Mount Union held off Carnegie Mellon 24-19 in the third round of the NCAA Division III football playoffs on Saturday.
Rossy Moore’s sack of Carnegie Mellon quarterback Ben Mills with 1:25 left helped the Purple Raiders close out the Tartans.
Mount Union will face Salisbury in the quarterfinals next Saturday.
ALLIANCE — Rossy Moore always has a nose for the football … and opposing quarterbacks.
Just look at what the All-American linebacker has done in Mount Union’s first two NCAA Division III football games.
Moore helped the Purple Raiders get off to a fast start against John Carroll last week when he returned a fumble for a touchdown.
On Saturday, he dealt Carnegie Mellon’s upset bid a crushing blow.
Moore’s sack of Tartans quarterback Ben Mills on fourth down with 1:25 left helped Mount Union wrap up a 24-19 win at Larry Kehres Stadium. The Purple Raiders (12-0) advance to the quarterfinals to face Salisbury next Saturday at a time to be determined.
Mount Union head coach Geoff Dartt believes next week’s game will be on the road. Salisbury has a better NCAA Power Index ranking than Mount Union.
The Tartans (11-2) were at the Mount Union 46-yard line when Moore produced the biggest defensive play of the game.
“The mindset for sure was to close out the game,” Moore said. “… Our defensive line coach was like ‘Let me and KB (end Kaleb Brown) rush off the edge and go make a play to take us home. We did that.
“We put time and effort in and worked super hard on our pass rush. When the moment comes, we’re ready for it for sure.”
The Tartans were pinned back at their own 14 with 2:44 left at the start of their final drive. They didn’t go away quietly.
Mills completed a 14-yard pass to Brendan McCullough. After the two-minute warning, he connected with Reece Kolke for a 23-yard gain into Purple Raiders territory.
Carnegie Mellon didn’t gain a yard after that. Mills threw three straight incompletions, including a pass that was broken up by Mount Union cornerback Zack Liebler. Moore finished the job.
“We were confident that we could get a stop with our pass rush,” Dartt said. “They did that, and obviously that ended the game.”
The Purple Raiders used a 17-0 run over the second and third quarters to grab the lead for good. Tyler Echeverry ran for two touchdowns during that stretch. Ivan Maric also kicked a 41-yard field goal.
Echeverry’s great season keeps an rolling. The All-American eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark for the seventh straight game and finished with 112 yards on 27 carries. He went into the day leading the nation in touchdown runs. The two TDs give him 24 for the season.
What has Echeverry attributed his success to?
“The offensive line,” he said. “I’ll say it every time and it will sound cliché, but some of the seams they can create against some good defensive lines and good linebackers is just insane. I work with them every day, so it’s kind of second nature when you see that to just hit it hard.”
Quarterback TJ DeShields threw for 218 yards and ran for a touchdown for the Purple Raiders, who are in the quarterfinals a year after getting eliminated by Alma in the second round.
“We’re excited about the win,” Dartt said. “Carnegie Mellon is a great team and very well coached. Obviously we want some plays back, but what a great football game. We’re happy to come out on top.”
Jeremiah Peterson isn’t surprised at his outstanding season playing a leading role for Montini.
But Peterson, who had 120 tackles and an interception return for a touchdown in his junior season, is surprised at one aspect – his position.
After playing middle linebacker for the Broncos last season, Peterson is the lead tailback heading into Saturday’s 1 p.m. Class 3A state semifinal home game against No. 2 seed Wilmington (12-0). The ninth-seeded Broncos (10-2) suffered several injuries at running back, causing the coaching staff to ask Peterson to become the team’s starting running back.
Thus far, after taking over the starting spot, Peterson is ripping off long runs to help give the Broncos a dynamic running and passing attack.
“Defense was always my thing,” Peterson said. “I always had a love for running back. I played running back and linebacker when I was little. If you told me last year that I would hardly play defense this year, I would’ve been like, ‘what are you talking about.’ But it’s been very fun playing running back.”
Montini coach Mike Bukovsky said Peterson is one of the unsung players for his program this season.
