VSU golf team tees off in the Las Vegas Desert Classic

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

The Valdosta State golf team hopes this won’t be the case after they compete in the first-annual Las Vegas Desert Classic on Sunday and Monday.

The Revere Golf Club, where the event is held, has a par-72 layout enclosed by mountainous Nevada gorges and completed with an overlooking view of the Las Vegas skyline.

“It’s a challenging course,” Kevin Walton, tournament director, said. “Good for a college tournament. Lots of elevation change on the golf course. The conditions are really great, greens are tough, just a good tournament course.”

The two-day event, hosted by, Missouri-St. Louis, will feature 13-15 teams from around the nation, including fellow Gulf South Conference team, West Florida.

The Blazers will compete against their rivals again for the first time since being defeated a few weeks ago by the Argos in the Matlock Collegiate Classic.
 Head Coach Jared Purvis expects his team to learn a lot during this experience and hopefully leave with a victory.

“Our goal is always to win,” Purvis said. “We just want to make sure we play good consistent golf, eliminate the mistakes, because in the end all we can control is what we do. We know we can be very competitive with those teams. We’ve proven it in these last two events. Both tournaments we’ve beaten teams ranked ahead of us so these guys know they can do it.”

After an unsatisfactory seventh place finish in their last event, the Blazers are trying to get out of the bunker in their second event on the Blazers’ 2013 schedule.

VSU plans to board their airplane Friday morning early enough to spend the rest of the day catching some sights of Sin City before the practice round of participating teams on Saturday afternoon.
 The Blazers look to make a statement teeing off in the major resort city for the first time in school history.

“We’re always happy to play in competition but especially going to Vegas. This is the first time we’ve ever played a desert golf course which is something the guys have wanted to do for a while. It’s a new city for us.  None of these guys have ever been there so it will be a treat for them,” Purvis said.

The Blazers make their way back to Valdosta on Tuesday to begin preparing for their next event, First Federal Southeastern Collegiate, which they’ll be hosting on March 11-12 at Kinderlou Forest.

Mike Swan named VSU head volleyball coach

 After spending ten seasons rebuilding Division I Evansville University’s volleyball program into contenders, Mike Swan now has the same opportunity to do so for the Blazers.  

The veteran colligate head coach was announced Monday as the new helm of Valdosta State volleyball.

 “I would like to thank President McKinney, Herb Reinhard (Athletic Director) and the rest of the Selection Committee,” Swan said in a press release.  “Everyone I met during the interview process had so many good things to say about working at Valdosta State and about the experiences that student-athletes have when they are members of a VSU squad. I am very excited to join the Valdosta State family and look forward to meeting the expectations that come with working at this University.”

Eastern New Mexico University head volleyball coach Sia Poyer’s successor will try to do what Poyer couldn’t during his tenure, that is bring the Blazers out of the shadows of rivals like West Florida and North Alabama in the challenging Gulf South Conference.

Swan is back coaching at the Division II level for the first time in 15 years, including five seasons at Morehead State where he earned Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year in 2001.

While only spending one season at D-II American International College in 1993, prior he spent three seasons at his alma mater Division III Manchester College (now Manchester University).

A member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), he began building his esteemed collegiate resume at NAIA Huntington College.

There he was awarded conference Coach of the Year in seven of his eight seasons as the head coach of the Foresters and led HC to eight district tournament appearances.

The Largo, Ind. native is currently 35^th in active coaches in D-I ranked by wins.  

“We were very pleased with the strength of the pool of applicants for our position,” Reinhard said in the same release. “As we expected, there was considerable interest in the coaching the program at Valdosta State and I feel strongly that we have found a tremendous new coach to lead us forward.”

                                                                          courierpress.com

Senior Day

Today Valdosta State basketball’s five seniors walked off the court victorious in their last game playing in front of the Blazer fans in the P.E. Complex.

Both teams managed to beat Gulf South Conference rival West Florida in games that came down to the wire Saturday afternoon.

These exiting players consist of James Anacreon, Jarroid Johnson, Shaquille Harris, Josh Sparks of the men’s team and lone senior Brittney Nelson on the women squad.

