Herd Insider Magazine vol 19 #13 May 2017

History : When Marshall Played Basketball at Vanity Fair/Radio Center –by James E. Casto

May 2017

www.HerdInsider.com

The Inside Job Marshall’s spring Green-White game was moved indoors for the first time ever, due to inclement weather. Keion Davis apparently didn’t mind, running the ball up the middle.

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UP FRONT

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VOLUME 19 NO. 13

For the stats nerds, here’s the numbers we collected at the annual Green-White spring game in late April. Please note: due to moving the game indoors, the shortened field of play, and awarding of points for specific performances…take these with a grain of salt.

FINAL SCORE: WHITE/DEFENSE-165 GREEN/OFFENSE-116 Team Passing 28-for-56 283 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs Team Rushing 61-for-215 (3.6) 24-Keion Davis 18-for-93 yards, 1-yard TD 47-Joseph Early 21-for-78, 9-yard TD 11-Xavier Gaines rush 7-45, fumble; pass 2-of-14, 15 yards, TD, INT 12-Garet Morrell rush 6(-22); pass 6-of-13, 59 yards, TD, INT 14-Chase Litton rush 1-8; pass 10-of-21, 214 yards, 4 TDs 13-Jackson White rush 5-25; pass 0-of-8 Receiving Tyre Brady 4-for-156 yards, 73-yards, & 37-yards for 2 TDs (Litton), 27yard pass (Litton) Cody Mitchell 2-for-5 yards Nick Mathews 5-for-56 yards, 23-yards, & 15-yards for 2 TDs (Litton) 40yard pass (Litton) Marcel Williams 1-6 yard, TD (Gaines) Armani Levias 1-for-15 yards Willie Johnson, 3-for-64 yards, 53 yards for TD (Morrell) Simino Walden 1-for-6 yards Keion Davis 2 (-8) yards

compiled by Woody Woodrum Herd Insider senior editor Defensive Stats (combo of figures from MU SID & those kept by Herd Insider) 90-Damien Dozier 9 TKLS, QBS (-6), TFL (-6) 4-Juwan Young 7 TKLS, TFL (-4) 45-Brandon Drayton 7 TKLS, PBU 35-Frankie Hernandez 6 TKLS, PBU, 2 TFL (-1, −2) 31-Omari Cobb 5 TKLS, TFL (-4) 49-Nazeeh Johnson 5 TKLS 10-Donyae Moody 4 TKLS, TFL (-2), QBP 29-Malik Gant 4 TKLS 32-Artis Johnson 4 TKLS, INT 69-Aaron Dobson 4 TKL, 1.5 QBS (-1, −9) 3.5 TFL (-1, −2, −3, −9),FR 29-Malik Gant 4 TKLS 98-Charkie Johnson 4 TKLS, 2 QBS (-2, −3), 2 TFL (-2, −3) 37-Chase Hancock 4 TKLS, PBU 42-George Davis 4 TKLS 33-Marquis Couch 2 TKLS 60-Joey Maddox 2 TKLS 94-Channing Hames 2 TKLS, 1.5 QBS (-1, −1), 1.5 TFL (-1, −1) 28-D’Andre Wilson 2 TKLS, 1.5 TFL (-1, −4), PBU, QBP 11-Rodney Allen 1 TKL, 1.5 TFL (-2, −3) 99-Jason Smith 1 TKL 22-Jestin Morrow 1 TKL, 2 PBU 56-Tyler Kopp FR 18-Dontrell Johnson INT Key: TKLS-tackles, TFL-tackles for loss, QBS-quarterback sacks, QBP-quarterback pressure, PBU-pass broken up, INT-interception, and FR-fumble recovery

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WHAT WE’VE GOT

COLUMNIST

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VOLUME 19 No. 13

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6 Vanity Fair/Radio Center FEATURE

Inside, Out

Marshall football’s GreenWhite game illustrated the efforts of two individuals, and what began on the inside was seen on the outside.

FOOTBALL

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Inside Job

For the first time ever, Marshall held its annual GreenWhite spring game indoors due to weather. Fans didn’t mind one bit.

Before the Cam Henderson Center and Veterans Field House, Marshall played basketball at a place called Vanity Fair / Radio Center.

SOFTBALL

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Steal Away

To say that Marshall softball is having a good season is a massive understatement.