“We had to shift Jeremiah’s role,” Bukovsky said. “We had some early injuries and then had another player who missed part of the season. Jeremiah took the reins of our offense and really quietly put together a really good year in the last six or seven games. He’s been a big spark in our offense. He only had a few carries last year and played a lot on defense, but when we needed him to step to the other side of the ball, he’s been a pleasant surprise with his production this year.
“His stats are not gaudy because we spread the ball around. I think he’s really been a good storyline for us. He’s a very talented young man and a good athlete.”
At 5-foot-11 and 225 pounds, Peterson is a load for defenses to stop. Peterson torched defending 3A state champion Bryon to the tune of 117 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the second round of the playoffs. Peterson shredded Princeton for 100 yards and scored a late touchdown to seal last week’s win.
“The plan was for me to still play defense this year,” Peterson said. “We had three guys go down with injuries. The last time playing running back was my freshman year on the frosh/sophomore team. I played a lot of running back that year, but by playing linebacker, when I’m at running back, I’m able to more naturally read the linebackers and get to the right hole. I’m very thankful for my team allowing me to play running back.”
After opening the season with a 2-2 record, the Broncos have reeled off eight straight victories to earn a return date to the state semifinals. A year ago, the Broncos dropped a 26-20 decision to eventual 3A state champion Byron in the semifinals.
Bukovsky said the 28-player senior class helped lead the rest of the team back to the semifinals.
“It’s been a great year so far,” Butovsky said. “I’m very proud of this group of young men and our coaches who have all done an awesome job. It’s great to be back in this same place a year later with the opportunity to win a home semifinal game to get to the state championship game. The road this year was pretty tough.”
Bukovsky said the Broncos’ tough schedule, along with their experience from last season and veteran-laden squad, led to the streak of victories.
“We’re thrilled to be here, but we’re certainly not satisfied,” Bukovsky said. “Wilmington is a very good program. I’ve known those coaches a long way back, to the 1996 playoffs when we played them and I was the defensive coordinator. We know the type of kids and coaches they have. We will have to play our best. Our defense has been very consistent and a couple of games away from the conversations of one of our better defenses. We can’t wait to play at home. Our fans have been fantastic. We want to ride this moment.”
York’s Bruno Massel, right, celebrates a first-quarter touchdown with teammates Jack Bodach, left, and Fintan Helm during a Class 8A football quarterfinal on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in Elmhurst. (Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald/Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald)
York answers all the doubts
At the start of the season, York had a number of question marks regarding its program.
A new coach was the main concern. No longer was the builder of the program, Mike Fitzgerald, patrolling the sidelines.
Also, the Dukes had to find a new quarterback.
And the offensive line was a slight concern due to an influx of new faces.
Twelve games into the season, the Dukes (10-2) have answered all the doubts about their program with their third straight run to the Class 8A semifinals. The No. 14-seeded Dukes travel to No. 7 seed Naperville Central (11-1) for Saturday’s 6 p.m. state semifinal.
“No matter which way you slice it, three years in a row in the Class 8A semifinals is not easy,” York first-year coach Don Gelsomino said. “That’s a tall task for anybody. We’ve come a long way, as a team and a program. This group, as freshmen, started at York when we had not been to the playoffs in a decade.
“We’ve now been in the semifinals three years in a row. Now that our program is there, we have to live up to these expectations. It’s not pressure. We’ve already put in all of the hard work to get into the playoffs, so let’s go out and have some fun.”
York right guard Costa Kampas, who will also slide over to right tackle, is one of the stabilizing players on the offensive line. After playing a reserve role last season, Kampas grew two inches and added 30 pounds to sprout to 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds. His size forms a fearsome combination with Notre Dame recruit Joe Reiff at right tackle.
“We understood it was win or go home and not to take plays off,” Kampas said. “All five guys have worked hard throughout the season and summer to be at this point. We’ve clicked as an offense and we want to keep paving the way. I think the biggest thing in the playoffs is everyone is playing with a chip on their shoulders. We’re a two-loss team and had a tough first-round (game). We overcame all the doubt a lot of people had about his program and flipped it.”
