The 10 Best Blazer Moments of 2013

No day parades -- no halftime commemorations -- no new championship banners in the rafters. Perhaps this is why 2013 appears to have a lingering gray cloud hovering above it. Superb years like 2012 make most Blazer fans wish each year could be as exciting, unfortunately they simply aren't. But hey, there's always next year, right? For zealous fans especially in Titletown, that expression is harder to swallow than horse pills ~ yet it's oh so true. 2014 is around the corner so I figured I'd try to find a silver lining in the lousy gloom. It's natural to remember the moments that caused headache; consider this a reminder of the times that made you crack a smile.

Lee to host undefeated Valdosta State Thursday night

When: Thursday, December 19, 2013 

Where: Paul Dana Walker Arena (Cleveland,Tenn.) 

Audio: Talk 92.1 

Live Stats: Sidearm Sports

Both No.25 Valdosta State and Lee are riding notable winning streaks, but only one team will extend theirs Thursday night.

Corey Billingsley (20) is third in the conference in scoring. 

The Flames (5-2) hope to extend their 22-game home win streak by handing the visiting Blazers their first defeat of the season in what will be the first-ever meeting between institutions.

One more victory for VSU (7-0) ties for the best start in school history since the 2010 season, that year's team reached the Elite Eight of NCAA national tournament.

The Blazers have high hopes and thanks to their offensive prowess – they have a reason to be.

VSU has averaged 88.6 points per game, including a 107-80 victory over Carver Bible. The deep ball has been helpful too; the Blazers are shooting 36 percent from three-point range.

The entire Blazer starting line-up (Justice, Murray, Leonard, McKay, Crawford) is averaging double-figures.

Both squads are coming off their first conference victories over West Florida. The Flames beat the Argos 82-76 Monday night.

VSU is the No.2 scoring team in the Gulf South Conference and could be headache for a LU squad that barely squeezed past UWF while the Blazers won convincingly.

"They are bigger and stronger than West Florida," Flames coach Tommy Brown said in a release. "We are going to have to play a lot of zone because of our size disadvantage against most teams in the GSC, and we have to learn how to rebound out of the zone."

LU once again will look to Corey Billingsley to carry them to triumph for the third straight game.

The junior guard leads his team averaging 19.3 points a night. He has scored over 20 points in four of seven games.

The Flames also get plenty of production out of their freshman point guard, Stedmon Ford.

Ford is third on the team in points (10.4) including a 22-point performance against Truett-McConnell and leads the team in steals (3.0) and assists (2.7).

LU is undefeated at home with wins over Johnson University, Tennessee Wesleyan, Bryan College, TMC, and UWF.

The Blazers' first two games on the road have ended in dramatic fashion, both games have been decided in overtime.

VSU is making its first appearance in Paul Dana Walker Arena; tip off is at 8 p.m. 

Blazers improve to 7-0 on the season

14 days since the last time the Blazers took the floor and you could tell they were excited to return to action Saturday night.

Valdosta State had four players finish in double figures and led by as much as 28 en route to a 80-70 victory over conference foe West Florida to improve to 7-0. 

“It looked like we were hungry for game action,” head coach Mike Helfer said. “I thought we started incredibly well. We played great the first half and the first 35 minutes then we kind of just loss focus at the end. You just can't do that if you're going to be a good basketball team.”

Forward Jarod Leonard had a season-high 14 points Saturday night. 

Coach Helfer was infuriated during the last 10 minutes of the game as his team allowed UWF to cut the deficit severely.

Despite his frustration with the conclusion of the game, Helfer had plenty to cheer about with his team dominating since tip-off.

Five minutes into the game and the Blazers went on a 17-1 scoring run which included four three-pointers made in a row.

The winless Argos couldn't cool off the Blazers, who shot 48.6 percent from the field in the first half. Defensively, VSU was also sound forcing UWG to 21 points at intermission.

A collective effort from all the starters helped the Blazers get comfortable early but transfer Jarod Leonard was a force to be reckon with inside the paint. 10 of his 14 total points came in the first half. Leonard finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds.

The Argos (0-5, 0-1) outscored the Blazers 49-40 in the second half but it wasn't enough to overcome such a large deficit.

UWF's Terrence Townes (22 points) and Nate Johnson (19 points) did what they could, both combining for 40 of their 80 points.

Blake Justice finished with 12 points, David Murray had 13 points, and Jeremy McKay had 16 points.

“Their kids showed a lot of pride down the stretch to make plays. I just thought we lost focus and when you lose focus if you're not careful, bad things can happen. A lot of credit still goes to our kids – probably the best stretch we've played the entire year,” Helfer said.

Blazers head to Lee on Dec. 19. 

Lady Blazers outlast Argos 51-48 Saturday night

Trailing by three points with only four seconds left in regulation, West Florida had one more chance.

