Oct 31 2008
No, not this fat white guy, but this one: 
Fellow blogger and starting Connecticut defensive tackle Rob Lunn, whose injured shoulder apparently hampers neither his typing nor his wit, posted about West Virginia tonight just a few hours before aligning against them Saturday in a game that will help to shape the Big East title race.
In the above referenced blog, Lunn raved about Mountaineers quarterback Patrick White and tailback Noel Devine. But he instantly will earn the affection of many Mountaineers followers with this reference: "Don't expect WVU dominance in the Big East to stop any time soon (take that". . . um, insert vulgar variation of ex-West Virginia coach's name here. Check out his earlier posts about WVU, including one where he labels fans "Slack-Jawed Yokells(sic)."
We'll see how well Lunn plays Saturday, but, man, ya gotta like his sarcastic writing style, if not his spelling and sweeping generalizations.
Oct 30 2008
Last week 1-5; Season 30-17
I don’t know who had a worse week last week – me or those Wall Street traders? Texas spared me the embarrassment of a winless week. That leaves me at 13 games over .500 for the season. Unlike the stock market, I fully expect my numbers to go back up. So let’s get to this week’s picks:
Pitt at Notre Dame: Will the NBC sideline reporter be allowed to interview the Pitt quarterback after this game? Will there be reason to? I’m thinking not. The Fighting Irish are getting better while the Panthers seem to be getting worse. Notre Dame will win in a blowout, 38-16, and the only profanities that will be heard in this postgame aftermath will be coming from living rooms across Western Pa.
West Virginia at Connecticut: Other than a two-week hiccup earlier this month at North Carolina and at Rutgers, Connecticut has been rather impressive. West Virginia, meanwhile, has rallied with four consecutive wins after two September losses. The difference in this game is where the game is being played. It’s in Storrs, Conn., where the Huskies have won all four of their home games. The Mountaineers are winless on the road. Connecticut in a field goal game, 27-24.
Texas at Texas Tech: The Longhorns have already beaten Oklahoma, Missouri and Oklahoma State in consecutive weeks. If they get by this one it’s a wide open path to the BCS title game. The Red Raiders have had Texas’ number in recent years, but this Texas team is different. Colt McCoy has another big game, and the Longhorns win, 49-35.
Florida at Georgia: The winner takes a big step toward the SEC East title and a berth in the SEC title game. Florida will be looking for revenge after the entire Georgia team celebrated in the end zone after the first touchdown of last year’s game. I like the Gators to win this game with Tim Tebow playing a starring role. Florida 34, Georgia 29.
Tulsa at Arkansas: Tulsa still has an outside chance at playing in a BCS game if Utah or Boise State loses. The Razorbacks have been struggling under first-year coach Bobby Petrino. Look for the Golden Hurricane to stay unbeaten, 45-31.
Northwestern at Minnesota: Minnesota can still earn a trip to the Rose Bowl. Penn State must lose one its final three games and the Gophers have to win their final four, three of which are at home. They’ll keep the dream alive against the Wildcats, 31-17.
Oct 29 2008
Hate to get in the way of a Clint Eastwood-styled post that could really make. . . your . . .day, but let's quickly deal with a quizzical quintet of local and national questions:
1. To prepare for the World's Largest Cocktail Party, despite the PC police asking us to refrain from calling it that: They shoot Gators, don't they? Guess the Florida newspapers are too busy with the Tampa Bay Rays' weather story to create some online game involving Dawg stuff.
2. So, Pitt fans, whaddya think of Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis invoking the B-word in reference to the Irish's motivation for Saturday?
3. Tyrone Willingham's not even cold yet at Washington, but are one former and one current USC assistant already preparing to wage a cage match for that job opening?
4. Will an injury to Louisville's top receiver further stir a Big East race that seems to get shaken up every week?
5. How do you stop the nation's No. 1 major-college rusher, Donald Brown of Connecticut? Defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel, easily the Most Valuable Assistant so far this season for a West Virginia that Saturday confronts the difficult Mr. Brown and his 29 carries for 165.5 yards per game, offers this suggestion: "There's no magic formula to stopping a great back. You have to do all the things that are a cliche in football" -- i.e. maintaining gap assignments, sure tackling, escaping blocks, swarming. "The great backs might still beat you at that. And he's a great player. Great player." Brown, about whom the PG plans to profile in Friday's paper, rushed for 129 yards against WVU last November, and everyone agrees he's a muuuch better back this fall.
