In a story about Max Wentz' commitment to Dartmouth in the Huntington, W.Va., daily newspaper the 6-foot-4, 285-pound offensive lineman sounds like a college recruiter. Wentz told the paper (LINK):
“I took my visit at the end of June and as soon as I got there I had this feeling it was someplace special. Just the camaraderie between the players and the coaches. I talked with coach (Buddy) Teevens, the head coach, and coach (Keith) Clark, the offensive line coach, for more than an hour. They take their jobs very seriously and they care about you in all facets of your life.”
And . . .
“Their facilities are top notch. I’ve been to schools all over the country. Their facilities are right up there. The culture, all those coaches are there to stay. At some places the coaching staff might feel that it isn’t their place to stay, but coach Teevens said this is his dream job. You don’t have to worry about coaches going in and out and changing the culture.”
Per the story, Wentz is moving from tackle to center this year:
He said he likes the position change and Highlanders coach Billy Seals said Wentz has performed well there in practice. Wentz’s dad, Mike, was a center at Navy.
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The unofficial recruiting class so far:
• Michael Betsy, 6-4, 280, OL, Don Bosco/Upper Saddle River, N.J.
• Delby Lemieux, 6-4, 260, OL/DL, Duxbury/Duxbury, Mass.
• Max Wentz, 6-4, 285, OL, Huntington/Huntington, W.Va.
(As always, this is per Twitter and online reports. Additions and corrections are encouraged.)
For what it's worth there could be another addition today at noon when a rising high school senior quarterback is announcing online which of his three finalists – Dartmouth, Yale and Colgate – will win his services. (LINK)
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With Dartmouth slated to travel to New Hampshire on Oct. 16 Big Green fans will get their first look at the newish football stadium at the state university per a WMUR report headlined, Fans welcome back in the stands at all UNH athletic events this year. From the story (LINK):
“The university said there will be no COVID restrictions for fans at its sports venues, such as Wildcat Stadium.”
The university is strongly encouraging vaccinations for fans, but it cannot require them for attendance. Head football coach Sean McDonnell said he's excited about seeing the stands at Wildcat Stadium packed with students again.
"It's going to be great, because it feels you're back to normal, back to earth, back down to the things we do," McDonnell said.
And . . .
Other colleges and universities are taking a more conservative approach to their athletics. Dartmouth College is also planning a full slate of fall sports but is currently following the town of Hanover's indoor mask mandate.
"So, we anticipate opening fully to fans, but we will be consistent with whatever the current guidance is at the time as it relates to masking, indoor masking, distancing, what have you," said Ben Schuler, Dartmouth associate director of sports medicine.
And . . .
Other universities in the state, such as Southern New Hampshire University and Plymouth State University will allow fans at full capacity this fall, but they will require them to wear masks.
St. Anselm College said its guidelines for fans have yet to be established.
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From a Giants.com practice capsule (LINK):
Niko Lalos knocked down a pass after reading a slant route behind him.
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The Philadelphia Inquirer has a lengthy story headlined, Can the Ivy League continue to ban athletic scholarships? A Supreme Court ruling has some wondering. The subhead: Two Penn grads, both attorneys, wrote to the league connecting the ban on scholarships to a denial of education-related benefits. (LINK)
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The Dartmouth athletics website has a story headlined, Thirteen Named to Academic All-Ivy Teams. What makes that non-football story interesting is this line (LINK):
To qualify for a spot on the league's top academic team, these student-athletes have made major contributions to their teams throughout their careers. There is no minimum GPA requirement.
Green Alert Take: Wait. An Academic team doesn't have an academic requirement? Am I missing something?
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With Dartmouth intending to name a permanent athletic director next spring to replace interim AD Peter Roby, there may be something to be gleaned from a posting titled, Parker Executive Search Seeks New Athletic Director for Princeton University. (LINK)
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EXTRA POINT
It's Christmas in August here in Vermont. Mrs. BGA's two sisters and their kids are here this weekend as we celebrate the Christmas in December that wasn't. We've put up a string of lights, pulled out a few decorations and the 7-foot lighted star is out in the yard as we see each other for the first time in more than 18 months. Merry Christmas!
