G'Day Mate

Football players showing their true colors while studying Down Under this winter are Dan Rooney, Alex Shulman, Zach Wodka, Austen Fletcher, Joey Casey, JB Andreassi, Nick Schwieger, Michael Reilly, Conner Kempe, Connor Phillips and Brendan Murray.

Here's a highlight video of incoming tight end Dean Bakes from Hotchkiss School. Bakes is 6-2 1/2, 240 pounds. He had 28 catches and three touchdowns last fall. He also played middle linebacker.

Hotchkiss was 16-2 the past two years, winning the Erickson League Championship both times. Hotchkiss won the New England Boarding School Championship in 2008 and fell in the '09 championship game in overtime. Bakes caught a go-ahead touchdown pass in the '09 game.

For more, check these BGA posts.

The Boston Herald has a blog post mentioning again that Herald All-Scholastic lineman Cam Colwell is headed to Dartmouth.

The Daily Dartmouth has a story about parents finding a way to see their kids compete in college, even if it means traveling a long way. The writer for The D spoke with West Coasters Garrett Wymore of California and Jeremy Rick of Washington (along with their parents), and Pat Lahey of Massachusetts.

A columnist in the Daily D takes on the subject of impending budget cuts and argues that cutting even a "minor" sport would, "destroy a critical aspect of student life at Dartmouth."

A simple but telling quote that I like from legendary Princeton basketball coach Pete Carril:

“You can’t separate the player from the person.”

And a few thoughts from a Tucson paper in advance of Wednesday's signing day:

1. “Commitment” doesn’t mean anything.
2. Everyone always likes their class.
3. Highly rated players aren’t always great…unless they are.

(Thanks for the link.)