Inside this December 2010 edition of the L Club Newsletter:
- L Club Welcome
- All About YOU
- Better Days Ahead For Basketball Men
- EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK: Let's Be Realistic — and Optimistic
- Women Looking To Improve
- Greetings from the ULM Athletic Foundation!
- ULM Athletic Foundation offers new membership programs
- Show Your Warhawk Pride!
- Director's Letter
L Club Welcome
Dear L-Club Members,
The fall semester of 2010 will be complete next week and it's time to reflect on the recent events. First, Welcome to Dr. Bruno as the new ULM President. We all look forward to working with him to improve all of ULM and that includes our athletic programs. Next, under the leadership of Coach Todd Berry the football team made great strides as they competed for bowl eligibility down to the last play of the last game of the season. The volleyball and soccer teams made improvements and are looking forward to the 2011 seasons.
Please mark your calendar for the 2011 Hall of Fame Weekend which is right around the corner – February 25-26, 2011. The selection committee will be meeting shortly and out new inductees will be introduced to everyone soon! The weekend of the Feb. 25-26 is also senior night for the men's and women's basketball teams. This will be a great weekend to return to your alma mater, visit with old friends, teammates, coaches, and meet our new president.
Remember, it's basketball season right now and we'd love to see you at the games.
Best wishes for a happy holiday season from all of us at ULM.
E. J. Lee Ok
L-Club President
(318) 342-5409
ok@ulm.edu
All About YOU
by Bob Anderson
Members of Early Senior College Teams Get Together
Eight former members of ULM's first senior college football teams got together November 8 at Waterfront Grill in Monroe.
The main excuse for the occasion was the fact that Vince Zappone (RB-DB) of Hollywood, Fla. was in Louisiana for the LSU-Alabama game in Baton Rouge and according to Bill Lee (DB) "we wanted to try to get a lot of the guys together to see him."
Others who attended—all members of teams in the early 1950's who made the transition from junior college to senior college football—were Lloyd Ray of West Monroe (QB, formerly of Haynesville), Milton Craighead of Calhoun (Tackle, formerly of Start), Harry Hubenthal of Monroe (Punter-RB, formerly of Fort Smith, AR), E.J. Sievers of Monroe (RB-DB), Ted Jones of Baton Rouge (Receiver), Camillo Detore of Pine Bluff, AR (RB-DB, formerly of Greensburg, PA), Lee of Monroe and formerly of Oak Grove, and Zappone, also formerly of Greensburg, PA. Chuck McCullen (Track and Cross Country), who knew many of the players at Northeast, also attended the lunch.
Lee was the prime mover in getting the group together. He and Zappone and others also visited former teammate Sam Rubin and ex-coach George Luffey after the lunch. Zappone, originally from Greensburg, PA, was a championship football coach at a private school in Hollywood and still coaches golf at the school.
It was great to run into Wendell Drost (DE, 1961-64) a few weeks ago. Wendell is back in the Twin Cities and working for Entergy. Originally from Sulphur, he's lived in Seattle, New Orleans and other stops after his ULM career under Coaches Jack Rowan and Dixie White.
Ross Nolan, a first team all-Gulf States Conference tackles at ULM in the early 1960s, died in Monroe Sept. 27. Nolan, who played prep football at Neville of Monroe,was drafted by the Denver Broncos and the New York Giants after his ULM years. He served as a Army captain in the Viet Nam conflict where he earned a Bronze Star.
Many former Northeast athletes will remember Mrs. Elise Mapp, the wife of former Faculty Athletic Council chairman Marcus Mapp and mother of former Indian lineman Andy Mapp (OG, 1965-67). Mrs. Mapp died Sept. 22 in Shreveport.
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Better Days Ahead For Basketball Men
In its November games, ULM's men's basketball team met expectations.
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Richard
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"These guys are working hard and they will get better," says Richard. "But we are young and inexperienced."
In fact, this is the youngest and least-experienced team since the early years of the sportl at ULM and probably the greenest squad in current NCAA basketball.
