-3 double play will require the ball pulled from the game and steam cleaned in the umpires’ dressing room.
16. After a ball has been put in play, it must be exchanged for a new ball. Players are “strongly discouraged” from throwing the ball around the infield after an out. (Man, the baseball manufacturers have to be elated).
17. Baseballs from batting practice will be cycled out and not re-used for five days, and the people who pick them up must wear clean gloves when doing so.
18. Players and coaches must make every effort not to touch their faces, even to give signals. Or wipe away sweat. Or “whistle with their fingers.” (Oops, I have a feeling some clubs are going to have trouble stealing signs the old fashioned way.)
19. Coaches may not leave their boxes to whisper in a base runner’s ear. First base will look a lot lonelier this summer. Players may not socialize or fraternize with opponents before, during, or after games.
20. “Players or managers who leave their positions to argue with umpires, come within six feet of an umpire or opposing player or manager for the purpose of argument or engage in altercations on the field are subject to immediate ejection and discipline, including fines and suspensions.” (Wow, no more Billy Martin or Earl Weaver displays). Justin Hill, that means you too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I suggest training a few players who are not going to play to learn how to swear at umpires. Just have a large supply.
21. There will be no pregame handshakes or exchange of lineup cards at the plate. During the national anthem and God Bless America, players not only will stand, they’ll stand at least six feet apart. I like that part. On opening day, the 40 players, coaches, and trainers will stretch from home plate to the right field foul poll.
22. Pitchers will not be allowed to lick their fingers at any time. They will, however, be allowed to carry a moist towelette in their back pocket. Umpires reserve the right to check said towelettes for foreign substances. DO YOU HEAR THAT? NO LICKING IN BASEBALL……………………..
23. No bat boys or bat girls are allowed in the stadium. OK, now you have gone too far…………. We need bat girls for our college games…………….
24. The road rules are even worse. I will spare you, but remember this, no team bus to the stadium, you must take a taxi, walk, or ride a bike. If you go by bus or train, you cannot sit within 6 feet of anyone. I have taken the train from Manhattan to the Yankee Stadium. Good luck with that rule.
I guess us old guys who love tradition will have to just sit home and read books. All forms of history reminders like Christopher Columbus, Thomas Jefferson, Abe Lincoln, or any significant figure in American history will be destroyed. The next thing I will hear about is that Wrigley Field and Fenway Park will be removed because Boston and their Irish residents were racists as well as some managers from 1920’s . Wrigley will be torn up because White Sox’s Park is located on the Southside where “real people” live, and the Cubbies represent evil capitalism because it is located in a upscale area known as Wrigleyville.
Please don’t destroy or tear down the first indoor baseball stadium in the world known as the “8th Wonder of the World.” My bucket list includes seeing the Jewish camps in Poland and Germany. Normandy beaches where men gave their lives for freedom, and Hawaii where Pearl Harbor reminds us of how we got into WW2 to begin with. I have been to Paris and London and have seen statues of many great warriors, many of which were not PC. But these statues and museums such as the Holocaust Museum are reminders of the greatest atrocities against man in history, and they remind us of how far we have to go and the sacrifices people made. They also remind us of many events that should never be repeated.
Oh well, I am waiting for the new NBA rules. No man to man defense within 6 feet of the dribbler. No sweating or touching the offensive player. I can’t wait. No dunking for fear of spreading germs on the rim……………. And to believe that I once shared a water bottle with my teammates in high school basketball during timeouts. We even drank out of the same cooler in LL baseball……..I played quarterback in the 8th grade and was required to put hands on the butt of the center. Now I see why the spread is so popular in football!
Stay safe, readers……………………………….
