|
Monday’s BCS NCAA National Championship game put a capper on what to many seemed like an endless procession of mostly meaningless college football games that filled the screens of various television channels since mid-December. Along the way there were a handful of attention grabbers that proved to be both entertaining and competitive. Led by Heisman Trophy winner QB Robert Griffin, the Baylor Bears came from18 points down to out score Washington by the seemingly impossible margin of 67-56 in a record-setting Alamo Bowl. The two teams combined for a bowl-record 123 points and 1,391 yards of offense. Big Ten runner-up Michigan State outlasted Georgia 33-30 in three overtimes, surviving an intercepted pass in the first OT stanza. In what is dubbed as ‘the Granddaddy of the bowls’, conference champion Wisconsin wasn’t as fortunate. The Badgers dropped a shoot-out, losing to Oregon 45-38. But the game most college football fans in this neck of the woods were interested in took place in a half-filled Cotton Bowl Stadium in a two-year old bowl game called the Ticket City Bowl. For followers of the Penn State Nittany Lions, the game, as was the 2011 season, just might as well been labeled the Disappointment Bowl. Penn State, just one game removed from a shot at the Big Ten title and one huge scandal away from remaining a prideful, Joe Paterno-led, undivided Nittany Nation, were quite easily put out of their misery by a pass-happy Case Kennum-led University of Houston offense, which de-clawed the Lions 30-14 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score. No doubt spooked by the negative publicity that has been Penn State since early November, bowl after selecting bowl passed on PSU until the Ticket City selectors took a shot and paired the Nittanys with the video-game like offense of the Cougars. When the parings were announced there were some Penn State players, and many of their faithful followers, who looked at a match-up with Houston with distain. From their perspective, those wearing the Red & White took quite the opposite view. The Cougars, who had won their first twelve games to rise to a No. 6 ranking in the BCS standings, were smarting and hurt by a upset loss to Southern Mississippi in the USA Conference championship game. They had quickly fallen to number 19 and a shot at a Big Ten opponent was most welcomed. Houston’s prolific record-setting QB wasted little time in letting the struggling Lions know how this day would end up. Kennum, who holds the NCAA career record for passing yardage, threw for 227 yards in the first quarter (establishing a new bowl record) on the way to a 3-TD, 532-yard performance. Meanwhile on the Penn State sideline, starting QB Matt McGloin, recovering from a concussion could only watch; wide receiver Curtis Drake, responsible for McGloin’s condition as the result of a locker room fight didn’t even make the trip with the team; interim coach Tom Bradley paced somewhat hopelessly, while the other PSU coach’s could only ponder how much longer they would be drawing paychecks from the Happy Valley institution. On the field, the recipient of McGloin’s misfortune, Rob Bolden, performed as he had done for most of the season — poorly. A starter for the team’s first seven games, Bolden had been relegated to the bench after throwing for a mere 500+ yards and one touchdown. On this day, his numbers were no more impressive; connecting on 7 of 26 passes for 137 yards and one score. Along the way, the Cougars picked off three of his errant heaves. Following the game TV cameras caught QB coach Jay Paterno and Bolden in what seemed a genuine embrace. Paterno was seen to mouth the words, "I’m proud of you" to the ineffective signal caller. It was only the third all-time meeting between the two schools, with PSU winning the previous two games. Their last meeting came on a beautiful, sunny 1977 September Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Ironically, on that day the number 9 ranked Nittany Lions took the measure of the 10th-ranked Cougars 31-14. This time around, the 30-14 win by the 19th-ranked Houstonians over the 22nd rated Lions delivered a much different message. Houston left Dallas with an impressive bowl victory, a school-record 13-1 season, a first victory for newly named coach Tony Levine, (a former Cougar assistant) who was named to the post after Kevin Sumlin left the school to take the head job at Texas A&M, and an accepted invitation to join the Big East Conference. At least 14 of this season’s 35 bowl games, including the Ticket City Bowl, offer gift suites to the competing players. The suites are rooms hosted by the bowl committee and set up at the team hotel. Players, coaches and VIP’s are allowed to choose gifts from a variety of items, including electronics, mountain bikes, recliners and backpacks. Unfortunately, the bowl committee did not get the real requested PSU gift registry. Still unopened were those much sought-after treasures of an effective QB, restored dignity, a new coach to lead them and a conclusion to a scandal they had no part of, but has shadowed their every move for way too long.