Leading scorer Fred Brown (16.2-point average) has played two years of college basketball—at Kansas State—before this season. Forward Lawrence Gilbert is the most experienced Warhawk, playing the last two seasons at ULM and one season at Miami before that and Tommie Sykes, another forward, played last year as a Warhawk after coming in from junior college. The only other player with any senior college experience is center Fabio Ribeiro, who played sparingly in six games here last winter before a foot injury forced him to take a medical redshirt.
Hugh Mingo, from West Monroe, was on the squad last year but did not play because of surgery to repair stress fractures.
Sykes is averaging 13.4 points and 6.9 rebounds, Gilbert is averaging 12.3 points and leads the team in rebounds with a 7.3 average while Mingo is averaging 10.0 points. Brown is the assist leader with 3.5 per game.
The other six players who have seen action this year are forwards Steve McClellan, Ife Eke, and Chrisitian Bidi Ndongo and guards Marcelis Hansberry, R. J. McCray, and JaMichael Goodin. McClellan, a freshman from Fresno, CA, has played in four games and started one before turning an ankle in the SFA game. Another freshman, Hansberry from Provine High in Jackson, MS, has played in seven games and started two at point guard. Ndpmgp, a junior college transfer, has played in seven games, Ike in two and Goodin in one.
Everything in Richard's resume' suggests he will be a successful head coach at his alma mater. He was a fine point guard under three very successful head coaches—Lenny Fant (one year), Benny Hollis (two years) and Mike Vining (one year)—helping ULM win three conference championships and play in the NIT and NCAA tournaments.
Following his playing career, Richard was a graduate assistant coach for two seasons, helping ULM win the conference season and tournament championships in 1985. Then he went to Marshall University where he helped the Thundering Herd win two Southern Conference season titles and one league tournament crown.
He returned to ULM in 1989 and was an assistant coach under Vining for five years, helping the Warhawks win conference championships in all five years before going to Louisiana Tech as an assistant and then head coach. His Tech teams won 150 games, the third most in Bulldog history, winning one conference title and taking his team to two National Invitation Tournaments.
Before coming back to ULM as head coach, Richard was an assistant at LSU for two years, helping the Tigers win the SEC title in 2008-09 and reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Richard was named ULM's head coach on April 22, 1010, too late for the full recruiting season. After the current playing schedule, he will get a chance to bring in a full recruiting class and is expected to eventually return ULM basketball to its former status as one of the top 100 college programs in the country.
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EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK: Let's Be Realistic — and Optimistic
By Bob Anderson
I grant you, it is hard to be upbeat about ULM football in the immediate wake of the Warhawks' 23-22 loss to ULL. But I can do it. And I can be realistic at the same time.
Yes, the Cajuns are probably the worse team in the Sun Belt Conference, one that had lost seven straight games. A team that lost to its main rival for "the worst"—first-year football member Western Kentucky — by 33 points in Lafayette no less. A team that had won only two games all year.
And, yes, the defeat cost ULM its second best ever chance of playing in a bowl game (the best ever was in 2005 when losses to FIU, which had never won a conference game before, and ULL again made the Warhawks tri-champs instead of the undisputed winners). And this was our third straight loss to our in-state rival, two of them coming in Monroe.
Instead of finishing the regular season with a 6-6 overall record and bowl eligibility, ULM finishes 5-7. But five wins was a lot more than most people expected after we lost 12 starters and 32 lettermen from the 2009 squad. And a tie for fourth place in the Sun Belt at 4-4 was a lot better than the seventh-place finish predicted in the preseason coaches' poll. This season ULM ended defending champion Troy's 13-game conference winning streak and pushed 2010 champ Florida International into double overtime at Miami before finally losing.
The outlook for 2011 is the brightest in years. Our starting lineup for the Lafayette game included only four seniors, two on offense and two on defense. All but one of our special teams' regulars will be back. This year's squad was one of the youngest ever with six freshmen (QB Kolton Browning, WR Je'Roy Hamm, WR Tavarese Maye, OT Jon Fisher, NT Emanuel Jefferies, CB Otis Peterson) and four sophomores (OG Jonathan Gill, OT Patrick Dvoracek, LB Cameron Blakes, S Isaiah Newsome) starting the ULL game. Six other frosh or sophomores, by my count, have started at various times this year and a total of 17 true or redshirt freshmen saw action at one time or another.
