The Roost

New look for Brooks Stadium

Construction started last week on Brooks Stadium’s new bleachers in the north end zone, and Coastal Carolina athletic director Hunter Yurachek expects the job to be completed by the end of this week.

 

That expands the stadium’s capacity by about 2,000 seats, he said.

 

“We’re continuing to grow as a university. Our student enrollment is close to 9,100 now. And we want to grow our fan base,” Yurachek said. “Part of that fan base is our students, and in order to provide more student seating and not take away from our general fan base and our donors, we needed more seats.”

 

Student seating will shift a bit this season. Instead of extending behind the visiting team’s bench from the 50-yard line to the corner, students will now sit from the 25-yard line on that side and wrap around half of the end zone to fill one side of those new bleachers.

 

The other side is for fans purchasing tickets through the new “Family Zone” plan, with the band serving as a buffer in the middle.

 

The “Family Zone” plan offers season tickets for two adults and two children (ages 3-17) or one adult and and three children for a package price of $99.

 

| Ryan Young, ryoung@thesunnnews.com

 

Convocation Center update / Men's basketball schedule news

Construction on Coastal Carolina’s new Student Recreation and Convocation Center -- which will be the new home for CCU’s basketball and volleyball programs next year -- is a few weeks ahead of schedule, athletic director Hunter Yurachek said.

 

And that’s good news for the school because if that schedule holds, expect the Chants to play host to a big-name opponent when the men’s basketball team plays its first game in the building next year.

 

Louisiana State is set to play at Coastal Carolina to open the 2011-12 season as part of a home-and-home series that has the Chants going to Baton Rouge, La., this season.

 

Of course, the second part of that commitment is a bit contingent.

 

“It will be a great way to open the building, absolutely, so we’re looking forward to it,” Yurachek said. “[But] if for whatever reason the Convocation Center’s not completed [in time], I’m guessing LSU’s probably not going to play us in Kimbel Arena, so that will change a little bit.

 

“But right now, like I said, everybody’s very optimistic about the Convocation Center being done on time unless we have a direct-hit hurricane.”

 

Coastal Carolina also had an arrangement in place with Virginia, but that has since fallen through.

 

“Virginia had an opportunity to play a Pac-10 school on national television, so that scenario has changed for them,” Yurachek said. “So we’re tyring to fill in that gap right now.”

 

The Convocation Center is expected to seat more than 3,600 people for athletic events -- a significant increase from the cozy confines of Kimbel Arena.

 

As for the rest of the men’s non-conference schedule this season, Yurachek said it will include a game at the College of Charleston, a veritable home game against East Carolina at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center and the start of a four-game home-and-home series with The Citadel to be played over the next four years.

 

| Ryan Young, ryoung@thesunnews.com

Quick Q+A with safety Marcus Lott

With two-a-days officially over, classes about to start and the season drawing closer, junior safety Marcus Lott joined The Roost after practice Monday night for a quick conversation about preseason rankings, the Coastal Carolina defense and the progress of the team this month.

 

Let’s start with the FCS preseason rankings. You guys are tied for 79th with one vote. What are your thoughts on that?

Lott: “We’re always going to start off as the underdog. We’ve just got to prove everybody wrong. Like in the preseason [Big South poll], we got pick third. We’ve just got to strive. It’s just motivation for us.”

 

You have a tough early schedule. In addition to West Virginia, you’ve also got Richmond, which is ranked sixth in the FCS poll coming in. Thoughts on playing some tough teams early in the season?

Lott: “We’re excited about it. We’re excited about the challenges that are ahead of us, just looking at it with our eyes ready to accomplish our goals and beat those teams and take one team at a time.”

 

Two weeks into camp now, how are you feeling physically and mentally?

Lott: “Physically and mentally, I feel good. I’m ready to go out there and make plays. As a team, as a secondary, as a whole defense and offense, we’re on the same page ... and we’ve got that vision of how we want things to go.”

 

Speaking of the defense, who is one player who has really impressed you?

