The creation of South Saskatchewan

The newspaper guys were just talking about North Dakota and made some comments about them. I am sure this one is going to come back to bite me someday, but someone said if Canada did take over North Dakota, what would they be called? Well, they came up with South Saskatchewan would be the new name. You heard it here first folks. Granted North Dakota is south of Manitoba…..

Anyways, it seems like the tight ends will see more receptions in Gordon Shaw’s offense. Brandon White has two receptions in the spring game and Mitch Mohr has two as well. Mohr had two receptions all of last year, and White only had one. The tight ends combined for nine receptions all of last year with one touchdown. Shaw was able to get his tight ends involved in the offense at Minnesota. Their first priority is blocking, but they were always reliable in the passing game.

When I talked to Shaw today, he said if he was at Minnesota still, he would’ve recruited London Landry and Mohr to play for the Golden Gophers. That is high praise from a guy who knows that position well. It will be interesting to see how that successful the tight ends will be in the upcoming year.

By the way, I interviewed Shaw on 91.1, the local radio station. It was on Sports Weekly, a weekly show I do on Fridays from 12-2 with Drew Quandt. Many of the Volante reporters have contributed as well. Yes, I know, shameless plug, but hey, advertising isn’t cheap nowadays.

————–Justin Rust

Halftime at the Dome

Yes, the spring game has a halftime.

Quick thought from the first “half” of action.

The battle for the number one running back is between sophomore Matt Lee and redshirt freshman Chris Ganious. Both have looked impressive in practice, and both have had their moments in the spring game. Lee looks like he has the edge though with his touchdown run. But in the Coyotes system, they need to have two running backs. Last year it was Allen and Lee. Last year, Lee looked good as the backup and ready to take on the starting role. Ganious ripped up the scout team last year and should be a solid contributor for the rest of his Coyote career.

Halftime just ended and the offense is still up 21-9.

——–Justin Rust

Scoring for the Spring Game

I should have led off with this, but oh well. The scoring system is different in the spring game than in a regular game. Here is the run-down:

Defensive Stop-2 points

Turnover- 6 points

First Down- 1 point

Field Goal- 3 points

Touchdown- 6 points

That is the scoring summary. The second string offense just scored a touchdown, as Matt Lee broke an 11 yard run. Lee ran right where the center and right guard are suppose to be, but they cleared the hole so well, I think a full-sized truck could’ve gone through it. Impressive job by the new offensive line. Lee hasn’t had the most room to run tonight, but has found a few holes. Lee has the speed Meierkort likes, and the size of Amos Allen and Stephan Logan. I am going to say Lee gets 1,000 yards this upcoming season, but really, in this offense, it is very hard not to get 1,000 yards if you are the starting tailback.

This one is for Chuck Baldwin, our adviser at the Volante, as his son Josh Baldwin just ran for a yard on first down. Hope you appreciate that one Chuck!

The offense leads 19-8 as the third-string offense is on the field now.

USD Football Spring Game

The game is underway and the offense leads the defense 3-2, they were down 2-0 though so they have started to find a rhythm. It is their first trip inside the red zone for the spring game.

One person who has caught my eye, and many around me, is sophomore defensive end Abe Booker. Booker has impressed coach Ed Meierkort throughout the spring. He continues to do the same here as he has used his speed to get around right tackle Josh Shorley. Booker has very good speed considering his size. He is 6-3, 253 pounds. The team will look to him to get to the quarterback since they lost last years sack leader John Morales. Zach Johnson also contributed eight sacks as well to the defensive line. If Booker can use his combination of size and speed, then expect 10-15 sacks out of him next year.

The offense scored a field goal, and they are up 8-7.

—-Justin Rust

2008 USD football schedule announced

While it comes with the tag line that every game is subject to change, the Coyotes released the 2008 football schedule.

It features 11 games, including five at home, all against NAIA opponent. The six road games see the Coyotes face five D-I Football Championship Subdivision schools.

The Coyotes will open the Division I era Aug. 30 at 7 p.m in the DakotaDome against NAIA St. Ambrose.

The Coyotes then travel to former North Central Conference and D-I FCS established Northern Iowa. That game is scheduled to get underway Sept. 6 at 4:05 p.m. in the UNI Dome.

USD stays on the road as they travel to Hammond, La., to take on Southeast Louisiana at 6 p.m. The Lions are a Southland Conference member with the campus located 45 miles away from Louisiana’s flagship university LSU.

The Coyotes return Sept. 20 to take on NAIA member Culver-Stockton at 2 p.m.

Then USD hits the road again as they travel to Montana State; another solid D-I FCS school. That game is scheduled for 1:05 MST on Sept. 27.

USD then faces Great West Conference foe Cal Poly at 6:05 PST Oct. 4. The Coyotes will open play in its new league at San Louis Obispo, Calif.

The Coyotes return from that trip to host Missouri S&T in the Dome at 2 p.m. Missouri S&T is a member of the Mid-American Intercollegiate Conference, which is the same league traditional D-II power Northwest Missouri State competes in.

USD then travels to Tigerville, S.C., to take on North Greenville. NGU is a D-II school that competes in the National Christian College Athletics Association.

The Coyotes then host Southern Oregon in the Dome at 2 p.m. The Raiders are another NAIA opponent.

USD then hits the road to face Southern Utah Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. MST. The Thunderbirds are a Great West Conference member.

The Coyotes end the season Nov. 22 against former NCC foe and rival North Dakota at 2 p.m. in the Dome.