The starter for every single game at the most important position has been Browning. Ranked as the No. 71 prep quarterback in the country when he signed with the Warhawks, he has more than lived up to his reputation. He finished his freshman season with the second highest total offense total in ULM history with 2,937—just 29 yards shy of the record. His pass completion total of 234 is second all-time, and he is fourth in all-time season touchdown passes (18) and seventh in season aerial yardage (2,502). At in the week before the final game, he was voted one of the team's permanent captains—an almost unprecedented sign of respect for a freshman.
The Mabank, Texas, product won numerous honors during the season including Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the North Texas game, RivalsSBC Player of the Week for the Troy and North Texas games and Louisiana Offensive Player of the Week for the Troy, Arkansas State and Southeastern Louisiana games.
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Berry
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The man who made the decision to start the freshman quarterback, Todd Berry, made an impressive ULM debut as head coach. Only one former ULM coach, Jack Rowan in 1958, ever won more games in his first year (6). Despite a late start, Berry and his staff did very well in their first year of recruiting as evidenced by the large number of freshmen who played this fall and they're off to a fine start this year, already getting 10 commitments including four three-star performers.
Of greater concern right now than the ULL loss is the attendance for both the North Texas and Lafayette games. It was pitiful, embarrassing, less than 10,000 for each. In the case of the Lafayette contest, it is no exaggeration to say that this was the most important ULM home game since we went 1A.
I know that late fall games have always been a tough draw, especially for afternoon games with no students on campus, but this is ridiculous. I don't know the answer but if this continues we won't have to worry that much about bowl games because nobody will invite us.
We had a pretty good product on the field this year and we'll have an even better one next fall. By hook or crook, we need to give the players on the field an audience they can be proud of.
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Women Looking To Improve
With three starters back plus one who sat out last year with an injury and a promising group of recruits, ULM's women's basketball team seeks to improve on 2009-10's total of 10 victories.
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Martin
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Kassie Courtney (5-10), who averaged 6.1 points with a game high of 16 as a regular two years ago before sitting out last season with injuries, opened the 2010-11 season as a starter as did 6-2 Larrie Williams, who scored at a 6.8 clip last year as a reserve and averaged 4.0 rebounds.
In the first two games of 2010-11, the Williams girls—who are not related—carried the scoring load for the Lady Warhawks.
ULM has four other girls who saw some action last year in 6-1 Marion Zollicoffer, 6-2 Jordan Rawson, 5-10 Nicole Tucker and 5-8 Ashley Wakefield.
Five freshmen—members of what Coach Martin calls "one of the best recruiting classes we've ever had"—complete the Warhawk roster.
The best known of the recruits, especially in the Twin Cities, are twins Alexar and Elexar Tugler, who led Carroll High of Monroe to the state title last winter. The girls were both first team all-state and co-MVPs in the district. Alexar, nicknamed "Peaches" averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds while point-guard Elexar ("Pumpkin") produced figures of 21 points and 12 assists.
Other freshmen are 6-1 Ashleigh Simmons, all-state after averaging 21 points and 11 boards at Hawkins, TX, 5-8 Shantrell Pierson (15 points, 8 boards at Brusly, La.), and Jasmine Shaw (10 points, 5 boards at Marcus HS in Flower Mound, Texas).
In early games, ULM crushed New Orleans by 67 points and lost a one-point road game to Nicholls State.
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Greetings from the ULM Athletic Foundation!
I hope this letter finds you doing well and looking forward to a great holiday season. The ULM Athletic Foundation Board of Trustees overwhelmingly supported the transition of the L-Club from the Alumni Association this summer and as we look to 2011, the L-Club is a major piece of our planning and we are looking forward to our future relationship with you as former student-athletes!
In my short time at ULM, I have been impressed by the success our student-athletes have achieved upon leaving the university and have enjoyed being able to meet so many outstanding people from our current and former student-athletes.
Our vision is to provide the resources for each of our current student-athletes to finish their careers at ULM with a diploma and a championship ring. At the same time, we want to make sure that we make our former student-athletes welcome when they return to campus.
We want your competition and graduation to symbolize just the beginning of your relationship with the university – not the end!
If there is any way I or the ULM Athletic Foundation staff can be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact us at 318-342-5428 or athleticfoundation@ulm.edu.