Lott: “[Sophomore defensive end] Quinton Davis. He’s always getting hard after it. Somebody that is going to hit you in the mouth. ... Just today we had a reverse - Kenny Jones ran the reverse and he’s pretty much like a 4.4 guy. [Davis] just comes off the end, and just grabs him with one hand.”

 

| Ryan Young, ryoung@thesunnews.com

Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Top-25 College Football Poll

The first Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS top-25 poll of the season has been released, and the voting indicates that the Coastal Carolina football team will start the season well off the national radar.

 

The Chanticleers received one vote, which effectively puts them in a tie for 79th in the rankings.

 

Villanova claimed the top spot in the poll while receiving 104 first-place votes [no other team got more than nine first-place votes].

 

Meanwhile, a few of the Chants’ opponents this season garnered some preseason respect, as well.

 

Richmond, which hosts Coastal Carolina in the fifth week of the season, is ranked No. 6 in the poll and received one first-place vote.

 

Liberty, the preseason Big South favorite, checked in at No. 21 in the rankings.

 

Also, Georgia Southern (CCU’s week three opponent) and Big South foes Stony Brook, Gardner Webb and VMI all received votes.

 

Team (first-place votes)   ’09 Record   Points

1. Villanova (104)....14-1....3,112

2. Montana (9) .... 14-1 .... 2,899

3. Appalachian State (8) .... 11-3 .... 2,857

4. William & Mary (3) .... 11-3 .... 2,631

5. Southern Illinois (1) .... 11-2 .... 2,569

6. Richmond (1) .... 11-2 .... 2,317

7. Elon .... 9-3 .... 2,243

8. Stephen F. Austin .... 10-3 .... 2,041

9. South Dakota State .... 8-4 .... 1,863

10. New Hampshire .... 10-3 .... 1,837

11. South Carolina State .... 10-2 .... 1,607

12. McNeese State .... 9-3 .... 1,475

13. Eastern Washington .... 8-4 .... 1,422

14. Northern Iowa .... 7-4 .... 1,269

15. James Madison .... 6-5 .... 1,237

16. Deleware .... 6-5 .... 879

17. Jacksonville State .... 8-3 .... 833

18. Eastern Illinois .... 8-4 .... 762

19. Weber State .... 7-5 .... 716

20. Prairie View A&M .... 9-1 .... 709

21. Liberty .... 8-3 .... 633

22. Colgate .... 9-2 .... 608

23. Penn .... 8-2 .... 593

24. Montana State .... 7-4 .... 584

25. Holy Cross .... 9-3 .... 560

 

Others receiving votes included:

 

49. Georgia Southern (22 points)

T-57. Stony Brook (12)

61. Gardner Webb (11)

70. VMI (5)

T-79. Coastal Carolina (1)

The Power of Positive Thinking - CCU football edition

The Coastal Carolina football team brought in sports psychologist Brian Cain last week to spend some time with the team - an idea coach David Bennett got from the Chants’ baseball program.

 

“And dang if he didn’t do great for our baseball team,” Bennett said.

 

Cain worked with the team Tuesday afternoon, all of Wednesday and Thursday morning on the power of a positive mindset and imagery - ideas Bennett is hoping his players will transfer to the field.

 

“He was really, really good,” Bennett said. “He had our guys swallowing fire, bending rebar, breaking boards.”

 

In one example, he placed a board on top of two ladders and had senior receiver Marquel Willis pick four teammates he trusted to help him walk across it. The point being that if you can walk across the board when it’s on the ground, you can walk across it when it’s atop two ladders - a symbolic message.

 

As Bennett elaborated, “Do you go up there and live in green-light mode ready to do it, or are you in yellow mode - caution. Well, I hope I can do it. I think I can do it. Or are you in red-light mode? Oh, I can’t do that. I can’t do that. If you’ve got a lot of football players out there on the field in red-light mode, we’re going to get killed. A lot of them in yellow, it’s 50-50. If we get them all in green-light mode, positive, excited, ready to play the game, we’ve got a chance to be pretty darn good.”