Eight stolen bases against Virginia Tech illustrate this.

On the cover: Keion Davis took this handoff up the middle during Marshall’s spring Green-White game, held indoors at the Cline Indoor Athletic Complex for the first time. photo by Greg Perry/HI staff 555 Fifth Avenue Huntington, WV 25701 (304) 523-8401

General Manager Mike Kirtner Contributor Bill Cornwell

Creative Director Greg Perry First Subscriber Geoff Sheils

This page: Marshall coach Doc Holliday observed from afar during the spring Green-White game. photo by Greg Perry/HI staff

Associate GM Reeves Kirtner Printing Printograph, Inc.

Senior Editor Web Operations Woody Woodrum Alex Hackney All contents ©2017 Kindred Communications, Inc

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COLUMNIST

From The Inside, Out GREG PERRY

gregkperry@herdinsider.com

The Saturday morning started out dreary and rainy and drizzly – and only got worse from there on out. Seeing as how it was game day, that meant that working conditions would be miserable.

Since the beginning of Herd Insider Magazine way back in 1998, we have had more than a handful of bad-weather days at the office.

Snow, rain, thunder, lightning…all are possible in the middle of a football game in the late summer and fall months.

About two days before the game, however, the looming weather became readily apparent to Marshall fans. Holliday put it all in perspective.

“The silver lining is that we have one of the best indoor complexes in the country, and I think it will be tremendous to see 2,000 fans packed in there to watch us get after it,” the coach added.

The Chris Cline Indoor Athletic Complex is a result of many years

Because of the Chris Cline Indoor Athletic Complex, Marshall fans enjoyed a dry Green-White game for the first time.

And, up until now, the only response we had to those conditions was to simply grin and bear it. Buck up, buttercup, as it were.

What a difference a few years can make, however.

Marshall athletics moved the annual spring Green-White game indoors on April 22, 2017 for the first time in school history: up until this point, there was nowhere else to go when inclement weather reared its ugly head on game day.

“Of course we would love to play in Edwards Stadium … that is our top choice,” said Marshall head coach Doc Holliday. “When the weather is good, our fans can tailgate, let loose and really have some fun.”

photos by Greg Perry/Herd Insider staff

of campaigning, fund-raising, and support-seeking in the Marshall community. Once considered a project beyond the community’s scope and means, well, here we are and here it is. And, here I am standing in the middle of it, my rain gear still in the closet at the house on this Saturday afternoon.

And on the other side of the facility, there’s Doc’s 2,000-plus Marshall football fans, like he promised there would be. To be sure, there would have been two, maybe three, times as many fans in the stands at Edwards Stadium if the day had been sunny and dry.

However, the silver lining (as coach Holliday referred to, earlier) continued on page 5

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continued from page 4 is that events like this now will no longer be faced with having to be cancelled. We have overcome the weather, in other words. Never let it be said that ingenuity and determination were no match for Mother Nature.

And earlier on this very same day, we were ushered into the new Marshall football locker room to chronicle the renovations that had taken place over the last few months. Expecting a nice coat of paint, maybe some brighter light bulbs…we were stunned to see an entirely new locker room that left nothing recognizable from its previous iteration. Nothing.

New lockers, back-lit panels with inspirational slogans and pho-

match his total.

“We have a brotherhood in Kelly green and white…and shoulder pads,” Curry was quoted as saying with regards to the campaign.

“That brotherhood means the world to me.”

About 30 minutes into the locker room event, in comes Curry with AD Mike Hamrick, through a side door. While he thought he was coming in to see the renovations’ progress, Curry was floored when Hamrick told the gathered crowd that the locker room would now be called the Vinny Curry Football Locker Room.

And suddenly, a guy who makes his living hitting other players was silent. Smiling, but quiet. Holding his hand over his heart, Curry

Vinny Curry was all smiles when AD Mike Hamrick (left) announced that the football locker room is now named the Vinny Curry Football Locker Room.

Coach Holliday took advantage of the “silver lining” afforded by the construction of the Chris Cline Indoor Athletic Complex, to hold the Green-White game.

tos, large monitors with constantly-running video highlights, beautiful wood flooring…all come together to produce what is a top-notch locker room that any coach would be proud to bring a recruit to see.

