Archive For The “Derek Gaul” Category
As you may have heard, our family has been blessed with a new puppy. As you probably have not heard, puppies require 7AM walks to do their business, and puppies don’t care if you’re tired, upset, frustrated, or angry.
At 7AM on Sunday, I exited the house with the dog, and promptly ran into another entirely too happy dog owner walking his dog.
My inner Clark Kent-ish personality jumped to the front, somehow pasting an easygoing smile on my face, packing away all the frustration of Saturday’s game as I made smalltalk about being a dog owner, the same smalltalk that dog owners have probably been making about dogs since dogs showed up in our caves thousands of years ago.
It wasn’t a bad conversation – I didn’t regret having it, even though it was unmemorable. I was glad to share some goodwill with the neighbors. But it did demonstrate to me what sports fans have to do in this age when our teams are struggling. You have to be able to put your fan alter ego away to get through life.
Fifteen minutes before the game was about to start, ESPN Radio announcer Matt Kerr told the radio-listening public that 4-1 Bucknell would not only be missing their starter quarterback, QB R.J. Nitti, but would also be without the services of their star running back, RB C.J. Williams.
You might be forgiven if that made you think that Lehigh’s chances of getting their first win, and avenging last season’s loss to Bucknell in Lewisburg, would be much greater.
It didn’t turn out that way, however, as backup QB Trey Lauletta stepped right up into the void and had the game of a lifetime against Lehigh’s beleaguered defense.
After Lehigh scored the game’s first touchdown, Lauletta and the Bucknell offense helped create the the next 31 points for the Bison, and when Lehigh finally settled down and cut the deficit to one score, Lauletta would find WR Will Carter for a back-breaking touchdown to win the game for the Bison.
“Embarassing” is what Lehigh head coach Andy Coen told ESPN radio sideline reporter Matt Markus it was.
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(Photo Credit: Justin Lafleur/Lehigh Athletics)
At the University of Alabama they call it “A-day,” and hold it in from of more than 76,000 fans.
Head coach Andy Coen didn’t brand Lehigh’s spring scrimmage “L-day”, and, well, there weren’t exactly 76,000 fans who came to Murray Goodman Stadium on a beautiful sunny Saturday morning, either.
Instead, though, the fans that came were treated to a pass-happy scrimmage that featured no tackling contact after the third series, thanks in part to the fact that Lehigh only suited eight linemen on the morning.
It was a scrimmage that featured a whole lot of energy – and a whole lot of newness.
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It’s hard being an offensive player at Lehigh, thanks to the shoes you have to fill.
This season, though, at wideout and running back, it’s even more difficult than usual.
At running back, all the incoming backs need to be able to do is outdo the accomplishments of RB Keith Sherman – who only was Lehigh’s first 1,000 yard rusher in the last eleven years, and also nearly carried last year’s team on his back to a Patriot League championship.
And then there’s wide receiver, where the highest profile offensive players in the last two years, WR Ryan Spadola and WR Lee Kurfis, were back-to-back FCS All-Americans and broke a good portion of Lehigh’s receiving records. Kurfis, too, nearly carried Lehigh on his back to the playoffs last season. And Ryan is plyin his trade in the NFL, eager to break through onto the Dolphins’ roster once again.
All the new group from this spring needs to do is to equal their level of excellence. Simple, right?
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12 days from today the season will start!
At no. 12, we look at junior WR Derek Gaul as our highlighted Lehigh football athlete today.