In their three playoff games, the Dukes have racked up big yards on the ground to the tune of 239, 395 and 347 yards.
”We had basically a whole new line other than Joe,” Gelsomino said. “We were trying to find the right combinations. Costa has really grown into his role. We have a kid who can really start any position comfortably for us. We have some flexibility. His growth in the system and making blocks has been key. He’s a big kid who works really hard and it helps tremendously when you have an offensive lineman like that.”
Extra points
Nazareth (10-2) is two wins away from a three-peat state championship. The Roadrunners host St. Francis (10-2) on Saturday. The Spartans defeated the Roadrunners in a thrilling 39-36 regular season game on Oct. 25.
AFTON – At halftime, Andre Bradford was approached by Inland Lakes football coach Travis Meyer.
After losing senior quarterback Aidan Fenstermaker to an ejection late in the first half, Meyer needed someone to provide an offensive spark.
“We knew we had a quarterback that could just run our offense, but that wasn’t what was working super well, so we kind of had to resort to some of that, which was like Plan C, Plan B, somewhere down in there,” Meyer said.
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Bradford, who hadn’t played QB since fourth grade, told Meyer he would give it a try.
Because when you hate to lose as much as Bradford does, you’ll do everything you can to win.
With the final seconds ticking down in the fourth quarter and the game on the line, Bradford found enough space and powered himself into the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown, which allowed the Bulldogs to capture a second consecutive MHSAA 8-Player Division 1 regional championship with a thrilling 32-26 victory at Alcona on Friday.
“It was like this relief moment,” Bradford said of the TD. “We worked so hard this season, and we didn’t want to come up short, so when I was able to get in the end zone, it was probably one of the greatest feelings in the world.”
When his teammates and coaches needed him most, Bradford rose to the occasion, keying Inland Lakes on a pair of critical TD drives, including a 90-plus-yard march to regain the lead early in the third. From there, Bradford settled in, gained confidence, and gave the Bulldogs a shot the rest of the way.
“In that moment, with us being down and us needing to go up, it was scarier than walking into my tree stand in the dark,” Bradford said.
Bradford’s adventure didn’t come without at least one setback, a fourth-quarter fumble that handed the ball back to the Tigers, who held the lead. However, the Inland Lakes defense forced an Alcona fumble on the ensuing possession, giving the Bulldogs another chance.
With 15 seconds left, Bradford got his redemption.
“I just really don’t like to lose, so I just gave it everything I had,” Bradford said. “I knew that if we drove down the field that (Alcona) wouldn’t have much time left. I really wanted to win for the seniors and it kind of motivated me to just not give up hope.”
REGIONAL PREVIEW:What are the keys during Friday’s regional football showdown between Inland Lakes, Alcona?
INLAND LAKES VOLLEYBALL:Inland Lakes wins sixth district title in a row; Mackinaw City competes in St. Ignace
Not only was Bradford thrilled to keep the Bulldogs’ state title hopes alive, but he was also relieved that it wasn’t the end for Fenstermaker. When the clock hit zero, both celebrated like so many times before.
“(Fenstermaker) came up to me (at halftime) and I was just telling him how I didn’t want it to be his last game, and so when we finally marched down and scored the last touchdown, it felt great just to give him another chance in another high school football game,” Bradford said. “I was super proud of the offensive line and the whole team that we were able to do that.”
With a chance to return to Marquette, Bradford and the Bulldogs (11-0) travel to Pickford (11-0) in a rematch of last year’s state semifinals at 1 p.m. Saturday.
SAN FRANCISCO — Apple snapped out of a recent iPhone sales slump during its summer quarter, an early sign that its recent efforts to revive demand for its marquee product with an infusion of artificial intelligence are paying off.
Sales of the iPhone totaled $46.22 billion for the July-September period, a 6% increase from the same time last year, according to Apple’s fiscal fourth-quarter report released Thursday. That improvement reversed two consecutive year-over-year declines in the iPhone’s quarterly sales.