JUNE 25 THURSDAY
McNeese welcomes back an old friend with the hiring of Todd Butler as Senior Associate AD. I applaud the move because I believe Todd can be an asset to the reorganization of the department. Butler has been known for his organizational skills and his ability to recruit at every program he has been in charge of. Recruiting and fundraising is all about being a salesman. Todd is a salesman , so this should be a good fit. Dr. Burckel continues to insist that he will open up the application for the leader of the department in early spring. Mr. Hemphill is completing his contract this week , so next week new personnel can be added to the payroll.
Butler will oversee ticketing and game promotions operations, work on fundraising and serve as liaison to the athletic corporate sponsorships. He will also serve as the sport administrator for baseball, softball, soccer and tennis.
POKES LOSE ANOTHER STARTER TO THE TRANSFER PORTAL
Tight end Jacob Logan has announced he has entered the transfer portal. He is the fourth Cowboy to transfer since the spring. It looks like that leaves K.J. Brown, Dontay Hargrove, Dominic Prudhomme, and freshman Luke Howard to fight it out.
POWER FIVE PROGRAMS MAY PUSH BACK CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND
An article in THE ATHLETIC reviewed possible scenarios in which major conferences would extend their season by one week to allow for makeup games. This is a copy of that discussion.
At least three Power 5 conferences are considering pushing back their football championship games, if necessary, to allow space for potential makeup games to be played if there are in-season cancellations due to COVID-19.
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby first mentioned the idea earlier this week to the Dallas Morning News and later expanded on the topic in an interview with The Athletic. The Pac-12 confirmed through a spokesperson that it, too, “has discussed the option of moving back the Pac-12 Championship Game a week, if necessary.” A person with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic that Big Ten athletic directors have considered doing the same thing with their championship game, adding that it’s important to “keep all options open right now.” Currently, those championship games are scheduled for the weekend of Dec. 5, 2020. (The Pac-12’s title game is set for Friday, Dec. 4.)
Pushing back those title games by one week — to the weekend of Dec. 12 — would mean that Dec. 5 would be an open date for all members of their leagues. That flexibility could allow the Power 5 to make up any conference games that are canceled due to outbreaks within a roster or other unexpected events this fall as college football attempts to play a season amid a pandemic.
DIVISION TWO FOOTBALL HAS TARGETED LOUISIANA
One of the most overlooked statistic in evaluating Louisiana football recruiting is the fact that if you don’t play D1 football, your opportunities are slim. There are no D2 programs in Louisiana and only Louisiana College plays D3. There are no JUCO football playing schools either. For example , in Texas, they are over 1000 players that get recruited to play D2, D3, and JC ball. What we are seeing on the recruiting front is more and more the Arkansas D2 schools are heading into Louisiana because the talent is untapped.
Former McNeese quarterback Hud Jackson is the head coach at Arkansas-Monticello . This past year Hud signed 19 players from Louisiana. Arkansas Tech signed 7, Henderson State signed 6, Southern Arkansas signed 4, and Harding signed 4. That is 40 players from Louisiana that will be playing college football in the state of Arkansas next year. Kansas JC’s have long had a standing rule of recruiting only Kansas athletes, but a couple of years ago a new rule was adopted to allow out-of-state players to be signed. The demographics have changed drastically since the out-of-state law was passed. Louisiana is one state that benefited the most in sending athletes to Kansas.
The majority of D2 signees come from North Louisiana and the Baton Rouge area. There were two Lafayette players and a RB from Iota that signed with D2 Arkansas schools. They are showing no SW Louisiana players signing with Arkansas D2 programs. JUCO programs did sign a couple of Lake Charles College Prep players as well as a Washington-Marion player.
The point I am making is that there is more opportunity for players in Louisiana to reject walking on at a program like McNeese , ULL, or Northwestern State because there is a bidding process. D2 splits their scholarship as well, but a player getting a $4,000 a year grant to Monticello will have leverage in turning down a PWO package to a D1 school. Thus that D1 school may have to up the offer to actual tuition money in order to get a player that has potential as well as adding to your depth chart. It is just a reminder that times are a changing and the game has changed. We also have to factor in the more lenient entrance requirements and eligibility standards in D2 and JUCO. Many of these players would not be eligible at D1.
