Ah, summer.
It’s that time of the year again. If the sweltering temperatures are any indication, it’s going to be a brutal one.
Before we begin this week, I want to throw out congratulations to my U-10 soccer team. I coach a squad in Bellefonte, the Strikers, and they finished 9-0 this season. We had our season-ending picnic on Saturday and they deserve a mention here. I told the squad that they should be proud of being unbeaten. They truly played as a team and had a great time doing it.
They reminded me of how much fun sports can be. I often forget that, especially when I’m dealing with immature spoiled athletes — in both college and the pros. But these kids have helped me recharge the batteries, so to speak. It was a fun season, one I’ll never forget.
Congrats to my fine team.
But on to this week’s topics.
In today’s edition of Morelli OnLion, we’ll start breaking down the
2008 Penn State football schedule, take a look at another future Lady Lion and find out which Nittany Lion baseball player is headed for The Show.
Tim Curley pulled the trigger and Penn State will face Coastal Carolina on Aug. 30.
(Photo courtesy of BWI)
Coastal Who?
When it was announced that Penn State would be playing Coastal Carolina to begin the 2008 season, many raised an eyebrow and said “Coastal Who?” That is certainly understandable.
The Chanticleers (yes, that’s really their nickname) are a member of the Big South Conference. If you don’t know anything about the Chants, that’s OK. CC has had football since just 2002 and there isn’t much to say about their history.
This will be a cream-filled cupcake for the 2008 Nittany Lions to feast upon. If Penn State doesn’t put up at least 60 points on Aug.
30, there’s reason for concern.
But here are five quick facts about the Chants (hey, that’s what they call them)!
1. Their team colors are teal and black.
2. Their logo is an angry-looking rooster. The Chanticleer comes from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Specifically, he comes from the Nun’s Priest Tale, a story within Canterbury Tales. The Chanticleer is a proud and fierce rooster who dominates the barnyard.
3. Coastal Carolina was founded in 1954.
4. Coastal Carolina is located in Conway, S.C.
5. The football team was 5-6 last season.
There, don’t you feel better about Penn State playing Coastal Carolina? No, of course you don’t.
Future Lady Lion: Emily Phillips
Emily Phillips is a point guard, and there’s no tweaking that.
Phillips is a point guard through and through.
The 5-4 floor general from Washington High School in South Bend, Ind., was a second-team all-state selection by the Associated Press. She helped lead her squad to the Indiana state championship in 2007.
During her junior year, she averaged nine points, five assists and two rebounds per game.
Penn State coach Coquese Washington believes that Phillips could be an impact player for these Lady Lions.
“She’s a special player. She makes everybody on the floor better,”
Washington said. “She’s a defensive dynamo and she has a tremendous work ethic. She’s going to have scraped knees and elbows because she goes after it the whole time.”
As far as her ability to run the point, Washington said that Phillips will pile up the assists because she’s an excellent passer who distributes the ball effectively.
“She’s got an uncanny gift and ability to find people. She can squeeze the ball in passing lanes that nobody thought were there. She makes the game easier for her teammates because she can really pass,”
Washington said.
Having a backup point guard will be a nice luxury for Washington and Co. Last season, O’Rourke was often fatigued or playing in foul trouble, but Washington had no choice but to keep her in the game because there was no one else available.
Having Phillips gives the coach some options.
“We want to be able to give Bri more quality minutes and less quantity of minutes. There were times last year when Bri needed a break. But quite honestly, we just didn’t have anyone to put in. The key is going to be for Emily to come in and pick things up quickly,” Washington said.
There is a bond between Phillips and Washington, for sure. Like Gray, Notre Dame was recruiting Phillips. When Washington bolted ND for Penn State, she immediately offered Phillips, who became the first recruit to give Washington a verbal commitment.
By the way, in addition to being her coach, Washington is already a fan.
“She’s got a great personality. She’s so funny. She has that ability to make everybody relax. She finds the fun in everything,” Washington said. “That’s an important element. To take the pressure off, you need to have that comic relief.”
One For the Show
Major League Baseball held its annual draft last week, and there was one Nittany Lion selected. Relief pitcher Drew O’Neil was selected in the fourth round by the Chicago White Sox.
The right-handed hurler was taken with the eighth pick of the fourth round, the 120th overall selection in the draft. He was selected by the Cincinnati Reds last season, but opted to return to Penn State to earn his degree.
O’Neil became the highest-picked Nittany Lion since Nate Bump. Bump was taken in the first round in 1998 by the Florida Marlins. O’Neil made his final season at Penn State a memorable one, racking up 11 saves. Overall, he was 22-of-23 in save chances for the Nittany Lions.
He was one of three Big Ten players selected by major league teams.
In addition to writing for gantnews.com, Chris Morelli is the editor of Blue White Illustrated, a sports publication devoted to Penn State sports. He is also a regular on “Front and Center,” which airs on ESPN Radio in State College and Altoona. E-mail him at morellionlion@gmail.com.