The iPhone boost helped Apple deliver total quarterly revenue and profit that exceeded the analyst projections that sway investors, excluding a one-time charge of $10.2 billion to account for a recent European Union court decision that lumped the Cupertino, California, company with a huge bill for back taxes.
Apple earned $14.74 billion, or 97 cents per share, a 36% decrease from the same time last year. If not for the one-time tax hit, Apple said it would have earned $1.64 per share — topping the $1.60 per share predicted by analysts, according to FactSet Research. Revenue rose 6% from last year to $94.93 billion, about $400 million more than analysts forecast.
But investors evidently were hoping for an even better quarter. Apple’s stock price slipped slightly in extended trading after the numbers came out.
The results captured the first few days that consumers were able to buy a new iPhone 16 line-up that included four different models designed to handle a variety of AI wizardry that the company is marketing as “Apple Intelligence.” The branding is part of Apple’s effort to distinguish its approach to AI from rivals such as Samsung and Google that got a head start on bringing the technology to smartphones.
Even though the iPhone 16 was specifically built with AI in mind, the technology didn’t become available until Apple released a free software update earlier this week that activated its first batch of technological tricks, including a feature designed to make its virtual assistant Siri smarter, more versatile and more colorful. And those improvements are only available in the U.S. for now.
“This is just the beginning of what we believe generative AI can do,” Apple CEO Tim Cook told analysts during a Thursday conference call.
Cook said plans to expand the AI iPhone features into other countries in December, as well as roll out other software updates that will inject even more of the technology in the iPhone 16 and two high-end iPhone 15 models that are also equipped with the special computer chips needed for the slick new features. The December expansion will include an option to connect with OpenAI’s ChatGPT to take advantage of technology that Apple isn’t making on its own.
Investors are betting that as Apple’s AI becomes more broadly available, it will prompt the hundreds of millions of consumers who are using older iPhones to upgrade to newer models in order to get their hands on the latest technology.
Although the iPhone sales bounced back, another key part of Apple’s operations — its services division — didn’t fare quite as well as analysts anticipated amid regulatory efforts in Europe and U.S. to force the company to allow more payment options within its app store. That crackdown threatens to undercut a lucrative fee system that enables Apple to exclusively collect a 15% to 30% commission on many of the digital commerce transactions completed within iPhone apps.
The revenue in Apple’s service division climbed 12% from a year ago to nearly $25 billion, but that figure was about $200 million below analyst projections.
Apple’s revenue also dipped slightly from a year ago in China, where the company has been facing stiffer competition in the smartphone market.
Keshav and Bina Rao of Creative Bee show a prototype of a lifestyle accessory made with water hyacinth fibres
| Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal
In the compact office of Creative Bee studio in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, are samples of lifestyle accessories such as pen stands, coasters, table mats, baskets and lampshades made of water hyacinth fibre, priced between ₹300 and ₹5,000. Some of the sturdy baskets and lampshades are at least a decade old. Bina and Keshav Rao, founders of the organisation, which is reputed in the handloom and craft sector, have helmed skills training projects. After training women in two villages in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, in 2022, Keshav recently conducted a survey of three villages in Bihar for a similar project; he also hopes to train women in Hyderabad and in the nearby districts of Telangana.
The couple points out that water hyacinth, the weed that grows wild on water bodies, can be harnessed to provide a source of livelihood to people trained to make lifestyle accessories. “If the products meet quality control as per international standards, there is huge potential. Stores such as Walmart and Ikea look to source products made with natural fibres,” Bina explains.
Snapshots from the training programme and some of the products
| Photo Credit:
Special Correspondent
Creative Bee has been part of UN-aided craft training projects in India and Southeast Asia in the past. Going by its track record and learning about some of the products available in Thailand, the Collector’s office in Tuticorin and Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission invited them for a training project.
Following a preliminary survey of the water bodies near Tuticorin, a programme began in Authoor and Kottakurichi villages in January 2022. Women from self-help groups, many of them wives of farmers in the nearby banana plantations, took part in the training. “Initially it was a small group. As word spread, more women came forward and were provided a stipend. We trained 60 women,” says Bina.