And don’t forget the “M”. The centerpiece of Marshall’s locker room has always been a large, block “M” placed smack-dab in the middle of the room. The new one jumps out at you, surrounded by wood flooring.

The 118 lockers feature a plaque with the name of a former player on it. Each former player donated a minimum of $1,000 towards the effort – dubbed the Vinny Curry Project – in order to have their name on a locker. Curry, of course, is the former Marshall standout who now plays in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles.

To say that Curry is merely a supporter of the program is a vast understatement. Curry kicked off the locker room project with $200,000 of his own money, and challenged others to donate and

expressed his gratitude to the crowd and spent a lot of time making sure everybody who wanted one got a photo with him.

One cannot proclaim themselves humble. To do so is the very antithesis of what the word humble means.

However, other people can say it.

Vinny Curry was very humble last Saturday, and it comes naturally. He has genuine love for Marshall University in his heart. He clearly epitomizes a saying that is written on a small piece of paper in a nondescript office in downtown Huntington: Start now. Start where you are. Start with fear. Start with doubt.

Start with hands shaking. Start with voice trembling, but start. Start and don’t stop. Start where you are, with what you have. Just…start.

Because of alumni like Vinny Curry and Chris Cline, Marshall now has facilities that rival any school’s.

And just like the Green-White game, it was all an inside job.

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When Marshall played basketball at a place called…

Vanity Fair/Radio Center story by James E. Casto Herd Insider contributing writer

F

or decades, Huntington’s venerable Vanity Fair building – built in 1915 and rebuilt in 1924 after a fire – was the only arena in town.

Heavyweight boxing champ Jack Dempsey fought there, and the annual Golden Gloves amateur boxing tourneys always attracted big crowds. In the 1930s, it hosted dance marathons. In the 1940s, the big bands played there. During World War II, it was where young draftees reported for induction into the military. After the war, it hosted a variety of events, including music concerts, professional wrestling matches and skating nights. In the 1950s, it became the first studio for Channel 13 television.

Today, the old building in the 600 block of 4th Avenue houses 53 efficiency apartments for low-income residents, operated by the Cabell-Huntington Coalition for the Homeless. Coalition Founder Betty Barrett has said she feels certain that if the building hadn’t been turned into low-income housing it would have been demolished and the site turned into a parking lot.

But none of the building’s many other roles generated excitement equal to that felt when it was home court for some of Marshall College’s greatest basketball squads.

Marshall’s first basketball game in Huntington was played in the city’s YMCA. The Feb. 27, 1908, contest saw Marshall defeat an Ashland YMCA team 21-2. The season opener that fall was played in the basement of Old Main – an 11-4 win over Morehead State Normal School

(now Morehead State University) on Nov. 27, 1908.

For years, stately Old Main was Marshall’s only building. As such, it housed classrooms, administrative offices, a library, dining hall, women’s dormitory, auditorium and, yes, even a basement basketball court. A diagram of Old Main preserved at the Marshall Library shows the room that housed the gym was only 40 feet by 56 feet – cramped quarters for a basketball game, much less for any spectators.

Writers in The Parthenon student newspaper began calling for construction of a college gymnasium. With nothing happening in that regard, Coach Boyd Chambers arranged for Marshall to play its 1912-13 and 1913-14 home games in the Biggs Armory at 5th Avenue and 2nd Street.

At the end of the second season at the Armory, it was decided it was too expensive and inconvenient to play games off campus. With no on-campus facility yet in the works, the college dropped its basketball program.

In 1915, the campus got a second building with the construction of Northcott Hall and soon Marshall became a three-building school with the addition of a gymnasium building. Its construction enabled Marshall to resume basketball in the 1920-21 season. (When Gullickison Hall was built in 1961, the original Marshall gymnasium became the “Women’s Gym.” The dilapidated building was demolished in the 1980s.)

Between Marshall’s increasing enrollment and the rising popular-

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Over the decades, Huntington’s venerable Vanity Fair building has seen a broad array of uses. But nothing ever generated excitement equal to that felt when it was home court for some of Marshall’s greatest basketball squads. Photographs courtesy Special Collections, Marshall University Library ity of basketball, it wasn’t long before the gym proved inadequate to meet the demand for tickets. At the end of the 1929-30 season, Marshall had two big games that were sure to draw big crowds (and ticket dollars). Athletic Director Roy Hawley moved the games to Vanity Fair.

