Did you know about Florida Gulf Coast? One Elkhart native did

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Bill Beck

Florida Gulf Coast? Ever heard of them? If you’ve watched any of the NCAA men’s tourney — and have a pulse — you now know about Florida Gulf Coast.

No, it’s not a vacation destination. It’s a Div. I basketball-lovin’ university located near Fort Myers, Fla. The Eagles, a 15-seed, upended 2-seed Georgetown on Friday and San Diego State on Sunday and are now Sweet 16-bound. FGCU gets the honor of playing in-state big brother Florida on Friday night.

Elkhart’s Todd Johnson knows all about FGCU. The freshman guard at Northern Kentucky University played FGCU twice this season as part of the Atlantic Sun Conference. He’s not shocked at how high the Eagles are soaring.

“Not surprised. Very much not surprised,” Johnson said Monday, March 25, as he dodged snowflakes in Highland Heights, Ky. “It’s a very fundamental team. The one thing they have is that they feel comfortable in what they’re doing. (Sherwood) Brown, he’s very competitive and brings fire to his team. And they are very athletic. And (Brett) Comer, his penetration and ability to get the ball to people who are open is ridiculous.”

Johnson also likes the fact that FGCU will bring residual attention to his league and possibly his school. “They can hang … they deserve everything they get. Their marketing is going through the roof.”

On Jan. 19, Johnson scored 5 points and handed out 3 assists as NKU lost 73-54. In their Feb. 14 meeting, Johnson played just 12 minutes and scored 3 points in a 60-53 loss.

FGCU became eligible for the NCAA Tournament last year. Northern Kentucky is Div. I, but won’t be tournament-eligible for three more seasons.

As a point guard, Johnson marvels at the ball-handling leaders in the NCAA. Besides playing FGCU twice — they lost both times — the Norse also played Ohio State early in the season. The former Crimson Charger received a healthy dose of Buckeye standout Aaron Craft, who buried a buzzer-beating shot Sunday vs. Iowa State.

“I experienced guarding and being guarded by Aaron Craft,” Johnson said. “He’s the best defensive guard I’ve ever seen. Hands down. When he gets it going, they’re hard to beat.”

In the same way Johnson wasn’t surprised by FGCU’s now global NCAA story, he saw Craft’s game-winner coming, too. “You could tell he wanted to make up for a couple of plays. He saw the (Iowa State) switch and he hit the shot. When we played him, we dared him to shoot. We played off of him and tried to make him hit his jump shot.”

Are you able to juggle computer screen space for NCAA games?

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Bill Beck

As I look around the newsroom, beginning around 12:30 Thursday, no less than 4 newsroom desk stations had an NCAA men’s tournament game on one of their monitors.

Took me five minutes to figure out how to juggle adequate screen space for wire copy, email, a blog post file all while keeping an eye on the riveting St. Mary’s-Memphis game. Ain’t always easy. I wish editors would quit sending me emails.

Trying to work here, ya know? NCAA March Madness is now full-fledged NCAA Digital Delirium. Our www.elkharttruth.com managers would disagree, but I give a quiet, but sincere, “Thank you, cbssports.com.”

Watched the Valpo-Michigan State game out of the chutes. I love the Drew story … from Bryce’s epic game-winner from years ago to his parents’ victory over cancer. It’s great stuff. But it’s about all the Crusaders had going in a positive way on Thursday. Big, bad Michigan State was too big and too bad. Good ride, Valpo.

Then not long after, there was Butler, which was nickel-and-diming it’s way around Bucknell. Bucknell, by the way, was everybody’s “upset” pick in the first round. Never happened. As someone aptly tweeted on my timeline, you can’t out-Butler Butler. Bulldogs will defend you to death — and then some. Bucknell had a fleeting second-half moment with the Bisons could have seized control and taken off.

Butler shot horrible and still won. Take note, because all of these early, early NCAA games are as sluggish as a lawn mower engine on Christmas Day. Defense wins. Period.

Is Wawasee’s Wogomon headed to Northridge football?

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Bill Beck

One door closes and another opens in the house of Northern Lakes Conference football. At least all indications point to it.