Training for precision
Keshav had designed tool kits to help slit the water hyacinth stems, weave and pleat them. Product prototypes were designed with the help of alumni from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. He explains that the first few days are normally spent in thoroughly washing the fibres to prevent fungus formation. The fibres are then sorted according to thickness and length and dried on tiled rooftops. “This takes about five or six days in summer and longer in other seasons. Once completely dry, the fibres are trimmed to the required thickness.”
Keshav and Bina Rao show prototypes of lifestyle accessories made with water hyacinth fibres
| Photo Credit:
Nagara Gopal
The pleating of fibres into baskets and other products is a skill perfected through practice. It takes six weeks to learn basic pleating techniques. Keshav says there is often a misconception that a training programme of a fortnight or a month would suffice. He shows a few baskets that reflect the amateurish handwork with irregularities in pleating. In contrast, the pleating and finish of the products made by artisans who have trained for a few months, stand out as premium products. “At least six months of training is essential to achieve stringent quality control and uniformity for bulk corporate orders and for national and international lifestyle stores. We also identify the skill sets and delegate the task. One might be good at trimming the fibres while another might be good at pleating or ensuring a smooth finish of the product, and so on.”
Baskets and desk accessories are only one part of the product line. Keshav and Bina point out that there is scope to design furniture as well.
“The Tuticorin project extended to eight months since normalcy was just being restored post lockdowns. The women had learnt to make good quality products,” says Bina. Towards the end of the project, Ramesh Flowers, a company that exports dry flowers and other lifestyle products for an international company, helped facilitate a bulk order of water hyacinth products. The project is still underway in Tuticorin, says the couple, and adds that their involvement was only with the training programme.
Bina and Keshav hope to train more people in the craft. A survey of water bodies in Bihar has helped Keshav identify three villages — Samsa, Kaidarabad and Rajlakhanpur. “At the moment, we have a few artisans in Tuticorin who can be trainees and impart these skills to others in Bihar. We hope to impart the skills to a few women in Hyderabad and the surrounding regions in Telangana as well,” says Keshav.
David Norman Jr. was born in New Westminster but grew up in Coquitlam.
After a long and winding road, Coquitlam soccer player David Norman Jr. hopes he’s finally found a home close to home.
In the eight years since Norman left Oregon State University after his freshman year to turn pro with the Vancouver Whitecaps development team, he’s alighted in Scotland, Victoria, Miami, Calgary, England and Ireland.
In January, Norman signed a two-year contract with Vancouver FC of the Canadian Premier League, hopeful his itinerant voyage through the sport are over and the things he’s learned along the way will benefit his younger teammates..
“It’s been quite the journey,” said Norman, who was born in New Westminster. “Playing under so many different coaches and systems, and for so many fan bases, I’m able to take all that experience and bring it to the club here.”
Here is Langley, where Vancouver FC plays its home matches at Willoughby Park and Norman now lives.
He said the proximity to Coquitlam, where friends and family are able to make the short journey to watch him play instead of checking results from faraway leagues and distant time zones, was a big driver of his decision to join the club.
As well, the two seasons he spent with another CPL club, Calgary FC, showed him the strides the league has made in playing competitive soccer and developing the next generation of Canadian players.
Norman, 26, said it’s important he become a part of that developmental arc by sharing his experiences with Vancouver FC’s younger Canadian players.
“It’s special to think that 15 years ago the Whitecaps academy program was the only real opportunity for them and now there’s so many more opportunities to pursue their goals and dreams right here in BC,” Norman said.
“I’ve seen what football is like elsewhere and if there’s any way I can help these young players, I want to be able to provide a bit of leadership.”
Passing down his passion for the sport comes naturally for Norman. HIs grandfather founded Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club and his dad — also David — played professionally for the Vancouver Whitecaps in the old North American Soccer League as well as teams in the Major Indoor Soccer and the Canadian Soccer leagues. He also made 55 appearances with Canada’s national team.
“Hearing their stories about the sport really helped me a young player,” said Norman, a defender.