The first Marshall game at Vanity Fair was a 36-28 win over West Virginia Wesleyan on February 20, 1930. The crowd was estimated at 2,000 and described by The Advertiser as the largest crowd ever to witness a game in Huntington. Marshall followed the Wesleyan win with a March 1 loss to Glenville State College.

In 1935, Eli Camden ‘‘Cam’’ Henderson (18901956) arrived to take over as Marshall’s basketball coach.

Henderson was an innovator in basketball and football. In basketball, he is widely credited with pioneering the zone defense as well as the modern fast break. In football, he helped originate the double-wing offense. Little wonder he is a revered figure in Marshall sports history, with today’s basketball arena, Henderson Center, named in his honor.

Born on a farm in Marion County, Henderson grew up in Harrison County and attended Glenville State, where he played football, basketball and baseball.

Two years after graduation,

Henderson was the principal of Bristol High School where he initiated the school’s athletic program. Henderson’s first college coaching position was at Muskingham College in Ohio. After three years, he returned to West Virginia to coach at Davis & Elkins College. After 12 seasons at D&E, he posted an 83-33-6 record in football and a 220-40 mark in basketball.

On arriving in Huntington, Henderson made it clear he liked the town and, of course, he liked Marshall. But he didn’t like Vanity Fair.

And that’s understandable, as there wasn’t much to like.

In his book Cam Henderson: His Life and Times, Sam Clagg, a player and coach under Henderson who went on to become a legendary Marshall professor, accurately described Vanity Fair as “a dismal barn of a structure.”

Dayton sportswriter Ritter Collett called it an “ill-lighted bandbox” and went on to elaborate: “Long Island, Oregon, Texas.

DePaul and Loyola have gone in there only to be razzle-dazzled off their feet by Cam’s amazingly adept boys moving like fleet ghosts in continued on page 8 Coach Cam Henderson is the center of attention in this photo from the 1941 Chief Justice.

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May 2017

the semi-darkness.”

In December of 1940, radio station WCMI took over Vanity Fair and gave it a new name – Radio Center.

When Vanity Fair / Radio Center was otherwise booked, Cam played whatever facility he could find. In his biography of Cam, Clagg wrote that the coach frequently would shake his head and lament: “We haven’t anyplace to play.”

Marshall played some of its games at Arena Gardens, a skating rink on 7th Avenue. Both Vanity Fair and Arena gardens were managed by colorful local promoter Dick Deutsch. Arena Gardens burned in 1945 and was not rebuilt. (The blaze claimed the life of fireman Jess Hensley.

Three other firefighters narrowly escaped death when the roof of the big structure collapsed.)

On January 13, 1947, Marshall played at the Huntington East High School gym, beating Concord College 87-45. The high school gym only seated 1,100. The team’s 200 season ticket holders got reserved seats. The other 900 continued on page 20

Iwin Dugan, long-time artist with the Huntington newspapers, did this sketch of coach Cam Henderson surrounded by members of the Marshall team that brought home the NAIB championship in 1947.

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COLLEGE

Backup quarterback Xavier Gaines was all eyes as he pitched during this option play in the spring Green-White game in late April.

FOOTBALL

photographs by Greg Perry/HI staff

COLLEGE

FOOTBALL

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THE INSIDE JOB Marshall’s spring game was moved indoors due to inclement weather.

If you can’t beat it, avoid it. It sure beats saying, “rain, rain, go away.”

He may not even like old sayings, but Doc Holliday, the head coach of the Marshall football program, decided early on Saturday to avoid the rain that has plagued past Thundering Herd Green-White Games and scrimmages since he took the helm of the program in 2010.

For the first time ever, the spring game was indoors and out of the elements, enjoyed by a crowd of nearly 2,500 Marshall fans who jammed the west sideline of the Chris Cline Athletic Center track for bleacher seating, or they sat on blankets or seat cushions on the all-weather track as Marshall’s defense won the first indoor spring game at Marshall, 165-116. Please know that score is somewhat misleading, as points are awarded for individual plays, etc. It adds up fast.

scrimmage from the 27-yard line, and the folks who had just sat down got back on their feet to cheer this exciting play.