According to a Facebook post by the Times-Union of Warsaw, Wawasee head coach Tom Wogomon has resigned his position to accept a head coaching position at another high school, though that school was not named in the update. The information was confirmed by Wawasee High School officials, according to www.tuonline.com.

Northridge, which has been seeking to fill its post since last November when Jon Kirkton resigned, will announce its new hire Tuesday, Feb. 19. Wogomon, though coaching and teaching in Syracuse for six seasons while compiling a 25-37 record, still lives in Middlebury and his children attend Northridge schools.

Sources have shared with me that two fathers of Northridge football players have saidthat Wogomon will be named the new NR head coach. Though Raider football is a challenge, Wogomon is a great fit to turn things around. He helped Wawasee turn the corner after Joe Reitveld left in 2006and the Warriors won 20 games in the last three seasons and played for a 4A sectional championship last November.

The Warriors have a great young quarterback in Gage Reinhard and a fabulous wideout named Clayton Cook. Cupboard won’t be bare for the next Wawasee coach.

ESPNU had nothing on this college recruiting show

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Bill Beck

These guys will make you laugh. And who says North Manchester is boring? I mean, it’s nothing like the big city lights of Huntington or Peru, but then again, what is right?

Jaylon Smith, second from right, signs a letter of intent with Notre Dame surrounded by his family. (AP Photo/The Journal-Gazette, Swikar Patel)

Last week, when ESPNU arranged its string of elite high school recruits doing live “What school are you going to?” segments and interviews, six Manchester University freshmen decided to create their own National Signing Day parody. Poking fun at the cable productions, TV, online or otherwise, was easy. Thank you, YouTube.

Videos of guys like heralded Ole Miss catch Robert Nkemdiche making their choices were staged and polished for the most part. Cameras, microphones, lights, suits and big crowds of fans. This production was staged, too — right out of “Mad TV.”

Click here for the video.

Taylor Anglemyer, a NorthWood High School graduate, teammed with five teammates — Ross Deitrich of Logansport, Logan Haston of Avon, Brandt Lawyer of North Davies, Evan Rice of Owen Valley, Austin Stanley of Crown Point, and Bill Dusa of Cincinnati, for a video — 4 minutes and 59 seconds of tongue-in-cheek satire.

Two players at a table which featured hats of their potential schools. A Manchester Spartans’ cap played the role of Notre Dame, Miami and Ohio State, winning both “recruits.” Manchester went 6-4 last fall with six straight victories. Make that seven straight — this is a huge win for the Spartans.

“After a long day of working out, I brought up the idea of doing our own National Signing Day, something that may be fun to do,” Anglemyer said to me in a Facebook message. “As we went along, we all came up with bits and pieces of what we could do … adding a broadcaster and the fan. We all came up with a part that everyone could contribute.”

He was loose, but a Elkhart D-1 football signee was naturally nervous

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Bill Beck

DuWhan Alford looked anxious. He wasn’t completely nerved out, but there was a defined nervous energy in the air. And why not? The Concord High halfback was about to officially sign papers to become a Div. I football player. “It means I’m officially part of something bigger. It’s always been my dream to be part of a Div. I program … it’s not the highest, but it’s Div. I and I get to do what I love to do and that’s play football.”

DuWhan Alford signs his national letter of intent on Wednesday, Feb. 6

Alford, like thousands of athletes will do Wednesday, put his signature on a national letter of intent. He’ll wear the colors of Eastern Michigan University this fall. “I’m happy, I’m grateful for today. I want to go out and represent my town, my family and do everything the right way,” he said.

Maybe the most excited his DuWhan’s mother, Stephanie Coleman, who could barely catch her breath as she watched her oldest child sit at a table with two other Minutemen athletes, Sarah Emerson and Jackie Greenawalt, who will play soccer together at St. Joseph’s University.

Getting up Wednesday to join a college program meant that all of those early lifting sessions and long, hot summers were worth it. “A lot of time has been invested in that moment right there,” DuWhan said. “Now that this moment is here, it’s a brief relief. After today, I’ve got to start working again. I’ve been mentally preparing, trying to get that train of thought. I’ll be prepared with the time comes.”