 

| Ryan Young, ryoung@thesunnews.com

CCU Footbal Update - Friday, Aug. 13

With a week and a half of practice complete, Coastal Carolina coach David Bennett is ready to see how his football team responds to game-like situations in a different environment.

 

So the Chants are set to move off the practice field and scrimmage Saturday morning inside Brooks Stadium - the scrimmage is NOT open to the public - for an hour and a half or so in full uniform. Bennett wants it to feel as real as possible - right down to appearances on the sideline.

 

"I told the coaches it's game gear. One of them said, 'We've got to wear long pants?' And I said, 'Do we wear long pants on game day? ... Then we're wearing them tomorrow,’” Bennett said.

 

Asked Friday morning if he’s learned anything more about his team as practices have amped up in intensity this week, he said that’s what the scrimmage is for (the team also had a half scrimmage Wednesday morning). But he does like the way his team is practicing.

 

"Every day is the most important day,” he said. “What's the old saying - yesterday's history, tomorrow's a mystery. If we want to be great, live in the moment and be great every day. Today was a good day. We (didn't) have a great day; but today was a good day.

 

"Tomorrow we'll find out more.”

 

Bennett provided a few injury updates, as well.

 

Backup running back Jeremy Height is progressing from a minor shoulder injury sustained last week in practice. Junior B.J. Jenkins, a probable starter at defensive end, “tweaked” his knee. Asked if the injury was worthy of concern, Bennett only said, “We’ll find out.”

 

And senior Tarvorris Jolly, competing for a starting cornerback job, missed another day of practice with headaches that may stem from vision problems.

 

"I told him he's going to be sexy wearing glasses,” Bennett said. “He's probably going to have to get glasses, but I'm not a doctor. We'll let the eye doctor decide that."

 

| Ryan Young, ryoung@thesunnews.com

Chants in the NFL

A pair of former Coastal Carolina football players have signed NFL contracts, with safety Quinton Teal signing with the San Diego Chargers and linebacker Maurice Simpkins inking a deal with the Green Bay Packers.

Teal had been with the Carolina Panthers the last three seasons. He played in all 16 games last year, making three starts and recording 20 tackles. One of the most accomplished players in CCU history, he is the Chants' all-time leader with 17 interceptions (2003-06) and 31 pass breakups. He also ranks third in program history with 227 total tackles.

http://www.lajollalight.com/sports/272976-chargers-sign-quinton-teal-at-strong-safety

Simpkins ranks second on the Chants' all-time totals tackles list, having tallied 272 from 2003-05. He is also tied for first in program history with 34 tackles for loss and ranks third all-time with 14 sacks. He had previously played for the Green Bay Blizzard of the Indoor Football League.

http://www.waow.com/Global/story.asp?S=12958995

CCU Football Update - Tuesday, Aug. 10

The Coastal Carolina football team wasted no time Tuesday morning launching its first two-a-day practice session of the summer, taking the field at 6 a.m., with the players expected to return to practice tonight at 7 p.m.

 

With no real news to report - coach David Bennett likes what he saw today in reserve running backs sophomore Marcus Whitener and freshman Aaron Jones, and he says the battle for the cornerback spot opposite standout Josh Norman is still up for grabs between senior Tarvorris Jolly, sophomore Tre Henderson and sophomore Dontavious Johnson - The Roost pulled aside senior quarterback Zach MacDowall for a quick Q+A about the first week of practices.

 

OK, word-association. What do you think about when you think two-a-days?

MacDowall: “Long. Real long days. It’s just something you have to bring your mindset forward to, just get ready to be focused the night before because there’s a lot of teaching, a lot of mental [components]. With the heat, it just drags you down, so that’s something in your mind you have to be ready for.”

 

Through one week of practices, give me one player who has stood out to you.

MacDowall: “The entire offensive line. I can’t single anyone out. The entire offensive line, they’ve done a great job. We talked about it being inconsistent, up and down last year, and so far they’ve stayed consistent, which has really helped the offense.”

 

If there is an X-factor on this offense aside from yourself, who do you think that is?