The indoor facility has the south end zone being shorter than regulation-size, where the six-lane track passes through it. With all the folks in attendance also sitting story by Woody Woodrum near the back of that end zone, Herd Insider senior editor the Marshall coaches marked the goal line of the south end zone at the 20-yard line; then in the North end zone, Marshall officials had the goal marked at the 10 — so, take the stats with a cup of Marshall sports info and a pinch of Herd Insider, as both organizations did the best they could with the stats under the conditions of the indoor workout.

Tyre Brady had two long TDs, the first this reception for 73-yards past Kereon Merrell (27) on the second play from scrimmage,from QB Chase Litton.

Afterward, the Herd stuck around for 45 minutes after the scrimmage ended so that fans could get autographs from all of Marshall’s players on the 2017 football poster, which were also given away.

The Herd coaches have had a scoring system for every play in the scrimmage this spring, with points to stops on third or fourth down, interceptions (there were four), fumbles (two) and other good plays.

The offense certainly had moments in the game, as returning two-year starting quarterback Chase Litton threw to Miami, Fla. transfer Tyre Brady for a 73-yard touchdown (photo, below) on the second play from

The game followed many former Marshall players drawing together to see the newly-christened football locker room, offically named as the Vinny Curry Marshall Football Locker Room. Curry –who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL (and who also wears number 75 in honor of the lives remembered with the fountain who were lost in the Nov. 14, 1970, Marshall charter plane returning from a game at East Carolina)– was overcome with emotion over the naming of the facility for him. (see photo on pages 12-13) continued on page 15

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Giving Something Back…

Former Marshall great –and current NFL star– Vinny Curry spoke to those gathered for the unveiling of the renovated Marshall football locker room prior to the Green-White spring game. Curry spearheaded the renovation efforts, and in return, AD Mike Hamrick announced that the locker room would be named for Curry (inset photo). photos by Greg Perry/HI staff

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continued from page 11 Curry donated $200,000 to kick off the locker room renovation and endowed a scholarship in his mother’s name. Former players will be featured on the lockers with nameplates after a donation of $1,000, and Curry was unaware of the locker room having his name on it from now on.

“We just wanted to show that our facilities are right up there with anyone else,” Curry said during the ceremony in the locker room. “It will help our coaches with recruiting. I hope this will push the players and keep this Marshall program moving forward.”

At the fountain ceremony prior to the game, Todd Ellwood — a receiver for Marshall, and son of the head coach — remembered what it was like for players in the 1971-to-1983 era, during which Marshall was the losingest team in the nation (1970-79, 23 wins-83 losses, worst in the NCAA Division I among all football teams). Marshall had no winning seasons from 1965-83 and endured two long losing streaks, in all games played from 1966-69 and in all Southern Conference games from 1977-81.

Ellwood’s father was Frank Ellwood, who was coach of the Herd from 1975-78 (10-34) and who led the Herd after Jack Lengyel and his “Young” Thundering Herd started the rebuild in 1971-74 (9-33). Sonny Randle would lead the program from 1979-83 (12-42-1), just as the Herd was moved to I-AA — the main ingredient to turn the program’s fortunes around in the next decade and above.

“Since then, Marshall has played in six National Championship games in I-AA, played in 11 bowls and won nine of them and has won nine conference championships and two national championships,” Ellwood said of the Marshall successes since that first trip to the I-AA

National Championship game in 1987. “Can you imagine that? It is great to see the success of our program and our school.”

Dr. Gilbert and Curry called for the fountain to turn on. There was a dramatic second or two until when the water shot out of the fountain to cheers of the fans who gathered in the covered plaza or on the second-floor balcony of the Marshall Memorial Student Center. A crowd of over 300 crowded in to see Ellwood, Curry, president Jerry Gilbert of Marshall, Hamrick and Rev. Steve Harvey, who is the Marshall football chaplain. Many players of the 1970s era were in attendance, from Allen Meadows and Roger Hillis, both 1971 freshmen on the Young Thundering Herd, to players like Ellwood, Hamrick and even your author, who worked for both Ellwood and Randle during that tough time of Marshall football.

The scrimmage allowed each of Marshall’s four quarterbacks to get reps with either the first or second unit. Litton is a junior, in his third spring at Marshall, and helped the Herd to 10-3 with a bowl win as a freshman, then started 10 games in last year’s disappointing 3-9 season; sophomore Garet Morrell, who started against Louisville and WKU last year when Litton was injured ; redshirt freshman Xavier Gaines; and redshirt freshman Jackson White. The Herd also has a redshirt freshman who arrived for spring, Christian Schlegel, who is a walk-on, and who would not take snaps in the scrimmage.