Despite his fulsome resumé, Norman has had to earn his way into Vancouver FC’s lineup, perhaps an indication of the quality of some of the team’s other young Canadian players, like Port Moody’s Anthony White and Port Coquitlam’s Kadin Chung.
Norman has appeared in 15 of Vancouver FC’s 26 matches so far this season, scoring once. But he’s been a starter the past two and was named to the CPL’s Team of the Week for his defensive prowess in a 1-1 draw against Halifax Wanderers FC, Oct. 5.
Iron is a crucial nutrient in our body that helps develop cells, keeps you energetic, and promotes skin, hair, and overall health. Deficiency of the nutrient leads to dizziness, fatigue, sleep apnea, and more. This is why, you will find health experts stressing on including iron-rich foods in your diet to stay well-nourished. Now, a mere Google search will show you a long list of food items that can help balance iron levels in the body. But did you know your cooking techniques play an equally important role in the scenario? The utensils you use on a daily basis also define how your health profile will look like. Wonder how? Take iron utensils for instance. According to celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, “Cooking in iron kadhai makes your food iron-rich.” Let’s take a closer look.
How Iron Utensils Help Boost Iron Levels In Your Body?
Iron pots and pans have been in use since time immemorial, but it’s only now that people have been more conscious about its benefits. The food when heated in iron cookware, reacts and absorbs some iron from the utensil, fortifying its goodness. According to a comparative study, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers looked into the amount of iron in 20 different types of foods before and after cooking them in iron pans. It was found that around 90 percent of the foods contained more iron when cooked in iron cookware. Also Read:Beyond Spinach: 5 Delicious Iron-Rich Foods You Need To Try
Another research, published in the journal PLOS ONE, found that using iron cookware had some evidence of reduced iron deficiency and anaemia risks in children. However, it was also found that the effects of iron absorption in these cases, depend much on your age, the size of the pot, and the type of food you are cooking. For instance, it is suggested to not cook acidic food in iron cookware as it may react and erode the nutrients in the food.
Photo Credit: iStock
Dos And Don’ts To Remember While Using Iron Cookware:
– Never use acidic ingredients:
Cooking ingredients like lemon, vinegar, or anything that is acidic in nature in iron pots may ruin the goodness of the food. In fact, it may add a metallic flavour to the food.
– Don’t keep the food on iron pan after cooking:
While cooking iron pan adds to the goodness of the food, keeping it as it is for long may evaporate all the goodness. Iron pan retains heat for a long time, which is why, food keeps cooking even after you switch off the gas. And as we know, overcooking ruins the nutrients in food, alongside increasing of it getting burnt.
– Always season the tawa:
It is important to keep iron kadhai seasoned to cook the food effortlessly. Food gets stuck to the unseasoned tawa, ruining the final product. All you need to do is brush some oil on the pan and heat it well.
– Wash it gently:
Avoid using hard scrub while cleaning iron cookware. It may erode the seasoning, further making it hard for you to cook your next batch of dishes. The best way is to rub some salt on the tawa, along with some baking soda, and rinse thoroughly. Now that you know about the goodness of iron cookware, we suggest, bringing it out from the loft and starting using it, keeping all the precautionary measures in mind. Happy and healthy cooking, guys!
CLEMSON — Clemson football came together Wednesday to help one of its own who was affected by Hurricane Helene.
Tigers freshman wide receiver T.J. Moore and his family lost everything — their home, car, belongings — in the storm when it hit Tarpon Springs, Florida, a city near Tampa.
Moore’s aunt, Samantha Gonzalez, started a GoFundMe on Wednesday with a stated goal of $10,000, with all donations going toward a new apartment, apartment application fees, furniture and hotel room expenses. The fundraiser exceeded that number by Wednesday night, with more than 300 people donating $32,000.
“I can’t even begin to thank everyone for the overwhelming support,” Moore’s mother, Alexandra Moore, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday. “I’m at a loss for words, wiping many tears. Knowing that we don’t have to wonder or worry where we’ll sleep next takes a huge burden off of our chest.”
Various Clemson football and athletic department staffers donated to the cause. T.J. Moore’s teammates, defensive linemen Peter Woods and T.J. Parker, both gave $500. The largest donation was $7,500 from an anonymous contributor.
