INDIANA STATE FOOTBALL ALUMNI NEWSLETTER NO. 16

INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
Volume One, Number 16
June 3, 2008
Editor: Tom James, TJames1475@aol.com
ISU Football Alumni Blog Page: http://isufootballalumni.blogspot.com/

SYCAMORES ADD LATE SIGNEES, PREFERRED WALKONS TO 2008 RECRUITING LIST

Indiana State University 2008 Football Recruiting List
(as of 6/3/08)
*denotes invited/preferred walkons
+denotes transfers
#will also play baseball

Indiana State has added a total of 47 new players to its roster since signing day in February. Here is the most complete list of recruits and preferred walkons who will be attending ISU in the fall.

Aaron Archie LB Detroit, MI/Cass Tech
Alex Bettag* LB Lincoln City, IN/Heritage Hills
Corey Bichey OL Ambridge, PA/Ambridge
Jared Blue ATH Vincennes, IN/Lincoln
Evan Borders OL Cincinnati, OH/Colerain
Ethan Brewer* RB/LB Linton, IN/Linton
Jacob Bridwell* LB Bedford, IN/North Lawrence
Jordan Bright DE Cincinnati, OH/Wyoming
Antoine Brown+ RB Portage, IN/Portage/University of Kentucky
Kye Butler* TE Toledo, IL/Cumberland
Ray Beyers* RB/DB Fort Wayne, IN/Wayne
C.J. Cook LB Columbus, IN/North
Reece Craig* RB Bedford, IN/North Lawrence
Brandon Dorsett# WR Terre Haute, IN/North
Julian Easterly CB Detroit, MI/Cass Tech
Aaron Edwards* OL Terre Haute, IN/North
Jared Fohrman* + P/PK Stevens Point, WI/Stevens Point/Rochester (MN) CC
Rod Hardy DL Indianapolis, IN/Pike
Taylor Johnson RB Jacksonville, FL/Bartram
Travis Johnson* QB Marshall, IL/Marshall
Alex Jones FS Centerville, IN/Centerville
Koby Kramer# ATH Terre Haute, IN/South
Marcus Lewis LB Cincinnati, OH/Indian Hills
Brock Lough LB Terre Haute, IN/South
Chris Maybrey* PK Martinsville, IN/Martinsville
Connor McSorley* OL Bedford, IN/North Lawrence
Mitch Miller* OL West Ottawa, MI/West Ottawa
Nick Milne* DE Streamwood, IL/Streamwood
Joey Moore* OL Terre Haute, IN/North
Tony Morang FB St. John, IN/Lake Central
Michael Palmer DL South Bend, IN/Riley
Casey Paswater OL Columbus, IN/North
Kyle Ratliff* OL New Albany, IN/New Albany HS
Darrell Ricker* LB Indianapolis, IN/Pike
Ryan Roberts* WR/DB West York, IL/Hutsonville
Alex Sewall FS Western Springs, IL/Lyons Township
Brad Shirrell* FB/DE Greenwood, IN/Greenwood
Mike Smith OL Mishawaka, IN/Penn
Aaron Stewart OL Clarksville, IN/Jeffersonville
Jeremy Turner* WR Indianapolis, IN/Pike
Almondo Vick LB Lathrup Village, MI/Southfield Lathrup
Nate White WR Kalamazoo, MI/Comstock
Nate Williams DL New Haven, MI/New Haven
Nick Williams DL St. John, IN/Lake Central
Justin Wood OL Greenwood, IN/Greenwood
Jesse Wright TE Columbus, IN/North
Lawrence Young DL Detroit, MI/Renaissance

EIGHT INDIANA STATE RECRUITS TO PLAY IN INDIANA NORTH-SOUTH ALL-STAR GAME IN JULY

The eight Indiana State recruits scheduled to take part in the 2008 Indiana North-South All-Star game, whch will be played at North Central High School in Indianapolis, include Brandon Dorsett (South), Jared Blue (South), C.J. Cook (South), Alex Jones (South), Casey Paswater (South), Justin Wood (South), Michael Palmer (North), and Mike Smith (North).