“I thought it was neat, and I thought it worked well with the changeup,” Holliday said. “A lot of our fans had not had the chance to come into our great building. There are not too many programs in the country who could move their spring game indoors and have such a great crowd come in and watch the scrimmage.”

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Jadon Hayes Huntington (WV) High School

photo courtesy of Huntington High School

Football, Basketball, Track

If you’re looking for the best all-around athlete in area high schools, you might have to look toward “Highlander Mountain” and Huntington High School, the home of Jadon Hayes. In the last two months, Hayes has donned a basketball uniform and a track uniform, this after wearing pads and a helmet playing football in the fall for the Highlanders.

The 5-8 junior has been busy wearing out the three uniforms, too: on March 18, Hayes helped lead HHS to the state basketball title in a game against Capital High School. His nine rebounds, six assists, eight steals and one turnover were critical against a smothering defense employed by the Cougars. That performance played a key role in Huntington’s 50-42 win. Just a couple weeks later, Hayes was spotted wearing the track uniform at Cabell Midland High School in Ona for the Carlos Akers/Doc Hale Memorial meet. Running in the 4x100 event, Hayes shot out on a fast first leg. Teammates Malik Grier and Keshon Bryant took it from there, and Matt Ruff brought it home on the anchor leg to give HHS the win in a time of 44.56 seconds.

“Just took off. That’s all there was to it,” Hayes said to reporter Dave Walsh of The (Huntington) Herald-Dispatch.

As if that weren’t enough, during the 2016 football season in September, Hayes rushed for over 300 yards and two touchdowns at Parkersburg on a Friday night, breaking a record of 223 yards from 2003 at Huntington High School. In wrapping up the football season, Hayes was named to the first team defense (where Hayes played safety) by USA TODAY High School Sports as they announced the 2016 American Family Insurance All-USA West Virginia Football Team. He also was an All-Mountain State Athletic Conference performer and made the Class AAA All-State and Herald-Dispatch All-Area teams.

Hayes is also a serious student, with a 3.9 grade point average and that’s both pleasing and impressive to his head football coach.“That tells you what kind of kid he is academically,” coach Billy Seals said. “He’s a laid-back, fun-loving kid and he’s going to play college football somewhere.”

—compiled by Bill Cornwell

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COLLEGE

SOFTBALL

photograph by Adam Gue for Herd Insider Magazine

STEALING AWAY Sitting on a 35-7 record in late April, the Marshall women’s softball team continues to blast its way through an amazing season.

story by Marshall Sports Information

The Marshall softball team defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies 8-3, in late April, in the first contest of a three-game set. The Thundering Herd used its speed to steal eight bases and took advantage of six Tech errors to improve to 35-7. The Hokies fell to 17-30.

Senior pitcher Jordan Dixon went the distance for her 23rd complete game of the season. Dixon improved to 26-5 this season and struck out 10.

Marshall started the scoring in the first. Senior Morgan Zerkle led off with a single to left. Two pitches late, Zerkle took second for the first steal of the night. Junior Elicia D’Orazio reached base next on a hit-by-pitch. Zerkle scored first on an infield single by freshman Elizabeth DeShields. D’Orazio scored on a fielder’s choice as DeShields was retired at second.

“We got a fast start and really our aggression and our base-running was definitely the difference,” said coach Shonda Stanton. “We had eight stolen bases and so you put yourself into scoring position quite a bit with taking the next 60 feet. It makes a big difference.”

The Herd added one more stolen base in the second to take a 3-0

lead. Junior Jordan Colliflower led off the inning with a single to left.

Colliflower moved to second on a single by junior Eloise Tribolet and then both runners advanced another base on a throwing error by the shortstop. Zerkle stepped up next and delivered a fly ball to left. Colliflower tagged up and scored.

Marshall made it a four-run lead in the fourth inning as Tribolet scored from third on a fielder’s choice.

Virginia Tech ended the shutout in the fifth as Jessie Mehr hit a solo home run. However, Marshall extended the lead to five in the fifth inning, 6-1.