According to the GoFundMe, Moore and his family “took on about 5ft of water in Hurricane Helene.” The page shows pictures of flooding in their home and car. Moore is among 14 Florida players who are on the Clemson team.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said after the game Saturday against Stanford that many players were affected by Helene but didn’t want to get into specific details. Swinney said Wednesday that Moore’s family came to Clemson in the middle of last week to avoid the storm, and he gave Moore’s mom a hug at “Tiger Walk.”
“Total loss, devastation and so hopefully people will help and support them as they try to start over,” Swinney said. “It was a devastating storm to so many people, but they’ve got great spirit. . . .
“I was just trying to give her a hug and pick her up, and she picked me up. She was just like, ‘Listen, it’s all good. We’re grateful,’ and what an amazing spirit that they have as a family. So I know they’ll push through it.”
Moore will return to his home state Saturday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) when No. 14 Clemson (3-1, 2-0 ACC) faces Florida State (1-4, 1-3) in Tallahassee at Doak Campbell Stadium. Through four games this season, he has six receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown, and he made his first career start against Stanford.
MORE:Why Clemson football, Dabo Swinney’s victory vs Stanford meant more after Hurricane Helene
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
SALEM — Ethan Mapstone was having dinner with his girlfriend when his cell phone lit up.
The caller was a guy he did not know, but his former football coaches at Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach sure did.
It was Bryan Stinespring, who quickly pitched Mapstone to consider taking on a unique adventure in a few months. How would he feel about being part of a new college football team? The question was directed to Mapstone when due to some injuries and other circumstances, he was nearly ready to permanently shut the door on his gridiron days.
Stinespring changed his mind.
“It was a very random event,” Mapstone said. “Coach Stinespring called me (during dinner) and three days later I was here on a visit. I knew instantly when I got here, I knew this was the place I needed to be.”
On Sunday, Mapstone and 61 others who had similar conversations with Stinespring in recent months will be on the sidelines at Salem Stadium to play the Maroons’ first organized college football game in more than 80 years when Roanoke hosts Hampden-Sydney’s junior varsity.
All this comes just 15 months after Roanoke College announced that the school had reached its goal of raising the $1.2 million necessary to re-establish the football program, as well as a cheerleader team and marching band. They will be in action as well on Sunday.
If this sounds like a quick turnaround, in comparison to other football startups in this century, it is. When Old Dominion announced in June 2005 that it was reviving its football program that was discontinued in 1940, the Monarchs did not hire coach Bobby Wilder until February 2007, and the first game was not played until fall of 2009, although the program’s first class of recruits were signed, and redshirted in 2008.
The time span was not as long at Christopher Newport, which announced it was starting its football program in December 1999. Still, the Captains did not take the field until the start of the 2001 season.
Stinespring, who was introduced as the Maroons’ first head coach on Nov. 20, 2023, said he talked to people who were involved with the establishment of both teams, but he and his superiors decided Season 1 needed to provide the rosters of players who have taken this leap of faith to at least get a limited season of experience.
Stinespring’s ties to Virginia, especially the southwestern part of the state, made him one of few people who could probably get things together in such a tight window of time. In addition to the 26 seasons, he served as an assistant coach under Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech, Stinespring is a native of Clifton Forge in Alleghany County and followed his time in Blacksburg with coaching stints at Delaware, ODU and Maryland. He was serving as the associate head coach at VMI when he accepted the Roanoke College job.
While Stinespring was taking care of building his staff and roster, the college was taking care of the external operation. A new locker room and weight-training facility was built inside the school’s Bast Center. And dates for home games were set aside at Salem Stadium.
“Coach Stinespring could be coaching anywhere with the background he has,” said Roanoke athletic director Curtis Campbell, who began his job a month after the football program was announced and made the decision to hire Stinespring. “The fact he chose to be the head coach when that position was offered means a lot.
“Where we are currently, the number of students we’ve got and the support we have for the program is due to Coach Stinespring, his work ethic and the staff he put together.”