JUNE 24 WEDNESDAY
DID THE POKES LASSO ANOTHER 2021 RECRUIT?
I have no idea if the staff picked up another commitment on Tuesday afternoon because coaches cannot commit on recruits. All I will say is I think it is great that the assistants are showing enthusiasm and fire when they make a good sale. This enthusiasm is contagious and it gives fans hope that the staff is working hard to build the program.
LINDY’S MAGAZINE RANKS SUN BELT COACHES
As the football rags hit the news stands this summer, I will try to post a few comments that might be interesting to McNeese fans. Lindy’s magazine has ranked the Sun Belt coaches going into the 2020 season, and I find it worth discussing since we open with a Sun Belt team. I do believe the Bill Parcell’s philosophy that you are what your record says you are, but I do know that records are deceiving as to the quality of the coach.
I give my highest praise to coaches who make the most of what they have rather than who wins the conference. My list of great coaches who do wonders with less starts with Gary Patterson of TCU who is 167-63 at TCU. Unbelievable when you consider he has had fewer 4 star and 5 star athletes than any program in the Big 12. David Cutcliff is 67-72 at Duke, but he consistently outperforms predictions shown by his record against the spread. P.J Fleck is only 12-13 at Minnesota, but he always over performs at programs like Western Michigan where he went 42-35 after several down years prior to his taking the job.
It is embarrassing for a program like Northwestern to outperform several public schools in the Big 10 each year that have larger budgets and less recruiting restrictions. When you are getting 12 or more points with Northwestern, bet on Pat Fitzgerald. He took a downtrodden program and has gone 96-70 in his tenure. Coaches have tried to compete at Mississippi State over the years, but their stadium seats half of what places like Tennessee, LSU, Auburn, Alabama, Texas A&M, Florida, and UGA seat. Mississippi State has no business out performing any of these programs, but Dan Mullin went 69-46 to earn his shot at Florida.
So with that said, let’s look at how the Sun Belt ranked their coaches. You might be surprised.
1.Billy Napier ULL 17-10 in two years. When coaches rate programs as to best jobs in the Sun Belt, ULL and Appy State tend to come out ahead every year. You have to look at financial support, facilities, and location to athletes as major determining factors.
2. Blake Anderson -Arkansas State 47-30 in 6 years at Jonesboro. Some coaches see the location as a detriment because the state produces fewer than 25 D1 prospects most years and the Razorbacks tend to take the majority of those. However, they are near Memphis and have always recruited Texas and Louisiana pretty well. James Tabary came from Arkansas State as did DE Anthony Camp who made All-SLC for McNeese. Natives are restless after back to back 8-5 seasons and losing to ULL and ASU both years.
3.Matt Viator-ULM 19-29 at ULM after going 78-33 at McNeese. This is a classic case of overproducing in a tough situation. ULM was voted worst job in the Sun Belt. This includes lowest budget, support, facilities, etc. Most years they are in the bottom third of the recruiting standings. Matt’s team was very competitive the last two seasons as they went 6-6 and then 5-7 with a much tougher non-conference schedule than most because they must have big paydays on the road.
He has been forced to play Auburn(2), Oklahoma, Florida State (2), Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Iowa State, Memphis, and Georgia during his tenure. Southern Miss three times on the road is not a cake walk either although he managed to win one. ULM just extended his contract after four years. The last three years he has beaten ULL 56-50 and lost on a missed field goal in the final second 30-28, and lost last year on the last play of the game 31-30. His team led the Sun Belt in points scored and total yards on offense.
4.Chad Lunsford Georgia Southern is 19-13 in two and a half years. GSU has a long proud history of winning so after 7-6 last year, the pressure is on to do better this year. With games at Ole Miss and Boise State, this is a 10 game schedule, in my opinion, and 7 wins will be hard to repeat.