Tribolet led off the fifth with her third hit of the game. She stole second base and then scored as the throw from the catcher ended up rolling to the outfield fence. Later in the fifth, D’Orazio stole home, as McCord took second on a double-steal.

In the top of the seventh, Colliflower led off with a hard line-drive to right-center for a triple. Two batters later, Colliflower scored as Zerkle reached on an infield error. D’Orazio scored for the third time of the night on an error at third on a pick-off attempt.

COLLEGE The Hokies added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh, but Dixon struck out the final batter to end the game.

Jordan Colliflower was named the Dot Hicks Significant Sticker Award winner after going 3-for-4 at the plate. Colliflower scored twice and recorded her third triple of the year.

“I felt that Jordan Colliflower and Tribolet did an incredible job at the bottom of the lineup and turning things over. They had six hits combined so that was great to see. Zerkle has done a nice job in the leadoff spot, lacing a single down the left-field line two games in a row now has been huge. And, obviously Dixon, who had the one hitter going into the sixth inning, she was money today and really pounded the strike zone. I was really impressed with what she did today.”

The steal-a-thon at Virginia Tech brought to the forefront what has been a stellar season for Stanton and the Marshall softball team.

In addition to the impressive 35-7 mark late in the season, player Morgan Zerkle is a finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award.

You could say this is turning into a very good year.

To illustrate that, consider that arlier in the month, the Marshall squad notched their 30th win of the season – in just 35 total games.

It came via a 4-2 victory over the Florida Atlantic Owls at Dot Hicks Field.

Linda Dixon, mother of Marshall senior pitcher Jordan Dixon, tossed out the ceremonial first pitch for Marshall’s “Strikeout for Cancer Day”, as the Herd wore special pink jerseys. The Marshall players also donned headbands with the words “Faith.

Fight.Frost” in support of former Marshall softball star, and current University of Indianapolis head softball coach Melissa Frost (1994-97).

“It was a beautiful day and a great crowd for our pink game,” said coach Stanton. “It was really nice to see the moment in the beginning with Jordan’s mom coming out looking bald and beautiful and Jordan

SOFTBALL shaved her head in love and support and unity with her mom. For them to have that moment with Linda throwing the first pitch and then for us to be able to honor Dixon with her 1,000th strikeout was a great, moving moment today.”

Dixon and the Marshall defense played hard in the first contest of the three-game series to earn the team’s 30th win. Dixon struck out nine while allowing just four hits. For the senior ace, it was her 22nd win of the season, 15th consecutive victory and the 98th of her career.

Florida Atlantic did open the scoring as Mia Olson homered to left-center, giving the Owls an early 1-0 lead.

Sophomore Abigail Estrada responded for the Herd in the bottom of the second, as she homered to right field, evening the score at 1-1. It was Estrada’s fourth home run of the season.

An inning later, the Herd added three more runs. Senior Morgan Zerkle ripped a line drive into right field for her fifth triple of the season.

That tied the program single season record set

by Amanda Williams in 2004. With Zerkle at third, junior Taylor McCord homered to left field, giving the Herd its first lead of the afternoon, 3-1.

Taylor McCord was named the Dot Hicks Significant Sticker Award winner. The junior belted the two-run home run in the third inning, her 10th of the season at the time, and was walked once. Defensively, McCord cut down the two base-stealing attempts in the fifth, bringing her season total to 13 runners caught stealing. McCord set the Marshall single-season record in 2016 with 21 runners caught stealing.

The month began with Jordan Dixon being named the C-USA Pitcher of the Week. She would rack up the award again during the month.

“Dixon is hitting her stride right when we need her to be strong,” Herd coach Shonda Stanton said. “She had a phenomenal week starting with the no-hitter and ended it by notching her 1,000th K. –compiled/edited by Greg Perry

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ZERKLE DRAFTED BY NFP TEAM; FINALIST FOR USA SOFTBALL P-O-Y AWARD

photograph courtesy Marshall Athletics

Marshall softball senior Morgan Zerkle was drafted by the Scrap Yard Dawgs of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) with the 26th overall selection on April 24, 2017. The NPF held its annual draft from Nashville.

The Milton, W.Va., native will be playing for two teams this summer, as she is also a member of the 2017 USA Women’s National Team.