FORMER SYCAMORES TIGHT END DON HITZ NAMED HEAD COACH AT TELL CITY HIGH SCHOOL

By Larry Goffinet, Sports Editor (Perry County News)
TELL CITY, Ind. -- Don Hitz, who has served as an assistant coach at Tell City and Heritage Hills, was named Tell City's new head football coach Tuesday.
Hitz, 44, served as an assistant coach at Tell City 1997-99 and returned to Tell City as an assistant for the 2007 season. He coached linebackers and receivers.
He was also an assistant at Heritage Hills 1994-96, where he coached junior high teams and the high school receivers.
Tell City Principal Dale Stewart said one other person was interviewed for the job but Hitz was chosen because of "his experience when he was here before and he's done some work with Coach Clayton at Heritage Hills, and all his references spoke highly of his ability.
"Plus I got to see his work in the classroom this year and how the students responded to him."
Hitz teaches English at Tell City High School so he should be able to start practice earlier each day than Elliott, who taught in Evansville the entire time he coached at Tell City.
Hitz said the reason he left Tell City after his first stint here was because he was in danger of losing his teaching position due to staff reductions.
With a young family, he said he needed to be sure of a job, so he went to work at Master Brand in Jasper as a corporate trainer.
He said he thinks he's ready to be a head coach now because "I've been around football all my life."
After graduating from Fairfield High School in a Cincinnati suburb in 1981, he earned a football scholarship to Indiana State University, where he played tight end until graduating in 1986.
"We had some really good years there," said Hitz. The Sycamores went 9-4 in 1983 and 9-3 in 1984.
The 1984 team was inducted into ISU's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.
Hitz said he plans to run a "multiple offense with a lot of pro sets. We're not going to throw as much as we did last year - we'll be pretty much 50-50."
He said the team's base defense will probably be a 5-2 "with some 4-3, depending on down and distance."
As for the outlook for the 2008 season, he said, "I think we can compete." But he acknowledged, "We have some holes to fill. We definitely need more linemen."
The Marksmen were 5-6 this year and have had only six winning records in the last 15 years.
Hitz said he thinks the program needs "consistency and building it up through the feeder program" to become a consistent winner again. "We've had four coaches in the last 12 years."
He said he plans to be here for a long run he would like to expand the feeder program. "I'd eventually like to see flag football in the grade school (this year Tell City had no football program below seventh grade)."
Hitz succeeds John Elliott, who resigned last November after three years at the Marksmen's helm.
Elliott said he "didn't feel the commitment was there from the administration to take the football program to the next level."
But Hitz said Tuesday, "This administration has been fantastic working with me. There's no doubt they're on board."
Two assistant coaches were also formally hired Tuesday: Bill Alvey, a Tell City High School teacher who has previous experience on the football staff, and Matt Goffinet, a student at the University of Southern Indiana who is majoring in elementary education and is a former Heritage Hills player.
Holdover asistants include Greg Kincaid and Dan Knepper.
Hitz and his wife, Cathy, have three children, daughter, Olivia, 11; and sons, Gabe, 9; and Jordan, 7.

SYCAMORES TRAVEL PLANS FOR THE EASTERN MICHIGAN GAME

The Indiana State Football Office asked me to relay this information for those former players who are planning to attend the season-opener at Eastern Michigan University (Thursday, August 28, 7 p.m.).

Per the note from the football office, the team is staying at the Crowne Plaza – Detroit Metro Airport and that anyone wanting to stay there should contact:Annette Beck Crowne Plaza Detroit Metro Airport734-729-2600 ext 7178 734-729-4624 sales office faxPlease let Annette know when they call that they were referred through Trent Miles or Kyle Caskey and she will book them there.

THE SEARCH IS ON FOR MEMBERS OF THE SYCAMORES' 1983 I-AA PLAYOFF TEAM

Indiana State is currently planning for member of the 1983 I-AA playoff team. The athletic department is putting together a reunion on November 22 against Gateway Conference foe Missouri State.

If anybody knows where these people are, please have them contact Indiana State assistant athletic director John Sherman at 812-237-3047 asap.

The list consists of:

Terry Bell
Mark Brice
Jeff Carmichael
Darrold Clardy
Jeff Cope
Willie Davis
Steve Dewey
Jimmy Edwards
Craig Elsmore
William Gilder
Darryl Harris
Bill Haynes
Scott Henson
Eric Hurt
Brian Marcum
Matt McDowell
Steve McKeel
Paul Prater
Kevin Ramsey
Maurice Sanders
Tracy Stewart
Jerry Sydorowicz
Kurt Theno
John Vanderbosch
Steve Voss
Perry Willett
Leonard Winborn
David Zubeck

And on a personal note, if anybody has email addresses for those guys, please pass them along to me. I'd like to add them to the ISU Football Alumni Newsletter.

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR FORMER INDIANA STATE COACH TOM HARP

For those former players who would like to touch base with former ISU head coach Tom Harp, they may do so by emailing him at barbtom@earthlink.net or calling him at 910-949-2404.

Tom's stepson, Baltimore Ravens offensive coodinator Cam Cameron, said that Coach Harp would enjoy hearing from you.

FAN DRIVEN INDIANA STATE ATHLETICS WEBSITE NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT

This Indiana State athletics website Indiana State Board Indiana State Basketball Indiana State Football - Powered by vBulletin could certainly use the support of the football alumni.

While it was initially set up for men's basketball, the site does have pretty good forums for football too (as well as other Sycamores sports teams).

Click in, read and then leave a comment or two. Thanks!!!!!