Volleyball Coach Sean Huiet - April 21, 2011

Hey Bobcat fans… What’s going on? It’s April 21st and the Volleyball Bobcats have officially ended their spring playing schedule. We had four play dates, and even with limited numbers we saw some really good things. We were very competitive with Texas, beat SLC opponent Sam Houston and then we had some fun matches against UTSA, St. Ed’s and Blinn just to name a few. Some young players got to play a lot and get the experience they will need for this fall. Some of our recovering from injury players actually got to be on the court and compete.

Compete was the word of the spring. We really wanted to work our mental side of the game and make sure every time we stepped on the floor we were competing with Bobcat desire. It didn’t matter who was across the net from us, we were always going to be the same team. It was definitely a learning experience for us all and I think it has prepared us for this coming fall- and our quest for the last SLC championship!!

We are two weeks away from the semester coming to a close and sending the team home for Summer! Actually most of the Bobcats are sticking around town to work out together and keep preparing for the fall, which is always exciting for a coach to hear. Keep the team in your thoughts and prayers as they prepare for finals, they are making a strong push to keep those grades up to Texas State standards.

On a personal note- boot camp started and I’m in pain just writing this. I know this is going to benefit me and make for a healthy lifestyle… blah blah blah, I’m SORE!!!! No really it has been a great experience and baseball coach Ty Harrington’s lovely wife Leila is joining me on Monday and Wednesday’s which is making it a lot of fun. We are pushing each other and more importantly laughing at each other as we go.

Well, I am off to Baltimore for the weekend with my club volleyball team. I’m excited for the Inner Harbor which has some great restaurants and entertainment, namely Cheesecake Factory. The diet will be off for a slice of cheesecake, no doubt!!! Sunday is Easter and I hope you all enjoy a blessed day with your family and friends. As always, remember to keep supporting your Bobcats on and off the court, we love all the support.

Eat ‘em Up!

Coach Sean

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Blogging Maroon & Gold (April 1st, 2011) - Spring Football

Well Bobcat fans, it’s been too long between blogs for yours truly, and with my editor hovering over me like a hawk, I have newfound inspiration to write my next blog! I suppose I could post daily musings here on the TXST site, but I don’t want to become the “Creed” (The Office) of the AD, and share my thoughts daily at www.brantthoughts.gov.www/blog.org/....whatever address Creed was using in the show. Anyways, let’s the get the ball rolling with the M&G Blog again, and what better topic than football?

Spring Practice is underway at Texas State, and I’ve got to tell you, I’ve been to quite a few practices in my eight years covering Bobcat Football, and there’s a noticeably different feel with this coaching staff. That certainly isn’t a knock on previous coaches at Texas State, it’s just that being around a Coach Fran practice, there’s a big-time, no-nonsense approach that’s pretty refreshing. Coach Franchione does a wonderful job in the public eye, and has a knack for marketing the program, and is an easy man to talk to. But he has a different persona with a whistle around his neck, and isn’t afraid to get after the players if they make a mistake.

One of the most interesting observations out at practice, and some have you have probably noticed this as well, is that there’s always someone on the sidelines throwing a white towel into the air after every play in practice. At first, I wondered if this was because there was a penalty on the play. Bill Culhane and I asked Coach Franchione about it afterwards, and he told us the reason for it, is that when coaches review practice tape, there’s no audio. They can’t hear the whistle on the tape. He and his staff want to make sure that the players are playing all the way to the whistle, and will catch them if they aren’t on film. Pretty neat, huh?

Other random observations from Spring Practice…

- Soph QB Tyler Arndt tore his ACL this past October. I’m not a doctor, but based on what I do know, is that ACL recovery takes anywhere from 8-10 months. He’s back on the field, practicing, throwing well, and remember, he was helped off the field just five months ago. It also looks like he added some weight, although the coaches say he still needs to get into game shape, understandable when you can’t put much weight on your knees for a prolonged period of time.

- Speaking of players coming back from injury, RB Marcus Curry, who tore his Achilles early in fall camp this past season, looks healthy and ready to go. He is such a dynamic, explosive player, just picture him doing this at Texas State over the next couple of seasons. Scary (fast forward to the :55 and 1:18 marks). Should also note he’s great to visit with in person, very friendly and looks to be a solid teammate.

- Lot of buzz about JuCo (Blinn JC) transfer Shaun Rutherford. He’s done everything from play QB, WR, and even punter. He’s just a pure athlete, who I would expect to see in certain packages throughout the season. Seen him make quite a few plays so far in the Spring…

- Devin Baker, who was recruited as a Tight End from nearby Smithson Valley High School, has been moved to Offensive Line. Remember how well Calvin Gore, another former SV grad played on the o-line at TXST?

- CB Darryl Morris is special. Was the best player in the secondary last season, and by the looks of it at practice, will be again in 2011.

By the way, don’t forget that the Maroon & Gold Spring Game is Saturday, April 16^th, Coach Fran will actually be joining Bill and I in the broadcast booth for the game, and serve as an analyst. Also that week, Monday, April 11^th, Coach Fran will be “Dining at Jones Hall” on the Texas State Campus. I’ll be blogging about all that as well, just go to www.brantsthoughts.gov.www...you know the address.

Eat ‘Em Up!

- Brant (reach me at txstradio@gmail.com)

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