MacDowall: “It’s great to have [senior running back] Eric O’Neal back and healthy. He’s quick on his feet, he’s real elusive and he does a great job with the ball in his hands.” (More to come on O’Neal later in the week)

 

If there’s one thing that would surprise people about this team, what would you say that is?

MacDowall “We are a team this year. Everyone is the closest I’ve seen them in the three years I’ve been here. Even the freshmen have clicked with the seniors, and everyone’s just together and all on the same page.”

 

Lastly, your first opponent, West Virginia, is ranked No. 24 to start the season. What are your thoughts on playing a ranked team [on the road] to start the season?

MacDowall: “It’s going to be great for us. The environment, the fans, the players that they have - they’ve got great playmakers everywhere - and just being a top-25 team in the country, it’s a chance to, you know, get us on the map. And it’s a chance for us to set our bar.”

 

| Ryan Young, ryoung@thesunnews.com

CCU Football Update - Monday, August 9

The Chanticleers practiced with full pads Monday morning for the first time this month and will hold their first two-a-day practice session Tuesday as preseason camp ratchets up this week.

 

As senior receiver Marquel Willis put it, “This is what we play football for, to come out here and hit, fly around, get beat up a little bit.”

 

With that said, here are a few news and notes to start the week.

 

Filling in at center

 

With projected starting center Pat Williams still working his way back from a pulled hamstring sustained last Tuesday during pre-camp conditioning tests, junior Tim Franklin (a starter at left tackle last season) has stood out to coach David Bennett among those filling in on the middle of the line.

  

“Tim’s doing a good job, and Pat’s working hard,” Bennett said. “I think Pat sees Tim there, and all of sudden he’s going to a few extra treatments to get well and get back out here as fast as he can.”

 

Also ailing

 

Reserve running back Jeremy Height is out with a shoulder injury sustained late last week diving for a catch, but he shouldn’t miss more than a couple days.

 

Did you notice?

 

In case you didn’t see the USA TODAY preseason coaches poll released last week, West Virginia - Coastal Carolina’s season-opening opponent this year - is tied for No. 24 with Utah in the opening rankings.

 

...

 

Former CCU star receiver Jerome Simpson made two catches for 14 yards Sunday night for the Cincinnati Bengals in the preseason Hall of Fame game against Dallas.

 

Simpson has one career regular season reception in two seasons with the Bengals.

 

| Ryan Young, ryoung@thesunnews.com

 

CCU volleyball tabbed as Big South preseason favorite

On the heels of winning their first Big South championship since 1998 last season, the Coastal Carolina volleyball team was tabbed as the conference’s preseason favorite in a vote by the league’s head coaches.

 

The Chanticleers received four first-place votes and edged out Liberty in the poll, released by the conference Wednesday. Chants senior Chelsy Kimes, meanwhile, was voted the league’s preseason player of the year.

 

“We’ve not been in this situation before,” said coach Kristen Bauer, who is in her 12^th season with the program. “At first thought, I would think, boy that’s some pressure to deal with. But … I think we’ll be fine. We’re going to try to not put too much credit into a preseason vote. We don’t want to take that into too much consideration.”

 

The Chants lose several key pieces from their 2009 team, but they return four starters. Headlining the squad is Kimes.

 

“She’s a very dynamic player,” Bauer said. “She is not our tallest hitter. She is quick and agile and kind of surprises you. Great vertical. People in the stands love to watch her. She is No. 4, and they’re always asking about her.”

 

The Chants also return senior middle blocker Megan Bickford, who was named to the preseason all-Big South team, and sophomore Sierra Livesay, who was named the Big South’s freshman of the year last season.

 

The preseason poll aside, Bauer said this team has some work to do to match the success of the 2009 squad.

 

“That’s a credit to how we did last year and a credit to what the conference thinks about our program,” Bauer said. “But at the same time, I don’t want it to be something where we think we don’t have to work hard. Because that’s certainly not the situation.”

 

| Ryan Young, ryoung@thesunnews.com