News and Notes from East Carolina, Conference USA and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

08.11.06: Pirates dodge heat with nighttime drills ... ECU's Thorsen claims Norwegian amateur title ... Manning pledges $1 million to Vols

08.10.06: Thursday 'Nuggets' sacked by network glitch

08.09.06: Lou's book says Skip was promised USC job ... Humid weather doesn't dampen ECU drills ... 'Bright House' will be home for Golden Knights

08.08.06: Pirates shifting to full-gear practice mode ... Hattiesburg pro takes over USM golf program ... Sooners turn to Thompson to fill QB void

08.07.06: Pirates strap on shoulder pads ... Ex-Duke lacrosse coach has new program ... NIT will trim field from 40 to 32 teams

08.06.06: Media day no day off for Pirates ... Drew-Skip check goes to Greenville Rec. Dept. ... Coordinator of ACC refs hanging up whistle

08.05.06: Holtz likes what he sees as camp starts ... Buckeyes pegged as team to beat; WVU #7 ... Groh reinstates senior safety Tony Franklin ... Four from C-USA on Thorpe Award watch list

08.04.06: Judge: Buckeyes owe ex-coach big bucks ... Marshall takes preseason volleyball accolades ... Conference USA adds administrator to staff

08.03.06: Four Hurricanes will miss opener with FSU ... Report says Sooners QB canned ... Tigers' Tate takes aim on Women's Amateur

08.02.06: Kragthorpe lassoes new pact, new transfers ... ACC champ to Orange; makeup policy defined ... Blazers launching prep baseball league

08.01.06: C-USA releases schedule of televised games ... 'The Voice' adds morning duties on local AM's ... Huskers, Huskies set dates in 2010, 2011

07.31.06: Blue Edwards' twins' team seeking AAU title ... Bower suspends USM LB for two games ... Preseason honors piling up for Houston QB ... SMU grid luncheon will feature Forrest Gregg

07.30.06: Love, smitten with UCLA, spurns Tar Heels ... Wake won't enroll indicted football signee ... Slippery Rock backpedals after Title IX ruling

07.29.06: Whimper, Williams get multimillion-dollar deals ... Blazers DE nabs C-USA preseason honor ... TCU coach resigns over phone infraction

07.28.06: Navy game tickets available to Pirate Clubbers ... ECU grants extension, raise to Baldwin-Tener ... League football coaches visit New Orleans ... C-USA football media blitz set for CSTV

07.27.06: ECU recruiting thumbnail: Devon Wallace ... USM soph on Mackey watch list ... Scribes pick Miami to win ACC title ... New post-college football league in the works

07.26.06: "Meet the Pirates" shin-dig set for Aug. 19 ... Leukemia claims former UAB football star ... ACC honors Dukie Redick, Terp Infante

07.25.06: ECU last in poll; Allison, Graham get respect ... Former Pirate Ward joins Bulls baseball staff ... NCAA's impact lucrative for Indianapolis

07.24.06: Miami football player shot at off-campus residence ... 'Star-crossed' defensive back leaving Auburn ... Admission denied for Gamecock hoops signee

07.23.06: Accident claims life of Georgia hoops player ...
Ex-Navy quarterback Owens spared jail time ... Former Gamecock suing university

07.22.06: Blue Devils name new lacrosse coach ... Former Duke back issues $1 million challenge ... Current Duke back Harris gets tube time

07.21.06: Hoops recruiting thumbnail: Jontae Sherrod ... Tiger recruit says Irish used negative tactics ... Duke football hit by suspension, dismissals ... UK to report self over Internet shenanigans

07.20.06: ECU to hold public "celebration" of LeClair's life ... LeClair rites to be broadcast and live-streamed ... Future Pirate Fields tallies 8 points in East loss ... C-USA announces staff additions, promotions ... UCF uses buyout; Vols host Wolfpack in 2008

07.19.06: Irish fill baseball coaching vacancy ... Fork Union, Oak Hill getting review by NCAA ... Alabama cager denied fifth year of eligibility

07.18.06: ECU's Krog, Hauser recognized for academics ... UCF golfer fires record round of 60 ... Rutgers drops six sports to trim athletic budget

07.17.06: LSU paying baseball coach $450K per year ... Kruger uses rule change to play for dad ... MAAC adopts new hoops tourney format

07.16.06: UTEP track athletes achieve in classroom ... Former George Mason cager gives up on NFL ... Jury hears tape of Navy quarterback's call

07.15.06: GMAC Bowl in Mobile moves to January ... Louisville ponies up to lock down Petrino ... Tulsa names McCombs women's golf coach

07.14.06: N.C. prep hoops star re-routes to Memphis ... ECU's Flye, Ray land in CPL All-Star Game ... UNC-CH's Miller receives Clemens Award

07.13.06: Logan to have daily show on "The Bull" ... Marshall hires former Blue Devil as hoops aide ... Redick 'backs' out of Team USA workouts

07.12.06: C-USA unveils 2005-06 athletes of the year ... Rape trial underway for former Navy QB ... Clemson gridder on jet ski that killed coach

07.11.06: ECU recruiting thumbnail: D.J. McFadden ... Uggla poised to make history in All-Star game ... COSIDA recognizes former president Ford ... Houston associate AD Sparks succumbs

07.10.06: ECU alum Godwin to wear LSU's purple & gold ... Tulane resumes baseball stadium renovation ... Kelly rejoins O'Leary at Central Florida

07.09.06: Fitzgerald takes bittersweet promotion ... Paper defuses report on Mayo to USC ... More national acclaim for Houston's Lincoln ... SMU golfer wins Greater Cincy title

07.08.06: Former ECU slugger Hastings joins BC staff ... Tar Heel baseball stars transition to pros ... Rice's Britton packing to play in Philippines