“I’m just glad this program sent me out on a high note,” Nelson said. “I couldn’t be more grateful.”

In the first game of the day, Nelson’s made three-pointer with less than a minute left in regulation helped the Lady Blazers hold on to 68-65 win over conference rival West Florida

Blazer sophomore guard Kourtnee Williams and Nelson teamed up to score the final 26 of VSU’s points.

“Kourtnee is a monster,” Nelson said. “She takes matters into her own hands when we need it the most. I think her and I feed off each other. After the first eight games, I told her we need to take leadership on the offensive end and that her and I need to score.”

Well the duo surely did so keeping the game close in the second half after giving up a lead that was as large as 16 in the first half.

In the last four minutes, the Argos went on a 12-0 run to cut their deficit.

The rally was led by Emily Erland who tallied 13 of her 20 total points in the first half.

The Lady Blazers went down 32-31 at the halftime.

UWF maintained a small lead throughout the second halftime until Nelson made one of her four three-pointers with four minutes left to put the Lady Blazers up.

The game tied twice before the clutch play by Nelson kept VSU ahead.

“Last year we had a group of seniors that lost on senior day, that broke my heart and today these kids did not let that happen,” Head Coach Kiley Hill said.

The men’s game followed after the women’s victory.

  Senior James Anacreon recorded three of his 17 total points on a game-changing converted three-point play to tie up the game at 73 with 14 seconds left in regulation.

The Argos couldn’t score again in the final seconds forcing overtime.

VSU outscored UWF 13-8 in the extra period to improve to 17-7 overall.

The Blazers couldn’t get in a rhythm in the first half nevertheless solid defense allowed them to stick around.

The game tied nine different times over the course of the first half.

UWF led 29-25 at the halftime.

The Argos went up as much as 14 points early in the second half.

Comeback chances seemed slim however the Blazers made a late-game surge.

Four VSU players finished in double figures: Josh Sparks (20), Patrick Diop (18), James Anacreon (17), Shaquille Harris (10).

Note: VSU forward Brooke Satterfield injured her left knee during Saturday’s game. The severity is unknown. The five seniors were honored before their games. VSU’s Red Hot seniors were also honored.

Coach Earl Chambers could be leaving for Georgia Southern

VSU co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach, Earl Chambers, could be leaving Valdosta for Georgia Southern University after interviewing for the same position Tuesday afternoon in Statesboro.

According to footballscoop.com Twitter feed, “Georgia Southern, sources close tell us [them] Earl Chambers is strong candidate; but decision is not final.”

GSU is looking to replace Coach John Scott Jr., who left after the 2011 season to join Texas Tech where he now serves as assistant defensive line coach.

Along with a sit-down interview with coaches and directors on Tuesday, Coach Chambers got a chance to meet several Eagle football players.

“He seemed pretty cool, he only just asked a couple questions,” GSU defensive end, Rashad Williams, said. “He seemed like he don’t really take no BS. He was kind of serious with his questions.”

Victor Cabral will continue to serve as the Eagle’s interim defensive line coach until GSU finalizes its permanent hire of a candidate with more experience.

Former VSU offensive coordinator and quarterback coach, Robby Brown, was the first to depart to Division I-FCS Northwestern State a couple weeks following the national championship.

Coach Chambers could be the second VSU coach to leave and move on to Division I-FCS.

After his playing days as a strong safety for the University of Georgia, he served five years as a Bulldog graduate assistant coach before accepting the defensive line coach position at VSU in 2005.

 A successful recruiter as well a coach, Chambers helped guide the Blazers to a 70-22 record during his tenure, as well as a pair of national championship wins.

The Spectator attempted to contact Coach Chambers, however he declined to comment.

The GSU football team starts morning workouts next week.

When Dreams Turn Into Realities

VSU offensive lineman Edmund Kugbila prepares for NFL scouting combine

AP Photo/Dave Martin
Edmund Kugbila celebrates after winning the Division II National Championship on Dec. 15 in Florence,Ala.

Growing up in the tropical  climate of Ghana in West Africa, he always was fond of soccer; his eventual love for football seemed unfathomable at the time.

This adoration for the game now is only obvious as his lifelong dream is finally becoming a reality.

