Tolu Akindele: Life’s losses mold a leader
- Junior captain Tolu Akindele
When Tolu Akindele was about 10 years old, he lost his younger sister. She drowned in a swimming accident.
When he was in ninth grade, his father died of brain cancer.
And just before Akindele’s senior year in high school, his football teammate and good friend was shot and killed in a Houston parking lot.
“I always tell people, don’t call me a boy, call me a young man,” said Akindele, a 20-year-old junior linebacker at The Citadel. “Because I think I’ve been through enough to establish myself. But just because you go through tough times doesn’t make you tough. It’s how you handle it.”
Continue reading Jeff Hartsell’s piece here.
Quarterbacks continue to be the focus of the first stages of camp
The five QB's vying for the starting gig (L-R): Ben Dupree, Sam Martin, Matt Thompson, Blane Woodfin and Steven Ballentine
During his senior year in high school, Citadel freshman Ben Dupree had a memorable reading assignment.
The book was “My Losing Season” by Pat Conroy, the famed author’s memoir of his senior basketball season at The Citadel.
“The book made it sound like the school was tough,” Dupree recalled Sunday at the Bulldogs’ football media day. “It told all about the knob year and how hard it is.”
Yet another good read from the Bulldogs beat reporter Jeff Hartsell continues here.
Quarterback competition begins as camp opens
Blane Woodfin
Preseason practice opened yesterday on The Citadel’s campus. Not surprisingly, the competition at quarterback was one of the most closely monitored battles during day one. Redshirt sophomore Blane Woodfin (left) is one of five quarterbacks vying for the starting job. True freshmen Ben Dupree and Matt Thompson, along with redshirt freshman (and star of last year’s spring game) Sam Martin, are among the other signal callers competing for the top spot.
For more on Woodfin’s journey to The Citadel, check out this piece from Jeff Hartsell in Saturday’s Post and Courier.
Football Returns
Camp opens this morning for the 2010 campaign. Ready or not...football is back!
With new schemes on offense and defense and seven new coaches on staff, The Citadel’s Kevin Higgins is essentially starting over in his sixth season as the Bulldogs’ football coach.
Gone along with All-America receiver Andre Roberts is the balanced spread-option attack in favor of a run-oriented triple option. On defense, new coordinator Josh Conklin is charged with simplifying a 4-3 scheme that Higgins felt had the Bulldogs thinking too much and not hitting enough during last year’s 4-7 season.
Continue reading Jeff Hartsell’s preview of the upcoming season here!
The triple option returns
Jack Douglas (left) led the Bulldogs to the '92 SoCon Title while Georgia Tech QB Josh Nesbitt successfully operates the Yellow Jackets triple-option attack. Photo Courtesy of the Post and Courier
In 2006, Georgia Southern’s new head coach filmed a TV commercial touting his vision of Eagles football.
“There is no option,” intoned Brian VanGorder, declaring his intention to abandon the triple-option offense that had carried the Eagles to seven Southern Conference championships and two national titles under previous coaches Paul Johnson and Mike Sewak.
Continue reading Jeff Hartsell’s article about the new offense here!
Driesell brings hometown product back to Charleston
Former Pinewood Prep star, Kenny Manigault Jr. is returning to his lowcountry roots as a member of The Citadel. The 6'4 point guard will have to sit out the 2010-11 season due to NCAA transfer rules but still has three years of eligibility remaining.
Charleston, S.C.- Head Coach Chuck Driesell grabbed this second NCAA Division I transfer on Thursday with the addition of Kenny Manigault Jr. to The Citadel after one season at Wichita State. Manigault, a 6-foot-4 point guard from nearby Pinewood Prep School, will redshirt the upcoming 2010-11 season due to NCAA transfer guidelines.
Manigault wrapped up a high school career, which included four consecutive South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) titles, three All-Region selections and two All-State selections before choosing Wichita State.
Basketball brings in a 7-footer
Morakinyo Williams comes to The Citadel from Duquesne with two years of eligibility remaining. He'll begin play as a graduate student this season.
Charleston, S.C.- Head Coach Chuck Driesell announced Wednesday that 7-foot graduate junior center Morakinyo Williams will transfer to The Citadel from Duquesne. Williams, who has two years of eligibility in his collegiate career, also played one year under Tubby Smith at the University of Kentucky.
“I am excited that mike has decided to join The Citadel basketball program and community,” said Driesell of the announcement. “Having known Morakinyo since his sophomore year in high school, I know we are getting a young man with a great work ethic and strong desire to be successful both on and off the court.”
Kevin Higgins and Alex Sellars address preseason questions
Click below to hear Kevin Higgins full comments from the Southern Conference preseason teleconference. Higgins discusses the move to the triple-option, the difference in the O-line, his enthusiasm surrounding the defense and much more!
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Senior captain Alex Sellars describes an improved attitude for his Bulldogs teammates during summer workouts, the switch to the triple-option, the responsibility of the upper-classmen in helping the freshmen adjust to life at The Citadel and much more!
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Dogs need two wins to force Monday Championship
The Citadel had a two-run lead in the seventh and its ace on the mound.
But that’s when Wojo lost his mojo.
His spiral propelled by a balk and one of three wild pitches, Bulldogs starter Asher Wojciechowski fell apart in a five-run inning that allowed South Carolina to rally for a 9-4 victory Saturday evening in this NCAA regional’s winner’s bracket game before 7,418 fans at Carolina Stadium.
Continue reading Travis Haney’s Post and Courier article here
The Bulldogs must now beat Virginia Tech again today at 2pm in order to face USC tonight at 7. A win in that game, and The Citadel and USC would play for the Regional Championship Monday night. Listen live to all the Bulldogs Sunday action on Fox Sports Radio 1450 or by clicking the link on the right side of this page.
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