Oct 27 2008
Welcome to this week's version of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly -- and make no mistake when you give up 54 points to a pedestrian team like Rutgers, there is a whole lot more "Angel Eyes" (Bad for those who are not fans of Clint Eastwood's Spaghetti Westerns) and "Tuco" (the Ugly, in case you've missed the greatest Western ever produced) than "Blondie" (well, in case you haven't figured it out, that's the Good)……
And someone sent me this little snippet which made me laugh (then of course once the reality of it set in it made me cry, ha, ha, ha):
"Dear Paul, instead of "Sweet Caroline" can you ask the Pitt marketing department to play that old song by the Foundations, "Build me up Buttercup," at the end of the third quarter so we as Pitt fans can sing "Why do you build me up (build me up) Wanny-cup baby, just to let me down (let me down)" and then at the chorus we can sing "So build me up (build me up) Wanny-cup (and then we'd all shout this part), PLEASE DON'T BREAK MY HEART" -- since that's what this team under this coach always seems to do. They build us up, they get us excited, they make us think they are turning it around and then they blow it and break all of our hearts. Could you please pass this on for me to the powers that be?"
It's e-mails from the fans like that one, the humorous ones, the ones that call me an idiot, heck, even the ones where you can tell the writer is so angry he's slobbering on his keyboard and typing in all caps -- those are the things that keep me laughing, keep my smiling and keep my sanity intact because, believe me, trying to figure this team out could often be classified as cruel and unusual punishment…
And the amazing thing is I've been covering this team for seven seasons now -- and before that I covered the end of the Don Nehlen era and the start of the Rich Rodriguez era at West Virginia, not to mention the Ron Dickerson-era of Temple football, for goodness sakes, and as much as I love the Owls, I thought I had seen it all by the time I was done with those few years. But I keep telling myself after every ridiculous or head-scratching thing that happens, "Now, I've seen it all". The problem is, just when I think I've seen it all -- Ron Dickerson taking three points off the board against Maryland to accept an offsides penalty which still left Temple with a fourth-and-2 and then going for the fourth down, not making it and then losing the game by three points, the Swinging Gate debacle, The Slide Play, the third-and-1 backwards pass against Toledo when a yard from your 240-pound quarterback doing a sneak play would have iced the game, taking the Heisman receiver off the field at the goal line in a bowl game, punting inside the 35, the onside kick to start a game which gave a bad offense a short field, the fake punt debacle at South Florida -- some how, some way this team pulls something even more mind-boggling out of the hat……..Like a fake field goal attempt when there was absolutely no reason to try it at that point in the game. Or worse, giving up 54 points to a team with a very average quarterback and no running game to speak of . Really, the only weapons they have that scare anyone are the two good receivers, which should have been easy to game plan out of the equation given the Scarlet Knights' lack of weapons around them.
Now then, let's get started on this week's Good, Bad and Ugly from the Rutgers game…….
The Good: The two best players on the field -- even though Pitt's secondary seemed determined to make Mike Teel, Mike ---freaking -- Teel look like Dan Marino on his best day -- were LeSean McCoy and Jonathan Baldwin. Dave Wannstedt can recruit, there is no question (and that's what is probably most frustrating to fans -- this team has good players) and these two are an example of that. McCoy is one of the top two or three running backs in the country, there is no doubt about that, and he has been rolling along. And Jonathan Baldwin has been special, just a spectacular talent who makes big plays and makes them look easy. Also, T.J. Porter had a nice day and that's a good development because he can make plays down the field. He is one of those receivers, like a Derek Kinder, who, if you throw it his way, he's almost 100 percent a lock to catch it. (I know, Kinder dropped on Saturday, but for the most part he has a great steady set of hands). I think that Bill Stull was on his way to having his best game, and the offensive line, for all the hits it took in the preseason, has really developed into a good unit. I think if Stull had stayed healthy Pitt would have been able to go up and down the field against Rutgers -- provided they were given a chance to by the guys calling the plays - because Pitt's offense is rounding into form. There is not a lot to gripe about with the offense, well, except for the period AFTER Stull went out, which we will get to a little later.