5.Shawn Elliott Georgia State is 16-21 after three years. They are in a great location in Atlanta for recruiting, but they have a hard time getting on the sports page with UGA 70 miles away and Tech next door. Elliott has done a pretty good job of competing despite not having the support that several Sun Belt teams have.
6.Jamey Chadwell Coastal Carolina is 8-16 after two years on the job. Coastal is going through growing pains as they adjust to FBS football in their 4th year.
7.Shawn Clark 0-0 at Appalachian State. ASU is in a precarious position due to coaching changes. They are experiencing what McNeese is going through. Eliah Drinkwitz took over at ASU and left after one season to go to Missouri. A 13-1 record with a bowl win will do that for you. Clark has all the weapons in place, but 24-3 record the past two years have the fans spoiled.
8.Steve Campbell at South Alabama 5-19. This is the classic example of what I preach. Every job is different and presents different situations. Steve is a great coach, as was Sonny Jackson at Central and Nicholls State, but what works one place does not always work elsewhere. Bobby Keasler will testify to that. Campbell was 27-6 at the D2 level in Missouri, 100-20 at the JUCO level, and 33-14 at Central Arkansas. This is a big year for Campbell as USA has seven consecutive losing seasons since moving up from FCS football.
9.Chip Lindsey Troy 5-7 in one year. Troy has enlarged their facilities and pumped a ton of money into the program. They were rewarded with 10-3, 11-2, and 10-3 in the previous three years prior to Lindsey taking over for Neil Brown. The performance last year was very disappointing to Trojan fans. If you want to get fired, get outscored 101-16 by two measuring sticks of the Sun Belt, ULL and ASU.
10.Jake Spavital Texas State (New). Since I have two grads of Texas State, I have received several alum feeds over the years talking of big time football and their desire to be on a level with the Big 12 teams. Texas State draws about $20 million dollars a year from their student fees in order to run their athletic department. When you have 5,000 more students than LSU, you can do that. What you cannot do is go 3-9, 2-10, 2-10, 3-9, and 3-9 to convince fans that you have better players than the hey day of D2 and FCS competition. Spavital is a young coach with lots of piss and vinegar, so we will see how soon the Bobcats move up the charts.
CEDRIC CORMIER HIRED AT HBU
McNeese wide receiver Deon Cormier is the son of former Colorado great Cedric Cormier. Cedric has been the WR coach at UNLV, but accepted a job in the Southland Conference at HBU. I am old enough to remember Cedric playing at Northshore in Houston and being recruited as a WR. Deon is in his second season at McNeese.
JUNE 23 TUESDAY
TULANE’S CHRIS JOYCE JOINS POKES
DC Grady Brown and HC Frank Wilson picked up defensive back Chris Joyce (5’11 180) on Monday to add to the depth in the secondary. Joyce played high school ball in Dutchtown, Georgia and was a 5A All-State and a 3-star rated player according to Rivals.(Release when he signed) It is always interesting how programs release information when players are coming in vs when players are leaving.
This is the Tulane release after he entered the Transfer Portal. I reported that this player had left Tulane back in mid-May, but speculated he would go to Georgia Southern because they had recruited him hard out of high school. Jacksonville State also pursued him.
Joyce was a two-star member of the Tulane football Class of 2018. The Georgia native played in 13 games the past two seasons. Four of those appearances came during the 2019 season.
Joyce has been credited with nine tackles, three passes defensed, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Because of current NCAA bylaws, Joyce will likely have to sit out the 2020 season if he transfers to another FBS school. He would then have two years of eligibility to use beginning in 2021.
He is eligible immediately at McNeese.
