News - Sports - College

Thursday, Sep. 04, 2008

Rock Hill-area well represented at Newberry game

Last Saturday's Valdosta State-Newberry football game looked like a reunion of Rock Hill-area alumni.

Six Newberry players from the Rock Hill area saw action in the game, which was won by Valdosta State's Blazers, 14-9. The Blazers, defending NCAA Division II champions, featured one area product.

Newberry got a strong effort from sophomore defensive end Andre Clark (Rock Hill) who collected two solo tackles, both sacks totaling minus-10 yards. Clark also forced a fumble.

Newberry linebackers Stewart Good and Mike Grase, both out of Rock Hill High School, each had three solo tackles and one assist. Another LB, Chris Reed (Northwestern) finished with one solo tackle and an assist.

Redshirt freshman defensive end Joshua Stinson (Chester) had three tackles, and sophomore defensive back Kamaal McIlwain (Indian Land) finished with two tackles.

Valdosta State defensive tackle Bryant Thorpe (Chester) helped the Blazers' defense hold Newberry to 70 yards rushing. Thorpe, a 6-1, 270-pound sophomore, registered six solo tackles and one assist.

Newberry has several other Rock Hill-area athletes who didn't play against Valdosta State, listed on its roster. They are junior fulback Timmy Boyd (Clover), senior defensive tackle Jamell Gaines (Northwestern), freshman kicker Joseph Morris (Lancaster), freshman defensive lineman Jerome Culp (Great Falls), freshman offensive lineman Russell Feaster (South Pointe), freshman quarterback Taniel Massey (Lancaster) and freshman safety Jared Shaw (Fort Mill).

• ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM: Ex-Chester High School stalwart Marquis Coleman got his first taste of college football last Saturday in UAB's 45-22 home loss to Tulsa.

Coleman registered his first collegiate action and tackle in the third quarter when he dropped Tulsa's Jacob Bower at the UAB 1-yard line after Bower's 11-year run.

Coleman, a 6-1, 185-pound defensive back, was redshirted last year as a true freshman. He is listed as the backup to junior Brandon Carlisle at cornerback.

Terrell Springs, another ex-Chester Cyclone, is on the depth chart as the backup to senior Kevin Sanders at the other cornerback spot for the Blazers. Springs is a 5-9, 175-pound true freshman.

• THE CITADEL: Former Northwestern quarterback Bart Blanchard is scheduled to start in Saturday's 3:30 p.m. game at Clemson.

Blanchard, a 6-2, 200-pound redshirt sophomore, got off to a good start this season in last week's 54-7 Bulldogs' victory over Webber International. Blanchard completed 12-of-14 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns.

Blanchard had TD tosses of 9 and 78 yards to speedy junior wide receiver Andre Roberts.

• CLEMSON: Former Tigers tennis standout John Boetsch has returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach for the men's team.

Boetsch, who played his prep tennis at Fort Mill High School, joined Tigers head coach Chuck McCuen's staff last month after spending one year as an assistant at Louisville.

Boetsch is a 2004 Clemson graduate and was a two-time co-captain for the Tigers. He helped lead the Tigers to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2004 and, as a junior, he was a first-team All-ACC choice.

Boetsch and his wife, Catherine, have an infant son, Anderson.

• TEXAS A&M: Former Winthrop right-handed pitcher Alex Wilson has not signed a professional contract and is expected to return A&M for his junior season.

Wilson, who pitched at Winthrop his first two years of college, transferred to Texas A&M last year but redshirted after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

He was picked in the 10th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft by the Chicago Cubs but did not sign by the Aug. 15 deadline. Wilson will go back into the draft pool for 2009.