The Bad: Conor Lee, usually reliable, missed a field goal, which at the time could have been key play. He made up for it, however, with two others. The Panthers didn't put a lot of pressure on Teel for the entire first half, which is why it looked like he was in a 7 v 7 drill. Pitt was only 4 for 14 on third downs and punter Dave Brytus averaged only 39 yards a punt -- including a 28-yard stink bomb that gave the Scarlet Knights great field position. I also think we can safely say it is time to end the Aaron Berry returning punts thing. For one thing, from what we saw Saturday I think he could use more time at his corner spot --- though I still maintain he is a very good cover corner. But the other thing is, if the main reason he is back there is he catches the ball and is sure-handed -- well, against Navy and South Florida he muffed punts and got lucky to get them back -- then Saturday he made the key mistake of the game when he fumbled the ball. I think Berry is a good football player, I just don't see how he is still the best option back there, especially now that his confidence is shaken a bit.
The secondary had one of the worst days a Pitt unit has had since I have covered the team --- and that's saying a lot because I've seen it all -- 500-yard days by journeymen quarterbacks, 200-yard days by good, not great, running backs, Division I-AA teams scoring 38 and forcing overtime. But I have never seen a secondary look so lost and so powerless to do anything about it, as I did Saturday when Mike Teel -- yeah, Mike, well, you know the drill -- threw for six touchdown passes against them. Clearly something needs to change back there -- whether it is personnel, scheme or something else -- but this isn’t the first time they've given up big plays in the passing game ( Do you think Charlie Weis is chomping at the bit this week?) because this unit has been very disappointing and from what I see, likely won't get much better. And I don't think it is all on the players, because there is no reason Teel, you know, Mike --- well, you know -- should have been able to throw his third touchdown pass because, after Pitt got torched for the second long one, the plan should have changed. It didn't and he was allowed to throw three, four and then five before half-time. Simply amazing. Like I wrote earlier in this -- anyone who has watched Rutgers this year knows there are only two players on that offense who can hurt you -- the two receivers. And thus every team has played some sort of deep zone and forced Teel to make tight throws underneath -- which he is not very good at. And they also didn't worry about the play-action stuff because RUTGERS NO LONGER HAS RAY RICE and their running game scares nobody. Again, let's review -- a team with no run game is able to play-action pass you to death -- that tells me the defense was gearing up to stop what is a non-existent running game. And this much was unfortunately confirmed when you consider the coach said after the game he was expecting Rutgers to run the ball, not pass it. The fact that Elijah Fields can't get on the field on a day when the secondary is providing the least resistance possible is amazing to me. I don't know if the guy knows his assignments -- the party line as to why he is not on the field that much -- but I do know this -- he can't possibly be worse at covering receivers than what we saw on Saturday -- and lining up to do that doesn't require much thinking. Just when I think I've seen it all…….
The Ugly: Where do I begin? Pat Bostick threw an interception and will be criticized for it -- but he shouldn't. Yeah, maybe he could have tucked the ball and taken the sack and set up the field goal -- but this is a classic example of a play call putting a kid in a position to make a play he can't make. I can think of about five plays I'd shred with Pat Bostick at quarterback because they don't play to his strengths -- and a waggle (roll out, whatever you want to call it) left to pass the ball on the run is a pass he cannot make. Further, at that point, with LeSean McCoy in your backfield and a back-up quarterback, why is third-and-1 a passing down to begin with? Just an awful decision.
The fake field debacle may have been the most head-scratching, decision -- worse than the slide play by a lot - - I've seen since I've covered college football. And the explanation -- that they thought it was going to be a low-scoring defensive game and wanted to try and score some points because they thought points would be at a premium ---makes it even more head-scratching. If you truly believed it was going to be a 17-10 type of game -- wouldn't the smart play have been to send your 86-percent field goal kicker onto the field to attempt a 34-yarder and give you a 10-7 lead? And if you are going to go for it against a good team -- wouldn't you rather have the ball in the hands of Bill Stull or LeSean McCoy than a walk-on fifth-string quarterback who has never thrown a pass in a game? People often second-guess coaches and play Monday morning quarterback -- I understand it and really try not to do it because there is often a lot more to a play call or decision than meets the eye -- but this is not a second guess by any stretch . This is just using some common sense and simple logic. At that point in the game, at that point on the field, you had about three or four legitimate options and for some reason chose something that should have been about option No. 6.