FLORIDA TECH DROPPED FOOTBALL AFTER SIGNING DAY LAST SPRING. I LOOKED OVER THEIR SIGNEES AND TARGETED CHRIS STEPHENS AS A GUY WHO MIGHT WOULD LOOK GOOD IN BLUE/GOLD. CONSIDERING THAT DL COACH J.B. LAGEMAN WAS COACHING AT FLORIDA TECH, HE WOULD KNOW OF HIS ABILITIES. MCNEESE HAS OFFICIALLY OFFERED STEPHENS. STEPHENS IS FROM DILLARD HS IN FLORIDA.
hudl.com/v/2BvkRb 6’4 OG 315 lbs 1160 SAT 3.9 GPA 2020
MLB TO PLAY 60 GAME SCHEDULE
Major League Baseball plans to unilaterally issue a 60-game schedule for its shortest season since 1878 after the players’ association rejected a negotiated deal of the same length, putting the sport on track for a combative return to the field amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Commissioner Rob Manfred and union head Tony Clark met last week and outlined plans that included expanding the playoffs from 10 teams to 16, widening use of the designated hitter to National League games and an experiment to start extra innings with a runner on second base. But the latest version of the deal proposed by MLB was rejected by the Major League Baseball Players Association’s executive board in a 33-5 vote on Monday.
Teams lose what would have been a new right to sell advertising patches on uniforms, broadcast enhancements such as having players wear microphones during games and a 2020 suspension of the luxury tax that for a 60-game season projected to save the New York Yankees $8.5 million, Houston $3 million, the Los Angeles Dodgers $434,000 and the Chicago Cubs $116,000.
I am not happy about this delay, but it is important to play some part of a season. The framework for a war between the union and the owners has been laid beginning after the 2021 season.
JUNE 22 MONDAY
There is not much to write about today other than the spike in positive test results around the country. Kansas State has shut down workouts due to 14 positive tests as have other programs. Dallas has broken records the past two days with over 400 new cases each day. They are finally admitting that this spike is due to gatherings in downtown on the weekend of May 30-31 and June 6-7. They know this because over 50% of the cases showing up at hospitals and clinics are between the ages of 18-39 years old. The cases in April-May generally were over 50 yrs. of age and they were under 150 per day.
Of all cases after June 1, almost half of those who tested positive for COVID-19 in Dallas County are young adults between the ages of 18 to 39. Dallas News
With so little to write about in regards to breaking sports news, I will share a few thoughts for my Texas readers that follow UIL football and Southland Conference football. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football is out, so there is a lot of information to be shared. In regards to high school football, the most important news is that 7A football will be in our future. The population explosion in the suburbs of Houston and Dallas will force some changes. They realign every two years and 2020-2021 became the most challenging movement of schools in UIL history. At some point the UIL will have to make some changes to even out the population numbers and create more opportunity.
Houston was mentioned because they had 12 districts at the 6A level and the region is becoming stacked with competition. The same is occurring in the dividing line between Region 1 and 2 in separating North Texas. They claim that 70% of all Texans live between I-35 that runs from Dallas to San Antonio and 1-45 which runs from Houston to Dallas. With the new alignment, Northern Houston suburbs of Aldine, Spring, Klein, Tomball, Cy Falls, and Conroe have over 35 teams that have been aligned with the DFW schools in 6A. Last year Denton Guyer in 5A had to travel 300 miles to Summer Creek in Northeast Houston for a second or third round game.
Minority families are moving out of the city centers to the closest suburbs that have decent property values or plenty of apartments. Thus you are seeing powerhouses at Northshore, Duncanville, DeSoto, Katy, Shadow Creek, Manvel, Atascocita, Richmond Foster, and Lancaster. Of course, Allen, Southlake Carroll, Austin Westlake, Frisco Lonestar, Denton Guyer, Denton Ryan, and Lake Travis continue to grow for those families moving in from out of state and are picking up new students who want out of more challenging schools with less funds. The major difference is property values are much higher in Allen , Southlake, Austin, Frisco, and Denton.