Upon a quick inbound, Argos guard Tessah Holt had a fair look from the top of the key. Her potential game tying trifecta clanked off the rim as time expired.

The Lady Blazers outlasted the Argos 51-48 Saturday night in the P.E. Complex, which improves them to 5-1 and 1-0 in Gulf South Conference play.

Valdosta State came out victorious coming off a two-week hiatus and they did it without senior starter Maylisa Johnson (ACL).

Guard Courtney Sprague, who started all 27 games last season, cracked the starting rotation for the first time this season in her absence.

Throughout the contest the score never favored either team for too long and it came down to the final siren – the typical GSC nail-bitter.

“I think it was a nail-bitter because we had two teams that had been off for 14 straight days. I give some credit to [UWF] we got flustered and we didn't counter that really well. But eventually we grind[ed] it out and made some tremendous hustle plays. A team effort of role players did great things,” head coach Kiley Hill said.

VSU guard April Thomas led the way with a game-high 15 points and Kamiya Smith added 13 points and 9 rebounds.

Both teams battled in the first half; the lead changed seven times.

Kamyia Smith finished with 13 points and 9 rebounds. 

Following an Amy Duke jumper, VSU gained a 25-18 lead, which was its largest of the first half.

Intermission came three minutes later – UWF trailed 25-20.

Lady Blazers sixth-woman and leading scorer Thomas struggled to produce in the first period (4 points 4 turnovers). Yet, her 11 point performance after halftime was exactly what her team needed to help secure their first win in nearly three weeks.

During the second half, the Lady Blazers made great attempts to run away with game as they had a couple of scoring spurts.

Ten minutes remaining and VSU had its largest lead of the game at 43-32.

The Argos wouldn't surrender without a fight though. In the next couple minutes, UWF rallied going on a 11-3 run to give themselves a viable chance at a comeback win on the road.

Less than two minutes left in the game, the Lady Blazers held a three-point lead after Argo guard Toynetta Johnson sank two free throws.

Smith was stripped on the ensuing VSU possession but UWF guard Katie Bobos missed a crucial wide-open layup on the turnover fast break.

Another late turnover by April Thomas and the Argos would take advantage this time.

Thirty seconds later from missing a layup, Bobos took a shot of redemption as she drove through the lane.

This attempt was more contested than her last but she made the bucket anyway and was fouled in the process. Her three-point play tied the game up at 48 with a minute left to play.

On VSU's ensuing possession, Smith was fouled and drained both from the charity stripe.

Smith was sent to the line again after rebounding Johnson's desperate heave. Smith made the first and missed the second.

The Argos were left with 17 seconds to make something happen.

Fresh out the timeout, Bobos tried to come up with another clutch play when she pulled up for the game tying three-pointer.

Luckily, her shot bounced off rim into the hands of her teammate. T. Johnson snapped a pass to Holt for another shot from behind the arc. Holt missed but again the Argos came up with another vital offensive rebound.

The Argos finished with 10 more offensive rebounds than the Lady Blazers, which assisted in their rally late.

The clock stopped at four seconds left and UWF coach Stephanie Yelton called a timeout to draw up one final scheme – but to no avail.

VSU hits the road next week when they take on Lee Dec. 19. 

West Florida (5-1) at Valdosta State (4-1) Preview

Second-year UWF coach Stephanie Yelton looks to earn her first career win against VSU



When: 6:00 p.m. ET



Where: P.E. Complex (Valdosta)

 

Live Streaming: US Education TV (VSU)

Live Stats: Sidearm Sports

Tickets: www.ticketrun.com

Conference Matchup: Saturday’s contest marks the first in-conference game for both squads. VSU swept UWF last season. In the most recent meeting, the Lady Blazers held on to beat the Argonauts 68-65 last February. A month prior, the Lady Blazers managed to outlast their rivals 62-59.  VSU leads the all-time series 23-13 against UWF.   

Breaking down the Lady Blazers: After first five games, the Lady Blazers have looked promising. They are shooting 44 percent from the field and three of their four victories have been decided by at least 20 points. VSU, nonetheless, is coming off a sobering loss to Saint Leo. SLU forced VSU to a season-low 52 points. Lady Blazer transfer forward Amy Duke has been solid thus far – she has led the team in scoring the last two games and is shooting fine from three-point range (43 percent). Besides SLU, every team VSU has faced struggled to defend the Lady Blazers’ secret weapon: April Thomas. The Albany State transfer leads the team in points (14.8 percent) coming off the bench. Coach Kiley Hill certainly has received a helping hand from his handful of summoned transfers so far this season. The upcoming schedule only gets tougher with contending conference teams around the corner.