Pitt was on a five-game winning streak, it was a reasonably nice day, the Panthers were ranked No. 17 and playing a conference game -- and only (no doubt a number that required a sharpened pencil to come up with) 51,000 fans bothered to show up. That, to me, is more of a reflection on just how far from credible this program is right now. I don't blame fans -- for the reasons we watched on Saturday -- because this program has a lot of work to do in order to rebuild that credibility. Fans want a winner, Pittsburgh wants to support a winner and if this team ever wins big it will be embraced by a lot of casual fans -- and that is why so many of these kinds of meltdowns over the past few years have taken their toll. I really commend guys like Steve Pederson and Chris Ferris and E.J. Borghetti for all of the effort they put in trying to sell this program because it is clear there is a lot of rebuilding to do with the fan base when it comes to giving people who aren’t die-hard fans, a reason to come to the games, and no amount of fan initiatives or songs can overcome what happens every time this team seems to be on the brink of something big.
But hey, getting back to the spirit of fun and games we have here -- and in honor of the fabulous e-mail suggestion about playing 'Build me up Buttercup', I'll leave you with a list of songs which, perhaps, Chris Ferris and company will take under consideration to be played at upcoming Pitt games given the Panthers propensity to break the hearts of their fans ...
"Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar
"My Heart Will go On" by Celine Dion -- Otherwise known as the theme song from the movie "The Titanic"
Pitt's season theme song? ...
"Not Gon' Cry" by Mary J. Blige - - So fans can walk out after another disappointing loss singing: "I'm not gon' cry, I'm not gon' cry, I'm not gon' shed no tears, no, I'm not gon' cry, I'm not gon' cry because Pitt's not worth my tears….."
"Must have been love, but its over now" by Roxette -- Fans can sing "It must have been love, but we're over it now, We must have been good, but we lost it somehow; It must have been love, but it is over now, from the moment we kicked off, till the time had run out….."
"Every Rose has its Thorn" by Poison (you knew there'd be a Hair Band song in here somewhere….) -- Fans could sing "Was it something we said, or something we did, did our cheers not come out right? We tried not to hurt you, we tried, but I guess that's why the heart of every fan will be torn….."
Time for the silliness to end. But if you have any other suggestions, feel free to forward them to me at "pzeise@post-gazette.com" and please remember this: I know people get attached to their teams and a lot of emotional investment that goes into it, but it isn't life or death. It's supposed to be fun and games, so share a few laughs about it and hope it was just a bump in the road ...
Oct 26 2008
One of the questions voters in the Harris poll and coaches’ poll have to ask themselves in the coming week is something new: Just how good is the SEC this year?
We're used to the SEC being the dominant conference in the country year in and year out, but that's not the case this season.
Only four SEC teams are ranked and no others are even receiving votes in the AP poll. One of the ranked teams, LSU, has given up 50 or more in two its past three games. This is not a banner year for the SEC. Yes, Alabama, Florida and Georgia are legitimate, but that makes for a very top-heavy league.
Georgia and Florida play this week with the winner likely advancing to the SEC title game to face Alabama. Penn State fans had better be rooting for Florida because Alabama blew out Georgia on its home field earlier this month.
And speaking of the Penn State rooting cause, the last chance for Texas to lose is this week in Lubbock when the Longhorns travel to take on the undefeated Red Raiders. If Texas gets past this game, it’s clear sailing to an undefeated season. There is no way Missouri or Kansas will pull the upset in the Big 12 title game.
People keep saying there is now way Alabama and Texas each go unbeaten, but it’s looking more and more likely to me.
Here is the Post-Gazette ballot followed by a link for the new top 25
- Texas
2. Alabama
3. Penn State
4. Florida
5. USC
6. Georgia
7. Oklahoma
8. Texas Tech
9. Oklahoma State
10. Ohio State
11. Boise State
12. Utah
13. Missouri
14. LSU
15. Ball State
16. TCU
17. Minnesota
18. BYU
19. Tulsa
20. Florida State
21. Troy
22. Michigan State
23. Maryland
24. North Carolina
25. Notre Dame
New top 25 link
Here’s another January scenario that very well could happen. If Penn State loses to Iowa, Indiana or Michigan State and finishes the season with a 7-1 conference record, the Lions are not assured of going to the Rose Bowl despite its head-to-head record with Ohio State. In the event that there is a three-way tie with Penn State, Ohio State and Minnesota with 7-1 records, Minnesota will be the Big Ten representative in the Rose Bowl.