Concord’s Sarah Emerson, DuWhan Alford and Jackie Greenwalt sign their college national letters of intent Wednesday, Feb. 6, at Concord High School.

DuWhan Alford (with hat) shared his national letter of intent signing with Eastern Michigan with Minutemen coach Tim Dawson, his parents, Augustus Alford, Lisa Alford, Stephanie Coleman, Dean Coleman and his brothers, Jeremiah Coleman and Jonathan Coleman.

Super Bowl title or stay close to home? One NFL’er likes where he landed

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Bill Beck

Ever since the San Francisco 49ers earned a berth in Super Bowl XLVII … how about we just use numerals? … Nathan Palmer’s cellphone has been blowing up like his nickname — ”NaPalm.” After all, Palmer signed a free-agent contract with the Niners mere days after last spring’s NFL Draft. The Elkhart native, who played at Central High School and Northern Illinois, then was picked up by the Indianapolis Colts in late September and had a front-row seat to the best team story of the year — the Chuck Pagano battle and then recovery from leukemia tale. A gripping experience for anyone.

Nathan Palmer’s lone NFL regular-season reception against the NY Jets.

Palmer was acquired to be an active roster player on an upstart young squad with an outstanding young QB in Andrew Luck, a team which scratched and clawed its way into the AFC playoffs. Had he stayed in SF, Palmer would have remained on the practice squad making practice squad money, though he could have been mentored by Randy Moss, a surefire NFL Hall of Famer, Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis.

No offense, Palmer said, but the cost of living in the Bay Area, which is high, as opposed to Indianapolis — less than three hours from Elkhart — and the chance to earn the salary of an active NFL player was too good to turn down. Way too good, in fact. Sure, being part of San Francisco’s run would be good for him, but in terms of his career, where he landed is even better.

Nathan Palmer in the 2012 preseason with the 49ers.

“I wouldn’t change anything. (Being with the Colts) is a great experience, being around younger receivers, I felt a little bit more at home,” Palmer says. “Plus we went to the playoffs.” … Fans and friends, read that again, please. Nathan Palmer wouldn’t change anything. He means it.

As for the 49ers, who’ll play Baltimore in New Orleans on Sunday, he welcomed the opportunity under Coach Jim Harbaugh. “I’m happy for them. One of the reasons I went there was for that opportunity. I knew they had a great chance, potentially, to go to the Super Bowl. I’m very happy for them.”

Palmer has stayed in contact with a number of San Fran players, including wunderkin QB Colin Kaepernick, his roommate with the Niners. Palmer, though, has the bigger picture in mind. “For me, the NFL is not just about football. A lot of business people don’t realize that or don’t understand that.” Liking his situation in Indy is “more of a business decision.”

Quite a nice Hawaiian ride for an NFL rookie

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Bill Beck

One heck of a nice gig and very generous reward came the way of Elkhart’s Nathan Palmer this week. An invitation from All-Pro wideout Reggie Wayne landed the rookie free agent an all-expenses-paid weekend in Honolulu with five other Colts receivers to take in the Pro Bowl.

“Yessir! Great experience. Got to meet and converse with all the players and some coaches, GMs and owners,” Palmer text me late Sunday night before he hopped on a flight to head back to Indiana.

The kid-in-the-candy-store weekend included some quality Hawaiian nightlife, a little jet skiing, a motorcycle ride and the Pro Bowl practice and game on Sunday night with teammates T.Y. Hilton, LaVon Brazill, Donnie Avery, Kris Adams and Griff Whalen. Quarterback Andrew Luck andlinebacker Robert Mathis also played in the game with Wayne.

“It’s a humbling experience. Here I am with a guy who was my idol, watching this guy play and he extends me an invitation to enjoy Pro Bowl with him, basically bringing us out here on all on him. It’s a great experience. I can’t say too much about the guy. He’s taught us so many things by example and the things he’s experienced. Coming out here has opened a whole another world.”