The new year is on us. I have to believe that a lot of us have looked at our life and are making, at least mentally, some changes in what has been the routine.’ Lose weight, stop smoking, cut down on the drinking, keep the household steady and look for a job that will be there when we wake up tomorrow. All of the above are basic areas where a change can be difficult to make so if one or all of those are on your list try and make it work your way. THE RAY TRUITT GIG I don’t think I have ever met Ray Truitt and when he called me with a hope that his plan, his gig, would get some coverage in this corner of Webb Weekly I could only say yes. From my little corner here in the Byham Bunker I think his plan for an Alumni Basketball Charity doubleheader is a monster idea. Simply put he wants to fill the Williamsport Magic Dome at the Williamsport Area High School on the night of April 14th with former hoop players from the Millionaire program and from the Loyalsock Twp. basketball program. That is over 2,000 seats at a basic five bucks a ticket. That’s it, The Ray Truitt Gig. I don’t really know the gentleman who is a Williamsport grad and a guy who had, and still has, a passion about the much valued history of basketball from those two. Many might not remember a time when there was but one school district. The Williamsport School District was a very large district. The Loyalsock Twp. part of that district had simply exploded in population causing a movement to lop off that large area and make it a district on its own — The Loyalsock Twp School District. Williamsport Area also, by a legislative decision, lost student numbers when the Nesbit and Duboistown students left Williamsport to become part of the South Williamsport Area school district. I am sure Ray Truitt was not concerned about the political history of these school districts when he decided to plan this first time ever alumni extravaganza while raising monies for organizations like the Lycoming County United Way and Age Reliance Resources. Truitt was a student-athlete at Williamsport when the Millionaires played on the West 3rd Street court under the coaching of John Barry and Charlie Blackburn and he has followed the teams that have played in the Magic Dome under Blackburn, Pete White, Mike Bailey and Allan Taylor. That interest has led Truitt to know all of these coaches and the players while being involved with many players who played for the Lancers of Ron Insinger. Therefore Ray is very proud that the All Star players of Williamsport will be coached by former Millionaire great Larry Moore, along with a hope that Pete White might accept an assistant coach role. "Coach White," said Truitt, "gave us the ultimate thrill when his team (1983-84) went the route! They were undefeated through their regular and playoff season and then won the PIAA state championship to close out at 30-0!. What a thrill for all of us living here in this area. I don’t think any of us will ever forget the large ticket lines to get into those games!" He also notes, with great pride the Millionaire team of Mike Bailey that also took on the best the state could offer and gathered in a second state championship banner. The other major step Truitt has been able to land is having the Lancer team being coached by Ron Insinger who is getting closer and closer to becoming the all time winningest high school basketball coach in the state of Pennsylvania. The current number is in the 8oo wins bracket and CI is deep into the 700 wins level with his 2011-2012 team off and running with several underclassmen playing in key positions. Truitt, in his last call here, announced that he would really like to have former players from both schools get themselves on the list of former players attending. "This project is getting bigger every day. We started out trying to form just two teams of alumni guys but we are looking now at playing two games with the feature game being played second with players from the 80s and 90s and the opening game featuring the older guys. We also want to make it very clear that any and all players from both schools are invited to be in the Dome that night with hope we can get their names so we can at least make introductions of those who are not playing. We will open the doors at 5 p.m. and plan to play at, like 6 p.m. or so." The playing rosters are still to be determined but Williamsport names that have been mentioned are Corey Jett, Rasheed Campbell, Michael Adams and Jeff Klyke. Lancer names being mentioned are Pat Danneker, Randy Glunk, Johnny Gorden, Lynn Hooper and Neil Casale. Whatever and Whoever, this is a big Ray Truitt gig. It is a great idea to bring the Glory Guys from both schools into what is known as a historic place and let them play one more time for their alma maters and for their fans. Just 5 bucks.
-
That’s 30 - |
||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