Virginia Beach’s Ethan Mapstone, No. 26, and other members of the Roanoke College football team will open their season Sunday.
Last Sunday, the Maroons took their first team photo. That was followed by one last intrasquad scrimmage before the first game week commenced. The person in charge of the operation could not have been happier and already considers his time at Roanoke as the highlight of a coaching career that has spanned more than three decades.
“This is exactly what we wanted, and this is exactly what we believed in from the moment this was announced,” Stinespring said. “The Roanoke Valley has been fantastic to us and the players have really bought into what we’re doing. That’s why they’re here.
“It wasn’t because there was a tradition or that there was an existing locker room. It was because they believed in what could take place here.”
Stinespring said while he built his first roster, he focused on finding players and coaches that would establish the kind of culture he envisioned.
“Now we want to make this (program) our own,” he said. “All of us have been in different places, and some things worked here, and other things worked there, but how do we want to do it at Roanoke College? We started with a blank slate and built it all from scratch.”
Officially, the 2024 Maroons are a club team and will only be facing three JV opponents (future ODAC rivals Hampden-Sydney, Shenandoah and Bridgewater), the Fork Union Military Academy post-graduate team and the club football team at George Mason.
Two of those games will be played on the road. Stinespring said he wanted to take the show on the road so the players, coaches and support personnel will understand the different experiences a team has when it gets on a bus and plays in another stadium.
His inaugural coaching staff includes a group of assistants with a distinct Virginia flavor. Associate head coach and defensive coordinator Mike Giancola grew up in Northern Virginia and had been at ODAC power Bridgewater for the last seven seasons. Recruiting coordinator and offensive assistant Tony Spradlin grew up in Salem and played football for the hometown Spartans. Defensive line assistant Ben Boyd is a longtime high school coach in the Roanoke Valley. Safeties coach Darren Venable is a Ferrum College graduate and offensive coordinator who played in the ODAC’s lone non-Virginia member school — Guilford.
Roanoke College assistant coach Gerard Johnson spent his playing days at both Norfolk State and Old Dominion, where he was a teammate of quarterback Taylor Heinicke.
Finally, there’s special teams coach Gerard Johnson, who grew up in the Richmond area and will be a lead recruiter in that part of the state. However, he spent his college years playing at both Norfolk State and Old Dominion, where he was a teammate of legendary quarterback Taylor Heinicke.
“A lot of the draw here will have to do with Coach Stinespring, the staff he’s put together and the way he’s running things here,” said Johnson, who left his head coaching position at Caroline High School to join the Maroons’ staff. “That’s going to separate us from a lot of the other schools in our conference. … Coach Stinespring is setting a standard for how we’re going to do things here, and that’s going to draw a lot of interest.”
The majority of the first Maroons’ squad are freshmen, a few sophomores, who are from the central and southwest parts of the state. But Johnson is confident there will be plenty of players in the years to come sporting a 757 area code on their cellphones.
Mapstone is the lone Hampton Roads resident on the 2024 roster. Stinespring said the first time he made a recruiting trip to the Tidewater area was in 1994. And whether he was at Virginia Tech, JMU or any of his other jobs, the trips to that part of the state remained constant.
“Obviously that’s probably the furthest point that we will go to recruit,” Stinespring said. “But the quality of coaching and student-athletes there is terrific, and we have to find a way to make Roanoke College an option for them.
So how will Roanoke fare on Sunday? Stinespring said that’s the least of his concern. Instead, he feels like what has happened in the past 15 months has already made the 2024 campaign a success.
“We just need to improve each week,” Stinespring said. “There’s three things that are going to be a concern. How strong are we going to be as a bunch of 18-year-olds, how conditioned we are and how experienced we get.
“… Anything else above that is just icing on the cake.”
Mapstone won’t argue this point with his coach. Despite knowing his new teammates for less than two months, the bonds are already there, he said.
“I think we’ll be a surprise,” Mapstone said. “It’s hard to start from nothing. But with coaching staff we have, and the support from the city, the school — everybody — has been encouraging. We’re going to do great things. I’m certain about it.”