Elkhart to East Lansing: Akyah Taylor now winning some battles

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Bill Beck

Akyah Taylor never had any trouble getting started at Elkhart Memorial, where in 2011, she finished the most brilliant four-year girls basketball run in school history. There are those who could argue that she’s the best all-around player in Elkhart County lore.

A 4-year starter on a squad which won 4 sectional titles and 3 NLC championships, Taylor is the Crimson Charger’s all-time leading scorer and she was an Indiana All-Star. But life at Michigan State University, though, has not flowed as smoothly.

The Spartans’ redshirt-freshman has battled her way through an early-season NCAA suspension and illness. Last Sunday, though, Taylor made her first legitimate in-game contribution to MSU with a career-high 7 points in a 56-46 victory at Indiana. She entered the contest with a total of 7 points all season.

“It’s very inspiring just being able to know that my teammates can count on me and I’m able to get out there and perform the way the team and coach needs me to,” Taylor said in an interview with the Lansing State Journal. “It’s a big deal. It keeps my energy up, it makes me feel like I know I can compete and still do what I need to do without messing up.”

Thursday night, Michigan State traveled to Nebraska and lost 59-54, snapping a 10-game win streak. Taylor scored 2 points and 6 rebounds in 15 minutes of action. On Sunday, the 25th-rated Spartans will play No. 15 Purdue in East Lansing, Mich., in a 4 p.m. game which will be televised on ESPN2.

Flinging 4-letter words at an editor? No, this was a 4-word letter

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Bill Beck

This one is worth more than a mere tip of the cap. An effort like this is immediately elevated to an honest to goodness toast. I got mail. Real mail. Granted, this memo easily could have been a nasty e-mail, Facebook post or tweet on Twitter. No, this hit my desk via the U.S. Postal Service. I rarely get real mail at work any more so I was intrigued.

Sent on Jan. 19 and tagged with an Indianapolis stamp, the envelope had The Truth’s address scrawled across the front with my name in the lower left-hand corner. The envelope felt feather-light and had no return address.

Inside, was a small piece of paper, slightly larger than a business card. On it were four lonely words, “SHUT UP ABOUT TE’O.” Short and sweet. The ultimate to-the-point salvo. Message received. This story was dead anyways, right?

Upon reading the note, I couldn’t help but reflect on my raucous morning radio days on WTRC 1340 — back when Elkhart had its own radio station — with Gary Sieber, Heather Richards, Allen Strike and Paul Weaver. I did sleepy-eyed sports updates. Then, when fully awake, I’d offered up mind-throttling wit and sarcasm. All of these polished broadcast media icons and the local sports-head from The Truth. It rocked.

Heather was the perfect foil. Her classic, professional news-reading presence is surpassed only by her remarkably infectious laughter — on- and off-air. I took endless fun in poking fun at Heather and when I did, which was as often as possible, she’d quickly fire back with a pointed, “Shut up, Bill!” That usually busted up the studio.

This little note also busted up The Truth newsroom crew. “You’ve got to blog that” were the first words from colleague Angelle Barbazon when I shared my mail. Made for a few good chuckles, much like the 20-some “tweets” lobbed my way on Twitter Tuesday. A (former) reader blasted us for publishing a blistering column by Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune, who called out Notre Dame for its Te’o investigation into the girlfriend hoax story.

I wonder if the mail came from the same guy. Or Heather, perhaps. The world may never know.

Te’o on-camera interview? He chooses Katie Couric

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Bill Beck

Through a connection with his public relations spokesman Matthew Hiltzik, who also represents Katie Couric, Manti Te’o will give an on-camera interview this week. The interview will be shown Thursday on the syndicated talk show “Katie.”

Parts of the interview will be shown earlier this week on ABC’s “Good Morning America” morning news/entertainment show as well as other ABC programs.

Read here for more of the planned interview, which will include Te’o's parents, Brian and OttiliaTe’o.

On Friday, ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap interviewed Te’o for 2 1/2 hours, but only edited transcripts of the interview have been released publicly. It should be noted that ABC and ESPN are partnered television entities owned by Walt Disney Corp.