Breaking down the Argos:  UWF is on fire after extending their winning streak to five this past Saturday. The Argos’ second-half surge against Southwest Baptist was good enough for 81-76 victory at home. Now, UWF tries to continue the same success when they hit the road for its next two games. First stop will be in Valdosta. UWF features multiple scorers and sound defenders, which could potentially be problematic for the Lady Blazers. VSU will be tested defensively again competing against one of the better backcourts in the conference this weekend. Senior guards Tessah Holt (12.7 points per game) and Toynetta Johnson (12.0) are both averaging double figures. Johnson finished last game with 20 points and six assists. The Argos are averaging more rebounds (40.4-43.8) than VSU (5 more offensive) also. This stat line could make all the difference in the game’s outcome.

Eric’s pick:  80 West Florida 71 Valdosta State

Top 10 Valdosta State Quarterbacks of All-Time

With the Cochran era over now and another beginning next fall, I thought I would share my top ten quarterbacks to sport the red and black. Since the program's inception in 1982, VSU has produced a plethora of talented leaders behind center. The position has garnered 3 Harlon Hill trophies, national championship winners, and All-Americans. I based my selection off four key areas: statistics, historical significance, talent and success. Whenever anyone makes a 'top ten' list, it's always subject to altercation. So let me say remind you that this was complied through a combination of facts and of course, my subjunctive opinion. Prior and post accolades were considered, but this list reflects the quarterbacks' careers primarily as a Blazer.  So without further ado, here are my top ten VSU shot-callers. 

Honorable mentions: Mark Dace (1984-87), Chris Hart (2007-09), and Lewis Kuffuor (2005-06)

10. Fabian Walker 

Reign: 2004

First of all, any quarterback that brings a title to Valdosta State must be taken into consideration. Walker was only around for the 2004 season but boy was it special. In his lone season, he threw for over 3,000 yards and tallied 23 touchdowns. VSU's offense averaged 416 yards and 35 points that year en route to the program's first national championship. The Florida State transfer was one of the most instinctive players to ever suit up for the Blazers which made him a joy to watch. Walker was the starting quarterback for the Seminoles in the 2003 Sugar Bowl.

9. Kellen Lewis

Reign: 2009

He could do it with his accurate arm or overwhelming speed. The All-Big Ten selectee was a star for the Hoosier for three seasons. Lewis set16 school records at Indiana. He still holds the single-season passing yardage and percentage records along with career completions, and is second behind Antawn Randle El for career total offensive yards.Unfortunately, off-the-field issues led to his dismissal from the team prior to his senior season. He subsequently transferred to VSU after hearing about the school from a former teammate. Fortunately for the Blazers, the ensuing season he anchored an exciting offense that was ranked 12th in the nation in highest total offense. He finished with 14 touchdowns in 2009 but the Blazers failed to make the playoffs after going 6-4.

8. Tye Cottle 

Reign: 1987-90 

The program's first coach Jim Goodman lasted three seasons before VSC hired coach Mike Cavan. Cavan decided to name a freshman, who starred at Tift County prior, as his starting quarterback. Cavan assembled an effective tandem with quarterback Tye Cottle and All-American wide receiver Randy Fisher that opponents struggled to disrupt. Cottle started all four seasons and led the team to winning seasons in his first two. His senior year he led the GSC in passing yards. He is sixth all-time on VSU's career passing yards (5,593) and seventh in completions (427).

7. Cayden Cochran 

Reign: 2011-13 

Cayden Cochran comes in at No.7 on this list. Two of his three seasons as a Blazer were injury-plagued and displeasing.  Both those seasons (2011, 2013) resulted in missing the playoffs. Nonetheless, in 2012, things couldn't have turned out any better for the Oklahoma transfer.  Cochran was ranked 19th in the nation in passing efficiency last year. And efficient he was. The All-GSC selectee completed 64 percent of his passes and 26 of his 46 total career touchdowns were celebrated on the way to coach Dean's first championship title won with his own groomed players. Cochran ends his career seventh in career passing yards (5,191) and sixth in career passing touchdowns (46).

6. Willie Copeland 

Reign: 2006-08

After a fruitful career at Fort Valley State, transfer Willie Copeland arrived at camp in 2006 in middle of a heated quarterback battle. Once Coach Hatcher fell in love with Copeland's pocket feet and the ability to learn his system quickly - the decision was made. Copeland beat out veteran Barrett Wilkes for the starting job. Wilkes was apart of the 2002 runner-up squad and led VSU to a 9-3 record in 2005. To say the least, Willie was damn good. Copeland averaged 266 passing yards a game his first season at VSU, which was good for sixth in the nation. Copeland, a Colorado Ice quarterback today, finished fifth in career total offensive yards (5,823) and fourth in career passing touchdowns (44). Like Fabian Walker, Copeland earned a national championship title in his final game.  