Its not really the greatest schedule, but that’s life of a school in transition from D-II to D-IAA. I’m sure there are some short of agreements with some of the D-IAA teams to return to the Dome.

Check back with this blog for comments from head coach Ed Meierkort and players on what their thoughts are on the schedule.

– Vance Janak

Lamppa Heads For The Pac-10

And who can blame him?

If you’re a coach in his position, if you were offered a job with a close friend at a Division I school with significantly better facilities, more job security (not to mention a nice pay increase), wouldn’t you do the same thing?

Yeah, you would. Just as Brian Lamppa did Tuesday, resigning his position as head volleyball coach at USD to take the associate head coaching gig at Washington State.

I understand that his announcement came as a shock to his Coyote team. And understandably so. The Coyotes had an amazing season last year, and return six seniors for next year’s team.

Lamppa heads to the Pacific Northwest alongside former SDSU volleyball coach Andrew Palileo, who took the head job at Washington State.

The two are close friends and have similar visions for coaching and for the game itself.

“We share a lot of the same common beliefs and values,” Lamppa told The Volante this week. “We have found we have quite the bond and connection and that is something that takes time to develop. I am honored and humbled he (Palileo) chose me to be on his staff.”

Yeah, it wasn’t the best time for the move - for the Coyotes - but keep this mind: Lamppa did what many of us would have done in the same situation.

Coaches want to challenge themselves, and by going to WSU (which was 10-22 and 1-17 in the Pac-10 last year) Lamppa has a significant challenge.

We should all wish him the best of luck out there.

— Jeremy Hoeck

Seriously, Mother Nature, we’re sick of it

Once again, Mother Nature plays her cards.

We’re getting sick you, you old bat. Pack it in. Give it up. Move to Greenland.

Here’s an update from The Volante newsroom:

Due to recent weather conditions, several of USD’s athletic events today and this weekend have been postponed or cancelled.

USD’s softball games against Augustana, which were scheduled to be held in Sioux Falls this afternoon, have been postponed.

The Coyotes’ home tennis match with the University of Sioux Falls tonight has been postponed. The tennis match with Southwest Minnesota State, which was scheduled for Saturday at the USD Tennis Courts, has also been postponed. The tennis match with Augustana on Saturday has been moved from Vermillion to the Empire Fitness Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., and will be held at 1 p.m.

In addition, the Coyote track and field teams were scheduled to participate at the Northwestern Red Raider Open in Orange City, Iowa, on Saturday but that meet has been canceled.

Also, there has been no word on whether the USD club baseball team will play its game tonight or this weekend. The Coyotes were scheduled to play the Vermillion Grey Socks this afternon at Prentis Park, as well as games Saturday and Sunday against Nebraska.

— Jeremy Hoeck

Ryun Williams introduced as new coach

Ryun Williams was formally introduced Tuesday as the new USD women’s basketball coach. He replaces Chad Lavin, who guided the Coyotes to an appearance in the national championship game.

Here’s a snippet of a story you can read in this week’s print edition of The Volante:

Less than two weeks from its historic season coming to a disappointing end, the USD women’s basketball has been rejuvenated with the announcement of a new head basketball coach to take the reigns for the retired Chad Lavin.

Ryun Williams, the winningest women’s head basketball coach in the history of Wayne State College (Neb.), was named the new head coach for USD last Friday and will lead the Coyotes into their first year at the Division I level.

On Tuesday, USD athletic director Joel Nielsen introduced Williams as the new coach in a press conference in front of fans, players, coaches and the media in the Al Neuharth Media Center.

“I know we hit a home run here,” Nielsen said. “I’m very excited, as is the institution.”

Williams, who was recruited by USD men’s basketball coach Dave Boots 18 years ago as a transfer from Sheridan College (Wyom.), said he was excited to return to coach his alma mater.

“The minute I stepped in that Dome and (coach Boots) sold me on Coyote basketball, this is where I knew I wanted to be,” Williams said. “It’s great to be back to the place where I started.”

— Matt Dahlseid

Meet Ryun Williams

Hopefully you watched the Wayne State-North Dakota women’s basketball game at the regional tournament in Vermillion last month.

If you did, you were watching USD’s next coach in action. And like many of us, you probably had no idea.

Thursday, Ryun Williams was named the new Coyote women’s basketball coach. He replaces Chad Lavin, who just a week ago was coaching USD in the Division II national championship game.

But that was then. Now, welcome to the Williams Era.

The 39-year-old Williams spent a decade as the head coach at Wayne State College (Neb.) where he compiled 181 wins.

Said Williams in the USD press release:

The University of South Dakota is the right place for us to be and we could not be more excited to come back to the place that gave us our start. I have the utmost respect for coach Lavin, who has been a great friend over the years and it is a privilege to take over his team and build on the momentum he established. I can’t wait to get to work and coach the heck out of this team.

Williams is a 1992 USD graduate and played two seasons for the Coyote men, under head coach Dave Boots. He later served as one of Boots’ assistants before leaving to begin his head coaching career.

Now, it’ll come full circle. Williams will guide the Coyotes into the Division I waters, which will provide him and the team with numerous challenges.

But, don’t be discouraged, Coyote fans. Williams will bring the energy, excitement, enthusiasm and coaching savvy needed for such a challenging stretch.

Ryun Williams. Get to know him.

— — Jeremy Hoeck

Photos from the second half and post-game press conference

By Justin Wolfgang