Go Warhawks!
Dan O'Dowd
Associate Athletic Director – Development/Executive Director
318-342-5284
odowd@ulm.edu
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ULM Athletic Foundation offers new membership programs
Join the ULM Athletic Foundation and help ULM's student-athletes while enjoying the many benefits of membership. It's easy to join or update your membership.
Visit www.gowarhawks.net to join or update your memberships or contact Dan O’Dowd, Executive Director of the ULM Athletic Foundation at 318-342-5428 or odowd@ulm.edu.
The "Young Grad" program is for any ULM alum who has graduated in the last five (5) years and is an excellant way for young alumni to support ULM athletics at an entry level. Membership is $50.00 per year and includes:
• Warhawk Frequent Flyer Pass (all sport plan – general admission seating)
• Invitation to Annual Kick-Off Party
• Preferred football parking permit
• Athletic Foundation Car Decal
The "Jr. Warhawk" program is a special membership for Warhawk fans age 12 and younger! Membership is $20.00 and all Jr. Warhawk Club members receive:
• Season ticket to all home Warhawk athletic events
• Jr. Warhawk Club T-shirt and membership card
• Invitation to exclusive Jr. Warhawk Club events
• Name on Jr. Warhawk Club Web site
• Autographed picture of Ace
• E-Birthday card (sent to parent ’s email)
The ULM Athletic Foundation is the pillar of support for ULM Athletics. It is composed of individuals and businesses with a common mission, which is as follows:
The mission of the ULM Athletic foundation is to raise awareness and financial support for the Warhawk athletic programs, positively promote all athletic events, grow the Warhawk fan and donor base, and enhance the lives of over 300 student-athletes.
For more information about any of membership programs available from the ULM Athletic Foundation, contact Dan O’Dowd, Executive Director of the ULM Athletic Foundation at 318-342-5428 or odowd@ulm.edu.
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Show Your Warhawk Pride!
Celebrate the history and tradition of the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Make your purchases in style, while receiving rewarding benefits and world class service. Each purchase generates dollars for your ULM Alumni Association!
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| Apply today for the ULM Platinum Plus® MasterCard® with WorldPoints®Rewards from Bank of America. |
Dear L-Club Members,
As I sit in my office preparing to grade some papers from my classes this semester, I am taking some time to reflect and think back on the semester and the students that were in my classes.
This reflection time is also good for us to do as well as former student athletes, student athletic trainers, student managers, and coaches as well. This reflection will be good in some aspects and it could challenge us in others.
I hope we can look back on our memories here at the University and see how the experiences and the challenges have helped to mold us and too hopefully to teach us some valuable lessons that we have been able to use as we live our lives.
I would like to ask each of you to reflect on your memories here at the University, both those on the field of play and as well in the classroom. Who do you remember? Who were your running buddies? Who helped you out of a jam? Who did you help?
Think back and reflect on the friends and friendships you made here.
Have you maintained those friendships? Have you stayed in touch? When was the last time you contacted your suitemate or your roommate from college? When was the last time you reached out to that teammate to reconnect? I hope this can be an obtainable goal for us this upcoming year.
Thank you for being a representative of the University and its athletic teams. Thank you for your efforts to succeed both on the field of play and in the classroom while you were here. Thank you for your efforts to succeed in life after your college years.
Our 2010-2011 membership drive is now underway. Many of you may have already received a letter announcing this campaign. If so, please take a few moments and return the forms along with your dues for this year. You can sign up on line as well by going to http://www.ulm.edu/lclub/join.html and following the instructions here. Come back with us.
I would like to encourage you as former classmates, teammates, coworkers, and staff to join the Letterman's Club and help us help you reconnect with your memories.
On behalf of the entire L-Club Board of Directors, please have a safe and merry Christmas season. I look forward to seeing you back on campus this year!
May God Bless you and your family this year!
Go Warhawks!
Robert Williamson
L Club Executive Director
(318) 342-5428 /822-927-4295
rwilliamson@ulm.edu
Don’t forget to check out the “Lost Members” link located at the top of this newsletter – help us locate these lost teammates. Send any information to me at rwilliamson@ulm.edu.