5. Buster Faulkner 

Reign: 2001-03

No other walk-on has had more significance on the program than Buster Faulkner. He stepped foot on campus and quickly made a name for himself. His freshman year he was back-up quarterback to Dusty Bonner. The Blazers didn't lose a step when Faulkner replaced him the following season. The second quarterback of the Hatcher regime led the Blazers to a 14-0 record before a 31-24 loss to Grand Valley State in the title game.Faulkner threw just shy of 4,000 yards and accounted for 41 touchdowns that year. He loss the starting job to emerging redshirt freshman Barrett Wilkes the next season. Faulkner would likely rise on my list if wasn't ousted during the 2003 pre-season. He transferred to Texas A&M Commerce his senior year (where he broke several records). Both Bonner and Faulkner were successful operating under the infamous 'Hatch Attack'. 

4. Barrett Wilkes 

Head Coach Chris Hatcher talks to Wilkes during a blood drive.

Reign: 2002-2007

Coach Hatcher yet again found a new engineer for his offense - this time his guy was a local name. The Valdosta native still holds the Lowndes career touchdowns record. Wilkes beat out presumed starter Faulker for the starting quarterback job after studying him as backup in 2002. And he didn't make his coach regret his decision. Wilkes threw for 3, 269 yards and 26 touchdowns. His efforts were good enough to lead the Blazers to their fourth-straight 10 win season (10-2) all under Hatcher's tutelage.  Wilkes took a redshirt after an impressive sophomore season to nurse a sore shoulder and to make room for FSU transfer Fabian Walker. Wilkes re-earned his starting spot coming off his redshirt season but loss in the NCAA playoffs his junior year (Willie Copeland won the starter duties Wilkes's senior year). Wilkes spent two seasons as the starting quarterback for VSU and recorded 6,296 passing yards, fourth-most in school history and fourth in career total offense yards (6,333). He played on teams that advanced to four postseason appearances. 

3. Lance Funderburk 

Reign: 1992-96 

The 6'5 good ole Christian boy from Blackshear, Ga is shining product of the coveted Air Raid offense directed by one of its pioneer's coach Hal Mumme. Mumme is responsible for giving the Blazers their first taste of success. VSU made the playoffs for the first time in 1994 with Hatcher as quarterback. Funderburk surely followed Hatcher's efforts once he graduated. Funderburk's senior season was capped off with the program's second playoff appearance. That season he threw for a VSU record 4,226 passing yards with 38 touchdowns. He still holds the record for single-season passing yards and total offense. The 1996 Harlon Hill runner up had an outstanding career at VSU that was topped with the program's first ever Gulf South Conference title. A career so remarkable that Funderburk was honored as the first Division II player to participate in the East vs. West Shrine game, a contest that features the nation's best. 

2. Dusty Bonner

Reign: 2000-2001

Dusty always wanted to play SEC ball so he accepted his only offer from the conference - he signed to Kentucky. Coach Mumme (then UK head coach) gave the former Valdosta Wildcat a shot behind center once Tim Couch left for the NFL. During the 1999 season, Bonner threw for 3,266 yards and 26 touchdowns. In 12 starts at UK, he led the SEC with a 137.0 quarterback efficiency rating. After a controversial decision to start Jared Lorenzen over Bonner in the summer of 2000, Bonner took his talents elsewhere. That elsewhere was a future powerhouse near his childhood home in Valdosta. The former VHS Wildcat had a hell of a homecoming too. Bonner reunited with former UK quarterbacks coach Chris Hatcher and won back-to-back Harlon Hill trophies in his two only seasons (the only QB to do so), amassing 8, 163 passing yards and 107 touchdowns (second all-time highest). He currently holds the Blazer score record for passing yards in a game, touchdowns thrown in a game, and total offense in a game. Bonner failing to make a deep playoff run, considering the talent around him, was the deciding factor that landed him at No.2. One thing is certain though, Coach Hatcher's promotion couldn't have come at a better time for Blazer Nation. 

1. Chris Hatcher

Reign: 1991-94

No surprise here. Chris Hatcher reached Division II highest levels as a player then later as a coach. He forever goes down as one of the most prolific passers in college football history. It's hard to say this would be possible without the direction of Hal Mumme. Hatcher's passing attempts doubled when coach Mumme replaced coach Carvan in 1992. Mumme taught and administered a system that Hatcher soon thrived in. Coach Mumme's first season was spent adjusting, polishing the blemishes in the scheme, VSC finished 5-4. However, the next season, everything clicked. Hatcher's stellar play during his upperclassmen years lifted the Blazers to the national spotlight. At career end, Hatcher set 29 VSU passing and total offense records. He broke Doug Williams's Division II career touchdowns record and also set 10 national career records.Mr. Hatcher, in my opinion, is the founding father of Blazer quarterbacks. I say this not because he led VSU to its first playoff appearance nor because he was a Harlon Hill winner, but mainly because his career passing touchdown (121) and yardage (11, 363) records are untouchable.