“It is really exciting,” Zerkle said after the selection. “It is something that I have always wanted to do since I was little, so it is great to check that off as something that I have accomplished. It is as far as you can go in softball so it is exciting that I have achieved that and it will be fun going from Team USA to pro. It is going to be a fun summer of softball.”

Zerkle joins Melissa Frost (1994-97), Randi Nielson (2002-05), Amanda Williams (200306), Jessica Williams (2003-06), Noelle Adams (2003-06), Rachel Folden (2005-08) and Andi Williamson (2011-13) as Marshall players that have suited up for the NPF. “Zerkle is one of nine current collegiate players to be selected to Team USA,” Herd coach Shonda Stanton said. “And now, she is one of 26 seniors to be honored by being drafted to the NPF. It is a great moment for Zerkle and Herd Softball and it was nice for our team to be able to share this memory with her.”

Earlier in the season, Zerkle was selected as one of the 34 finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball has announced.

Making up the list of finalists this year are 23 seniors, eight juniors, two sophomores and one freshman. 23 different schools are represented from 11 conferences.

–Marshall Sports Information releases

20 / HERD INSIDER

/ May 2017

When Huntington’s World War II draftees and volunteers were called for their physicals, they reported to Radio Center.

Note the men quietly waiting their turn and the curious onlookers in the balcony.

Vanity Fair continued from page 8 tickets were sold first-come, first-served. Students could buy standing room only. The Cabell County school system kept all the revenue.

When WCMI moved into Vanity Fair it did more than just give the building a new name. The station modernized the old place, refurbishing the combination dance floor/basketball court and installing permanent stadium-sized seats in the balcony, which formerly had been furnished with portable tables and chairs. Outside, the station erected a 40-foot marquee across the front of the building and topped it with a huge neon sign displaying the WCMI call letters.

But there was no way to make Radio Center adequate for the steadily larger crowds that successful Marshall basketball was drawing.

Under Cam, a series of Marshall basketball teams dominated the old Buckeye Conference and in March of 1947 the team did the unthink-

able – it won the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball (NAIB) championship in Kansas City, beating Mankato State 73-59 to bring home the school’s first national championship.

After their victory, the team returned to Huntington via train.

Clagg recounted how team manager Johnny Wellman, who had not made the trip, boarded the train in Ashland, Kentucky, and advised the coach that a celebration was shaping up in Huntington.

And what a celebration it turned out to be! An estimated crowd of 15,000 cheering fans turned out to welcome the team’s late-night arrival home when the train pulled into the old Chesapeake & Ohio Railway station on 7th Avenue. As WSAZ Radio broadcast the event, various dignitaries, the players and, of course, Cam spoke to the throng.

“I haven’t much to say,” the coach said. “We would never have continued on page 21

ed by Marshall basketball – and especially its NAIB victory – was what Vanity Fair continued from page 20 fueled the successful effort to build the Field House. gotten anywhere without the superb cooperation of the boys on the Fred Burns, the veteran Herald-Dispatch sport editor, correctly team. They have a place in the hearts of Kansas City fans. After the first labeled the Field House “the House that Henderson built.” game, (the fans were) 75 percent for Marshall every night. Thanks from On February 19, 1950, Marshall closed its 1949-50 season with a the bottom of my heart.”

67-63 victory over Xavier University at Radio Center.

With just 3,500 seats, Radio Center was attracting standWriting about Marshall’s first ing-room-only crowds for Marshall practice at the newly completed Field basketball. It was abundantly clear the House, Burns said Henderson “was facility had outlived its usefulness. beaming like a little boy who had just Max K. Jones, chairman of the gotten a red wagon for Christmas.”

Cabell County Recreation Board, said On December 2, 1950, Marshall his worst nightmare was that someone played its first game at the Field House, would yell “Fire!” when Radio Center an 84-34 win over Fairmont State. was filled to the rafters. With that fear in mind, Jones and other civic leaders At last, Cam had found a place for began planning for a new arena that his boys to play. would serve the needs of Marshall, the county’s high schools and the entire James E. Casto is the retired associate community. editor of The Herald Dispatch and the Thus it was that plans for what author of a number of books on local would be Veterans Memorial Field In December of 1940, radio station WCMI took over Vanity and regional history.

House took shape. There’s no question Fair and gave it a new name – Radio Center. that the enormous excitement generat-