According to the Big Ten tiebreaker, Ohio State would drop out because it had the worst overall record with two losses. Since Minnesota and Penn State did not meet, and no other tiebreaker applies, the conference’s Bowl Championship Series representative would be determined by which team had last won the conference’s automatic BCS berth.
Penn State represented the conference in 2005.
And that’s how the Golden Gophers can get to go to the Golden State.
Oct 23 2008
Last week: 6-1; Season: 29-12
Penn State at Ohio State: The last time I picked against Penn State the Nittany Lions ran it up on Wisconsin, 48-7. So why am I picking against them again? I like Ohio State for a few reasons. The game is at the Horseshoe, where Penn State has not won since joining the Big Ten. Secondly, the Buckeyes defense is playing really well. And thirdly, Penn State has not been tested yet in a close game. This will be a close game and I think Terrelle Pryor makes one or two big plays, and the Buckeyes end Penn State’s national title hopes, 16-10.
Pitt vs. Rutgers: The company line at Pitt this week is that Rutgers is the best 2-5 team in the country. The Scarlet Knights have lost their past three games by a combined 12 points and are coming off a 12-10 home win against Connecticut. But this game is at Heinz Field against a rejuvenated Pitt team that is seeking revenge against the Knights, who have won the past three meetings between the two schools. Pitt wins, 31-20.
Auburn at West Virginia: This game sure looked more attractive in August than it does now. Both teams have dropped out of the rankings after some disappointing losses. The Tigers are among the worst offensive teams in the country, but the defense is still stout. The Mountaineers have beat up on some cupcakes after tough losses to East Carolina and Colorado. I’ll take Auburn in a field-goal fest, 12-9.
Texas Tech at Kansas: Get ready for some offensive fireworks. Texas Tech has scored 35 points or more in each of their first seven games. Kansas is almost as potent, scoring 29 or more in each of their games. I like Kansas because the game is at home and because the Jayhawks have faced better competition. Get ready scoreboard operator, 42-38.
Oklahoma State at Texas: The surprising Cowboys have a chance to get in position to play for a national championship with a win. Meanwhile, the Longhorns continue through a rugged stretch of games against ranked Big 12 foes. It should be another high-scoring affair in the Big 12, but I think the Texas defense clamps down when it has to. The Longhorns win, 35-26.
Georgia at LSU: Two one-loss teams in the SEC with the loser likely out of the BCS picture. Georgia has rebounded nicely with consecutive victories after losing to Alabama. LSU struggled last week at South Carolina before winning it late. I’ll give the nod to LSU because the Tigers are great at home, 24-20.
Oct 20 2008
The injury update for West Virginia-Auburn at Mountaineer Field Thursday:
* Defensive lineman Pat Liebig is expected to return to play as a backup after missing the past three Mountaineers (4-2) games due to a lingering concussion.
* Mountaineers quarterback Patrick White is ready and "raring to go" against the Tigers (4-3), Coach Bill Stewart said today, after missing one game and one quarter, also because of a concussion.
* And Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, despite rumors and internet reports, didn't have a stroke.
He said it, not me. (And you thought Stewart and West Virginia were catching flak. . . .)
“Over the last week or so, there obviously have been a lot
of things said,” Tuberville began at a news conference this afternoon in Auburn, Ala. “I just
want everybody to know things are going good. I did not have a stroke. I’m not
tired of coaching. I’m as fired up as ever. I feel as good as I ever have about
coaching. I still have that drive; I read that my drive was gone[, too.] No, we
did not negotiate a contract last week. That’s a new one that came out. . . .
I’ve been here 10 years. I plan on being here 10 more years.
“It’s just amazing the rumors going around when things
aren’t going as good as you hope. No matter what happens, you’re going to have
years where it doesn’t work out. I’m looking forward to the next five weeks and
seeing how we can do. All the detractors from outside that keep throwing stones
at us, that’s fine. I appreciate the sympathy cards for all my illnesses and all that. I go to church, and people ask me if I'm all right. I knew right then this thing was getting out of hand. That's why I wanted to make a short statement that I'm going to make it through the week.
"That's a paid policital announcement from Tommy Tuberville."
Oct 20 2008
The first BCS standings came out Sunday night without a whole lot of surprises. Here's a look at what people are writing about across the country.
Here is some national perspective from Brad Edwards.
Texas received all 65 first-place voters in the AP poll this week, but Mark Schlabach from ESPN has some questions about Texas and the quality of defenses in the Big 12.