 Edmund Kugbila everyday receives praise from his supporters all over including family members overseas to hometown fans in Valdosta as he gears up for a very substantial business-trip.

 Still high from a national championship victory, he makes no bones that he must dwindle these emotions to be ready not only physically but emotionally to be compeletely prepared for his upcoming job interview.

This interview is the NFL scouting combine held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.

“I really didn’t think things would pan out like this but at the same time I’ve wanted to go to the NFL since I was fifth grade. I’ve said I wanted to be a pro football player since I was a little kid. It’s a dream coming true right now. I got one shot and I got to take full advantage of it,” he said.

The annual event gives standout college football players the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of coaches, general managers, personnel directors and scouts.

Though the official combine invite list came out last week, Kugbila was expected to be on it after he pulled in the first invitation on Nov. 28.

He told the exciting news to his agent prior to informing his mother and the rest of the family face-to-face. He admits the blissful feelings that day were similar to winning the national championship in the remark that he “couldn’t believe it’s true.”

“It was emotional, so surreal. It was a great feeling, a lot of excitement. My mom knows how much I want to do this so she was very happy for me.  Dream come true, God just answering my prayers.”

Kugbila hopes to be the next Blazer in the NFL since undrafted Minnesota Viking linebacker Larry Dean in 2011.

“Larry Dean is like my big brother,” he said. “If I need any questions answers, I can call him. I look up to Larry a lot; his mentality and how he works it’s crazy. Larry is Larry. He’s a great guy to look up to. I want to be able to represent Valdosta in the NFL one day.”

The right guard’s football dreams didn’t begin developing till Edmund and his family moved from The Motherland to the metro-Atlanta city, Lawrenceville when he was 10 years old.

The prospect admits he had a few discouraging moments on the gridiron when he started playing organized football in middle school, nevertheless support from close ones helped him refrain from quitting.

Soon he enrolled into nearby Central Gwinnett High to begin his trek to the NFL.

Largely due to his bulldogged work ethic, Kugbila was a model player during his four years as a Black Knight.

 Former Central Gwinnett Head Coach and current Athletic Director & Head Football Coach at Dade County Bradley Warren is less than surprised that Edmund is in contention to play at the next level.

“I always enjoyed coaching him and he was pleasant to coach,” Warren said. “He was huge and had good size. He was real young and worked hard, just a great offensive lineman. He seemed to enjoy his work too. I’m excited for him, proud of him.”

The storied tradition that VSU garners grabbed Kugbila’s attention coming out of high school, then following an official visit to the Azalea city, it was a done deal from there. He was going to be Blazer.

He credits magnetic connections with then current Blazers and comforting vibes is a main component to his final decision.

His commitment would soon help reel in fellow Central Gwinnett grads defensive end Trokon Gaye and safety Lance Holder to join the “Black Swarm”.

Kugbila, a three-year starter, was able to make an impact as early as his freshman season as a reserve until his final game that ended in triumph and coined him a champion.

This past season, Kugbila was one of the five starting seniors on the offensive line who have moved on.

One of those five were NFL prospect Ryan Schraeder who failed to get inked on the official combine list but good friend Edmund believes that it won’t hinder him on his same pursuit to pros.

“I think he should have been on the list,” Kugbila said. “I don’t know what happen[ed] with the invite process in all that but Ryan is up here working. We’re both getting after it, trying to put VSU on the map. Ryan is a great athlete. He is probably one of the top in college football. I know Ryan is going to get a fair shot.”

Greg Reid, along with Schraeder and Kugbila, are forgoing this spring semester to solely focus their attention to their craft.   

Reid still recovering from a torn ACL that happened during the final preseason scrimmage, will link up with his former teammate during combine weekend on Feb. 20-23. 

“It’s great just to see him overcome from his injury he had. When Greg came we just took him into our family so I’m happy to see what he’s doing. I can’t wait to see him at the combine so I can’t talk to him again,” Kugbila said. “I know he’s going to do great, it’s Greg Reid.”

 Reid is listed under Florida State on the invite list; The 2010 Chick-Fil-A defensive MVP has been stationed in North Miami getting ready for the combine with his management group, Worldwide Career Management.

