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Bailey's
Take on Pirate Sports
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From the Anchor Desk
Wednesday, October 9, 2002
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By Brian Bailey
Sports Anchor of WNCT-TV 9 |
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'Chip' back where it belongs
©2002 Bonesville.net
I’ve said it and written it often. This East Carolina
football program is much better with a chip on its shoulder.
It looks like the chip is back. The Pirates whipped Army
59-24. But the war actually came earlier in the week.
Pirate Coach Steve Logan said he put his squad through some
very physical practices leading up to the Army game. It looked like the hard
work paid off.
“It was like Viet Nam, and it’s going to be like that again
this time out,” Logan said. “We didn’t handle some things well for the West
Virginia game. That will NEVER HAPPEN again, I can tell you that.”
Logan hinted that several of the older players didn’t react
well to the physical play at practice, while some of the younger players
stepped up and embraced the hard-nosed concept.
“That’s going to continue,” said Logan. “If you want to play
for this football team, then you’re going to have to get physical during
practice. We’ll play anybody that shows me that they are ready to play.”
No QB controversy here
Desmond Robinson got some quality time in at quarterback on
Saturday.
Robinson adds some nice qualities at the position, but the
No. 1 job is still Paul Troth’s.
“I felt really confident going in there with a clear head
and focused, and just executing the plays that were called,” said Robinson.
Troth said the chance to come out of the game and watch a
series really helped his game.
“I’m happy for Desmond,” said Troth. “He works real hard at
practice and he brings a different dimension to the offense.”
The only negative to Troth’s game on Saturday was in the
option game. Troth looked like a “fish out of water” a couple of times.
However, Troth still needs to run some option to help this offense produce.
“I can run the option, but the coaches don’t want me to do
too much,” explained Troth. “I just need to get a better pitch. They aren’t
looking for me to make long, game-breaking runs. They just want me to get
the football to Art Brown or Marvin Townes on the corner, and let them do
the rest.”
Despite connecting with Richard Alston on a 49-yard
touchdown bomb, Logan says his quarterback can throw the long ball a little
better.
“We’ve seen Paul throw the football 67-yards with a tight
spiral at practice, and we’ve got that on tape,” Logan said. “I think he
tightens up a little in the game, and he doesn’t get as much on the ball.
But I think it will get better.”
Berry will get it done
Todd Berry is one of the classiest coaches that I have ever
been associated with.
Unfortunately, Berry’s Army team continues to struggle.
Berry, though, says he will turn his program around.
“We are going to be fine,” Berry told me last Friday. “We
have a very young team, and we’ve really struggled at the quarterback
position. But, we are getting better players into the program and I really
think we are getting closer.”
Berry told me that the fall semester of the sophomore year
at the Military Academy is the toughest semester in a Cadet’s career.
Sophomores have to take 20 hours of classes, and we’re not talking about the
20 hours that I took in communications one semester.
“Our sophomores really have a tough deal going,” explained
Berry. “That’s not an excuse for our play, but it is a fact that many of our
guys have a lot more to worry about then just football.”
Just try to mix X’s and O’s with nuclear physics and see how
many games you win! Berry is a great coach, and perhaps an even better
person. If anyone can get it done at Army, it’s Todd Berry!
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Brian Bailey.
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02/23/2007 01:23:03 AM
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