07.07.06: Report: No. 1 prep hoops star choosing USC ... Motorcycle wreck claims Georgia Southern star ... NBA exhibition games coming to Dean Dome

07.06.06: Owls' St. Clair chosen for Team USA baseball ... Houston, Rice rookies make all-frosh team ... Case-era Pack hoops legend Dickey passes

07.05.06: National honors piling up for Houston's Lincoln ... Wade's wallet now packs a wallop ... Duke gets QB from prestigious prep program

07.04.06: Howard joins ECU media relations staff ... Bertman leads college baseball hall's first class ... Temple gets prized hometown grid recruit

07.03.06: Paper: C of C and Cremins come to agreement ... Four depart Oregon in search of playing time ... Gator recruit wins national prep QB award

07.02.06: College of Charleston hires Bobby Cremins ... Duke gets pair of football commitments ... Georgia Tech baseball coach gets extra year ... Big Sky Conference expands by one

07.01.06: SI.com columnist rates O'Leary among best ... Bogdan, Floyd get top awards in C-USA track ... Northwestern mourns passing of Walker

BEN HERLOCKER (6-0 205) FB, Charlotte Catholic High ... ... Ran for 1,775 yards and 32 touchdowns in Coach Jim Oddo's Wing-T offense and was MVP in the state championship game as Charlotte Catholic finished 16-0 in 2005. ... Parents Tom and Beth Herlocker were basketball stars at Charlotte Catholic. ... Brother Tom was a standout wide receiver on CC's 2004 state 2-AA title team. ... Herlocker, no relation to former ECU letterman Wes Herlocker (2000-02), was back-up fullback to Nick Starcevic as a sophomore. Starcevic is projected as the starting fullback at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2006. ... ECU was first to offer Herlocker although Vanderbilt and Wake Forest had shown interest. ... Has run 11.4 seconds/100 meters. ... Speed helped him average nine yards per carry in 2005. ... Has added about 20 pounds over the last year. ... Herlocker likes his chances for early playing time since ECU's top fullbacks entering 2006, Pat Dosh and Kort Shankweiler, are seniors. [Posted 08.12.06]

East Carolina finalized preparations for its first intra-squad scrimmage of preseason camp with a lively two-hour practice in shells under cloudy and cooler conditions Friday afternoon at the Cliff Moore Practice Complex, according to a release from the university's athletic media relations department.

The closed contest, which will be held at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Saturday afternoon, will feature all levels of the Pirates' personnel and serve as the first game-condition evaluation opportunity of the season for coach Skip Holtz and staff.

As a precautionary measure to ensure freshness for the scrimmage, Holtz held the Pirates to minimal contact during Friday's session which primarily stressed 11-on-11 team work. He also covered situational drills before closing the practice with special teams work.

"Obviously, tomorrow will be our first test and we're looking forward to the opportunity of getting a lot of tape to evaluate where we are," Holtz said. "Today was a whiz (non-physical) day but I thought we accomplished what we needed to heading into the scrimmage. The goal here is to establish our first two-deep, define our repetitions at different positions and move forward."

Holtz indicated the scrimmage, scripted for approximately 105 to 110 snaps, would consist of a series of 10-play possessions for each unit and conclude with a set of goal line drills.

Freshman fullback Kevin Gidrey (concussion), freshman linebacker Mike Caple (concussion) and freshman defensive lineman Jay Ross (knee) will not play in Saturday's scrimmage.

Senior safety Jamar Flournoy (leg) and freshman running back Norman Whitley (shoulder) returned to action after missing Thursday night's workout because of injury and are expected to experience full contact during the scrimmage.

Junior tight end J.R. Kraemer (Wildwood, MO) has participated in each workout of camp since transferring into the ECU program from Illinois prior to the start of the second summer session. Kraemer, who played in five games for Ron Zook's Fighting Illini squad in '05, will have to sit out the 2006 campaign in compliance with NCAA transfer regulations.

True freshman Melvin Patterson, a two-way standout as a receiver and safety/linebacker at Santa Fe High School in Alachua, FL, has opened camp as a member of the Pirates' secondary at the free safety position.

After Saturday's scrimmage, the Pirates will enjoy their first non-practice day since opening camp on August 3. The team will still have meetings and a weight lifting session. Saturday's scrimmage is from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

UAB coach and former East Carolina assistant Watson Brown led the Blazers football team in practice for a little under two hours on Friday morning, making final preparations for Saturday's scrimmage. The scrimmage on Saturday will mark the first of the preseason practice, according to a release from UAB's athletic media relations department.

Friday's practice began a little differently. The Blazers' walked to the practice field in pads and shorts; however, after a short team huddle, the players ran towards the track and set aside the pads for the day. Considering the cooler weather on Friday morning, and with the looming scrimmage on Saturday, Brown felt like his team needed a little bit of a rest heading into the weekend.

The Sept. 2 meeting between the Blazers and the fifth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners will mark the second consecutive season and third time over the last four years that UAB will play a top-five opponent. Game time is set for 6 p.m. and will be televised nationally on TBS.

Southern Methodist golfer Colt Knost has qualified for the U.S. Amateur, shooting a 5-under 139 for 36 holes at the 6,953-yard Trophy Club Golf Course in Dallas, according to an announcement on the Conference USA website.

Knost, a senior from Pilot Point, TX, finished second at the tournament, one stroke back of Bronson Burgoon. He is one of three players to advance from Trophy Club.

Former SMU golfer Wes Homan also qualified for the event, winning the competition at Coldstream Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio, with a 6-under 138.

Knost and Homan will now advance to the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Course in Chaska, Minn., Aug. 21-27.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from other sources. Copyright 2006 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.