Kugbila is currently in Atlanta honing his skills six days-a-week with his management group, Goldin Athletics Training Association.

He also has been training with other offensive linemen prospect University of Alabama’s D.J. Fluker.

“I was nervous at first,” he said. “I’m not really nervous, just anxious to get over there to show these guys what I can do.”

Kugbila will make his way back to Titletown for VSU’s Pro Day on March 18.

National Signing Day at VSU

The first Wednesday of February isn’t like any other hump day in the world of college football.

 National Signing Day always is exciting at the Division I level as the most-sought after recruits in the nation make their public announcement where they’ll be playing collegially next year.

Division II may not have as much anticipation or thrill but Valdosta State football, one of the top programs in D-II, officially added 25 players in hopes of joining the winning tradition the Blazers pride themselves with. 

“Just being at a place that wins and winning the national championship. You can’t replace that kind of exposure with anything else. The bookstore has done a great job having merchandise galore in there; you can find anything national championship stuff. It makes our job easier when everybody is wearing that and promoting our program,” Tilmon Clark,recruiting coordinator,said.

 The Blazer coaching staff will tell you that recruitment is a year-round deal that rarely sleeps.

Bouncing back and forth from high schools all over Georgia, VSU staff put in countless hours knit-picking targets and potential signees.

 “For the most part it’s all Georgia. It’s fun to be able to recruit this time of year and tell parents and recruits from Georgia that we’re running with kids like you and I, people from Georgia,” Clark said.

This year’s signing class is four players fewer than the 29 signed last year.

This is due to abundance of players returning for another season to defend the title as champions,as a result this year’s signing class wasn’t as large as last years. 

 “The Black Swarm” added 14 of the 25 to reinforce the relentless defense.

 As far as positions go, the Blazers were expected to add more than one offensive lineman to the list of signees Wednesday since the senior starting five up front have moved on.

Brantley County’s Mitch Woodward was the lone offensive lineman that committed on signing day.

The coaching staff looks to land more experience players add more depth to this position from junior-colleges prospects that are expected to commit further into the year.

The Blazers were in contention to pick-up a commit from Butler Community College’s  Zach Burkhart until a few days following his official visit when he informed VSU he wanted to stay closer to home which is about 13 hours from Valdosta.

 While Clark didn't dispute that the offensive line is the “immediate need”, he speaks for the rest of the staff saying that it isn’t first concern.   

 “I would say the main focus for us is to find players in general," he said. "To go out and find the best talent is what our main priority is.”

Outside of Jefferson County’s Alphonso Footman, who was recruited last year and will begin working out this spring, the other 24 players get their chance to fight for playing as early as this summer.

This past season’s true freshman standouts Cedric O’Neal and Jake Walker will be the models for the incoming signees, who look to make an impact as soon as they step on campus.

Another strong signing class this year is a result of the persistent VSU coaching staff that continues to make binding relationships with high school coaches and loyalty to win with kids from the Peach State.                             

Spring workouts for the Blazers begin on Feb. 15.   

New VSU Football players as of 1 p.m.

Cory Schaeffer Grayson 5'10 170 WR

Jordan Germany Grayson 6'0 205 RB

Raymond Palmer McIntosh County Academy 5'11 180 CB

DJ Hudson LaGrange 6'1 280 DT

TK Grisby Richmond Hill 6'0 180 FS

John Gray Colquitt County 6'0 230 LB

Brent Wildes Charlton County 6'0 205 Long Snapper

Nick Davis Mary Persons 6'0 185 RB

John Gray Colquitt County 6'0 230 LB

Kenny Moore Lowndes 5'10 152 CB

Nick Hylton South Gwinnett 6'0 185 CB

 Micah Finley Parkview LB 5'11 215

Trenton Pruett North Cobb  6'1 210 DE

Nadarrius EckersSouth GwinnettDT 6'1 295.

Nick Burgman Lowndes 5'7 165 RB/WR/KR

Co Freeman Jackson 6'3 230 LB

Russell King North Gwinnett'10 180 WR

LJ Gainey South Gwinnett WR 5'10 180

Alex Stephenson Lowndes 6'2 195 QB

Dillon Veal Pierce County 5'11 185 WR