So much for that loss at Oregon State. USC is in good shape in the BCS according to Chris Dufrense of the L.A. TImes.
Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News reports that Texas is No. 1 across the board in the rankings that determine the BCS.
Jake Trotter of the Oklahoman says an Oklahoma-Texas rematch in the national title game is a possibility.
The Buffalo Bills of college football have an uphill climb in the BCS. Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch reports on Ohio State's chance of getting back to the BCS title game.
Oct 19 2008
The first Bowl Championship Series standings will be revealed later on this evening, and Texas and Alabama are expected to be the top two teams. Penn State is expected to be third.
Much has been said and written in the past couple of weeks about how Penn State is sitting pretty at No. 3 because Texas and Alabama have such difficult schedules while Penn State, by comparison, has an easy path to an undefeated regular season record.
But how difficult are the schedules of Texas and Alabama?
First let’s examine Alabama’s schedule. The Crimson Tide play at Tennessee this week and finish at up against Arkansas State, at LSU and then Mississippi State and Auburn at home.
The only difficult game among those five is the visit to LSU, and the Tigers have not been overly impressive the past few weeks. They needed a late touchdown to win at South Carolina on Saturday. Tennessee and Auburn are experiencing down years.
If Alabama gets past those five teams the Crimson Tide will likely play Florida or Georgia in the SEC title game.
It would not be a shock if the Tide finish undefeated.
Texas has a more difficult road, but it’s not impossible. The Longhorns play host to undefeated Oklahoma State this week and then travel to undefeated Texas Tech. Both teams are largely untested. Yes, Oklahoma State beat Missouri, but that’s the only marquee win. Texas Tech hasn’t beaten a ranked team.
After that, The Longhorns play host to Baylor, visit Kansas and finish up at home versus Texas A&M.
In the Big 12 title game, the Longhorns will face either Missouri or Kansas.
So don’t make your reservations for the national championship game just yet, Penn State fans. The Lions could be the odd man out come December.
Here is the Post-Gazette’s AP ballot for this week followed by a link for the new AP top 25.
1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. Penn State
4. Florida
5. USC
6. Georgia
7. Oklahoma
8. Texas Tech
9. LSU
10. Ohio State
11. Oklahoma State
12. Boise State
13. Utah
14. Ball State
15. Missouri
16. Pitt
17. South Florida
18. TCU
19. Minnesota
20. Georgia Tech
21. Kansas
22. Boston College
23. BYU
24. Virginia Tech
25. Tulsa
New top 25 link
Oct 17 2008
Mike Wojcik, a three-year team member and West Virginia graduate last December, won't be at the free wrestling clinic to be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the West Virginia wrestling facility, behind the Coliseum.
But he will present in lots of thoughts.
Wojcik, 24, was critically injured in an ATV accident in eastern Pennsylvania Aug. 10. Without insurance and barely three weeks from starting a new job, Wojcik and his family suddenly found themselves facing some mounting and excessive medical bills, not to mention a taxing rehabilitation. It's the reason why youth wrestlers are invited to Saturday's clinic with the current Mountaineers wrestling team and assistant coach Greg Jones, an All-American at West Virginia, among the counselors. The clinic is in Wojcik's honor, with participants invited to make donations toward the ex-Mountaineer's comeback.
He is in the brain trauma unit of a neurologic rehabilitation institute in his native New Jersey. He is unresponsive and recently suffered a stroke. Though able to move his arms and legs to some degree, he is unable to do so much, everyday things often taken for granted. It figures to be an arduous recovery.
It's difficult to see a once-vital wrestler, to see any person, at such a crossroads, fellow former WVU student and friend Carly Mento wrote to the Mountaineers team, "but everything he is doing now is a positive sign. I have faith that he will come back to us shortly."
She was in his hometown of Old Bridge, N.J., for a charity walk in September, about one week after Wojcik was supposed to start the rest of his life: as a teacher, phys-ed and health, at Carl Sandburg Middle School -- his old school. A T.G.I Friday's restaurant also held a fund-raiser that generated almost $14,000. A local hair salon will cut hair on Oct. 26 with proceeds going to the Wojciks. Next comes Saturday's clinic.
For more information about the clinic, or about ways to
donate, contact Jones at 304-293-5383 or greg.jones@mail.wvu.edu.
More Posts
Next page »