The bottom line is these regions are getting stacked with 6-8 teams that can be eliminated in the second or third round while less populated Region 3 and 4 has less competition. The UIL realizes they could end up with powerhouses like Katy, Northshore, Shadow Creek, or Atascocita eliminating each other early, or Allen, Duncanville, Geyer, Southlake, or DeSoto could be matched up way too soon in the playoffs.
We are also in an era of high school football which mirrors Select Teams in various cities in Louisiana and Texas. The days of local participation in a neighborhood Little League or Rec basketball league is being destroyed by parents who pay the big bucks to drive their child to play with better competition. This is happening in high schools and a few select programs are accumulating talent from other areas outside their zones. For example, three or four years ago I saw a women’s basketball lineup for St.Thomas More HS and not one player was from Lafayette. They had a player from Rayne, Iota, Youngsville, Crowley, and Carencro, I think.
So most of the Texas schools mentioned above are getting move-ins each year who strengthen their program. As this happens, someone is losing their best player. Mesquite Horn and John Paul IV both lost All-State players this month who moved to DeSoto to play football. The DE from John Paul is a 4-star 6’4 280 stud which cripples John Paul and adds to DeSoto. Hopefully, the UIL will reject their request for immediate eligibility. They are not moving to get into a math class not offered at their previous school.
Sometimes everything is legit and you just get lucky. Savion Byrd(6’5 270) is a 4-star OT as well as a DE for Duncanville. Four years ago while in Atlanta, his brother was shot 12 times by gang members. He lived to tell about it, but the mother had enough of the tough Atlanta neighborhood she lived in, so she moved her boys to Duncanville, Texas. Savion was 5’9 250 and a fat little kid who did not play football. Something about Texas draws kids into Friday night lights. He is now looking at LSU, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Alabama as his final four visits.
COLLEGE ALL-STAR TEAMS
Texas Football has named their 1st and 2nd team FBS teams which are dominated by Texas, Texas A&M, and TCU. I will mention that Frisco’s Raleigh Texada was named 1st team DB for Baylor. His younger brother, Ridge, is headed to McNeese. If Ridge has any of his family genes, he should be a good one. Dad was a stud at Louisiana Tech about 25 years ago and all three older brothers have played in the Big 12. Of course, Jim Gush recruited Raleigh to Baylor.
I figure my readers would be more interested in the Small School All-Texas team. So here it is . Sam Houston appears to have the most representatives on the team with four players. HBU will have a super pass duo of Zappe to Ratzlaff. If you are questioning Tarleton State or Mary Hardin-Baylor , remember one is D2 powerhouse and the other D3 national champions.
| QB | Bailey Zappe | Houston Baptist | Sr. | Victoria East |
| RB | Bryson Hammonds* | Hardin-Simmons | Sr. | Coleman |
| RB | Donovan Williams | Sam Houston St. | Jr. | Paris |
| WR | Ben Ratzlaff | Houston Baptist | Sr. | San Diego, Calif. |
| WR | Xavier Gipson | Stephen F. Austin | So. | Dallas Wilson |
| TE | Jordan Johnson | West Texas A&M | Sr. | Rice Consolidated |
| OL | Amon Simon | Texas A&M-Commerce | Sr. | Humble Atascocita |
| OL | Steven Sellers | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Sr. | Wylie |
| OL | Colby Thomas | Sam Houston St. | Sr. | Manvel |
| OL | DeJohn Jones | Prairie View A&M | Sr. | Lakeview Centennial |
| OL | Austan Davis | Midwestern State | Sr. | Sulphur Springs |
| DL | Trace Mascorro | Sam Houston St. | Sr. | Refugio |
| DL | E’Monte Smith | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Jr. | Pflugerville Connally |
| DL | G’Karri McCoy | Angelo State | Jr. | Dallas Hillcrest |
| DL | Campbell Miller | Trinity | Sr. | Tyler Lee |
| LB | Ronnell Wilson | Tarleton | Sr. | Abilene |
| LB | Michael Jewett | Trinity | Jr. | Strake Jesuit |
| LB | Keegan Nichols | Austin College | Jr. | Cedar Park |
| DB | Michael Lawson | Lamar | Sr. | Patterson, Calif. |
| DB | Jefferson Fritz | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Sr. | Kaufman |
| DB | Devin Hafford | Tarleton | Sr. | Humble Atascocita |
| DB | James Bell | Texas Lutheran | Sr. | Lamar |
