Normally, spring at Penn State University means there is little news coming out of University Park. That isn’t the case this year, however. There has been plenty of news coming out of Happy Valley over the past several days” and not much of it has been good.
In this week’s edition of Morelli OnLion, we’ll take a look at some off-the-field football news, some on-the-field football news, women’s basketball and softball. Let’s get right to it for the latest Penn State news and notes.
Lions In Trouble?
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated)
Several Nittany Lion football players could find themselves in hot water after reportedly being involved in an off-campus fight at the Meridian II apartment complex along College Avenue.
Reports are that late on March 31, a player was involved in a confrontation with another student outside Hooters on College Avenue. That led to several players showing up at an apartment and allegedly getting involved in a fight.
According to the Penn State student newspaper, The Daily Collegian, police reported that 11 or 12 men — including several members of the football team–forced their way into the apartment and assaulted several other men at the party. The Collegian reported that students who were attending the party identified football players who were involved. No charges have been filed, but police have questioned several players to determine their involvement in the fight. One of the players questioned was junior cornerback Justin King.
As is often the case at Penn State, no one is talking about the matter. The football offices have been silent and the sports information offices were closed over the weekend for the Easter holiday. Attempts to reach Guido D’Elia, director for communications and branding for football, were unsuccessful.
So what will the end result of all this be? It’s hard to say at this point.
As he always does, Paterno is apparently taking a wait-and-see approach. We’re guessing that if the charges are serious — and all indications are that they will be– the punishment will fit the crime. With the Blue-White Game less that two weeks away, the football team ” especially the defense” could have an entirely different look when it takes the field on April 21.
Logan-El Departs
(Logan-El Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated)
After a few months of speculation, we’ve confirmed that offensive lineman Antonio Logan-El has left the football team.
The 18-year-old redshirt freshman from Forestville, Md., made a decision to stop playing football for the Lions last Monday and informed Paterno and the coaching staff.
“I think it’s pretty final, at least at Penn State so I think football at Penn State is done,” Logan-El said.
On his personal Facebook page, Logan-El’s main picture was a football with a buster around it. Although he’s finished with football, Logan-El doesn’t hold any ill will toward the Lions.
“Penn State was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love the Penn State fans and want to thank all the people who supported me when I was having family problems and all the letters and get well cards. No matter what happens, I will always have the Nittany Lions in my heart, he said.
Logan-El’s services could have come in handy this seasons, as the Lions try to piece together a solid offensive line. With Levi Brown gone (soon) to the NFL, the coaching staff is still working on getting a cohesive unit out there. Logan-El could have been part of the mix. Not anymore.
Logan-El came to Penn State with a lot of hype. He made his college choice at ESPNZone in Baltimore. Although he wore a red tie to the event, he chose Penn State over Maryland. But at Penn State, Logan-El encountered a myriad of problems. He had health problems and some family issues. After the winter break, he came back and started to work out. But his heart just wasn’t in it, he said. In the end, it was his decision to leave the team.
“It was basically my decision. Joe was good to me the whole time. He wanted me to play football and see the best in me. Overall, I have no complaints about Penn State as a whole,” he said. “He gave me a chance to come back and be with the team. it was my call at the end.”
The end, as it turned out, came sooner than anyone expected.
Still the Lady Lions?
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated)
As the search continues for the next Penn State women’s basketball coach, there’s an interesting rumor swirling around University Park.
The Lady Lions may not be the Lady Lions when the 2007-08 season rolls around in November.
First of all, the new coach– whoever it is– may not want the Lady Lion name associated with the program anymore. In this day and age, most programs simply use the nickname that all the other teams use. Therefore, don’t be surprised to see the Nittany Lion name on women’s basketball uniforms in the future.
It has also been rumored that former Penn State coach Rene Portland had the name “Lady Lions” copyrighted. If that is true, she owns the rights to the name and Penn State could not use it without paying her to do so. If that is the case, you can bet that the women’s basketball team will be the Nittany Lions come next season.
Rollercoaster Ride
(Jenny Reynolds. Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated)
The Penn State softball team has endured its share of ups and downs this season. The Nittany Lions’ doubleheader at Michigan State was canceled Monday because of temperatures below freezing.
They are 16-12. The Lions are led by slugger Shana Madura. They opened Big Ten play by spanking Wisconsin in a twinbill, 3-1 and 8-3. Head coach Robin Petrini said the second part of the season will be a big test for the Lions because the conference is so competitive.
“You always expect some tough competition in the Big Ten,” Petrini said. “There’s no easy games in Big Ten play. It doesn’t matter who is first and who is last, they are always tough games that are usual decided by one or two runs.”
Penn State passed that test against Wisconsin. In the first game, pitcher Ashley Esparza hurled a five-hit, one-run complete game to give Penn State an edge when its bats started off cool. The two teams went scoreless until the fifth frame when Madura ripped a double that fell in right centerfield, sparking a three-run rally. Freshman Ashley Griffith followed Madura by reaching first on an error and then stealing second base. On her second hit of the day, Meghan Wolfer drove in Madura before Esparza laid down a squeeze bunt to score Wolfer. Jen Acunto scored Esparza, who had reached first safely, with an RBI-fielder’s choice to cap off the inning.
In the second contest, Penn State again started off cool before exploding for five runs in the fifth. Down 3-0, Madura once again got things started, this time lining a double through the left side of the Badger infield. A series of costly Badger errors helped Madura score and load the bases for Danielle Kinley, who connected on a single to left. Kayce Zielinski energized the crowd with a double to bring home three runners and push the lead to 5-3 in favor of the Lions. Penn State increased its lead in the top of the seventh inning when Kinley got her second hit of the game, this time a double, to start things off.
Acunto doubled her home with a one-out RBI-shot to right centerfield. With two outs, junior catcher Hollee Haines built upon the Lions’ 6-3 lead with an RBI double to left field, scoring Acunto. The Lions weren’t done, however, as Madura continued to hit well for the series and placed a single just beyond the reach of the Badger infield to send pinch runner Sam Hovanec home for the 8-3 final.
“I’ve been very pleased with our hitting,” said Petrini. “We’ve been able to score on all our opponents. We have not been shut out very often. We just need to solidify our defense and get our pitchers to give us some full games and then we will be in business.”
That’s it for this week. If there’s something you’d like to see in a future edition of Morelli OnLion, e-mail us at morellionlion@gmail.com.