| P | Matt McRobert | Sam Houston St. | Sr. | Berowra, Australia |
| PK | Jamie Pogue | Hardin-Simmons | Sr. | Abilene Cooper |
| KR | Dominique Ramsey | Texas A&M-Commerce | Sr. | Converse Judson |
| PR | Tobias Harris | West Texas A&M | Jr. | Pflugerville Hendrickson |
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY
POSITIVE TEST NOT GOOD NEWS
Recent news of positive Covid -19 testing at university campuses has dampened the spirit of fans looking forward to August workouts. Clemson was the first to report over 23 players testing positive, which is now grown to 28 players. LSU reported 30 positive test that will require two weeks of quarantine of players. The University of Texas reported that 13 players have been quarantined. There have been no reports of serious illness with any collegiate players; most have no symptoms, but have been exposed.
It is amazing to me that of all the research I have done to read about college age players being exposed, not once has a writer mentioned the gathering of literally millions of young people in the streets holding hands, walking together, and protesting. I have no problem finding articles about Dr. Fauci and other specialists begging people not to congregate and staying within 6-8 feet of each other. Most stores and restaurants now have markers on the floor on where to stand, and some are forcing patrons to wait outside as they limit the number of folks in the store at one time.
Yet, while reading several players and coaches tweets over the last three weeks, they are proud of how many players and high school/college age students are involved with the protests. In Dallas County for example, the numbers of infected people had shrunk prior to June 1. Each day the numbers are growing as more than 400 tested positive on Friday. You have to believe if congregating together is the #1 reason for passing the infection to others, then the protests of 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, or the estimated Los Angeles, Seattle, NY, and Washington crowds of well over 100,000 have to be causing the spread of the virus.
Is this social distancing? I do not mean to challenge the right to protest, etc. , only saying that there will be consequences when the experts say this type of gathering could be lethal. They are certainly saying it about political rallies, ball game attendance, and going back to school.
So I have not read it anywhere in print, or seen it in the media reports, but I have to think college football maybe in jeopardy this fall if these numbers all of a sudden continue to rise. Several programs have insinuated that masks will be required to attend football games. Scott Woodward at LSU hinted that LSU will enforce this rule if things do not dramatically improve.
We also have to realize that more test kits are available, thus more people are being tested which increases numbers. College programs are searching for the answers.
In addition to testing, college football programs have applied other measures that researchers believe can decrease the spread of Covid-19: masks worn at all times when not practicing, social distancing in enclosed spaces, and emphasizing the necessity for students to avoid crowded places, such as bars and parties, that are often a large part of collegiate life.
But there’s only so much universities and their programs can control. The real challenge is what the college-aged students do when they’re away from the university. I pray that student athletes can take care of themselves and beat this virus. We are all being selfish to a point in hoping for normalcy, but experts are saying that the quarantine of so many folks for 90-120 days can have a far reaching effect on mental health, exercise, and family squabbles. It was reported yesterday that 25% of Americans have insomnia as anxiety attacks and stress are leading to even more health problems. We certainly need some good news, and we need to get into a normal routine.
OPEN HOUSE
McNeese football has always enjoyed hosting NFL great Earl Thomas to Lake Charles to work during the summer prior to reporting to the Seahawks camp. Earl is a native of Orange, Texas as is his younger brother Seth who played for the McNeese Cowboys. They are shown in this picture with former New York Giants offensive lineman Rishaw Johnson who is now assisting the McNeese offensive line.
Zem's Gems 